The Irish Post - June 10, 2023

ON THE MOVE

Irish Embassy in London to relocate after 75 years

See Page 9

One third of Brits back Irish unity

ONE third of people in Britain would support Northern Ireland reuniting with the rest of Ireland a new survey suggests.

The You Gov poll saw 2,000 Brits questioned last month on ‘how they would feel it parts of the UK left?’.

More specifically, one of the questions asked: ‘What do mainland Britons want to happen to Northern Ireland?’.

Some 40 per cent of respondents said they would want Northern Ireland to continue to remain in the UK, compared to 34 per cent saying it should rejoin the remainder of Ireland.

The results are “markedly different” to those from April, the You Gov reports states, when 22 per cent of respondents wanted the North to remain in the UK and 13 per cent said they should join the rest of Ireland.

“It does appear from previous surveys that attitudes towards Northern Ireland can vary in a short space of time; it may be the case that the question is susceptible to ordering effects,” the report states.

“Nevertheless, the results do consistently show a high level of apathy for what happens to Northern Ireland, with the main difference being to what extent the responses shift between sentiments of disinterest and desire to keep the nation within the UK.”

A second question in the survey asked ‘Would Britons care if Northern Ireland left the UK?’.

The response was largely one of indifference, with 43 per cent of respondents saying they would not be bothered, 32 per cent saying they would be upset and 15 per cent stating that they would be pleased.

In comparison the response to the same question about Scotland leaving the UK saw 43 per cent of respondents claim they would be upset if they left.

And 46 per cent of Brits said they would be upset if Wales left the UK.

“Unlike Scotland and Wales, the primary reaction to Northern Ireland leaving the UK to join with the rest of Ireland is apathy,” the report adds.

“Again, these figures are notably different to April’s poll, when 50 per cent said they were apathetic, 22 per cent upset and 11 per cent pleased, likely for reasons already outlined” the reports adds.”

Sinn Féin have since claimed the survey results point to Irish unity moving closer.

Martin Kenny, the party’s TD for South Donegal, said: “The poll reflects the general trend that we see everywhere that Irish unity is a happening thing.

“It’s something that is moving and we are getting closer to that every day,” he added, “and while this poll is interesting of course the people of Britain will have no say in the matter.”

COLLINS PLAQUE

Revolutionary leader set to be honoured

See Page 6

CLIFF TO COAST

Culinary hotspots along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

DÁITHÍ’S DAY

Young campaigner awarded Freedom of the City of Belfast as new opt-out organ donation law comes into effect in Northern Ireland

BY FIONA AUDLEY

YOUNG campaigner Dáithí Mac Gabhann has been awarded the Freedom of the City of Belfast.

The inspiring six-year-old was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, meaning only one side of his heart worked.

After several operations to correct the issue, it was felt his condition was too severe for further surgery and in January 2018 his parents were told that a transplant was Dáithí’s only option.

Dáithí has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant ever since.

And while waiting he and his family, parents Máirtín and Seph and baby brother Cairbre have campaigned tirelessly to change the laws around organ donation in Northern Ireland.

Now, more than five years later, their goal has been reached as the legislation

known as Dáithí’s Law has finally come into effect.

As of June 1 all adults in the North are deemed organ donors unless they have opted out of the scheme or are in an excluded group.

Honouring the young boy’s ongoing commitment to the campaign, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black conferred the Freedom of the City on him in a special ceremony held on Saturday, June 3.

“Dáithí is an exceptional and special little boy who has inspired and given hope to other young people waiting for a donor,” she said.

“Being so brave, at such a young age, in undergoing several open-heart surgeries in recent years, it is fantastic that he is now being recognised for his tireless campaigning in raising awareness around organ donation, and his success at bringing about a

change in legislation,” she added.

“Conferring the Freedom of the City on Dáithí showcases the immense pride we as a city have for him and I am both humbled and delighted to be here today to congratulate and celebrate with courageous Dáithí and his family.”

During Dáithí’s freedom ceremony a circus top transformed the outside lawn at Belfast City Hall, while acrobatic characters and children’s entertainers were on hand to welcome guests.

Following the event, Dáithí’s father Máirtín said: “Today is Dáithí’s day - it is testament to his remarkable character and tremendous spirit.

“We are so delighted to have the support of this amazing city on this historic day. We are forever grateful.”

 See page 5 for more on Dáithí’s Law

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Tina Black pictured with six-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann at his Freedom of the City celebration

TEENAGE magician Cillian

Magician places third in Britain’s Got Talent final THIS WEEK they said...

O’Connor scooped third place in the Britain’s Got Talent final.

The 14-year-old Co. Meath native said he “felt brilliant” about his result, after wowing judges and the audience with his impressive magic routines – which included making the ITV show’s co-host Ant McPartlin disappear into a cloud of confetti.

O’Connor, who has autism, secured a place in the final after

winning the live semi-final on Friday, June 2. On Sunday, June 4 he left the judges in awe of his talents once again, but it was solely down to the public to decide the winner of the annual talent competition.

Ultimately O’Connor came third, with teenage dancer Lillianna Clifton from Liverpool in second place and Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn crowned

the winner on the night.

Speaking after the results were announced, O’Connor said: “I feel brilliant because that’s third place out of hundreds of thousands who have auditioned this year.

“That’s a huge achievement for me.”

Winner Venn walked away with the £250,000 prize and will also perform at Britain’s Royal Variety Performance.

Community volunteers honoured at IIB awards

Brian Boru’s Michael McNamara named Outstanding Individual Volunteer

BY FIONA AUDLEY

DEDICATED volunteers supporting Irish organisations across the country were honoured as the annual Irish in Britain Volunteer Awards returned this month.

Following a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Irish in Britain (IIB) hosted their annual ceremony at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith on June 1, marking the first day of National Volunteers Week.

Irish Ambassador to Britain, Martin Fraser was in attendance and told those gathered “it makes me very proud to be an Irish person and an Irish Ambassador in Britain to know that I can work with you all”.

He added: “Thank you all so much for what you do, congratulations to everybody – the award winners, but congratulations and thanks to every single person all over this country who does so much as volunteers and as community organisations to help everybody.”

Among the winners for 2023 was Michael McNamara, a former president of the Brian Boru Irish Democratic League (IDL) club, who scooped the award for Outstanding Individual Volunteer.

“Michael has been a member of the Brian Boru club for over 25 years, where he has served as both president and a longstanding committee member,” IIB explained.

IIB, which represents Irish clubs, centres and individuals across Britain, went on to describe Mr McNamara as being “central to promoting the club’s diversity, success and longevity, and as a committed and passionate volunteer

of integrity, supporting the Irish and wider community”.

The Brian Boru club is one of the oldest Irish clubs in Britain.

Elsewhere on the night there were joint winners of the Outstanding Trustee award, with recipients Paul Kelly and Amelia Dunford both involved in the West England Irish (W.E. Irish) organisation.

“Paul has been a key driving force in the reform of the Society of Irish in Bristol becoming W.E. Irish, which represents the Irish in all the regions of the west of England and successfully organised and managed the Irish Culture Fest,” IIB explains.

“Amelia is the president and a founding member of the Bristol Irish Society and has worked tirelessly over the last 30 years, to keep the Irish diaspora in Bristol connected,” they add.

“Over the past 12 months Amelia has been instrumental in bringing

the ambitious transformation plans of the group to fruition.”

First launched in 2018 IIB’s volunteer awards are deisgned to “showcase the phenomenal work that volunteers do in our community and honour some outstanding individuals and groups for their extraordinary contribution”.

Two two new awards were revealed for 2023.

The first was the Award for Outstanding Young Person, which was won by Tobias Walsh of Irish Community Care Manchester.

“Tobias began volunteering with the social lunch group a year ago at the age of 17, which has had over 123 vulnerable adult attends with around 45-70 attendees every week,” IIB explains.

“Many of the service users have limited contact with younger people and so being able to chat to Tobias

weekly has made a measurable difference to their lives,” they added.

The second was created in memory of the late David O’Keeffe, who was the manager of the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith until his sudden death in 2019.

Ann Lucas was the first person to receive this “special recognition” award, which IIB confirm will “become an annual feature of the awards”.

Born in Limerick, Ms Lucas is a former Labour councillor who became the only Irish-born Mayor of Bexley in 2002. She is a trustee at the Irish Community Services organisation.

Regarding her award, she said: “It is important to recognise the debt we all owe to David O’Keeffe for the contribution he made to equality and culture and that his legacy is remembered.”

She went on to thank IIB for her award, stating that she was “honoured to be in such great company” on the awards night.

IIB CEO Brian Dalton said the awards evening, which was sponsored by Clover HR, is “probably our most important event of the year –celebrating the enormous contribution of volunteers”.

He added: “The reason for that is because volunteers don’t give the time and skills for recognition or applause – they do it to make a difference, to improve the lives of not just Irish people but the wider community in towns and cities across Britain.”

n See next week’s Irish Post for more pictures from the event

“This is one important step towards justice, and we continue to urge accountability for all perpetrators involved. We look forward to justice for Private Rooney, his injured colleagues, and their families.”

UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) statement after a military court in Lebanon charged five members of the Hezbollah militia with the killing of Private Seán Rooney, of the Irish Defence Forces, last year.

“He was a man of astonishing character. Despite the profound injustice he endured he was not bitter or angry but joyful and always ready to sing.”

Sally Mulready, director of the Irish Elderly Advice Network, which was involved with the Birmingham Six campaign, remembers Hugh Callaghan following his death

“It’s a significant move, one which represents the future era of relations between us and our nearest neighbour.”

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirm the relocation of the Irish Embassy in London after 75 years in Grosvenor Place

“You will know that he engaged in life as he engaged in his art - that is to say, boldly and without reserve. He greatly valued the cut and thrust of debate and the vivid colours that satire and dark humour deliver. We know that he is grateful to you all for having made the connection.”

The family of Dublin artist Graham Knuttel thank fans for their support following his death

“I’ve usually tended to gather a group of people together and just see what begins to emerge. The larger picture in terms of mood, feelings, harmonies and overall arrangement, is mostly driven by my aspirations for the tunes.”

Musician Martin Hayes on his latest project the Common Ground Ensemble

Winner of the Outstanding Individual Volunteer Award, Michael McNamara of the Brian Boru IDL Club in Ashton-in-Makerfield, pictured second left with club President Eamonn Delaney, volunteer awards judge Christina Lake and Irish in Britain CEO Brian Dalton Picture: Malcolm McNally Photography

Martin Hayes

IMPRESSIVE: Cillian O’Connor

Hugh Callaghan dies, aged 93

One of the Birmingham Six – wrongly imprisoned for 16 years – dies in a London hospital

BY MAL ROGERS

HUGH Callaghan, one of the Birmingham Six who was wrongly jailed over two IRA bombings in 1974, died last week aged 93. He had spent 16 years in jail before being released in March 1991.

Mr Callaghan, originally from Belfast, died in Homerton Hospital in London after being admitted with heart trouble.

Hugh Callaghan moved to Birmingham in the 1960s, but later settled in London with his partner Adeline Masterson.

He became involved in Irish

organisations in Britain after his release, and was a member of the Irish Pensioners’ Choir in London.

Mr Callaghan, a very talented singer, often spoke of how music had helped him cope with sixteen years in prison, and latterly how it had helped him cope with lockdown. He was passionate about singinging, and even managed a few songs in his final days in hospital.

Twenty-one people died in the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pub blasts in Birmingham on 21 November 1974.

Six innocent Irishmen men, including Hugh Callaghan, were

He was a man with astonishing strength of character. Despite the profound injustice he endured, he was not bitter or angry but joyful and always ready to sing

jailed for life for the bombings but freed in in 1991 after their convictions were ruled unsafe.

Charges in connection with Private Seán Rooney’s death

BY MAL ROGERS

A MILITARY court in Lebanon has charged five members of the Hezbollah militia with the killing of Private Seán Rooney (23) of the Irish Defence Forces last year. Pte Rooney was born in Dundalk but lived in Donegal.

Pte Rooney’s unit was in an armoured UN jeep which came under fire while travelling to Beirut. It is understood the vehicle, which had been part of a two-vehicle convoy, took a wrong turning and was surrounded by a mob in a Hezbollah stronghold. As it drove away, with Pte Rooney driving, it was fired on. Pte Rooney was killed instantly by gunfire from a Kalsahnikov assault rifle. The incident happened at about 21:00 on December 15.

At the time Iranian–backed Hezbollah officially denied involvement in the incident, calling the killing an “unintentional incident” that took place solely

between the town’s residents and UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon).

Last week a 30-page indictment from a Lebanese military court confirmed that five men face trial on “voluntary homicide” and will face a military court for trial.

The indictment states that the five accused “formed a criminal gang and implemented a criminal project”.

The indictment specifies that the actions are

punishable by death under Lebanese law. However, capital punishment has not been used in Lebanon since 2004.

Of the five people named in the indictment, only one person is in custody.

Pte Rooney’s colleague, Trooper Shane Kearney, who was 23 at the time of the attack, was seriously injured in the incident, but has since recovered.

He was repatriated to Ireland for medical treatment.

UNIFIL has been deployed since 1978 to act as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel. The organisation and speialists from the Irish Defence Forces have also conducted separate investigations into what happened.

UNIFIL comprises of some 10,000 peacekeepers. Pte Rooney was part of an Irish-Polish UN peacekeeping unit in the south of the country.

In a statement, UNIFIL said: “We are aware that the investigative judge issued an indictment earlier today in the case of the 14 December attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers, in which Private Seán Rooney, a UNIFIL peacekeeper from Ireland was killed.

“This is one important step towards justice and we continue to urge accountability for all perpetrators involved. We look forward to justice for Private Rooney, his injured colleagues, and their families.”

In the aftermath of the bombings, six men – Hugh Callaghan, Patrick Joseph Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power and John Walker – were arrested. Mr Callaghan was the only one of the six who had not travelled back to Belfast shortly before the explosions. The others had left the city early on the evening of November 21, 1974 to attend the funeral of James McDade, an IRA member whom they all knew.

When they reached Heysham, Lancashire, they and others were subject to a Special Branch stop and search. The men did not tell the

police the true purpose of their visit to Belfast, but were arrested and detained. Hugh Callaghan was subsequently arrested. All the men were beaten and terrorised by the West Midlands Police while in custody.

Sally Mulready, director of the Irish Elderly Advice Network, involved in the Birmingham Six campaign, said Mr Callaghan’s death was a very sad day. She added: “He was a man with astonishing strength of character. Despite the profound injustice he endured, he was not bitter or angry but joyful and always ready to sing.”

Students’ lawsuit against Cardinal Seán O’Malley

BY GERARD CASSINI

THREE former students of Arlington Catholic High School in Massachusetts have filed a lawsuit against Cardinal Seán O’Malley and other Church leaders, claiming that they failed to prevent abuse by the school’s former vice principal, Stephen Biagioni.

In 2010 Cardinal O’Malley was one of the Catholic hierarchy named to oversee the apostolic visitation of certain dioceses and seminaries in Ireland the Church after the publication of the Ryan Report and the Murphy reports into abuses in the Church in Ireland.

The Catholic News Agency reports that the Boston lawsuit alleges that Biagioni abused the plaintiffs between 2011 and 2016 when they were between the ages of 15 and 17. The students accuse Biagioni of engaging in explicit sexual behavior and lewd conduct.

The Archdiocese of Boston stated that the allegations

were reported to law enforcement when the high school became aware of them and that Biagioni was subsequently removed from his position.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who filed the lawsuit, pointed out Cardinal O’Malley’s significant role in the Catholic Church as head of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.

In addition to Cardinal O’Malley, the lawsuit names Bishop Robert Deeley — whose parents were immigrants from Co. Galway, Bishop Peter Uglietto, and three other Church leaders as defendants. Biagioni, the former vice principal, is not named as a defendant in the suit. The lawsuit argues that Church leaders had a duty to properly supervise employees and ensure that they do not use their positions to exploit and assault vulnerable children.

It alleges that the Church leaders either knew or

should have known that Biagioni posed a danger to the students.

The lawsuit seeks accountability and claims that the Church leaders should have implemented proper safeguards to protect children in light of the history of sexual abuse within the Church. It remains to be seen how the legal proceedings will unfold in Suffolk County Superior Court.

Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley was born in Ohio. His parents on both sides were Irish. In June 2010, after being sent to Ireland along with others to oversee the apostolic visitation of certain dioceses and seminaries in Ireland, O’Malley was named as the visitor to the Archdiocese of Dublin and its dioceses of Ferns, Ossory, Kildare and Leighlin.

He reported back to the Holy See on what steps had been taken since the reports were issued, and what further steps were required.

SOLEMN FAREWELL: A piper from the Irish Defence Forces plays a lament as Private Seán Rooney’s body departs Beirut

Pictures: Courtesy of Irish Defence Forces

Private Seán Rooney

LAWSUIT PENDING: Cardinal Seán O’Malley Picture: Getty Images

Titanic bling

A NECKLACE that has lain at the bottom of the Atlantic for more than 100 years has been discovered in the wreck of the Titanic.

Deep-sea mapping firm Magellan captured images of jewellery featuring the tooth of a Megalodon, a pre-historic shark.

The image was picked up during a digital scan of RMS Titanic, the first ever undertaken.

The necklace can’t be touched due to a UK-US agreement that forbids the removal of artefacts from the wreck.

Magellan, a Guernseybased global specialist in deep sea investigations, said it would instead try to identify the necklace’s owner using artificial intelligence to contact the family members of the 2,200 passengers onboard when the ship sank.

RMS Titanic was built in Belfast. Her last port of call was Cobh, Co. Cork. The ship sank on April 15, 1912 with the loss of more than 1500 lives.

Death of an artist

THE Irish artist Graham Knuttel died at the end of May.

Born in Dublin in 1954, the sculptor and painter produced highly respected work – his customers included celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone and Frank Sinatra.

Last year, the artist launched his Graham Knuttel at Tipperary Crystal Collection which was received huge acclaim. Each item in the eclectic collection of homewares bore notable pieces of art from Knuttel’s legendary repertoire.

He died at home, surrounded by his family, a post on his official Facebook page confirme

Paying tribute, the Facebook post added: “You will know that he engaged in life as he engaged in his art – that is to say, boldly and without reserve.

“He greatly valued the cut and thrust of debate and the vivid colours that satire and dark humour deliver.

“We know that he is grateful to you all for having made the connection.”

Progressing through the peace process

to recognise and fix the ‘deficits’ in the Agreement.

There have been moments when the Executive raised hopes that it might direct its energies towards ending sectarianism and community division. Ministers even announced once that the horrid peace lines which divide Belfast would be taken down by 2023. There is no sign of that happening nor is there any community level agitation for it. It seems we like our walls.

The Summit defines its objective as reconciliation and calls that ‘peace’. Peace, by this understanding is still a long way off.

To get there, they say we have to review the Agreement and the current mechanisms by which one partner party can bring down the whole show by walking out. But framers of the Agreement saw that provision as an essential safeguard against abuse of one community by another.

Paramilitary groups should be ‘demilitarised’ and communities should be supported to reclaim their areas from them.

One of the big challenges is the integration of education at all levels including pre school.

The report is critical of the current system by which there is a separate Catholic teacher training college in Belfast. It says, “The amalgamation of all teacher training is central to integration within the education system.”

MALACHIO’DOHERTY

JUST weeks after the commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary a new movement has been formed to campaign for its fuller implementation.

The Peace Summit met recently at Ulster University in Belfast and heard speeches from people who are not always counted among the Agreement’s critics.

Tory peer Lord Caine was there. He is currently pressing ahead with legislation to introduce an amnesty for terrorists who own up to past unresolved crimes. And he’s promising amendments to take account of criticisms raised by the Irish government.

He also committed the British government to providing ‘considerable sums of money’ to promote the expansion of integrated education.

This seems a radical move given that education is devolved to the assembly.

Ministers even announced once that the horrid peace lines which divide Belfast would be taken down by 2023. There is no sign of that happening nor is there any community level agitation for it. It seems we like our walls

Currently only seven per cent of pupils are educated within the integrated sector. These aren’t the only schools at which you might find a Protestant and a Catholic child sitting beside each other at the same desk but they are the ones that see it as part of their core ethos to educate children from different communities

together.

The Irish representative of the Joint British Irish Secretariat, effectively the Irish ambassador to Northern Ireland was there too. He is Laurence Simms, a popular figure on the arts scene who has carried on a tradition of using the Secretariat for book launches and poetry readings, with wine and canapés provided.

He told the Peace Summit that the Irish government is committed to spending money in Northern Ireland through the Shared Island initiative and encouraged community groups to engage.

So this was no gathering of the eccentric disgruntled who might think that last month’s celebrations were pointless and premature. They were serious politicians, diplomats, activists, academics and civil servants claiming that the Agreement has failed to live up to its promises.

And this is not just because the assembly is currently shut

down by yet another party boycott; this time the DUP, last time Sinn Féin.

It is because the political parties have not only failed to co-operate with each other for the sake of good government, but because they have not addressed themselves at all to the wider problem of sectarian division in Northern Ireland.

Some of us were naive enough to think at the time of the Agreement that healing the deep social and cultural rift in Northern Irish society might now be a priority, or at least an opportunity.

The Peace Summit, which attacks this failure is funded by some serious organisations.

The name of the Agreement’s architect, John Hume is at the top of the list of funders, in the John and Pat Hume Foundation.

Other funders include the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the International Fund For Ireland.

In the absence of one of the leaders of the Summit, Brandon Hamber, Eliz McArdle of Ulster University set out the list of aspirations drawn up following their researches. Primarily they want the political institutions re established and the parties

John Hume was himself trained as a teacher under that separate Catholic system.

The Summit wants all interested parties to be involved in discussion on how this amalgamation is to be brought about but it is hard to envisage the Catholic Church discussing the dismantling of its own institutions.

The report wants teachers trained to have ‘difficult conversations about the past’.

There is widespread evidence on social media of young people having naive understandings of the past, informed more by political party propaganda or a lack of interest than by study.

The Summit also wants what it calls civic education on the past, about the Agreement and the ‘conflict’.

The report also calls for the creation of a vehicle for civic engagement. This was actually a provision of the Agreement itself. The Civic Forum collapsed through lack of political interest.

The Peace Summit may turn out to be a radical challenge to the failure of politicians to address sectarian division but given that they thrive on that division it may be hard to get their attention let alone engagement.

The Peace Summit in the North brought together politicians, diplomats, activists, academics and civil servants claiming that the Agreement has failed to live up to its promises. But did it bring community harmony any closer?

EDUCATION, EDUCATION, SEGREGATION: Schools are stll largely split along the religious divide in the North Picture: Geograph.org.uk via Wikimedia Commons

A snapshot of modern Ireland

BY MAL ROGERS

IRELAND’S Central Statistics Office (CSO) released their Census 2022 Summary Results last week, which detail the population changes in the six years since April 2016.

The figures also show Ireland’s population increased by eight per cent to 5,149,139 people in the six years between April 2016 and April 2022. It is the first time in 171 years that Ireland’s population exceeded the five million threshold. There were 5,149,139 people in the State on Sunday, 03 April 2022, an 8 per cent increase since April 2016.

Other key findings were:

The average age of the population increased from 37.4 in 2016 to 38.8 in 2022, compared with 36.1 in 2011.

– The number of people with dual Irish citizenship was 170,597, which represents a 63 per cent increase from 2016.

Approximately a third of all workers (747,961 people) worked from home for at least some part of their week.

The proportion of the population who identified Catholic as their religion fell from 79 per cent in 2016 to 69 per cent in 2022.

Cormac Halpin, Senior Statistician in the CSO’s Census Division, said: “The publication of Census 2022 results could not have been achieved without the overwhelmingly positive response from the public and we thank everyone who completed their census form on April 3, 2022.”

He added that throughout the rest of this 2023 the CSO will publish eight themed reports, exploring a range of topics including housing, homelessness, religion, disability, and carers in greater detail. Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS) will also be published in September.

“The results will provide us with unique and valuable insights into the Ireland that we live in today and will be widely used in the coming years.”

POPULATION CHANGES

Ireland’s population increased by 8 per cent (387,274 people) to 5,149,139 in the six years between April 2016 and April 2022. All counties showed population growth from 5 per cent in Donegal, Kilkenny, and Tipperary, to 14 per cent in Longford. The east of the country showed strong growth with Meath at 13 per cent,

followed by Fingal (12 per cent) and Kildare (11 per cent).

POPULATION BY AGE AND SEX

The highest increase in population was seen in the over 70s at 26 per cent while there was a 4 per cent fall in the numbers of people aged 25 to 39. The average age of the population increased from 37.4 in 2016 to 38.8 in 2022 continuing the aging population trend from 2011 when it was 36.1. There were 2,544,549 males and 2,604,590 females in the country which is 98 males for every 100 females.

CITIZENSHIP

Irish and dual-Irish citizens made up 84 per cent of the population. The number of non-Irish citizens increased since 2016 and now stands at 631,785, which represents 12 per cent of Ireland’s usual resident population. The number of people who recorded dual Irish citizenship was 170,597, representing a 63 per cent increase from 2016.

RELIGION

There was a fall in the proportion of

Dáithí’s Law now on the statute books

BY FIONA AUDLEY

ALL adults in Northern Ireland will be deemed potential organ donors from today as the legislation known as Dáithí’s Law came into effect last week.

Formally titled The Organ and Tissue Donation (Deemed Consent) Bill, the new law changes the way organ donation consent is granted to make it an opt-out system in the North of Ireland.

All adults are now presumed to be an organ donor unless they have opted out of the scheme or are in an excluded group which includes children under 18 years, those who

lack capacity to understand the new law and those who are temporarily resident in NI.

The legislation, which came into effect following a campaign led by six-year-old Belfast boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, who has been waiting for a heart transplant since 2018, is designed to increase the current number of organs available to people in need of a transplant.

Department of Health

Permanent Secretary Peter May said that the date was a “hugely significant landmark day for organ donation in Northern Ireland”.

“More than 140 people are waiting for transplant

across Northern Ireland,” he confirmed. “The opt-out system means that all adults in NI, unless in an

excluded groups, will be considered to be organ donors after death unless they chose to opt-out.”

the population who identified as Roman Catholic from 3,696,644 (79 per cent) in 2016 to 3,515,861 (69 per cent) in 2022. The No Religion category increased from 451,941 people to 736,210. The Church of Ireland category showed little change but remained the second largest religious category with 124,749 people (2 per cent).

DISABILITY

The number of people who reported experiencing at least one longlasting condition or difficulty to a great extent or a lot was 407,342 (8 per cent of the population). A further 702,215 (14 per cent of the population) reported a long-lasting condition or difficulty to some extent or a little.

MARITAL STATUS

Single people aged 15 and over made up 43 per cent of Ireland’s population, compared with 41 per cent in 2016. There were more single men (52 per cent) than women (48 per cent). Married people, including those who were re-married, and people in a same-sex civil partnership, accounted for 46 per cent of the population aged 15 years and over, down from 48 per cent six years ago.

WORKING FROM HOME

Nearly 750,000 people, a third of workers, indicated that they worked from home for at least some part of their week. Four out of five business, media and public service professionals availed of home working. The proportion of workers in the science, research, engineering and technology professionals group who ever worked from home was also high at 78 per cent.

He added: “Everyone will still have a choice – people are free to opt-in, opt-out or amend their decision at any time – and families will continue to be consulted.

“We know that the vast majority of people here say that they support organ donation in principle, but many people still haven’t got round to signing the NHS Organ Donor Register or telling their families.

“By switching to an opt out system, the hope is that this makes it easier for families to support donation.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has welcomed the enactment of the law today, stating it “will save lives”, while commending the MacGabhann for their achievement. “The introduction of Dáithí’s Law is a

momentous day for both the MacGabhann family and the North as a whole,” the MP for Foyle said.

“I cannot commend the Mac Gabhanns highly enough for the way they worked tirelessly to get this legislation over the line, no matter what obstacles were put in their way they refused to give up and fought for solutions that will have a profound impact on the futures of many people here.”

He added: “As a result of Dáithí’s Law people who have been waiting on organ donation waiting lists now stand a better chance of finding a donor which will change and, in many cases, save their lives and I can’t think of many achievements more significant than that.”

HEAD COUNT: Micheál Martin launching the census last year Picture: RollingNews.ie

The publication of Census 2022 results began last week with the CSO releasing several of its main findings

CAMPAIGNERS: Dáithí Mac Gabhann with his father Picture: Getty Images

IRISH singer-songwriter

Colin O’Shea launched his debut album Scars and Tones to critical acclaim back in 2017.

minutes with...

Networking for cultural organisations

BY GERRY MOLUMBY

The Ballyfermot Rock School graduate received high praise and flattering comparisons to Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and U2. His highly anticipated sophomore album Bright Yellow Shiny Gold will be released next month on July 7, 2023.

COLIN O’SHEA

What are you up to?

Doing a lot of prep and rehearsal ahead of the launch of my second album. It’s called Bright Yellow Shiny Gold

Which piece of music always sends a shiver down your spine?

Unchained Melody — orchestral version by Maurice Jarre.

Which musician has most influenced you?

The Beatles.

Who would be in your ideal band?

Ringo Starr on drums, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Bruce Springsteen on rhythm, James Jameson or Paul McCartney on bass, Freddie Mercury and Lady Gaga sharing vocals.

How did you get started in music?

As young as 9 or 10, I was always making up songs. I started writing them down about the age of 12 and bought a guitar but it wasn’t until I bought my first keyboard at age 14, that things started to develop and I became obsessed with songwriting.

Where are you from in Ireland?

I’m from Dublin. My mother is from Templemore in Tipperary and my father from Kells, Meath. So I guess I’m a mixed breed.

What’s on your smartphone playlist at the minute?

Inhaler, Dermot Kennedy, Hozier, Leon Bridges.

What’s your favourite place in Ireland? Glengarriff, West Cork.

What would be your motto? Get busy living, time is ticking.

Which living person do you most admire?

Paul McCartney. They guy is still creating great music and still going strong.

Who will act you when they make a film of your life?

Michael Fassbender.

Bowie or Beyoncé?

Bowie.

If you weren’t a musician what other job would you be really good at?

Criminal psychologist.

If you were told musicians were no longer welcome in Ireland, where would you go? Berlin.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given this year? Find your tribe.

In terms of inanimate objects, what is your most precious possession? My upright piano.

Who is the one person you’ll thank when you get a Grammy?

My wife Rachel. She’s been my biggest supporter.

What’s the best thing about where you live?

I’m close to friends.

. . . . and the worst?

I’m close to trouble too!

What’s the greatest lesson life has taught you?

Time passes quickly, make the most of it and don’t dilly dally.

What gives you the greatest laugh?

A really good impersonator.

What do you believe in?

Good food is the way to anyone’s heart and good wine can open those hearts.

What do you consider the greatest work of art?

Starry Night by Van Gogh.

Who/what is the greatest love of your life?

Rachel, my wife.

CULTURE Ireland (Cultúr Éireann) recently met with a wide range of Irish cultural organisations in Britain to help promote Irish arts.

Culture Ireland is the Irish State Agency established to promote and advance Irish arts internationally

The meeting at the Irish Embassy in London heard about the aims of Culture Ireland, and how various organisations across a wide range of activities could be helped.

Sharon Barry, director of Culture Ireland explained that they worked in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the newly appointed cultural officers in various Irish embassies abroad and

set out the aims of the body.

Delegates from across Britain were able to collate contacts to further enhance the Network of Irish Arts in Britain database currently led by Emma Smith from Liverpool Irish Festival.

Michael Collins to be honoured in the capital

The Big Fellow gets a plaque in London’s Islington

BY FIONA AUDLEY

A PLAQUE will be unveiled in London next month honouring revolutionary leader Michael Collins.

It is to be located at Barnsbury Hall in the London Borough of Islington, where Collins, a leading figure in the fight for Irish independence, was sworn into the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in 1909.

Affectionately known as the Big Fellow, Collins died in a hail of bullets in an ambush at Béal na Bláth in Co. Cork. The history of Ireland might have taken a different course had he lived.

Barnsbury Hall was the venue for secret meetings of the IRB – an underground oathbound society dedicated to the establishment of a free and independent republican government in Ireland – during the nation’s struggle for independence from Britain.

The Hall is part of Islington’s Irish Trail, which honours the history of the vibrant Irish community that exists within the area.

In March the council celebrated those connections by revealing a new mosaic honouring the “huge contribution of Irish people to life in the borough”.

Islington Council will formally reveal Collins’

LOST LEADER: Michael Collins in London, October 1921

Picture: National Library of Ireland

plaque on Friday, July 14, they confirmed to The Irish Post.

The ceremony will take place at Barnsbury Hall from 1pm-3pm and will be attended by members of the Terence MacSwiney Committee (London) who have been involved in planning the memorial, as well as members of Michael Collins’ family.

Regarding the council’s confirmation of the plaque unveiling, the organisation said: “The installation of this plaque is a momentous achievement for the Irish community in London and the Committee wishes to thank Islington Council wholeheartedly for recognising this important

historical event.

“It is a measure of the contribution of the Irish community to Islington and a welcome recognition of the Irish diaspora in London as a whole.”

They added: “In this centenary year of the conclusion of the Irish Civil War, the Committee notes that the legacy of that time remains contested, but it is our hope that this will be seen as an event that can draw support from all shades of opinion.

“The Committee wishes to thank everyone who has lent us their support in pursuing this plaque.

“We invite the Irish Community in London, and further afield, to join us on Friday, July 14 for this historic unveiling.

“We anticipate a big turnout and a high level of interest, particularly from London GAA Clubs given the involvement of Michael Collins and Sam Maguire in the GAA.

“The unveiling will be attended by elected representatives, renowned historians, community activists, and members of the Collins’ family. All are welcome.”

Further details regarding the plaque and its unveiling will be shared nearer the time, Islington Council confirm.

ROCK SCHOOL GRAD: Colin O’Shea

Ciaran Walsh, Sharon Barry and Alison Geraghty from Culture Ireland, with Kelly O’Connor from the Irish Embassy

What gestures of respect could unionists make to nationalists?

KEVINMEAGHER

MICHELLE O’Neill’s attendance at the recent coronation of King Charles was a test, one that the Sinn Fein Vice-President passed with flying colours.

As ‘First Minister-Designate’ of Northern Ireland following last year’s assembly vote, where her party pulled ahead of the DUP, thus earning the right to the top job (when, eventually, the executive is restored), O’Neill has repeatedly talked about being a ‘First Minister for all.’

Hence her attending the coronation, and, in the process, earning the ire of quite a few republicans, for whom, the British monarchy is anathema.

But it was an obvious move for O’Neill – an opportunity for her to ‘walk the talk’ and offer a gesture of respect towards unionists, who attach so much significance to the monarchy.

Given Northern Ireland remains such a divided society, such acts from political leaders really matter.

So it begs the question: What have unionist leaders ever done to show respect and understanding to Catholic-Nationalists?

Let me answer my own rhetorical question: Not a Lot.

In his acceptance speech, having been jointly-awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1998, alongside (the far more deserving) John Hume,

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had a neat phrase.

He conceded that Northern Ireland had often been a ‘cold house’ for Catholics.

Cold? It was absolutely baltic.

His predecessors had built a fiefdom.

Catholics were to be kept down and marginalised through systematic discrimination in jobs and housing with a measure of state brutality thrown in for good measure.

So, what could unionists do to make amends and extend the hand of friendship and reconciliation to nationalists?... Calling for still-active loyalist terrorists to be disbanded or arrested was a popular choice

Northern Ireland was Protestant and unionist – and that was staying that way.

If keeping them jobless and living in ghettos didn’t do the trick, then

the occasional swing of an RUC man’s billy club would.

There’s a lot for Unionist leaders to, if not apologise for, then to certainly signal regret about.

Yet nothing is forthcoming.

As for Trimble, he rather undid his momentary lapse into self-reflection by remarking in the next sentence of his speech that CatholicNationalists, ‘seemed to us as if they meant to burn the house down”.

So, what could unionists do to

make amends and extend the hand of friendship and reconciliation to nationalists?

I recently asked my followers on Twitter for practical suggestions.

How about a clear apology for the sectarian state they built?

Calling for still-active loyalist terrorists to be disbanded or arrested was a popular choice.

Perhaps attending the next Irish presidential inauguration?

Or a commemoration to 1916?

Could Labour do a deal with the DUP?

WITH the Tories miles behind in opinion polls there is a growing view that Labour is on-course to win the general election, likely to be called next May.

A closer look at the numbers, however, reveals its not all plain sailing for Keir Starmer.

Having crashed to its lowest number of MPs since 1935 under Jeremy Corbyn back in 2019, the party has a mountain to climb if it is to overall Rishi Sunak’s Tories and re-enter government for the first time since 2010.

Still, even looking up from Everest’s base camp, there is a growing belief that given the state of the country, a change of government is possible.

With a sluggish economy, collapsing NHS and soaraway inflation – Labour must certainly be in with a chance of becoming the largest party in the House of Commons.

But would it have the parliamentary numbers to govern?

Enter Arlene Foster.

The former DUP First Minister has raised the prospect of her old party supporting a minority Labour government.

‘I’m looking with interest at the polls at the moment and the possibility of a hung parliament coming again,’ she told GB News the other day.

Claiming there were ‘quite good relations’ between the DUP and

Starmer’s team, Foster opened-up the prospect of the DUP switching from backing the blues to the reds.

Back in 2017, the DUP supported Theresa May’s after a disastrous general election in which she lost rather than gained seats.

Foster entered a ‘confidence and supply’ arrangement –backing the Tories on key issues and promising not to bring them down in a tight vote. In return, the DUP won an extra £1 billion for projects in Northern Ireland.

Could it happen again?

Yes, theoretically.

Back in 2010, with Gordon Brown facing election defeat, there was an early, informal agreement that

the DUP, then under Peter Robinson, would back a minority Labour administration.

With difficult spending choices ahead, following the financial crash of 2008, Brown had promised to preserve Northern Ireland’s budget – allowing Robinson to wave a letter of assurance from the Labour leader in a television election debate.

It never came to pass, given the Tories under David Cameron won most seats, but there is an earlier precedent.

Between 1976 and 1979, the Ulster Unionists had a deal to keep Jim Callaghan’s Labour government in office.

That was then, however I

A show of respect for the Irish language, with unionists dropping their opposition to its official recognition was also raised.

These are hardly dramatic steps and given Northern Ireland’s shifting population balance, unionists need to brace themselves to make these sorts of overtures in future.

For them, smart politics – and good manners – are now intertwined.

suspect Labour strategists would see a tie-up with the DUP as an absolute last resort.

Asked about the prospect of a deal, a Labour spokesperson said: ‘We’re campaigning for a majority Labour government and we’re confident we can achieve that.’

At this stage, the party can’t really say anything else.

Still, the DUP’s sexism, homophobia and general unpleasantness would not sit well with Labour’s progressive tendency.

While the price they would seek to extract - no movement towards a border poll on Northern Ireland’s status - would be too sensitive to contemplate, given its likely to come up as an issue during the next parliament (2024-2029).

After 13 years in the political wilderness, Labour is desperate to get back into government.

So what are the prospects of it happening?

Well, navigating an agreement between the party’s MPs and activists and rightwing figures like Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson, would be akin to getting porcupines to mate.

But given they are not an endangered species, I guess it’s sometimes managed.

n Kevin Meagher is author of A United Ireland: Why Unification is Inevitable and How it Will Come About and What A Bloody Awful Country: Northern Ireland’s Century of Division

LONDON DAY OUT: Sinn Féin leader Michelle O’Neill at King Charles III’s coronation. She was listed in some media as a ’foreign dignitary’ PIcture: Getty Images

Tyrone during the Troubles

Death in the Fields focuses on IRA activity in East Tyrone; its origins, and its campaign throughout The Troubles – as told by the people involved, including veterans from all sides in the conflict

BY MAL ROGERS

DEATH in the Fields tells the story of the IRA’s East Tyrone Brigade and its war with the British from the beginning of the Troubles through to the ceasefire. The author is Jonathan Trigg a former British army officer, now a respected academic and an acknowledged expert on the history of World War II. His book on the Tyrone Provos traces the origins of the modern organisation in the county all the way back through the Border Campaign of the 1950s, the Second World War, the 1916 Rising and the Anglo-Irish War. Trigg delves into the seeds of the conflict with the Plantation of Ulster and before that the 12th century invasion by the Anglo-Normans.

Based on dozens of interviews with veterans from all sides of the conflict including former members of the British army, the RUC, the UDR, the Special Branch, British Special Forces, loyalist paramilitaries and the Provisional IRA – many of whom spoke openly for the first time – this is one of the most comprehensive insights into the paramilitary struggle.

Trigg, despite his British military background, seems to come with very little colonial baggage. He is a skilled historian, and gives a comprehensive account of conflict in the ancient province of Ulster, Tyrone in particular.

“War and banditry became part of Tyrone’s character before the Flight of the Earls in 1607 left the native Irish leaderless,” he writes, and history certainly bears him out. The seemingly soporifically beautiful and tranquil lands of Tyrone saw some of the worst events of the Troubles, and – as Jonathan Trigg points out – insurrection in the county took place over centuries.

In 1177 John de Courcy, second son of an Anglo-Norman noble, set out from Dublin to conquer as much of present-day Tyrone as he could. Four hundred years later the arrival of thousands of Scots and English Protestants created a mixed population where Catholics were secondclass citizens.

In the run up to the First World War, Protestants and Catholics in Tyrone viewed each other with suspicion as the argument for Home Rule raged.

Both traditions fought together in the trenches even as the Easter Rising of 1916 created a national trauma back home. But the Rising was a conspicuous failure in Tyrone, which helped foster insurrengcy –Tyrone became a battleground in the Anglo-Irish War, but was left in the new state of Northern Ireland.

The IRA tried again in World

War II; England’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity, but their plans to unite Ireland by force of arms came to nought.

In 1956 the IRA launched Operation Harvest, yet another attempt to destroy Northern Ireland. But lacking popular support the IRA gave up its offensive in the early 1960s.

The book is arranged chronologically into decades.

1969 & THE 1970S: THE IRAS EARLY YEARS IN TYRONE

The 1960s saw civil rights protests grip Tyrone, but despite key events such as the Caledon squat (a pivotal moment in helping to kick-start insurgency), the outbreak of the Troubles didn’t really touch Tyrone at first.

The introduction of internment in August 1971 transformed the fortunes of the Provisional IRA in the county, and volunteers killed the first British soldier Tyrone the following month.

The Tyrone IRA increasingly began to target the RUC and local members of the UDR, mostly when they were off-duty. This side of the conflict in the county was viewed as nakedly sectarian by the county’s Protestants and sowed a legacy of bitterness that endured for decades.

On February 26, 1978, Britain’s Special Air Service shot dead IRA volunteer Paul Duffy as he retrieved a mortar bomb from a weapons cache – the first of many such SAS operations against the Tyrone IRA.

Britain’s response to the IRA campaign was becoming more

sophisticated, and as their intelligence gathering improved, particullrly through the use of informers, the Provisionals were in danger of defeat.

The IRA’s response was to radically overhaul their organisation, creating small, tightly knit units where information was strictly controlled.

THE 1980S: THE RISE OF EAST TYRONE’S A TEAM

On January 22, 1981, East Tyrone IRA attacked 86-year-old Sir Norman Stronge in his ancestral home at Tynan Abbey, killing him and his 48-year-old son James. It was the start of a deadly new phase in the IRA’s war in Tyrone.

The RUC stations were destroyed and a number of contractors who helped build or repair RUC stations were killed. Tyrone had become a blood-stained war zone.

1987: LOUGHGALL

The so-called A Team of the IRA targeted the isolated RUC station in Loughgall in north Armagh, planning to use a bomb in a JCB digger to destroy the station.

The author Trigg evidently knows a lot about ambushes and counter-insurrgency.

The chapter shines a light into an organisation that is almost like an ancient clan system, and how they went about planning and executing their missions.

Heavily armed, the team launched the attack in Loughgall, but the SAS had prior knowledge. All eight volunteers were shot dead by the SAS in the IRA’s biggest ever loss since Clonmult in 1921. An innocent civilian was also killed in the incident.

Did an informer tell the British about the plan, and if so who was he or she and are they still alive – or did they die in the crossfire?

These and many other questions are posed in this compressive book. There are, of course, many books about the Troubles, but this is one of the few that focuses on one area, and on one unit.

 Death in the Fields: The IRA & East Tyrone by Jonathan Trigg is published by Merrion Press

As the British army had

number of young volun-

As the British army had become more professional in their response to the campaign, so had the IRA in Tyrone. A number of young volunteers – many from the Cappagh area, and motivated by the deaths of the hunger strikers in 1981 – were now led by a core of very experienced volunteers and were a very effective paramilitary force.

The IRA receives massive arms shipments from the Libyan dictator, Muammar Ghaddafi.

A DISPUTED LAND: The now peaceful countryside of rural Tyrone Picture: Courtesy of Tourism Ireland

FORTIFIED: Loughgall Police Station in 2010

Picture: Henry Clark on WIkimedia Commons

Irish Embassy in London to relocate

BY FIONA AUDLEY

THE Irish Embassy in London will be relocated after 75 years at its current Grosvenor Place site.

It will move to a new Ireland House location in central London it was confirmed last week.

That site will also house the Irish Passport Office, currently located on Cromwell Road, as well as the government agencies Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland.

London’s Ireland House is expected to open in early 2026, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson confirmed to The Irish Post. Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin’s plans for the move were approved “in principle” by the Irish Government on Tuesday, May 29.

New Irish gin for World Gin day

BY FIONA AUDLEY

A NEW Irish gin offering has been launched ahead of World Gin Day this Saturday, June 10 which promises to “cut the bull” surrounding the increasingly popular spirit.

Dublin-based Outcast Brands claims “gin gets more pretentious every day” but their version Blood Monkey Gin “is here to cut the bull when everyone else is full of it”.

Their inaugural product range currently includes Blood Monkey Irish Gin and Blood Monkey Irish Spice Storm – and it prides itself on being a gin that “tastes like gin was meant to”.

The name Blood Monkey and the drill bit design of their logo are nods to the act of ‘bleeding the monkey’, the term given when sailors drilled into the officers’ barrel of grog to steal the liquor inside.

“It’s their spirit that inspires how the gin is made, expanding on the traditional gin recipe, which hails from the Netherlands in the 17th century, and which was acquired by Irish and English sailors and brought back to key maritime centres of the time,” the brand confirms.

They also confirm that their gin goes against the grain of what is currently on offer in the “saturated” craft gin market.

“Unlike most, these gins are created

to be enjoyed straight up, without a cucumber in sight,” they explained.

The gin, distilled by West Cork Distiller’s Master Distiller, Deirdre Bohane in Skibbereen, is made from a blend of botanicals including lime leaf, almond, juniper berry, orris root, Irish rosemary, liquorice, coriander seed, chamomile, and angelica root.

“It is a sophisticated spirit with a complex character that reveals various details as it evolves on the palate,” Bohane explains.

“It hits you with a smooth, warm citrus spice followed with a slight hint of floral entwined with smoky, caramel flavours of whiskey.”

For those looking for a gin with a zesty balance of orange and cardamom, they also offer Blood Monkey Irish Spice Storm, which comes with a kick of aromatic spice.

“Whilst both gins can be enjoyed as a traditional gin and tonic, or in gin and whiskey cocktails, these are one of only a few gins that are designed to be drunk neat with the versatile liquid drinking like a white whiskey,” they confirm.

Recently awarded gold medals at the Global Gin Masters 2022 in the Ultra-Premium and Contemporary categories, the gins are the brainchild of Dublin-based entrepreneur Jason Kidd, who sought to stand out from the plethora of botanical gins which have hit the market.

They fall under the Global Ireland Strategy, which was launched in 2018 and aims to double Ireland’s global influence by 2025.

Initial scoping for the Embassy’s relocation began in 2019, with the move expected to be complete and Ireland House open in London by early 2026, the DFA has confirmed.

With London Ireland’s largest bilateral mission in any city in the world, the impending move is

“significant”, the DFA admits.

“It’s a significant move… one which represents the future era of relations between us and our nearest neighbour,” the DFA confirmed.

“75 years in its current location is hugely historic,” they added, before admitting that the plans for the Embassy’s future are “very exciting”.

There are currently 22 Ireland House locations in cities across the globe, where Irish state agencies and embassies are co-located.

Described as a “convening and a welcoming space” the London location will be “symbolic”, the DFA adds, representing a “Team Ireland presence in London”.

“It will be a convening and welcoming space for businesses, representatives and friends of Ireland,” they added.

After 75 years at Grosvenor Place, a new site has been found for the diplomatic mission to the Court of St James, to give it its full title

welcoming space” the London location will be “symbolic”

TOP-LEVEL MEETING: President Higgins welcomes the then Prince Charles to the Irish Embassy in London

Picture: Getty Images

Population on the rise

THE population of Limerick has risen to above 200,000 people for the first time, according to the 2022 census.

Paddleboard pooch

Milly the collie on board with Cian McMahon from Dublin on Burrow Beach, Co. Dublin. Met Éireann recorded around 18C last week in Dublin, with temperatures in Kilkenny reaching 23, the hottest day of the year so far.

Fallen soldier honoured

THE Dundalk soldier, Private Seán Rooney, killed in the Lebanon last December, is to be honoured at the 75th anniversary of the United Nations at the organisation’s headquarters in New York

The Argus (Dundalk) reports that Fergal Mythen, Irish Ambassador to the UN, will receive the Dag Hammarskjold medal on behalf of Private Rooney’s family Private Rooney (24) grew up in

Muirhevnamor, Dundalk, where he attended Gaelsocil Dhun Dealgan and the Martis College, before moving to Newtwoncunningham, Co Donegal.

He joined the Irish Defence Forces in March 2019 and was based with the 27th Infantry Battalion, Aiken Barracks, Dundalk.

He was killed while serving on his second overseas mission in Lebanon on December 14, 2022.

The presentation of the medal in the UN General Assembly Hall coincides with a series of events planned to mark the 75th anniversary of United Nations peacekeeping.

LIMERICK

The Limerick Leader reports that figures revealed last week from the survey show that the population of Ireland has risen to 5.15million. According to the census, of Limerick’s population, 105,084 were female and 104,452 were male, which means there

were 99 males for every 100 females.

The number of dual Irish citizens increased from 3,258 to 5,487 while non-Irish citizens accounted for 11 per cent of the county’s population.

The number of people (aged three and over) who stated that they could speak Irish in Limerick was 78,172 compared with 77,313 in 2016.

Within this figure, 1,853 said they spoke Irish every day while 4,319 spoke Irish weekly. Nationally, 1,873,997 people stated they were able to speak Irish, with 71,968 speaking Irish daily and 115,065 speaking it weekly.

Street entertainment to go local during Rose

THE Kerryman reports

“shock and surprise” among Tralee’s business community on foot of news that the Rose of Tralee company will not be organising any street entertainment events during this year’s festival.

In a statement issued last week the Rose of Tralee company said it had decided to “pass the organisation of the street’s events back to Tralee town”.

The Kerryman reports that the company said the reason for the decision was mainly the cost of running the street entertainment programme.

The Rose of Tralee’s decision to withdraw from the street entertainment programme means that so

far nothing is planned for the festival outside of the main event in August

But the Rose of Tralee said it has given a commitment to provide any support and advice required to allow “a smooth transition” to a locally organised street entertainment programme.

Despite the short timeframe Tralee VFI Chairman Johnny McElligott, proprietor of local bar Sean Óg’s, told The Kerryman he was “supremely confident” that a full range of entertainment could be arranged and staged.

Members of the Tralee

VFI and other business owners have already met to discuss plans, and members of the Tralee Municipal District council held an emergency meeting at county buildings to discuss the situation.

The Rose of Tralee International Festival, which takes place this year August 18-August 22, dates back to 1959. A group of local businessmen came up with the idea to boost tourism in Tralee. The festival was inspired by the song The Rose of Tralee, and appeals to Irish communities across the globe. Street entertainment has been an integral part of festival for many decades.

Shoplifting woman banned from M&S stores

BELFAST

A WOMAN who has allegedly stolen more than £10,000 worth of food and drink from Marks & Spencer is to be barred from all of its stores, High Court judge Mr Justice Rooney ruled in Belfast.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that Beverly McNeilly, 43, is accused of carrying out repeated raids in the retailer’s branches in Belfast.

The ban was imposed as part of conditions which secured McNeilly’s release from custody.

McNeilly, from Belfast, is charged with four thefts and five burglaries between January 3 and May 15 this year.

Prosecutors claim she took trolley loads

of groceries and alcohol worth several hundreds of pounds without any payment. In one incident 30 prime quality steaks were removed from one of the stores by McNeilly, it was alleged.

McNeilly had been issued with a trespass notice in a bid to keep her out of the stores.

The court heard bosses at Marks & Spencer believe their total losses at the hands of McNeilly tops £10,000.

McNeilly, who was described as having a long-term heroin problem, initially told police she could not remember any of the incidents but subsequently claimed to have acted under duress.

Proceedings had been adjourned to put in place a package of measures for treating her addiction and mental health issues.

Turf wars continue on the bog

TURF cutters have been accused of climate vandalism by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) who claim that ongoing industrial turf extraction is taking place on Coolnacartan Bog.

The use of turf for fuel is now seen as one of Ireland’s contributing factors to the production of greenhouse gases. Turf is the most damaging fuel in terms of climate change, worse than coal or wood. It has a lower calorific value than coal and yet it produces higher CO2 emissions per unit. Further, boglands can act as carbon ‘sinks’ – they have the

LAOIS

potential to capture and store carbon thus removing a harmful element in climate change.

The Laois Nationalist reports that there are allegations of continuing industrial extraction at the Bord na Móna bog.

The FIE have demanded that the semi-State company investigate reports of ongoing industrial turf cutting on its bog.

FIE Director Tony Lowes said: “When turf is cut, the stored carbon is released as

CO2 which will inevitably increase the pace of global warming. What could be acting as a sink absorbing greenhouse gas for many years instead becomes a source of greenhouse gases.”

Responding, a spokesperson for Bord na Móna said that following a High Court ruling the company had ceased all commercial harvesting and has now fully completed its transition from a traditional peat business to a climate solutions company.

Some individuals still have traditional turbary rights, but, says Bord na Móna, they must not be “in contravention of any current planning and/or environmental regulations”.

KERRY

Picture: RollingNews.ie

The lowdown on Ashdown

“I AM really sad I lost my Northern Irish accent because I lost my identity and a bit of my blood,” said Paddy Ashdown, in The Observer.

The Derry punk talking sewage

FEARGAL Sharkey, the former front man of The Undertones told Nick Robinson on Radio 4′s Talking Politics show that the British water companies had achieved an amazing coalition – the son of politically active woman in Derry who had named her son after two dead IRA men, and the current Duke of Wellington, a pillar of the British aristocracy, working together to bring about a U-turn from the government.

In the ongoing crisis of the pollution of Britain’s waterways, Environment Secretary George Eustice has accepted that water companies must have a greater legal duty to reduce the level of effluence released into our waters, stemming from storm overflows.

Feargal, aside from his talents as a singer, has been an A&R executive for record companies, a member of Britain’s Radio Authority, keen angler and environmental campaigner,.

Growing up in the Bogside during the Troubles, Sharkey was reared by two politically aware parents who instilled in him a desire for change.

In the interview with Nick Robinson he revealed that his real first name is “Seán” – or “Shan” as he pronounced it – and that as “Seán Feargal”, he was named after both Seán South and Fergal O’Hanlon – immortalised in the song Seán South of Garryowen.

Those were the young IRA men who had died in an attempted ambush in Fermanagh trying to kill a policeman during the doomed Border Campaign of 1956-1962.

Yet, here is Feargal, the son of a fervent republican from Derry, now an environmental campaigner trying to save England’s rivers — and so uniting everyone from wildlife trusts, environmental groups, the Countryside Alliance, middle England, and the British aristocracy. Quite a feat.

Commemorating the 1798 Rebellion

THE 225th anniversary of the uprising by the Society of United Irishmen will be marked through a series of events being held in Wexford this summer.

The Society of United Irishmen was possibly a unique insurgency force in the history of Ireland in that sectarianism wasn’t the main instigating factor. Under Wolfe Tone, a Protestant liberal, the aim was clear: Brits out.

But, as you’ve probably noticed, it wasn’t to be. It came close, but largely speaking informers gave the game away, as is their wont. The French Nonetheless it deserves to be remembered.

Organised by Wexford County Council, Rebellion 225 will feature public talks, guided walks and a summer school as well as reenactments of some of the battles which took place during the rebellion.

I’m not sure if there’ll be a reenactment of the scuppering of

a French fleet in 1796. In 1796

Theobald Wolfe Tone and his confederates sailed into Bantry Bay in French men o’ war. They anchored off Ahabeg - a townland five miles east of

And he has a broken nose.

He confided in Nick Robinson: “I wasn’t born with this nose, you know. It’s been finely sculpted at the end of two-and-a-half feet of ash called a hurling stick.”

The presenter sounded as if he was nodding in sympathy.

easy victory over the small British garrison Ah, the torquing of history, eh?

Despite their ultimate defeat, the uprising, which lasted from May 27 to June 21, remains widely deemed as a significant moment in Irish history and the nation’s battle for independence.

Should you want a more down to earth way of marking the rebellion, stop by at Kelly’s Cellars in Bank Street in the centre of Belfast. Established in 1720, Kelly’s was a frequent meeting place for the United Irishmen in the run-up to the 1798 rebellion.

Paddy,who died in 2018 at the age of 77 was born in India to a Protestant mother and a Catholic father and reared in Northern Ireland.

“Northern Ireland drummed churches out of me. I do pray at night, but I don’t know to what,” he once said.

For a while, of course, Paddy had what is arguably the strangest job in European politics – chairman of the Parades Commission in the North. Brought up in Comber, Co Down, Co. Kerry enters the picture too – strange as it may seem, Paddy was the great great grandson of Daniel O’Connell. This didn’t stop the Sun newspaper calling him Paddy Pantsdown when an extra-marital affair was revealed. This column – with correct decorum – insisted on calling him Paddy Countydown throughout the affair.

Paddy also scored something of a first when he entered parliament. He became one of the few MPs to have at one time arrested another sitting MP. The other honourable member was John Hume of the SDLP, and the situation arose during the Civil Rights marches in Derry. Paddy Ashdown was a serving officer in the Royal Marines at the time.

Daniel O’Connell, you would feel, might have had mixed feelings about that.

Now, Patrick Kidd in The Times has reported on his Machiavellian grasp of the dark arts of politics.

Nick Robinson, making another appearance in this column, told Politico that after the 2010 election he was thrilled to be given a steer, on condition of anonymity, by Paddy Ashdown about coalition talks between the Lib Dems and Labour. Robinson accordingly went on Radio 4’s Today programme to announce this news to an expectant nation. Robinson was unaware that that Paddy Ashdown was due on immediately after.

According to Patrick Kidd in The Times, Robinson was being used.

“Paddy needed to get the idea out there, and then it had to be deniable,” Robinson says. After finishing his report on a possible coalition, Robinson heard Paddy Ashdown saying, “I don’t know who Nick’s been talking to – but it’s not true.”

Castletownbere but the gales were so violent that they couldn’t land.

If the weather had been a bit better, the French could have landed and helped the Irish to an

Henry Joy hid under the bar from English soldiers. Even back then some barman doubtless quipped, “Some of our customers are revolting.” Nearly 300 years after it was founded, Kelly’s manages to find its feet somewhere between everyman drinking pub, political meeting place and historic museum. Folk music is regular fare at weekends. During the week it’s the ideal meeting-up place — even if you aren’t planning sedition.

Rishi on tour

FINALLY, a music hall joke, and forget about your wife going to Jamaica.

In light of Prime Minister Sunak visiting a country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, here’s this wonderful throwback to vaudeville days.

“I say, I say, I say. My prime minister’s gone to Chișinău.”

“Moldova?”

“No, no – spur of the moment sort of thing.”

ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPAIGNER: Feargal Sharkey Picture: Getty Images

The 1798 Rebellion – from a book in the University of Toronto Picture: Public domain

The voice of the Irish in Britain since 1970

Impressive legacy for Dáithí

IT’S been a momentous week for Dáithí Mac Gabhann.

The young Belfast boy has been on the waiting list for a heart transplant since 2018.

Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the transplant offers his best chance of surviving the rare congenital disease.

Sadly, he has yet to reach the top of that list, but while waiting he and his family have been busy lobbying for a change in the law in Northern Ireland.

With transplant organs in short supply, the Mac Gabhanns have worked tirelessly to raise organ donor awareness and to have the law changed to a soft opt-out system.

This month their hard work has come to fruition with Dáithí’s Law taking effect from June 1.

The new law means all adults in Northern Ireland will now be deemed organ donors unless they’ve opted out of the system.

It’s a remarkable achievement by Dáithí, who is now just six years old.

The new legislation is set to have a huge impact in the North by greatly increasing the pool of organs available for transplant.

And while it doesn’t immediately guarantee young Dáithí the heart that he so desperately needs, his law will undoubtedly save lives and improve the waiting time for himself and anyone else in his position.

It’s an impressive legacy for an impressive boy.

All invited to plaque unveiling

SOON there will be a formal memorial in London dedicated to the life and legacy of Michael Collins.

The Irish revolutionary leader will be honoured with a plaque in Islington – a London borough with a vibrant Irish community and plenty of historical links to Ireland.

This event is the culmination of years of work by members of the Terence MacSwiney Committee (London) who have been involved in planning the memorial.

They will be in Islington for the unveiling, as will members of Michael Collins’ family, and they invite the Irish community from across Britain to join them for what is described as “a momentous achievement for the Irish community in London”.

For those of you that can make it, the public event takes place at Barnsbury Hall on Friday, July 14 from 1pm.

Congratulations to volunteers

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone honoured in the Irish in Britain Volunteer Awards 2023.

These remarkable people are the backbone of organisations providing vital services to our community.

Such recognition is greatly deserved.

The

Kennedy – a complex character

YOU recently marked President John F Kennedy’s birth date in your anniversaries column – which I always enjoy.

I think you were correct to do so, and I think that President Kennedy’s contribution to Ireland should be made more of these days. At one time it was common to see a photo of President Kennedy on many a wall in Ireland – alongside a picture of the Pope and a Sacred Heart, but not so much nowadays.

Certainly he was a a complex figure, but he left an indelible mark on American politics and on Ireland; you might even argue the seeds of Ireland’s current financial and social success began with him.

But while he possessed undeniable charm and eloquence, it’s important to acknowledge that his life wasn’t without its share of flaws and controversies.

His personal life was marked by certain vices that often went unnoticed during his presidency. It’s no secret that JFK struggled with health issues, including chronic back pain, for which he relied on medication that may have included painkillers and amphetamines. These substances undoubtedly affected his decision-making and physical well-being.

Moreover, Kennedy’s reputation as “a ladies’ man” cannot be overlooked. He had numerous extramarital affairs, which caused significant strain on his marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier. While many presidents have had their share of indiscretions, Kennedy’s behavior was particularly noteworthy due to the extent of his infidelities.

Beyond personal matters, JFK faced challenges during his presidency as well. The Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, a failed attempt to overthrow the Cuban government, was a significant foreign policy blunder. Although Kennedy took responsibility for the failure, it exposed weaknesses in his administration’s decisionmaking process.

Additionally, some critics argue that Kennedy’s handling of the Vietnam War was less than sure-footed. Although he initially sent military advisors to support South Vietnam, the conflict escalated under his watch, eventually leading to deep divisions within American society. Many believe that Kennedy’s indecisiveness and lack of a clear strategy in Vietnam contributed to the prolonged and costly war.

But of course internationally he is best remembered for the Cuban Missile. He played the pivotal role in the stand-off between America and the Soviet Union. Kennedy’s leadership and strategic decision-making skills were critical in averting a nuclear

KISSIN’ COUSINS

war. He imposed a naval blockade on Cuba, demanding the removal of Soviet missiles. Kennedy’s resolute actions and calm demeanor demonstrated his commitment to finding a peaceful resolution earned him international acclaim.

It’s essential to recognize that no leader is without their flaws. Kennedy’s youthful charm and inspiring speeches may have captivated the nation, but he was also a human being with imperfections. The glamour and mystique associated with the Kennedy presidency should not overshadow the less savory aspects of his personal and political life.

President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in 1963 undoubtedly had a significant impact on Ireland’s reputation internationally, one that can still be felt today. In 1963 the Republic was only 14 years old. It was still shunned in some quarters internationally because of its stand of neutrality during the Second World War, and its chances of entering the Common Market (which became the EU) were zero.

But the Kennedy visit changed that significantly.

The visit was highly anticipated and created a sense of excitement and pride among the Irish people – my parents in Dunganstown, Wexford included. It provided an opportunity for Ireland to showcase itself on the world stage and improve its global image – one that had been tarnished, however unfairly, by the neutrality stance.

President Kennedy’s ancestral

ties to Ireland, being the descendant of Irish immigrants, created a strong emotional connection with the Irish people, and made people across Britain and the rest of Europe sit up and take note. His visit was seen as a homecoming of sorts, and the Irish public embraced him wholeheartedly. This personal connection and the warm reception he received generated a positive perception internationally of Ireland and its people.

Moreover, Kennedy’s visit showcased Ireland’s cultural heritage and beauty. He toured various historic sites, including the hometown of his ancestors in Co. Wexford – driving past my parents’ house. All this publicity – which people could see on Pathé newsreels in cinemas in Britain and America – highlighted Ireland’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and vibrant culture. It captivated international audiences.

The media coverage of Kennedy’s visit also played a crucial role in enhancing Ireland’s reputation. The visit received extensive coverage both in the United States and around the world, painting Ireland in a positive light. The images of Kennedy interacting with the Irish people, embracing his Irish heritage, and celebrating Irish culture were disseminated globally, contributing to a favorable perception of Ireland.

Furthermore, President Kennedy’s visit helped to strengthen diplomatic ties between Ireland and the United

States. The warm reception he received from Irish officials and the public fostered a sense of goodwill and friendship between the two nations. This visit marked the first time a sitting U.S. president had visited Ireland, emphasizing the significance of the occasion.

The impact of Kennedy’s visit extended beyond the immediate aftermath. It played a role in attracting tourism to Ireland in the years that followed. The exposure of Ireland’s natural beauty and cultural heritage during the visit piqued the interest of travelers from around the world. This increase in tourism not only bolstered Ireland’s economy but also provided an opportunity for further positive interactions with international visitors.

President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland undoubtedly enhanced the country’s reputation internationally. The personal connection he shared with Ireland, the exposure of its culture and history, and the strengthened diplomatic ties all contributed to a more positive perception of Ireland on the global stage. The visit left a lasting impact and played a significant role in promoting Ireland as a destination and fostering goodwill between Ireland and the US ever since. It also strengthened bonds with the rest of Europe, leading eventually to Ireland joining the Common Market. So, many thanks for marking his anniversary.

Marie Fitzsimons Peterborough

President Kennedy is kissed by his Irish cousin Mary Ryan during his visit to Dunganstown, Co. Wexford in 1963.

Picture: Getty Images

forum of the Irish in Britain

Vol. 53. No. 23. The Irish Post 27a Poland Street London W1F 8QW

Tel: 020 8900 4159 www.irishpost.com

EDITORIAL

Editor: Mal Rogers

Tel: 020 8900 4329 Mal.rogers@irishpost.co.uk

Reporters: Conor O’Donoghue Conor.o’donoghue@irishpost. co.uk

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The complex nature of dual identities for Britain’s Irish

Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper. The Irish Post is published every Wednesday by Color Company (TM) Ltd.

The newspaper seeks to provide the Irish in Britain with comprehensive news coverage of Irish issues from Ireland and Britain, sports news and reviews, a weekly entertainment guide, reader feedback and features of interest to the Irish in Britain.

©2009 ISSN No. 0959-3748. The Irish Post Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the publishers. Newsagent distribution and printing by Trinity Mirror Printing Limited whose registered office is at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AP.

THERE are distinct, and different experiences of Irish individuals residing in Britian, experiences that highlight, among other things, the significant role of cities in shaping sense of Irishness.

Of the Irish I know, who grew up in England, their identity is very much hyphenated by a city. Birmingham-Irish, LondonIrish, Manchester-Irish, for example.

That doesn’t denote an Englishness. It describes and identification with a particular city. The city, be it Birmingham, be it London, be it Manchester, is where your Irishness took place. It is where your Irishness began, grew, and became. The one doesn’t exist without the other.

England is a different thing. Being Irish in a big English city is a natural, organic, thing. A collusion of many different identities is what post-war English cities actually are. There is no Birmingham without the Irish, the Caribbeans, the Indians, the

JOEHORGAN

Being a Brummie and Irish is great. It is completely who I am. Even after all these years back here in Ireland. I’m not one and I’m not the other. I’m both

Pakistanis. The same, obviously, is true of London, of Manchester, of all the big urban, industrial centres. It is true too of England itself but the identification doesn’t organically reach that far. Brummie? Yes. English? No. Born and reared in these green hills? No. Irish? Yes.

Now the hyphenated Birmingham-Irish, LondonIrish thing, isn’t just because Anglo-Irish was already taken and means something completely different or because English-Irish sounds not so much like an identity as a contradiction. It’s because the negotiation between being Irish and English is too fraught. It is too complex. It is too tortured. It is too much. Certainly, coming of age in the 1980s, the idea of being both Irish and English was far too contradictory to make any sense. You could hardly sing along to the Wolfe Tones and then join in when England fans sang No Surrender to the IRA. Between Irishness and Englishness there wasn’t a happy meeting ground.

What I do wonder is if this is different if you are born and

reared in Wales or Scotland. Is there then a meeting? If, for instance, you are born and reared in Cardiff of Irish parents are you not CardiffIrish but Welsh-Irish? If you are born in Glasgow of Irish people are you Scottish as well as Irish? I genuinely don’t know, though I’m well aware there’s no one answer to that.

I know, for instance, that some people from families like mine do express both an English and an Irish identity. I’ve just never understood it. It has always seemed to me to be an identity containing too much avoidance. Too much incoherence. Is it easier though if your Irish family is in Wales? Or in Scotland?

Because the English? Dear God. Apologies to all the English members of my family and all my English friends but ‘England’ seems to have slipped back to what it was in the ’80s, despicable, with newer distastes added on.

To use a lazy cliché everything has changed and everything has stayed the same.

Marrying the two identities seems as impossible as ever. I never could see how anyone from a home like mine was English and in 2023 I’m still not sure how anyone is both Irish and English. Can you equally, after all, watch hurling and cricket? I can understand people up in the North being both British and Irish because it makes sense in the context of that place.

In the same way I wonder about being Welsh and Irish or Scottish and Irish. But English and Irish? How?

All dual identities are complex but that isn’t a bad thing. Far from it. It’s a great thing.

Being a Brummie and Irish is great. It is completely who I am. Even after all these years back here in Ireland. I’m not one and I’m not the other. I’m both. But English, well, I’m not and I can’t see how I could be. Even if I tried.

It simply wouldn’t make sense, in so many ways.

 Joe Horgan tweets at @JoeHorganwriter

NORTH OF THE OTHER BORDER: The Irish in Scotland make up a distinctive community Picture: Getty Images

Ulysses exposed

Raise a glass next Friday to Bloomsday – a whimsical odyssey through Dublin’s streets

BY MAL ROGERS

HAVING all but ditched their own language by the 19th century, the Irish subsequently proceeded to raise the colonial lingo to a height of literary sophistication and innovation that has never been equalled. Wilde, Shaw, Yeats, Synge, O’Casey were all born within a thirty year span, as was the greatest cultural heavy-hitter of them all – James Joyce. Next Friday, June 16, is Bloomsday – a day when his book Ulysses is celebrated throughout the world.

Plot:

Although Ulysses is pleasingly devoid of any plot in the accepted sense of the word, the basic story centres round one Leopold Bloom, a Jewish salesman, who wanders round Dublin on June 16, 1904 capturing a day in the life of Dublin’s more marginalised citizens. Joyce’s hero is Leopold Bloom is a complex entity – he too is a marginalised citizen being Jewish in a very Catholic society, and yet he s an empathetic character because he is everyman. He toddles his way around Dublin knowing a little bit about everything.

He befriends a young artist, Stephen Dedalus, and during their Odyssey (both in the Homeric and literal sense) they come across a funeral (DEATH), a maternity hospital (BIRTH) a brothel (SEX), a library (ART), so dealing with the main reference points in Joyce’s life.

Joyce plotted the modern-day his novel against the Greek epic of the Odyssey (Ulysses is the Latin name of Odysseus) but the name is never mentioned in the book.

Style: Joyce’s main contribution to literature: stream of consciousness. But the book also contains poetry, scientific jargon, experimental prose, tabloid journalism, puns, songs, parodies and allusions.

Just a few examples:

“His haggard eyes turned to the grey gleaming rails, his mouth opening: and closing. P. M. Thou cans’t not then be false to any man.

Mouth, south. Is that a raincloud or a milkpail?

P. M. The stars are about the only things not blasted. M. S. Look at the way he sleeps.” Or how about this: “The heaventree of stars hung with humid nightblue fruit.”

Maybe something slightly more comprehensible now: There’s plenty of that too, and some of it will make you laugh – thanks to Joyce’s skilful manipulation of language and wordplay, where characters engage in a rapid-fire exchanges. “She was dull over Stephen’s speech and said quietly: ‘One of those chaps would make short work of a fellow. Pick the bones clean no matter who it was. Ordinary meat for them. A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk.”

So how long will it take to read Ulysses? At around 265,000 words (and some of them very long), the best part of a week if you don’t do anything else.

So, 265,000 words. Anything he probably wouldn’t have said about Ulysses: “What I always strive for is clarity.”

Would a knowledge of Dublin be helpful in reading Ulysses?

A Molly Blooming yes to that one. And a smattering of Greek and Latin would come in handy, plus a familiarity with a whole raft of literature from Homer to Shakespeare, and from Dante to Carlyle.

How did Joyce pick the heroes of Ulysses?

It seems that in the Bailey in 1904 after a night’s drinking and carousing, Joyce approached a young woman, thinking she was alone. His misapprehension was corrected by a swift punch from her companion. Fate at this point produced a Jewish bystander who, it is said, in the simple act of offering the bespectacled a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his nose, wrote himself into immortality as Leopold Verdict on Ulysses:

Virginia Woolf said, “Never have I read such tosh... the work of a queasy undergraduate scratching his pimples.” Joyce’s wife Nora

A date with history

What happened on this day...

Saturday, June 10:

1944 – Death of Frank Ryan. The Limerick man was the organiser and leader of the 200 Irishmen who went to Spain to fight against Franco and fascism in 1936.

Sunday, June 11:

1648 – Owen Roe O’Neill declares war.

1798 – The Battle of Ballynahinch in Co. Down. The defeat of Henry Monroe’s forces

effectively ends the rebellion in the North.

1926 – Birth of greyhound Mick the Miller.

Monday, June 12:

1889 – The worst disaster in Irish railway history when two trains collide on the Armagh-Warrenpoint line. Eighty people die.

1910 – Birth of Bill Naughton, playwright (Alfie), in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo.

1960 – Edna O’Brien’s first novel, The Country Girls is banned in Ireland.

Barnacle, a Galway woman, was lukewarm about her husband’s output. “Why don’t you write books people can read?” she asked him. On the other hand T.S. Eliot and Arnold Bennett both considered it a work of genius, as indeed does Stephen Fry: “Ignore all childish, fear-filled criticism; Ulysses will be read when everything you see and touch around you has crumbled into dust.”

Today’s verdict: Nowadays we regard Ulysses as the work against which all other works, from Tolstoy to Cervantes, must be measured.

Footnote:

Ulysses is regularly described as the most influential book in the English language. But of course not everyone was a fan. On the book’s appearance in England in 1923, Sir Archibald Bodkin labelled the contents “unmitigated filth and obscenity”. He opined

that it had “no story, and no introduction which might give a key to its purpose”. He described Molly Bloom as “a more or less illiterate vulgar woman”, and evidently didn’t take to Molly’s final soliloquy where she moans “yes” in a somewhat suggestive fashion.

Unfortunately, Bodkin was the director of the Crown Prosecution Service, and promptly banned the book. Sir Archibald’s ruling authorized British authorities to seize and burn in “the King’s Chimney” 500 copies of Ulysses coming from France, where the book was first published.

In the US, Ulysses was assigned to Judge John Woolsey for adjudication. He found portions of the book “disgusting” and included “many words usually considered dirty”. But he found nothing that amounted to “dirt for dirt’s sake”.

The book was allowed to go on sale in the US.

Birthdays: Singer George Alan O’Dowd, better known as Boy George, is 62.

Thursday, June 15:

1914 – First publication of James Joyce’s A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man

1919 – Pioneer Atlantic airmen Alcock and Brown land at Clifden, Co. Galway.

1923 – James Larkin and his brother Peter form the Workers’ Union of Ireland.

Tuesday, June 13:

1865 – Birth of W.B. Yeats in Dublin.

1886 – Molly Malone reputedly “dies of the fever.”

Wednesday, June 14:

1884 – Birth of singer John McCormack in Athlone.

Friday, June 16:

Bloomsday

1924 – The first Irish soccer international takes place. A team drawn from the newly formed Football Association of Ireland met the United States in Dublin. Ireland won 3-1.

1941 – The Rosslare-Fishguard ferry is hit by German bombers killing 25 people.

BLOOMING LOVELY: Bloomsday – when Ulysses characters come to life, including Molly Bloom

Edna O’Brien Picture: Getty Images

Picture: Rolling News.ie

IRISH JACK

The man once described as the ‘fifth member’ of legendary rockers

The Who talks to Rí-Rá

See Page 18

Dea Matrona to tour Britain in August

The Belfast duo have amassed a huge online following with their straight down the middle blues rock

A powerful play

INSPIRED by the likes of Thin Lizzy and guitar legend Rory Gallagher, Dea Matrona are a contemporary band bringing back some very retro, guitar heavy rock and roll.

Consisting of Orlaith Forsythe from Dundrum, Co. Down and Mollie McGinn from Carryduff, Co. Down, the girl’s friendship was forged with their mutual love of classic rock while still at school. Honing their musical skills, the pair started to make a name for themselves along with Mollie’s younger sister Maime on drums, busking in Belfast.

reached nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram and their YouTube videos amassed over eight million views and that figure is still growing.

Original songs such as Hard On Yourself, Won’t Feel Like This Forever and Siren Song have become hits on both the Irish and UK iTunes Rock Chart.

[Their] YouTube videos amassed over eight million views and that figure is still growing

The band was formed in 2018, and to date have supported a wide range of acts, from The Black-Eyed Peas to Van Morrison and earlier this year The Kris Barras Band.

They have just completed a British tour, but will be returning later in the summer.

IF the land on which Battersea Power Station was built could speak, what stories would it tell?

That’s the question suggested in Green Curtain Theatre’s production of a new play telling the story of the Battersea Power Station and the Irish people who helped build it: The Power and The People.

The story begins in 1858 with the arrival of the Irish refugees from the Famine. Many of them settled in this area of London. The Power and The People brings to life the eventful history of Battersea Power Station and the surrounding area through the stories of people whose home or working lives have been interwoven with it.

This included Peter O’Connell who left his native Carrigkerry, Limerick in 1952 to begin work as an apprentice electrician who told his story to us. And what a story it was.

The transformation of Battersea from a market gardening area in the 1800s to the area it is today is a tribute to the many nationalities who came to live and work in the borough. Huguenots fleeing persecution in France, the Irish escaping famine in the nineteenth century and the Polish who settled here in the post-war years alongside those from the Commonwealth and other lands.

Green Curtain Theatre use drama, song and first-person testimonies to re-tell some of those stories – of hardship, migration, and personal achievement.

Regular Green Curtain actor Kevin Bohan, who plays the spirit of the power station said: “I’m looking forward to performing the story of such an iconic piece of London’s history told from such a human angle.”

Green Curtain Theatre was set up eleven years in 2011 ago to create, produce and stage theatre which told the stories of Irish people who had made their home in Britain.

Mamie has since left to pursue her education, so the Dea Matrona are now a duo. The name means ‘divine mother goddess’ in Celtic mythology.

The band posted their videos online, and their cover versions – particularly of Fleetwood Mac – gained them a global audience. Their social media followers

Dea Matrona will be touring Britain in August. Fans in the UK will also get the opportunity to see the girls again in August when the play the Bingley weekender in Bradford along side Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Ian Brown and Travis.

Words and pictures Chris Egan

 The Power and The People – R.O.S.E Community Clubroom, Ascalon Street, Battersea, London, SW8 4DL; June 17, 12-1.30pm, 2.30-4pm and 4.45-6.15pm.

The performance is suitable for over 10s.

Tickets priced: £10.00, concessions: £8.00 can be purchased online from www. wandsworthfringe.com/whats-on-2023 and www.greencurtaintheatre.co.uk

Peter O’Connell at family home in Carrigkerry, May 2023

DIVINE DUO: Orlaith Forsythe and Mollie McGinn

AXE HERO: Mollie McGinn

Irish radio in your area...

BEDFORDSHIRE

 Jim Carway presents Luton Irish Live on Diverse 102.8FM and online every Tuesday evening 6-8pm. Contact Jim on 07977 063233.

BRADFORD

 Joe Sheeran presents Echoes of Ireland on Bradford Community Broadcasting 106.6FM every Sunday at noon. The programme is repeated on Mondays at 9am and Wednesdays at noon and is online at www.bcbradio.co.uk.

BRIGHTON

 Brighton and Hove weekly Irish radio airs live on Mondays from 8pm on Radio Reverb, 97.2 FM, DAB and online.

COVENTRY

 Hands Across the Waters on Hillz FM. Broadcasting live every Monday and Thursday 1pm-2pm and the best of Irish & Country every Sunday 1pm-2pm. You can tune in locally on 98.6fm or catch us online at www.hillzfm.co.uk

 Join The Four Country Road Show with Colm Nugent and Michael Gallagher every Tuesday 9-10pm and Sunday 2-4pm. Broadcasting live in Coventry from the studios of Radio Plus 101.5fm and online around the world on www.radioplus.org.uk playing the very best in Irish and Country music, news, guests and more.

GLASGOW

 Celtic Music Radio on 1530AM and www.celticmusicradio.net featuring Paddy Callaghan’s Trad with Pad every Tuesday from 6-7pm.

HERTFORDSHIRE

 Radio Verulam 92.6FM and online at www.radioverulam.com

featuring The Emerald Hour with Kathy Weston, Lydia El-Khouri and Shane every Thursday from 7-8pm, and John Devine’s Traditional Irish Music Show, featuring Joe Giltrap, every Monday from 7-9pm (available on the website for seven days after broadcast)

 John Devine, Monday evenings from 7-9pm on Radio Verulam in West Hertfordshire 92.6FM or through the internet at www. radioverulam.com. Facebook www.facebook.com/rvirishmusic.

LONDON/SOUTH-EAST

 Johnny Jameson hosts Ireland’s Eye on Resonance 104.4FM every third Wednesday of every month, 8-9pm and repeated the following morning at 10pm.

 Emily Horgan, Pippa T and Róisín O Rourke broadcasting What’s the Craic? every Tuesday from 7-8pm on West London’s ONFM 101.4.

 Johno’s Irish Hour, ONFM 101.4, every Saturday morning from 10-11am with presenter John O’Sullivan. Anything and everything Irish including traditional Irish music, news and sport.

MANCHESTER

 Out and About in Manchester with Martin Logan, Wednesdays 7-9pm on 96.9FM.

 The Irish Connection Show with John Lowry on Wythenshawe 97.2FM, Saturday from 10am to noon. www.wfmradio.org.

MIDLANDS

 Bob Brolly’s Irish Show, Sundays 4-7pm on BBC Radio WM 95.6FM and DAB Radio.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE

 Jim Bennett, Fiona Clelland and Tommy McClements present NE1 Irish from 5-7pm every Wednesday on 102.5FM or www.ne1fm.net. Text NE1 + message to 60300. Contact 0191 261 0384.

OXFORD/BERKSHIRE

 BBC Radio Oxford/BBC Radio Berkshire hosts Henry Wymbs’ Irish Eye, Sundays from 2pm on 95.4FM | 104.1FM.

ONLINE

 Gerry Byrne’s Irish Radio: www.irishradio.org 24/7 non-stop Irish Music. Live weekdays 1-3pm; Saturdays & Sundays 11am-1pm. Podcasts uploaded to website immediately after shows are transmitted. Requests welcome to: gerry@irishradio.org. For music, arts, charity sector, commerce and current affairs interviews search YouTube Irish Radio with Gerry Byrne.

 Mid West Radio, the home of Irish music, chat, news, culture and gossip 24 hours a day! www.midwestradio.ie

 RTÉ Radio operates four primary national stations — RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ lyric fm and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta — and seven exclusively digital stations — RTÉ Radio 1 Xtra, RTÉ Choice, RTÉ Pulse, RTÉ Chill, RTÉ Gold, RTÉ 2XM and RTÉ Junior, available online.

 Alan O’Leary of Copperplate presents two hours of Irish traditional and folk music every Sunday at 8-9.30pm (repeated Wednesday 8-90pm) on www.liveireland.com — 24/7 live Irish trad and folk. It can also be heard 24/7 on Mixcloud, Soundcloud and Podomatic.

 All Folked Up – a folk show with an Irish influence – is broadcast on the third Thursday of the month on sarumradio.com at 7pm.

 Irish Country Music Radio (Limerick) – Broadcasting live and recorded programmes 24 hours a day covering a broad spectrum of Irish music: www.irishcountrymusicradio.com.

THE IRISH IN THE UK TV SHOW

www.theirishintheuktv.com

Join Martin each week as he meets the community around the UK with an Irish connection

Every Thursday evening at 7.30pm

Repeated Sat at 8.30pm and Tues at 1pm

Sky 186 Freesat 161

Martin Logan 07808 573142 martinloganmanchester@gmail.com

Sponsored by

Martin Hayes on tour

Described as the most important Irish musician of his generation, Martin Hayes – at the age of 61 – is still breaking new ground and working on innovative musical projects

MARTIN Hayes is regarded as one of the most significant talents to emerge in the world of Irish traditional music.

The concept of Common Ground Ensemble, his latest project, emerged gradually in recent years while producing and curating concerts for various festivals, often bringing together fresh collaborations and forming special ensembles for these events.

The line-up emerged to encompass Cormac McCarthy (piano, ‘Cottage Evolution’), Kate Ellis (cello, artistic director of Crash Ensemble), Kyle Sanna (guitar, a collaborator with Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile) and Brian Donnellan (bouzouki / harmonium / concertina, and, like Hayes, an alumnus of The Tulla Céilí Band).

Collectively the band possesses a wealth of talent spanning the worlds of traditional Irish music, cutting edge contemporary classical, jazz improvisation and experimental music. In The Common Ground Ensemble all of these genres are interwoven with the core elements of the tradition in a way that also gives each musician’s remarkable talents the space to shine. Or as Hayes summarises, “I want this to be the most fun I can have while I’m on stage.”

But what sets the Common Ground Ensemble apart from Hayes’ myriad other projects? “I’ve usually tended to gather a group of people together and just see what begins to emerge,” he says.

musical

personality can be fully utilised and freely expressed.”

OUT AND ABOUT MANCHESTER RADIO SHOW

96.9 ALL FM

Wednesday, 7-9PM with MARTIN LOGAN

T: 0161 248 6767 | M: 07706 682622

E: outandaboutmanchesterradio@yahoo.co.uk

The larger picture in terms of mood, feeling, harmonies and overall arrangement is mostly driven by my aspirations for the tunes. I make a rough arrangement sketch that we then collectively fill out. One of my goals is also to create space and opportunity for all the different musical personalities, styles and genres to be freely expressed within this band. I feel that the ensemble’s potential is best realised when the totality of each musicians capacity and

Of course, no one instrument, let alone player, has ever been ‘the most important thing’ in Irish music. The past few years have seen us lose some of the towering figures in the tradition — Paddy Moloney, Liam O’Flynn, Ronnie Drew, Barney McKenna, Seán Keane, Mick Moloney.

The baton has moved from those who helped pioneer the worldwide interest in Irish music to the next generation, and indeed to the generation below that. And Irish music continues to flourish.

The tradition has seen many different manifestations in the last century, from the Clancys to the Dubliners, Sean Ó Riada’s Ceoltóirí Chualann to Planxty, and from Riverdance to The Pogues. The one seismic

links these expressions of Irish music is years ago round and danced, or

change that links these disparate expressions of Irish music is simple enough to spot — a hundred years ago everybody gathered round and played, danced, or sang together.

very DNA. Irish music is a treasury of melodic richness, and this is the story of how I’ve experienced this music, whether by the rustic, open-hearth fireplace of my early childhood or, later, in the sacred space of the concert stage.”

So, from open-hearth fireplace to concert stage in a matter of decades.

Nowadays, a significant

Nowadays, a significant chunk of Irish music has gone the concert route — where a person (or ensemble) gets up to play and everyone else gathers round and listens. Hayes alludes to this change at various junctures in Shared

Notes: “Traditional Irish music,” he writes, “ . . . . is an earthy music of deceptive simplicity that has a grounded beauty within its

By taking traditional music from its rustic home and into the glare of the music business, elements of the music have inevitably changed. Informal pub sessions — largely a product of emigrant groups in England and to a lesser extent America — still take place in Ireland and across the diaspora, certainly, but Irish music is now an artform as well as a community pursuit. “It has undergone a series of changes, of course it has,” says Hayes. “But then it has always been evolving.”

MARTIN HAYES & THE COMMON GROUND ENSEMBLE

British dates – October 2023

Wednesday, Oct. 11 – Band on the Wall, Manchester

Friday, Oct. 13 – Earth Theatre, London

Martin Hayes solo shows:

Sunday, Oct. 15 – Wyham Brewery, Newcastle

Tuesday, Oct. 17 – Redgrave Theatre, Bristol

Wednesday, Oct. 18 – Howard Assembly Room, Leeds

The Common Ground Ensemble

Capturing the spirit of Joyce in Full Bloom

The readings include many of the key episodes from Ulysses, from the opening scenes, set in a Martello Tower just outside Dublin to the closing section, which contains Molly Bloom’s monologue, ending with the famous words “yes I will Yes…”

Full Bloom features actors Oengus MacNamara and Veronica Quilligan. Oengus is best known for his parts in Game of Thrones (Thin Man) and The Professor and the Madman. Veronica Quilligan, who has appeared in numerous West End productions, TV series, and films such as Leaving Stockholm, Papillon and The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne

The music is provided by Sally Davies and Martina Schwarz, aka Bow & Bellows, who will be singing and playing Irish tunes to a backing of accordion, violin and horn.

Blacktooth Productions is a small, not-for-profit performance group specialising in themed literary events. Past subjects include Bob Dylan and WB Yeats, alongside themes such as Europe, the Animal Kingdom, Great Eccentrics and the Chelsea Hotel.

Bloomsday in Northampton

TO celebrate Bloomsday, Triskellion Theatre Company along with local people will gather at 7.30pm on Friday, June 16 at Kingsthorpe Cemetery Harborough Road, NN2 8LU where Lucia Anna Joyce (daughter of James and Nora) is buried.

FULL BLOOM, presented by Blacktooth Productions, captures the rollicking spirit of Joyce’s masterpiece with a series of readings, interspersed with live music.

 Full Bloom takes place at the Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, London NW5, at 7.30pm on June 16; tickets cost £10 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/full-bloomtickets-631395700537

A new work Chance Meeting by local author Richard Rose will be showcased. Deirdre O’Byrne from Nottingham Irish Studies group will read from Molly Blooms soliloquy and Gerry Molumby (pictured as James Joyce) will read from Joyce’s biography classic Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man

Bringing The Dead to life

Bloomsday at the ICC is being celebrated with the help of acclaimed actor and writer Declan Gorman

ON Friday, June 16 Bloomsday 2023 the Irish Cultural Centre Hammersmith brings to London the UK premiere of the new one man theatre show Falling Through The Universe, a staging of James Joyce’s famous story The Dead, from his book of short stories Dubliners

Framed in a personal memoir, the play is written and performed by Declan Gorman. The plot revolves round a young Irish emigrant walking into a German bar in 1982. He picks up a copy of The Dead – one of the greatest short stories ever written in the English language – and reads it in the bar. Over that one evening his life is suddenly changed forever.

That young emigrant was Declan Gorman himself and that personal experience sent him on a path which led him to become an actor, writer, storyteller and a devotee of James Joyce.

In Falling Through The Universe Gorman so beautifully steps into the shoes of all of the characters in The Dead; he mixes memoir and the magic of live theatre to bring to life James Joyce’s much-loved classic.

The Metro Herald in Ireland says Gorman holds the audience “enraptured throughout with a truly mesmerising performance … by no means exclusively for die-hard Joyce fans, making a brilliant introduction for newcomers.”

Declan Gorman is known for his original plays and innovative adaptations. In recent years he has gained international acclaim for his performances of the early work of James Joyce. The Dubliners Dilemma has toured to Mumbai, Moscow, Oslo and San Francisco.

Falling Through The Universe is Declan Gorman’s most personal and powerful work to date.

 Falling Through The Universe, Friday June 16, starts 8pm; tickets: £15 /£13.

www.irishculturalcentre/whatson

Gerry Molumby as James Joyce

Picture: Deirdre O’Bryne

MEMOIR AND MAGIC: Declan Gorman brings Joyce’s short story to life

James Joyce by Johnny Bull

Some legendary rockers and a man called Jack

RICHARD PURDEN chats to Irish Jack – long time friend to members of The Who

THE legendary London band

The Who are about head out on a UK tour throughout July. They’ll be accompanied by an orchestra as they traverse across the country. The two founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend will be joined by Pete’s brother Simon who has been with the band since 1996, drummer Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, and Loren Gold a Los Angeles-based keyboard player, music director, and songwriter. Raised in Palo Alto, California, he has toured

keyboardist and vocalist for Roger Daltrey since 2009, and in 2012 began touring with The Who.

One significant character often described as “the fifth member of the band” that had a significant impact on songwriter Pete Townshend is Irish Jack. I spoke to Roger Daltrey about the legend of Irish Jack which led to a word with the man himself. When I ask Daltrey if he’s still in touch with the former postman now back living in Cork he replied: “How can you stop keeping in touch with Irish Jack? He won’t leave you alone!”

speak. “It was our old (Who) manager Kit Lambert who gave me that nickname.”

Jack first met the band in 1962 when they were known as The Detours. Roger Daltrey had formed the skiffle band, first playing the guitar and running the band while enlisting various members until they eventually morphed into The Who around

Irish Jack was the inspiration for the character of Jimmy written about in their classic 1973 album Quadrophenia which was later made into a feature film starring Sting in 1979.

“Jimmy struggled to be a Mod which is exactly what Irish Jack did. Pete (Townshend) based Quadrophenia on my life. In one interview he starts on about me being a failed Mod because I couldn’t afford to buy clothes because I was spending all my money on digs. It’s about someone struggling with self-confidence and to fit in.”

his hair ginger, he had a ginger suit and shirt. He was the world’s greatest drummer but you had to tell him that every night as he had no self-confidence. Originally, he spoke with a cockney accent but when he met our manager Kit Lambert his accent changed.

the road from Daltrey before Roger was even a member of the band. “From the earliest days I was closest to Pete,” explains Jack. “In the last few years, I’ve hooked up with Roger more and more. We talk on our mobiles at least once a week.

“We never talk about The Who, just grandchildren. I have four, he has eleven. I have a habit of ringing him during interviews and he has a habit of ringing me during EastEnders He’s a decent man and has never forgotten that he came from poverty across the street from our council flat.”

As Irish Jack suggests he found a significant common bond with the guitarist. “There are two Irish radio interviews, one with Ken Stewart where Pete finishes with the words “and he discovered that my granddad was born in Cork which is something my granddad never told my mother”. He was referring to me in that interview finding the Cork roots of his family.”

Keith Moon was the essential final recruit on drums in 1964.

did. Pete (Townshend) based interview he starts on about me headlines. “Keith was a sad

Despite his death in 1978 he continues to make news headlines. “Keith was a sad figure,” says Jack, “he didn’t really know who he was. When I first met him in 1964, he had dyed

“From then on Moon would address everyone as ‘Dear Boy’ while speaking in a cut-glass accent. It would be the end of the night, everyone had gone home. We’d be in some hotel somewhere and the night porter would be off getting another round of drinks for Keith, he would still be calling me ‘Dear Boy’. I would say: ‘It’s just me and you now Keith, you don’t have to keep it up, but he would carry on.’”

One memorable performance by Moon was featured during The Who Put The Boot In tour at Celtic Park in 1976.

Moon posed for pictures with fans and destroyed a fake barrel organ with a sledgehammer at the ground. “Yes, I remember playing Parkhead in 76, those shows were all fabulous gigs,” remembers Daltrey. “The Swansea ground was right next to a prison. That was our last UK tour with Keith; how sad is that?”

Irish Jack’s family lived across

Lyons met his wife Maura when he returned to Cork in 1967 to work as a bus conductor and was soon Christened “Jackie The Bell” he later worked as a postman.

Returning to the subject of The Who he reflects on his long friendship with The Who’s guitarist Pete Townshend which began when he was just 19 years old.

“Pete saved my marriage back in 1975, he has a heart of gold and sometimes does his best to hide it. He’s been incredibly generous to me over the many years and a true friend. He put a pen in my hand.” Lyons wrote The Who Concert File, co-written by Joe McMichael, in 1997. The book is an examination of the career of The Who. The book follows their career through Woodstock, Live Aid and their reunion tours in the 1980s, right through to the Quadrophenia shows at Earls Court in 1996. It includes eyewitness accounts, background notes and audience reactions.

Finally Jack Lyons reflected: “I’m 79 now and for only 19 of those years didn’t know The Who – which is a staggering statistic.”

FRIENDS OF JACK: The Who in 1975 Picture: Jim Summaria via Wikimedia Commons

From the earliest days I was closest to Pete,” explains Jack. “In the last few years, I’ve hooked up with Roger more and more

extensively since He laughs.

playing the guitar and running the 1964.

Irish Jack

Picture: Martin Duggan

History, culture and craic online

Vast treasure trove of Irish recordings now available in to browse in the RTÉ Archives

inserts, performances, interviews; there’s even a recording of the apology played when there is a break in service because of technological difficulties.

In the 1962 archive there’s a programme called A Woman’s World, compiled and presented in the Cork Studios by Síle Ní Bhriain.

The West Clare Railway, once a vital link through rural Ireland, is a nostalgic journey through the changing world of the 1880s. The feature was written and narrated by Aindreas Ó Gallchobhair, and broadcast January 21, 1962. It features interviews in both Irish and English.

There are many conversations with priests, programmes on salmon fishing from the 1950s, a programme in 1962 about President Kennedy visiting Cork. And of course there is music of every hue. Recordings by some of the great names in Irish traditional music are now available online via the RTÉ Archives.

These include the piper Séamus Ennis, and the fiddlers Mickey Doherty and Breandán Breathnach.

OVER the last three years, RTÉ Archives has been creating digital files from thousands of fragile acetate discs which contained the original recordings from broadcasts from 1937 up to the 1970s.

The project, aimed at preserving a precious piece of history, has been a collaboration between Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Archiving Scheme, now incorporated into the recently established, Coimisiúin na Meán.

The acetate disc is the earliest sound recording format held by RTÉ Archives. The acetate, also known as

a lacquer is a type of phonograph record generally used from the 1930s for the next two or three decades for recording and broadcast purposes – they are still in limited use today.

They were extensively used in the production, recording and broadcast of programmes for Radio Éireann, the forerunner of RTÉ

Over 5,300 RTÉ radio recordings from 1927 right up to the 1970s are now available online . The majority of the collection is in English but there is a significant number of Irish language recordings, mainly music and magazine programmes.

There is a ‘health warning’, common now on most radio stations that feature old recordings including the BBC: “Made between the 1930s and 1970s, the content presented here reflects the language and terminology of when the recordings were made. Expressions may no longer be considered appropriate, may use inaccurate terms or be considered offensive language. In the content descriptions created we have used language that is more appropriate.”

Among the collection are full programmes and news broadcasts. There are also sound effects,

There is a recording of the McPeake Family from Belfast singing their own composition that has become a standard in the musical world, Wild Mountain Thyme Francie McPeake wrote the song, although adapting it from earlier traditional tunes and ballads. They also perform the Verdant Braes of Screen – the recording is remarkably clear, with harp, uilleann pipes and vocals all cutting through the slight crackle from the acetate. There are a number of performances by Delia Murphy, one of Ireland’s first international superstars, recordings from the Oireachtas na Gaeilge festival in the

A classic Irish music collection

CLAISCEADAL cois Baile or The Great Irish Songbook, is the work of the late Risteard Mac Gabhann, who died in May 2023 aged 84.

It contains 121 classic Irish songs, all with translations and footnotes. A number of the songs also feature Scots Gaelic versions.

Colmcille Press launched the collection in book form in May. Their partners Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin are making recordings of the songs, both spoken and sung by Risteard with fellow musicians, available for download online.

Risteard worked on this project for more than 15 years and had been teaching a class in Irish song at the Cultúrlann since the facility opened in Derry.

A writer, academic and musician, Risteard the past seven decades promoting Irish language and culture, not only in his native Derry, but also nationally and internationally.

His Claisceadal cois Baile or The Great Irish Songbook is already being seen as a significant contribution to making the Irish song tradition more accessible to the public.

At St Columb’s College, Risteard Mac

Gabhann was a contemporary of Seamus Heaney, who remembered him warmly (as Dicky) in the poem The Gaeltacht. He was also a great friend of Seamus Deane, later delivering the citation for Deane’s Alumnus Illustrissimus award (2009).

The TV broadcaster Joe Mahon, who produced the groundbreaking Irishlanguage drama series Seanchaí for the BBC and RTÉ, explains: “Dick was very much responsible for instigating

and popularising the use of Irish on TV in the North. While I wrote the basic stories for Seanchaí in English, Dick’s very elegant translations were what attracted Irish-speakers to the series.

“He was a major creative contributor to Seanchaí and other Irish language TV programmes - and was invariably a reliable consultant, not only with regard to Irish language topics, but also with regard to Irish history, toponymy, genealogy and mythology – he is a real polymath.”

1940s, ’50s and ’60s. There’s a flute solo of The Coolin, Céilí House presenting The Liverpool Céilí Band, a ‘Marching Band’ playing God Save Ireland

Seán Ó Riada is celebrated, as are John McCormack and Donegal singer Cití Ní Ghallachóir. There’s a clip of Emmett Spiceland (including Donal Lunny) playing at the Wexford v Tipperary Hurling Final singing Bunclody (1968).

Commenting on the publishing of the Acetate Collection, Bríd Dooley, Head of RTÉ Archives said: “We are delighted to open up this hugely evocative collection from the earliest decades of broadcast recording technology. It will take audiences back to the mores, sounds and voices from 1927 onwards as the new Irish State was emerging, many decades before television itself came along. It provides a unique insight our audiences can now enjoy and will be a source of important discovery for researchers, programme makers, historians and educators alike.

“We are very grateful to Comisiúin na Meán for its support of the very specialist preservation and cataloguing development work involved under the Archive Funding Scheme, and to our partners at the Irish Traditional Music Archive who, together with our team of archive specialists, developed the catalogue and the online publication. At the beginning of this project we had the labels and recordings, whereas now we have a rich and searchable resource. We will continue to enhance the collection as we learn more about these recordings.”  www.rte.ie/archives/collections/ acetate-disc-collection/

Mal Rogers

player airs,

An enthusiastic accordion player and singer, specialising in slow airs, he was very active in Derry’s first Irish language choir, Cór an Ghrianáin. And with his fellow musician Pádraig Ó Mianáin, he won awards for composition and performance at national level. He was always keeping the candle lit – and for decades he ran a weekly traditional Irish session at different venues across the city.

 https://u.pcloud.link/publink/ show?code=kZpj4DVZgAQGCKa 9l6mgp1rNDQnen0TRiI1X. www.colmcillepress.com

Risteard Mac Gabhann

ARCHIVE TREATS: Séamus Ennis in 1955 (Picture: public domain); Delia Murphy (Picture: Wikimedia Commons)

Irish language films in Hammersmith

(Shelter) which tells the tale of an unworldly young man, John Cunliffe suddenly propelled into manhood when his over-protective parents die.

Foscadh was Ireland’s entry for an Oscar for Best International Feature at the American Academy Awards 2022.

The film is directed by Seán Breathnach who will do a Q&A following the screening. This film will be preceded by Irish language short film Rúbai

On Sunday 18 evening (7.30pm) there will be rare chance to see a screening of the classic Irish language film Cré na Cille (Graveyard Clay) from the novel by Máirtín Ó Cadhain.

New comedy drama staged in Harrow

TRISKELLION Productions

in collaboration with Asa Murphy and Bill Elms Productions is presenting the production New Generations at the Salvatorian College Theatre in Harrow on June 17.

New Generations is a heartwarming story of a family and the changes and challenges they face when a new baby comes along.

FOLLOWING the huge success of the Irish language film season Scannán in 2022, the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith presents a second season on June 17 and 18. This years Scannán will include screenings of three major feature films Rósie & Frank, Cré na Cille and Foscadh. Before each of these features, there will be screenings of

Irish language short films and following each of the screenings there will be Q&As.

The season begins on Saturday June 17 (7pm) with a screening of Rósie & Frank It stars Bríd Ní Neachtain (The Banshees of Inisherin), who plays the recently widowed Róise. She believes that a stray dog, suddenly gate-crashing

her life, embodies the spirit of her late husband Frank.

The film has been a huge hit on the festival circuit, winning numerous awards.

Following the screening there will be a Q&A with writer/director, Rachael Moriarty.

On Sunday 18 (2.00pm) the ICC presents the UK premiere of Foscadh

CROSSWORD

No. 921

Clues Across

1. Food for animals, beside the fairway? (5,7)

7. Part of the circumference of a circle. (3)

9. Benjamin swallows an article - a vegetable. (4)

10. Residing; existing. (6)

11. Brave person. (4)

14. Attire. (5)

15. Tree that puts 7 across in Louth. (5)

16. Snakes written as an afterthought. (4)

18. Gather together a great amount. (5)

21. Lumps seen when Desmond is missing. (5)

22. Keyboard instrument. (5)

23. Latin American dance. (5)

24. He’s probably German, whichever way you view him. (4)

25. Bring the sparkling wine North to this county. (5)

26. Extremely pale. (5)

29. Similar to. (4)

33. Whiten. (6)

34. Not at home. (4)

36. Spirit from central Virginia. (3)

Sudoku requires no calculation or arithmetic skills. It is a game of placing numbers in squares using very simple rules of logic and deduction. It can be played by children and adults. Simply fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. However each number can appear only once on each row, column and 3x3 box. Answer next week.

37. Noisy bit of bad weather. (12)

Clues Down

1. Regret. (3)

Published in 1949, Cré na Cille is considered one of the great novels in the Irish language and is written entirely as conversation between the dead in a Connemara graveyard. he novel portrays a darkly humorous and satirical view of the local community, focusing on themes such as family, love, betrayal, and the afterlife. Through the conversations and gossip among the dead, the novel provides insights into the lives and relationships of the villagers, revealing the complexities and conflicts of human nature.

Máirtín Ó Cadhain has drawn comparisons to the work of Flann O’Brien, Samuel Beckett and James Joyce; this is a rare chance to see the film based on the novel on the ICC’s big screen. It’s preceded by Irish Language short film Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom

The drama follows the fortunes of new mum Becky and her mother and how the fine line is walked between advice and interference.

Meanwhile Dad Tony is in the middle of the turmoil trying to balance his loyalties.

The narrative is interspersed with cast members singing also in this musical comedy and drama.

There’s a licensed bar at the venue and Asa will entertain the audience who stay on after the play.

 Saturday, June 17, Salvatorian College Theatre, High Road, Harrow Weald HAS 5DY; box office: 07312032905

No.

2. Runs about with funereal vases. (4)

3. Knoll. (4)

4. It’s right to attest that one is a madman. (5)

5. Areas, regions. (5)

6. Look absent-mindedly at something or someone. (4)

8. Such a sports event is held across fields etc. (5-7)

9. Perhaps I’ll call Bingo in this Cork location. (12)

12. Believe in direct disruption. (6)

13. Large trunk. (5)

14. Darn, I changed the channel! (5)

17. Suffer a lack of food. (6)

19. Here’s a nut with a foot-ailment. (5)

20. The southern quantity is very little! (5)

27. Put Sarah on the social gathering. (5)

28. Rub out. (5)

30. “The Garden of England.” (4)

31. Therefore. (4)

32. Dessert that sounds like how you’d use a word to start a race! (4) 35. Equip with weapons. (3)

Scannán 2023 – a season of Irish language films – comes to the Irish Cultural Centre on June 17-18

Rósie & Frank

Two days in the capital of cool

MARIA BOYLE visited Miami, Florida for a whirlwind, weekend visit

MADE legendary during the Roaring Twenties, and again in the ’80s as a result of the TV programme Miami Vice starring Don Johnson, Miami pulls in 26.5 million visitors each year thanks to its equatorial climate and yearly temperatures averaging 24C or 76F.

We chose to stay at the world-famous palm-fringed island of South Beach which offers sun, sea, culture and plenty of bars and restaurants for a whirlwind 48 hours.

Stay

Our suite oozed coolness with circadian lighting to suit our mood, a TV room with circular sofa (very Miami glam!), a fully stocked kitchen, and a comfortable living area and not one but two balconies to relax and enjoy Miami South Beach from sunrise to sundown.

The hotel captures the Miami spirit of being hip and fun, has a buzzy atmosphere but is also super-relaxed and warm and welcoming. It has two restaurants (The Restaurant at W South Beach offering Italian-inspired cuisine and Mr Chow for those who want to enjoy authentic Beijing cuisine).

There are also two bars, two swimming pools and copious cabanas, a tennis court, gym and daily fitness classes. In addition, its ground floor reception and lounge areas provide guests with an opportunity to view a rotating collection of museum-quality modern art, chill and have a coffee in beautifully designed inside or outdoor cosy spaces, and take advantage of complimentary cocktails in the afternoon.

Miami is a vibrant city to explore and has a rich history with multiple cultural influences.

To learn more, we signed up for a two-hour walking tour with Miami Design Preservation League www. mdpl.org/tours which was set up in 1976 to preserve art and architecture in Miami Beach.

Missy, our knowledgeable tour guide, told us all about Miami’s humble origins.

Next up was lunch at the recently opened Café Americano www. cafeamericano.com/miami, located on the main Ocean Drive strip. While it is known for its all day brunch (staff rave about the Americano breakfast sandwich), it serves pastas, pizzas, burgers and seafood. We opted to sit al fresco on its bougainvillea terrace and enjoyed a delicious lunch of Mahi Mahi Tacos with pineapple and red cabbage slaw served with a side of Mexican street corn, followed by pan-seared salmon served with broccoli, white beans and chorizo.

Foodie heaven

The Ocean Drive strip comes alive at night and there is no shortage of places to eat and drink. We decided to try A Fish Called Avalon www. afishcalledavalon.com, located in the deco Avalon hotel, with its daily live music and award-winning seafood menu. Headed by Executive Chef Kal Abdalla, who has been voted among the ‘Best Chefs America’, we devoured Bang Bang Shrimp and Chilled Maine Lobster followed by the most delicious Macadamia-crusted Snapper and Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna. We finished off the night with one of Avalon’s Instagramable cocktails, served in a miniature Oldsmobile Super 88.

Wynwood, jet lag meant we were flagging so we took advantage of W Hotel’s private beach area, enjoyed the wonderful sea views and were entertained for hours watching pelicans flying over the water and divebombing for fish.

As the sun started to set, we decided to do a bit more exploring and jumped on two of the complimentary hotel bikes and cycled along the car-free beach walkway, seeing all the famous hotels and colourful beach huts situated on the 2.5-mile stretch of South Beach.

After our all too short stay, we had been charmed by Miami, its history, architecture, cuisine and nightlife. For a weekend of fun – stay longer if you can – Miami really lives up to its title as the US’s capital of cool.

We then walked to Lincoln Road Mall, aka the Fifth Avenue of the South, for a spot of shopping. This is a ten-block pedestrian mall located designed by fabled Art Deco architect Morris Lapidus who was known for his Neo-Baroque Miami Modern style. More than 200 boutiques, restaurants, outdoor cafes and art galleries line both sides of the street and it is a great place to while away a few hours.

On our second morning, we booked a photographic walking tour with Miami-based photographer Valerie Lopez, co-founder of Angle (angleplatform.com). Valerie guided us around South Beach, shared her local insights and favourite spots while capturing fun photos and video of us during the hour we spent with her. We were snapped in parks, in front of modern art, museums, Art Deco buildings, on the beach, in front of a Lamborghini and, 24 hours later, received professional images and a short reel video that could be shared on social media. The service is available in 500 cities across 106 countries and was really fun.

While we could have then ventured to the shopping and artsy areas of the Design District, hired a car to go to the Everglades National Park, or perhaps check out the life size murals and galleries in

Factfile

W South Beach – rooms from £520 www.marriott.com/en-us/ hotels/miaws-w-south-beach/ overview/

For a complete guide to Miami go to www.MiamiandMiami Beach.com

Flights

From Ireland, British Airways flies Dublin - London Heathrow – Miami return, from €614 including taxes fees and carrier charges (baggage included)

From London, British Airways flies London Heathrow to Miami return, from £550 including taxes fees and carrier charges (baggage included)

HOTEL HEAVEN: South Beach; Above, inset: Maria Boyle

ART DECO APPEAL: The Avalon Hotel, Ocean Drive

TRAVEL

Edited by Mal Rogers

Culinary delights from cliff to coast

Fisk Seafood, The Harbour Bar, Downing’s, Co. Donegal

Operated with brisk but friendly – and typical – Scandinavian efficiency by chef Tony Davidson and Lina Reppert (Tony’s Swedish partner), Fisk Seafood is the result of a dream come true for the pair. That dream is everyone else’s reality with what is a joyous celebration of the freshest fresh seafood. This is a destination restaurant without any frills or fuss but with a menu that bounces with style: dishes include Donegal oysters, with tangy Bloody Mary granita – a smoother-than-smooth sorbe; mackerel paté (with sourdough crips), fish tacos with buttermilk batter, pico de gallo, spiced mayonnaise; prawn banh mi, with spiced butter and kimchi coleslaw,

and the old but brilliant reliable, cod’n’chips. www.fiskseafoodbar.com

The Olde Glen Bar, Glen Village, Carrigart, Co. Donegal

An easy-peasy choice: the Olde Glen Bar is one of Donegal’s most renowned and oldest (250-plus years) bars/restaurants, and a few months ago was added to the 2023 Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland. If the authenticity of the pub doesn’t snag your time and attention (it was awarded Pub of the Year 2021 by prestige Irish food writer, Georgina Campbell), then the spacious restaurant at the rear of the pub surely will. Headed by Ciarán Sweeney, whom this year was

awarded Best Chef in Donegal by the Irish Restaurants Association of Ireland, the food here is nigh-on extraordinary: from Fermented Potato Bread and Roast Mulroy Scallops to Cauliflower Cheese Agnolotti and (wouldn’t you know it?) Wild Atlantic Cod, you may as well forget that waistline for a while.

www.oldeglen.ie

Pota Café, Tullagh, Rivertown, Co. Galway

Awards: Food & Wine Café of the Year 2022), critical praise (“If ever you were looking for the perfect Irish café, this is it” – Corinna Hardgrave, Irish Times), and the kind of word-of-mouth recommendations that money can’t buy are the reasons behind why this bi-lingual eatery is a

SCANDANAVIAN EFFICIENCY: Fisk Seafood at the Harbour Bar, Co. Donegal

Bordering nine counties – from Inishowen, Co. Donegal to Kinsale, Co. Cork – the Wild Atlantic Way is one of the world’s longest defined coastal routes. Here are our top ten resting / eating places as chosen by TONY CLAYTON-LEA

Head chef Ciaran Sweeney from The Olde Glen Bar, Co. Donegal

must for anyone interested in experiencing homegrown, humble yet honestly remarkable food. Chef Diarmuid Ó Mathúna oversees a broad range of seasonal food offerings that are chosen from local producers – foodstuffs include Rockfield Sheep’s cheese, Garraí Glas kale, Feeney’s pulled bacon collar, Aran goats’ cheese, Kelly’s shellfish. Plus point? The café’s red door and thatched roof.

www.potacafe.com

Owenmore Restaurant, Ballynahinch Castle, Recess, Connemara, Co. Galway

Along the Wild Atlantic Way, there are thatched-roof cafés and there are castles. One of Ireland’s best examples of the latter is Ballynahinch Castle, located between Clifden and Roundhouse. Leaving aside the accommodation here (spoiler alert: sumptuous), if you love your food to be served (and eaten) in a classy, sophisticated room, then the Owenmore Restaurant is high-end to beat high-end – albeit minus the pretentiousness that can easily irritate).

www.ballynahinch-castle.com

Russell’s Seafood Bar, Fiddle + Bow Hotel, Teergonean, Doolin, Co. Clare

With food sourced from within a 25km radius, you can safely say that this is a local restaurant for anyone that wishes to travel far and wide (or close) to it. Executive Chef Viv Kelly, who has experience in restaurants from Ireland’s West Coast to America’s East, casts a beady eye over a freshly minted 2023 menu that includes tried and trusted favourites such as Russells Bouillabaisse and Lamb Shoulder and new additions such as Cottage Pie. Oh, we almost forgot: the boutique hotel accommodation here is classy, classy, classy. www.fiddleandbow.ie

RUSSELL’S SEAFOOD BAR

Wine Bar, Strand Street, Dingle, Co. Kerry

During the winter months, this terrific tapas joint is open only at weekends, but during the summer it’s a fully-fledged taste machine, day after day after day. Chef/ co-owner Nicky Foley has a depth of experience second to none (from London to Spain via Cork) and he brings his expertise to Dingle with a menu that combines the very best of local produce with his knowledge of small-plate tapas treats. It’s tricky enough to pick a favourite of those more-ish small plates, but we’ll go for the Spanish & Irish artisan cheeseboard, the chorizo and aged Manchego croquettes, and the brilliantly named bravas-style Crisp O’Connor’s spuds.

www.solastapas.com

Dillon’s Corner, 68 Bridge Street, Marsh, Skibbereen, Co. Cork

Sometimes you have to leave a place in order to return, years later, to love it. Admittedly, Skibbereen isn’t the hometown of chef Ruairí Melvin

Dunne who grew up in nearby Schull, but you get the drift: it’s always a good feeling to give back to the community that raised you. After some years in London working at the noted Italian restaurants Trullo and Padella, Dunne and his partner, Dawn Price-Latorre, arrived in West Cork where they took over and re-opened/refurbished Dillon’s Corner in 2021. The restaurant (and deli/bakery) caters for breakfast hounds and lunch wolves, and currently opens two nights, Friday and Saturday, for dinner. And what food! From savoury flatbreads and organic sourdough pizzas to mains – including Union Hall hake, with shaved white cabbage, spicy mussels, lemon butter and pickled fennel, fresh pasta, and small plates (including boquerones with sourdough toast), this is a special place.

signature offering, available Wednesday-Saturday, from 6pm. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

www.restaurantchestnutwestcork.ie

Dede at the Customs House, Baltimore, Co. Cork

If you’re searching for firm hints of Turkish delight, then Dede is the place to make a reservation. Named after chef Ahmet Dede – and with a kitchen comprising a troop of Turkish chefs, this beautiful spot is perfect for its blend of local flavours and judicious spices. We’ll be honest and say that dining here isn’t cheap – the tasting lunch menu is €100pp; the tasting dinner menu is €160pp, with suitably pricey drinks pairing for each sitting, but if you’re looking for supreme quality, then it’s here.

www.customshousebaltimore.com

place.

www.dillonscorner.ie

Chestnut, Stabill Hill, Ballydehob, Co. Cork

This neck of the woods is chock-ablock with Michelin favourites, and one of our most treasured is Chestnut, a former village pub that has been transformed by chef Rob Krawczyk and his partner Elaine into an intimate space where the food is influenced not only by the freshest of local produce but also by Rob’s skills of curing, smoking and fermenting, handed down to him by his father, Frank. The seven-course tasting menu is the restaurant’s

Bastion, Main Street, Kinsale

Correctly pitched as the gourmet capital of Ireland, this list could have consisted of ten of the town’s restaurants, but we have to apply ‘Sophie’s Choice’ methods here, so we are going for Bastion. A dualdynamics enterprise, the restaurant’s superb food is overseen by chef Paul McDonald while the frontof-house is meticulously supervised by his partner, Helen. Expect local seafood, organic produce, and precise, rigorously thought-out and inventive dishes.

www.bastionkinsale.com

‘TASTE MACHINE’: Solas Tapas and Wine Bar in Dingle

Arsenal face tough competition as the race for Rice intensifies

Glen Johnson, former Liverpool player, dismisses Arsenal’s hopes of securing

signature of West Ham’s Declan Rice this summer,

at interest from Real Madrid and Manchester City

BY CONOR O’DONOGHUE

FORMER Liverpool player

Glen Johnson does not believe that Arsenal have any chance of signing West Ham’s midfield sensation Declan Rice this summer.

Rice, who was once an Irish international, has been linked to a number of clubs this year, and the race for his signature seems to be heating up with every passing day.

Currently Arsenal are seen as favorites, but there is interest from fellow Premier League club Manchester United and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Arsenal, the Premier League runners-up, finished second behind Manchester City this year and are in need of reinforcements to bridge the gap on Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side.

Rice could join Arsenal this summer, but according to former Liverpool and Chelsea player Glen Johnson, this is unlikely.

MIDFIELD GENERAL: Declan Rice in action in his Republic of Ireland playing days Picture: Getty Images

Johnson believes that Rice will join a bigger club like Real Madrid or Manchester City in the summer and reject Arsenal’s advances.

“I think Arsenal would suit him, but I don’t think for a second he will be at Arsenal,” Johnson told The Irish Post. “There’s no chance. He’s a

proper good footballer, so he will certainly be great on the ball and would suit that style of play for sure, but he’s not going to Arsenal.

“If he’s available, then City or Madrid will want him, and Bayern Munich will too. So he’s not going to go there, but if he did, he would suit them.”

The former Ireland midfielder has been tightlipped about a move away from the Hammers, but told the Evening Standard: “I’ve not really focused on any of that, to be honest. My main focus this season, from the World Cup onwards, has been getting us out of a relegation battle and, of course, having one eye on winning this trophy.

“Everything else is just noise and speculation. Obviously, I can’t help that; it comes with playing. But my main focus is playing for West Ham and winning this final.

“My heart’s set on that, doing it for the club, for my family, for the fans, and that’s my only focus. I want to make them all very happy, and my focus is on doing that.”

It seems the saga for Rice will rumble on for quite some time.

DECLAN RICE’S INTERNATIONAL ODYSSEY

Although born in London, Rice was eligible to play for Ireland through the

‘grandparent rule’ – his grandparents are from Douglas, in Co. Cork.

In 2017 Rice was named Republic of Ireland U17 player of the year.

Shortly after his Premier League debut, Rice was capped for the Republic to play friendlies against Mexico and Uruguay and a World Cup qualifier at home to Austria.

In August 2018, Rice was omitted from the squad to play Wales by manager Martin O’Neill, on the grounds that Rice was considering switching international allegiance to England.

In December 2018, Rice met with new Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. McCarthy said that without doubt Rice was a potential future captain of Ireland and that he, McCarthy, would build the team around Rice should he decide to play for the Republic.

But in the end, Rice opted for England. He made his debut for the England national team on March 22, 2019, in a UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match against the Czech Republic. He impressed in his first appearance and went on to establish himself as a key player in England’s midfield.

Nicklaus mystified by McIlroy’s inability to land another major

BY CONOR O’DONOGHUE

GOLFING legend Jack Nicklaus has told Golf Monthly that Rory McIlroy’s lack of success in some of golf’s biggest events is a “mystery.”

McIlroy’s last major win was in 2014 at the PGA Championship. The Co. Down native is a four-time major champion, winning the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 PGA Championship, 2014 Open Championship, and 2014 PGA Championship.

However, since 2014, he has failed to win a fifth major. During this time period, McIlroy has won other titles and climbed to the top of golf’s world rankings. But another major has steadfastly eluded him.

At this year’s Masters, despite being the favourite, McIlroy failed to make the cut at Augusta.

He will have further opportunities to land a major this year, at the US Open and the Open Championship in July.

Nicklaus, an 18-time major winner, admitted that he was baffled by McIlroy’s major drought. According to Golf Monthly the veteran golfer doesn’t know why McIlroy has struggled in recent years but thinks his lack of concentration could be a significant factor in his decline. However, that seems at odds with McIlroy’s success in other tournaments.

But he also believes that it is a matter of when, not if, for McIlroy when it comes to winning his fifth major.

the

hinting

MAJOR PLAYERS: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus

BBC heads to France for the Rugby World Cup

THE BBC has secured exclusive audio rights to broadcast the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, which begins on Friday, September 8 in Stade de France in Paris.

All 48 matches, which of course includes all of Ireland’s matches, will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra via BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and the app.

Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru will produce bespoke output for their nations. All, however, are available online, so you can listen to the Radio Ulster or Radio Foyle

coverage anywhere in Britain.

Sir Bill Beaumont, World Rugby Chairman, said: “We are delighted that BBC have secured the UK audio rights for Rugby World Cup 2023.

“With almost 100 days to go, France 2023 is shaping-up to be the greatest celebration of rugby and togetherness in the sport’s 200th birthday year and the BBC’s expert storytelling, reporting, commentary and analysis will ensure listeners are at the heart of the celebrations.”

Meanwhile, the Rugby Union Daily podcast will also bring all the news, debate and big issues from France.

The hits and misses of Ireland’s Premier League soccer stars

As another campaign in England’s top division comes to an end, JACK MARTIN looks back at the season’s highs and lows for its Irish contingent of footballing talent

Ferguson announces himself to the world

Undoubtedly the best story from an Irish perspective was the emergence of Brighton’s Evan Ferguson. The 18-year-old arrived on the south coast from Bohemians back in 2021 and, although thought of as highly promising, his quick rise into Brighton’s starting team has shook the football world. At six feet two inches tall, Ferguson has the physique of an old school striker while also possessing the technique of a modern attacker. His haul of 10 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions last season has allegedly caught the eye of Europe’s elite and his performances have led to comparisons with Erling Haaland. Just maybe a replacement for Robbie Keane has hove into view.

Coleman shows there’s still life in the old dog

If you seek inspiration in how to turn a bad situation around look no further than Everton’s Seamus Coleman. The 34-year-old started the season so poorly that he lost his starting place to Nathan Patterson

Bazunu thrown in at the deep end

Spare a thought for Gavin Bazunu. Last summer, the Dubliner secured a £12 million transfer to Southampton from Manchester City following a successful loan stint at Portsmouth. At just 21, he was entrusted by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to be the club’s No.1 goalkeeper. However, Hasenhuttl’s departure in November saw Bazunu’s form drop before he lost his starting place to Alex McCarthy as

Southampton were relegated. Bazunu’s rise from third division football to the top-flight may have come too quickly. Let’s hope he has not been discouraged.

Rodgers treated ruthlessly by Foxes

and endured a run-in with his own supporters after a 4-0 thrashing at Bournemouth. However, despite nearing the end of his career, the Donegal man bounced back by regaining his place and spearheading his team to safety before picking up an injury in early May. There’s a reason why the faithful at Goodison Park still sing about the paltry £60,000 fee they paid Sligo Rovers for his services back in 2009.

It’s hard to believe Leicester City have been relegated. It was only two years ago when Brendan Rodgers led the club to FA Cup glory and a second successive fifth place finish in the Premier League. Then the Antrim man appeared only two players away from securing Champions League football. A lack of investment and several want-away stars has since led the club into

decline. The sacking of Rodgers in April was harsh and, although his stock has taken a hit, a new challenge for the 50-year-old shouldn’t be hard to find.

Irish participation still an issue

The falling number of Irish players competing in the Premier League has been a point of discussion for some time. But in April the situation hit a new low when during one weekend of fixtures not a single Irish player was named in any of the 20 starting teams. Despite the likes of Ferguson providing some hope, the outlook for Irish football still looks grim.

FORMER BATTLE: France versus the All Blacks twenty years ago Picture: Getty Images

FALLEN IDOL: Former Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers Picture: Getty Images

Seamus Coleman Picture: Getty Images

Gavin Bazunu Picture: Getty Images

THE RACE FOR RICE

Arsenal face stiff competition for the signature of former Republic of Ireland midfielder Declan Rice

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Surprise exclusions and new faces revealed in Irish World Cup squad

The Ireland squad

Forwards (22)

Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University)

Finlay Bealham (Connacht/ Buccaneers)

Tadhg Beirne (Munster/ Lansdowne)

Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere)

Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster)

Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College)

Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf)

Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf)

Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)

Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/ Lansdowne)

Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians)

Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin University)

Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)

Cian Prendergast (Connacht/ Corinthians)

James Ryan (Leinster/UCD)

Dan Sheehan (Leinster/ Lansdowne)

Tom Stewart (Ulster/Ballynahinch)

Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena)

Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)

Backs (20)

Bundee Aki (Connacht/ Galwegians)

Caolin Blade (Connacht/ Galwegians)

Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD)

Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon)

Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution)

Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)

Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/UCD)

Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)

Mack Hansen (Connacht/ Corinthians)

Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/ Buccaneers)

Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)

James Lowe (Leinster)

Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor)

Conor Murray (Munster/ Garryowen)

Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)

Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas)

Jamie Osborne (Leinster/Naas)

Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD)

Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College)

Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan)

Ireland’s World Cup training squad sparks debate with an injection of uncapped talent and some notable omissions

BY CONOR O’DONOGHUE

FOUR uncapped players have been called up to Andy Farrell’s World Cup training squad in advance of the World Cup in September. They include Ulster’s Tom Stewart, Leinster backs Ciaran Frawley and Jamie Osborne, and Munster winger Calvin Nash.

Joey Carbery has been left out of the squad, along with Leinster’s Jordan Larmour. Munster’s Jean Kleyn and Jeremy Loughman, despite their team winning the United Rugby Championship title.

Farrell has decided to call up 42 players to prepare for warm-up matches against Italy, England, and Samoa in August, ahead of the World Cup in September.

Speaking to the media, Farrell said, “It is exciting to announce our extended training squad for the first phase of Rugby World Cup preparations, and we’re looking forward to assembling in Dublin next month to hit the ground running as a group. It’s pleasing to see that selection has been as tough as ever, as real quality players have initially been unfortunate to have missed out.

“I’m sure that camp will be competitive enough as we grow minds and bodies and look to push on with our game from last season. In the meantime, it’s important that we freshen up for a busy and exciting summer ahead, so we’re ready to get to work on 18 June and build towards the Bank of Ireland Nations Series and to France beyond that.”

In addition to the three Bank of Ireland Nations Series matches, the

Ireland squad will travel to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp in August, before Farrell’s final 33-player Rugby World Cup squad is announced in late August.

Ireland will open their Rugby World Cup campaign against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9, followed by further Pool B clashes against Tonga (September 16) in Nantes, and South Africa (September 23) and Scotland (October 7) at the Stade de France in Paris.

Kenny announces squad for upcoming qualifier matches

BY CONOR O’DONOGHUE

REPUBLIC of Ireland manager

Stephen Kenny has selected a 25-man squad for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar.

Chiedozie Ogbene has not been included because of hamstring injury.

Ogbene, who reported for the Bristol training camp for rehabilitation on a hamstring injury, has been ruled out of the two qualifiers

Ireland travel face Greece on Friday, June 16.

The squad will then return to Dublin for the second UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier against Gibraltar at the Aviva Stadium on

Monday, June 19.

Midfield duo Jeff Hendrick and Alan Browne have been selected for the camp after overcoming injury concerns whilst there is a return to the squad for Middlesbrough centre-back

Darragh Lenihan and Liam Scales, who enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Aberdeen from Celtic last season.

Peterborough United midfielder Jack Taylor has also been recalled to the squad having impressed in the training camp in Bristol in May.

The two-match pack for the Gibraltar and Netherlands fixtures remain on sale from Ticketmaster here with over 44,250 tickets distributed for the Gibraltar

qualifier on Monday, June 19 with Ireland set for another big Aviva Stadium crowd.

Republic of Ireland Squad - Greece & Gibraltar

Goalkeepers: Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth)

Defenders: Matt Doherty (Atlético Madrid), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Callum O’Dowda (Cardiff City), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Nathan Collins (Wolverhampton Wanderers), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion), Darragh Lenihan (Middlesbrough), Liam Scales (Celtic).

Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion), Jeff Hendrick (Reading), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jason Knight (Derby County), Jamie McGrath (Wigan Athletic), Jack Taylor (Peterborough United).

Forwards: Adam Idah (Norwich City), Michael Obafemi (Burnley), Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Troy Parrott (Tottenham Hotspur), Mikey Johnston (Vitória de Guimarães, on loan from Celtic).

UEFA EURO 2024 - Fixtures: June 16 - Greece v Ireland, OPAP Arena, 7.45pm

June 19 - Ireland v Gibraltar, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm

SQUAD MEMBERS: Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki Picture: Getty Images