Irish Scene March/April 26 Edition

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Email: irishsceneperth@gmail.com Lloyd Gorman 0479 047 250 Email: irishsceneperth@gmail.com Canal Walk Media

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by contributors in articles, reproduced articles, advertisements or any other printed material contained in Irish Scene magazine or on www.irishscene.com.au are those of the individual contributors or authors and as such are not necessarily those of Canal Walk Media. The publisher and editor reserve the right to accept, reject, edit or amend submitted material in order to make it appropriate or suitable for publication. Irish Scene welcomes submissions, ideas and suggestions for articles and features as well as photographs of events happening around and within the Irish community in Western Australia.

The man behind the beard: Perth’s St Patrick returns for another year

F

By Daniel Holmes

or most of the year, he’s just Tim Crow — a Lancelin local enjoying the “peace and tranquillity” of life up the coast.

But every March, he becomes something else entirely.

Standing at six-foot-eight, dressed in flowing green robes with a staff in hand, Crow transforms into St Patrick himself — leading thousands through the streets in Perth’s annual St Patrick’s Day parade. Now heading into his third year in the role, Crow admits it wasn’t something he ever saw coming.

“I never really thought a lot about myself portraying St Patrick,” he said. The opportunity came through a connection on the Irish festival committee, who were looking to introduce something new to the parade. Crow’s wife knew a member involved, and his name was put forward. From there, things moved quickly.

“I just thought, why not? Just do it,” he said.

With an idea in mind, he worked with a costume maker to bring the character to life — creating what has since become one of the most recognisable figures of the day. And for many in the crowd, the result is striking.

“I think the surprise is how close to the real portrayal it is,” Crow said. “Particularly for Irish people who understand what it’s all about — they can’t believe how real it actually is.”

But while the costume might turn heads, it’s the experience of the day itself that has left the biggest impression. Crow still remembers the first time he led the parade.

4 | THE IRISH SCENE

“One thing I never understood… was the passion,” he said. “When you’re actually there, doing the parade, the passion of the Irish — how many people take part in that day’s festivities — it’s just unbelievable.”

That sense of energy is something he says is hard to describe unless you’ve experienced it firsthand. “There’s nothing like it,” he said.

Born in the south of England, Crow acknowledges the unusual nature of taking on such an iconic Irish role — but says his involvement in the local Irish community, particularly through rugby, helped bridge that gap. “It’s about being part of the community,” he said.

And while some might expect pressure in representing such a strong cultural symbol, Crow sees it differently — focusing instead on what the role means for those celebrating. “I think having somebody as St Patrick, having that key figure, makes it more important,” he said.

“It’s something that gets passed down the family line… from older members of the Irish community to the younger kids coming through.”

On parade day, the role is as demanding as it is rewarding.

With an early start — often involving travel down from Lancelin the day before — Crow attends pre-parade events before stepping into character for the main procession.

From there, it’s a day of walking, waving, photos and conversations, as the parade winds through the city and

into the festival grounds.

“It’s just spending the day meeting people… photos and chats,” he said.

“Which is awesome.”

For Crow, it’s those interactions — and the atmosphere surrounding them — that keep him coming back year after year. “It’s just the Irish,” he said simply. “The history, the culture… and seeing that passed on to the next generation.”

Despite embodying one of Ireland’s most recognisable figures, Crow hasn’t yet made the trip himself — though he admits there’s at least one reason he’d like to go.

As for appearances outside of St Patrick’s Day, Crow is deliberate in keeping the role tied to the occasion.

“It’s important to keep it special,” he said.

“Unless it’s something that benefits the community.”

Because for him, that’s what the day is really about — not just the spectacle, but the sense of connection it creates. And each year, as he steps out in green once again, staff in hand and crowds lining the streets, Crow is reminded why he said yes in the first place.

A chance to be part of something bigger — even if only for a day.

“Guinness,” he laughed.

THE IRISH SCENE | 5

Lighthouse visitors and guides

CY O’Connors’ light touch!

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xactly 130 years ago – on March 17 1896 – the latest piece of public infrastructure for the Swan River colony (WA) – the Wadjemup lighthouse – was unveiled to some fanfare on Rottnest Island.

Irish Scene readers will be familiar with the man who built it, but not necessarily that it is one of his many (many) accomplishment’s in Western Australia.

O’Connor’s lighthouse and the lighthouse it replaced

Irish engineer CY O’Connor (Charles Yelverton) is iconic for the construction of Fremantle Harbour, the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme and the massive expansion of the rail work network, all vital projects that helped a struggling colony transform into a successful economy and state that could stand on its own two feet so to speak.

Without doubt O’Connor, who was born in 1843 at Castletown Patrick, near Kells, Co. Meath, was an engineering genius whose achievements – which have stood the test of time – we quite rightly recognise today.

A family camping trip to Rottnest in January and a cycle to the far side of the island revealed another one of his many works, but not one I had known about before. Headhunted by the premier of the day Sir John Forrest, O’Connor came to WA 6 | THE IRISH SCENE

By Lloyd Gorman

from New Zealand about April 1891 and wasted no time in getting down to the job of building almost everything the emerging territory needed to prosper. If this had happened today these herculean tasks would be done by a corporate giant or government taskforce, rather than a single man!

He began in 1892 with the enormous – and some said impossible – work of developing the mouth of the Swan River into a port, and completed the trade and transport lifeline for WA within five years.

Even before the harbour was opened in May 1897 O’Connor was working on a seperate but related project. It was not unusual for ships from England to safely negotiate the long voyage only to become wrecked or sunk on reef in their final approach to Fremantle. Shipping needed confidence the new harbour was accessible and using it was not a gamble.

Using Aboriginal prisoners as labour, a lighthouse had been built on Rottnest in 1849. It took nine years to build, stood at 20 metres tall (three less than planned) and did not operate until 1851 when the revolving lamp and mechanism was installed.

With the rapid expansion of Fremantle a bigger and better beacon was needed for the increasing numbers of passing traders and sailors. O’Connor did not design the 38 metre tall replacement lighthouse but he was responsible for its construction, which took less than a year under his supervision.

On March 18 1896 The West Australian reported on the ‘the inaugural illumination’ ceremony for the new lighthouse from the day before. A group of VIPs, including the Governor and Premier of the day took a paddle steamer to the island. The Engineer in Chief O’Connor was not amongst CY O’Connor photographed in 1897

them. Instead, we know from the article his assistant attended. We don’t know why he wasn’t there but we know he had a relentless work ethic and can speculate that he would have been focused on completing the harbour project, rather than indulging in self congratulation.

In his speech to officially open it Premier Forrest – who personally handpicked O’Connor to be engineer in chief – described the building of the tower as “an act of humanity”. “It was constructed to guide the people of all countries and of all nations to the shores of Western Australia….the principal gate of the colony for the service of humanity at large” the The newspaper O’Connor reported him lighthouse as saying. “The on Rottnest new lighthouse was designed to guide the mariner to the

The sun sets behind the statue of O’Connor in Fremantle Port

approaches to the shores of the chief part of [WA] and its mission would be to guide that manner, not only to is haven of safety, but also is a land of promise’.”

The way the lighthouse functions has changed radically over the years – for example it is now unmanned and controlled from Canberra – but the sturdy limestone structure is identical in form to how O’Connor built it. Volunteer guides run daily paid tours of the impressive lighthouse.

Only ten people at a time can take the hour long tour and the day I arrived I was number elven. Many thanks to the lady, who was with a group of family members, who generously allowed me to take her place on the tour, which was excellent and something I’d highly recommended next time you find youself on the island.

St Patrick’s Day 1896 Fremantle

B

y sheer coincidence the very next article in that edition of the West Australian was a report under the headline ‘St. Patrick’s Day at Fremantle Demonstration at Point Walter’. While parts of the article – found on Trove – are illegible there is more than enough to give a good picture of how the occasion was celebrated.

“St Patrick's Day was celebrated under the most favourable auspices by the Irishmen of Fremantle,” it said in the first line. “The steady, drenching rain which fell on Monday evening did not augur well for the animal demonstration at Point Walter, but the morning broke clear and use, and the heavy downpour of the previous evening had the effect of cooling the atmosphere, and thus served to make the outing more enjoyable.”

Somewhere between 500 and a thousand people from Fremantle took part, while the paper estimated another 100 came from

Perth. Rather than a parade there was a procession through “principle streets”, made up of groups like the Hibernian Australia Catholic Fremantle Society, The League of the Cross (Fremantle branch), Australasian Catholic Benefit Society and the Irish National Foresters Lodge (a social welfare group). An Irish band and a military band provided the music for the procession, which it appears went to St. Patrick’s Basilica where ‘High Mass’ in honour of Ireland’s patron saint was celebrated by three priests, all with Irish names.

After mass “a good programme of sports was carried out successfully during the afternoon”, with all the names of the winners published, and afterwards “a concert and dance was held in the Town Hall...thanks to the excellent arrangement of the general committee and the energetic secretary, Mr. D. F. O'Connor, everyone enjoyed themselves most thoroughly.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 7

‘Let me go and let me try’

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s we went to print efforts were underway to invite some very special people to lead this years St. Patrick’s Parade in Vincent as grand marshal.

If the invitation gets to them and they accept it the entire Irish community will be waiting to show its admiration and respect for them.

On January 30 Joanne Applebee – originally from Carrickmacross – took the kids to Quindalup, about 250km south of Perth, for a getaway before school started back on Monday. They went down to the beach and borrowed a kayaks and two inflatable paddle boards from their hotel.

Conditions were calm at first but quickly deteriorated and they were soon in danger and confronted with making some gut wrenching decisions.

“They were being dragged farther out, that’s when Austin said, Mum, I’ll go. I’ll try and make it,” Joanne’s mum and their granny Doreen Cunningham told the Irish Independent. “[Joanne] said, ‘No, you won’t’, but he said, ‘let me go and let me try’. She decided in the end, ‘Ok, but he was gone four hours and with there being no

word, she was sure he was gone’.” Austin, 13, swam more than two miles in rough seas to reach land.

His kayak started taking on water and he had to abandon it, as well as the life jacket which was slowing him. All the while he was thinking about “happy things” and telling himself “not today, not today, not today”.

When he eventually reached the shore four hours later he then had to run two miles to get to his mums phone on the beach.

Despite being exhausted and ready to collapse Austin calmly explained the desperate situation triple zero operator and thanks to his courage and composure emergency services were able quickly locate his family at sea, still clinging to life. Joanne kept her two youngest kids occupied while all the while worrying Austin. The family have been swamped by media requests from around the world and Austin has been recognised for his bravery in various ways. Irish Scene hopes to bring you their story in our next edition but we really hope we see Austin and his brother and sister Beau and Grace with their Irish mum at the helm of the St. Patrick’s Day parade!

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Freedom, Courage & Irish Spirit Dia Dhuit and G’Day,

O

n behalf of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee here in Perth, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for your valuable support and participation in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival held in Birdwood Square last March. The event’s success was made possible by the commitment and enthusiasm of sponsors, volunteers and attendees like you.

This year marks the 150 year anniversary of the Catalpa escape by the Fenian brotherhood from Fremantle to New York.

A daring and famous achievement in

12 | THE IRISH SCENE

1876. There are many events on between now and April and I implore you to enjoy the celebrations. It is a reminder of how prominent Irish history is to Western Australia, and the globe.

We are thrilled to announce that the Perth St. Patrick’s Day festivities will return on Saturday, the 14th of March at Birdwood Square, 301 Beaufort Street, with the theme of ‘Freedom, Courage & Irish Spirit’ – no doubt something we can all relate to after travelling so far to live in beautiful Perth.

This location was a major success in 2025 with the parade beginning at the corner of

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the Brisbane Hotel and heading north on Beaufort Street before turning at Broome Street and returning to Birdwood Square for the traditional Family Fun Day in Birdwood Square park.

We invite you all to join us for the parade and the festivities for an entertaining day of culture, music and a bit of Craic!

A special thank you goes to our major sponsors in 2026: Cast Civil, Catalpa Group, East to West Plant services, NRC, Pipeline Technics, TNE Civil, Westforce Construction, Lottery West, the City of Vincent, and the Irish Government. Your contributions played a crucial role in making the event a resounding

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success, and we look forward to your continued support in 2026.

Once again, we have an exciting lineup of dancers and music, featuring Foreign Sons, Black Rose and many more. We have plenty of food stalls and, of course, reasonably priced Irish beverages for the adults. For further information and an event map please our double page ad on pages 40 & 41.

We look forward to seeing you all in green on the day!

Slán agus go raibh maith agat!

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THE IRISH SCENE | 13

They championed the Fenian and Catalpa cause!

W

ithout doubt the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa’s escape will be a memorable occasion and a perfect opportunity for the Irish community to celebrate its deep rooted and colourful part in the story of Western Australia. The wide variety of planned events and activities is the result of the tireless efforts and energy of a cast of individuals and groups, volunteers and enthusiasts, keen to keep formidable stories like the Catalpa alive to new generations.

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There are too many of these community champions – past and present – to mention by name but our gratitude to all of you.

But there are a few individuals, who made a massive contribution and helped us all to get to this point, who deserve special mention. Sadly, Brendan Woods, Ormonde Waters and Liam Barry are no longer with us but we live with their legacy. Brendan (pictured here as a jailer in a production of Cashman’s Diary at Fremantle Prison) used all his God given talents – including as a tour guide at the prison and as a musician – to portray, depict, enact and perform the story of the Fenians who came to the penal colony against their own free will and who were released or escaped as free men.

It is thanks to the likes of Ormonde and Liam that we know so much of the Fenian stories today. Several decades ago these two men did painstaking work to research and published their experiences in the Swan River Colony across an impressive collection of books. They were also instrumental in the founding of an significant memorial to John Boyle O’Reilly on the Leschenault Peninsula, near Bunbury from where he escaped in 1869 and the running of an annual commemoration at the site for many years.

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Liam Barry with Premier Geoff Gallop at the O'Reilly memorial

Na Fianna Catalpa v Eire Oģ for inaugural George Anthony Cup Covering Rockingham, Kwinana, Mandurah and Baldivis the Gaelic Football Club Na Fianna Catalpa (NFC) will be doing its bit to pay tribute to the ship and men which are the inspiration for its name and logo.

On Saturday April 4th there will be an afternoon of games at Village Green in Rockingham. This is the fifth year NFC will be holding gaelic games over the Easter weekend and this year they will be playing the new northern suburbs Club, Eire Oģ and compete for the inaugural George Anthony Cup.

Finally, don’t forget, as featured on the cover of our last edition, pictured, singer songwriter Declan O’Rourke will travel from Ireland to perform a unique concert at the Quarry Amphitheatre in City Beach on March 29 as part of the Fenians Festival.

In our next edition we hope to have an article about Frank MacGabhann in Ireland who has a vision to bring the Catalpa story to the big screen! Frank – who has already written the screen play – has also been campaigning hard to get the 150th anniversary officially commemorated in Ireland, where the story of the Catalpa is not as well known as you might expect.

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s in oll C Maria

Michael Harrington An Góilín - Rockingham Nua-Eabhrac

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í minic a cloistear faoi Michael Harrington - ceann do na seisear a d’éalaigh ó Iarthar an hAstráile - ach is suimiúl an nasc atá aige le hIarthar Chorcaí. Chuala mé go raibh séadchomhartha sa Ghóilín a bhí an chósúil leis an ceann i Rockingham, ‘The Wild Geese’, agus, nuair a bhí mé sa bhaile um Nollaig, chuaigh mé ann.

Bhí sé deacair an áít a aimsiú agus bhí orm dul isteach d’oifig fháilte an bhaile, Mizen Information and e-Centre.. Bhí an shuim ag bean an tí faoi mo thuras agus mhínigh mé di go mbeadh comóradh agus féile ollmhór in Iarthar na hAstráile in ómós do na Fianna a d’éalaigh ó Phríosún Fremantle.

Ní raibh sé éasca an séadchomhartha a aimsiú ach ar deireadh thiar thall, le cabhair na mná san oifig, shroicheamar an áit. Bhí sé beag, bídeach agus neamhfheiceálach, ar imeall bhóithrín caol, ar shlata an bhaile. Bhí géanna ann ar maidhm teite - siombail na bhFiann agus, dár nóigh, ainm an nuachtáin a bhí scríofa acu ar bhord Hougoumont.

(The Wild Goose).

Tá trí séadchomhartha Catalpa ar fad: ceann amháin i Rockingham a bhí tógtha i 2005, ceann eile sa Ghóilín a bhí curtha suas i 2015 agus ceann i Meiriceá a bhí nochtadh i 1976, 100 bliain ina dhiaidh an éalaithe.

16 | THE IRISH SCENE

Níl go leor eolais ar fáil faoi Michael Harrington. Ba shaighdiúir Briotanach é a throid san India. Cuireadh i bpríosún é in Éirinn de bharr a thréigin agus a rannphartaíochta i gluaiseacht na bhFiann.

Deirtear gurbh as Maigh Chromtha é ó dúchais ach tá fianaise nach bhfuil ag teacht le chéile. Cinnte, sa Ghóilín, tá siad lán-sásta gurbh as Góilín é.

Scríofa ar an séadchomhartha ná: Michael Harrington - A Hero From Goleen The Fenian Michael Harrington, who was the senior prisoner to be rescued from Fremantle Jail, was born in 1826 in the area known as Snug Harbour (...) used in the Tithe Appointment for Kimore parish, 1828. The roll listed all owners of land of an acre or more and it included two Harringtons, Denis and Jeremiah, one of which was presumably Michael’s father.

Cé nach bhfuil mé cinnte faoi áit bhreithe Michael Harrington, chuir sé gliondar ar mo chroí go raibh nasc idir Iarthar Chorcaí (m’áit bhreithe) agus m’áit cónaithe anseo i Perth.

Phós Michael dhá mhí tar éis dó Nua Eabhrac a shroicheadh. Bhí ceathrar páiste aige a bhásaigh ina naíonáin. Ba gharda é ann agus fuair sé bás sa bhliain 1886.

Nochtadh leac uaige le honóir dó sa bhliain 2022 sa Calvary Cemetery, Nua-Eabhrac a bhí eagraithe ag Fenian Memorial Committee of America.

Michael Harrington – Goleen – Rockingham – New York It isn’t often you hear about Michael Harrington – one of the six Fenians that escaped from Western Australia – but it’s interesting the link he has with West Cork. I heard that there was a monument in Goleen that was very similar to ‘The Wild Geese’ in Rockingham and, when I was home at Christmastime, I went there.

It was hard to find the spot and I had to go into the tourist centre in the village, Mizen Information and e-Centre. The woman in the office was very interested in my outing and I explained to her that there would be a great commemoration and festival in Western Australia in

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honour of the Fenians who escaped from Fremantle Prison.

It wasn’t easy to find the monument but eventually, with the help of the lady in the office, we arrived. It was small and inconspicuous, at the side of the narrow road, on the outskirts of the village. The geese were in full flight – a Fenian symbol and of course, the name of the newsletter that was written by them aboard the Hougoumont (The Wild Goose).

There are three Catalpa monuments in total: one in Rockingham that was erected in 2005, another in Goleen that was put up in 2015 and one in America that was unveiled in 1976, 100 years after the escape.

There isn’t a lot of information available about Michael Harrington. He was a British soldier that fought in India. He was

more and it included two Harringtons, Denis and Jeremiah, one of which was presumably Michael’s father. imprisoned for desertion and for his participation in the Fenian movement. It is said that he is from Macroom originally but there is conflicting evidence. Certainly, in Goleen, there are more than happy that he was from Goleen.

The inscription on the monument reads: Michael Harrington - A Hero From Goleen The Fenian Michael Harrington, who was the senior prisoner to be rescued from Fremantle Jail, was born in 1826 in the area known as Snug Harbour (...) used in the Tithe Appointment for Kimore parish, 1828. The roll listed all owners of land of an acre or

Even though I’m not sure where Michael Harrington’s birthplace is, it filled me with joy that there was a link between West Cork (my homeplace) and where I live now. Michael married two months after reaching New York. His four children died in infancy.

He worked as a guard and died in 1886. A gravestone was unveiled in his honour by the Fenian Memorial Committee of America at Calvary Cemetery, New York in 2022.

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The Fenians Festival 2026 23-31 March 2026 Fremantle and Perth Details and Bookings via TryBooking trybooking.com/eventlist/feniansfestival2026catalpa150th

Swatting up on the Catalpa Story

A great appetite whetter for the festival is the ‘Catalpa Escape Podcast Series’ with Michael Barker, of the Fremantle Shipping News and Margo O’Byrne, chairperson of the Fenians Festival committee. In the conversations Michael and Margo share the fascinating story of the Fenians escape, including the arrival in Fremantle of John Breslin (under the pseudonym Mr Collins) who served as the local operative for

the escape. They discuss the extensive planning on the land side of the secret mission. There are a multitude of characters, seafaring and on land, facing near disasters, intrigue and difficult weather. The podcasts are riveting, whether binged or enjoyed at leisure. Look for the ‘Catalpa Escape Podcast Series’ on Apple Podcasts under FSN - Freo Life or Google FSN - Freo Life.

Fenains Festival Finds Local Support Fenians Fremantle and Freedom are very grateful to all festival sponsors and collaborators. A big shout out to the Government of Ireland, Emigrant Support Program, the University of Notre Dame Australia and Fremantle Prison, Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Heritage for their generous sponsorship. Our long-time partners in all things Fenian, the Hougoumont Hotel, continue their support and have offered a discount code if you want to spend the Fenian Festival weekend in Fremantle at either the Hougoumont or The Garde Hotel.

Emily Taylor and Plantagenet Wines provided delicious catering for our fundraiser, Secret Fenians Business in November where a number of WA based Irish businesses purchased Tickets to Freedom for the Fenians escapees and the operatives who planned and executed the Catalpa escape.

Gay Collins from Pipeline Technics, has become custodian of John Breslin, who came from Drogheda, Co. Louth. “We supported the Fenians Festival because John Breslin’s role in the Catalpa story shows what smart planning and brave action

can achieve. That speaks to us—engineering with purpose and backing projects that matter. Buying a Ticket to Freedom helps deliver free community events and keeps this incredible WA-Irish story alive.

We’re proud custodians of John Breslin—and proud to support FFF.” JJ Greene from DCI Group purchased a Ticket to Freedom for William Foley who came from County Waterford because he reminded them that integrity and perseverance change outcomes. Foley was a military Fenian, released before the escape, who, while still in Fremantle, carried messages from the operatives to the prisoners. He also revealed the secret details of the operation to the commanders in Ireland and was on the dock to greet the Catalpa when she arrived in New York. “In our business, we solve tough problems; this festival solves a different one keeping heritage alive so it can inspire the next generation. Supporting FFF isn’t just sponsorship, it's community leadership. We’re honoured to be custodians of William Foley and to stand with the festival team. Come along - you’ll be glad you did.”

Something for all the Family Activities all day at the WA Maritime Museum and music at sunset at Clancy’s Fish Pub – with a brilliant outdoor playground so the play can continue while the parents listen to the music of the Woodbines. Sunday 29 March WAMM 9.30 -5 Clancy's from 5pm

The Best of Irish Music Declan O’Rourke with supporting artist Fiona Rea - it doesn’t get any better! Under the stars at the Quarry Amphitheatre on Saturday 28 March.We’re delighted that the amazingly talented Declan O’Rourke, master Irish storyteller, singer and songwriter will be joining us for the Fenians Festival. Declan will perform his poignant, emotionally honest songs that are both personal and socially conscious. There won’t be a dry eye in the house if he sings Stars Over Kinvara under the stars in Perth. It’s a tribute to Declan’s dedication to this story that he’s willing to travel from Ireland to be here. For the 2018 Fenians Festival, he composed his haunting song, Convict Ways which not only pays tribute to the Fenians, but to all who

And Poetry

long for freedom, both then and now. Fiona Rea, who we all know locally for her amazing gifts as a singer and songwriter, says she is “Honoured to be part of such a momentous celebration of this part of Australia’s and Ireland’s history. Thank you so much to the committee for making this event happen. It’s going to be magic!”

Tommy O’Brien The Ocean Waifs will play at the Buffalo Club at 7.30 Friday 27 March Fiona Doyle and trad players at Buffalo Club at 5 pm on Friday 27th March The Deadly Woodbines at Clancy’s from 5 pm Sunday 29th March Fred Rea and Sean Roach with Captain Anthony’s great-grandson, Jim Ryan at the Might Quinn on Tuesday 31st March at 7 pm

Ireland’s Tony Curtis Irish poet Tony Curtis is described as “A master craftsman conjuring striking images out of the ordinariness of words”. In 2018 Tony received the Laurence O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry and he has also won the Poetry Ireland/Friends Provident National Poetry Competition and the Book Stop Poetry Prize. Spend An Afternoon with Tony Curtis at the very special Samson Theatrette on Wednesday 25th March from 2 p.m

And Theatre

Theatre180 Catalpa: Flight to Freedom Don’t miss your chance to see the fabulous Theatre 180 performance of Catalpa: Flight to Freedom. FFF has purchased an additional night’s production of this outstanding show, but tickets are selling fast. Get yours now before they sell out.

It’s All About History Join researchers from Notre Dame University, UWA and Fenian Friends and the Buffalo Club History group to hear about the transnational nature of Colonial Western Australia. And listen to Captain Anthony’s Great Grandson, Jim Ryan as he explores what motivated his Quaker ancestor to take on this brave and daring rescue. Or join a group of storytellers in the pub to listen to family and community stories about the characters in the Catalpa and Fenian stories.

Festival Merchandise

Don’t miss this one-off Catalpa 150th Anniversary jersey featuring the Fremantle 6. Made in Ireland by PLAYR-FiT and sponsored by Mons Irish Pub and the Dark Horse Group, these are an exclusive memento of the 2026 Fenians Festival, available in either a Jersey or a Polo.

On sale exclusively at Mons Irish Pub in Fremantle, and only while stocks last. So get yourself down there for a pint and snap up one of these commemorative Jerseys or polo’s before they disappear. Cost $85

What’s the craic with “half Irish” Albo and St. Patrick’s Day?

by Lloyd Gorman

W

hat will Anthony Albanese do about St. Patrick’s Day?

If the last four years are anything to go by he will most likely let the 17th of March slip past without making any fuss about it!

Which is a bit strange for someone who has claimed to be “half Irish” (his other half is Italian) and has demonstrated an interest in that heritage. Any Irish genealogy Albo claims would be from from his late and beloved mum Maryanne Therese Ellery. Irish Scene magazine first published a story about how the prime minister spent some time in Ireland in 1988 (Dublin Calling Anthony Albanese July/August 2022)).

In 2018 when he was deputy leader of the Labor Party Mr Albanese went to the Sydney Irish Festival, where he watched a hurling game between Kilkenny and 2107 All Ireland winners Galway.

In March 2021 Albo was very happy to indulge in some St. Patrick’s Day frolics. “With 1,200 of my closest Irish friends at the St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by the Lansdowne .

Club – photobomb by @Tony_Burke Anthony Albanese,” he tweeted, including a photo of a freshly pulled pint of Guinness.

Twelve months later and Albo was once more toasting Ireland’s patron saint.

“Celebrating St Patrick’s Day ‘eve with Queensland’s Irish community tonight.

Slàinte Mhaith. ,” he tweeted in March 2022.

Two months later he was empathically elected prime minister of Australia.

A young Albo in Dublin in 1988

So when the first St. Patrick’s Day rolled around for our “half Irish” PM it was reasonable to expect he might give a little nod to the Irish community. But instead of attending in person Albo delegated one Labor MP Graham Perrett, who has a soft spot for the Irish, to represent him at the QIA ball. About a week later Mr Perrett – who delivered a speech in lieu of his boss – gave an enthusiastic account of the night. “There were a lot of good speakers…including Irish Minister Simon Coveney and [Ambassador Tim Mawe]...after my speech Aileen CaterSteel, from the Darling Downs Irish Club... introduced herself as my relative. It turns out my mum, Peggy Morrissey, and my greatgrandmother, Ellen Long, were all from the Darling Downs…. just some of the 75 million people around the world who celebrate St Patrick's Day. I know there are many in this chamber. It was a great event, and I look forward to some great trade opportunities with Ireland...as...the gateway to Europe.

[Particular thanks to] Minister Coveney for... affirming that all Irish Australians should be backing [The Voice], that anyone with Irish blood could not be silent when it comes to recognising our First Nations people...Happy St Patrick's Day.” While Mr Perrett clearly enjoyed standing in for the PM it appears Mr Albanese himself was stepping back from this kind of interaction with the Irish community.

Albo at the with visiting Irish minister Hildegarde Naughton and ambassador Tim Mawe and his wife at the QIA ball in March 2022

22 | THE IRISH SCENE

Next year, on March 17 Mr Albanese tweeted a rather limp ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day Australia’ message, which is the last thing or time he has said a word about the occasion. By the way, our attempts to interview Mr Albanese or even submit questions in writing for a response were all either rejected or ignored.

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What’s the craic with “half Irish” Albo and St. Patrick’s Day? (continued)

Mr Albanese with other senior Labor Party figures at the QIA ball in 2022

Meanwhile it seems Mr Albanese rarely misses a chance to help the Italian community celebrate their big occasions, so why not the Irish community? He appears keen to promote other ethic and religious groups. In March 2024 Mr Albanese threw himself into the colourful the Hindu festival Holi with great gusto, and even issued a message in which he said he had been “honoured” to have been in Ahmedabad, India the previous year and had experienced “the spectacular display of music, colour and traditional dancing that define this lively tradition.”

Last month, on February 19, Mr Albanese, gave a relatively long speech to the

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24 | THE IRISH SCENE

Australian Chinese community in Melbourne to mark the Chinese New Year – The Year of the Horse. “The Chinese-Australian community are driven by the same spirit that drives the rest of Australia,” Mr Albanese said. “Your entrepreneurial spirit, your contribution to small business and to the economy, your desire for your children to have a better life than the one that you have enjoyed as well is inspiration. And the fact that here in Australia, we can celebrate culture from all around the world, but in particular in the next fortnight there will be a focus on Chinese culture. And what that does is enrich all of us through the music and dancing...the food, the language... and the joy of life...thank you for sharing your culture with me.”

The PM governs for all Australians and it is only right he should embrace them all – so why does he seem intent on shunning the Irish community?

‘Boxer’ & Lawless for Australia

V

isiting Perth on the St. Patrick’s Day ticket for the Irish government will be Longford-Westmeath TD Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran. Mr Moran is also the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Infrastructure, with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. His role with the OPW thrust him into the response to deal with the recent rains and biblical flooding that have devastated many communities across Minister Moran Ireland. No doubt a trip to talks to a flood victim sunny Perth – and Brisbane and Adelaide – will be a welcome change for the minister, but will not be much solace for those dealing with the deluge. Moran, 58, apparently got the nickname ‘Boxer’ when he was just 12 from an incident during a football game, and the moniker has stuck!

Visiting Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney will be minister for further and higher education, research, innnovation and science James Lawless.

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Can you feel the thunder?

by John Flood

C

eltic Thunder, formed in Dublin in 2007, have toured the world many times with their special brand of Irish and Celtic music. They are well known for their tight harmonies and charismatic high energy stage performances creating an intimate, warm and nostalgic atmosphere.

The group have a shared musical chemistry steeped in Irish history with songs that range from high energy up tempo Irish and contemporary songs to emotional ballads.

Their repertoire includes A Place in the Choir, You Light up my Life, Mull of Kintyre, Caledonia, How Great Thou Art, You’ll Never Walk Alone, Ireland’s Call, and The Galway Girl.

The group’s high energy on stage, set pieces, visual effects and choreography augments their powerful harmonies and acoustic driven arrangements and storytelling.

Celtic Thunder are now returning to tour Australia after a ten-year absence to perform An intimate evening with Celtic Thunder in the Regal Theatre Subiaco, Perth, on March 24 at 7.30pm.

Speaking from Tennessee USA, Derry born Damian Mc Ginty told me “I am eagerly looking forward to coming back to Australia after ten years, I love the people there and the culture, and it will also give me an opportunity to meet up with family in Adelaide, this tour will be nostalgic for us as we share and celebrate our history in songs with Australians”.

Damian, together with Emmet Michael Cahill, Neil Byrne and Ronan David Scolard will be featured on stage. The quartet are usually set against a beautiful background which is a visual treat for audiences. Fans have described their shows as being “unforgettable” and “engaging and magical”

an eclectic theatrical style show. As well as being humorous fans have also commented on the high production value of their shows. Many audience members say that the songs have evoked beautiful memories of their own childhood.

The Irish songs that Celtic Thunder perform, and their unique musical arrangements, have won the hearts of many new followers over the years. Damian told me he is looking forward to singing the great classic Amazing Grace and he added “We always enjoy performing this song and, this year, we have given the song a special arrangement”.

Damian, who is from Derry, joined Celtic Thunder when he was fourteen and has worked with some great musical arrangers over the years including fellow Derryman Phil Coulter. Phil wrote the song When You are Eighteen for the young Damian. Other musical arrangers that have worked with Celtic Thunder are David Munro, who has spent twelve years with the group. Then he passed the baton to Ronan Scolard, who is also a soloist with the group.

On a sad note, George Donaldson, a founding member of Celtic Thunder, passed away after a heart attack in his native Scotland in March 2014. Damian says “George and I were always very close, I loved and respected him so much, he always supported me when I was beginning my career with Celtic Thunder”.

One of my own special memories was seeing the younger Damian on stage singing When You Are 18 with the late George, axe on shoulder, walking behind in the forest setting. The visual contrast of the young man singing about transitioning into adulthood contrasted with the matured adult behind gathering timber was memorable.

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Damian has had a new addition to his family in January 2026, a son named Damian George, who will be a brother for Daisy Jane who was born in 2024. Damian wrote a special song for Daisy titled Little Dream Come True which is was also the title to his 2025 album.

I asked Damian what he did to keep healthy and fit and his reply was “I’m from a family of runners and I am keeping up that tradition”. His fitness also helped him reach the finals of the Irish TV show Dancing with the Stars. He loves all music genres and has a soft spot for both Frank Sinatra and Coldplay. In 2011 Damian was chosen to appear as the character Rory Flanagan in the American musical comedy-drama television series The Glee Project.

Celtic Thunder, welcome to Australia.

We can’t wait to hear your stories and sing your songs.

In the mood for a bloody good laugh?

Anna Houston

by Lloyd Gorman

T

he films In Bruges (2008) and The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) might be some of his best known work but Martin McDonagh – who has a flair for the traumatic and absurd – is first and foremost a dramatist.

The presence of violence and dark humour in these outstanding films emanates from his plays, and none more so than The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a vicious and ferocious satire set on Inishmore, off the coast of Galway, during the Troubles. The play centres on “Mad” Padraic, a fanatical leader of an Irish National Liberation Army splinter group, whose love for his cat is equalled only by his angst and ability to go berserk.

The Lieutenant was first produced on stage in 2001 but it was written by the British Irish playwright in 1993 while people – mostly innocent bystanders – were still being slaughtered in the sectarian and political conflict.

Now the play – from his second trilogy set on the Aran Islands – is coming to the Subiaco Arts Centre from March 26-31 and the job of bringing it to the stage falls to director Anna Houston. Irish Scene chatted with Anna just as the troupe were beginning rehearsals.

“We had our first reading yesterday and we were just on the floor rolling around in stitches,” she said. It's so funny and what happens, I don't wanna give anything away but I will say there is a cat at the centre of it all”.

You could say things get cat-astrophic!

The violence would not be out of place in a Quentin Tarantino flick.

“When you’re working with The Lieutenant of Inishmore it becomes apparent there's violence upon violence upon violence upon violence and with all of those layers the repetition and the exaggeration achieves the satire where you understand you're not really following the rules of realism anymore...and it really helps you so to take a step back and go ‘oh my god’ look at all of this

28 | THE IRISH SCENE

violence look at all of this calamity and then of course it's very easy to connect the dots obviously to what was happening with the Troubles, just these cycles of violence.”

This is Anna’s second production of a McDonagh work (The Lonesome West being the other) and her fourth Irish play – one of which was also dealt with the Troubles. In 2019 she directed Cyprus Avenue at the Old Fitz Theatre, for which she travelled to Northern Ireland.

“I've always been drawn to Irish literature and Irish theatre,” she said. “I think Irish storytellers are the best in the world and I have been to Ireland before a few times. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to visit Belfast. I was researching for Cyprus Avenue, a play about the Troubles, and wanted to meet people that had first hand experience of it and I ended up meeting so many wonderful people who were really generous sharing their stories and experience with me, it was illuminating, it's fascinating, it's tragic and it's in recent memory. That was my first time being in Northern Ireland and I just loved it.

Belfast was such an alive buzzing city so I was very grateful to visit there.”

Anna was born in Scotland and claims an affinity and some ancestry with the Irish.

Her grandmother on her mother’s side was Catholic and from Ireland but came to Alba to marry a protestant, something which was particularly frowned on at the time.

“I grew up in a Scottish household so my parents are Glaswegian and I think that this is similar to the way of looking at things in Ireland which is when when the going gets tough often laughter is the release valve and when I approach McDonald's work it feels very familiar to me.”

So just to sum up what should audiences expect from the roughly 90 minute show I asked Anna. “They should expect a lot of of belly laughs, they should expect thrilling plot twists and they should expect to see a lot of blood and guts. Some of the themes are around cycles of violence, but it’s really a full feast, there’s something for everyone. It’s a wild ride.”

A scene from a WAAPA 2009 production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore by WAAPA Photo credit Jon Green

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Old Glory!

by Lloyd Gorman

Lloyd with the Catalpa flag at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin in 2024

Catalpa Flag 10ft x 14ft

The American flag shown in this photo (kindly supplied by the American Consulate in Perth) is 20ft by 10 ft. We have used it to show how big the Catalpa flag would be when it is flown (14 ft by 10ft)

I

f the ‘Stars and Stripes’ flown on the Catalpa embodied the considerable power and authority of the United States then the actual flag is also a mighty thing in its own right. We might talk sometimes about flags but for most of us a flag is something about the size of a cape [national flags should never be worn as capes by the way] made from very lightweight material, a very modern style of flag made for a disposable and consumeristic society.

But traditionally flags have had a very different character and quality.

I discovered last year the original and historically unique American flag from the Catalpa was actually held by the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. As part of my plans for a three week trip home to Ireland last September I reached out in advance to the museum expressing an interest in the flag with the intention of writing about it,

32 | THE IRISH SCENE

and a desire to even see it if possible. When I was told that should be possible I was delighted and factored it into my itinerary for my upcoming trip. The day came around and I took myself off to Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, near Heuston Station.

Sandra, a curator met me at the reception area and led me away from the main museum building and across the large complex that was once a British army and then Irish army barracks.

We crossed a carpark or two and towards a nondescript building.

Through the doors and the hum of equipment could be heard everywhere and the inside of the building was as featureless as the outside. A giant metal box – which stores its cultural cargo at an optimum temperature – at the end of a corridor was the treasure trove we were seeking.

Sandra opened a draw in the cabinet to reveal its contents. I knew I would see the Catalpa flag, but I wasn’t fully prepared for what I saw.

Lying neatly on the tray only some of the flag could be clearly seen but it was also clear this was much more than a pennant.

Already a couple of metres long it was folded in on itself at both ends, which would have made it much longer – nearly double – again. And widthwise the strip would have if fully peeled back would have also opened up an impressive amount of surface area, not to mention the 36 stars and stripes displayed on. Redistributing its pleated mass to reveal the full length and breadth of the flag was not an option but would have been a fascinating exercise.

The other outstanding quality about it was the cut of its cloth. It looked, smelt and felt like heavy duty and hard wearing fabric (maybe canvas, woven linen or even hemp?) not unlike the material used to make the huge sails used by the ships of that era. Now a historical artefact, this thing was made by hand to weather the abuses of mother

nature and man. By virtue of its size and bulk the flag is a hefty thing that would not be easy to lug around a ships deck but once flown aloft would have been a powerful signal to other seafarers. At some point in its past the flag has been inscribed with the word Catalpa. If I’m wrong about this then I’d be happy to be corrected but all the research I did online about it indicates this might be the first time photos of the flag have been published. It was amazing to get an opportunity to examine this piece of Irish, Australian and American history in such close detail and my thanks to Sandra and the National Museum of Ireland for helping it to happen. Just imagine if it could inspire Western Australians – Irish and otherwise – and play a part in the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa rescue in April 2026! A sight to behold!

This article was first published in the 2025 March/April edition of Irish Scene under the heading ‘A sight to behold’. The feature also included another story (based on an article published in the Irish newspapers at the time and soon after in the West Australian) about how 20 years after their escape Captain Anthony presented the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ – also known as Old Glory – to Clan na Gael in Philadelphia at an event attended by 10,000 people.

The story of how the Catalpa’s American flag came into the possession of the National Museum of Ireland was unearthed by our friend in South West WA, Dublin man Peter Murphy. Peter, who has written extensively about the Fenians in WA, found an article published in an Irish newspaper on 6 October 1972 which explained the background to how it changed hands again 76 years later. Amongst the other details the article contained a fascinating fact, one that had invaded my mind ever since seeing it (some of it) in person, the actual size of the Catalpa’s flag – 14 foot by 10 foot.

That’s big, but how do you show actually how big that is? After all flags of that size are not easy to come by, but thankfully the American Consulate in Perth was able to offer the next best thing, a photograph of the American flag, measuring 20 foot by 10 foot, helpfully with a person in front of it, handy for a bit of scale. The fact both flags are the same ‘deep’ was great, and because it is actually bigger we have been able to highlight on this photo how ‘long’ across a 14 foot flag would be. And you’d have to admit, its something spectacular!

“I took your friends to New York, where I landed them in safety,” Capt Anthony told the massive crowd at the handover ceremony. “The flag which floated over the Catalpa on that April day in 1876 the ‘Stars and Stripes’ which protected the liberated men and their rescuers I have preserved and cherished for twenty years as a sacred relic. I would fain keep it and hand it down to my children as a family heirloom but I am confident it will be safe in the keeping of those who were associated with me in an enterprise of which we have all reason to be proud. Your countrymen have ever been loyal to the flag of the United States and ever ready to shed their blood in its defence. I, therefore, present you with this flag of the Catalpa as a memento of our common share in a good work well done and a token of of the sympathy of all true Americans with the cause of liberty in Ireland. I know you will cherish it as I did and that if the interests of that flag should ever again demand it your countrymen will be among the first to rally to its defence.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 33

Season’s Greetings

from your WA Labor Irish-Australian Team

from your WA Labor Irish-Australian Team

Jessica Stojkovski

Stephen Dawson

Member for Kingsley

Jessica Stojkovski MLA Member for Kingsley

Member for Mining & Pastoral

Stephen Dawson MLC Member of the Legislative Council

Alanna Clohesy

Member for Hillarys

Member of the Legislative Council

David Michael

Member for East Metropolitan

Caitlin Collins MLA

Alanna Clohesy MLC

Member for Balcatta

David Michael MLA

Jodie Hanns MLA

Member walabor.org.au for Collie-Preston Member for Balcatta

Authorised by Jessica Stojkovski MLA, 4/923 Whitfords Ave, Woodvale WA 6026

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“If you fire on this ship you fire on the American flag”

O

ver the course of the last 150 years, especially the last few decades and in very recent times, many excellent histories and books have been written about the Catalpa and the extraordinary series of events around it that led to the epic escape of the six Fenians.

But the first person to commit the story to the page was non other than the man who master-minded and executed the entire operation. Cool and collect in the face of danger Breslin inspired those around him and helped lead a bunch of his compatriots otherwise destined to rot in Fremantle prison to liberty and strike a blow for their cause.

One of the many talents he later applied to the enterprise was as a writer – and poet.

A born story teller he recounted the dramatic tale of their escapades to audiences eager to hear it. He also committed the entire thing to paper.

The following account is in his own words.

It offers a blow by blow, moment by moment, word by word account of the their efforts rowing a whaleboat to reach the waiting Catalpa, all the while being chased – and very nearly caught more than once – by the prison and police authorities. Failure, even death, was an option they wrestled with right up to the last moment. A chapter called “Under the Stars and Stripes” of his book (see below), also reveals his quick thinking and ability to stay calm under pressure and how the idea to fly the American flag as a defence against their pursuers was his idea.

And if all this wasn’t enough, in a demonstration of his intellectual prowess, Breslin was inspired to portray the amazing adventure as a poem – The Cruise of the Catalpa – while onboard the Catalpa as they sailed to America and a future as free men and published soon after their arrival.

Under the Stars and Stripes A

by John Breslin

bout the same time we saw another boat under sail making for the ship (Catalpa), and about equally distant from the ship on the land side as we were to seaward. A few minutes more and we recognised the boat as the water-police cutter, and it now became a race which boat should reach the ship first. At three p.m. we ran up to the ship on the weather side, the police boat being close upon the lee side, and scrambled on board in double quick time. As soon as my feet struck the deck over the quarter rail Mr. Smith, the first mate, called out to me, “What shall I do now Mr Collins? What shall I do? I replied, “Hoist the flag and stand out to sea” and never was a manoeuvre executive in a more prompt and seamanlike manner. The

Stars and Stripes were flying at the peak, our boat was hoisted and in its place on the davits, the ship wore and was standing on her course inside of two minutes. The police-boat was dropping alongside. As we went past I stepped to the rail and kissed my hand to the gentlemen who had lost the race. Their boat dropped astern and their officer shouted, “Good by, Captain, good by.”

Twenty-eight hours in an open boat, with a liberal allowance of rain and sea water, cramped for want of room and cheered with a glorious uncertainty as to whether we should gain freedom or the chain-gang; a suit of dry clothes, a glass of New England rum and a mug of hot coffee were just the

things to put “where they would do the most good”, and were put accordingly.

After supper we walked about the deck and enjoyed what we supposed to be a last look at the shores of Western Australia, the ship working to windward with a light breeze in the direction of Cape Naturaliste.

All hands except the watch on deck retired for the night about nine o’clock p.m. and slept soundly. At five a.m. I came on deck and found the ship’s course had been altered and we were working to windward on a light breeze, steering northnorth-west, which would bring us past Freemantle again outside Rottnest Island.

About half-past five o clock the man on the lookout reported a sail on the lee bow. thought when I first saw her she was a small coasting vessel, but Mr. Smith quickly pronounced her to be the Georgette.

About six a.m. we passed the Georgette she lying about half a mile to windward of us, with a man-of-war ship and ViceAdmiral’s flag flying. We set the Stars and Stripes as we passed and held on our course. The Georgette turned and followed us still keeping to windward.

The breeze freshened about seven o’clock and the Catalpa began to drop the Georgette astern. They then fired up and made all sail on the Georgette and, the breeze dying away, they began to overhaul us very fast. At a quarter to eight o’clock the Georgette was so near that I could see she had guns, an artillery force and the water police on board; a whaleboat belonging to the water police hung at her davits, to be used in boarding, and they seemed quite eager and determined to capture us. The men of our party were all assembled in the cabin with their rifles and revolvers ready. Of the watch not a man visible from the Georgette but the lookout and the man at the wheel. I now stepped down into the cabin and explained to the men the position in which we stood. I told them that if the officials on board the Georgette were determined to fight for their recapture they would most probably succeed, as they had the advantage of us in every way more men, better armed, cannon, and a steamer with which they could sail round and round us. I also explained to them that, whilst those of our party who had not been in prison could only suffer imprisonment, the men who had been imprisoned could be hanged in case any life was lost by their resistance.

I then said it was simply a matter of dying now or waiting to die in prison, and gave them the option of lighting or surrendering if the officials in the Georgette fired into or boarded us.

know that you are amenable to British law in this colony?

You have six convict prisoners on board. “I see some of them on deck now”.

I then said to the captain, “This fellow is lying and trying to bluff us, he cannot send a message before Saturday next. The Georgette then hailed, “I give you fifteen minutes to consider and you must take the consequences; I have the means to do it, and if you don’t heave to I’ll blow the masts out of you. “Tell him that’s the American flag; you are on the high seas; if he fires on the ship he fires on the American flag”. The captain then shouted pointing to his flag, “That’s the American flag; I am on the high seas; my flag protects me; if you fire on this ship you fire on the American flag”.

A painting of the Georgette chasing the Catalpa

Their answer was “We’ll do whatever you say.? I then said, “I’ll hold out to the last” and went on deck again. The Georgette was now very close on the weather side, with a company of artillery on board, a field piece pointed at our ship, and the gunners at their quarters. At eight o’clock a.m. the Georgette steamed ahead and fired a round shot across our bows. Captain Anthony then put a question to me, to which I replied “Hold on, and don’t take any notice of the shot yet.” After the lapse of about three minutes, the artillery-men having got through all the regulation motions of spunging out, reloading and pointing their field piece, and the steamer and the Catalpa sailing side by side within easy speaking distance, I said, “Now ask him what does he want?” Captain Anthony stepped on to the weather rail and raised his speaking trumpet. As he did so the Georgette hailed “Barque ahoy!?” and the answer went back “What do you want?”, “Heave too” came back from the Georgette.

“He says “heave to” “Ask him what for?”, “What for?” shouted our captain through his trumpet. No reply, and the question is repeated still louder.

“What am I to heave to for?”. After quite a pause the Georgette hailed “Have you any convict prisoners on board? Answer – “No prisoners here; no prisoners that I know of”.The Georgette then hailed, “I telegraphed to your government; don’t you

The threat to fire on the flag highly incensed the first mate, Mr. Smith. He damned the scoundrel in good, strong, nautical phrase, and he exclaimed “Damn him; let him sink us; we’ll go down with the ship. I’ll never start sheet or tack for him.”

Mr. Smith now asked me, “What will you do if he tries to board us?,” I replied, “Sink his boat when it comes alongside; you have a couple of heavy grindstones, let us have them handy to heave over the side.” The captain now reminded Mr. Smith of some short heavy logs of timber which were in the hold, and bade him order the crew to put them on deck. These logs were quickly passed on deck and laid on the main hatch ready for use. The lookout reported a sail on the lee bow, and we saw a small sail between us and Rottnest Island. This called the captain’s particular attention to the position of our ship, and judging that we

were coming too close in to the land, and liable to run into British waters, he wore ship and stood on the other tack, bearing down close on the Georgette which backed out of our way. This movement seemed to disconcert the parties on board the Georgette.” Our fifteen minutes grace and several other minutes had expired, and as the Georgette steamed slowly across our stern, I looked for a waking shot among our masts. She did not fire, and as she [came] alongside again I knew that the game of bluff was played out. The party on board the Georgette with their battery of glasses and their spokesman whom I believed to be Colonel Harvest, called out, “Won’t you surrender to our government?”, No reply; and again he called out, “I see three

of those men on board now.” Our captain replied, “You are mistaken, sir; the men you see are my ship’s crew”. Our men were all in the cabin from the time the Georgette first bore down on us, with strict orders not to come on deck until I called them. After about ten minutes more sailing, side by side, the Georgette hailed “Can I come on board?”. To this Captain Anthony replied, “No, sir; I’m bound for sea and can’t stop”.

The Georgette still kept us company, as if loath to part, until half-past nine a. m., when she slowly swung off, and without having the courtesy to bid us bon voyage, steamed back to Freemantle. The remaining incidents of the voyage are written in the log of the good ship Catalpa.

Celebrate the Catalpa Escape 150th anniversary at the Wild Geese Monument Rockingham

O

ne of the most audacious and daring maritime escapes in history the Australian Irish Heritage Association (AIHA) will celebrate the flight to freedom of the six Fenians on Easter Monday morning, at 11am, at the majestic Catalpa Wild Geese monument, located at Palm Beach, Rockingham, just south of the Cruising Yacht Club.

This worthwhile annual event is coordinated by the AIHA at the Wild Geese statue – created by Irish sculptors Charles Smith and Joan-Walsh Smith in their studio in Gidgegannup – which serves as the perfect place for members of the Irish diaspora and local community as well as Rockingham council, state and federal parliamentarians and representatives of the diplomatic corps from Ireland and the United States and others, all bound by this incredible historical episode. There will be dramatic readings by talented Irish actor Mike Sheehy and music by local musicians Ormonde Og Waters and Mike Lawlor's Irish Pipers. A dramatic recreation of the exchange by the captains of the opposing ships on the High Seas also brings the entire escape to life and how close they

The AIHA Catalpa commemoration at the Wild Geese monument in Rockingham

came to being recaptured. And on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the escape the AIHA is proud and to have Jim Ryan, the great grandson of the Catalpa’s Captain George Anthony, as guest speaker.

The AIHA’s event marks the final tribute in what will be an extra special schedule of related celebrations and activities in Rockingham, Bunbury and Fremantle and the Association looks forward to celebrating the 150th anniversary of this inspiring event which has inspired countless books, scripts and research projects. We look forward to seeing you there!

For further information contact Tony Bray at secretary@irishheritage.com.au

The 150 year round trip from the

Catalpa to AUKUS!

by Lloyd Gorman

A

fter a voyage of four months at sea the Catalpa with her crew and cargo of smuggled Fenians arrived in New York to a hero’s reception. Thousands lined the streets to waive and cheer the free Fenians.

At a reception in August 1876 in their honour John Breslin – who skilfully plotted and executed the audacious Catalpa Escape – met John Philip Holland. Some sources also suggest John Devoy, who was also instrumental to it happening, was present at that meeting.

If the arrival of Breslin and his fellow Fenians to America marked the end of one chapter in the struggle for Irish independence the meeting of these two men represented the start of a new and even more ambitious attempt to strike a blow for the cause. It was a meeting of minds and purpose.

Holland had an outlandish proposal for Breslin. Holland told him he could build a new type of underwater boat that would directly challenge and undermine the naval supremacy of the Royal Navy, which had made Britain a global superpower with an empire to match.

A documentary made in 1971 by the American Navy called ‘No Deck to Strut On’ recounted that first encounter. “Mr Holland, I’m John Breslin,” his screen character said. “Now your brother has been telling me about this boat of yours that swims underwater. You know who I represent?

The Fenian Society. You want a free Ireland Mr Holland? That boat of yours can help us to get it if it works, what can you do to convince it’ll

42 | THE IRISH SCENE

work? I can tell you this, if she does work the Fenian Society is prepared to back you to build a full scale boat. To the glory of a free Ireland”.

This drawing “Free” in a New York newspaper in September 1876 shows a man under the American flag holding a broken prison chain, with a hammer and wedge (labelled Catalpa) pointing to Ireland and with Australia in the background.

If the exchange promised to deliver a powerful military vessel for the arsenal of the Irish Republican Brotherhood the commitment then it was also the first major breakthrough for Holland.

Born in 1841, and raised in the Liscannor coast guard station (Castle St), Co. Clare (his father was the local coast guard officer) with the wild Atlantic on his doorstep the young Holland wanted to be a sailor but his poor eyesight prevented him taking to the sea.

A bright student he attended the Christian Brothers School in Ennistymon where it is said he was taught by Brother Bernard O’Brien. Brother O’Brien had a brilliant mind and invented a range of telescopes with mechanisms that allowed them to follow the rotation of the stars. Holland himself entered the order as a novice and became a maths teacher.

As a young man he paid particular attention to reports of ‘iron clad’ ship battles in the American Civil War (1861-65) and pondered a craft that could fight under water. While teaching in Drogheda Holland experimented with the concept and design of a one man ‘submarine’, a term he is thought to have coined, and even built a clockwork submarine model.

Those designs, like many of his other personal belongings, travelled with him, now 32, when he migrated to Boston in 1873 to join his mother and other siblings already there, including a brother Michael who was involved in the American Fenian Brotherhood. Soon after his arrival Holland went to a library to look for books about submarines but could not a single one.

In November 1873, Holland slipped while walking on an icy footpath and broke a leg.

Stuck in bed for several weeks Holland was free to ponder his original design ideas and dedicated himself to developing a submarine.

In February 1875 ‘with a measure of satisfaction’ he offered his patent to the US Navy – which rejected it out of hand as “a fantastic scheme of a civilian landsman”.

In ‘No Deck to Strut On’ the character of Holland is quoted as saying: “the captain who advised me to drop the matter to get something done in Washington is uphill work! Uphill work is it? Very well then there were other ways.”

Holland was a man on a mission and the timing of the meeting with Breslin and Devoy could not have come at a more opportune time. If he was able to persuade them of his vision then Holland was also able to demonstrate the concept worked.

inventor finally had his first paying customer and the world was one step closer to a new type of boat that would challenge hundreds of years of naval fighting power.

On June 6, 1878, less than two years after the Catalpa escape, Holland unveiled his first underwater boat to his Fenian financiers – Holland 1. Manned by a one person crew – Holland himself – she measured 14 feet 8 inches long, three feet wide and displaced 2.5 tons of water and was powered by a 4 horsepower petrol engine. The boat travelled at approximately 3.5 knots on the surface and dived to a depth of 12 feet before resurfacing. On a second run the prototype remained fully submerged for about an hour. The Fenian observers did not hesitate to raid the skirmishing fund again to commission the inventor to build a larger boat. Holland himself was apparently not very happy with its performance and he stripped it down for parts and scuttled it in the Passaic River, where it would remain until 1927 when it was recovered from the river bed and put on display in a museum.

John Phillip

Construction of Holland II began in May, 1879 in New York and it was launched in April 1881. The ‘Fenian Ram’ as it became known measured 31 feet long, nine feet wide and displaced 19 tonnes and had a crew of three. On its first dive it reached a depth of 14 feet and on its next trial stayed submerged for 2.5 hours – with Holland at the helm of what some onlookers called his “floating coffin”.

Undeterred by the navy’s Holland in one of his rejection Holland took submarines the next step and built a 30 inch model submarine propelled by a spring and clockwork mechanism.

A few days later he A major improvement on its predecessors demonstrated that model to Breslin and design it also featured a series of others – including apparently O’Donovan innovations and new features, including the Rossa – at Coney Island and it performed ability to fire a six foot long torpedo fired exactly as he said it would. from the front of the vessel by compressed Without further ado Breslin air from a 400 pound pneumatic gun. commissioned Holland to build a full size prototype and released the sum of 6,000 from the ‘skirmishing fund’. The frustrated

“The Ram was submerged to a depth which put the bow of the pneumatic gun

THE IRISH SCENE | 43

about three feet below the surface,” Holland wrote later. “The projectile cleared the muzzle by eight to ten feet. Then, it leaped out of the water and rose sixty to seventy feet in the air to plunge downward and buried itself irretrievably in the mud.”

It became known as the Fenian Ram for good reason. The submarine itself could be used as a weapon.

“We had a partial demonstration once by running into the end of our pier at about six miles speed owing to my poor steering or forgetfulness of the tide,” Holland wrote later. “We split a 12-inch spile and lifted a horizontal tie having a load of four feet deep of stone ballast over it and hurt nothing but the engineer’s respect for good English. The boat was strong enough to endure it.”

As a result of what they saw Holland’s “Irish Associates” commissioned him to build a third boat. But just as it appeared they might soon have a fully functioning submarine – even possibly a small fleet – to take on the might of Royal Navy the wheels came off the entire enterprise.

For his part Holland blamed problems with the type of engine (which he said was not what he ordered) and threatened legal action against the supplier. The IRB grew increasingly impatient and accused Holland of wasting their money and also feared ‘their’ property could be seized as part of the legal dispute, so they resolved to steal it back.

Under the cover of night a group of IRB men – led by Breslin – went to the docks where the ‘Ram’ and a 16 foot model were berthed. A (forged) work order to take them away was enough to satisfy the night watch man on duty. The two submarines were

attached to a tug boat and led out of New York harbour and into Long Island Sound.

The model sub sank in the turbulent waters and could not be saved. The conspirators managed to get the Ram to New Haven, Connecticut but once there they realised they didn’t know how to operate it.

Apparently they had the gaul to ask Holland to help them but of course he refused.

Instead of proving itself in battle the Ram was undone by in-fighting. Eventually its engine was removed and the rest of it was shoved into a shed and left to languish in obscurity until 1916 when it was put on display in Madison Square Garden in New York, to help raise money for victims of the Easter Rising. After her return to the world of the living the Ram had a couple of temporary homes before finally being transferred to the Paterson Museum in Market Street, Paterson, where it remains today.

The greater the setback the more determined Holland became to reach the outcome he wanted. Following the fall-out with his fellow countrymen he packed in his teaching job and committed himself full time to the creation of a submarine. He also married and had a child which sadly died as an infant. His determination to dedicate himself to his passion project seemed justified in 1888 when he won a competition for the US Navy to design a fully functioning sub. However funding for that project was reallocated and Holland had to go back to the drawing board, literally. Frustratingly he won another navy contest in 1893 which also fell through. He never stopped working on it and eventually his persistence was rewarded.

John Phillip Holland in one of his submarines

MARTIN KAVANAGH

HON CONSUL OF IRELAND

It's that time of year again when we celebrate our national day. It's a time to be proud to be Irish and to celebrate our place in the world.

Ministerial Visit I am delighted to welcome Minister Kevin Boxer Moran, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to Western Australia this year. It is always a pleasure to have a Minister in WA at this time of year to strengthen our economic, cultural and diplomatic ties with Australia. Failte Minister Moran.

St Patrick's is also a time to thank the many members of our community who volunteer of their time and talent. Many thanks the many welfare, community, artistic and sporting organisations in our community. A special thank you to the Claddagh, GAA, AIHA, Irish Families in Perth and the St Patricks Day Festival for their selfless work.

Wishing one and all a HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

St Patricks Day Festival 2026 This year's festival is on Saturday 14 March from 10am to 6pm at Birdwood Square. The Government of Ireland through its Emigrant Support Program is pleased to provide financial support again this year.

It's always a wonderful day, so please come along and celebrate our culture. Once again a big thank you to all involved.

Passports Just a reminder that all Irish passports are online, including first time applicants.

Catalpa Escape 150th Anniversary April will see many events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Catalpa Escape. From book launches to festivals there will be much fun to be had.

Please support these worthy events.

Ambassador Flood This is Ambassador Flood's first SPD in Australia and we look forward to seeing her in WA in April for a very busy itinerary. Happy SPD Ambassador.

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THE IRISH SCENE | 45

S

t Patrick’s Day 1898 was a significant date for Holland and one that would become closely associated with submarines around the world!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day & Submarine Day!

Holland’s submarine (bottom left) in dry dock on March 17, 1898, before the trials got underway

On March 17, 1898 it was 20 years since he introduced his first submarine to Breslin & Co. Now he was rolling out his latest design for the US Navy. In order to try and evade growing press interest in his new machine – which one newspaper called “the wonder, the terror and the monster” – he staged the first in a series of a trial runs for the US Navy at the Raritan Dry Dock in the city of Perth Amboy. Just three days

earlier it had refused to dive but after exhaustive checks and tests by its creator the Holland VI successfully submerged on St. Patrick’s Day for nearly two hours. The trials proved the capability of the still experimental craft to operate in all sorts of weather and sea conditions.

Over the course of the summer Holland proudly showed off his machine’s abilities with senior ranking members of the US and other navvies as passengers.

Holland had suffered many setbacks in his life’s work – and would again in the future – but these trials proved to be a major turning point. As a result the United States Navy commissioned the Holland VI, later re-designated USS Holland (SS-1) and ordered a fleet of six ‘Holland Class’ craft.

In America April 11 – the birthday of the American submarine force – became known as National Submarine Day, while in the rest of the world submarine day is marked on March 17.

One newspaper article from the time reported that the American government was considering ordering 50 of these “submarine terrors to scatter along our coasts”. “It has been demonstrated that one of these boats could easily take care of three battleships of the Vizcaya style,” an article in The Times (Virigina) on March 20, 1898 said. “Upon sighting the enemy the boats at the different stations along the coast would be sent out and could annihilate the enemy before any damage could be done or a landing secured. A successful trial of the boat was made Thursday [17th March].”

On March 27 The Salt Lake Herald had a front page story, with the heading ‘No battleship can defend itself against this destroyer’.

On 29 April 1900 The Republic Newspaper ran a large article under the headline: ‘The Government Buys the Submarine Destroyer Holland’; “Admiral Dewey and Rear Admiral Highborn to the House Committee on Naval Affairs have expressed approval of the Holland type of submarine boats, particularly for coast defence purposes, and for the moral effect such as mysterious

46 | THE IRISH SCENE

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“He is prepared, if necessary, after this task has been accomplished, to proceed in his craft underneath the water into the harbour and attempt to blow up one or more of Cervera’s battleships.

engine of warfare would exert, and after many delays the Government has signed a contract with the Holland Submarine Torpedo Boat Company to purchase its experimental craft The Holland for $130,000.

It also agrees to play $175,000 each for any other boats of the type it may conclude to purchase, provided that those shall be similar in dimensions to the improved and larger Holland boat now designed.”

If the navy department has not another plan for disposing of Cervera, Mr. Holland’s scheme may be considered.”

A whole new arms race had just begun.

On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean these developments did not go unnoticed.

The Admiralty in London quickly followed suit a year later and ordered six, which formed the UK’s first submarine fleet. The first three were personally designed by Holland while the boats themselves were built (at a cost of £35 000 each) under a licence from the Holland Torpedo Boat Company/Electric Boat Company between 1901 and 1903.

The Spanish-American war of April-August 1898 provided an opportunity for Holland to demonstrate his boat in action, and his own personal courage.

“The press says J.J. Holland, builder of the submarine boat, has gone to Washington with Colonel C.E Crecy for the purpose of making an offer to the government, which, if approved, perhaps will solve the problem of how to destroy [Admiral Pascual] Cervera’s fleet. Mr Holland will submit his proposal The Imperial Japanese Navy created its to the secretary of the navy at once. He is own submarine force in 1904/1905 with five willing to undertake to sail his submarine Holland Class boats it purchased from the sr Kt m boat into the channel of the Americans. They arrived too HOUBTQK DnLTR OST FRIDAY MORNING MAY 27 189a narrow entrance to Santiago ON6oo am late to take part in the RussoAParfTO harbour, destroy the mines tnnrrc Japanese War but the Japanese Is Willing to Tackle C Mmmkl planted there and proceed Empire saw the full potential Har rC Santiago in into the harbour and deal a of these vessels and bought HE WILL PROPOSE IT TO AUTHORifiEsl Ft inKh few blows at Cervera’s vessels. blueprints from Holland and to First Countermine the Harbor and Mr Holland declares that began building its own version. nun Scheme in and Try to Destroy One or More Then of the Spanish Ships 1 ing Under Water his plan to do this is entirely In 1906 the Kaigun Holland #6 feasible. The boat is in shape was completed, bigger and and ready for the work and more powerful than its five predecessors. he will agree, if the secretary of the navy thinks favourably The Russian Empire was also of his proposal to obtain a keen to explore this new crew of volunteers for the technology. In June 1901 a team work. All that he will ask of of Russian naval architects and the authorities is transpiration engineers modified Holland’s for his vessel and men to designs and presented them to Cuba.

Once there, lrnt he agrees, their superiors who approved t to do the rest….when the it. Work on Russia’s first r opportunity arrives, probably submarine, Project ‘Torpedo just at dawn, the Holland will Boat 113’, quickly got underway start on its mission.” and in 1904 the Delfin joined the Russian navy.

He would sail into the mine i field in the harbour, study Just after the turn of the century the layout of the mines, Germany was developing its m tern withdraw to a safe distance own brand of submarine. In t and then fire torpedos into 1850 a hand powered three I man submarine by a German the minefield, explode the inventor sunk during a test minefield and open up the ii drive and it would be another heavily fortified channel. lff

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wife and live chtldrea to lime ami Warner Alfredo do wife and two children lly purchasing the Mexican dollars a upplies for Havana and that that city and Mrs F la CFcrte U great saving Is made It Is possible toAt Cleveland Do Miranda objective point Every movement of 300 OW WThey say that tho Lafayette tried to pur- ¬ obtalu Mexican dollars ut 40 cents each Cleveland I oil wowi thus obtaining for one American dollar two naltimoroand al Cervera has shown this chase coal tut Gtnerul Blanco would alOConnor McJoincs and Uark Pcvttll Mexican ones and leaving 8 cents over e It would be Improper to anatyre- low none to he sold Tho limited supply toward tho purchase of a third In other n 11 b Al St IouIb 2 1 000 noo oM now there is being guarded Jealously and words Uncle Sam was nblu to buy 250010 St Louis mposition of tbo fleets It may be 10100000said at night the city is In complete aarnuea < Mexican dollars tor 116000 They wero llrooKlyn Kennedy and tirlm lhrtilils and Clement bought hi Sau Francisco Commodore Schleys squadron 13 still The electric plant haj been shut down alfIn tho Philippines a Mexican dollar will I At 1u1bvII1c moving one and Is believed to be actoiies whtro coal Is used as tuel ate buy more than an American dollar bo that lift WW IoulHVllle and tho gas ami water works am the expensed of General Merrills wxpell Ml XK 01011 1y enough to overtake the Spanards stopped forced to get along with as little coal ta tlou after It once lands In Manila will be Dwtou Lewis and Bergen 5Khret and Wilson ace In view ot the present condition possible tor this teasoii water Is scarce less than onehalt what they would othern When thu LatayetU tailed tor Vera Crux At Chicago be As to thc soldiers they will faro ir flotilla and that the American there was a stampede to get out of the city wise 001 000 M excellently under this arrangement tor Chicago Phllndelphln W M >w and Mi ng boats patrol the seas and will luly 1DO00 Spaniards and Cubans had ou- they will of course be paid according to Wheeler CalRliBii and Donolmei tamod paisports to leae but exorbitant law money Tho paymaster will Katlmid permit th Soanlards to get out ot pilcjs for patsntjo were demanded and only glvo American each soldier two Mexican dollirs for i part ot them tould atford to lay thc rate every American dollar due him on paySI Iouli I ntvlciagain demanded As It was the Uiuyetio touit day StAuruMlne 115 LUtU Ocean Jim Hog risonment of Spains fleet will prac- 1200 men wotiun and children oAvay from Ulght thousand cork helmets have beet T P Killer Ilaiuala 117 AJulon 100 Hon Hacnu all that sho was able to carry sent from tho PliiTadcfphla depot to San na PnEo Slddublv lOSt Judith C 101 Aunt end Spains naval efforts and most There 102 wero thousands left who although Franclco They arc for the Philippine exProspettWe Prank Slgmnn Mary willing to pay could price Jie flekel not pedition Tho depot quartermaster here American vessels can be detailed for 92 Gypsy 1 get iessage and thej ran about lllte man opened bids for 10000 additional helmuts Fourth Ward Matlamo Ocitt ions against the land defenses men ofleiing the tortunatc ones twlco Hit The helmets aro to bo made of coik which 00 Four and n half furlongsFrjInK Hlrd The renders hem light and waterproof blockade of Havana has not ben amount th v had paid for tlckeuA passenger named Xiquea piid li00 firm of Charles Levys Sons was the lowest May DOr Cclc t DOr Klvft O Morllne u ned by reason of massing so many for passage for himself wife and two bidder ottering to furnish tho 10000 st Lad Mrmphls Uraclcs 1W Inn Goddard Many others paid as high aa125 apiece and to deliver theui at tho rate Libation s Into two great fleets Indeed these children 107 line mile selllngPerrlta J1000 each and then they were compollidot 4000 a week S3 Dudley U 9J lloethe7 Trln Slmmous aro so handled lhat they aro still to sleep on the decks or wherever they Tho contract will bo awarded to this S could find room to lie down Three mlserfirm If the quartermaster general docs not Thiecqlinrters ot anilleAlitise > U Verne ading Havana effectively nblo dajs wero spent on thc Lafayete succeed In making cheaper arrangements 111 Sliver Sot 100 Time Maker Sir Joseph i The Llslei Our Chance l05j Trombone with only a scant allowance of food for with a Chinese firm In Hong Kong 1111 LIIMMMl KMM1DITIOV 901 Solution each pnbsenger quar rmastor genera has cable 1 to this II Snck Flora Louise Tltteiqunrtrrs nf107a liillc scllliiKProtu1expects nn answer at Joseph wife and brought who his Otero firm and Chinese I11I llnrtmnn or 110 Second Ferris Troop lime llcen- daughters Count lonso once If they havo tho helmets there thpy 0llarrle Floyd NlglitK Louise Marguerite and Clem 16 Henrliii Mill liiniieetcil was formerly connected can of course furnish turn much cheaper nl Wildnn Plngnl 105 IlcMer Liiry Hell Francisco May 20 After a careful encita to this city with the city government In Havana He and without the trojblo and delay ot Ion Inffl ec 101 Glen KlU McAlberl 101 Hartion of tho 7000 troops now at Camp said Chinese hclmetr are made b e 03 Tom Klimsloy 02- celling When t left Havana It was sill transportation Dan Huand a h lf furlongs oml it was semlofflcially renounced that the insurgents were only fifteen miles ot pith a woody substance a good substi- ¬ gerSK Hweol Wlllltni Maddjlg Parrot Mouthed tho second Manila expedition would from the city and at night the light of tute for cork 112 Judge DeHouse StoKholiu Garnet camps could be seen burning In the In connection with Oeperal Mrrrltt takpie Ills Krunn Dmp Josephine Nollssn 1bly be composed ot the First Colo- their hills Between the fear of bombardmant- ing a largo quantity of uionoy along with 0Hcrwtll 0 Miss florlds Iifi regiment 100S men the First Ne- ¬ by tho United States warships and attack him to Manila It Is Interesting to noto thatt llnrrln InrkNfrom offia regiment 1020 men and the Thir- ¬ by the Insurgents the clt > Is panic stricken he will be qulto removed thcrn It was a frlRlitfvit day HU chief quartermaster kw York May Minnesota regiment 1020 men a total and n combined attack Is looked for every cial supervision Ingeneral poured quartormaatcr rnln The today at MeulK Park will bo practically 5 volunteers bour com- Food Is very scarce and fresh meat can and the same will be true ot his chief time for the departure ot the expe- loirtlits aud the track wnn Hko n cjunKUiIrehas not bee n fixed as the necessary scarosly be bought at any price The block- ¬ missary or the nelmont stakes In which Hamburg ade Is f l more by the poorer classes and orts are not jet ready for sea wjs down lo appeal for the first UlU slluoHIGH OinnsKas they are the one3 that have been most Il mburK was hla 2vcai0d performance o > al to Spain the suffering among them EuiTomvii cowKvriovlpoor third a finished tb favorite but PlHtrlct Is the worst Lobrnguln Storm SK furlongs Callvvood Mr Olero would say little about E i Itenil Xcvr Oftte Galveston Teos May 2G The followreotlnu 14 4 Time ncern Were Hlectrrt Spanish troops In Cuba uudtr General ing opinions wero handed down here today Klin DFive and a half turlonRS Klrknood tle Rock Ark May 2G A special to- Blanco but from other passengers It was In the civil court of appeals First district trrme Kings Pride Tlmo lOOIs almost as bally High Gazette from Eureka Springs Ark learned that the army HK and half furlongsHelmsdale Affirmed Walter V Bieath guardian demoiallzed and panic stricken as thc Hand PrrpB Time VU City of Onlveston from Galveston tlircerlghlhsIcivilians Ammunition Ib scarce and many et al vsJones et al vs J C L aguc from Ikluont stakes mile BndHamburg Time Previous e Arkansas and Missouri Press asso ¬ of the troops are clothed In rags and with- T J Bend Brook vs Alowlliii Loulbii Defferarl ct al Fort trom ns were reinforced this morning by out shoes nations are being doled out to uheuserlusch Brewing Association 32Smo ICcenc DeGeorge Fox Sly furlong 11 sparingly hut the soldUrs watch Listliiger vs John Gulnan rrival of over fifty members who had them Time 1 30 carefully all places whero provisions are Galveston rtlj et- brliMilt and un eighth Mirthful Ien llonnld from Angelina Mallmla delayed known to be stored and the authorities Snow WlilstlDg Cod Time 20tvs Charles Brown et al trom Victoria e morning proceedings of the session will not allow private families to purchase al el al vs Plnntois and S K Mcllhouiiv supplies far more than one day nt p time Mechanics llsclltHSt llMll devoted to the reading of essays National Bank froni llarria Scnor de la Ferte Is a Cuban of Frenob John O nowlett vs II L White ct al St Loils May 25 llfuultfi Five furlongs te this aftcinoon the Arkansas asso- descent who owns a large plantation neir Dr Batn udg Tnrvlu Willy Howard on met and elected officers for the en- ¬ Havana He said he had brouijht hi fim- from Jackton and remanded Trinity and Time 1 0Reversed g year Colonel John Mitchell ot the¬ lly here for safety until thc war Is over Sabine Railway Company vs Alte OJMileMonte Donlro Georgo T Todd be e Hock Democrat was chosen presi- but at the outbreak of the rebellion K1OBrien from Tyler Time 111 Professor by a unanimous vote mmrdo Oarcla the mrrager of his nlaiiURevoracd and rendered for appellant yards Found Dlualva Mile and seventy e cltUenaof Eureka Springs gave tbo tion bad ralred a regiment of 1201 mor Missouri KonsiiH and Texas Hallway com- ¬ Gold S llaiid Tlnw 146 asboclatlon a dance from his and neighboring plantations and pany ot Texas vs 11 J Parker flora Pour and a hnlf furlonraHen60- Bramble morrow each association will wind un- then Joined the Insurgents Lee Ilriino JtidKC lime Tlrato Waller usiness and will be given a frep rldoWhen the Spanish soldiers heaid of Flvii and a hnlf furlongs Onlnnor Denial certified to supreme courr JTime l0i they marched N Questions ifferent points of Interest around the It said Senor de la Ferte Colo vs J J Adams receiver from Altun Mile and twenty yards Muaknlonge Traand at night will bo cntertnined with upon my plantation burnlrg and destroy- IIH veller llrlggs Time nquet at the Crescent hotel Quite a ing everything above ground We only go- Brazos B Motions for rehearing refused ber of members will leave for home aw iv with our llvtsllcKllltn lit OllUle vs Julia W Clark et al fiom Ronor dp la Ferto sld he did not llini- Turner ho morning but tho groat majority PlvaMay 26 Oakley results Cincinnati Harris James White et al vs Houston remain over till Sunday U wjs true that the steamer Lafavctte lnd Central Railroad Company from fuilnigs BcBlqilc Rosa Mabfo Mnode TlmTexas and unleaded anv arms or ammunition at Ha- Waller ot01i Tim > nciio pnoniiKM vana or that some of he pnssenzers Motion for additional conclusions of law DrMa Angcllnc furlongs hnlf a and Six French dinners It said that the fnrts- and fact granted Springfield Fire nm me Wholeiome Ailvlee In Pnneri nrounrl Havana will be ablo tn make but Marino Iusurance Company vs F Cannon Pltle Derby Maid Time 12211 VnueasaMile nnd n slxlrenth Dvnllnr a pool r nly to a bombirdmept Item nt the tlimtii MeetlnK Alliouch Co from Galveston Dllln llmo J51ilanta May 26 The third annual con some nf the guns are modern nnfl In rpoflMotion to dismiss appeal refined Louis furlongs Tlie llarflv stakes hmcrald Company rltter Piter Sterling Tlmo l0zjt Two eomlltron tl supplj ot powder and pronees of tho series Instituted for tbo jectiles lana Western Intension Railway Is short prob- negro nl ftom Orange ct slut Itrs Cairdcns of the Alice Investigation va ntific All the refnnrs wer met at the Ward Mile Lillian Belle Marguerite Jane Martha Motion to strike out statement of facts 142attended by many prominent colored line plir br Cubrn friends living In this taken under advisement to he dlsroicd ot It MxTime counhalf furlongs Three Burs Miland city and given a Joyous welcome ators from various rirts of the with case Louisiana Western nxtenjlon lstream Suydaru Time 11Railway Company vs Allen Cnrstens et has concluded Its labors During the COLOIIAIIO S quota 2Itiiclnu nt Harlem al from Orange days sessions a number of valuablo Four Chicago Mny 20Harlem results Motion for conclusions of law and tact Sluteil thnt It Will ltkely lie n ncul- refused rs wero read W B Turner va Julia W Clark furlongs Roao ABh Mlas Marks Miss Donley ment of tnviilry ex- their reduce should negroes Harris al from That Time MDenver Colo May 26 Tho Republican ct Motion to dismiss withdrawn by ap-ot-furlungs Miss Cajsey Hklllmnn War- es and give moreattention to the rs- today states on what Is regarded as thv SIi Cochran B vs J pellees V Koehler organ- ren Pynt Tlmo IMGVi and insurance fcaturei ot their most trustworthy authority that there lit a nl from Harris furlongn Song Queen Nclteinim Fox of fraudulent Four to petty and ons that Motion for leave to file amendment strong probability that tho quota nf Colo Roso U Tlmo M i schemes be carefully guarded against brief granted at cost of appellant Robert Mllo ludln Goodrich Ml s Gutale Tlmso- from alilli tho masses that small beneficial lilt rado iu the second call for volunteers will cAstorrlo vs Charles Woessner llvo and a half furlnnss Cambrian King es bo conducted In more business dls- bo a full regiment c cavalry Should this Harris Juggler II Time 5DJ ion that death benefit societies and be thc case It Is raid tho two troops which Cases submitted C S Hlllbnldt vs A- Barleycorn Six furlongs Dlggs Meddlir lopo Leo age needless display at funerals have already been mustered Into the ser- ¬ M Waugh from Colorado Charles Long cooperative business efforts anions vice of the government will bo withdrawn et al vs J B Smith et nl from Houston Time lslJ oes bo encouraged regiment commanded by Colonel I ulslana Western Intension Hallway imoriiijiiiKioi 01 liooKiiiMiriis tho from Company ct nl vs Alice Carstens ot1 nlHhe conference reached the continuance Torrcy and will form a part of the Colo hese efforts and also states its oplmou rado regiment It Is said that command ot from Orange P J Willis ft Bro vs Sleetlntr of the liiteroiitloiinl ADownes ct al from Houston Galveston the excesa ot the negro oyer the white the new organization will bo given to Colocl lion II1I1I In Vcvv Vorlc Colonel Ilarrlnburg and San Antonio Rnllway Comnpl S H Hastings of this city h rate Is gradually diminishing New York May 20 The International friend of Secretary pany vs V F Zantzinger et al from Brotherhood of Bookbinders has Jutt held Hastings Is a person 1MJIAX TUOUlllill FllAillUI Alger ha int served uuder him in tho- Wharton F Koehler vs J B Cochran et- a meeting tu further their movement for a H J Nelnast vs Hal civil war nl from Harris rifth Michigan cavalry la tho O White Yiittonern Klreil Ppoii and succeeded him of that regi- ¬ Bearden et al from Wnshlngtonr Houston shorter working day Theao ofTiceri were colonel mill One In ICI leil and Texas Central Railroad Company vs elected Charles l Weynior preild nt ment near the cloje ot thc war speA 25 May Chronicle Harris from Smith Kriuclsto John art Stephen OShea secretary executive coun20UUIUIAV SlfAHPSUOOTUIl from Sagua under date ot May cil Jamc3 Fitzgerald John Hcndcrlclson Hniircine Conrl s Austin Texas May 26 Tho following Joseph Hand and II G Rchm of this city The OiKiinlriilloo Hum Tmo lluii O Topeka JOn C W Kouof tregedy that may be the forerunner qf llntthcr supremo court Ireil Vleinlicrn proceedings were bad In the kart of Chicago John Lamb of St Paul and New Ycrk May 26 The war department Indian outbical took place last Mondy today William Soavtrs of Akron Ohio A short- river which empties into has accepted tho services ot a company of McClintocl Cameron vs- er work day committee was also appoint Cleveland Submitted lower end of LnVo Taglsp While com German sharpshooters In the eastern dis- ¬ Heldcnbclmer from McLennan td Clrculara hove been cent to tin GOOO down tho river two while men ThonvisIs members ot tho brotherhood and tboy will for Juno 6 Aldrldgo vs Webb and William trict of Brooklyn The organizationcomSet x formcily of Juneau work In conjunction with tho Pressmen known as tho ludepcnJont volunteer han an old time Yuknutr waro find pany and haa 200 raoibers When war Hill from Shacklcford and Typographical tinlcna throughout the Hynos et nl ya country overruled

by Indiaus aimed with rilles At the Motions for a nlnohour work day first declared between tho United for t discharge Mebin toppled ov r ilwd wa3 was Packard from Victoria two motions States and Spain the organization Waters Pierce Oil Company rehearing h a bullet In his heart A second bulkt 01 rniitH mpjiduhi ii lwdly among the first to volunwor from Travis Mollne ered Kpxs brcnit above th heart spore William Flnkelmcler the vs Stato of Texas Lieutenant unded ra he was Fox reached tbo Company vs Matthews et al from Killed hy Ilenicr iilocH Who Itohhril lompanya commander has ordered drills plow ot application king his way through thc woods to-¬ to the Siliitu ie Train tbo men aro iVavls for rehearing Gulf Colorado and every day until held Inbe p The Tagl

by Lake granted New York May 26 The Press says Among the twbntyseven passengers which

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THE PHILIPPINE EXPEDITION

HAVANA

Refugees Tell of the Effects of the Mexican Dollars Purchased Blockade the Expenses

W Awoetatei DMrt the Associated Press Press Dispatch Dauntless off Matanzas May S6 S via Key West May 2 Ncws ot ival of tho United States battleship at Key West reached tho blockad uadron early today and was signalled tho vessels creating intense en ra

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troy tho mines planted there and proceed Into the harbor and dMl a few blow ut Ccrvoras vessels The boat IsMr Holland declares that his plan to do this Is entirely fxaMblc In shnpu and reidy for the work and ho will creo If tho recretniy of tho navy thinks favoiably of his pioposnl to obtnln n crow of volunteers for the work All that he will ask of the authorities Is HaBsportatlon tor his votscl and Holland proposes to men to Cuba Once there ho agree to do the rest Mr take hlfl boat to Santiago fitting hur out nnd getting everything Iu readtnew under ho oijtectlnii of Commodore Schlcyi fquadton Thin wten the opportunlly arrives probably Just at d wn the Holland will stirt on its mission Be- fore It comes In fight of the forlfleiilons which aro on both sides of the en- trance It will sink beneath the surface of the water nnd steal quietly toward the main channel When that Is reached It will reconualter to get thu lay out of the mine floldnnd then withdrawing to a safe distance dlsehaign ono or more of Us submarine torpedoes among the mines This Is the regular procrrs known us countermining voansl nbovo tbo water which lays alongalda which Is slmiluily conducted by 11

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tho harbor mines anchor series which when exploded opens up the whole chin J nrl Mr Holland believes that by his method the channel Into Santiago could bo opened without great difficulty Ho 1b piopared If ncccxaary after this tnsk bus been aceompllhtd to pro J eecd In hid craft uiidcrnoatli tlio water Into the harbor and attempt to blow up 5f the nay department lias not another battleships ono or more of Ccrver plan for disponing of t rvcrj Mr Hollands scberoo may be consldersd

Fortyeight wcra gradi nted today The to- tal cash receipts tor thu year havo utcn< 1M14U1 Of this 62000 bus kgiIo lutiimrrent expenses and jr20i0 Into the plant The students have paid In labor Hooker T 152000 toivarda their tuition WcFhltglon delivers ho annual oddroasat tho Dnlverslty of New York at ltd next commencement Omaha

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53 years before the first fully functional German made submarine ‘Forelle’ would be built and sold to Russia in April 1903. Russia ordered three more before Germany moved to build its own fleet. In December 1906 the Imperial German Navy commissioned the SM U-1, making Germany the last major naval power to adopt submarines., but it would become the most feared and ruthless employer of this technology.

In a curious twist, Holland wrote to the British Admiralty in the build up to World War I with a warning about the U-boat threat. Holland died of pneumonia in Newark, New Jersey on 12 August 1914, aged 73. He went to his grave with 23 US related patents for submarines and the title ‘Father of the modern submarine’.

Holland’s genius came back into play with the advancement of the nuclear submarine.

Submarines had proved to be so successful in World War II that both America and Russia invested heavily in new technology and systems to develop this form of underwater warfare, including atomic/ nuclear energy. Unlike conventionally diesel engine powered submarines which need to surface occasionally for fresh air and fuel nuclear subs would be able to remain submerged and undetected for months at a time.

New designs for these super submarines showed that the ideal shape for high speed and the length -beam ratio were the same as the Holland 6.

The 1971 film ‘No Deck to Sturt Upon’ [Google it] made by the US Navy – approved by the then Chief of Naval Operations – left no room for doubt about Holland’s influence.

“The US Navy’s pioneering exploration and study of the ocean depths from its first acceptance of John Hollands oddball boat with no deck to strut upon to today’s sophisticated missile subs and underwater research stations has provided the point of departure for thousands of scientists, engineers for a new industry that may well be the salvation of mankind. It is something the little professor from Paterson never dreamed of when he went down in his first “floating coffin”,” the narrator said.

It also attributed these words to Holland’s

character: “Even if I did think of the submarine as a weapon of war I didn’t realise all the applications and technology after me they’re still my boats, everyone of them. The next time you are at the launch of a submarine, look for me I’ll be there!.”

If Holland spent his life taking steps towards the creation of the submarine as a weapon of war then the first leap he took in that direction as in no small part thanks to the Fenians and Irish Republican Brotherhood and ultimately the Catalpa!

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THE IRISH SCENE | 49

Freo’s secret submarine past T he WA public – and the good people of Fremantle and surrounding areas in particular– could be in for a rude awakening about a now little known bit of local military trivia.

the time, but no subs of its own. These subs made a total of 416 patrols and accounted for a considerable amount of ‘kills’ against enemy ships and sinking considerable tonnage.

During World War II Fremantle was the second biggest submarine base for the Allied Forces. Pearl Harbour was the biggest!

Between March 1942 and August 1945 the port city played host to 170 submarines from the American, UK and Dutch navvies.

Australia had plenty of ships and boats at

The first American submarine to arrive in Fremantle was USS Sargo, on 3 March 1942 and by the end of that month a fleet of 22 American submarines (and 19 navy boats) moved there from the Phillipines.

The first of several American tenders – ships dedicated to supporting submarines with maintenance facilities, accommodation, supplies and other services – to berth at Fremantle was USS Holland.

The submarine tender USS Holland (AS-3) in Fremantle with six US submarines berthed alongside, pictured March 5, 1942

The USS North Carolina docked at HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, WA, in 2024

The Western Australian Museum website tells us something about what it calls the Secret Fleets of Fremantle submarine base during WWII. “The Fremantle Port was closed, and barbed wire and sentries appeared at

may hold clue to our future various strategic points, transforming it, almost overnight, from a relatively quiet place to the largest submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere,” it states. “The secrecy surrounding the operation of the Fremantle submarine base meant that its existence was little known at the time and, until now, has been largely forgotten by history.”

More than 420kms south, Albany too was an important base for the navvies of the Allied forces. If the submarines of friendly nations patrolled the waters off WA, then so too did Japanese subs.

Darwin and Exmouth were originally the preferred sites for new submarine bases but a host of issues made them unsuitable, including a high tidal range in the harbour, a lack of road or rail to other parts of Australia and vulnerable sea approaches. On top of that they were also within range of the Japanese aircraft flying out of Timor and Ambon.

Aerial photo of HMAS Stirling, Garden Island

While Fremantle Harbour (built by our old friend CY O’Connor) was shallower than was ideal and further away than desired it had these benefits in abundance.

The focus on Fremantle shifted slightly to Garden Island when the new base HMAS Stirling officially opened in July 1978 and is today part of Fleet Base West. (Fleet Base East is in Sydney Harbour).

from the team at

www.Vibelegal.com.au | Suite 6, 2 Hardy Street, South Perth WA 6151 lawyers@vibelegal.com.au | 08 6111 4890 Wills & Estates | Employment Law | Family Law | Commercial Law

THE IRISH SCENE | 51

Politicians Anthony Albanese, Roger Cook, Richard Marles (right) and Matt Keogh – pictured at Henderson – want the public to embrace AUKUS

to wonder how much longer even that type of access will be allowed to continue.

The ‘Defence Precinct’ at Henderson, in the Cockburn Council area, is about 30km south of Perth

“HMAS Stirling's primary purpose is to provide operational and logistics support to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ships, submarines and aircraft based in WA,” RAN states on its own website navy. gov.au. “The base is home to the RAN Submarine Training and Systems Centre, the Training Centre West complex, Defence Communications Station Perth, and a trials, research and support facility. Garden Island is accessible to visitors by private boat and visitors must leave before nightfall. The main attractions of Garden Island are its peaceful white beaches, foreshores and bays where visitors can picnic, swim, fish, surf and sail.”

Sounds lovely doesn’t it? You’d have

D.J. Gordon & Associates (WA) Pty Ltd

A C C O U N TA N T S & TAX A G E N T S SERVICES INCLUDE: • Income Tax Returns • Business & Instalment Activity Statements • Preparation & lodgement of objections to ATO assessments • GST and ABN registrations • Company Secretarial services • Bookkeeping

52 | THE IRISH SCENE

Myles Gordon

LLB, FIPA

987 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005 Correspondence to: PO Box 480, West Perth WA 6872 E: djgordon@djgordon.net.au T: 08 9321 2266

Garden Island is roughly the same size and shape as Rottnest and has a similar landscape. Members of the public used to be able to go onto the island during daylight hours to enjoy the “peaceful white beaches... and...picnic, swim, fish and surf” but the military put a stop to all that. Now you need authorisation to go near it.

No one is arguing military installations shouldn’t be secure facilities, of course they should be, but annexing the entire island could be seen as a land grab, just because it can. Perhaps they have big plans for the place. Indeed there is probably no doubt about that, thanks to AUKUS. It is already the home port for all six of Australia’s Collins Class submarines and a number of other RAN vessels but AUKUS will make it the equivalent of a busy ‘Air BnB’ for large numbers of visiting submariners and sailors.

The rubber will be hitting the road in the very near future. In fact, from early 2027 four US nuclear powered subs and one from the UK will have a ‘rotational presence’ (Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-West) at HMAS Stirling! Naval and government authorities insist the basing of UK and US subs there does not constitute it being a foreign base on Australian soil.

Even though billions of Australian taxpayers dollars have been handed over to Australia’s ‘partners’ there are grounds to question whether Australia will ever see even a single nuclear powered submarine delivered under the terms of the AUKUS treaty but there is no doubt that other aspects of the 50 year pact are going ahead, and they will have a significant impact on

Perth and its population, even if many don’t yet know it.

for planning which led have to today's announcement.”

In September last year Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in Henderson to splurge mega amounts of taxpayers money..

Deputy PM and defence minister Richard Marles put it more succinctly: “In the simplest terms, the Henderson Defence Precinct will be the place that we sustain and maintain our future nuclear powered submarines.”

“My Government will provide $12 billion in new funding to the Henderson Defence Precinct right here in Western Australia,” Mr Albanese said. “This brings our additional investment in defence over the next decade to $70 billion. When complete, this precinct will deliver continuous naval shipbuilding and AUKUS here in WA. And today's investment is another way we're delivering record defence funding to bolster Australia's capabilities. We're investing in our capability and we're investing in our relationships. This world class precinct will create more than 10,000 local jobs and strong opportunities for local industry….This initial investment today will underpin the delivery of the construction of surface vessels for the Australian Defence Force, starting with Army's Landing Craft and pending successful consolidation, the domestic build element of Australia future general purpose frigates. It will deliver facilities to support the sustainment of Australia's surface combatant vessels, contingency docking capabilities for Australia's future conventionally armed nuclear powered submarine fleet from the early 2030s, and depot level maintenance including graving docks. This commitment builds on the $127 million we committed

There’s a lot to consider in all that, but two headline things to consider are the $12 billion ‘investment’ and 10,000 jobs. That $12 billion is to be spent over the next ten years. To put that into some kind of local context Perth Stadium (Optus) was built at a cost of $1.6 billion while Perth Children’s Hospital had a price tag of $1.2 billion, both of which took years to build. Already a massive industrial complex for ship building Henderson will be transformed into something much bigger and will no doubt have a ring of steel around it.

Or how about the new marina in Ocean Reef? It started out as a $107m project for the state government but at the latest count is set to cost at least $272m (and the tally may not be finished) Even at this inflated amount the state government claims its quarter of a billion dollars will attract about $3bn of private investment and development into the marina, create new homes, amenity and a thousand jobs and transform much of the northern suburbs. Even a massive state project like the marina is small change to what is in store for the ‘Henderson Defence Precinct’ and Rockingham and its hinterland.

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THE IRISH SCENE | 53

Fremantle sub has an Irish identity region in the 1970s. Ovens was also the first Australian submarine to fire a Mark 48 torpedo (designed to sink deep water nuclear submarines and high performance surface ships) hitting a target ship, the corvette HMAS Colac.

The launch of HMAS Ovens

According to the Royal Australian Navy the Oberon subs – known as ‘O-boats’ – was advanced for its time. “It was renowned for its quiet operation and reliability. The class was heavily involved in Cold War surveillance,” RAN said. “This included the shadowing of Soviet submarines.”

W

hile most submarines operate under a veil of silence and secrecy Fremantle has one on show to the world.

Displayed at the WA Maritime Museum in the port city HMAS Ovens is a decommissioned Oberon Class submarine that happens to be named after an Irish man.

The third of six built in a Scottish shipyard she was commissioned in April 1969 and named after John Ovens. Ovens was born at St. Catherine, Co. Fermanagh in 1788 and was meant to become a priest. Instead, at the age of 20 he joined the British army as an ensign and two years later was posted with his regiment to New South Wales, with the rank of lieutenant. Ovens would soon return to England and fought in the Peninsular War where he was very nearly killed fighting in Spain. His superior officer Brigadier-General Sir Thomas Brisbane, recognised his talents and brought Ovens back to Australia as his private secretary. He died in December 1825, age 37. As well as being a soldier and engineer Ovens also had some success as an explorer, with a river in Victoria and a mountain near Bathurst named after him Amongst the 90 metre long boats service claims is that it was the first RAN sub to be deployed with the ANZUK force (Australia/ New Zealand and UK) in the Asia Pacific

Just before Christmas 1998 HMAS Ovens was gifted to the WA government to be part of the new Maritime Museum in Fremantle (which opened in December 2002). “It will allow visitors to the Maritime Museum a unique opportunity to see how submarines work and observe life on board and under the waves,” Peter Foss, arts minister of the day said. “[It] will be an important feature of the naval display at the new Maritime Museum, given Fremantle's premier role in World War II as a major submarine base in the Southern Hemisphere. Ovens will be representative of the complex work carried by the submarines of the Royal Australian Navy and will stand as a memorial to the sacrifices submariners have made over the years.”

HMAS Ovens had two generators which could generate the capacity of a large town's power station, hold the equivalent of 12 road tankers of diesel fuel, 200 tonnes of batteries (which had been removed by the Navy) a kitchen capable of cooking for 64 sailors, 30 tonnes of fresh water and an air conditioning unit the same size as a plant in a large public building in Perth.

There are daily tours of HMAS Ovens but booking in advance is probably wise. As far as museum exhibits go it is a bit different and something kids of all ages will get a kick out of!

HMAS Ovens on display in Fremantle

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THE IRISH SCENE | 55

In the Name of the Father

John Collins

H

HAS Ovens was one of six Oberon Class submarines and the only one that happened to be named after an Irish Australian. The O-boats would be replaced in the 1990’s and early 2000’s by an entirely new generation of Australian made subs, which carry a distinctive Irish name – the Collins Class. The new breed of Aussie made subs was named as a tribute to Australian Vice Admiral John Augustine Collins. His father was one Michael Collins, a merchant navy doctor from Ireland who tragically died seven months before his youngest son John was born in January 1899. The young Collins entered the Royal Australian Naval as a cadet in 1913 and went on to become one of its most senior and respected leaders. Australia’s six Collins Class HMAS Collins in Fremantle subs stand to be replaced (apparently) by the American made Harbour in November 1997 Virginia Class from 1832 and beyond.

Flying Columns of the Sea

M

ichael Collins fought in the Easter to everyone that to do such a ridiculous Rising (1916), headed the guerrilla thing would be to play England’s game….” campaign against the British forces We could indulge our vanity if we were in the War of Independence and became foolish enough to waste public funds in such a manner by having an infant navy General of the armed forces of the Irish Free that could never mean anything at all to State – all before the age of 31, when he the British sea power BUT was killed in an ambush WE COULD NOT HAVE ONE on his convoy in West SUBMARINE! SUBMARINES Cork in August 1922. After ARE CHEAP TO BUILD AND a ceasefire in the War The West Connemara Brigade, one of REQUIRE FEW MEN TO of Independence was many ‘flying columns’ that fought in the Irish War of Independence OPERATE THEM! SUBMARINES declared between the ARE A REAL MENACE TO Irish and British forces a ENGLAND”. I fought my best to try to argue delegation of plenipotentiaries – headed by the point,” Collins wrote. “‘ After all I said Collins – travelled to London to negotiate to the British Prime Minister, ‘Ireland could peace terms. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was never hope to wage an aggressive war signed in December 1921. It would be against England.’ Restricting our offensive approved by a majority of representatives in the Dáil but led directly to the Irish Civil War. armament seemed to me on a par with Chillingly Collins said he had ‘signed his own muzzling a Skye terrier. death warrant’. The topic of submarines ‘Submarines’ replied Mr. Lloyd George, ‘are came up as a red line for the British during the flying columns of the seas.’ He looked the treaty negotiations. “Mr. Lloyd George at me straight as he said this, and slowly a made it quite clear to us that the British twinkle came into his eyes. Then he spoke people could not, or would not, for the again. ‘ And I am sure,’ he said, ‘ there is sake of their own safety, allow any Irish no need for me to tell you, Mr. Collins, how Government to build submarines,” Collins much damage can be inflicted by flying wrote afterwards. “England did not mind if columns! We have had experience with your we built a dreadnought or two, a battleship flying columns on land!. There was nothing or two although these concessions do not to be said then!

He knew what appear in the signed Treaty. In fighting for he was talking vital concessions we were not weakening about. More than our position by claiming anything so that he knew obviously useless as the right to build and man a few capital ships! It must be apparent that I knew!.”

56 | THE IRISH SCENE

Ireland’s ‘Treaty’ plenipotentiaries, Michael Collins is pictured centre, sitting

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“In the town where I was born Lived a man who sailed to sea And he told us of his life In the land of submarines” [YELLOW SUBMARINE THE BEATLES]

T

here must be something in the water in the Banner County. Only two Irishmen have ever built and sailed their own submarine, and both of them hailed from County Clare.

John Phillip Holland was a native of Liscannor and a scientific genius with the guts of a test pilot.

James Tierney hailed from Corofin, a small town in the north of the county, and was a very different kettle of fish!

A talented mechanic, engineer and inventor the quick witted and witty James Tierney was more likely to be tinkering with a strange contraption or broken television sets rather than repairing cars in his garage. Bill O’Herlihy was the first to report the story about the new submarine in an episode of ‘Newsbeat’ – a half-hour feature programme presented by Frank Hall – broadcast in November 1966. At that point in time he expected the vessel to be ready to go under water “next spring”.

In 1978 the BBC despatched a TV crew and presenter to the town to find out more about this colourful character and his DIY one man submarine, which for his part at least the very English sounding presenter called the Fenian Ram. Built in 1966

you might also call it the original yellow submarine. The Beatles released Yellow Submarine in January 1969.

Interviewed outside his garage he was asked what it was made from.

“Its made from four American steel barrels which I used to get lubrication oil in, some years ago,” Tierney told the reporter. It even had working headlights on both sides. It measured 11 foot long and was powered by a 24 volt battery with a starter motor from a bus.

Tierney – along with some other locals – was also interviewed in the local pub and was asked why he made it. “At one time I did build a little airplane, I had a Volkswagen engine in it,” he said. “I had it to the stage I could taxi it but the local Garda Siochana and the clergy stopped me, so then I came to the conclusion if I cannot go (up) I’m going to go (down),” he said pointing in both directions and to cheers from the locals assembled in the local pub for a bit of communal divilment with the poshly spoken gentleman from the telly!

Was there any other reason behind it all the man from the Beeb asked. After quickly processing the question as an excuse for a bit of humour Tierney, with a glint in his eye, replied: “Well if you had a wife and 13 children there’s time you feel like getting away,” triggering great laughter in the packed public house.

There was no doubt the submarine could sail, but had he submerged it at all the English man asked. “Once or twice” he

replied with a smile, each time for between ten to fifteen minutes. The interviewer couldn’t find anyone who had seen it go below the surface but got plenty of responses that Tierney was a ‘genius’ and a ‘legend’. The legend had a good explanation for why no one had seen him go down, they got up late in the morning and spent too much time in the pub! More rounds of cheers and laughter!

In another segment Tierney is filmed talking from inside his submarine. “I’m getting a bit sick of this one” he said. “Its a bit cramped in here so I am intending to build another one, twice the size of this with ballast tanks built in, much in the shape of a boat (and when tested) I do intend to sleep

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for one night at the bottom of this lake, Lake Inchiquin.”

Tierney was an innovative character. He was the first person in Corofin to get a television at home and even operated a pirate radio station in 1969, long before the county would get its own local radio station.

He once stood as a Sinn Fein candidate and spent some time working at a mine site in Sierra Leone where he was affectionately called “Captain James”.

James Tierney died in 1995 but his legend never faded. In July 2021 he was honoured with a commemorative plaque and miniature yellow submarine sculpture in his birthplace.

• New builds • Renovations/Extensions • Hot water system replacements • All plumbing, gas, drainage, installations, maintenance and repairs THE IRISH SCENE | 59

Claddagh – Here for Our Community In a place far from home, community matters more than ever. Thay is where Claddagh steps in, offering support, connection and care to Irish people across WA, especially when it is needed most.

See more photos at Claddagh.org. au or scan the QR code right.

From emergency assistance and free visa clinics to lively fundraisers and our much-loved Seniors program, everything we do is centred on one simple goal: ensuring no one in our community feels alone.

Seniors – Save the Dates!

Here’s a look at some recent highlights that have brought our Claddagh community together lately!

Seniors Highlights Our Claddagh Seniors program continues to go from strength to strength, bringing laughter, friendship and plenty of craic for our older community members. These gatherings are about more than just a day out, they help ease loneliness, strengthen friendships and keep our community connected January coach trip to Murphy’s Irish Bar, Mandurah – Monday 19 January

• Wednesday 25 March – St Patrick’s Lunch at The Mighty Quinn • Saturday 28 March – Seniors Digital Training (10am–12pm) • Bookings are essential: Call 08 9249 9213 or email admin@claddagh.org.au to secure your spot.

A fantastic group set off for Mandurah for one of our much-loved coach trips, and it didn’t disappoint. There was singing, storytelling, plenty of laughs and the joy of catching up with both old and new friends. A huge thank you to Vanessa and all the team at Murphy’s Irish Bar for their warm welcome and wonderful hospitality, as always, they made us feel right at home. A big go raibh míle maith agat to our amazing volunteers who make days like this possible.

Community connection like this is at the heart of what Claddagh is all about. Check out these snaps.

Recent Fundraisers: A Community Effort

Claddagh Cup – East Perth Football Club and Noranda Emerald Football Club We are incredibly grateful to East Perth FC and Noranda Emerald FC for hosting the Claddagh Cup on Sunday 18 January. The day brought together players, supporters, and our wider community, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Thanks to the support on the day, including raffle ticket sales, we raised over $1,000 to help fund our ongoing community work. Well done to Noranda Emeralds FC on winning the cup, it was a great game! We are excited for the Claddagh Cup to become an annual event supporting our community into the future.

Community Space Available If your community group need a venue to hold a committee meeting or AGM, please contact Shauna at 08 9249 9213 or email admin@claddagh.org.au for further information.

Claddagh Report

Free Visa Clinic

For many Irish people in Australia, understanding the migration system can feel overwhelming. To help make the process clearer and less stressful, Claddagh hosts free visa clinics with registered migration agent Patricia Halley (MARA 1383611) from Visa4You. Whether you are starting a visa application, planning your pathway to permanent residency, or considering Australian citizenship, these sessions offer reliable, personalised guidance you can trust. Available to all Claddagh members – Not a member yet? Join for just $25!

Bookings: 08 9249 9213 |admin@claddagh.org.au

Recent Fundraisers: A Community Effort Torc Ceili’s St Brigid’s Festival Sunday 1 February saw the annual St Brigid’s festival at Kidogo arthouse in Fremantle, organised and hosted by Torc Ceili. Claddagh were delighted to be involved once again, with 11 of our volunteers lending a hand throughout the day. Congratulations to Ronan and Cecelia on winning the soda bread competitions and thank you to DCI Group for sponsoring the prizes. Over $600 was raised through the Bingo raffle, thank you to everyone who supported it, and to Abbie at Workforce Training Group for sponsoring the prize!

Find Claddagh at Upcoming Community events • Saturday 14 February – St Patrick’s Festival WA Parade and Family Fun Day at Birdwood Square.

Come and find the Claddagh stall and get your annual instant photo with our roaming photo booth!

• Tuesday 17 March, Annual Irish Golf Day, Hillview Gold, High Wycombe – see flyer • Tuesday 17 March, Annual St Patrick’s Day Feast mass, St Joseph’s, Subiaco.

Organised by Louis Byrne

THE CLADDAGH ASSOCIATION - THERE WHEN YOU NEED US Claddagh is here to provide support, care and connection for the Irish community in WA experiencing hardship or find themselves in difficult circumstances.

How You Can Help: To support these needs of both individuals and families, Claddagh must fundraise throughout the year. If you would like to support Claddagh’s work you can: • Donate: Visit claddagh.org.au to donate.

• Volunteer: Your time can make a world of difference – sign up today!

• Become a member: For just $25, you can join Claddagh.

• Host a fundraiser: Got an idea in mind? Give us a call if you would like to collaborate. See our website for full details – QR code top right.

Need Support? We’re Here for You If you or someone you know needs help, please reach out: Email: admin@claddagh.org.au | Phone: 08 9249 9213 Crisis Line (Urgent Support): 0403 972 265

Unit 1, 8 Dewar Street, Morley, 6062.

Enquiries: 08 9249 9213 | admin@claddagh.org.au

Crisis Support: 0403 972 265

See you at the pub!

Victoria Park

Molly’s Irish Pub in Beaufort St in Highgate now has a sister, Molly’s Irish Pub in Victora Park.

The original Molly’s opened its doors two years ago and quickly became established as a popular place to meet and a pub with great grub for many in the Irish community. On the 13th of February ‘Mollys 2’ came into existence in the southern suburbs.

Owners Niall Tolan from Donegal and Lee Behan said Molly’s serves as a love letter to Ireland.

“Our name comes from the Irish folklore figure Molly Malone, she represents hard work and tenacity, and her spirit reminds us of our mothers and our sisters,” Niall said.

“That warm, Irish hospitality is the backbone of what we do, it's in our blood and we want to carry that tradition through to our second location in Victoria Park. We are so proud of the community we have built around Molly’s over the past two years and people can expect the same banter and perfectly-poured pints from our new spot on Albany Highway.”

Exec chef Mark McColl is also from Ireland and dishes up hearty and wholesome dishes that mirror the menu from Molly’s Highgate:

which he says includes Perth’s original (and best) spice bag, beef and Guinness pie made with butter crumbs pastry, the ever-popular steak sandwich and its nod to a traditional chip shop.

“We love working with local Irish butchers McLoughlin’s, to bring the true taste of the Irish classics and our specials to the table,” says McColl.

Functions are a major part of the new offering, and the pub will also run plenty of themed nights, community initiatives and a strong line up of Irish musicians.

“From live music to quiz nights, sports screenings and our Mo Chara Mondays, which encourage Irish expats to make new connections, our events calendar is the beating heart of Molly’s,” Lee said. “The Irish are deeply-rooted in connection and community. We can’t wait to get to know the locals and broader community. We want to be the place where everyone is welcome to gather together, celebrate occasions and create memories.”

Cambridge

The conversion of the carpark at JB O’Reilly’s in West Leederville into a large marquee area for March 17 is something of a St. Patrick’s Day tradition dating back to Paul North’s day as publican (Happy St Patrick’s Day Paul)! And the ‘carpark party’ is back for the big day this year but it might be the last time in happens, at least in its current format. The current owners of the popular Cambridge Street

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Irish pub – Australian Venue Company – have lodged a development application with Cambridge council to permanently convert the carpark into an alfresco beer garden – with a retractable roof – outdoor seating and ‘a small entertainment stage’ that will look significantly different to existing layout.

Under the local planning rules the expanded JB’s – with a capacity of 570 punters – should have 309 onsite parking bays, but would now have no car parking whatsoever. Parking, or the lack of it, created by a new development is frequently an issue that frustrates residents living in the area.

Concerns from locals about noise are another factor licensed premises typically face but especially when changes are being proposed.

As part of the development application process in cases like this business owners are obliged to carry out planning and technical reports, including traffic impact statements and acoustic studies to assess potential impacts on neighbours and the surrounding area. All of these documents were available – on the Cambridge council website or at its offices – for viewing until March 3, when the window for feedback and public comment closed. The application will need to go through all the normal formal steps before any approval – or otherwise – can be given. But it is possible this time next year St. Patrick’s Day at JB’s will look quite different to previous years.

Fremantle

Fremantle got a new brand new Irish pub with a familiar name last year and it has been doing a roaring trade since it opened its doors to the community in October/November last year. Mons O’Shea is named after the late Monsignor Sean O’Shea, the Co. Clare man who was the parish priest

on Rottnest for more than 50 years (Mons is buried beside the church on the island that he built) Visitfremantle. com.au gave this review of the new venue which is well worth a trip.

“Mons. O’Shea is a charming Irish pub and shop located on the famous Cappuccino Strip,” the tourism site said. “This cosy local spot serves up live music, friendly service, and a great selection of drinks and meals. The attached shop features a variety of Irish and local souvenirs, gifts, and collectibles. Proudly owned and operated by the Carthy family, who have a long and proud tradition in the pub trade in Drumcondra, Dublin, thirdgeneration publican Simon Carthy carries on the family legacy with a deep passion for hospitality and a commitment to excellent customer service. Whether you’re a regular or a first-time visitor, you’ll always be greeted with a friendly smile and genuine Irish hospitality. Great service, quality drinks, and a strong sense of community – that’s what Mons. is all about.”

With once regular Sunday Irish music sessions with Sean Roche over two decades the National Hotel in Freo has been a natural congregation point for the Irish community and it has always put on a good show for St. Patrick’s Day. The historic hotel has a long association with the Irish community, dating back to its original publicans and builders.

Talking of which, the National is today owned

by Karl Buller, who has a lot of experience as a builder of great pubs. Under his ownership the venue has been transformed, with the crowing glory being its sky deck, offering a unrivalled and spectacular 360 degree views of Fremantle (day or night). The rooftop deck was expanded again and opened in November last year and is one of Freo’s top spots, literally and figuratively.

Subiaco

Not far away in the neighbouring shire of Subiaco McNally’s Irish Pub in Rokeby Road opened its doors – after a long fit out – just before Christmas. I took former Subi mayor and former child migrant from Ireland Tony Costa in for a festive drink and we both THE IRISH SCENE | 63

agreed the décor was pretty good.

Dublin publican Robert McNally – hence the pub’s name – was not around when we visited but is there a lot, when he’s not at his other business, Roberts on Oxford, which he opened five or six years ago and has been going gangbusters ever since. Meanwhile, a short walk away is what was until late last year the Irish Club in Townshend Road, Subiaco. The property sold for $1.5m and formally changed hands in September, and is owned by the same company that has Durty Nelly’s in the city. His plan is to turn into an Irish pub called Queen Maeve’s and an application for a tavern restricted licence with Racing, Gaming and Liquor was advertised for public comment from February 12 to 25, after which time the Commission will assess and decide the granting of the licence. That wouldn’t appear

to leave much time for the process to run its course before March 17, so an opening for St. Patrick’s Day might be unlikely, but at time of going to press there was still a month to go so we will know for sure closer to the time.

Geraldton

If you are looking for a nice pint of creamy Guinness and bit of craic on St. Patrick’s Day and you are in or near Geraldton then you should call in on the crew at the Midwest Irish Club where visitors and new faces are always welcome. Doors on March 17 will open at Midday with live music by Solitary Sounds in the afternoon and from Johhny David in the evening. Share plate lunch and Irish stew will be on offer while food vans will also be on site for even more choice. There will be raffles throughout the day and door prizes and much more besides.

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64 | THE IRISH SCENE

Historical fact and pious legend....

T

o live in Ulster in the middle of the 20th century was sometimes unique, sometimes remarkable but often bizarre. My father, coming up from Co. Meath thought it so. He was a devout Christian, but he was never going to be bullied by the clergy. We lived near a small village called Shrigley, situated near Killyleagh in County Down. It was developed in the early 19th century around a large cotton mill built in 1824 by John Martin, which later became a major tannery founded by the Utitz family, Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in the 1930s. My father oversaw the fire brigade for the area which included the tannery when the son Eric Utiz was in charge. My mother was given the task of teaching Mrs. Utitz English. I remember her house as being lavish with numerous, exotic, botanical plants filling many of the rooms.

My father had a disagreement (my 8-yearold interpretation) with the local vicar and for this reason we attended the Down cathedral in Downpatrick, some 8 miles away, although in those days it seemed a lot farther. At the time, I viewed the grave of St. Patrick there with scepticism. The burial was around 1600 hundred years ago. A very large number for an eight-yearold. (not so large nowadays when they found a fossil of a dinosaur 230 million years ago).

voice telling him his "ship was ready," prompting him to flee his master and to find passage back to Britain. He spent years studying for the priesthood in France and Shrigley was eventually ordained a bishop. In a move that shocked his peers, he chose to return to the land of his former captors as a missionary. Not so many of us returning these days although I believe it is a distinct possibility if you like the colder weather.

Patrick was a master of what was known as “cultural synthesis”. Whatever that is. Instead of trying to erase Irish traditions, he integrated them into Christian teachings. An example of that is when he used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as three parts of the whole.

He also (reportedly) superimposed a sun (a symbol the pagan Irish revered) into the Christian cross to make the new religion more familiar, hence the Celtic Cross.

It was my first doubt about religion. I certainly didn’t mention this to my father. In fact, I never mentioned any opinion to my father.

The story about driving out the snakes is of course a myth. Ireland never had snakes after the last ice age Perhaps it was used as a metaphor for paganism. By the time of his death on March 17, The story of St. Patrick is a fascinating mix of 461, he had established numerous churches and historical fact and pious legend. Nowadays it is schools, effectively shifting the entire religious easy to guess which facts could be true. Far from landscape of the island. But what started as a being a born-and-bred Irish folk hero, he was a day of religious solemnity has transformed into a Roman citizen who ended up in Ireland under global celebration of Irish culture, unusual circumstances. music and sadly (for some) Patrick was born in the late Down cathedral, site of green beer. Recent generations 4th century in Scotland. At Saint Patrick gravesite. (including my offspring) have age 16, his life took a drastic grown away from the religion my turn when he was kidnapped parents (and I) were brought up

by Irish pirates and sold into with. slavery. I am thrilled to think that there was such a thing as “Irish Pirates”. For six years, he worked as a lonely shepherd in the Antrim Hills.

Not a bad place to be. No Fionn MacCumhaill, or as I knew him, Finn McCool at that time to worry about.

It was during this period of isolation that he turned to his faith, praying day and night. He later wrote in his Confessio that he heard a

66 | THE IRISH SCENE

If you are tracing the life of St Patrick, Downpatrick (my birthplace), is arguably the most important town in Ireland.

While Armagh is supposedly the “spiritual capital” he founded, Downpatrick is where his journey both began and ended. Dún Pádraig literally translates to “Patrick’s Stronghold”, or so they tell me.

What about that stone I saw every Sunday when I was young?

LES ULSTER RAMB Saint Patrick - grave and cathedral

as a place of worship since the 5th century. I did not know that at the time I attended the services there. I suppose it wouldn’t have made a difference if I had.

According to tradition, St. Patrick is buried there.

The memorial stone is a massive slab of local Mourne (mountains) granite. It was apparently placed there in 1900 to protect the grave because pilgrims were literally digging up and carrying away fistfuls of “holy” (as they believed) soil as souvenirs. I did much the same with the Berlin wall!

In the 12th century, the remains of St Brigid and St. Columba were brought here to be reinterred with Patrick to consolidate Ireland’s three patron saints in one holy place. I must confess, as an eight-year-old, I was not that impressed but then I did not know all the facts. An old Irish couplet goes like this, “In Down, three saints one grave do fill, Patrick, Brigid and Columcille."

What about the cathedral itself you might ask?

All I remember is that it was old, cold but majestic with great painted large fancy windows and strange objects called pulpits where they read from a book and talked with strange words and sang up-lifting (sometimes) songs which they called hymns and psalms. We sat at the back in an old wooden pew with our hymn books placed in a little ledge in front. However, Down cathedral there were cushioned stools below on which to kneel. I knelt.

My father told me to be silent.

I never once uttered a sound except when I was singing.

And the History? Down cathedral is one of the most significant spiritual sites in Ireland, serving

The cathedral suffered centuries of turmoil.

It was burnt down by Edward the Bruce in 1316, and it lay in ruins for over 200 years following the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. It wasn’t until the late 1700s that the building was finally restored to its current form. The interior is impressive. You can still see historic “box pews”, hear a magnificent 18the century pipe organ and admire beautiful stain glass windows from the Mayer of Munich studio.

My good wife has walked part of the camino in France and Spain, but I have just discovered the “Irish Camino” which is often called St. Patrick’s Way or the Pilgrim walk. It is a 132 km walking trail connecting the two most associated cities with the saint: namely Armagh and Downpatrick. The route begins at the Navan Centre which is just outside Armagh and proceeds to the Newry canal, the oldest summitlevel canal in Britain Saint Patrick's grave and Ireland and then heads into the Mourne Mountains, passing through Tollymore Forest Park. The trail then follows the shoreline of Dundrum Bay and the Murlough Nature Reserve and concludes at the Memorial Stone in the grounds of the Down Cathedral. Just like the camino in Spain, you can pick up a “Pilgrim’s Passport.” I am assured there are 10 stamping stations along the route and if you present your completed passport at the Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick, you receive an official Certificate of Achievement. Well-deserved I would imagine! Especially as it might take you between 6 and 10 days to complete. I expect it won’t rain on maybe one of these days!

Of course, I didn’t know any of this when I attended the cathedral as an eight-year-old. All my family is buried close by in Tyrella. So, perhaps I should return to check it all out. I could think of worse things to do.

Happy St. Patricks Day and as always may your God go with you.

David MacConnell

THE IRISH SCENE | 67

CARRAMAR

SHAMROCK ROVERS FC CARRAMAR SHAMROCK ROVERS

@CARRAMAR _ SHAMROCK _ROVERS

CONTACTS: MARTY BURKE 0410 081 386 The Night Series has just finished and the State League season is fast approaching. Our first game is in the Hahn Australia Cup on 14th March at Grandis against Bunbury. First team coach Adam Walsh and assistant coach Leigh Doherty are pleased with the way pre-season has gone and looking forward the challenge ahead.

We wish them all the best for the 2026 season.

We had a brilliant Open Day for our girls in January, and were very proud to show off our new all‑girls playing top with its touch of pink — a colour we love not just for the style, but for the support shows for breast cancer awareness. A huge Thank You to The Glasgow Skin Clinic who will be sponsoring our girls and ladies teams for the next 3 years! From all of us — players, coaches, volunteers, and families — thank you for believing in our girls and their future in football. Your partnership helps us nurture not only great athletes, but strong, confident young women.

it

How good do the kids in Thailand look in our hoops?!?

Every year, we go through our storerooms and look out kit that is no longer used. We also put a call out to members who have boots etc lying around that they would like to donate. This is then boxed up and sent off to Thailand. This means more than you’ll ever know to these communities. A huge thanks to life member Dave Reid who is the driving force behind this. We will be looking for donations again soon.

Big thanks to all our major sponsors, Colgan Industries, ProfitPays, Glasgow Skin Clinic, Live Lounge Wanneroo, Acclaim Accounting, and Joondalup Obstetrics.

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68 | THE IRISH SCENE

THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK and promoting anCLUB awareness ofMarch Australia’s Irish Heritage AIHAEncouraging FILM CLUB SEASON concludes Wednesday 7, 7.45pm

Meets fourth Tuesday of the month, with exception of December. At 7.30pm Featuring Too” with abyconcludes supporting Irish documentary, with tea/coffee, homemade cakes, Irish AIHA FILM Ugly CLUB SEASON Wednesday March 4,together 7.45pm Check website & facebook for program.

Movie with May 24“Your ‘Phosphorescence’ Julia Baird, to be presented by Trish Dooey June 28 TBA to be presented by Cecilia Bray a supporting Irish documentary, with61 tea/coffee, homemade cakes, IrishPerth). wheatenDonation bread and jams.

At Kensington wheaten Ice together creams At Kensington (South $15Icetocreams cover$3.catering and(South costs.

Venuebread and Irishjams.

Club Committee Room,$3.

Townshend Road, Subiaco Free.

Allcover welcome.

Light refreshments provided. Tea and coffee from the Bar $2 Perth). DonationTUESDAY $15 to catering and costs.

THEAdmission FOURTH BOOK CLUB March 26 and April 23, 7.30pm, Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Contact Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com THE FOURTH TUESDAYAll BOOK CLUB Light – Marchrefreshments 24 – ‘Wild Houses’provided.

by Colin Barrett, presented byMary Trish Dooey.

April 28 - TBC presented by Townshend Road, Subiaco. welcome.

Convener Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com BLOOMSDAY - James Joyce provided.

Literary presentations Bill Cotter. All welcome.

Light refreshments MeetCompetition at presenter’s home.

Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com SAINT PATRICKS FESTIVAL Saturday 16th March, Leederville Parade and Irish Festival, 10am. Join our vintage SAINT PATRICKS FESTIVAL Saturday 14th March, Birdwood Square, corner Beaufort & Bulwer Streets., 10am. Join our vintage car car float parade and our presentation of the Brendan Awards 2022 and 2023 at the concert in the early floatinin the the parade – contact secretary@irishheritage.com.au afternoon.

This Award prestigious award recognises individuals groups award with arecognises record of dedicated service outstanding Brendan 2025 recipient will be announced soon. Thisor prestigious individuals or groups with and a record of achievement in one or more aspects of Australia's Irish heritage.

Meanwhile we invite nominations for 2024. dedicated service and outstanding achievement in one or more aspects of Australia’s Irish heritage.

Nominations for 2026 are now invited To mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, the AIHA will hold a celebratory event on , officially knownMEETING world-wide as Bloomsday, afterMarch, Leopold Bloom Ulysses. the event, the room. There will be special motions June 16 GENERAL Sunday 24 3pm, inIrish ClubAtCommittee ANNUAL https://irishheritage.com.au/awards/the-brendan-award/ shortlisted entries from our competition will be staged as readings, drama, music and visual presentations CATALPA COMMEMORATION ROCKINGHAM Annual commemoration of receive themember, escape of six Fenian convicts 17-18coordinator.

April, by solo or groups.

The overall winner will be chosen by popular vote on the a night and will a cash for Life Membership nominations.

Please consider joining as committee volunteer or anon event prize.

1876.

With verse,Frank musicMurphy dramaROCKINGHAM and Frances song at Devlin-Glass the CatalpaAnnual Memorial, Rockingham Beach, of Easter 6 April, 11am to 12 convicts noon.

We thank ouroration, adjudicators and CATALPA COMMEMORATION commemoration theMonday, escape of six Fenian on Free public event.

Guestoration, speakers and dignitaries including Mayor Lauren Buchan and city councilors; FederalRockingham Minister MadelineBeach, King; State Date Thursday June 16 at 7.30pm 17-18Venue April, 1876.

With verse, music drama and song at the Catalpa Memorial, Easter Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco (to be confirmed) Minister Stephen Dawson; Jim noon.

Ryan USA descendant of Capt Anthony, actor Michael Sheehy; Ormonde Waters, Irish pipersDeb and more.

Admission AIHA members $20, Non-members $25,event. includesGuest light refreshments Monday, 1 April, 11am to 12 Free public speakers and musician dignitaries including Mayor Hamblin Prizes male or female. Plus special Irish raffle Coordinated byBest DavidEdwardian McKnight.dressed This is 150th anniversary of the escape! and city councilors; Federal Minister Madeline King; State Minister Stephen Dawson; Somer Bessire-Briers from US https://www.trybooking.com/BZAVU Bookings ANZAC DAY Saturday 25 April, 8am. AIHA at invitation of Subiaco RSL lay wreaths for Irish ANZACS at Fallen Soldiers War Memorial on the Consulate; actor Michael Sheehy; musician Ormonde Og Waters; and more. Coordinated by David McKnight.

AIHA Website corner of Rokeby and Hamersley roads. Morning tea follows.

CheckDAY our website https://irishheritage.com.au/news-blog/ for a selection exclusive interviews conducted ANZAC Thursday 25 magazine April, 8am.

AIHA at invitation ofofSubiaco RSL lay wreaths forTeresa IrishO’Brien.

ANZACS Fallen THE JOURNAL Quarterly for members.

Irish Heritage in Aine Australia.

Editor Copiesatmay be by committee member Gill Kenny and other articles of Articles note. If celebrating you click onthe the interview with Tyrrell you will arrive at our YouTube channel.

Aine is really interesting victim of domestic violence, successful Soldiers War Memorial on the corner of Rokeby and Hamersley roads.

Morning tea follows. Subject to confirmation purchased. Correspondence to journal@irishheritage.com.au th

singer, living in a bus and rearing 3 children. She has great perspectives on life and had a real Irish chat

with Gill. Easter Monday Annual Catalpa was professionally videod this year. The link will MEMBERSHIP 1 January to to 31Commemoration December, be on our website as soon as available.

MEMBERSHIP 1 January 31 December,2024 2026

We thank Gill and Patricia Bratton for this new (Centrelink member feature.

Family membership $65; Concession and students unwaged Family membership $65; Concession (Centrelink and unwaged withstudents ID) $55 with ID) $55 The JOURNAL Distant (200 kms from Perth) $45; Membership fee includes taxdonation deductible Distant (200 kms from Perth) $45; Membership fee includes tax deductible of $20donation of $20 of AIHA receive 4 editions of the Journal each year. Latest edition for March 2022, Vol 31, No 1 is Pay Online – https://irishheritage.com.au/membership/registration/ PayMembers Online – https://irishheritage.com.au/membership/registration/ available. We now have a library of 30 years of Journal and are compiling an index of every article title, author and subject detail Bank: to be Commonwealth, made available on our066-192 website from May No: this 1054 year. 6502 We anticipate almost Or Bank Transfer: BSB: Account Or Bank Transfer: Bank: Commonwealth, BSB: 066-192 Account No: 1054 6502 2,000 titles in the index.

AIHA has approved charity deductable status.onwww.irishheritage.com.au Contributors can email editor and Julietax Breathnach-Banwait journal@irishheritage.com.au AIHA has approved charity and tax deductable status.

Deductable Gift Recipient Status Non-members can purchase copies at $10

Coming Up Annual Mary Durack lecture to be delivered by Patsy Millet, daughter of Dame Mary Durack, AC DBE Australian author and historian, (1913 - 1994). Date is subject to confirmation by Irish Club in July or August

THE IRISH SCENE | 69

IRISH IRISHTHEATRE THEATREPLAYERS PLAYERS

2026: A Vibrant Year Ahead for Irish Theatre Players

WE WEARE AREBACK BACKININTHE THEREHEARSAL REHEARSALSPACE SPACE 2026 is shaping up to be a dynamic AGAIN PREPARING FOR OUR APRIL AGAIN PREPARING FOR OUR APRIL and creative year“THE for Irish Theatre Players Inc, PRODUCTION DAYS PRODUCTION “THELAST LAST DAYSOF OFJUDAS JUDAS with artistic development, collaboration ISCARIOT” UNDER THE EYES OF ISCARIOT” UNDERcelebration THEWATCHFUL WATCHFUL EYES OF and community at the centre AWARD WINNING of our plans.

AWARD WINNINGDIRECTOR DIRECTORBRENDAN BRENDANELLIS. ELLIS. We begin theJudas year with ais10-week adult The TheLast LastDays Daysof of JudasIscariot Iscariot isaahilarious, hilarious, acting workshop commencing on 2 March, poignant, thought-provoking work Pulitzer-prize poignant, thought-provoking workby by Pulitzer-prize facilitated by award-winning director winning playwright Stephen Guirgis. winning playwright StephenAdly Adly Guirgis.Boasting Boasting Brendan Ellis. Designed for committed aalarge, zany cast of characters, the play asks one large, zany cast of characters, the play asks one performers, the program offers focused, of the most plaguing questions in the Christian of the most plaguing questions in the Christian rehearsal-led development in a supportive ideology: What totoJudas Iscariot?

The ideology: Whathappened happened Judas Iscariot?

Theat environment.

Bookings are now open facts (we think!) we know are these: Judas was the facts (we think!) we know are these: Judas was the www.trybooking.com/DJROX. disciple discipleof ofJesus Jesuswho whobetrayed betrayedhis hisfriend friendand andteacher teacher

totothe theauthorities. authorities.He Heisisseen seenas asthe theman manresponsible responsible for Jesus’s death; afterwards, Judas fell for Jesus’s death; afterwards, Judas fellinto intodespair despair and andhung hunghimself himselffrom froman anolive olivetree; tree;since sincethen, then,he he has hasbeen beensuffering sufferingfor forhis hisdeeds deedsdeep deepin inHell Helland and will willcontinue continuetotodo doso sofor forall alleternity. eternity.IsIsthat thatreally really fair?

Was Judas the duplicitous master of fair? Was Judas the duplicitous master ofhis hisown own fate, aamuch-suffering pawn used ends, fate, much-suffering pawn usedfor forJesus’s Jesus’s ends, or May sees an exciting collaboration as we or just a man who made a mistake?

Set in a courtroom just man who made a mistake?

Set in Company a courtroom joina forces with GRADS Theatre in Purgatory, The puts case aa in Purgatory, TheLast Last Days putsJudas’ Judas’ casetoto and Playlovers forDays a shared One-Act Season hilarious, riotous, piercing trial, the results of which hilarious, riotous, piercing trial, the results of which at Stirling Theatre from 14–23 May 2026. are sure totomake the inhabitants of Heaven, Hell, and are sure make the inhabitants of Heaven, Hell, Three community theatre companies willand Purgatory — and the audience — reconsider what Purgatory — and thein audience — reconsider what share one stage a dynamic programme each thought they knew about forgiveness, faith, and each thought they knew about forgiveness, faith, and of bold and inventive one-act plays, the human inside one of history’s most infamous the human inside one of history’s infamous showcasing the strength of most community figures. figures. theatre across Perth.

Later in the year, preparations are underway

SHOW TIMES &&23RD AT SHOW TIMESARE AREAPRIL APRIL21ST, 21ST,22ND 22ND 23RD for a full-length production at Old Mill AT 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE 24TH AT 2.00PM 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE AT 2.00PM Theatre in August, with 24TH further details to THEN THEN28TH, 28TH,29TH 29TH&&30TH 30THAT AT7.30PM. 7.30PM.

be announced. We are also hopeful for Our Youth Theatre Workshops for children the return of our much-loved panto in and young people are also currently in December 2026.

THANKS SO OUR WHO OUR AGM THANKS SOMUCH MUCH TOALL ALLon OURMEMBERS MEMBERS WHOATTENDED ATTENDED OUR AGMopen for planning. These workshops will TO focus Membership for 2026 is now ON THURSDAY 17TH THE IRISH CLUB OF WA. building confidence, creativity, ensemble ON THURSDAY 17THFEBRUARY FEBRUARYAT AT THE IRISH CLUB OF WA. those who wish to perform, volunteer, FOR WHO IT, REVIEW OF skills and stagecraft in a supportive setting.

FORTHOSE THOSE WHOMISSED MISSED IT,HERE’S HERE’SOUR OUR REVIEW OFOUR OUR YEAR2021.

2021. work backstage or YEAR support Irish theatre in Details will be Also, announced soon – www. membership for 2022 now available; www.trybooking.com/BWUGC Western Australia at Also, membership for 2022 now available; www.trybooking.com/BWUGC irishtheatreplayers.com.au www.trybooking.com/DHTDW On Saturday 14 March, we are delighted to participate in the St Patrick's Festival WA 2026 at Birdwood Square. Irish Theatre Players will host a marquee at the Parade and Free Family Fun Day, bringing theatre energy and Irish spirit to the celebrations and connecting with the broader Irish community in Western Australia.

Irish Theatre Players continues to champion Irish storytelling and foster creative connection within the WA Irish community.

We look forward to seeing audiences at the festival, at the theatre and throughout the year ahead.

Our Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday 14 April at 7pm in Molly’s Chamber at Molly's Irish Pub on Beaufort Street, Highgate. Members are warmly encouraged to attend as we reflect on the year past and look ahead to the opportunities of 2026.

irishtheatreplayers.com.au irishtheatreplayers.com.au 70 | THE IRISH SCENE

IrishTheatrePlayers THE IrishTheatrePlayers THEIRISH IRISHSCENE SCENE | | 8585

Born out of St Patrick’s Day T

Broken Pokers Big Irish Band

he Broken Pokers have always been a great folk and traditional act but they are becoming even bigger and better with their latest project – The Broken Pokers Irish Big Band. Founders Derrick Buckley (bouzouki/ guitar) from Ireland and Ben Christiansen (banjo/mandolin/whistles) from the Wheatbelt have been entertaining audiences across WA and beyond – including Ireland – for a long time but are now adding some additional firepower to the line-up. “The concept of an expanded version of The Broken Pokers lineup was conceived on the lead up to St. Patrick’s Day, 2025,” Derrick told Irish Scene. “After a number of intimate ‘concert-style’ events as a duo, Ben and myself wanted to bring the act to a bigger stage and build the night towards a big musical crescendo… and what better way than with the help of some talented friends?. The first show in March, 2025 at Lyrics Underground in Maylands (Broken Pokers and friends) was a hit and again in September with the same lineup for another show ‘A Cosy Night in an Irish Pub’”.

Joining forces with Derrick and Ben for the official first night of the Broken Pokers Irish Big Band at Lyrics Underground on Friday 13th March are Dympna Finch (tin whistles), Teresa Kelleher (fiddle) and her husband James Kelleher (bodhrán) and Jerry Murphy (flute).

“This debut performance will be jammed full of your favourite Irish hits and some lesser known gems with original arrangements and beautiful instrumentation from some of Perth’s finest traditional Irish players. Join us for a night

James with Beoga laughing

A grou traditio and fid county tributes of rollicking songs and tunes that will awaken woman the wee bit of Irish in all of us,” Derrick added. promis They will also be playing a free concert also he on March 21 at the Prince of Wales Hotel in Bunbury for the St. Patrick’s Festival organised GAA cl by the Southwest Irish community group. One right. E of the new band members had an ‘impromptu the vig session’ with a difference recently. As part of of the k Perth Festival in early February the excellent Irish trad band Beoga (lively in Irish) performed to the s traditio a free concert at the old East Perth Power Station to a large audience. During their set music the band asked for an audience member who vigil to had played music before to join them on stage. #Ashlin Perth’s Irish community – like many in Pert others in Australia and across he Similar world – came together to hold a vigil were s in the wake of the shocking murder across of 23 year old Tullamore teacher Aisling Murphy while she was jogging includi in broad daylight in her home town of the Am at Kan Tullamore, Co. Offaly in January.

Point, Hundreds of Irish people – including and all families with young children, part based Jamestook and family in an evening vigil and walk at Irish Au Sitting on the grass in fronttime of the stage were the Flame of Remembrance in Kings James and Teresa with their kids enjoying the Queen Park on January 19, organised by the by Ann show. A reluctantly willing James – from Cork – made his wayCladdagh up ontoAssociation the stageand where he supported was given a cowbell to join in with, a source of much amusement at the time, and since.

A skilful bodhran player James could easily hold his own on the Irish drum with the best of them.

So it was amusing for him and everyone else in the know to watch his percussion cameo with Beoga!

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THE IRISH SCENE | 71

35 3

Book Reviews

by John Hagan

DICTIONARY OF FINE DISTINCTIONS

by ELI BURNSTEIN / PROFILE $26.99

THE LANGUAGE-LOVER’S LEXIPEDIA

by JOSHUA BLACKBURN /BLOOMSBURY $34.99

What’s the difference between a logophile and a lexophile? Not much really – both are basically lovers of words. Well, if you wish to split hairs, the former is a bit of a word nerd, someone who loves words and is interested in their derivations and history, while the latter is obsessed with such things as word games, puzzles and anagrams. So, logophile or lexophile, or a mere trivia geek, one, or both, of these books may suit you.

Burnstein’s book is billed as being a ‘dictionary’, which it certainly isn’t, but it is mildly entertaining and humorous. It’s a quick read with little or no discernable, distinctive system on how the contents are organized. The author includes a wide array of subject matter including household terms (difference between couch and sofa), geographical topics (what constitutes a ravine, gorge, canyon or gully), are ‘grammar’ and ‘syntax’ interchangeable, and what distinguishes an epigram from an aphorism? You get the gist. Illustrated by New York cartoonist, Liana Fink, this is a middling compendium of everyday terminology, but 72 | THE IRISH SCENE

not really much of a challenge for enthusiastic bibliophiles.

Inventor of a bestselling game about words (League of the Lexicon), Blackburn’s book is a wild romp through linguistic curios and a delight for word buffs, as he delves into the quirky weirdness of our language. Intellectually captivating, Blackburn’s extensive background research and enthusiasm transforms linguistic oddities into sheer enjoyment.

From the origins of ‘abracadabra’ to the use and meaning of ‘zyzzyxdonta’ (an air breathing land snail - for the uninitiated), this book is part encyclopedia, part treasure trove. Unearthed are, among other forays, memorable definitions from Johnson’s Dictionary, including ‘kickshaw’ (a dish so changed by cookery that it can scarcely be known), to the stinging humour of Scottish insults, an extensive list of Aussie abbreviations plus the origins of ‘nonsense’.

This book is veritable catnip for the enquiring mind.

KILL YOUR BOSS

by JACK HEATH / ALLEN & UNWIN $34.99 Detective Seargent Kiara Lui is on the steps of Warrigal Public Library sorting out an altercation between two men when, suddenly, Neville Adams, head of library services, plunges from the library roof to kill himself on the bike rack below. It looks like suicide,

Book Reviews but Kiara notices that Neville had not finished the cigarette he was smoking, concluding that if suicide was planned then surely Adams would make the most of his last smoke. As Adams was detested by the townsfolk there is no shortage of possible suspects who might have encouraged his fall. Kiara, who has just returned from her honeymoon, becomes embroiled in the intricate historical relationships between the residents, stumbling across long-held, small-town, secrets of Warrigal. It soon emerges that that Neville was connected to the mysterious disappearance of Emmylou Chisholm – a previous case that Kiara could never solve and which has haunted her since.

In pursuit of justice, Kiara encounters deadend leads, numerous red herrings, as she,

with the assistance of Probationary Constable Ben, doggedly investigates.

Amongst this quintessential locked-room mystery there are underlying serious social issues which emerge – coercive control within intimate relationships, sexual blackmail, topics which the author treats delicately and sympathetically. The narrative jumps about in time, from the present and the near past, to moments before Neville hits the bikes. As with his previous book (Kill Your Husbands), Heath’s narrative is full of humour, as he unleashes a pacy, tense thriller full of originality, plot twists, compulsion and surprise. I am fast becoming a dedicated fan of this emergent, young Australian author.

western australia

ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH 3 Salvado Rd, Subiaco

on St Patrick’s Day at 10 am Tuesday 17th March 2026 Principal Celebrant & Homilist: Rev Fr Vincent Glynn Organised by The Irish Community of Western Australia Enquiries: Louis Byrnes 0401 433 762

THE IRISH SCENE | 73

Éire Óg – A new home for GAA in Perth’s northern suburbs At Christchurch Park in Currambine, players gather each week for training in Perth’s northern suburbs.

Some grew up with Gaelic games. Others are returning after years away or trying the game for the first time. Éire Óg GAA was formed after local families and players began asking a simple question: why not have a club closer to home? The response has been immediate.

Men’s and ladies’ football sessions are now well established, with strong attendance and new members joining regularly. With that foundation in place, the club is focused on developing its hurling and camogie teams, with a clear emphasis on welcoming newcomers. The club has invested in hurls and helmets to ensure anyone interested can get involved.

In February, Éire Óg hosted Western Shamrocks in the first GAA match played in Perth’s northern suburbs, marking an important milestone for Gaelic games in the area.

The club’s crest, unveiled at a recent family and club BBQ at Whitfords Nodes, reflects its identity. Divided into four quadrants, it represents Lake Joondalup, community and family, Western Australia as home, and the Gaelic games themselves. Although strongly supported by Perth’s Irish community, Éire Óg has also attracted local Australians, some with Irish heritage and others with no connection to Ireland at all, drawn by a love of sport and the chance to be part of a team.

As the club continues to grow, the focus remains on building sustainable teams and creating a lasting presence for Gaelic games in Perth’s northern suburbs.

Interested in getting involved? New members are welcome across all codes. No prior experience required.

Training schedule: - Football – Mondays - Strength and conditioning – Wednesdays - Hurling and camogie – Fridays - All football teams – Saturday Mornings Follow Éire Óg on Instagram and Facebook at @ eireoggaajoondalup Éire Óg extends its thanks to Emily Hamilton

74 | THE IRISH SCENE

MLA for Joondalup, Caitlin Collins MLA for Hillarys and to the club’s sponsors for their early support.

Contributed by Claire Hyland, Susan Mitchell and Hayley Rooney on behalf of Éire Óg GAA Club.

Féile Peile na nÓg For the first time ever, an Australasia girls Gaelic football team will travel to Ireland to compete at Féile Peile na nÓg – one of the world’s most prestigious youth GAA tournaments.

The U15 girls team, featuring players from Young Melbourne (Victoria) and the Junior GAA Games WA, will take the field in Derry on Saturday 27 June for a once-in-alifetime opportunity to represent our region.

SUPPORT THE TEAM The girls have been training hard for months, but representing Australasia on the global stage is entirely selffunded.

If you’re able to help, any donation – big or small – will go directly towards ensuring every selected player gets the chance to travel and play. For more information please email ggjunioracademy@gmail.com.

THE IRISH SCENE | 75

Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc. As the Irish Dancing competition season is starting to get underway our dancers are working hard in classes to learn new and exciting dances.

Some talented WA dancers will be making their way to the All Irelands, held in Killarney from 15-21st February as well as the World Championships in Schaumburg, Illinois from 29th March- 5th April. We wish them all the very best as they represent their school as well as Western Australia.

Good Luck to the following dancers who are competing in these international championships: ALL IRELANDS: • Charlotte Langford (Champion Academy) • Sinéad Daly (The Academy) • Ciara Stobbie (The Academy) • Emmeline Summers (WA Academy) • Vaughan Cooper (WA Academy) WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: • Charlotte Langford (Champion Academy) • Sinéad Daly (The Academy) • Caitlin Bone (The Academy) • Medbh Flanagan (The Academy) • Tiernan Beattie (The Academy) • Emmeline Summers (WA Academy) • Vaughan Cooper (WA Academy) AIDA WA would like to congratulate Vaughan Cooper on his recent performance with Lord of the Dance 30th year anniversary tour. This is a wonderfully significant achievement for Vaughan.

As well as feis season starting, our dancing schools are organising St Patricks Day festivities to celebrate the Irish culture, music and dance. Our dancers always enjoy performing and enjoying a fun filled day celebrating with family and friends through their love of dance. Keep a look out for Irish dancers performing at this years St Patrick’s day festival, along with down at the local pub’s and be sure to clap along to your favourite tunes!

On behalf of AIDA WA, we wish the entire community a Happy St Patricks day!

76 || THE THE IRISH IRISH SCENE SCENE 76

AIDA WA EXECUTIVE 2026 President: Katherine Travers TCRG Vice Presidents: Siobhan Collis TCRG & Eileen Ashley ADCRG Secretary: Shannen Krupa TCRG Treasurer: Martina O’Brien TCRG Registrar: Jenny O’Hare TCRG WA Delegate: Caitriona Slane TCRG

SCHOOL CONTACTS: CELTIC ACADEMY East Victoria Park www.celticacadmeyperth.com Siobhan Collis TCRG 0403 211 941 CHAMPION ACADEMY Bicton www.championacademy.com.au Niamh Champion TCRG 0421 282 616 Niamhchampion@hotmail.com KAVANAGH STUDIO OF IRISH DANCE Mt Hawthorn www.kavanaghirishdance.com.au Teresa Fenton TCRG 0412 155 318 Deirdre McGorry TCRG Avril Grealish TCRG O’BRIEN ACADEMY Joondalup www.obrienacademy.com Rose O’Brien ADCRG 0437 002 355 Martina O’Brien TCRG 0423 932 866 O’HARE SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCING Doubleview, Wembley Downs & Craigie Jenny O’Hare TCRG 0422 273 596 SCOIL RINCE NI BHAIRD Fremantle & Lynwood Tony Ward TCRG 0427 273 596 THE ACADEMY MID AMERICA & WESTERN AUSTRALIA Wangara, Kalamunda & Bicton Samantha McAleer TCRG Dhana Pitman TCRG Lara Upton ADCRG 0409 474 557 TORC IRISH DANCE Subiaco & Maylands Caroline McCarthy TCRG 0437 073 744 Caitriona Slane TCRG TRINITY STUDIO OF IRISH DANCING Midland & South Lake trinitystudiowa@gmail.com Eileen Ashley ADCRG 0413 511 595 Katherine Travers TCRG Nell Taylor TCRG Siân Fitzgerald-Cain TCRG Taryn Owen TCRG

Hon. Stephen Dawson MLC Minister for Regional Development; Ports; Science and Innovation; Medical Research; Kimberley.

Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.

Member for Western Australia.

WA ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCING Malaga www.waacademyofirishdancing.com waacademyofirishdancing@gmail.com Shannen Krupa TCRG 0430065306 Stephanie Leeder TCRG 0422970169

Supporting the WA Irish Community PO Box 2440, SOUTH HEDLAND, WA 6722 (08) 9172 2648 stephen.dawsonmp@mp.wa.gov.au StephenDawsonMLC www.stephendawsonmlc.com.au Authorised by S Dawson, Shop 26A South Hedland Shopping Centre, Throssell Rd, South Hedland WA 6722

THE IRISH SCENE | 77

Happy Birthday Seamus Doherty.... Seamus was joined with his family for a celebration lunch and drinks at the new McNally’s Irish Pub in Rokeby Road, Subiaco.

Well done Conor!

Sean McDonagh’s, grandson Conor McDonagh was away last month in Athlone, Ireland competing in the Kieran Garvey visited Perth National Indoor over Christmas, from Galway League in TUS with his family. Kieran pictured Athlone. Conor with Lilly and Fred Rea, was ran an impressive the actor who brilliantly played Martin O’Meara VC in Any time in the men’s Old Gum Tree a few years 200m finishing in ago. Kieran asked to pass on 22.07sec. Your his regards to his many Perth granddad is proud friends. Done Kieran! of you!

The Claddagh bus trip to Mandurah was another roaring success. It’s wonderful what the Claddagh is doing for the seniors and no doubt it’s really appreciated by all. No stone is left unturned in the planning and that can be seen by the smiling faces.

Visitors from Cork/ Kerry, Emma Launders and family visited a school friend, Gillian Hussain during a holiday in Australia. Lots of recollections of their days in school and their old teachers.

Back: Emma, Sinead, Conor and Paul Hussain, Jimmy Murphy, Mairead and Seamus Launders.

Front: Daniel O’Keeffe, Gillian Hussain, Emma Launders, Noelle Murphy and Lilly Rea

New Molly’s Irish Pub in East Victoria Park...

Lee Behan was joined by mum and dad from Ireland for the big opening on February 12th. Following the success of Molly’s in Beaufort Street, this is a sure winner... Believe me, the food is just as amazing in the new pub.

Congratulations Lee!

FREMANTLE TO FREEDOM LAUNCH

At a recent tribute to Ted Egan, Perth and WA friends remembered his “big and very generous life.” A gifted raconteur, historian, “Beer Box” musician, rights champion, and former N.T. Administrator, his influence was felt across Australia. They gathered at Durty Nelly’s in Shafto Lane to share stories of a man whose warmth and storytelling touched many lives.

His wife and creative partner, Nerys Evans, stood beside him through years of performances and projects. Ted will be deeply missed.

Slán abhaile, a chara.

The book, launched in Rockingham was a sellout and the presentation was well received by all present. The book tells the story of the escape of the six Fenians from Rockingham in 1876, through the eyes of James McNally Wilson, one of the six.

The book is in the shops now and available at New Edition book store in High Street Fremantle, Fremantle Prison, the Toodyay Tourist Centre and many other outlets.

For more information please call Fred Rea on 0418 943 832 or Peter Murphy on 0439 976 507

Time to Bring Home the Bacon

e Irish Wishing all our customers and thick’s Day! tr community in WA a happy St. Pa Shop in store - 58 Westchester Rd, Malaga Or find us in