Irish Scene May/June 2025

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'We're on the one road taking the one road' to Australia

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magine taking the entire population of Co. Clare and scattering them across Australia! Or rounding up every man, woman and child in Carlow, Longford and Leitrim and dumping them in Perth and the other capital cities. That is the equivalent of the number of people living in Australia but who were born in Ireland. Welcome to county Australia. Cue The Wolf Tones for a rendition of ‘We’re on the one road...North Men, South Men comrades all...Dublin, Belfast, Cork and Donegal’.

New population statistics published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on April 30 show that in June 2024 some 103,080 people here were born in Ireland. At that point in time the ABS put the population of Australia at 27.2 million, 8.6m of who were born overseas. The total population of Ireland is about 5.308 million so we are never going to compete with the likes of India, China and even the UK which dominate the top ten countries exporting people to Australia.

But for a country with a population smaller than many of cities in those countries a lot of people from Cork to Donegal and everywhere in between have made the move

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Down-under, and the trend is accelerating.

Between 1996 and 2005 the number of people born at ‘home’ hovered around the mid 55,000’s. Then in 2008 it went to more than 62,000 and quickly climbed year on year until hitting a peak of 96,360 in 2013. The next two years still saw lower numbers in the 90,000’s but after that they slid into the 80,000s and stayed there for another seven years. Then between 2022 and 2023 there was a surge of an extra 10,000, pushing the figure back up to 94,540. And in the 12 months between 2023 and 2024 there was another spike of an additional 8,500 people, bringing the total to 103,080. Interestingly this is not the case for Northern Ireland. According to the stats there were 25,920 people at June 2024 from the six counties. But that is not even a maximum. Their numbers peaked in 2013 at 28,400 and have ranged in the 20,000’s for the last twenty years! Western Australia has the highest proportion of people born overseas (34.1%) while Tasmania has the lowest (16.3%).

The ABS stats show 19,910 West Australian’s were born in Ireland and 4,700 hailed from ‘the North’. What they don’t show is where in Ireland they come from, but you can be sure all 32 counties have made a human contribution.

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by Lloyd Gorman

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.

“If you’re Irish come into the (political) party”

her parents, dad Tony – the now president of Dandaragan shire – and her Limerick mum are pretty proud.

Jessica Stojkovski with her daughters

Long before his election to represent the Mining & Pastoral Region in 2013 (and reelection in every state election since) Dublin born Stephen Dawson was chief of staff to numerous government ministers in WA and Victoria. In 2017 Mark McGowan picked him to be a minister and the unassuming but strong performer has held various ministerial portfolios ever since.

MP for the South West Region and agriculture minister Jackie Jarvis also has a strong Irish connection. Her dad Terry Mullins – who died in 2020 – was born in 1933 in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare and lived in Dublin as a teenager.

He emigrated to Australia in 1970 and worked in regional WA on mine site camps in the North, and building grain silos across the wheatbelt. “He was a proud union member, and it was his influence that led St Patrick’s Day at Labor HQ me to become a member of the Labor party,” Jackie told Irish Scene. “Sadly, due to his arch 17th 2025 was not just a big day dementia, he was not fully aware that I had for the Irish community. Fresh out of a been elected to Parliament in 2021, and he resounding election result on March 8 died six months before I became a minister.”

WA Labor had a lot to celebrate. Following

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a party room meeting on St. Patrick’s Day, Premier Roger Cook announced a cabinet reshuffle, including three new ministers.

Kingsley MP Jessica Stojkovski was one of the promoted backbenchers. The daughter of Irish Australian Tony O’Gorman, a former Labor minister and Labor member for Joondalup, Stojkovski is now the minister for child protection, prevention of family and domestic violence.

She was first elected as a local member in the March 2017 state election and re-elected in 2021 and 2025 and been a parliamentary secretary to the minister for transport but this is her first gig as minister. No doubt 4 | THE IRISH SCENE

She still has relatives in Ireland and has visited often, most recently in 2019 with her father and husband and three daughters for a family reunion. In his March 17 reshuffle the premier kept Alanna Clohessy on as President of the Legislative Council.

Jackie Jarvis in Ire land with her dad

Clohessy has been a good friend of the Irish community and claims some heritage.

“I was born in the Mallee [Victoria] in the heat and the dust and the flies, but with a few sprinklings of shamrocks around the edges and some Irish rebels in my background,” she said.

an internship in the Irish houses of Parliament. This was my first exposure to the mechanics of government.”

Christina Tonkin who lost the seat of Churchlands to Basil Zempilas in March also had some Another Labor MP whose experience with the father was Irish is Colleen Irish civil service.

Egan, the new member “Based in Brussels for Thornlie. Ned Egan while undertaking was a well known figure in research I was offered Ireland and died only last Caitlin Collins, centre, with her mum (right) and aunty and cousins from Northern Ireland a secondment from year. We look at his story on the Queensland page 20. Hillarys MP Caitlin government to the Department of Finance Collins also has an Irish parent. “Growing in the Republic of Ireland,” she said in up, my mum would tell me stories of her 2021. “For a year I worked with 11 civil upbringing in Northern Ireland during the servants who had little or no background Troubles,” she said in 2021. “I developed a in procurement, helping them develop natural interest in the history and politics their capabilities in modern procurement of Ireland. In 2008, I took the opportunity management and practices.” to study abroad in Dublin and undertook

Diplomacy in motion

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he Irish and Australian governments have been giving some thought to their diplomatic relationship, which will be 80 years old next year.

On March 9 foreign minster Penny Wong announced career diplomat Chantelle Taylor will be Australia’s next ambassador to Ireland. A senior official with the

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ms Taylor has previously worked in Honolulu and Ottawa and is expected to start at Dublin in June.

Wong thanked former Labor politician turned ambassador Gary Gray for his four year term and outgoing Chargé d’Affaires Lachlan Crews who filled in afterwards.

Meanwhile, change is also on the cards for the Irish embassy in Canberra, where Tim Mawe is the current ambassador. “A new Irish Ambassador to Australia will take up duty after the summer,” Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris told the Dáil on May 1.

THE IRISH SCENE | 5

WHAT HAPPENED S

omething peculiar seems to have come over Anthony Albanese when he became Prime Minister three years ago, on 21 May 2022. Before that date he appeared to have had a genuine curiosity about Ireland and all things Irish.

“Think every Irish person in Australia is at #Kilkenny v #Galway #hurling at Sydney Showground,” he tweeted in November 2018 at the first Wild Geese trophy in Spotless Stadium, which looked more like Croke Park for an All-Ireland final. It was the first time a full format hurling game had been played outside Ireland. The high profile clash of the ash was a hard fought competition between two strong rivals that thrilled spectators –

including no doubt Mr Albanese. The match was also a centrepiece of the Sydney Irish Festival, billed as ‘A Celebration of all things Irish’, including performances

by Mary Black and Damien Dempsey. Great stuff all round for sure!

Having claimed Irish heritage and been to Ireland as a younger man he 6 | THE IRISH SCENE

might have even felt a sense of kinship.

But any sense of that connection seems to have faded away just after the member for Greylaner was elected PM in May 2022.

Just two months before the election, as the then leader of the opposition, Mr Albanese enjoyed the hospitality and entertainment of a St Patrick’s Day Eve dinner at the Pullman Brisbane Hotel. In photos taken at the event – organised by the Queensland Irish Association (QIA) – ‘Albo’ looks like he is enjoying himself. During and after the event he posted messages on social media about ‘Celebrating St Patrick’s Day ‘eve with Queensland’s Irish community tonight. Slàinte Mhaith’ and later congratulating the QIA “on a wonderful evening”. The main guest of honour at that event was visiting Irish minister Hildegarde Naughton, who was touring Australia on the St. Patrick ticket.

As it happens that message was the last meaningful thing about St. Patrick, Ireland

Clash of the ash…

Mr Albanese watched the Kilkenny Galway

TO ‘IRISH’ ALBO?

by Lloyd Gorman

Mr Albanese pictured here with visiti ng Irish minister Hildegarde Naughton , and others, at the Queensland Irish Association event

or anything Irish related expressed by the Labor Party leader. About eight weeks later he was on top of the world having swept a highly unpopular Scott Morrison out of

the job. On the campaign trail, Albo came across as a good natured, down to earth, knock about and decent bloke, which might have been part of his appeal.

past in Dublin

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round the same time as his election, Irish Scene discovered an interview where the newly minted PM said he was “half Italian, half Irish”. And as if that wasn’t enough of a hook to catch our interest, editor Lloyd Gorman found proof of an Irish connection, a photograph of him as a 25 year in Dublin in the summer of 1988, the same year the Irish capital was celebrating a thousand years since its creation as a Viking outpost.

A young smiling guy in Dublin with the rest of his life ahead of him adorned the front cover of the July/August edition of Irish Scene ‘Dublin Calling Anthony Albanese’.

Irish Scene was able to piece together that the music loving Albanese had seen Australian punk group The Celibate Rifles play in a small sweaty underground venue

in a pub in Dame Street, but little else. An interesting starting point for a story for sure, but also one that prompted other questions like why he was there, how long he stayed and what he remembered about the city and if he tried to track down any relations. There was a lot more to find out about the unadulterated Albo and his Irish connections, and we tried to do just that!

THE IRISH SCENE | 7

Rocking St. Patrick’s Day with U2 and Irish Scene

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ut a few days later the prime minister got a belated St Patrick’s Day visitor and surprise. On March 20, the Irish minister for trade Simon Coveney was doing the rounds in Canberra and was whisked up to the PM’s office by his Aussie counterpart, Don Farrell for a quick meet and greet with the boss. Mr Coveney was prepared for the encounter and came bearing gifts – namely a copy of U2’s new album, with a hand-written personal message from the band members. Quite a tasty tribute for the PM, a self confessed music fan, that had been coordinated by the then ambassador to Ireland Gary Gray. “Thanks @U2. Can’t wait to have a listen,” Mr Albanese tweeted afterwards in response to a post by Mr Coveney, with photos of the gift changing hands.

Mr Coveney also presented Albanese with a second, smaller offering – a copy of the magazine with his 25 year old self emblazoned on the cover. According to Mr Coveney – who retired from Irish politics at the general election last November – Mr Albanese apparently looked at the magazine with some interest and asked if he could keep it!

The meeting went very well as far as Mr Coveney was concerned. When asked in the Dáil about his trip to Australia he described the encounter as being “brief” but “the discussion was very warm and touched on current topics”. Mr Albanese is familiar with the custom of Irish ministers visiting Australia around St. Patricks Day. Way back in March 2008, when he was the federal minister for transport, he met with his then Irish counterpart Noel Dempsey who was in Canberra banging the drum for Ireland.

Anyhow, if the PM was intrigued, I was pleasantly surprised. You couldn’t have asked for a better 8 | THE IRISH SCENE

introduction or delivery, and I didn’t know anything about it until a few days after the fact, when the minister and his entourage rolled into Perth. There was even photographic proof the special edition of the magazine changing hands and grabbing his attention. It felt like an unsolicited vote of confidence in the magazine by the visiting minister and embassy that it was good enough to present it to him in this way.

This was a breakthrough moment and the perfect opening for an interview to find out more about his Irish heritage and the story behind his visit to Dublin more than thirty years earlier. Just about anyone who read the story wanted to know more. There would be a lot to talk and reminisce about I figured. So confident was I the next request for an interview would be granted – and encouraged by these events – I even looked into getting tee-shirts made up, with the front cover of that particular edition and some kind of message, to present to the self-confessed teeshirt loving leader. He might never wear it, but the gesture would make a good photo for a follow up story.

My first request for an interview with the PM was denied by his press office but now things

were different. A copy of the next edition of the magazine with the story and photos about the U2 album and the magazine was despatched to the press office in Canberra for a second attempt. I could not have predicted the response. We were told Mr Albanese was not available but would we consider doing a piece with Patrick Gorman, the federal MP for Perth and assistant minister to the Prime Minister.

No offence to Mr Gorman (no relation) but it was like ordering a steak in a fancy restaurant and getting served up a cheeseburger instead. I declined the offer and reiterated our interest in speaking to Mr Albanese himself – to no avail.

When St Patrick’s Day 2024 came around I asked his press office if he had taken part in any events or functions or addressed any groups or events for the occasion. In response I received a short piece outlining the historical and cultural ties between Ireland and Australia. There was no context or explanation about where it might have been delivered or when and the press office did not respond to further questions to try and find out more. The piece had all the warmth and charm of something churned

out by Chat GPT. For St. Patrick’s Day 2025 there was nothing at all, Albo was now fully missing in action on that front. Interestingly during his time as PM he has frequently taken part in Holi, also known as Dhuleti, that falls on March 14. People – including Mr Albanese – celebrate Holi by coming together to play with colours and enjoy a spirit of unity. Such is his regard for the festival the PM has even penned a dedicated message of support for it. “I was honoured to celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad India, [2023], and to experience the spectacular display of music, colour and traditional dancing the define this lively tradition. “For many Australians of South Asian heritage, Holi’s cultural and religious significance brings people together in celebration of their shared faith, history and heritage”.

Good on the Indian community for having such a rich and vibrant cultural celebration, no issues on that front. But it’s hard not to think that Mr Albanese is highly selective (maybe even strategic) about the things he chooses to endorse or not. But even that doesn’t explain away the apparent indifference. across Australia, and particularly in the capitals, the Irish diaspora celebrates its own culture but is motivated to contribute to Australian life too.

‘Stone silence’ on St Patrick’s Day

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rish Scene is not alone in noticing that something seems to have gone awry, as this sample taken from X (Twitter) shows.

“Only 2.9% of Australia's population are Hindu, about 1/3rd have Irish ancestry, and most would have no idea what "Holi" is,” one person tweeted on 25 March 2024. “But while Anthony Albanese posted a gushing letter celebrating the Indian festival, he did not say a thing on St Patrick's Day. On March 18 this year a Raymond McKeown posted a message to the “Irish descendants of Australia” about “the stone silence from Albanese on St. Patrick’s Day”.

In October last year, someone else went as far as to suggest that King Charles was more Australian than Mr Albanese because: “Charles loves Australia, Albo hates Australia is more proud of his Italian Ancestry than his Irish-white ancestry”. And in January 2024

another tweeted Albo was Irish Italian. “His mother was of Irish DNA. Albanese stated that he is the first Italian PM in Australia,that is the whole gist [of one of his tweets] He has a skewed idea of his identity.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 9

Mr Albanese with his mother Maryanne

But unlike people who feel free to vent on social media (and often go over the top) traditional media like Irish Scene – which has been printed every two months since 1998 – hold to certain standards and protocols which respect the position he holds. The print media can and should be critical of those in authority but we do not act like reckless ratbags. But when we are being treated with contemptuous indifference, maybe we should!

Snapchat or social media.

A big part of the ‘Albo’ story was that he came from a council estate, raised by a single mum on a pension and still rose to the top. Quite a good story indeed about an Aussie battler and one that could never happen in America! Without doubt Albanese loved his mum (Maryanne Therese Albonese (nee Ellery) and recognised all the sacrifices she had made to support him and give him every chance in life. One of the first things he did after becoming PM was to visit her graveside. His devotion to his mother is admirable and heart felt. It is from her side that he inherits his Irish heritage, so it is odd he wouldn’t cherish it as well. He grew up believing his father had been killed in accident but that was a cover story. His Italian father – who had been a waiter on the ship his mother took to the UK when she was young – was alive and well in Italy. It was later in life that Albanese also discovered he had half siblings, he was no longer an only child or an orphan. It is understandable he would be excited about this aspect of his family, and he has spoken about it time and time again whenever the chance presents itself.

The fact of the matter is that for three years we haven’t been able to get the time of day for a chat with Albo. Yet he recently gave a dozen or so social media influencers all expenses paid trip to Canberra and made himself and many of his top ministers available to them to be ‘interviewed’ about the federal budget. This was an insult to mainstream media, which pays good money to employ journalists and pundits in Canberra to provide expert commentary Doing interviews is part and parcel of and analysis of what politicians say and being a politician in this day and age and what they actually mean. Influencers that goes for the PM as much as anybody. might have big audiences but they cannot But unlike the others, transcripts of his offer that expertise and if they do not interviews on radio are published on the have the will or whereabouts to travel to prime minister's media centre, a brilliant Canberra independently then they should archive of every utterance – silly or serious – not be there on the taxpayers ticket. Mr Albanese talks a lot about values, but he is made by him as PM on the airwaves (radio cynically chipping and TV) as well as many of away at one of the press conferences and formal foundations of speeches, beginning on his a free press and first day in office until March democratic society!

31st when the caretaker This in-depth article, convention kicked in and the for example, has media centre stopped being been three years updated. In total there are in the making and about 2,400 individual media taken weeks to or press events in this online write. Try doing archive, all with Mr Albanese Mr Albanese said it was an honour to meet that on Instagram, as the main speaker or focus.

10 | THE IRISH SCENE

Irish President Michael D Higgins in Canberra in 2017.

Making a meal of his Mediterranean roots I f he has managed to effectively abandon anything to do with his Irish heritage, then Albo has been conspicuously punctilious about cultivating his Italian side. Within a week of becoming PM, he was all glammed up and the guest of honour at the Italian national ball on May 29, 2022 and has not missed one since.

At the ball last year, he said the story of Italian Australians is deeply and proudly woven into the fabric of the country.

“Over so many generations, Italian families have made their lives here and enriched this country beyond measure,” he said. “You have played such a cherished role in the shaping of our modern nation that Australia without Italians is quite simply beyond imagining. We are so profoundly interwoven that Italy’s joys and sorrows are also ours to celebrate and to mourn...I am proud of my own Italian connections and all that they mean to me…. When I spoke to [this organisations] family history group in 2017, I said that discovering my Italian heritage found a missing piece in my life.

‘It is so important for people to know where they come from. To have that family connection. To celebrate their heritage with pride. It has enriched my life beyond measure.”

He expressed similar sentiments at the opening of the Ferrgoso festival in August last year. “It is especially a pleasure to be here with you as Australia’s first Prime Minister with an Italian surname – and as a very proud son of the Inner West. A big part of Australia’s beating heart is Italian, and where we are gathered together today has long been such a key part of it. What

we celebrate today is a beautiful and rich part of the Australian identity, a part of our nation that has its roots both here and in that remarkable country on the other side of the world. An Australia without Italians is unimaginable. If anything, an Australia without nonnas is even harder to imagine. Australian multiculturalism has been a great achievement.”

One radio presenter on Triple J a couple of years ago was interviewing Mr Albanese, who spoke about his Italian credentials, had the imagination to ask his guest specifically about his Irish heritage. Mr Albanese ignored the question and just kept talking about being Italian. The interviewer did not get a word out of him about his Irish background. But it is there, we just don’t know what it is.

On very rare occasions when it suited the occasion (not St. Patrick’s Day or anything like that) Mr Albanese has been known to allude to it. Of the estimated 2,400 transcripts on the PM’s media centre there are just two instances where Mr Albanese openly claims his Irishness.

The first was in April 2023 during an interview on a FM radio station in Queensland. Still less than a year in the top job Albo was asked how he went meeting world leaders and kings. “I get on really well with Joe Biden,” he replied. “He's a really down-to-earth guy. He's a working-class fellow, Catholic background, Catholic-Irish background. I'm half Catholic-Irish, half Italian. So, you don't have to guess what religion I was raised with. We get on very well. And he's a very personable guy. And I really look forward to welcoming them.

It'll be a great opportunity to showcase Australia to the world.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 11

Sláinte...Toasting the Irish the mutual Irish connection for everything it was worth, quoting Yeats twice for good measure. One thing is for sure, Mr Albanese did not write that speech himself, nor was it scripted by ChatGPT. It has soul and literary genius bundled together and was carefully crafted for that pivotal moment between the two leaders and their countries.

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he only other time he cashed in on his Celtic kudos was six months later, at a state dinner at the White House hosted by President Biden. As you’d expect Albo’s toast spoke about the special relationship between the two countries, and the two men. The American president was the first world leader Albo met, just two days after his election.

Why Mr Albanese has never revealed this part of himself domestically is odd.

Politicians with Irish heritage are usually open about it and ready to share/exploit the link depending on the situation. Former premier Mark McGowan is a good example.

While his name is 100% Irish, Mr McGowan’s knowledge of his Irish roots was patchy at best. But he would always speak at the function in Parliament House for the Irish community around St. Patrick’s Day and visit the Irish Club in Subiaco where he was assured of a warm reception. Outside of those opportunities to indulge in a bit of genealogy it was business as usual for the popular “state daddy”.

“Friends who draw strength from all we have in common, but we take joy in our differences as well,” the Australian PM said.

Even Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott “Friends who look to the future together showed more interest in St. Patrick’s Day without losing sight of the moments in the than Albo has. past that bind us together. Mr President, Irish Scene understands the PM has a heavy speaking as one man with Irish ancestry workload and busy schedule. In the interest to another – although I am also, of course, of trying to make it happen we offered to half Italian, so you don't have to guess my fly anywhere in Australia at our own cost to religion – I know you won't object to me meet the PM to conduct an interview. Time quoting a Dubliner. The familiar words of and time again we approached the press William Butler Yeats – "Things fall apart; the office. Mr Albanese had promised to visit centre cannot hold" – are now more than Western Australia ten times a year and lived a century old. Yet they speak to us just as up to that commitment. In the last three clearly now as the long contest between years he has been west thirty times. democracy and authoritarianism St. Patricks Day 2021, not plays out its newest chapter. But Mark McGowan in the Irish Club on winning another election after long to capture the essence of the bond between our two nations – in all its warmth and its easy strength – I turn to another of his poems. ‘Think where man's glory most begins and ends/ And say my glory was I had such friends. So, allow me to make a toast to such friends.”

So when he wants to, Mr Albanese is very capable of laying it on thick and in this instance he certainly milked 12 | THE IRISH SCENE

Perhaps during one of those many trips we an election on the horizon politicians and suggested we could meet him, after all he candidates have one job to do, get out there did other interviews and press conferences and talk themselves and the party up. Not while in and around Perth. A helpful local for the first time, the government’s media Labor MP who was very familiar with the mandarins didn’t have enough regard to magazine and our interest in speaking to offer a response to the request. Never mind the PM offered to try and make it happen, no for an answer, there was no answer. Talk only to be told our about the cold request would have shoulder. to go through the All we wanted press office. For was a friendly my recent trip to chat and to share Canberra, I got in his story with our touch to say when I’d readers and the be there and that I Irish Australian would be available at community. It any time to meet him appears that is if a window opened the last thing the in his diary at short PM – or at least his notice. When the PM media minions – announced May 3 wants you to know as the election date about and you and kick starting have to wonder campaigning, we what that’s all Irish born Tiernan Brady, left, was one of the lead campaigners tried the press about? for same-sex marriage in Australia, pictured here with other office again. With activists and Mr Albanese

Knee-jerk Reaction!

By Lloyd Gorman

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elfast rappers Kneecap wrapped up their sell out Australian tour with a hard core pumping performance in Fremantle on the night of St. Patrick’s Day. One concert goer told Irish Scene it was the gig of a lifetime, a frantic night of pulsating energy in a low lit venue packed with expectant fans. The mosh pit was a chaotic crucible fuelled by an outstanding display on stage by the talented Irish speaking trio of Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara and DJ Provaí.

The West Australian review said the tour was “officially up there with Nirvana in 1992 and The Beatles in 1964”.

But not everyone was impressed. The day after their sell out night at Metropolis Fremantle, the outraged Australian Monarchist League [AML] issued a press release outlining their demand their visas should be cancelled immediately.

Just a week earlier an outraged Albanese government expelled an American social media gobshite for removing a baby wombat from its mother.

“A despicable act indeed, but no less despicable than the onstage attack on Australia by the visiting Irish rap group ‘Kneecap’ who displayed and ridiculed the vandalised head, illegally decapitated from the King George V statue in Melbourne,” they said. “However, there has been nothing but silence from Albanese and his ministers. The [AML] calls on the Australian government to cancel whatever visas they allowed to Irish rap group Kneecap for their attack on Australia and for their applauding and encouraging acts of vandalism and extremism.”

As it happens Kneecap were actually leaving anyhow and they had a message for their followers.

“Aotearoa [the Māori name for New Zealand] and Australia we’re back off across the 14 | THE IRISH SCENE

waves…It’s been something else—to the tens of thousands of you that came out to the shows—thank you. We even had a Royal ,” they cheekily posted on March 18.

The accusation of vandalism against them related to one of their earlier gigs in Melbourne, and perhaps too the charge of extremism.

“Well well a chairde Gael! Some madman dropped the group posted in an irreverent social media message, including a photo that appeared to show the noggin of the royal. “Allegedly his head was cut off last year in the city... anyways he was put on stage for a few tunes and then whisked away… remember every colony can fall ”.

Victoria Police had been searching for the bust since it was removed from a 2.7 metre tall solid bronze statue of King George V a year earlier when the Melbourne based memorial was beheaded and sprayed with paint, during the kings birthday weekend in June 2024.

Kneecap are nothing if not political, and as the driving force of a possible resurgence of the Irish language they are very popular with young people. A free day time concert they organised in Millennium Square in Melbourne attracted more than 10,000 revellers, stretching the capacity of the large open public space to its limits.

As well as music there was some political preaching.

Móglaí Bap hit out at what he called the ‘plague of the Brits’ and that it was important to acknowledge they were all on Aboriginal land.

Spotted at the Kneecap gig in Melbourne

The statue of King George V before it was vandalised

“So, we’re obviously from West Belfast and Derry, a place still under British occupation and we all know I don’t need to lecture you people that you know that theres’ a worse occupation happening right now in Palestine, So I know you don’t need to be lectured but at the same time we use whatever platform we have to talk about it So Free Free Palestine.” The massive crowd chanted the words back to him and revelled in the spirit of the music.

“Especially as our people, we know when the Brits are trying to wipe out your culture, wipe out your identity, what that means how much it means when you acknowledge the true culture of the land and the Aboriginal land,” he said.

Monarchists v Anarchists

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neecap’s recent wrangling of the royal’s bust had strong echoes of a similar stunt pulled nearly sixty years ago in Dublin.

As the 50th anniversary of 1916 approached someone felt there was still unfinished business to be done in O’Connell Street and in the early hours of March 8 1966 a huge explosion inside Nelson’s Pillar demolished the top half of the 41metre high pillar, including the 13ft statue of Horatio Nelson on the very top of it. The pillar – including the petrified figure of Nelson – had stood on the spot since 1809 and was accepted as a popular landmark and even a tourist attraction where Dubliners and visitors alike for a small fee could climb the internal steps to gain a famous view over the

Nelson’s Pillar after the IRA blast, photo taken from the top of the nearby GPO

capital city and its populous below as they went about their daily business. Nelson’s Pillar had survived the street fighting and shelling of 1916 that had engulfed the capital’s main street and left much of the thoroughfare and its buildings – including the nearby GPO – in ruins. When the dust settled, O’Connell St once again resembled those old scenes as a truncated Nelson’s Pillar was half buried under its own remains and carnage. The job of blowing up the rest of the monument a few days later fell to the Irish army, which is said – perhaps unkindly --- to have done more damage to surrounding buildings than the conspirators behind the blast.

One of the things to ‘survive’ the incident largely intact was the bust of Nelson’s statue, The arts which students who ‘liberated’ remained Nelson’s head intact through the blast and despite the drop to the ground. The stone head was removed by Dublin Corporation and put into storage for safe keeping. At least that was the idea, within days it had vanished. A group of students from the National College of Art and Design “liberated” it.

They said they took a loan of it to help them raise money for their ball and to improve the facilities at their college by hiring it out for various purposes.

At the top end of O’Connell Street, a short walk from where the pillar once stood, and not long after it was brought down, The Dubliners were playing a concert at the Gate Theatre.

Nelson’s lost head materialised on stage with the famous group.

“We had a record out about Nelson and the word going around Dublin was it would be a good gimmick to get the head 16 | THE IRISH SCENE

onto the stage,” Dubliners mandolin player Barney McKenna told RTE TV during an interview around that time.

“So a lad approached me in a pub and told me he had the head and he slid it in quietly into the Gate.”

Frontman Ronnie Drew was asked about the crowd’s reaction when it appeared on stage. “The lads dragged it on in a big sack, when I got on the stage the reaction of the audience was, is it the real thing or is it not?,” front man Ronnie Drew said in an interview with RTE television about the incident. “Then Luke gave it a kick and it didn’t fall over, so I think they really believed then it was the real thing, which it was in fact.”

No one in authority approached the group about the head but they said “a lot” of offers to buy it. What happened to the head that night the RTE journalist asked. “Don’t ask me,” said Drew. His bandmate didn’t shed much more light on its whereabouts. “As soon as the curtains came down there was a sudden – zip – it was gone,” McKenna added. “In fact there was a character in the audience who tried to buy it but as soon as he produced his cheque book the head was gone and we haven’t seen it since.”

They may not have ever seen the original head again but a papier-mâché replica – created by Irish artist John Kelly – went on tour with them. The wandering days of Nelson’s head eventually came to an end and for some time now it has been on display in the Dublin City Library and Archive on Pearse Street in Dublin 2.

Luke Kelly and Ronnie Drew with the paper mache model

‘We are on our knees: Let Us Rise’

B

y coincidence, King George V made something of an appearance in the last edition of Irish Scene. In her dramatic outburst in the Great Hall in Parliament House in Canberra, Senator Lidia Thorpe’s loudly rejected the sovereignty of British monarch King Charles. The mainstream media labelled her an embarrassment and disgrace and glossed over the prickly subjects raised by the heckler. The affront offered by the senator against the English/ Australian head of state within the walls of the federal parliament itself was an act that would not go unpunished politically and there was a vote for the house to ‘censure’ the member.

She was quoting from a pamphlet printed by the Socialist Party in Ireland (Dublin Branch) – written by James Connolly and Countess Markievicz – against the royal visit of King George to Ireland in 1911. It opened with the line: The Great only appear great to us because we are on our knees: Let us Rise”. Indeed the contents of that document – which was published in full in the last edition – which was circulated widely at the time was every bit as harsh against the monarchy as anything Thorpe said.

It was to be the last Irish tour by a sitting British monarch for exactly 100 years until the historic and well received visit of the late Queen Elizabeth Countess Constance Markievicz in O’Connell Street Dublin Defending II (and Prince following her release from Holloway Prison in 1917 (RTE Archives). herself in the Philip) in 2011.

Nelson’s Pillar looms in the background. senate when The political the censure landscape was debated of Ireland in the House suffered several the Gunnai, seismic shocks Gunditjmara in the years and Djab immediately Wurring woman following found some King George’s Irish inspiration few days in for her cause.

Dublin, Cork She likened her and Limerick.

Whatever situation with acceptance or another political tolerance that maverick, an might have existed at the time for the Royal Irish born MP for Kalgoorlie. “The only rulers was washed away by events such as person to have [ever] been removed from the 1913 Lockout, the Home Rule debate and parliament before the laws were was Hugh of course the 1916 Rising, all of which led Mahon, a member of the House, who called into the Irish War of Independence, which out the Irish genocide by the British and the broke out exactly ten years to the month taking and killing of political prisoners,” she after George toured the Irish cities. He told the Senate. “The Crown is an enabler was in Belfast in June 1921 for the opening of the continued genocide in this country, a session of the Parliament of Northern continuation of its own actions from when Ireland. Horrified at government approved their boats first set ashore on our lands,” killings and reprisals against Nationalists she continued. “James Connolly, an fighting for independence George raised Irishman who spoke about King George V’s the issue with Prime Minister Lloyd George visit to Ireland in 1911, put it well. He said: and in his speech to the parliament he “We will not blame him – the King – for the appealed for conciliation. A few weeks later crimes of his ancestors if he relinquishes a truce was called and this helped pave the the royal rights of his ancestors, but as way for negotiations between the Crown long as he claims their rights, by virtue of descent..he must shoulder the responsibility forces and Irish secessionists which led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty. for their crimes”.

THE IRISH SCENE | 17

George’s Gates

B

y coincidence, Subiaco has been the home to an unlikely memorial for King George V – the iconic ticket gates to Subiaco Oval, which date back to its early days as a ‘footy’ oval.

For the Kings Jubilee Subiaco council decided ‘the provision of a modern entrance to the Subiaco Oval would be an appropriate work’ for the milestone occasion. “The location selected for the proposed entrance gates was at the south-west corner of the ground, at the corner of Townshend (now Hadyn Bunton Drive) and Roberts Roads,” the Heritage Council website states. “The two limestone gate houses, with the brick entrance way between them, with concrete floors, and with a Marseilles tile roof, were constructed in the spring of 1935, at a cost of £1,000. Twelve 'state-of-theart' turnstiles were installed. On 5 October 1935, the West Australian announced: New entrances to the oval have been erected on the corner of Townshend-road (sic) and Roberts-road (sic) and other gates will be closed. The Mayor of Subiaco (Mr. H. L. Downe) will declare the new turnstiles open at 1.30. On 8 October, the Mayor reported that 'everything went off satisfactorily, the crowd being dealt with without the least congestion.' This entrance served as the main entrance to Subiaco Oval until the construction of the new stands in the late 1980s, and continues as a secondary entrance to the present (2015).”

Today the distinctive gates and the grassed

oval itself are all that remains of the areas more than 100 year history as a sporting venue and stadium. Indeed interpretative panels and two sets of early turnstiles – and a plaque outlining the link to King George V – record some of the story of the heritage listed structure.

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The late Ned Egan at his house in Kilkenny

Tales of Ned Egan

by Lloyd Gorman

C

olleen Egan is the new member for Thornlie, an electorate that includes the suburbs of Maddington, Marti, Orange Grove and some of Gosnells. She was amongst the crop of new Labor Party candidates elected to state parliament for the first time in the wake of the March 8th state election. She is now a backbencher in the returned Cook government.

Colleen Egan on the campaign trail

It is not a stretch to suggest she might have inherited that ability to write and tell stories from her Irish father, Edmund ‘Ned’ Egan has been described as an author, poet, songwriter and artist and even as the “Clint Eastwood of storytelling”.

Ned led an interesting life – one that also knew tragedy – before he died on 30 August 2024, aged 88. He was born in the tiny village of Baurscoobe, Co. Kilkenny, in 1936.

His school years were filled by brutalist teachers but even they recognised his ability to write well.

Like so many other young people of his time, Ned left school early and took the boat to England to work. He laboured on buildings sites before joining the army and he saw service in the Middle East (Gulf, Cyprus and Libya) which was embroiled – and still is – in conflict. As a soldier he was also served in Europe and was stationed at NATO military airbases. In search of further adventure and opportunity, he emigrated to Western Australia where he worked in the mines. A licensed explosives expert he was almost killed in a dynamite blast that went wrong.

Caught up in the blast, he was in a coma for nine days and lost sight in one eye and hearing in an ear.

In its tribute to him, the Kilkenny Observer, which Ned often contributed to, said it was at this point: “He rediscovered the innate writing talent that those grumpy teachers

Prior to her new career in politics, Egan was a respected investigative journalist and editor at the West Australian and Sunday Times newspapers. “Before being elected as your representative, I told the stories of many marginalised people during my 25-year journalism career,” she says on her local members website. “I’m best known for my eight-year fight to free Andrew Mallard from prison, an innocent man who was wrongly convicted of murder.”

20 | THE IRISH SCENE

Colleen Egan with her new boss Premier Roger Cook

had recognised way back in his childhood.

Ned penned his first literary work, a book of poetry, in 1980. ‘Memories of a Leprechaun’ is a collection of charming tongue-in-cheek odes focusing on aspects of Irish culture and folklore.”

The Kilkenny People said of him: “He was so popular in that vast country that he was made an honorary member of an Aboriginal tribe, before later working as a fishermen on the Western Australian coastline.”

In the 1980’s he returned home to Ireland and Kilkenny where he became well known and regarded for his copper-etching works.

His raconteur and songwriting talents saw him tour the US with the Wolfe Tones and have his songs recorded by The Dublin City Ramblers, Annmarie O’Riordan and Patsy Watchorn (a folk singer with Dublin City Ramblers and later The Dubliners).

The love of writing never left him and in 2004 he published ‘Sex and Death – Green, White and Gold’ and his last book ‘Tales of Old Ireland and Australia’ in 2011. He continued to publish writing on Facebook and his writings sometimes remembered his time in Australia.

Tragedy would strike the family in Western Australia. Details of what happened to Noreen are hard to find but it was mentioned in state parliament and as such was recorded on Hansard. “Noreen Egan had been a regular patient at Graylands,” the then member for Thornlie Sheila Margaret McHale told the Legislative Assembly during a motion about deaths and suicides at Graylands Hospital. “She suffered from schizophrenia and was a drug user. She went missing on 11 August [1997] and was found dead under some bushes some 15 days later; yet the location of her corpse was just metres from a busy pathway.” It was her 39th birthday and a silk scarf, knotted six times, was around her neck.

John Fitzpatrick from the Kilkenny Observer said of Ned that he made and lost several fortunes over the years. “But the cruellest blow of all was the loss of his beloved daughter, Noreen, when he lived in Australia. Not a day has passed without Ned thinking of Noreen.” The circumstances of her death almost drove Ned, who was a father of six, to the brink.

“After Noreen's death, I completely fell apart.

I was in severe grief over the whole thing and nearly went under,” he said, in an article written by crime reporter Larissa Nolan in 2002. “But with time I managed to get back on my feet and started thinking about how Noreen's death could help others. I thought about how I could use her tragedy to ease the pain of bereaved parents and relations. And sometimes like me, they have nowhere at all to go...I thought up a plan to get a church make it into a shrine. It would be a place of comfort where you would find people in similar circumstances.”

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THE IRISH SCENE | 21

His idea was to create the church of the Eternal Flame of Youth, in a disused friary in Callan, Co. Kilkenny. It was to be a non-denominational and peaceful sanctuary for relatives of people “who died too young”.

A specially made font with a flame near the alter and framed pictures of lost ones on wooden stands would be features of the shrine. Plans were drawn up for the church which had the blessing of some local politicians but there were objections – even a vicious letter – from angry residents who didn't’ approve of the idea. “I cannot understand the objections,” Ned told Ms Nolan at the time. “Who would want to oppose such a project, who would want to spoil the dreams of desolate and damaged people who have lost a loved one?. They are worried about the fact that the church will be non-denominational. I think they want it to remain a friary only.

But there are hardly any friars left.”

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The church of the Eternal Flame of Youth never went ahead.

The Kilkenny Observer had a good news story to report in March, under the headline ‘Kilkenny Man’s Daughter Elected An MP In Australia!’. “There are celebrations Noreside and “down under” following the election of Colleen Egan, daughter of the late Kilkenny man, Ned Egan, to the parliament of Western Australia,” wrote John Fitzgerald. “The Egan clan, and Ned’s cousins the Moroneys, were ecstatic when they learned on Saturday that the Perth-based daughter of the much-loved poet-writer, who died last August, will now serve as an MP in the land that her father called home in his young days...When he returned to Ireland in later life, after a long exile, he maintained weekly contact with his family in Australia and was especially proud of Colleen’s stellar achievements.”

Mr Fitzgerald added: “Ned would be chuffed by her success in Saturday’s election. She won a seat for the Labour Party in the Australian Legislative Assembly for the electoral district of Thornlie in a fiercely fought poll, seeing off a wide range of rivals to become an MP. Tributes poured in from family and friends in Kilkenny, among them several messages opining that Ned himself must be celebrating too at this wonderful news… on the “Other Side”. I can imagine a squeezebox playing, and a mighty band of poets and storytellers up there. Given her past record, one suspects that the multi-talented Colleen Egan will be a most eloquent advocate for justice and fair play in her new role: She will do Australia proud, but her success will also hearten all of us back here in the “old country” who remain convinced, in the words of the song, that “they’ll never beat the Irish!”.

Irish Scene approached Ms Egan for comment for this story.

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FROM IRISH R.M TO AUSSIE M.P.

K

Irish Scene caught up with him in his office in Parliament House in Canberra in February, before Anthony Albanese announced the date when the country would go to the polls.

eith Wolohan – the Liberal Party candidate for the electorate of Menzies in eastern Melbourne – is one of a kind in Australian federal politics but he will be hoping to lose that uniqueness after the May 3 election.

Of the 151 Members of the House of Representatives – which along with the Senate was dissolved ahead of the general election – he was the only one born in Ireland. Originally from Dublin, Keith was elected to represent the people of Menzies in the 2022 election and the Liberal Party candidate campaigned to hold onto the seat in this election.

The Wolohan's were living in Saggart, Rathcoole and he had just turned 11 when the family made the move to Australia.

His father is from Dublin while his mother is a Kildare woman. The were married in the church in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, and after they sold their farm they settled in Kilteel for a time but also Moone and then Slade Valley in the Dublin Mountains where his mum managed the Slade Valley golf club, alluded to in his maiden speech. His grandfather – who hailed from Rathfarnham – had a farm and owned one of two pubs in Saggart.

“I went to school in Brittas, Wicklow, mum and dad looked around for ages, I think they did something like 30 interviews for schools, they couldn’t afford a private school but they really liked Brittas and they sent me there until we came here. I went back a few times as a teenager and young man but I want to take my kids (a son 12 and daughter 9) there this July because I want them to see Ireland through kids eyes.”

“I was born in Ireland to young and loving parents,” Mr Wolohan said in his first speech in parliament as an MP. “Mum helped support us by working late nights managing a bar. That meant Dad got us to sleep with stories. The ones we liked the most were about his travels. And one place stood out. Dad spoke of a land that was full of adventure, beauty, and opportunity. It was clear to us that he had fallen in love with Australia, and was sure we would too.

And so, in 1988, we landed in Melbourne, with our first night at the Nunawading Motor Inn, a motel within the seat of Menzies.

It is about thirteen years since he last visited Ireland and a planned trip back had to be postponed because of Covid.

I asked him if he might have gone into politics in Ireland had his family never left.

He said they were not a political family and it was hard to know what might have been. But he clearly recalls the first time he became politically aware. “What I do know is I was always interested in the news, so my grand dad encouraged me to read the newspapers,” he said. “I remember we were

Both my parents worked hard. Dad started his own roof plumbing business and Mum worked for a small company that assembled electronic exit signs. My parents encouraged us to put our hands up to speak and to serve.”

A Dublin childhood

Wedding Bells in Rathcoole

24 | THE IRISH SCENE

by Lloyd Gorman

Wolohan fa m

ily on the m

ove

reading the newspapers when Ronald Regan visited Ireland. At that time we had an old place Calliaghstown Cottage* that was built during Famine times and dad was working on a septic tank and a helicopter flew over.

Dad said that’s Ronald Reagans helicopter ‘Marine One’. I remember looking up, and all these cars stopped outside our place. They were secret service and they wanted to know what dad was doing and he said ‘Oh, its just a septic tank’,” he laughed. “I remember being so fascinated that this US president flew over our house, it was in the papers and somehow they wanted to talk about my dad’s septic tank, so I think from then I was always interested in politics and I loved public speaking, so I was always going to be doing something where you talk out loud, like a barrister as I did here, or in politics, so I think I probably Calliaghstown Cottage, new owners bought it in April would have in some capacity.

I might chat to people about it in July,” he smiled. [*Calliaghstown Cottage was painstakingly restored by his father who respected the heritage of the more than 200 year old property.

The cottage was part of the same estate that featured in the hit comedy drama The Irish R.M, that ran on Irish TV from 1983 to 1985).

The ‘Big House’ featured in the show – Johnstown Kennedy House – as the residence of the main character Major Yeate’s was demolished in 1988, leaving the cottage as the only remaining and intact property on the estate].

Prior to politics Wolohan had a bright career in law, becoming a barrister at age 33.

Between 1996 and 2014 he was also active with the Australian Army Reserve, joining 2 Commando Company and was promoted to captain in 2004, serving four tours overseas, including three postings to Afghanistan.

He has been a local member of parliament for the last three years and is striving to win

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the chance to continue on in that role for the next term of parliament. nistan Keith in Afhga “My parents are very proud of the fact I am here and I think they still pinch themselves about it,” he added. “I take that for granted sometimes. I’ll be speaking on something or sitting in some division and mum will text me, great speech this isn’t question time she must be logged watching all day which no one does, not even in this building so they have it on all the time just in case I speak or say something.”

His Irish roots are important to him but is something that only occasionally crops up in his role as a local member of parliament.

“Its something I’m proud of but I don’t scream it from the rooftops and I certainly don’t have a large constituency of Irish people, although every now and then you have a citizenship ceremony and you meet a family [from Ireland]. I say at citizenship ceremonies, I’ve sat where you are sitting, next to my mum and dad, and I know how long it takes for you to get here and you see this sigh!, people know it doesn’t happen overnight, its years of rejections and disappointments.” He explained further.

“When we originally applied we were rejected for permanent residency because my parents didn’t have enough points and they had been going through the rigmarole for years….and then out of the blue a letter came from the embassy saying we’ve reviewed and if you go within the next six months or whatever it was. Dad said I don’t know whose changed their mind but we’ve been given a chance lets take it and I often refer to that and say someone somewhere took a chance on us and I’ve always looked for a way to give back .”

His Irish heritage was something that a former Liberal leader and PM took notice of.

“I remember Keith and his when I first family got elected I went to visit John Howard and he said “You are born in Ireland, 26 | THE IRISH SCENE

Catholic and a member of the Liberal Party, when he first joined the Liberal Party there was no way someone from that background would be in this party, in the seat of Menzies, but we’ve changed and for the better. And we spoke about that conversation again when Nathan (Conroy) was pre-selected that there’s more and more Irish people on the right than there is on the left and there are still people on the left with lineage but a lot of things in politics have been flipped in the last few decades.”

Nathan Conroy is the Liberals candidate for Dunkley, and this is his second time around, having contested a by-election in early 2024, caused by the death of the former member Peta Murphy from breast cancer.

“Nathan’s running again and he’s in with a shot,” said Wolohan. “I helped out on his campaign and we stay in touch, he’s a lovely man. I think very highly of him. He’s more recently off the plane or the boat and his accent is more obvious than mine.”

Nathan grew up in Mayfield, Cork, where he attended the community school. On his website he says he “grew up in social housing, to young parents. His mother raised two children and juggled three jobs while studying by night and then starting her own childcare company. Just 19 years old, he moved to Australia where he would run a multi-million dollar company. He credits his mother for much of his success and believes he learned the value of resilience, determination, self-reliance and hard work from her. He was elected to Frankston City Council in 2020 as a councillor and was also made deputy mayor and would later be voted mayor by his fellow councillors.

Married to Steffie, he is father to two young boys Callan and Cormac. Conroy, now 31, was defeated in the 2024 by-election by Jodie Belyea for Labor but will hoping to turn the tables on her in May. As we are talking I show Keith copies of the Irish Scene Keith with his dad campaigning magazine, for Nathan Conroy including the edition with Anthony Albanese in Dublin in 1988 when he was in his mid twenties.

He is interested

Frankston mayor Nathan Conroy

and surprised. “Was he there in August 1988?,” he said looking at the cover. He would have been there when I was there because we left in October 88. I normally speak to him in the chamber when I ask questions but he spoke to me in person yesterday about my condolence motion for [former Liberal

Party minister and Member for Menzies] and said some really nice things”...“He’s half Irish and half Italian?,” he said out loud, reading a quote in the story from Mr Albanese about Nathan cuddles his kids himself. “He doesn’t talk enough about that. He talks about his Italian side but not his Irish side!”.

‘Libs’ lose future leader in Wolohan’

Keith Wolohan – and Nathan Conroy – were amongst the crop of Liberal MPs and candidates dumped by voters. Losing a job is painful for anyone, but in politics it is a brutal numbers game played out in public.

In the final tally Wolohan was beaten by Labors Gabriel Ng by a difference of 1,145 votes or a margin of about 1%.

When he appeared on ABC’s flagship political programme Insiders the morning after election night the outcome was still in doubt. “I’m told by those in the counting room its still to close to call but it is a long shot... I will probably lose it but I’m not at the conceding stage yet,” he told Insiders host David Spiers. Before answering questions Wolohan said his dauther Eva turned ten that day and he promised to wish her a happy birthday on air. Spiers told Wolohan he was seen by “quite a number” of his colleagues “as a potential future leader” and “a hope for the future of the Liberal Party”. “To lose your seat and to see the party crushed as it was last night, how does that feel personally?,” Spiers asked.

“I saw some of those comments and they are

flattering but I’m grounded and humble,” Wolohan replied. “I always thought my first task was to hold my seat and it looks like I won’t and that’s on me...but I am grateful for the opportunity that was given to me. I’m still a youngish man and I love the Liberal Party, I believe it is a force for good in Victoria and this nation and I will always be loyal to it and I will always be there to help it.” If he lost out now would he have another crack he was asked. “I’ll see how the count goes, there are still many thousands of votes to be counted and I’ll enjoy Eva’s birthday with her today as she deserves my full attention, she hasn’t had it for a long time and same with my son Leo, I love them both very much and I’ll spend today with them and in the coming weeks we will gather as a family and rebuild and regroup. You know, I wasn’t born here! I served this country overseas and there were times when I might not have come home.

So I’m a very grateful person to my family, to my country and I’m so grateful to the people of Menzies who gave me that chance and if it was just for those three years I thank them for it and it was the honour of my life.”

After the 10 minute interview veteran panellists described him as “a class act”, “all class” and “totally gracious”. “Keith Wolohan is somebody who others in the Liberal Party have pointed to as a potential leader for the future, so they’ve got to rethink where they stand philosophically but they’ve also to find a path forward so they can get people like [him] back into parliament,” one said.

Maybe their holiday to Ireland in July will be the perfect escape and change of scene for Keith and his family!

THE IRISH SCENE | 27

Australians in Ireland have better deal than Irish in Australia!

W

hen it comes to elections Australian’s living in Ireland – or who are even just on their holidays – have the upper hand on Irish people living in Australia.

In the two weeks before the May 3 federal election and on the day itself hundreds of ex-pats visited the Australian embassy in Dublin, just off Stephen’s Green, to do their domestic democratic duty. The embassy doubled up as an early voting centre and ballot centre on polling day itself where wayward Aussies could easily cast a vote in the federal election. It was the same for the referendum about the Voice in 2023 and every other referendum and general election before that for as long as anyone can remember. The Australian government provides this routine service for its citizens in most parts of the world where it has a presence.

Despite the diminutive size of the country, the Irish government also has an impressive global footprint but it lacks the imagination or political will to deliver the same for its citizens in far flung places (and even just across the border in Northern Ireland).

The last two editions of Irish Scene dedicated a lot of attention to the long standing but stubbornly slow debate about holding a referendum to allow the Irish diaspora the right to vote in presidential elections.

That debate – such as it was – ground to a halt with the recent election (and formation) of the current Irish government, which dropped a commitment to hold such a referendum from its ‘Programme for Government’, the foundation document for the coalition administration.

No sooner had this Irish government taken shape in January then it was time to think about despatching ministers and members of government around the world on St. Patrick’s Day business.

Australia was divvied up by two Fine Gael ministers Helen McEntee and Emer Higgins. As part of her itinerary, Ms Higgins spent a few days in Perth, leaving shortly after participating in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Vincent! Irish Scene got a chance to catch up with the Dublin Mid West TD on her first night in Perth at a reception and visit organised by Lynda O'Leary at Honorary Consul Marty Kavanagh’s office and embassy staff.

Top of the list of questions I had was why the government she belonged to had abandoned the prospect of giving the Irish abroad a vote by holding a referendum.

by Lloyd Gorman

28 | THE IRISH SCENE

“In our new Programme for Government (PFG) there is no commitments at all around referenda,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean they won’t happen, for example, under EU legislation we will be required to have a referendum on patents, that’s something we will have to consider, but its not prescribed in the PFG, the Cabinet of the day will make a decision on it. So as far as I’m aware its still something that’s under consideration but there’s no definitive decision about it.”

I remind her it was in the PFG in the last government, which like this one had Fianna Fail and Fine Gael as the main coalition parties, but not this one. “The reason for that is they purposefully decided not to put in any commitments around referenda in this PFG and that’s because unfortunately we have a history of losing referenda and what we don’t want to do is rush something through for legislation which the public don’t accept because this might be our one and only shot at this so I think its important the Cabinet of the day get to consider it in the context of the day.” Not much comfort or hope of anything happening on that front in the future but Irish Scene will continue to raise the issue with every visiting politician for as long as possible.

Interestingly, Ms Higgin’s own brother is one of those disenfranchised by the change in government policy. While this was her first trip to Western Australia she has history and experience with life down-under.

“Its a particular privilege to be in Australia, its my fifth time in Australia and my first in WA,” she said. “In my 20s, like a lot of people, I came here backpacking and I spent about six or seven months going from Sydney up as far as Cairns and we stationed ourselves in Brisbane for a little while and got some jobs there and moved on up the coast. My brother followed in my footsteps a couple of years later and while he was backing he fell in love with an Australian in the Northern Territory. So they’re married with three kids and they lived in Darwin for a long time and now they live in Brisbane and I’ve been over and back to see them several times. I’m kinda interested in meeting my brother, I’m very interested in meeting my nieces and nephews,” she laughed. In the course of this trip she met many Irish people, groups and businesses and was impressed with what she found.

“Here I’ve met the Claddagh Association, the

Irish Theatre Players, the Australia Irish Heritage Association, the Irish dancers and others, and now Irish Scene as well,” she said. “These are the people who celebrate our Irish culture and ethos every day, and for me that’s what its all about, making connections with them. And of course its about trade links and building diplomatic links but for me the real significant part of this is recognising the contribution Irish people are making day in day out to the future of Australia.”

She also met with the St. Patrick’s Day parade and festival organisers. “They told me this parade is going to be bigger than the Dublin parade, imagine. that’s what they promised me. One lady said that when her kids go back to Ireland they’re disappointed with the parade because there’s no oval afterwards. Its great to see. Ultimately its about celebrating Irish pride but also coming together as a community, volunteerism drives pretty much every parade in Ireland and every parade around the world and its that sense of volunteerism and sense of community and a sense of purpose and celebrating your culture, and everything Irish, its incredible. At home I’d be at three parades, Rathcoole to Saggart Parade in a fantastic car, a local man has a brilliant collection of antique cars so I would usually be in his car in the parade. Then I’d head over to the Lucan parade where one of my colleagues is an organiser and I would drop into the after party of the Clondalkin party, so a little bit like what you have here with the oval, they have a festival afterwards.”

A couple of weeks before her trip to Australia Ms Higgins was at Áras an Uachtaráin on official business but had a chance to talk to her presidential namesake. “Myself and the President and Mrs Higgins had tea afterwards and they wanted to know where my name came from and who I was related to, but we couldn’t trace back any family relation unfortunately.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 29

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Glenda-what?

P

erth presents Irish visitors – especially those arriving for the first time – with a particular pronunciation predicament.

Pretty much every man, woman and child on the island of Ireland will know the name Glendalough.

Glendalough, which comes from the Irish word gleann da loch, which means valley of the lakes.

It is the home of a still largely intact monastic settlement – complete with Round Tower – founded in the 6th Century by St. Kevin (whose feast day is June 3). And as far as anyone in Ireland is concerned there is only one ‘correct’ way to say it ‘Glenda-lock’, and so it has been for eons!

So understandably the local pronunciation for this part of Perth ‘Glenda-low’ just feels wrong, weird.

Those of us who stay long enough to call WA home might wrestle with it but will eventually accept it for what it is.

At one stage the issue actually became a bit of a headache for Michelle Roberts, a member of parliament who retired from political life at the March 8 state election. She finished her long parliamentary career as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly after the 2021 state election to March 2025, the first woman to hold the position (out of 31 people to hold the position). Over in the Legislative Council (Upper House) the equivalent role (President) was and still is held by another politician with solid Irish heritage Alanna Clohesy. After former Premier Colin Barnett retired, Roberts also became the ‘mother of the house’, the

by Lloyd Gorman

The Glendalough area in Pert h

longest sitting elected member in the chamber.

She joined the Labor Party in 1978 and worked as a party official at state and federal level. She was also elected as a councillor for Perth City Council in 1986 until 1993 when she ran for parliament. Roberts didn’t get elected then but the following year she won the Glendalough by-election, caused by the resignation of former premier Carmen Lawrence, who went into federal politics. The new MP was faced with the question of how she would call the electorate. Thanks to her Irish heritage she was aware of the Irish pronunciation but she decided to wait to see what version the ABC would adopt and went with that.

‘Glenda-low’ it was.

The logic of her decision did not travel as far as Ireland. In an interview with Irish Scene late last year she recalled how she was inundated by dozens of postcards from Ireland – postcards of Glendalough – from correspondents pointing out the ‘actual way’ to say Glendalough. Despite their protestations and efforts to correct the record the constituency would remain ‘Glendalow’, at least until 1996, when the seat was abolished.

But of course the name of

the suburb itself remains and even more to the point the local station also takes its name from the picturesque Irish valley, meaning the debate over the right way to say the name will rage on for at least another generation!

Roberts was a regular fixture at the St. Patrick’s Day function in Parliament House. She is proud of her Irish heritage and has been to Ireland twice, with her husband who also has Irish ancestry, to trace their roots. Their most recent journey back to the old sod was about twelve months ago, which included a busman’s holiday to Dáil Éireann organised by then Australian ambassador Gary Gray and a day trip to the to the original Glendalough (pictured).

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GREETING FROM The club had another successful St Patrick's Day this year.

With it being on a Monday we were uncertain if we would get our usual numbers through the door but our members and friends of the club didn't disappoint.

With the doors opening from midday, we kicked off the celebrations with a shared plate lunch which saw some of our older members attend the club for a pint of Guinness and a bite to eat. As we moved into the afternoon, Bleedin Irish with Peter Vanderpol on guitar/vocals and Simon Miller on the cajon, both members of the club, played all the Irish hits getting members into the mood of things as they stated to filter through the doors after finishing school and started work for the day.

As the afternoon rolled into the evening, the club was then entertained by one of our local favourites, Johhny David, who also played his wide variety of Irish songs which had everyone up on the dance floor to finish the night. The club relies heavily on volunteers for days like St Patrick Day to be a success, this includes people volunteering to work behind the bar, preparing food, decorating and cleaning up after the event. We thank you all for your services on the day.

Moving on from St Patricks Day, the club hosted a Saturday night ticketed event called Bogan Theme. Members were asked to dress up in their best bogan costumes and bring their dancing shoes as we were entertained by the very talented Anne Williams and Ian Weggler, both local musicians. The night was fun filled and prizes were given out for the best dressed male and female.

During the month of March and April, the club has been utilising local food vans to park out the front during our Friday night and Sunday afternoon trading hours. The club does not offer food services and this allows us to provide food options to our members at no cost to the club with the local food van taking all proceeds. This has been working well and the members have been enjoying food from Alex's Street Food and JB Fresh & Tasty. Finally, the club is now focusing their attention onto the planning and preparation for this years Fleadh festival at the club. This will be the second year of running this event with last year being an overall success. The club will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday (8-10th August

THE MIDWEST IRISH CLUB 2025) with live entertainment all weekend from local artists and then on Saturday we have The Healys making their debut appearance at the club alongside some Irish dancers from Perth. We can't wait and look forward to sharing with you all how the event goes.

If you would like to keep up to date with the goings on at the Midwest Irish Club, please follow us on facebook and pop in if your travelling through the Midwest.

Regards Simon Miller Midwest Irish Club SEASON concludes Wednesday March 7, 7.45pm

y Too” with a supporting Irish documentary, together with tea/coffee, homemade cakes, Irish jams. Ice creams $3. At Kensington (South Perth). Donation $15 to cover catering and costs.

ESDAY BOOK CLUB March 26 and April 23, 7.30pm, Irish Club Committee Room, 61 ubiaco. All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com S FESTIVAL Saturday 16th March, Leederville Parade and Irish Festival, 10am. Join our vintage THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB OF AUSTRALIA’S IRISH HERITAGE AND PROMOTING AN AWARENESS de and ENCOURAGING our presentation of the Brendan Awards 2022 and 2023 at the concert in the early Meets fourth Tuesday of the month, with exception of December. At 7.30pm tigious award recognises individuals or groups withby aTrish record of dedicated service and24,outstandin THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB May 27,presented ‘The Coast Road’ byDooey Alan Murrin, presented by Trish Dooey. June May 24 ‘Phosphorescence’ by Julia Baird, to be ‘Three June’ Anne Tyler, presented

by Bray Mary Purcell.

All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Convenerfor Mary2024.

Purcell, June 28 Days inTBA toby be presented

by Cecilia or more aspects of Australia's Irish heritage.

Meanwhile we invite nominations Venue Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco m.purcell@telstra.com Check for venue address.

Admission Free. All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Tea and coffee from the Bar $2 SundayMary 24Purcell, 3pm, Club Committee room.

There will3pm. be Informal special motion AL MEETING PASS THE Convener SHILLELAGH –March, Sunday 22nd June,Irish Claddagh Association premises, Unit 1/8 Dewar St, Morley, Contact m.purcell@telstra.com social afternoon of Community Culture joining and Connection, Craic, andmember, Conversation volunteer sharing an important memory or subject nominations.

Please consider as aCreativity, committee or an event coordinato on Irish heritage, sing, recite, dance or playLiterary an instrument.

Chat with kindred presentations souls about what you most enjoy passing on to the BLOOMSDAY James Joyce Competition EMORATION Annual commemoration the escape of six convicts o next generationROCKINGHAM about your Irish Culture. Plus Irish afternoon tea with screening of of documentary on Irish crafts. $10Fenian at door. Contact secretary@irishheritage.com.au With oration, verse, music drama and song at the Catalpa Memorial, Rockingham Beach, Easter BRENDAN AWARD Recognises individuals or groups with a record of dedicated service including and outstandingMayor achievement in one or am to 12 noon. Free public event.

Guest speakers and dignitaries Deb Hamblin more aspects of Australia’s Irish heritage. Past recipients since inauguration in 1997 are on our website. Nominations for 2025 are FederalnowMinister Madeline King; State Minister Stephen Dawson; Somer Bessire-Briers from US invited https://irishheritage.com.au/awards/the-brendan-award/ chaelToSheehy; musician Ormonde Waters; and more.

Coordinated byon David McKnight. mark JOURNAL the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, AIHA will aHeritage celebratory event THE Quarterly magazine for Og members.

Articles the celebrating thehold Irish in Australia.

Editor Teresa O’Brien. known world-wide as Bloomsday, after Leopold Bloom in Ulysses. At the event, the June 16 , officiallyto journal@irishheritage.com.au sday shortlisted 25Correspondence April, 8am.

AIHA at invitation of Subiaco RSL lay wreaths for Irish ANZACS at Fallen entries from our competition will be staged as readings, drama, music and visual presentations

by AGM solo orOn groups.

The overall will be chosen by popular vote onTony the night receive cash 23 February electedwinner committee Heather Deighan, Chairperson; Bray, and Secretary; Patriciaa Bratton, Treasurer & Memrial on the corner of Rokeby and Hamersley Morning teawill follows.

Subject to Supported confirmation prize. bership; Teresa O’Brien, Editor of Journal and social media; roads.

Gayle Lannon, Michael Lawlor and Jody McNeill, committee. th

We thank our adjudicators Frank Murphy and Frances Devlin-Glass by a tier volunteers.

Please talk to 2024 us if you are interested in being involved in some way!

January toof31 December,

Date Thursday June 16 at 7.30pm p $65; Concession (Centrelink unwaged students with ID) $55 Venue Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco (to be confirmed) MEMBERSHIP 1 January toand 31 December, 2025 Admission AIHA members $20, Non-members $25, includes light refreshments Family membership $65; Concession (Centrelink and unwaged students with ID) $55donation of $20 om Perth) Membership fee includes taxPlus deductible Prizes $45; Best Edwardian dressed male or female. special Irish raffle Distant (200 kms from Perth) $45; Membership fee includes tax deductible donation of $20 https://www.trybooking.com/BZAVU Bookings s://irishheritage.com.au/membership/registration/ Pay Online – https://irishheritage.com.au/membership/registration/ Bank:Or Commonwealth, BSB: 066-192 Account No: 1054 BankWebsite Transfer: Bank: Commonwealth, BSB: 066-192 Account No: 1054 6502 6502 AIHA AIHA has approved charity and tax deductable status. www.irishheritage.com.au Check our website https://irishheritage.com.au/news-blog/ for a selection of exclusive Status interviews conducted d charity and tax deductable status. Deductable Gift Recipient

by committee member Gill Kenny and other articles of note. If you click on the interview with Aine Tyrrell you will arrive at our YouTube channel. Aine is really interesting - victim of domestic violence, successful 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 Commemoration was professionally videod this year. THE The link will SCENE IRISH be on our website as soon as available.

| 49

Catalpa Sunset Concert – Rockingham

A

bout In the heady days of the Americas Cup (early 1980s), working as a sign-writer, I canvassed Rockingham’s then humble caféstrip hoping to cash-in on cup-mania sweeping the state. Back then on the strip you were lucky to find a decent cup of tea, while a cappuccino some thought ran last at the Ascot Racing Carnival. In 2019, I again visited Rockingham. It was during the launch of Australian author, Peter FitzSimons’ novel, The Catalpa Rescue. And how impressed I was to see the once sleepy coastal town – had in less than a couple of decades – transformed into a vibrant hub of colourful cafés, coffee houses, boutique shops, art-galleries, and restaurants, while the foreshore reserve – noted previously for its sand-bunkers deep enough to lose a child in – now a beautiful parkland-picnic-hub.

The Catalpa Sunset Concert held on Rockingham’s scenic foreshore (March 29th) was billed as an opportunity to test the waters for a huge event planned there in 2026: 150th Anniversary of the Catalpa Rescue.

Sponsored by City of Rockingham, Catalpa Industries Group, Fremantle Prison, Bendigo Bank, Rediscover Rockingham, Royal Australian Navy, Fremantle Ports, and Safety Bay Settlements, and staged by the Catalpa Project Team under the auspices of Partnerships With A Purpose Inc the concert was a rousing success. Volunteering on behalf of non-for-profit Fenians, Fremantle and Freedom Inc, I, along with other members of our group, were invited by the CPT to help create more public awareness of an event that shook the very foundation of Western Australia’s colonial establishment in 1876. I’m talking about the escape of six Irish political prisoners known as Fenians from Western Australia on the American whaling barque Catalpa, while it was in the aquablue-waters off Rockingham (Cockburn Sound) where most of the dramatic escape took place.

Local man, James Bell nearly lost his life during the incident, when a man assisting the Fenians to escape, threatened to shoot him dead with a revolver; this after Bell had unknowingly stumbled upon the Fenians as they were about to board a whale-boat on Rockingham’s foreshore to ferry 50 | THE IRISH SCENE

By Peter Murphy – Fremantle, Fenians, Freedom Inc them to the Catalpa anchored-out in the sound.

But thanks to the intervention of Catalpa skipper – Captain George Anthony – Bell would live to tell his story. Released, Bell then galloped on his horse to Fremantle to raise the alarm – resulting in a marathon-maritime-chase in Cockburn Sound in pursuit of the Catalpa by a contingent of WA’s Water Police aboard the steamer Georgette. The Fenians however – thanks to Anthony’s coolness and sailing expertise – eventually landed safely in America.

The lively concert again proved the old adage: there are those proud to be Irish, and those who want to be Irish. And by an estimated 5500 - 6000 strong concert goers, many dressed in green, St Patrick’s Day just gone looked like it was about to roll-over into 2026.

Shaded beneath trees, the state-of-the-art-stage accompanied by a large screen gave concertgoers a real-time update on the concert’s busy entertainment schedule, while technicians from PSI Audio – operating the sound and lighting – did an amazing job, while also having to deal with loud squawks from a mob of pesky corellas.

Peppering the grassy foreshore were several marquees, some accommodating local businesses, others, non-for-profit groups such as, Peel Cycling Club, The Claddagh Association Inc, Rotary Club of Palm Beach, Catalpa Project Team, and FFF Inc. On standby to keep concert-goers safe was WASP Security, and St John’s Ambulance, while CPT members kept us volunteers hydrated with icecold bottled water.

The event kicked-off with MC Chris Spencer booming voice welcoming concert goers, whilst also acknowledging First Nations people and their connection to the land the event was being held on.

First act up was Australian/Irish folk group, The Jarrah Celts – who on stepping on stage – belted-out several rousing Irish ballads. This got the capacity crowd tapping their toes, while numerous children – uninhibited – swamped the area just below the stage to show-off their various, if sometimes hilarious contorted Irish dancing skills.

Next up was a troupe of young Irish dancers, courtesy of Empower Irish Dance Group. There’s

something infectious about Irish dancing don’t you agree, especially when accompanied by an Irish jig being played-well on a fiddle, for it tends to get your toes tapping and hands involuntary clapping, at the same time stealing the cockles of your heart.

Yours truly followed with a historical imagery of events leading up to the Fenian’s brazen escape, accompanied by poetry and song. A group of young talented musicians from Vocal Academy at South Coast Baptist followed with some haunting sounding vocals and impressive guitar playing. Next up was the Australian Navy Brass Band, introduced

by City of Rockingham mayor, Deb Hamblin.

Now when you hear a brass band being part of a concert-program, it does tend to conjure up images of a marching band, with its great big thumping bass-drum, tuba, triangle, trumpets, and clarinets, all blaring. But how wrong was I, for when the band stepped-up on stage there wasn’t a tuba or big bass-drum to be seen, for in their place was a 5-piece combo of guitars, brass-section, and drums, accompanied by a three-piece femalevocalist outfit that would have given the Supremes a run for their money. For me the ANBB ended the concert on a high note.

Congratulations to Rockingham stalwarts and CPT members, Donna Bates, Barbara Holland, Laurie Smith, Kevin McDonnell, Chris Elliot, Jackie Wickham, and Stephanie Fielding, whose passion and interest in the Catalpa story and its

connection to Rockingham is unrelenting, while their hard work I’m positive will see the coastal city in the future become one of Australia’s premier maritime tourism attractions, at the same time opening the door for the City of Rockingham to become a ‘sister city’ to the maritime City of New Bedford USA where from Catalpa sailed on its mission to rescue the six Fenians.

Praise must also go to the Sunset Market’s & Link Event Services organisers, Jessica Scoble, site manager, Taryn Fitzpatrick for their management skills in making sure the concert went as planned.

It was a magnificent afternoon and evening’s entertainment, and with the stunning background setting reminding all those who attended: what a lucky country we live in.

Come the 150TH Anniversary of the Catalpa Rescue (March/April 2026), it’s expected to attract international, interstate, and domestic visitors to the WA coastal cities of Rockingham, Fremantle, and Bunbury. If the Catalpa Sunset Concert rousing success was anything to go by, then watch this space.

Peter Murphy is author of several books detailing the Fenians and their influence in Australia during colonial times. His books are available at Fremantle Prison Souvenir Shop, New Edition bookstore High St, Fremantle, and Fremantle Visitor Centre.

For more information: fenianfear.com.au or info@feniansfestival.com.au

THE IRISH SCENE | 51

The Catalpa Ceili

By John Clare

I

t had been 150 years since secret gatherings and fund raising took place across America to acquire a whaling ship, 'The Catalpa' for a special mission. The mission was not to catch whales but to rescue six Fenian prisoners in Fremantle Prison, doomed and desperate but not forgotten.

The idea being to emulate the escape of John Boyle O’Rielly seven years earlier on board a whaling ship. So the plan was hatched to travel to Western Australia and after consultation with other Fenians, O’Reilly and Cashman, it was determined to head for Bunbury. John Devoy, then living in New York, was the mastermind together with O’Reilly’s friend, Henry Hathaway from New Bedford. The Catalpa set sail from New Bedford in April 1875 and John Breslin, plotting the Australian side of the rescue, arrived in Fremantle and posed as a rich investor, alias, James Collins.

Fenians Fremantle & Freedom was established to commemorate these men, their story and the historical links to Fremantle.

150 years later FFF were doing their own fund raising to gather funds and create awareness of this great story and tell the tale of human resilience on the streets we walk today.

So, the scene was set for an event, 'The Catalpa Ceili ', held on the very street where John Breslin, disguised as Collins, strode from the Emerald Isle Hotel, (now the Orient) to the Fremantle Telegraph Exchange (now the Buffalo Club) to send telegrams to Bunbury to Captain Anthony of the Catalpa to ready for the rescue of the bold Fenian men.

Glory-O. The Buffalo Club provided the green carpet and the FFF adorned the upstairs room with flags banners and wall projections.

With Milo’s Irish stew prepared in the galley and homemade Irish soda bread to get us through the journey, the Irish hospitality was in full swing.

Tommy O’Brien, Russell Clarke and Jerry Murphy cracking out the tunes sent the Catalpa Ceili out

on the high C's, D minors and G Majors. Torc Ceili's Caroline McCarthy danced at the helm and set a challenge to stop your feet from moving. With total calmness Caroline manoeuvred a floor full of mostly uncoordinated beginners into a beautiful flowing mess without losing anyone overboard. A special set dance was choreographed by Caroline for the event called, you guessed it, 'The Catalpa Jig' which filled the floor with laughter and smiles. By the end of the jig, movements called “The Wave’ and “Drop the Anchor’ were perfected, in the eyes of the dancer.

A great night was had by all and as chairs were stacked, lights switched off and doors were closed, amidst the handshakes, farewells and hugs on High Street Fremantle on the 5th of April 2025, a tall, well-dressed bearded man, in a top hat was spied, skipping down the road towards the Emerald Isle Hotel. A very big thank you to all who helped to make the Ceili a huge success and the Buffalo Club for their hospitality.

How the Catalpa flag became a national treasure

The missing link in the story of how it came to be in the Irish capital is answered in this article, published in an Irish newspaper on 6 October 1972, unearthed by Peter, himself a native of that Fair City.

Aside from the curious spelling of the Catalpa this short piece fills in the blanks.

In the last edition we published a story about the American flag that saved the day for the Catalpa escape attempt off the coast of WA in 1876, and a visit by Irish Scene editor Lloyd Gorman to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) to see it. We also reproduced an article from the West Australian on 9 October 1895 (and later in the Irish Independent) about the ceremony at which Captain Anthony, who was in command of the Catalpa, presented the flag to Clan na Gael in America for safekeeping. The feature was missing some important information, how and when did it find its way into the care of the NMI. We can now fill in that gap thanks for the efforts of all round Fenian enthusiast Peter Murphy.

For more information, please visit: https:// fremantlefenians.com.au/

Fenian escape ship’s flag handed over In the National Museum, Dublin, yesterday, the flag of the Gadalpa [Catalpa], the ship that took Fenian escapees from Freemantle, Australia to America, was handed over to the Director of the Museum, Mr. A.T. Lucas and the Keeper of the Art Division, Mr. John Tehan, by 1916 veteran, Mr. Joseph Clarke, Vice-President of Kevin Street Sinn Fein.

The Gadalpa flag, 14 ft by 10 ft, was in possession of Mr. J.J. McGarrity, a Co. Tyrone born official of Clann na Gael who died in 1940. It was Mr McGarrity’s wish that the flag be handed over to the Museum, the flag was presented to Clan na Gael in Philadelphia in 1896 by Capt. Anthony of the Gadalpa.

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The Irish times of Pope’s Francis and Leo B efore they each became Pope both Francis and Leo XIV were acquainted with Ireland in the course of their clerical careers.

Pope Francis visited in 2018 for an official two day visit around the World Meeting of Families in Dublin. It had been nearly 40 years since Pope John Paul II’s historic trip in September 1979, the first by any Pontiff to the country. But it was not the first time he had been in Ireland, “The Green Country” as he called it.

Perhaps (and this is my own speculation) the scale of the national enthusiasm that greeted John Paul II was a factor why the then Fr Jorge Bergoglio choose to come to Ireland. Certainly, less than a year after John Paul II ‘s visit Fr Bergoglio was in Dublin, on a break from his church duties as the head of the Jesuit Order in his native Argentina.

The South American nation was at the time was ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship, a difficult environment for the church to operate in.

by Lloyd Gorman

Pope Francis addressed audiences in Ireland in Italian, a language the Spanish speaker was more comfortable with. He also had “some” German and French, but English always eluded him. “I know his English isn’t great and I think he struggles from that,”Pat Coyle, Director of Communications for the Jesuit Order told reporters in advance of the 2018 visit. “I think there’ll be good translations while he is here.”

Pope Francis confessed his linguistic struggles to his biographer. “The hardest [language] for me has always been English,” Francis said. “Above all the pronunciation because I didn’t have the ear for it.”

Pope Leo – whose name is Robert Prevost – is exactly the opposite. Born and brought up in Chicago in America, English is his native tongue but the softly spoken pontiff prefers to communicate through Spanish, Italian, French or German or even Latin. If Francis was Argentinian Leo spent many years in Peru as a bishop and even has Peruvian Pope Francis and President Michael D Higgins enjoy a joke nationality. (maybe one about the Bishop and the actress)

Then aged in his mid 40’s Fr Bergoglio, not yet ordained a bishop, stayed at the Jesuit Milltown Institute in Ranelagh, where he went to learn English. He had only a smattering of English when he arrived – and when he left a few weeks later.

Fr Michael O’Sullivan, met him briefly at the Jesuit College in Dublin. “We couldn’t have a great conversation with his English and my Spanish at the time. If I had known he was going to become Pope I would have made more of an effort.”

He has also been to Ireland – particularly Fethard in County Tipperary – on a number of occasions visiting Augustinian communities as General of the Augustinian Order – affectionately known simply as ‘Bob’.

Father Iggy O’Donovan from County Tipperary studied for the priesthood in Rome alongside the newly elected pontiff. He explained that Pope Leo “knows Ireland very well”.

Another Irish priest Father James Kelly had Fr Bergoglio as his Rector in the Colegio Maximo in Buenos Aires, after his time in Dublin. “It was all in Spanish, there was no English,” the Irish priest said about their communications.

Father Tony Finn who is also acquainted with the new pope said there is no doubt he will return.

“He’ll certainly come to Ireland as Pope,” Fr Finn said. “He’d have a great love and affection for the Irish.”

54 | THE IRISH SCENE

OF IRISH INFLUENCE IN DIOCESE OF PERTH

O

n May 6th the Diocese of Perth passed a significant milestone, turning 180 years after its formal establishment on that date in 1845. Not surprisingly, the Irish had a lot to do with it from the very beginning.

two diocesan priests-one Irish and one from the Tyrol, an English Sub Deacon, Irish catechists and an Italian layman,” Perthcatholic.org.au said.

Thanks to the industrious efforts of this religious taskforce the church rapidly developed and Brady left Perth again John Brady Considering the Swan River Colony in October 1852, but he remained Bishop was founded in 1829 as a British until 1871. “By 1854, Catholics had expanded colony for free settlers (convict prisoners to 18 per cent of the population with the arrival would only become a temporary feature of of free settlers, a number of Irish amongst the the local population later) the Anglican and convicts, and young government-sponsored Irish Catholic churches were slow to pay attention women,” Perth Catholic added. to the nascent region. The first recorded move “But it was the gold discoveries Patrick Clune to establish the Catholic Church in the Colony of the 1890s which changed came in 1841 when school teacher Robert D’Arcy the face of Western Australia (who might well have been Irish) wrote a letter and the Catholic Church on behalf of a small group of Catholics asking by bringing an influx of lay the church authorities in Sydney to send a priest.

Catholics from the eastern Back then, the entire country – including the states of Australia...The far flung colony – was run out of Sydney by the Archdiocese, which had church.. In December 1843 their prayers were become strongly Irish at the answered with the arrival of Fr John Brady in turn of 20th century, began to Fremantle from Sydney, Dutch cleric Fr John change in the 1920s and 1930s as Joostens and catechist Patrick O’Reilly. Brady – Italian and Yugoslav migration picked up. who was born in Co. Cavan – stayed for just two After World War II, big waves of migration meant months before returning to Europe, but left only the rapid expansion of parishes and schools, after securing a site on Victoria Avenue especially in country areas. St on which a small church – which would Charles' Seminary opened in 1942 become Perth’s first cathedral – was to help provide additional priests immediately built and operated as a for those arriving from England, church and school. Brady returned Ireland, Italy, Poland, Hungary, two years later as the first Bishop the Ukraine and Malta. In of the newly established (6 May contrast, at the beginning of 1845) Diocese of Perth which the 21st century, the Perth extended from Albany in the Church is characterised south of western Australia

by Catholic migrants from to Darwin in the Northern Asian countries.” When Territory. With him travelled 27 the Perth Diocese was missionaries. “Arriving with elevated to an Fr Brady at Fremantle Archdiocese in in January 1846 were August 1913 the Spanish Benedictines bishop at the time with a French was Patrick Novice, Irish Sisters Clune – born of Mercy, French near Ruan, Holy Heart of Mary Co. Clare in priests and brothers, 1864 – became

THE IRISH SCENE | 55

OF IRISH INFLUENCE IN DIOCESE OF PERTH its first Archbishop (until 1935). He was replaced as archbishop by Redmond Prendiville, born in 1900 at Wood, Brosna, Co. Kerry, who held the role until 1968.

There have been a few Irish Auxiliary Bishops along the way too. Bishop John Joseph Rafferty (1955-1962) was born in 1912 in Killaloe, Co. Clare.

Rafferty was studying for the Redmond Prendiville priesthood and had been accepted at the Archdiocese of Adelaide but it emerged his services were not needed.

The young cleric – who was ordained in April 1936 – took advantage of the visit to his seminary by Archbishop Prendiville and was soon on his way to Perth, originally on loan for a short period of time but he would have a long association with WA. On a visit to Ireland Bishop Rafferty died suddenly, at the age of 50 in his native Killaloe on the day before he was due to return to Perth, and is buried on the grounds of St. Flannan’s Church where he was baptised. Bishop Myles McKeon took on the role of Auxiliary Bishop in the wake of Rafferty’s unexpected passing. A native of Drummin, in Co. Mayo, he attended All Hallows College in Dublin, the seminary that trained priests for missions in English speaking parts of the world. Once ordained he was sent to Perth where he was consecrated as Auxiliary Bishop in 1962. He attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome (1962 to 1965), which he described as a “highlight” of his clerical career. McKeon, who would become the Bishop of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Bunbury, died in 1969, aged 97.

The last of our Irish born bishops, Robert Healy had a lengthy association with the Archdiocese.

Ordained a priest in 1949 he was for a short time a priest of Ossory (covering Kilkenny and portions of Laois and Offaly) before he was incardinated to Perth in 1950.

He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Perth in October 1975 and served in that role until October 2000 when he retired. Bishop John Rafferty Healy died two years later.

The ‘irreplaceable legacy’ of Irish priests on the Archdiocese of Perth is

56

| THE IRISH SCENE

recognised with a historic Celtic Cross in the crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral, next to the final resting place of bishops Prendiville, Clune and Gibney. The Cross – made from 5,000 year old bog oak from Ireland – was presented to the Archbishop in 2010 by the late (and great) Monsignor Sean O’Shea, from Co. Clare, and Fr. Michael Casey, PP South Perth, from Co. Kerry, who died in September 2022.

The unique crucifix was offered on the condition that that it would be “prominently and permanently” displayed in the Cathedral.

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GOD BLESS YOU FATHER TED

T

he first episode of one of the most popular Irish comedy sitcoms ever, Father Ted was aired thirty years ogo 21st April 1995 while the final episode broadcast on 1 May 1998. Over three seasons and 25 episodes – with Dermot Morgan as Father Ted Crilly and the cast of the Craggy Island oddballs and misfits – made us laugh then and has remained funny ever since.

At a time when the Catholic Church was embroiled in one scandal or disgraceful affair after another, Fr. Ted poked harmless and innocent fun at the Church and Catholic Ireland.

While some priests and nuns might have found it belittling of their vocation, while others would have enjoyed the light-hearted and often ludicrous take on their experiences as members of religious orders. Sadly, Dermot Morgan, 45, who

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once considered becoming a priest himself but then became an atheist, suffered a heart attack and died on 28 February 1998, just one day after recording the final episode “Going to America”.

His funeral was attended by the great and good of Irish politics and culture and the mass at St Theresa’s Church, Mount Merrion, Dublin, was celebrated by four priests (Fr Michael Paul Gallagher, Fr Brian d'Arcy, Fr Martin Cosgrove and Fr Gerry Magarry), who all knew him well and who also provided inspiration for some of the priestly characters Morgan created. In 2007 the first Friends of Father Ted (Ted Fest) was held on the island of Inishmore, off the coast of Galway and continues to this day. The next Ted Fest in Ireland will be held 5-8 March 2026! Go on! Go on! Go on!

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THE IRISH SCENE | 57

Book Reviews Books reviewed by John Hagan

I WILL FIND THE KEY

by ALEX AHNDORIL / ZAFFRE $32.99 A former investigator with Sweden’s Norrmalam Police, Julia Stark now is a private eye with her own detective agency. During a late August afternoon, she receives a surprise visit from one of the nation’s biggest forestry magnates, Per Gunter Mott.

Mott shares with her a photograph of a dead man with a bag tied over his head which he has on his mobile phone. Due to alcohol related amnesia, Mott has no idea whether or not he is responsible for the killing and asks Julia to investigate, in the hope of clearing his name. Julia invites her ex-husband Sidney, a serving police officer, to join her, and the pair set out for the Mott family estate.

Convinced it will only take a few days, Julia and Sidney are initially welcomed to the estate as they search for the truth. They are soon dining and socializing with the extended family, one of whom Julia reckons is the likely culprit. The pair find the Motts are a clan with hidden, and damaging, secrets and who generally don’t get on well with each other, nor do they relish their lives being scrutinized by outsiders. Might the killer be Per Gunter’s waspish wife, Monika, or one of his three second cousins, Bjorn, Andre and Siri, who are also shareholders in the company.

Then there is Per Gunter’s reclusive brother, Werther, and the loyal family retainer, Amelie, to consider. When another body turns up, Julia assembles the group together in the drawing room to reveal her insights on the dynamics of the family, cutting through the twisted web of lies and intrigue to finally reveal (a la Hercule Poirot) who committed the crime – and why.

Julia is something of an intriguing character.

Why does she need a cane to help her walk?

How did she come by the scar on her face?

Will she manage to entice Sidney (for whom she still has the hots) to join her in the Stark Detective Agency? In reality, Alex Ahndoril is the pseudonym for two writers, Alexandra and Alexander Ahndoril, who are also responsible for the best-selling Lars Kepler series of thrillers with sales in excess of 17 million and which have been translated into 40 languages.

58 | THE IRISH SCENE

OIL

by MICHAEL TONDRE / BLOOMSBURY $19.99 Black gold, liquid sunlight, Texas tea - whatever you call it, there is no argument as to how much oil has impacted on, and influenced, our lives. Nothing has transformed the alchemy of human experience like oil which is, amongst other things, the basis of computer chips, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic creams, synthetic condoms, clothing and many millions of plastic gadgets, not to mention power for our burgeoning motor fleets and supporting our insatiable love of flight. From 21 million barrels of crude per day during the 1960s, global consumption of oil nearly tripled to 60 million in 1990, before skyrocketing to 92 million in 2020. In this slim novel, Tondre traces oil’s history from its recorded uses in the fifth century to the present day. He explores how the product has molded politics and political systems, and how art, literature and film have been fashioned by petroleum production and consumption. Tondre demonstrates how, and why, oil is not only a commercial product, but also a cultural phenomenon. Why has oil generated such extraordinary violence over the last century, and how have writers tried to illuminate its global devastation are among the topics also addressed. Between 2011 and 2021, giant oil conglomerates such as Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP, spent in excess of USD$452.6 million lobbying US politicians in support of the product, and we now learn that one of the many shibboleths chanted by newly elected US President, Donald J Trump is ‘Drill baby, drill’. So where does oil go from here? Tondre strikes a delicate balance as he explores how the product has influenced history, social development, war, literature, film and art, and in the final chapter, goes on to imagine life in a post-petroleum world. This is another fine book in the extensive Bloomsbury ‘Object Lessons’ series, which explores the hidden lives of ordinary things, arguably the most consistent and interesting nonfiction series in publication.

PROCESSED

by LUCIE MORRIS-MARR / ALLEN & UNWIN $34.99 Following the Walkley Award win for her book, Fallen: The inside story of the secret trial and conviction of Cardinal George Pell, journalist

Morris-Marr received the shattering news that she had developed stage four bowel cancer. While such a serious diagnosis plunged her life into an onerous treatment regime, it also sparked a tenacious mission to discover the root cause of such a devastating diagnosis, motivating her to engage in a detailed investigation about the links between her ‘prime suspect’, processed meats, and the malignancy. The average Australian consumes an astounding 17 kilos of pork, salami, bacon, ham, sausages and other salty cured processed meats each year, all of which have been increasingly linked to serious health risks including obesity, arthritis, stroke and dementia. Research indicates that Australia is the number one country globally for cancer rates in both men and women. Morris-Marr stunningly reveals ‘there are actual poisons added [to processed meat] …. that increase our risk of developing cancer’. According to the World Health Organization, one hot dog or a couple of rashers of bacon a day (and who doesn’t love an Ulster Fry?), increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. In order to preserve these meats and promote a long shelf life and sex-up the colour, nitro-preservatives (including preservative 250) are added, in the form of sodium nitrate, a chemical ingredient that has been officially classed as a poison and is being used to cull feral pigs on Kangaroo Island. The book’s thesis is that it’s important we reduce our intake of processed meat, or source processed meats that are nitrate-free, lest we risk developing early onset cancer (like the author). Morris-Marr documents the actions she has taken in pursuit of making Australian foods healthier, including correspondence (and personal lobbying) with McDonalds, the Federal Minister of Health and the alleged sources of the ‘contamination’, the food giants, Don, JBS and Primo, whose products are prominently displayed at our local supermarkets. Processed is an impassioned, meticulously researched, well documented and disturbing work of investigative journalism – a stark warning to all to exercise more care in choosing the foods we eat. I for one, will be checking whether or not my supermarket choices contain the potentially carcinogenic preservative 250 during all my future grocery shopping forays.

Morris-Marr continues with her life-preserving cancer treatment.

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'Where the Mountains of Mourne

O

n sitting down to write this article, I had planned to write about the county of Antrim, the county close to Scotland in more ways than distance. However, a song on the radio, namely ‘Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea’, by Percy French, made me nostalgic for my own County. That of County Down which I thought I knew very well. Turns out there were places there I never visited and other places there where I had never heard of.

When I boarded at Methody for seven years, I was always looking out for things to do and places to go where I could leave the school for as long as possible. In 1963, the school invested in a cottage near the small town of Annalong which is situated at the base of the Mourne Mountains just a short distance from the more famous Newcastle. Around this time, some of the boarders were transported to this cottage to learn how to rock climb. We were taken to a nearby quarry where we were shown the basics with ropes, bow line knots and the various techniques of rock-climbing.

The next day we walked up the Quarter Road towards the mountains. It was cloudy, damp and a drizzling rain enveloped the six boys and me.

We were divided into four groups with two in each group; except for me who remained solo. Off we marched.

‘I haven’t done this for a while,’ claimed my instructor, ‘so, we’ll try an easy climb if that is all right by you?’ he asked rhetorically. There was no answer to that, but it didn’t sound that encouraging to me. Now at this stage I must admit to a fault I found out that I had. I don’t like heights. I probably had this acrophobia (as it is called) then, but I just didn’t know the word nor the affliction. We climbed up to the base of a suitable rock. This was well into the cloud cover, so visibility was no more than twenty yards or about seventeen metres for all readers under fifty. My instructor, Tim, gave me some advice. ‘It is a long climb but very easy, so you will have no difficulty. I’ll see you in twenty minutes,’ he retorted as upwards he set off.

After about eight minutes, I felt a tug on the rope that I was attached to. This was the signal for me to start to climb. No problem for the first ten metres but then I ran into a difficult patch. I was

60 | THE IRISH SCENE

confronted by a large overhang rock. I looked at it in amazement. How the hell did he get up over that. I looked around it and immediately saw where I had gone wrong. I should have gone a few metres left and then an easy climb to the top. I had to descend a few feet (all right half a metre) to get round this overhang. Unfortunately, Tim had pulled the rope I was attached to quite tight. I yelled up to him to give me some slack. My voice rebounded from the rock above me and clearly, he couldn’t hear my request. I yelled louder. No reply. I looked down.

Luckily, the cloud was so thick, I couldn’t see the drop which probably was quite large. I tugged the rope to let him know I was in some difficulty. By this stage, the rope had found it’s way over the top of the overhang and that is where my tug ended.

I stood there on the ledge and wondered what to do. Fifteen minutes passed and I was becoming desperate. Now when you are that age (15) you are reasonably fit. I was, or at least I thought I was. I reckoned I could pull myself up if I got a good grip of the rock above. I made a jump for it and grabbed hold of a bit of wet stone. No way could I hang on. I let go so that I could land back on the ledge. Tim in his wisdom, had felt the rope loosen slightly so he had pulled in the slack. This resulted in me dangling a few inches (sorry centimetres) above the ledge.

No choices left now. I had to climb up the (now very wet) rope. Luckily a rush of adrenalin came to my rescue. A few minutes later, I had managed to climb and clamber over the top of this nasty piece of rock. It never dawned on me that I could have simply (or with difficulty) taken out the bowline knot and waited until Tim climbed down to see why there was nobody at the end of his rope! When I eventually arrived at his position, he was belayed in a precarious position with a small fountain of water hitting his shoulder and running down his shirt and pants. (Belaying is a technique in rock climbing where a climber is secured by a rope, which is controlled by another person known as the belayer.

The belayer uses a device to create friction on the rope, allowing them to easily catch the climber if they fall, provide tension for rest, or lower them safely to the ground.)

Sweep Down to the Sea’

‘Hey,’ he began, ‘Good to see you. That took you some time. You didn’t fall off or anything?’ he quizzed me. ‘I felt a bit of a strain on the rope at one point,’ he continued.

I assured him that I hadn’t fallen off but had slipped a bit. Well, what was I supposed to say.

We were both very glad to return to the cottage where we were able to wring out our clothes and indulge ourselves in some dry ones. The sequel to this story I will mention later.

So what about these mountains? The Mourne upland is dominated by a compact ring of twelve mountains, each rising above 600m, with the highest peak, Slieve Donard, reaching 853m. (I will stick to metres here) This unique range lies 31 miles (50km) south of Belfast and just over 62 miles (100km) north of Dublin hugging the County Down coastline. Many of the mountains have names beginning "Slieve", from the Irish sliabh, meaning "mountain”. Nesting at the foot of Slieve Donard, lies the town of Newcastle. It is Down's second largest populated town, and its natural attractions draw thousands of visitors annually. I hope to write about Percy in an upcoming article in this fabulous little mag. One of the other famous mountains for visitors is call Slieve Lamagan. The name Lamagan means “by hands and feet!!” but if the weather is kind (a rare occurrence) it is a steep walk to put it mildly. It is the hardest of the high Mournes peaks to climb. It sits in the middle of the range and is a slog, taking two other peaks on the route up. What is the Mourne Mountains and Newcastle famous for you might well ask? Newcastle has been made famous in the song by Percy French as the place where 'the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea'. and famously by Don McLean. Apparently, they also influenced C.S. Lewis to write The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. My father often took me to Newcastle when I was very young, to visit the people who he had lodged with when he left Kells, Co Meath to live in the North of Ireland. Not so many tourists in those days I might add.

What other attractions does this mountain range hold? For hikers, there is the famous Mourne wall.

Not quite the Great wall of China but it does cross fifteen of the summits. It was built to enclose the catchment basin of the Silent Valley and Ben Cros

LES ULSTER RAMB

reservoirs. Silent Valley Reservoir is a reservoir in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel. It supplies most of the water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast via the Aquarius pipeline. The reservoir was built between 1923 and 1933 by a workforce of over one thousand men, nine of whom died during construction. Ben Crom Reservoir is upstream of Silent Valley in the Kilkeel River valley and supplies the same areas. It was constructed between 1953 and 1957. The Mourne wall is a dry-stone wall measuring 31.4 km (19.5 miles) in length that was constructed to define and protect the 36 km2 (8,900-acre) catchment area purchased by Belfast Water Commissioners in the late 19th century. Construction of the Mourne Wall was started in 1904 and was completed in 1922. Did I ever walk this wall? Yes, of course. Not the whole length in any one day I might add. To maintain your footing, you must look down. As the stones pass rapidly over your vision, after some time, when you look up, the complete landscape flies away from you. A wonderful experience when you are sixteen.

Not so good when you are over seventy!

So what is the sequel to my earlier story? About two months later, when a group of us visited the cottage again, a few of the instructors dropped in to simply pay a visit and see how we were all going. Tim (my instructor) was not one of them.

After some time one of them told the story of a friend of his (Tim, I presumed) who was told that one of his climbing students (me again I presumed) climbed up the rope at one stage. A very tall story he agreed and was probably untrue. He continued to tell us that the instructor (Tim) was so upset by this, that he gave up rock climbing and took up hiking instead. ‘Much safer,’ he had claimed at the time. Naturally, I joined in at the mirth of such an unlikely story and I wisely did not put up my hand to mention that the story was completely true.

Just as I was sending this to the illustrious editor, the news came through that Rory McIlroy (who I have often written about) finally won his green jacket. If you don’t know what this means, don’t worry. Ask any golfer.

As always, may your God go with you. Best wishes until the next time.

David MacConnell

THE IRISH SCENE | 61

Paula from Tasmania

BY PAULA XIBERRAS

The Ride is Over

BY PAULA XIBERRAS

Carousel gives us the story of four young adults locked in a shopping centre. It might seem a teenage dream but only to an extent. While all the shops are open to the protagonists free use and they can enjoy all the free food, fashionable clothes, big brands, toys and gadgets they like as well as many coffees, sweet treats and TV all day if they so wish but the downer is they are unable to leave the centre. While the freebies are fun at first, as time goes by and food in the supermarket reaches its use by date, or as they call it becomes ‘out of code’, fear begins to grow. Even so, the young people show their resourcefulness in growing their own vegetables to counter the out of code foods. They also demonstrate first class first aid on Rocky when he injures his hand badly.

Still questions remain unanswered, why has no one come to rescue them and who is the owner of the car? Soon, they become aware that someone else is in the shopping centre with them.

I spoke to West Australian author Brendan Ritchie about the book and the growing trend of a blur between young adult and adult fiction genres.

Ritchie agrees that young adult is attracting broad readership as it in turn grows more sophisticated with more nuances. He gets some lovely emails from all demographics and age groups and believes it is because he doesn’t have a preachy message. Brendan tells me the shopping centre in the book is based on an actual shopping centre in Perth. For those that can’t get enough of Carousel there is a sequel ‘Beyond Carousel’.

Carousel is out now published by Fremantle Press.

Catching the Fever

BY PAULA XIBERRAS

I recently chatted to Michael Clift the founder of the Australian Bee Gees. The ‘Feel the Fever Again Tour’ tours Australia in coming weeks.

It’s been 14 years and 4,000 shows at the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas for the Australian Bee Gees with a contract of at least another five years announced.

The show had been voted the best tribute show and tenth overall best show in Vegas.

62 | THE IRISH SCENE

For over 30 years the guys have been the consummate performers with the live celebration tribute to the Gibb brothers. I asked Clift how the show has evolved over those years and how has it been received in the over 60 different countries it had toured. Clift said one of the major things the guys have experienced over the years is that their confidence and sense of ease in reprising their roles has grown, also they are much more clued into the nuances of performing for different audiences.

Clift explains that in Asia the audiences are quiet and polite compared to the much more vocal response from Vegas. Once the guys thought this difference was a cause for concern, but now, they see it as cultural, and they happily go with it.

Feedback from audiences has been invaluable in evolving their performance. I asked Clift what song of The Bee Gees would make cause audience angst it was left off the playlist. Without any hesitation Clift nominated ‘Staying Alive’. It is simply ‘the song that represents a generation’ and indeed with the presence of social media, ‘every generation’.

It’s odd to think, said Clift that some of the present audiences who were thirty-year-olds when the song came out in the seventies would now be in their seventies! The song said Clift is ‘simply a phenomenon’. Clift said his wife. who is an American, has a particular love for Tasmania. While on the topic of love, Clift said his own favourite Bee Gees song is ‘To Love Someone’. You can see The Australian Bee Gees ‘Feel the Fever Again’ tour at the following dates and venues: Saturday August 16, 2025: Albany Entertainment Centre – ALBANY, WA 08 9844 5005 | www.artsculturetrust.com.au Sunday August 17, 2025: Margart River Heart – MARGARET RIVER, WA www.artsmargaretriver.com | 08 9780 5294

IRISH IRISHTHEATRE THEATREPLAYERS PLAYERS

Adapting with Purpose: A Creative Year Ahead

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 his own fair?

Was Judas the duplicitous master of his own

By Caroline McDonnell, President, fate, a much-suffering pawn used for Jesus’s ends, or fate, a much-suffering pawn used for Jesus’s ends, or Irish Theatre Players Inc. just a man who made a mistake?

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Guirgis. our circumstances with creativity andBoasting purpose. figures. figures. aalarge, zany cast of characters, the play asks one We are also actively exploring long-term large, zany cast of characters, the play asks one This isn’t a departure from what came before of the most plaguing questions in Christian solutions to ARE secure a permanent home for of plaguing questionsWith inthe the Christian SHOW —the it’smost a natural evolution. longstanding SHOWTIMES TIMES AREAPRIL APRIL21ST, 21ST,22ND 22ND&&23RD 23RDAT AT Irish Theatre Players Inc 24TH — one that supports ideology: What happened to Judas Iscariot?

The ideology: What happened to Judas Iscariot?

The 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE AT 2.00PM foundations in place, we’ve taken this moment 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE 24TH AT 2.00PM not only performances and rehearsals, but facts (we think!) are Judas facts (we think!)we weknow know arethese: these: Judaswas wasthe the THEN 28TH, &&30TH AT as an opportunity to refocus, reconnect, and THEN 28TH,29TH 29TH 30TH AT7.30PM. 7.30PM. workshops, events, and the informal moments disciple Jesus who and ensureof that everything wehis dofriend continues disciple of Jesus whobetrayed betrayed his friend andteacher teacher that help build community. Alongside this, to reflect the needs and interests of our we’re investigating new funding streams and members and supporters.

It's a chance to getMEMBERS WHO ATTENDED OUR AGM THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OUR THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL OUR MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED OUR AGM partnership opportunities to support a more back to basics in the best sense — to create ON THURSDAY 17TH FEBRUARY AT THE IRISH CLUB OF sustainable future forWA. Irish community ON THURSDAY 17TH FEBRUARY AT THE IRISH CLUB OF WA. theatre that is open, relevant, and grounded theatre in WA. REVIEW OF FORTHOSE THOSEWHO WHOMISSED MISSEDIT, IT,HERE’S HERE’SOUR OUR REVIEW OFOUR OURYEAR YEAR2021.

2021. in community. FOR We’re proud to introduce the 2025 Irish Also, membership for 2022 now available; www.trybooking.com/BWUGC Also, membership for13 2022 nowwe available; www.trybooking.com/BWUGC At our Annual General Meeting on April, Theatre Players committee: reflected on this renewed sense of direction President: Caroline McDonnell and officially launched Around the Hearth, our new monthly play reading group. We Vice President: Denice Byrne also announced an exciting partnership with Secretary: Fiona Reid The Claddagh Association, who have kindly Treasurer: Marian Byrne opened their doors to support us during this General Committee Members: Grainne Friel, period of transition by providing valuable Catherine Edis, Emer Dehide, ,Shivas Lindsay, access to rehearsal and meeting space. and Stanley O’Neill.

Their support strengthens our ability to stay connected and active while we plan for our As always, we warmly welcome new members longer-term future. and friends to get involved — on stage, behind the scenes, or simply by sharing your ideas.

We’re also making a conscious effort to be more present and visible in the wider Irish Got an idea for a show, workshop, or event? and arts communities. You’ll find us attending Want to help out backstage or front of house? events, engaging in conversations, and Interested in joining our play reading group? continuing to invite new voices and ideas into Have a chat with one of our committee the room. As always, our work is guided by the members or drop us a line — your voice helps belief that theatre should be created with our shape our direction. community — not just for it.

WE WEARE AREBACK BACKININTHE THEREHEARSAL REHEARSALSPACE SPACE AGAIN PREPARING FOR OUR APRIL AGAIN PREPARING FOR OUR APRIL PRODUCTION PRODUCTION“THE “THELAST LASTDAYS DAYSOF OFJUDAS JUDAS ISCARIOT” UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES ISCARIOT” UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYESOF OF AWARD AWARDWINNING WINNINGDIRECTOR DIRECTORBRENDAN BRENDANELLIS. ELLIS.

We’ve started the year by planning a program that offers variety, creativity, and genuine participation:

Follow us on Facebook / Messenger or email us at itp@irishtheatreplayers.com.au to stay connected.

•

Let’s make 2025 a year of collaboration, creativity, and community.

A One Act Season this June at Wembley Community Centre

irishtheatreplayers.com.au irishtheatreplayers.com.au

IrishTheatrePlayers THE IrishTheatrePlayers THEIRISH IRISHSCENE SCENE | | 8585

Claddagh Seniors celebrate St Patrick’s Day On Wednesday, March 19, Claddagh Seniors gathered at The Mighty Quinn Tavern for a fantastic afternoon of delicious food, lively music, and warm community spirit. The talented Broken Pokers kept everyone entertained, while Volunteer Anne’s homemade bread was a true treat! A sea of green, laughter, and connection made for a memorable day!

It was wonderful to see both familiar and new faces, including visitors who joined in the festivities while on holiday. A massive thank you to our amazing volunteers, without you this would not be possible!

Upcoming Seniors Events • Tuesday 27 May – Lunch at Stirling Arms in Guildford • Wednesday 25 June – Quiz & lunch at Claddagh office Explore our full gallery of past events on our website at Claddagh.org. au or scan the QR code right.

Check out these great snaps from Volunteer Paul.

Claddagh celebrates St. Patrick’s in Style!

What a weekend of Irish pride, community, and celebration!

The festivities teed off with the Irish Golf Club WA’s two-ball Ambrose at Hillview Course Friday 14 March – an incredible day on the green. Huge congratulations to the Claddagh Cup winners, Robert Cunningham & Sam Murray, and The Charlotte Cup winners, Peter & Jahna Trethowan. Well played!

Saturday, March 15, saw the St. Patrick’s Festival WA in a brand-new location, Birdwood Square and what a spectacular day it was! From amazing floats in the parade and fantastic entertainment to an electric atmosphere, it was a true celebration of Irish heritage.

A massive well done to the festival committee and organisers for making it happen! Did you get your photo taken by our Roaming Photo Booth? Be sure to check out our website to find your snaps!

Sunday, 16 March made history with the first-ever St. Patrick’s Festival in Joondalup! The streets turned green as families, friends, and the Irish community came together for a fun-filled day of music, laughter, and celebration.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined in - let’s keep the Irish spirit alive all year round!

Claddagh Report

Seniors Digital Training

Join us for these fun and informative workshops! Enjoy practical, easy-to-follow advice, morning tea, plenty of laughs, and a handy take-home folder to keep learning at your own pace.

Next Workshop: Saturday, 24 May (Note change of date) Time: 10am – 12pm, followed by morning tea Bookings: Call 08 9249 9213 or email admin@claddagh.org.au to secure your spot!

Patricia Halley (MARA 1383611) from Visa4You - a registered an Agent is available for telephone appointments. This is a great op a professional.

If you need advice about Visa's or citizenship, please make an ap for the next clinic by contacting us on 08 9249 9213 or email adm

Upcoming Events Free Visa Clinic The Claddagh Association continues to offer FREE Visa Clinics, providing expert guidance on all things migration!

Patricia Halley (MARA 1383611) from Visa4You - a registered and experienced Migration Agent is available for telephone appointments.

Whether you're just starting your visa journey, working towards permanent residency, or need advice on citizenship, this is a fantastic opportunity to get professional guidance.

Eligibility: Available to Claddagh members. Not a member?

Join today for just $10 to access this invaluable support.

To book an appointment, contact us on 08 9249 9213 or email admin@claddagh.org.au

Eligibility: Available to Claddagh members. Not a member? Join this invaluable support.

Saturday, March 15

Recent Fundraisers: A Community Effort

Did you get your photo taken by our Roaming Photo Booth? Be sure to check out our website to find your snaps!

On Sunday 2 February, Claddagh was delighted to be part of Torc Festival at Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle – a celebration of Irish patroness saint.

The event featured live music, Irish dancing, a performance from cúpla focal, butter-making, and the always-challenging soda brea Congratulations to Andrea and Cecelia for winning first place in e A huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition an amazing $600.55 was raised on the day! A special thank you to C was a fantastic day, and we’re already looking forward to next y We can’t forget our volunteers who helped out on the day – tha and support!

Torc Ceili’s St Brigid’s Festival: (pics attached)

Grill’d Local Matters Leederville During the month of March, Claddagh will be one of the featured Grill’d Leederville Local Matters program. Every time you dine at

THE CLADDAGH ASSOCIATION - THERE WHEN YOU NEED US Claddagh’s mission is to provide support, care, and connection to members of the Irish community in WA who are 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 make a donation.

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

Become a Member: For just $10, you can join Claddagh. Increased membership helps us access additional funding and support.

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 below.

Reminder: If you or someone you know needs Claddagh’s support, please contact us: Email: admin@claddagh.org.au Phone: 08 9249 9213 Crisis Line (Urgent Support): 0403 972 265 THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING CLADDAGH

Unit 1, 8 Dewar Street, Morley, 6062.

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

Crisis Support: 0403 972 265

Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc. The AIDA WA competition season is well underway, with local feisanna here in Perth, as well as major international championships which WA dancers have competed in with great success.

At the end of February 6, WA Dancers travelled to Killarney to compete in the All-Ireland Championships we congratulate their successes.

Vaughan Cooper, WA Academy – 1st Place, ALL IRELAND CHAMPION Sinead Daly, The Academy – 11th Place Caoimhe McAleer, The Academy – 15th Place

We wish the dancers and teachers travelling to the World Championship's in Dublin all the very best of luck! AIDA WA is proud of every one of you.

Medbh Flanagan, The Academy – 21st Place Caitlin Bone, The Academy – 28th Place Koral Smith, The Academy – 39th Place

In Perth we started our local competition season with the St Patricks Day Feis hosted by Celtic Academy. As always it is lovely to see our friends at competitions again and for our dancers to show off their practise over the Christmas break. Whether it is the first time on stage or training for the World Championships each dancer presented beautifully and should be very proud of themselves. March madness continues for the dancers as we celebrate Saint Patricks Day and immerse ourselves in the Irish culture through food, music and dance. Our dancers thoroughly enjoyed entertaining crowds at parades, festivals or in local pubs throughout Perth and surrounding areas.

Our Blackout feis was held on the last weekend of March where AIDA WA presented the 2024 Aggregate winners. We congratulate the following dancers: Under 10 – Brooky Hamilton

Under 16 – Georgia Western

Under 12 – Tiernan Beattie

Under 18 – Lene Brady

Under 14 – Charlotte Langford

Over 18 – Stella Ashley

Vaughan Cooper, WA Academy

Sinead Daly, The Academy

Caoimhe McAleer, The Academy

Brooky Hamilton

Tiernan Beattie

Charlotte Langford Georgia Western

66 | THE IRISH SCENE

Medbh Flanagan, The Academy

Caitlin Bone, The Academy

Koral Smith, The Academy

Lene Brady

Stella Ashley

AIDA WA EXECUTIVE 2023 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 Member for Mining & Pastoral Region

Minister for Emergency Services; Innovation and the Digital Economy; Science; Medical Research; Minister assisting the Minister for State and Industry Development; Jobs and Trade.

WA ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCING Malaga www.waacademyofirishdancing.com Shannen Krupa TCRG Stephanie Leeder TCRG Glenalee Bromilow ADCRG Sue Hayes TMRF

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 | 67

G’DAY FROM MELBOURNE

Eurovision Song time again

B

y now most of you will have washed away your St Patrick’s Day celebration memories and look forward to next year to do it all again Well, much the same as we head into another major celebration on a bigger scale. YesYes, its Eurovision Song time again and the euro fans will be donning their finest and stocking up on the champagne for the long celebratory events that run over several days, with the semi -finals on Tuesday May 13th and Thursday the 15th and the final on Saturday May 17th. Switzerland hosts the event this year as the winner of Eurovision last year.

Let’s look at some of the history of the event over the years and Irelands success and some background of the story behind why the Eurovision Song contest was held in a small rural town with a population of 1500. Both Ireland and Sweden have won the event a record seven times and Irelands Johnny Logan, or should I say Australian Jonny, whose real name was Sean Sherrard, who represented Ireland was born in Frankston, just about an hour’s train ride from Melbourne.

Ireland is long past its glory days as winners, also gone are the days of the great intermittent acts such as Riverdance that went on to become a worldwide smash.

Ireland’s first winner was Dana in 1970 with a song called ‘All kinds of Everything”. In 1980 “What’s Another Year” sung by Jonny Logan won, in 1987 Jonny won again with “Hold Me Now. In 1992, Jonny won again as the writer of his song sung by Linda Martin “Why Me”. This win gave Jonny

68 | THE IRISH SCENE

the honour of being the only one to have won the Eurovision Song Contest 3 times as writer and his record still stands today. One could rightly ask, how could we Irish get any better? Well guess what, 1992/93/94 was Irelands golden period winning all 3 on the trot. In 1992 Jonny Logans song Why Me? sung by Linda Martin, Niamh Kavanagh in 1993 “In Your Eyes” and Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan’s with “Rock n Roll Kids” in 1994.

1993 was one out of the box, the first time that Eurovision was held in a rural area with no modern amenities, a small country town of approximately 1500 people. So many people have asked many times, why was the event held in Millstreet?

Let me give you a little bit of the background on the Millstreet story. The story told was that a wealthy resident offered his riding school as a place to stage the event. Radio Telefis Eireann (RTE) The National Broadcaster accepted gladly as this would keep down the cost. Keeping the cost down my a#s, who was kidding who. I met with Noel C. Duggan, the wealthy man, the following year and had some intense meetings with him as part of my research for Globe Events Management to lobby the European Broadcasting Union on the possibility of taking the Eurovision Song Contest to Melbourne, where we had some of the finest facilities and technology in the world to host such an event. Yes, Noel C. Duggan was a wealthy man and a very clever one at that. My first question to him was, why Millstreet and not Dublin where the event has been held successfully previously with all the necessary equipment and technology at hand.

Whereas in Millstreet it would be starting from zero as Millstreet had virtually nothing to start from other than the Equestrian horse arena?

I wish I had a camera with me to take a picture of the smile on his face. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) contributes the bulk of the cost of the event to the host nation he tells me. I interrupt but Noel, RTE have been telling the public for years that the event was too costly to host. Well of course they would tell them that, because if they kept saying it long enough the

G’DAY FROM MELBOURNE public and the government would believe them. Yet Ireland held the event the following year despite their previous (cross my heart and hope to die) that the event was too costly to hold, a year later. “I couldn’t have had the event here if there was going to a loss and that I can assure, didn’t happen”, as he rubbed his hands and smiled.” It was a major success financially for Millstreet and Ireland as well”. Noel tells me, the one-minute tourist promotion segments in the show between each performing act generates astronomical pounds for the tourist industry as the tourist influx increases dramatically soon after the event finishes. I later checked that out with the Irish tourist board, and they confirmed it. Now that the European Union has opened the door to change by having the event in this lovely little town here in rural Ireland, that should give them reason to look into the future. “If you are looking to take the event to the other side of the world and succeed you won’t ever have to go to the bank as they will come begging to you. My first advice to you is, you will have to know who pulls the strings and the best person to help Globe would be Christian Clausen at the European Broadcasting Union in Genive, Switzerland. Phone him and tell him that I recommend he meets with you as Globe Events management have a plan that could dramatically increase the event by opening it up to a global audience, coming from Australia. Remind him that Jonny logan was born in Australia and represented and won 3 times for Ireland. O and don’t expect any

help from RTE as they wouldn’t want to lose their cash cow, with the event going down under. “ Globe Events Management met several times with Christian Clausen at the EBU and later lobbied over the following two years and finaly received confirmation that they would be willing to have the event in Melbourne, all that was required was conformation from the Premier. Sadly, that Premier never agreed to meet with Globe Events management and alas Melbourne and Australia missed out on a golden opportunity for the music and tourist industry. Despite Australia’s loss, the directors of Globe Events management were engaged by the EBU to help them to plan a new strategy to go forward and that remains in place today. Part of their introduced strategy was that there should be a phone in voting by all and not just by jury’s. Now everyone gets to vote on the performers, in earlier days voting was limited. The last time Ireland won the event was in Oslo Norway in1996 when Eimear Quinn won singing The Voice. I spent some time in Ireland earlier that year at the rehearsals and preparation for the event, as I had previously known Brendan Graham, the writer of the winning song. I was present in Oslo as a representative for The European Broadcasting Union for the full build up and the final. That was also the year that Australian Gina G represented The United Kingdom with a song titled “Just A Little Bit” that finished 8th. Ireland and Sweden share the top winners spot, with 7 wins apiece. So what are the odds of Ireland winning and taking their tally to 8 being and again being leaders of the pack?

Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. I think I’ll hold on to my few euros until I get to Ireland in June I do hope you enjoy the telecast as it always tends to be both unpredictable and controversial.

Until next. Be good to those who love you and Slainte from Melbourne.

Mike Bowen THE IRISH SCENE | 69

I just dropped in to see you all, I’ll only stay a while…

But my story, well—it stayed a long while. It crossed oceans and survived famines. It grew roots in red earth, bore fruit in children, and echoed in chapel bells. My name is Elizabeth Carberry—though I became Elizabeth Maguire when I found love in this far-off land. And if you’ll sit a moment with me, I’d like to tell you how I came to be here.

I was born in County Galway, in the shadow of the rolling green fields that once cradled our hopes— before An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, took them all away. I was just a girl then, though life aged me quickly. My sister Mary and I came from proud folk. Poor, yes. But proud. Our mother, Sara, did everything she could to keep us together.

But when the hunger came—truly came—we had no choice. We ended up in the Mountbellew workhouse, a place so heavy with sorrow, it still breathes in my bones when I think of it. Rows of iron beds. Our food was gruel in chipped tin bowls. The smell of mildew and desperation. I saw mothers separated from children. I heard cries smothered into silence.

Hunger isn’t just a thing in the belly. It hollows the heart too.

Then came 1851. A notice went up in the workhouse: ‘Girls Wanted for Emigration to Australia.’

Australia. A word like a whisper. A dream wrapped in saltwater and stars. We didn’t even know where it was—only that it was far from here. Far from the graves. Far from the empty tables. Our mother made the hardest decision a mother can. She signed our names, Mary’s and mine, and handed us over to a chance.... we never saw her again.

We travelled to Dublin, then to Plymouth, where the ship Palestine waited. There were thirty-three of us Irish girls from Mountbellew. We had little more than the clothes we’d been given, and each other.

A matron watched over us. We were taught how to cook, sew, read a little. We were told we would be wives. Maids. Mothers. I was only eighteen.

The voyage took months. The sea stretched out so far it seemed to swallow time. But we held fast to each other, sang when we could, cried when we must, and prayed with the full weight of our ancestors behind us.

And then—we arrived.

Perth. Dust, sun, gum trees, and something else— space. Space to breathe. Space to build. Space for a future. That’s where I met him. Big Jim Maguire. He was twenty-one, with the kindest eyes I’d ever seen in a world that had shown me too much cruelty. I had Mary at my side when I married him. She was my bridesmaid—my past—and Jim became my future.

He brought me to Dardanup, to a patch of land rough and wild.

We made it a home.

The earth was hard, but our hands were harder.

And in that place, I bore nine children. I bore stories too—carried them in my heart until the nights got cold and I needed to remember who I was.

I told Jim everything.

About the workhouse.

About the death that hung in the air in Galway like a fog that wouldn’t lift. About the neighbours who vanished, bound for coffin ships to America. About the silence that wrapped around us like a shroud.

And he listened. God bless him, he listened.

Together, we planted more than crops. We planted a life. A church rose beside us—Thomas Little Hall now—stone by stone, with hands like ours. Our children grew. Our faith grew. And so did this land.

But I never forgot the girls.

The girls.

The ones from Mountbellew. From Skibbereen. From Limerick and Donegal and Clare. They were barely women—fifteen, sixteen. Yet they stepped aboard those ships like warriors in calico. They didn’t sail toward fortune. They sailed toward survival. Toward the hope that there was something more than graves and famine waiting on the other side of the world.

And they found it.

They became the silent builders of this land. Their names were never in the papers. No statues carved.

No history books etched. But they are there—in every chapel hymn, every wheat field, every child who walks the land they tamed.

So today, I ask you—remember us.

Remember me, Elizabeth Carberry—an Irish girl who crossed the world with nothing but a sister’s hand in hers and a dream in her heart. Remember Mary.

Remember Sara, who said goodbye to her daughters with tears she never let them see. Remember the courage it took just to leave.

And when you look up at the stars tonight, remember the girls who followed those very stars across the sea. The girls who built Western Australia with calloused hands and unshakable hearts.

We weren’t just passengers. We were the roots. And through us, a forest grew.

Slán go fóill, Éilís

ANNUAL FAMINE COMMEMORATION Sunday 18th May 2025 at 3pm An Gorta Mor Memorial Market Square, Subiaco

CARRAMAR

SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED BY INTEGRITY PROPERTY SOLUTIONS

SHAMROCK ROVERS FC CARRAMAR SHAMROCK ROVERS

@CARRAMAR _ SHAMROCK _ROVERS

CONTACTS: MARTY BURKE 0410 081 386

What a great day for our girls and women’s teams last weekend (April 13th) The Under 12 girls had an impressive win against Swan Valley in a pre-season friendly, this is a team to watch for the future!

Our Under 13 girls finished their grading games strong with a 0-0 draw and 1-0 defeat but amazing goalkeeper Aubrey saving 2 penalties. Coach Chris was very pleased with the girls’ performance.

The under 14 girls had a big win against Balcatta at Grandis, finishing top of the Youth Club Championships table!

Our newly formed Women’s social team won their first grading game 2-1 against Subiaco AFC Maroon with goals from Rhiddi (U17s) and Rose Hughes!

Finally, on to our first Women’s Metro grading game. Coach Pedro could not have been prouder with the incredible determination shown against Bayswater.

To go 2-0 up, to 3-2 down with minutes to go, and still find the strength to claw it back and win 5-3 in the heat was just great to watch— that’s not just a comeback, that’s a statement!! The ladies dug deep when many would’ve dropped their heads, and in that moment, showed exactly what this team is made of. Well done ladies!

On the same weekend, Riece Flynn stepping up cool as a cucumber to score the winning penalty, taking the State League 18s to the next round of the Cup. Go Carramar Shamrock Rovers!

As always, thanks to our sponsors, we couldn’t do this without our major State League sponsors: •

Colgan Industries,

•

The Glasgow Skin Clinic,

•

Live Lounge in Wanneroo, and

•

Frankie Atkinson, Acclaim Accounting

Thanks also to our loyal banner sponsors and various teamwear sponsors, several of whom have been with us for a number of years now. And last but not least, thanks to all of our 500 Club sponsors.

Follow us on Facebook for lots more information, news and photos!

If you are interested in getting involved with your local club in any capacity – coach, volunteer, committee member – please contact us at CSRFC2020@gmail.com

Junior GAA Games WA Australasia Féile 2025 a huge success The Australasia Féile 2025, held on 8 and 9 March in Perth, was a massive success, drawing over 300 young athletes aged 5 to 17.

The two-day tournament, played under sunny skies at Pat O’Hara Reserve, showcased the continuing growth of youth Gaelic games across the region.

Brisbane Youths, Geelong Gaels Grasshoppers, Western Australia, and Young Melbourne battled it out in a series of exciting games over the weekend.

Saturday featured games across several age groups, including under-10, under-12, under-14, and under-17 boys and girls. The top teams in the under-14 and under-17 grades advanced to Sunday’s finals, which also featured a ‘nippers’ games and a hurling/camogie exhibition.

The weekend’s winners were Western Australia’s under-14 boys, as well as the under-17 boys and girls teams from Young Melbourne – congratulations to all winning teams on a tremendous achievement.

However, the true winner from the weekend was youth Gaelic games across Australasia as over 300 boys and girls showcased their talent and dedication to the sport in one of the largest youth Gaelic games tournaments outside of Ireland.

A special thank-you goes out to everyone who contributed to making the event a success, including the tournament’s organisers in Western Australia and at Australasia Gaelic Games, the many volunteers, families, supporters, and most importantly, the players.

We also acknowledge the generous sponsors and supporters who made the event possible: the DFA Global Games Development Fund, the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, and our tournament sponsors: Pipeline Technics, Eco Civils, PCH Civil, and A1 Engineering.

We can’t wait for Féile 2027!

See link to Féile highlights video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHB0jodZ8B4

72 | THE IRISH SCENE

Junior GAA Games WA

THE IRISH SCENE | 73

Junior GAA Games WA Preseason Openers The Tim Hickey Perth 7s tournament was a resounding success this year, showcasing an incredible level of talent and sportsmanship across the board. The standard and skill on display were second to none, setting the benchmark high for the season ahead. This year saw a record-breaking 26 teams competing across both codes, with football introducing senior and intermediate divisions for mens and ladies for the first time—an exciting step forward and a true testament to the evergrowing Irish community in Perth. A huge thank you to all the clubs, players, volunteers, and supporters who made the day so special.

St Finnbars had a particularly memorable day, walking away with three titles — the ladies senior and intermediate football and the mens intermediate football, while Western Shamrocks took home the mens senior football title. St Gabriels clinched the Camogie title while Sarsfield took the Hurling title.

The annual Pearses 7s Tournament took place in Melbourne this February, bringing together

74 | THE IRISH SCENE

top talent from across the country for a brilliant weekend of Gaelic football. Western Australia was proudly represented, with several teams making the trip east to compete. A huge congratulations to Southern Districts and Morley Gaels, who brought silverware home to the west coast—claiming victory in the Men’s and Ladies’ Intermediate Football titles, respectively. A fantastic achievement for both clubs and a testament to the growing strength of Gaelic games in WA! We now look ahead to the Father Kelly Cup, returning to Tom Bateman Reserve on May 3rd. We hope to see you all there!

LGFA International Volunteer of the Year Awards A massive congratulations to current Chairperson of Southern Districts GAC Bronagh Morgan on winning the LGFA International Volunteer of the Year Award. This prestigious award honours individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development,

Junior GAA Games WA support, and promotion of ladies football outside of Ireland. It celebrates those whose commitment and passion often go unseen but are absolutely vital to the lifeblood of the game.

Bronagh is the embodiment of everything this award represents. Her name is name is synonymous with dedication, selflessness, and unwavering commitment. No task is ever too big, no detail too small. Whether it's organising fundraisers, rallying players, attending meetings—Bronagh is always there. She has helped cultivate a home away from home for countless players, whether that be for one season or a lifetime. She is the first to put her hand up and the last to go home, often working quietly behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly. She gives 110% to her club, all while managing the demands of her own home and being a devoted mother.

Bronagh’s involvement spans every level of our game—from grassroots to club and state-level and most recently Gaelic 4 Mothers & Others.

Maith thú Bronagh on winning this prestigious award, Southern Districts and GAA WA are incredibly lucky to have you.

Darkness into Light – Perth 2025 This year, the GAA in WA invites all members of our community to come together for Darkness into Light Perth on Saturday, May 10th at 5:30am at Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth.

Over 1,000 participants are expected to take part in this meaningful 5km walk—starting in the dark and finishing as the sun rises over the Swan River and Perth skyline. It’s a powerful way to remember those we’ve lost to suicide, raise awareness, and stand together in support of mental health. Over the past 10 years, the Perth community has raised more than $400,000 for various charities.

This year, DIL Perth are proud to be partnering with Headspace, supporting youth mental health services.

Please register for this incredibly special event at www.darknessintolight.com. Let’s come together to shine a light in the darkness and remind each other that no one walks alone.

THE IRISH SCENE | 75

Perth boasts International tireless work and their significant impact in their local communities. Once again we received a large volume of entries and the judging committee debated long and hard on the final list of winners.

A

true GAA stalwart did Perth proud when she was recognised for her tireless efforts at the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) Volunteer of the Year awards, held at Croke Park on February 7.

Bronagh Morgan from Southern Districts was named the International Volunteer of the Year at the award ceremony, with all other nine categories being won by people across Ireland. This award is for ‘outstanding dedication...‘exceptional contribution to volunteering in a Ladies Gaelic Football international unit.

LGFA President Mícheál Naughton congratulated all the award winners.

“2024 was a special year for our Association as we marked 50 years in existence,” he said. “Our volunteers are at the heart of everything that we do and it’s only right that we acknowledge their

76 | THE IRISH SCENE

The citations for her nomination was read out. “Bronagh, Chair of Southern Districts, has held many roles with the club and the Junior Academy over the past ten years and continues to support and promote the GAA in Perth. She has made a huge impact in terms of recruitment and supporting players on and off the field offering a home away from home.

Bronagh strives to ensure that everyone is acknowledged for the role they play within the Club as well as balancing life away from home and family. She has helped many behind the scenes and her passion for Gaelic Football and creating a GAA family away from home has been widely acknowledged. The Gaelic Games Junior Academy of WA has experienced exceptional growth in the female space since 2021 when Bronagh coached the first ever girls team to enter the Jim Stynes Memorial Cup. The girls at the Junior Academy continue to thrive thanks to the work she does behind the scenes. Renowned as a great role model, mother, wife, chairperson and friend to many, Bronagh is deserving of the International Volunteer of the Year 2024. Bronagh is not only a great role model for her daughter and so but for all women in showing what you can achieve in the GAA community and she is a true inspiration for the love of the game.”

Volunteer of the Year Bronagh – whose club at home is Atticall GAC, Co. Down – was not able to make it to the event in person but she did make an appearance via video message.

“I am very privileged to have been put forward for this award by my Club here in Perth, Southern Districts,” she said. “Unfortunately myself and the nominator, Roisin Devine, are not able to be present in Croke Park tonight, but I am well represented by family from. Co. Down.

A club doesn’t run by one woman (or man) and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the efforts and support from the Committee and the players, both on and off the field. Being a volunteer in a GAA club can be challenging and thankless at times but when it all comes together it is very rewarding. To be recognised like this is

A group traditio and fid county’ tributes just unbelievable. Southern Districts here in Perth woman has given us (my family) and many others a home promis also he away from home and that’s part of what drives us to do all the voluntary work that we do. We all GAA cl have the same thing in common, a passion and right. E love for the game that’s why it is important to the vig continue to promote the GAA no matter where of the k you are in the world so the next generation to the s keep the game going. Go raibh maith agat traditio agus slainte”. Well done Bronagh and Southern music a Districts, from Irish Scene and all our readers, vigil ton truly well deserved. #Ashlin Perth’s Irish community – like many in Perth others in Australia and across he Similar world – came together to hold a vigil were st in the wake of the shocking murder across of 23 year old Tullamore teacher Aisling Murphy while she was jogging includin in broad daylight in her home town of the Am at Kang Tullamore, Co. Offaly in January.

Point, B Hundreds of Irish people – including and all families with young children, took part based in an evening time vigil and walk at Irish Au the Flame of Remembrance in Kings Queen Park on January 19, organised by the by Ann Claddagh Association and supported

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St Patrick’s Day 2025 was a special one for Kurt Egan, [left], enjoying a pint with dad Jim Egan....

“This is my 50th year anniversary as a child migrant flying to Perth Australia from Cork Ireland, a 6 year old child. I still remember my birthday on the 15th, giving my presents away to the neighbour’s child as our bags were packed. We got ready for our “midnight” flight and then the trip and arrival into Perth’s cauldron of heat at the airport. I’m Irish by birth, but Ozzie by nature. We were in the air enroute to Perth on St Patrick’s Day, landing in Perth on March 18th. Every year since we have celebrated our blessings. So lucky to have a national/international celebration to commemorate our families luck. Sláinte and good health to all.”

Western Australia Premier, Hon Roger Cook enjoying a pint at Fibber McGees in Leederville and a few more lined up for afters. Maith an FearTaoiseach of WA.

Marian Byrne, The Derry Girls Lily and Bernadette with Stephen Dawson and Dennis Liddelow enjoying the craic at the Perth St Patrick’s Day parade.

Louth man, Mark Black with his son, WA keeper, Aaron and wife Marjenny at the recent Feile 2025 held in Morley, Western Australia. Aaron, the Perth Glory U18 keeper had a great game.

You will notice the Pipeline Technics logo on his shirt, what would we do without Gay Collins, a constant supporter/ sponsor of Irish teams and events in WA. Maith an Fear!

Who was spotted in the beautiful Restaurant Pinocchio Italian restaurant in Benalmadena celebrating another birthday, our own Gerry Grogan. Gerry and Frank Murphy of Celtic Rambles in Fremantle have settled in nicely in Co. Clare and having a ball it seems with Europe at their fingetips. Lilly will be delighted you picked Italian food to celebrate.

All the best from Perth.

Sligoman Joe Colleran pictured with his wife Ann, celebrated his birthday recently.

Joe a few more years for the big one when you will receive your OBE!.

Below: Brendan (Barney) McKenna with family enjoying Feile 2025 in Morley.

No doubt Barney will be a regular as the Western Australian hurling season about to begin.

Congratulations to Woodvale’s Tiernan Beattie, son of Eimear and Anthony Beattie. He danced his way to a fantastic fourth-placed finish at the World Irish Dancing Championships, claiming his own globe trophy to bring back to Australia. To add to the occasion, Tiernan’s success also fell on the same date as his late grandmother’s birthday – an accomplished Irish dancer in her own right. Maith an Fear!

Frank Smyth, a Saturday morning regular at An Gorta Mor Famine Memorial in Subiaco. Frank has, since its unveiling, maintained the memorial and he had the honour of being joined recently by his sister Annette and niece Nicola and her daughter, along with his Perth extended family.

Another great Irish Session at JB’s in Leederville. It happens every Thursday and all trad musos welcome.

There are many other Irish Sessions around Perth, Kalgoorlie and Bunbury including The Woodbridge on Tues and the Best Drop in Kalamunda.

Margaret McDonough (nee Murphy)

16/11/1950 - 10/04/2025

Our thoughts and prayers are with John, Suzanne, Carol, Rory, Leanne and all of Margaret’s extended family at this time. May Margaret rest in peace.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam

Below: Fenians Fremantle & Freedom mob attending the Annual Catalpa Escape Commemoration in Rockingham on Easter Monday.

Sligo brothers, Micky and Gus Byrne celebrating Micky’s 70th birthday in the Woodvale Tavern. Micky lives in Lanzarote Island in Spain and was visiting Gus. Gus has been showing Micky around Perth and having a few pints in between.

Slainte and Happy Birthday Micky!

Jim Egan was joined by family and friends to celebrate his 80th milestone...

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