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

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

Bunbury’s big St. Patrick’s Day The St. Patrick’s Festival Bunbury is a new addition to the Southwest Festival scene and has already made its mark after a huge success in its inaugural year of 2023. The festival is organised by the Southwest Irish Community Group and receives great support from the City of Bunbury along with the Irish Government Emigrant Support Programme. With over 16000 people claiming Irish heritage in the Bunbury region alone The Southwest Irish Community group has been going from strength to strength in recent years, organising Irish themed events for the growing Irish Community in the Southwest. Halloween Party’s, community BBQ’s and the Southwest Irish Music Session held on the last Sunday of each month in the Wellington Hotel are just a few of their successes to date.

The highlight of the year for every Irish person living in Australia is St. Patrick’s Day and now the Irish in the Southwest have real reason to celebrate with a 3-day festival running from March 15th to 17th 2024 in The Stirling Street Art Centre and other venues in the Bunbury CBD. To kick us off on Friday March 15th An Irish Cinema Night featuring music from local musicians will open the festival. Saturday 16th will bring Gaelic Football, Irish cookery classes, music sessions and pints of creamy Guinness.

Join us for an amazing show by “The Har” to be transported back in time to the 19th century, with a tale of hope and hardship. Cash Out of Hand: A Convicts Tale

follows the life of Irish convict and notorious bushranger Martin Cash. “With a beautiful combination of enthralling storytelling intertwined with spellbinding music, this is a show that I’d recommend to everyone. It’s the perfect event for family entertainment, enjoying with friends, or even the start of a very fun and potentially wild evening”.

Finish off the evening by getting your tickets to see The No.1 U2 tribute act in the country and internationally acclaimed across both southern and northern hemispheres, The U2 Show Achtung Baby are a must-see-act for any U2 fan and music lover alike. The highlight of the weekend will be St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th with Irish dance workshops for adults and kids, food trucks, open music sessions, enjoy an exhibition of Irish dancing

by Celtic Academy Irish Dance or sing along the auld Irish songs with the Castaway Shantymen.

Finally, we are very proud to welcome back friends of the Southwest and WA’s favourite duo The Broken Pokers to finish celebrating Paddy’s Day the right way!

This festival will be fully licenced with the best flow of Porter in the Southwest at our Guinness Bar. Our festival prides itself on being family friendly, so that means lots to keep the kids entertained with bouncy castles, face painting and kids activities throughout the day. All trad musicians are very welcome to come along and join in our open sessions.

For further details and full festival program check out our Website www.southwestirish.com.au

PR ES E N TE D BY

ST. PATRICK’S FESTIVAL BUNBURY 2024

15 - 17 MARCH

A 3 DAY FESTIVAL CELEBRATING IRISH CULTURE IN THE SOUTH WEST

F ULL DE TAI L S & T I C K E T S AT SOU T H W ES T IR ISH .COM . AU

WA Cop converts to Garda Síochána

by Lloyd Gorman

I

n a bid to boost the number of Gardai on duty around the country over the busy Christmas period an early passing out ceremony was held for 151 probationer at the Garda College in Templmore, Co. Tipperary on December 15. After their festive season placement in community the trainees will return to the midlands college on January 14, where they will finish their training and sit their final exams ten days later and around the same time as all of that is happening the next recruitment ‘competition’ will open.

Amongst their number is one newly sworn in officer who has taken a unique route to becoming a newly minted garda. Lorraine Delahunty, 33, is originally from Cullohill, Co Laois but has already served in uniform with the West Australian Police Force (WAPOL). She now swaps the likes of Kalgoorlie for Limerick, where she was based in the Henry Street station.

“I’m looking forward to meeting my unit and facing all the challenges of a new career,” she told RTE News.

“I’ve always wanted a career in An Garda Síochána and we’ve been trained

to meet a challenging and dynamic work environment. No doubt it will be a scary time but I’m constantly learning and fully equipped to deal with those challenges.”

There has been a lot of media interest and coverage – none more than by Irish Scene – of WAPOL’s latest campaign (launched in October 2022) to lure serving and experienced officers from Ireland, the UK and New Zealand. Upon closer scrutiny the results of the exercise – when it comes to Irish police officers – have been mixed and modest. Of the approximately 1,500 police officers in those countries who applied to join as a direct result of that campaign just fifty applications came from serving garda. And as we saw in the last edition there were three former garda in the ranks of the 30 new recruits who graduated from Joondalup Police Academy in late 2023/early January 2024.

Ms Delanhunty’s situation is slightly unusual and possibly unique. A serving police officer who walks away from WAPOL to join An Garda Síochána is a prime example of tables being turned.

While they didn’t make the PR meal of it that

Guardians of the Peace…...Garda Lorraine Delahunty, left, from Laois (via Australia) with Garda Manus Murphy from Ballyfermot and Garda Fionnuala McCorry from Belfast {Photo: RTE.ie) 6 | THE IRISH SCENE

they might have, Garda bosses did at least use the story of how “newly attested” Garda Lorraine Delahunty left her role as a police officer in Australia to return and change the lives of others in Ireland, as a member of An Garda Síochána” to publicise the graduation of 151 new garda, and to promote the new recruitment campaign starting in January.

Ms Delahunty reveals a little bit more about her experience and path to becoming a garda in a short video posted on social media.

Becoming a garda is a lifetime ambition for the 33 year old.

“It is something that I always wanted to do,” she said. “I wanted to join when I was 18 but unfortunately, I couldn’t join as there was no recruitment back then so I moved to Australia and joined the police back there.

I came back to Australia in April for this recruitment campaign.”

With her WA policing behind her and her training almost completed she reflected on the road ahead for herself personally and other would be recruits. “It’s a challenging career,” she added. “No two days are the same.

We have learned so much in Templemore to prepare us. You have to be resilient so just push through and go for it.”

The timing of her return could not have worked out any better. It meant she was back home in time for the 2023 Laois Rose Ball, held on Easter Sunday night last year. As it happens she won the ‘best dressed’ competition on the night in a striking orange suit she picked up in Dunnes Stores (pictured with best dressed man Paddy Brennan). But that wasn’t even the best bit.

Role model...One of Lorraine’s first tasks as a garda was to make a recruitment video

Lorraine’s cousin Sinéad Dowd – one of 17 ladies who took part – was named the Laois Rose for the 2023 Rose of Tralee Festival. When August came around Sinéad took to the stage on the first night of the televised competition in Kerry. Each of the 32 Roses who took to the stage have an interview with host Dáithí Ó Sé and the chance to display a hidden talent or skill – which could be anything from playing a tin whistle, singing, dancing or just about anything else – live on air.

Born into a very Irish family and community in New York Sinéad told her story of leaving the United States to realise her dream of living here in rural surrounds of County Laois.

And her cousin Lorraine came in for a special THE IRISH SCENE | 7

From the Big Apple, to picking up a hurl A part of her will always remember that New York girl….”

Lorraine’s cousin Sinéad Dowd with Rose of Tralee presenter Daithí O’Shea mention. “At 16 years old, I decided to move over here; leave everyone at home – Mam, Dad, brother, sister,” Sinéad told Dáithí Ó Sé .

“I came over every single summer, and I just absolutely loved Ireland. I was living proper Irish life, I was out on the farm, I was doing all these things I’d never done before.

I moved in with my lovely aunty, Clare – that’s my mam’s sister – she was gracious enough to let me go in to the spare bunk-bed after my cousin, Lorraine moved to Australia.”

Sinéad finished with a poem, co-written by herself and her 3rd-Year students in Scoil Chriost Rí, Portlaoise where she teaches English and Geography, which included the lines: “Although it may feel like half a world away Her memories of childhood will never stray,

While she was here in WA as well as her police work and service to society, Lorraine got fully involved in the community, including as captain of the ladies team with Perth Irish Rugby, and will be known to many in this neck of the woods, all of who we are sure would like to wish her well in her policing career in Ireland and relaunched life there!

The same goes to the three former garda who were amongst the first squad of 30 new ‘transitional’ officers who graduated from the academy in Joondalup on Friday December 22 after an intensive 13 week regime, and who were on the beat just in time for Christmas and to bolster the strength of the force!

Commissioner Col Blanch said WAPOL had employed more than 50 overseas cops as part of this recruitment campaign and a second intake of them will begin their training in January.

“Western Australia is an incredible place to both live and work as a police officer, and I want to welcome the new international recruits to the Force,” Commissioner Blanch told them. “One of the benefits of receiving so much interest from experienced international officers wanting to join WA Police is that we are able to select the best of the best.

“The WA Police Force will continue to recruit both local and international officers to better protect Western Australia.”

Three of this newly minted squad of ‘transition’ officers – pictured here with loved ones at Joondalup Police Academy at their passing out ceremony in December – used to ‘guard’

8 | THE IRISH SCENE

Kate is more than pulling her weight as a Garda

K

ate Brady returned to Ireland from Australia in 2017 and she joined the Guards within a year of getting back and the time she spent here is still benefitting her career as a police officer today.

In November last year Garda Brady was awarded the Garda Síochána Coiste Siamsa Sport Star Award. The gong recognises and celebrates the amazing achievements of individual Garda Members in their sporting endeavours. Now attached to Dundalk Garda Station she took up powerlifting on her

return from Australia in 2017, having tried out the sport there. She went on to carve out a place for herself in the sport nationally and internationally.

Kate secured a national gold medal qualifying her for participation in the 2019 European Championships in which she placed third.

She also competed internationally at the WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Finland that year and regards this achievement as being the pinnacle of her sporting career to date. She also participated in the World Police and Fire Games in Rotterdam in July 2022 where she secured a silver medal in her push pull open category event.

In 2023, Kate represented An Garda Síochána at the World Police and Fire Games in Winnipeg, Alberta, Canada in July where she achieved a gold medal in her bench press event and a bronze medal in the open category push pull event under 72kg weight class.

Goodbye and good luck garda Khan

T

he Nationalist Newspaper carried a story about a young Carlow garda who had resigned from the force to become a police officer in Western Australia on August 11, 2023.

Originally from Tipperary, Darragh Meagher Khan, who had served most of his six years in service at Carlow and Tullow garda stations had recently left the force and was set “to join the Australian police force in North Perth”.

His impending departure was recognised by district court judge Geraldine Carthy, who said his police work was “impeccable” and that he had always been a conscientious member of An Garda Síochána. “Our loss would be their gain,” judge Carthy said. “I can only wish you well going forward; it’s An Garda Síochána’s loss. Your evidence has always been concise, to the point, very truthful and honest. There

were days you had the full pack of cards and days you didn’t. Anywhere you travel, I know you will be successful in your endeavours.”

Garda Khan’s professionalism had often made the job of solicitors more challenging in what was a challenging role, and it would not be in Australia, it was noted. Solicitor Joe Farrell described the young Garda as being fair and never took the legal jostling of the courtroom personally. Mr Farrell told the court that the garda had undertaken a law degree in his own time at the University of Limerick, where he had previously been a student. “I wouldn’t say it’s the last we would see of him,” suggested Mr Farrell in the article. Garda Khan thanked them for their good wishes and said he saw the move as “a new challenge”.

THE IRISH SCENE | 9

Fifty Northern Ireland cops see Australia as a way out

by Lloyd Gorman

T

here has been an unusually large number of officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) applying for a career in law enforcement in Australia in recent months. But the sudden burst of interest appears to have little to do with the international recruitment drives – like WA Police’s ‘Lets Join Forces’ targeting experienced police in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand – and much more with local circumstances and developments on the ground.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee met on December 12 to consider the “Protecting from Within” report, into the impact and fallout of a major data breach in early August 2023, in which the personal details of every police officer in the North were released online.

Containing the surname and first initial of every employee in the service, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in the list was a goldmine for paramilitary groups and crime gangs who could now more easily target them.

The leak was dangerous for every man and woman who puts on a police uniform. The PSNI is the third largest police service in the UK in terms of officer numbers and the second largest in terms of being a geographic policing area.

Several associations and groups representing police officers in the North made submissions and gave evidence to the Committee in December.

“One stat that the Chief Constable did not mention yesterday, but he has mentioned before, is that 50 of our officers have applied 10 | THE IRISH SCENE

to go to Australia,” said Liam Kelly, Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland. “That is just extraordinary. In years gone by, you could count on one hand the number of people who would do that. We now have 50 officers who have put themselves forward to say, “We no longer think we can serve in Northern Ireland, but we want to remain within policing,” and Australia is the option for them.

That is extraordinary.”

On top of that number there another 199 people in the force had asked for “ill health retirement”.

“That is a 100% increase on normal,” Mr Kelly added. “Again, the data breach is being cited as the straw that broke the camel’s back, really, for people. They feel let down by the organisation, unsupported by the organisation, and cannot see a pathway of coming back to the organisation. That is extremely frustrating.”

A major problem facing the force was that new blood was not coming into the organisation. “Recruitment stopped in April of this year [2023],” Mr Kelly added. “The Chief Constable has indicated that, as a result of the deficit budget and his inability to keep people safe, he may have to set aside his accounting officer responsibilities and actually just say, “I need to bring people in,” because the number of people leaving is resulting in the organisation shrinking to unimaginable levels.

As Detective Chief Superintendent McNally has mentioned, the projection by March [2024] ordinarily just on retirements would bring the organisation down to 6,358, but if you factor in 50 people potentially going to Australia and 199 people potentially on ill health retirement

that number is getting closer to 6,000.” The inquiry was told that on any given day about 500 officers were out sick or on leave, reducing the operational strength of the Service further.

5

Mr Kelly said anyone considering joining up would have to be confident the PSNI would protect their identity and data and support them. “It is going to take time to do that. The report is the first step of that process, but it is certainly not the last step,” Mr Kelly added. “It now needs to be implemented, and it needs significant investment to do that.”

The security scare would impact on recruitment in other ways.

“I think the recruitment with regard to coming from the Catholic, nationalist and republican community has been severely dented,” Superintendent Gerry Murray, from the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland told MPs. Seventy five per cent of recent applications for the position of a civilian detention officer had been withdrawn Warren Scott, the PSNI departmental assistant secretary at the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance, told the Committee.

+

5

The fact that 50 PSNI officers have applied to become police in Australia is interesting in its own right. In the last edition of Irish Scene we reported that exactly the same number of Gardai had applied to WAPOL since the ‘Let’s Join Forces’ recruitment campaign launched in October 2022 (Gardai fit The Bill as ready to go cops!, Nov/Dec 2002)). Three of those fifty former Guards who applied went into active service just before Christmas.

In total the campaign generated about 1,500 applications – the vast majority of which came from officers in the UK.

Beyond the personal impact on members Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd recently reported to a parliamentary select committee that the financial impact of the breach could run to between 24 to 37 million pounds, “a sum that any police force could ill afford”. This figure includes home security elements, litigation, and a potential regulatory monetary penalty.

THE IRISH SCENE | 11

Push to put Perth on the diplomatic map

by Lloyd Gorman

P

erth often crops up in debates in Dáil Éireann (Irish parliament), usually in the context of it being one of the top places in the world where thousands of young Irish people – including hundreds of junior Irish doctors and other medicos – flock in search of employment, opportunities and a better lifestyle.

One of the reasons why so many come here is because Western Australia has such a large and well established Irish diaspora and community. Having a supportive network already in place can make life a lot easier for new arrivals while family and friends are generally delighted to welcome loved ones and visitors from home. The importance of the Irish community in WA has been the focus of lobbying efforts in the Irish parliament by a former Irish minister for foreign affairs and sitting TD (MP). Charles Flanagan is currently a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Laois– Offaly constituency, and was first elected to the seat in 1987, following the death of the incumbent Fine Gael TD, his father. Flanagan has held a number of ministerial portfolios in government during his long political career, including as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from July 2014 to June 2017. He has also been Cathaoirleach (chair) of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence for the last few years.

It is through that body he has repeatedly advocated for greater diplomatic representation for the Irish in Perth and WA, arguably more than any other politician. Mr Flanagan had Sean Fleming, the Minister of

12 | THE IRISH SCENE

State, with responsibility for international development and the diaspora and a fellow TD for Laois, as well as officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs appeared before the Committee in late November last year.

Not for the first time, the committee chair took the opportunity to ask a question he has posed before. He reminded the junior minister that he had spoken about new ‘premises and missions’ for the state in Manila, Frankfurt, Rabat, Manchester, Toronto, Miami and Lyon. “I again raise the situation in Western Australia where, in the city of Perth alone, there are 16,000 Irish-born residents and in the state there are more than 235,000 Australians who claim Irish ancestry,” Mr Flanagan said. “While I acknowledge that the honorary consul is doing a very good job, I ask that consideration be given in the context of proposed new missions to a consulate in Western Australia, having regard to the distance between Perth and the east coast cities where we have honorary consuls. The information might not be immediately to hand because it does not refer to the spending of money this year but I ask again that consideration be given to establishing a consulate in Perth in order to service the needs of Irish interests in that area, not only from a consular point of view but also from an economic and political point of view, having regard to the very positive relations between Ireland and Australia.”

Mr Flanagan has never been to Perth, but he has been to Australia, in 2018, when he was deployed here for St. Patrick’s Day festivities,

when he was Minister for Justice.

Minister Fleming responded: “I completely take the Chair’s point about Perth. Western Australia is a long way from Canberra and Sydney. It is not on a list but it is being talked about, with a view to being considered down the road.

We will take on board what the Chair has said. Given that it is so far away from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, the other cities that people know, there is a reasonable case to be made for that possibility to be examined by the Department.”* Committee member David Stanton – Fine Charlie Flanagan and Julie Gael TD for East Cork – joined in with a Bishop in their former roles question for Mr Fleming: “The Chairman as Foreign Affairs ministers mentioned Perth,” he said. “I think it is the most remote city in the world and Canberra and a Consulate General in Sydney the furthest from any other city, but there is he said. “The Embassy and the Consulate another city which is quite remote and covers work to promote and protect Irish interests in a huge amount of territory, namely, Calgary in Australia, to strengthen political and economic Alberta. We have fantastic staff in Vancouver, relationships, to support the Irish community, Toronto, Ottawa and so on but the centre of to promote cultural ties and the Irish arts,” Mr Canada is vast. There is much industry there. I Martin said. “In addition, our Honorary Consul think Calgary is the third largest city in Canada in Perth provides consular services and we do not have a footprint there. I ask the Minister of State and his officials to look at that. and assistance to Irish citizens, supports I mentioned in the enterprise committee that local Irish community efforts and assists in Enterprise Ireland and IDA might look at that developing trade and economic relations with vast area in the centre of Canada. People there Western Australia. do their best and work hard but a footprint on Our missions work closely with Irish State the ground might be helpful.”

Agencies, to promote trade, tourism and inward investment.”

Mr Fleming replied: “I take the point on Perth and central Canada” and replied to Deputy Mr Martin – who having been Taoiseach is Stanton’s question first. “We opened offices in the second highest ranking politician in Toronto and Vancouver recently. When I was in government – said the country’s network of Canada, the point was well made to me and officials about the rest of Canada and the Deputy has made it clearly as well.”

Two days later on Thursday November 30 Matt Carthy, TD for the CavanMonaghan constituency and Sinn Fein’s spokesperson on foreign affairs raised a similar question in the Dáil. Mr Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Martin: “if he proposes to open a new consulate in Australia?”.

The foreign affairs minister gave a largely stock standard response. Ireland was represented in Australia by “two diplomatic missions”, the Embassy in THE IRISH SCENE | 13

want Ireland to be Australia’s go-to contact in the European Union.”

Mr Carty had barely left the country when the Australian Labor Party gave a ringing endorsement for one of Sinn Fein’s main political objectives. As we saw in the last edition of Irish Scene the Australian Labor Party – Anthony Albanese’s party – passed a motion supporting a United Ireland which could say something about the influence of Sinn Fein in Australia (The Empire Strikes Back Against An Australian Republic, Nov/Dec 2023).

Simon Coveney with Irish Embassy Staff in Canberra last year diplomatic missions in the Asia Pacific region “is kept under close review” under several programmes and strategy’s, such as the Global Ireland Strategy: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2023 and the very recent Global Ireland: Renewing our Commitment to Delivering in the Asia Pacific Region to 2025. Launched at the end of October 2023, this second policy aims to exceed a two way trade target of €100 billion with the Asia Pacific – which has half of the world’s population – by 2025.

Part of the Strategy’s mission statement and the way it intends to do that is the commitment: “we will augment our presence in Australia” - exactly what that means remains to be seen.

Sinn Fein – which is currently the main opposition party in Dáil Éireann but is making serious inroads towards forming government in the future – has its own ambitions for this area.

Following on from a visit by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald in July 2022 (Mary Lou McDonald and Mark McGowan had the same idea, Irish Scene, September/October 2022) Carty and the party’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty travelled Down-under in August and met a number of state and federal ministers and MPs in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.

“We in Sinn Féin know that deepening the special relationship between Ireland and Australia is important to shaping a better future,” said Mr Carty. “The current Irish government has not done enough to develop the connections between our two countries.

If elected to government Sinn Féin will work tirelessly to strengthen our diplomatic, political and economic relationship with Australia. We 14 | THE IRISH SCENE

*A couple of observations about the junior minister’s remarks might be merited at this point. The general tone of his comments is supportive of a full consulate for Perth. But at the same time they are non-committal and rubbery. To say something is being ‘talked about’ and has a ‘reasonable chance down the road’ is extremely vague, while the fact it is not even on an official list of priorities really means it is sitting on the long finger.

It is not the first time Deputy Flanagan has raised the question at the highest level of government. In February last year Tánaiste (Deputy PM) Micheál Martin appeared before the Committee chaired by deputy Flanagan. “(On the issue of) consular offices, I note the Tánaiste did not mention Perth in Western Australia in his overview,” said Mr Flanagan.

“I understood it was on a list somewhere. It seems to have gone down the priority list and I hope it could be restored because, again, I am sure there is quite a substantial Irish presence in Perth. Indeed, it is an increasing one, especially with respect to people in the medical profession. Australia being the vast territory it is I would have thought a consular office in Perth is something careful and due consideration would be given to.”

Mr Martin did not have an answer about Perth but told one of the committee members that “I will follow those up and come back to him”.

In November 2021 Mr Flanagan again asked another senior government member appearing before the Committee about a consulate for Perth (‘Mission’ not possible for Perth, May/June 2002). “Our relationship with Australia is good and has been for many decades,” Mr Flanagan said. “That will continue but, having regard to our diaspora in Western Australia and the economic relationship between Ireland and Western

Australia, will consideration be given towards the establishment of a consulate in Perth?.”

Then foreign affairs and defence minister Simon Coveney replied: “I am familiar with the Irish diaspora in Perth. One of them is my brother. He is a doctor there, like many other young Irish people and their families. The Department is assessing where the next phase of expansion will go. We have opened many new representations in the last years, from Chile to Colombia, from Toronto to Auckland, with a range in the United States, Manchester, Cardiff, Frankfurt, Lyon, Kyiv, Rabat and Liberia.

It is a long list. We are trying to finalise the next phase of areas where we think enhancing Ireland’s footprint makes sense politically, economically and with regard to the diaspora.

We need to think about Western Australia.

I do not want to pre-announce anything. A recommendation will come to me and we will take it from there.”

As the minister for trade and enterprise, Mr Coveney was the Irish government representative to visit Australia for St Patrick’s Day in March 2023. His hectic five day tour finished in Perth, where Irish Scene got the opportunity to meet and interview Mr Coveney.

One of the questions we put to him was about the question of a consulate for Perth. “I was asked about Australia general and what I said at the time was the Department was going to look at how Australia was resourced because this is a country that has deep Irish roots and we need to make sure we are supporting that Irish network, and we have one of our top ambassadors in the world, here in Canberra, we have a consulate in Sydney, which is very, very busy, and we have a team that are back and forth to various Australian cities we have a very active honorary consulate here in Marty Kavanagh,” he said.

Irish Scene reminded him the context of the question and the fact deputy Flanagan had asked specifically about Perth. “What I said was the Department was going to look at that and they’d come back with an informed recommendation,” Mr Coveney said. “As it happens I’m not in the Department any more, I’m now the Department fo Enterprise Trade and Employment but I think the Department of Foreign Affairs will continue to look in an ambitious way at Australia as a

place where they need to invest and we have been doing that. If you look at the presence of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland now and if you look at what’s happening in Australia with the rate of growth for Irish companies here, it’s the second fastest growing market in the world for Irish companies, which is really quite extraordinary when you consider the distance.

I don’t want to start making promises - that’ll be a call for the current minister and Tánaiste in the DFA I’ll certainly talk to him about my visit when I get back and talk about where the priorities should be in my view here, and we need to make sure that Perth is properly connected and gets the benefit of the embassy and the support networks the government can provide.”

There is another point worth making about Mr Fleming’s commentary. He spoke openly about how the Department had invested new diplomatic missions in the country and despite this that there is still an awning gap in “vast areas in the centre of Canada” for the state to have representation in place. He was also able to speak from personal experience, having visited there recently. So it is curious then why he didn’t mention the fact that exactly a week after his appearance before the Committee he was due to visit Australia. It would have seemed to be the perfect opening for him to inform the committee of the upcoming antipodean trip and to use it as an opportunity to consider the issue, even if Perth wasn’t on the itinerary.

In any event the trip fell through because he was needed in the parliament for a vote that clashed with the dates when he would have been in Australia.

Simon Coveney in Perth last year THE IRISH SCENE | 15

I R I S H P A S S P O R T S & M A M M I E S

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eltic Rambles – the weekly Irish radio morning show – on Radio Fremantle hosted by Heather Deighnan and Eoin Kenna – had two special guests on Saturday December 16, 2023 who offered an interesting insight into the diplomatic and consular side of things. First up was Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia Tim Mawe, who is now in the job more than two years. Opened in 1946, the embassy in Canberra was one of the first set up by the then fledgling independent state and is today a busy diplomatic mission with a staff of about 15.

“There’s lots of things going on here, working with Irish communities all over Australia, including Western Australia, and helping individuals when trouble befalls them, and that takes a lot of our time here,” Ambassador Mawe said. “According to the Census about 2.5 million Australian’s claim Irish heritage and there’s over 100,000 people who were born in Ireland, in Australia at any given time, so that generates a lot of business, not just in terms of dealing with individual problems but processing passport applications and things like that.

We’ve several people working on passports full time, in recent years passports are gone online and now there’s a very efficient passport renewal service that doesn’t involve the embassy at all.”

The renewal service is very efficient and effective, with the biggest “lag” in the process caused by the postal system getting them from Ireland to Australia.

The ambassador has a number of roles, including working with the Australian government on bilateral issues between the two countries as

well as “big picture” issues of joint interest – such as climate change. He also engages frequently with state governments on visits, including three to WA in 2023 and with several more planned in the new year. Working in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland on ‘Team Ireland’ his role supports opportunities for trade and business for Irish firms in Australia.

Then there is the ‘cultural’ side of the job, helping to coordinate regular major events such as St Patrick’s Day and other highlights, such as the FIFA WOmen’s World Cup where the Girls in Green played three games across Australia, in front of about 15,000 Irish supporters each time. Honorary Irish Consulate Marty Kavanagh also appeared on the programme and offered an insight into what his role entails. Like the work of the ambassador and embassy, it includes a mix of dealing with the consular needs of the Irish community, passports, developing relations with the state government and opposition party and helping foster opportunities for enterprise, tourism and cultural events.

“Irish Mammies get in contact when little Sean or little Moira have lost their passports, and its mainly the little Seans of the world rather than the little Moira’s to be honest,” Marty said in response to a question from Heather. “The Mammy will phone our office no problem, while your man is 500 metres down the road from my office and his mammy’s (in Ireland) making the phone call and eventually he’ll come around. Its the nature of being young and feeling all powerful. During 2017/19 we literally had hundreds of Irish passports being handed in from nightclubs and

The Irish Mammy - depicted here by actress Tara Lynne O’Neill as Mary Quinn from Derry Girls - is legendary for taking on their kids problems 16 | THE IRISH SCENE

of passports over the year because they wouldn’t do that. But sure your young and you don’ think there’s any problems in the world and good on them! That’s the way I was too, but their Mammies definitely know where my office is and where the ambassadors office is, and that’s the nature of it. Its a funny thing, I was reminded of my own mother, she used to do everything for Former Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan launching the me,” he smiled. The passport card in 2017 honorary consulate is able to offer very everything else. We had been advising people practical help in times of crisis. “We are there to go and get an ID card so that they wouldn’t when we’re needed and its important to have to risk losing their passports,” Marty have a presence here, so if someone needs added. “But sure there were literally hundreds an emergency travel certificate unless there’s an office in Perth they would have to travel to Canberra or Sydney first for that and you know when someone has died or is very ill you want to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

Marty – a successful lawyer in Perth with his own law firm – admitted to being the one who did most of the talking while most of the work is done by Lynda in his office. “Its good to have a friendly Irish face there when you need it when things go wrong, which unquestionably they will from time to time,” he added.

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Marty reflected on how ‘honorary consuls’ make up “a very large proportion” of Ireland’s global diplomatic network and the role in WA. “It might be as high as forty or fifty per cent (in terms of representation),” he said. “So you’ll always have an embassy in the capital but when you go out into the regions and states then not always. So we are lucky we have a career consulate general in Sydney and we have Tim and his team in Canberra and myself and Lynda here. I think its interesting, we don’t have an honorary consulate in the other states, I think its a reflection of a lot of Irish people arriving here in boats (at Fremantle) in the early days and a very strong presence of Irish people here now. Perth and WA have always been a big place for the Irish.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 17

UK opens mission in Perth

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n news that may be of interest to our readers from Northern Ireland with a UK passport, a British Consulate General (BCG) was opened in Perth in April 2023.

In 2022 the British government announced their intention to renew their diplomatic presence in WA – after a gap of about 20 years.

Tina Redshaw was appointed as the British Consul General and under her watch the new mission in Adelaide Terrace reopened. Ms Redshaw – a career diplomat who speaks Mandarin Chinese, German and Khmer fluently and has basic proficiency in four other European and Asian languages – left the role in August 2023 and was replaced by Maria Rennie, who came to Perth from the Consulate General’s mission in Chicago. An interesting section of the website has the heading: British Consulate General versus British Embassy. “A British consulate general is like a mini British embassy or satellite of the British embassy manned by fewer staff members and is headed by the Consul

18 | THE IRISH SCENE

General,” it states. “Most British consulates general, but not all, will be able to provide most of the services given by an British Embassy but on the spot, at a local level, usually quickly and including, for example, consular assistance to British nationals who might be situated nearby and usually are able to help with such consular services like visa applications, lost, damaged or stolen passports, prison visiting, assistance with domestic matters such as births, deaths and marriages, etc.”

The BCG is available to citizens of Northern Ireland residents in WA, and visitors. There are also BCG’s in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, with a British residents High Commission in Canberra.

Riverdance kicks off April 2024 Australian tour in Perth

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iverdance! You might just as easily call it Rivertrance.

Audiences around the world have been enchanted by the magic of this Irish cultural phenomenon for a generation and it continues to keep people around the world spellbound.

More than 30 million people have watched more than 15,000 live shows across six continents. Riverdance first swept across Australia in 1997 and then toured another four times until 2012, selling 830,000 tickets in the process. After a hiatus it is set to return for a very special anniversary. The 25th Anniversary Australian tour begins in Perth at the RAC Arena on April 2, with a second show scheduled the day after due to popular demand. With its large Irish community and plenty of local admirers this puts Perth on an equal footing with Melbourne (Margaret Court Arena) which has had a new show added to make it two performances on April 6/7, while Sydney (Aware Super Theatre) which will have three shows on April 6-7. Audiences in Brisbane will get their chance on April 10/11.

The dates of the Australian tour coincide with the original appearance of Riverdance in April 1994. The brainchild of Bill Whelan (Composer) Moya Doherty (Producer) and John McGolgan (Director) Riverdance made its unforgettable debut on the stage of the Point Depot in Dublin as a seven minute interval entertainment piece for the Eurovision Song Contest. It was a ‘Big Bang’ moment for their creative concept, and for the country. Never before had Irish dance and culture – blended

with some international influences – been shown in such a dynamic, powerful and visually exciting way and it instantly grabbed the attention and affections of the Eurovision’s audiences and before long the rest of the world. (An interesting local aside is that the winner of the 1994 Eurovision was the Irish entry ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’, performed by Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan, a song written by Irish singer songwriter Brendan Graham who called Perth, WA, home in the late 1960’s and early 1970s). At the time it would have been beyond imagination that Australia would one day become a regular and serious Eurovision contender. But in the last six years as an entrant – including Perth’s own Voyager in 2023 – millions of Aussies have embraced and claimed the colourful song contest as their own. No doubt many of this untapped cohort – who enjoy a good spectacle and sensation – will reach out to discover the joy and experience of this sensation. And for those who have had the good fortune of already seeing the show in the past there is ample reason to consider another outing. The 25th Anniversary Show offers a fresh and exciting take on the beloved classic.

It features a reimagined performance with a new soundtrack by Bill Whelan, stunning lighting video stage and costume designs by Moya Doherty and John McColgan.

Along with innovative lighting and projection as well as spectacular staging and costume design, audiences will be completely immersed in the elemental power of its music and dance.

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reland’s Ireland’s biggest pharmacy group today can trace its existence in no small way back to Western Australia in the 1970’s.

In late October 2023 PHX Ireland, a German company which owns Lloyds Pharmacy Chain, and the tellingly named Kalamunda, the holding company that owns the McCabes Pharmacy Group, announced their intention to merge as one company with an expected turnover of about $200 million, in a deal that is currently before the competition watchdog for final approval.

While Lloyds is the bigger partner – with 82 stores compared to McCabes 32 – it will rebrand all of its own outlets as McCabe pharmacies. All up there will be 2,000 staff and 250 pharmacists and the task of knitting the two entities together will be led by McCabe’s Roy and Margaret at McCabes

20 | THE IRISH SCENE

Roy and Sharen

CEO Sharen McCabe. Her dad Roy McCabe was born into the economically bleak Ireland of the 1950’s. “I was the eldest of seven who grew up in Cavan which back then wasn’t a very prosperous place and I emigrated to Manchester in England in 1965 but I didn’t fit in there so in 1969 we came out to Western Australia on the 10 pound passage”, he told Irish Scene. The best thing about Manchester was that he met his wife Margaret (née O’Donnell) – who had also emigrated there from her home in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal – in 1966. They married three years later and took the boat to Western Australia. In 1974 they were joined by Margaret’s sister Veronica and her husband Louis Byrne – who were and still are active members of the Irish community to this day.

After some time working on building sites in and around Perth Roy knew he wanted to do something else with his life. “I wasn’t going anywhere quickly so I decided to study pharmacy.”

He rang Curtin University (then the WA Institute of Technology) and was told to come in for an interview – straight from the building site. The interview with the faculty dean did not initially go his way and the Irishman was told he was not suitable for the course, but after two hours of further talking he convinced the academic to let him onto the course – but he was going to have to work hard to prove himself and

keep his place. Between 1972 and 1976 Roy was a mature student at the institute.

“I was a 26 year old going into college with 18 year olds fresh from school and I had a lot of maths and science to catch up on,” he said.

“I had to curtail my social life, that was the hardest bit. The only thing I had going for me was a football game on Sunday. It was a tough few years but we go through it.”

A keen footballer Roy was one of a small group of Irish blokes who played a game regularly on the Esplanade and however many turned up they would split into two teams. One of those who used to turn up for a game was singer/ songwriter Brendan Graham who amongst many other accolades has penned two winning Eurovision songs ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids’ (1994) and ‘The Voice’ (1996) and the popular song ‘You Raise Me Up’.

From those casual origins the GAA in Australia was born. In 1974 Roy and his fellow players travelled to Adelaide for a competition there. Following on from that four clubs were set up in Perth – including one at Curtin where Roy was studying. In 1975 it was Perth’s turn and it hosted the first interstate championship; with Roy as the president of GAA WA. With the exception of Tasmania every state sent teams to compete against each other in the 1975 competition. “The Irish ambassador (Florence O’Riordan) came out for that, apparently it was the first time an Irish ambassador came to Western Australia,” said Roy. He put together a team from Curtin

Graduation with class

Graduation University while other teams were formed locally. Amongst those recruited were Aussie Rules players who enjoyed the chance to play Gaelic football and the social side of the game.

That experience made a lasting impression on the Aussies. “On one trip back to Perth I was invited to visit Parliament House and there was a minister and three MPs who had played with us.” These politicians included the likes of Paul Andrews MLA (deceased), Troy Buswell MLA, Martin Whitely MLA (who married an Irishwoman) and the late John D’Orazio (Captain Fairest and best Gaelic Football Association 1977–1980 and Sportsman of the Year Curtin University 1978). Photographs of Roy and his team mates of the day hang on the walls of the Irish Club in Subiaco to this day.

Perth and Western Australia was home to the McCabe’s for the duration of the 1970’s. All four of their daughters – including Sharen – were born at King Edward Memorial Hospital, where Margaret – an obstetric nurse and midwife THE IRISH SCENE | 21

also worked. As part of his practical training Roy worked at a pharmacy in Duncraig for a year and when he qualified he managed Hacienda Pharmacy in Albany for a year.

Despite the distances involved Roy drove most Sundays to Perth for a game of Gaelic football and back again so he could be back dispensing on Monday morning.

Roy in Albany

After this time in southern WA Roy returned to Perth in 1978 where he worked in Duncraig and helped to operate what was then the new Whitfords Pharmacy for owner Ron Dymock. That was also the year that Roy managed the WA team that won the Australian Championships in Melbourne.

Having been in WA for some time the McCabe family travelled back to Ireland for “a look around”. The couple decided they would take the clan back ‘home’ but would first return to Australia and tidy up their affairs there. Roy went back to the pharmacy in Duncraig for a time before they packed the four kids Roy from left into an old Combi van and took them on a seven month long trip around Australia before they moved back in 1979. As he was preparing to come back to Ireland Roy met fellow pharmacist David McKnight who was planning his own move to Perth. The Irish man went on to have a distinguished career here, including as the Chief Pharmacist for the Royal Perth Bentley Group, with responsibility for Royal Perth and Bentley hospital pharmacy departments. From 1997 he spent 17 years at St John Roy on right 3rd row

Roy from right

22 | THE IRISH SCENE

of God Subiaco Hospital where he was both Deputy Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator. He is also a board member with the Pharmaceutical Society of Western Australia).

The transition did not go as the McCabes might have expected.

“The move to Ireland was very traumatic and much more difficult than going to Australia,” said Roy. “We were not familiar with how things worked as we had not lived in Ireland as adults, plus we had four young children and Ireland was entering a deep recession.”

Things like getting his Australian qualifications recognised and his registration sorted out to operate in Ireland proved to be difficult thanks to an inflexible regulatory and bureaucratic system that struggled to deal with a slightly different case like his. Trying to deal with the banks and even with government agencies proved to be little better. “Back then there was only talk of emigration, no one had heard of immigration. I had a lot of work to convince the tax office that I was actually in Australia for all that time….and I spent a lot of time trying to convince people I wasn’t mad.”

Centre Australia

we had to rent for the first two or three years.

After some time I opened a second pharmacy in Swords and we built that up and then we bought a couple more and got them going and built them up.”

The work ethic and determination they showed in building up the business is reflected in the careers of all four of their daughters.

Twins on tour

He bought his first shop in Malahide and out of necessity opened it for long hours every day, which turned out to be something customers seemed to like. “I had no money, I was newly qualified in Australia and we hadn’t much savings and the only thing we could do was buy an old wreck of a place. Myself and my wife worked as hard as we could. Because we didn’t have much money we couldn’t buy a house so THE IRISH SCENE | 23

Eilish McCabe

Aine, Roy, Ciara

Eilis a solicitor in Cavan while Aine and Ciara followed in their fathers footsteps and became pharmacists while Sharen – who has a law and business degree – has been essentially running the company for some years now, allowing Roy

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to take a step back and reflect on his lifetime and legacy. “I feel quite a bit of satisfaction (about the merger),” he said. “But a fair bit of the credit has to go to my daughters who professionalised the business to get it to this point. I’m 76 now, and retired, and its great to see the name carried on and to have a few quid in my pocket.” The time he spent Down-under is a critical part of his story and helped shape his outlook and attitude towards life. “In Ireland and England you were always pigeonholed as one thing or another but in Australia you were as good as the next person and that gave me the confidence to study and the self belief for my career in Ireland. I’ll be eternally grateful to Australia for giving me that. At that time Australia had a great ‘Can do’ attitude and when we were going back to Ireland I said to myself ‘We are going back to a new country” and it appeared that what I learned there, and my timing was good, and I had the confidence to go after new enterprises. Around 2002 Roy bought the 1,250 acre Farnham Estate in Cavan for €6.35 million. He spent another €85 million converting the big house into a 158 room luxury hotel with a large wellness and fitness centre and an 18 hole golf course. “When the financial crash came it almost wiped me out and we lost the hotel, but we came back from it,” he added.

Roy and his wife most recently visited Western Australia in September 2023, visiting Margaret’s sister Veronica and her husband Louie, their family and many of their life long friends from those early days.

Aussie discount worth big-bucks in Ireland!

A proposed merger between Australian entities Sigma Healthcare and Chemist Warehouse was floated in December, but regulatory approval for the deal looks certain to take months to sort out. If approved it would create an ASX company with a workforce of 20,0000 people and a value of about $8.8 billion, putting it in the same league as big hitters such as Qantas, TPG and Seek.

The first Chemist Warehouse opened in Melbourne in 2000 and today there are more than 500 retail outlets across Australia.

In October 2020 – when the COVID pandemic was well underway – the discount pharmacy opened its first European store in the Westend Shopping Centre Park shopping centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin. In early December – before news of the merger emerged – the Australian firm said it was expanding the original Blanchardstown store and even adding a second one in the same shopping centre.

Two more stores are expected to open in January – in Artane, North Dublin and Cork city centre – with another eight across Ireland to follow in 2024.

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THE IRISH SCENE | 25

Big baker butters up WA

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global bakery corporation with a long and interesting Irish pedigree announced a $40 million project in Western Australia in the week before Christmas. ARYZTA – which has offices in Zurich and Dublin – announced it had formally agreed to go ahead with the two year construction and commissioning of a new bakery at Peel Business Park, where it is the foundation tenant. It said the project is the first major bakery investment in WA in the last 20 years and would created 80 new jobs at the factory and 500 indirect jobs locally.

The company – which owns the Cuisine De France brand and also produces the buns for McDonalds burgers – said it would also be good for the environment and would remove an estimated 1.7 million food miles currently involved in transporting bakery items to customers in the West from ARYZTA’s existing two facilities in New South Wales and Victoria.

Its local carbon footprint will decrease by 700 tons of CO2 annually, with raw materials such as flour, wheat, dairy and sugar to also be sourced locally. It will also largely be powered by a local renewable microgrid which draws

26 | THE IRISH SCENE

its energy from a solar and battery storage system. The company said it will bring worldclass industrial bakery technology to the facility, which will use advanced Al-driven quality assurance, robotics, storage and monitoring systems for ingredient quality and biosecurity. Acting CEO, Urs Jordi said: “Australia is an attractive growth market for bakery products and this expansion in Perth will allow ARYZTA to produce fresh and frozen products as opposed to shipping frozen only over long distances from our plants in eastern Australia. The project has very strong sustainability credentials and will generate additional direct and indirect employment.

It will reduce food miles and use renewable energy.” The bakery giant is now present in 27 countries around the world but is regarded as an Swiss-Irish outfit. Aryzta was formed in a 2007 following the merger of the Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society (IAWS) and is Hiestand, a Swiss food company. The story of IAWS is in its own way linked to the fight for Irish independence and a good case study or corporate mergers and acquisitions.

An Irish farming visionary

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onsidered the founder of the co-op movement in Ireland, Horace Plunkett was involved in the setting up of The Irish Agricultural Organisation Society in 1894 (IAOC; renamed the Irish Co-Operative Organisational Society in 1979). The IAOC convinced the Irish Co-Operative Agency Society Ltd. (IACSL), founded in 1893, to focus on marketing butter and dairy equipment.

This was followed by the creation of the Irish Co-Operative Agricultural Agency Society Ltd. (ICAAS) in Dublin in January 1897 with the aim of securing qualitiy supplies of fertilizers, seeds and the like. Plunkett was the chairman for the first two years.

Plunkett was not Irish but he and his family would help shape and develop Ireland as an independent and modern nation in more ways than one. Born and educated in England, his father was a baron in the Irish peerage who held a family seat at Dunsany, Co. Meath. In 1879 Plunkett travelled to America where he spent ten years as a cattle rancher in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. His time in the United States was successful and he amassed a large fortune and gained significant agricultural and commercial experience that he would use later in life.

Plunkett also had a major impact on the agricultural policies of President Roosevelt but that’s another days story. Now an established and experienced figure, Plunkett returned to Ireland in 1889 and dedicated himself to the agricultural co-op movement.

His appointment to the new Congested Districts Board in 1891 exposed him to the hardships and wretched conditions of most of the rural population in Ireland, particulary in the west. Between 1892 and 1900 he was a moderate Unionist member of parliament for South County Dublin and around this time he helped set up the first Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland (which is today the government’s Department of Agriculture).

He also championed an independent Ireland without partition, within the British Commonwealth and was appointed to the first Senate of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1923. After his house in Dublin was bombed and burned down by Republicans during the Irish Civil War he moved to England where he would spent the rest of his life and established what is today the Plunkett Foundation to do charitable works. Interestingly, Plunkett was related to Joseph Plunkett, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising in 1916 and a signatory to the Proclamation.

Plunkett died in 1932 but the benefits of his vision for the co-operative movement continued to grow and achieve major advances for the agricultural sector. In 1984 IAWS acquired Boland Mills and four years later the group floated on the public stock exhange. A year later the company acquired Shamrock Foods, then animal feed importer R&H Hall and later other companies including Cuisine de France in 1997.

Plunkett believed the cure to many of Ireland’s economic problems was cooperative self-help and that the population – Catholic and Protestant – should share in prosperity and progress. In 1904 he published his book Ireland in the New Century.

THE IRISH SCENE | 27

The Plunkett Prize

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lunkett’s influence and legacy is still honoured to this day. Limerick farmer Ted Hunt was recently awarded the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) with the Plunkett Award for his lifelong contribution to co-operative movment. A farmer from Athea, Co. Limerick, he was born in 1935 and followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as an active member of the Athea Co-op Creamery Committe in 1972. That co-op, as well as nine others, came together to form a federation that was the predecessor for Kerry Co-op Creameries, he was elected to the first board in 1974. In the same yeare he joined the committee of Golden Vale Mart in Abbeyfealed when it started and went on to become chairman. Amongst many other achievements he also served as chairperson of the ICOS Marts Committee from 1990 to 2001. “[Ted’s] life and professional journey have been marked by the development of exceptional farm management skills and knowledge, coupled with personal drive and creativity, which he has effectively utilised for the advancement of Golden Vale Marts and its members over the decades,” ICOS president Edward Carr said. “[His] remarkable selflessness in his contribution to the co28 | THE IRISH SCENE

operative sector has significantly improved agriculture, his local community, region and country. It’s a privilege for us to acknowledge his contributions by awarding him this esteemed national accolade.”

Based out of The Plunkett House, in Merrion Square Dublin, the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society (ICOS) member co-ops and their associated companies have more than 150,000 individual members, 12,000 employees in Ireland and another 24,000 abroad, and a combined turnover of $14.5 billion.

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How lucky are we to have our Daniel?

By Heather Deighan

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rish singer Daniel O’Donnell is enjoying resurgent success with his newly released album How Lucky I Must Be. His fame is renowned, selling over 10 million albums and he is the only artist in the world to score a hit in the UK album charts, every year since 1988. Daniel recently celebrated his 62 nd birthday, his energetic stage presence belies over 40 years of performing. On 21 February, Daniel commences an Australian and New Zealand tour, starting with four concerts in New Zealand followed by another ten in Australia, climaxing with the grand finale on 14 March 2024 at Perth’s Riverside Theatre.

In November, I interviewed Daniel calling from Fremantle to Minnesota; these are my personal reflections of our energising conversation. We roamed across many topics; it is no understatement to say that Daniel is the easiest person I have ever interviewed. I felt we could have talked for hours and then some. When speaking about this, his first tour to the antipodes since COVID-19, Daniel’s repeated refrain was that he is concerned to give people what they want, the songs they love. His focus is caring for his audience, whom he regards as family with very little focus upon himself. In speaking about the great family of followers in New Zealand and Australia, his delight was palpable about the diversity of his audiences. Describing his

surprise at his multicultural appeal speaking about a Burmese man and their connection at several concerts, correcting himself and checking that it was now Myanmar. We spoke about how Daniel manages touring on such a full performance schedule over vast distances. We briefly enjoyed traversing Invercargill in the deep south of New Zealand and the similarities of the terrain to Ireland.

As is Daniel’s way, he quickly shifted our focus from any perceived challenges of his travels to thinking of others. His expressed his prime concern being to give his audiences great experiences of Irish music. As we chatted it felt to me that we were speaking like cousins about our clan, so easy was the flow and twists and turns of interest. I expressed my hope that Majella, Daniel’s wife will accompany and perform with him. He raised my hopes as Majella’s sister lives in Christchurch, and Michael, her son is in Melbourne. It was impossible for Daniel to return here during Western Australia’s COVID border closures, so I expressed my joy and appreciation of his weekly and at times daily Facebook videos. His online entertainment lifted spirits and encouraged many. It was delightful to reminisce together about the challenges, and our memories. I spoke about the solace experienced by many from his Remember Me duet with Majella. We laughed and giggled

together as Daniel described his deficits with technology, such as the mayhem of an early video, when he was holding the camera so that everything was showing upside down. This was an episode, I remember well. Daniel spoke with appreciation of the feedback he received and how he felt everyone was cheering him on, willing him to conquer his technological demons.

I thanked Daniel for his visits to residential aged care and nursing homes across Donegal during stringent lockdowns.

Often, I had watched with admiration Daniel setting up his microphone and loud speakers from the boot of his car. Some residents were sitting outside cosily wrapped up and other residents and their medical and personal carers waving and clapping from out of windows. Their delight and joy I had felt across the airwaves.

Daniel humbly explained how he would only call the facility on the day, as he did not want to ever disappoint residents noting that on one occasion, he visited six care facilities in one day. That to me is the epitome of Daniel O’Donnell’s generosity. Daniel went on to speak about Majella’s mother Marion Roche, who passed away in September 2023.

Across the height of lockdown in Donegal, Marion came to live with them in their home in Kinclassagh. Daniel spoke lovingly of the delights, joys, and challenges as Majella, he, and other members of the family came to decide upon this shift of abode and major change to Marion’s living arrangements. He spoke of how they cared for her and then as happens in many families, addressing the heart wrenching challenges of the next and necessary transition of moving into full time residential care. Daniel emphasised and encouraged others not to fear or resist this move. He detailed the changes and spoke fondly about how Marion’s world actually expanded. Describing with enthusiasm how she got a new lease on life once settled in to the care facility; being involved in new and interesting activities, people to chat with, a

varied and energising structure to her days. Daniel’s on-stage approach is a natural homely way over two hours and more of performance during which he rarely stands still and mostly dances around the stage singing and telling his hilarious stories. At special moments Daniel invites children and people with disability to join him at the stage, such is his rare, inclusive and caring manner of making everyone feel special. It feels as if Daniel, although illuminated on a spectacular stage is alongside his audience as though in their local pub or small village hall. Another dimension of Daniel’s close connection with his audience is that after each concert performance many faithful fans line up in the foyer, where a table is set up with chairs. Daniel sits himself down as if in a kitchen back home in Ireland.

He chats in the most engaging fashion with everyone until all have had their time with him. If you have yet to book for Thursday 14 March at the Riverside Theatre, Convention and Exhibition Centre, Perth, be quick, as with Daniel’s previous tours, this one will quickly sell out. Be assured of a wonderful evening during which I imagine you may say to yourself How Lucky I Must Be. THE IRISH SCENE | 31

H E A R T W A R M I N G H O M E C O M I N G S

by Lloyd Gorman

RTE toyed with our emotions

O

ne of RTE’s most popular programmes, the Late Late Toy Show is guaranteed to be three hours of feel good and festive TV that raises millions for children’s charities, with a couple of tear jerkers thrown in for good measure.

The 2023 LLTS had a new host in Patrick Kielty who stepped into the abyss left by the dramatic fall from grace of Ryan Turbidy but the format of the show remained largely the same, including an emotional whopper that had members of the audience and viewers everywhere in tears of joy.

Kielty – who passed the high profile test with flying colours – went walkabout in the Christmassy clad audience, talking briefly to some people before planting himself down beside Carol O’Brien and her daughter Bernice, who are from Navan, Co. Meath.

Kielty said to Carol: “Now I know that this is a bit of a disappointment because we’re letting everyone send messages to other people. But, you’re not going to be sending any messages tonight. We know that you have family in Perth, Australia, for the last six years and you haven’t seen them. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to send you a little message from them.”

He gestured towards a screen for Carol to look at on which there was a short video of her daughter, Joanne, her sonin-law, Richard, and their two kids (Eva and Ben) in Perth, who were sending a loving message to Carol that they’ll be watching her on the Toy Show all the way from Australia.”

After playfully mimicking an Aussie accent Kielty revealed the real surprise.

“Now, they say they’ll be watching you on the TV, but I have to say they’re terrible liars because they’re actually 32 | THE IRISH SCENE

right here behind this Christmas tree.

They’ve flown in from Australia.”

As they came out from their hiding place and onto the set the Toy Show host took a shocked Carol by the hand to meet them. Naturally there were hugs and tears as they embraced each other and there was hardly a dry eye in the studio and no doubt for many viewers watching the surprise reunion.

Certainly on RTE’s social media there were comments like: “Beautiful loved it,” “I’m not crying you are” and even one fan who tweeted: “Cutting about five onions a minute. I’m not crying, it’s allergies honestly.”

RTE picked up their story again a couple of weeks later when 2FM caught up with Carol and interviewed her about the heartwarming homecoming.

“I was expecting them to come for Christmas at Christmas,” Carol told 2FM presenter Jennifer Zamparelli. “And I didn’t know what was going on, because they were good at keeping secrets.”

The grandmother was there on a false pretence. She had been told she was chosen because she was a “Hozier superfan”. “I thought we were just lucky. Because it was a dream of [my daughter] Bernice, and especially myself...We would watch the Toy Show every year. It was like the start of Christmas, you know. I can’t explain it.”

Just before Kielty came to her she spotted something unusual which caused some confusion. “I was watching [a teleprompter], and Paddy Kielty was coming up [the steps into the audience]. I turned to Bernice, and I said, ‘It says Carol O’Brien?. She said: ‘Turn around, don’t look at me, and smile.’ I had no idea. Now, that’s when fear struck me! I thought, ‘Oh my God, what’s going to happen.’ Because I really didn’t think what happened would happen. It was out of the blue.” Her first reaction was an Irish mother’s classic. “All I could think when it happened was ‘I’ve nothing in the fridge!. And my sister arrived at nine o’clock the next morning with two bags.

Rashers, sausages, orange juice, the works.

Lorraine. She just arrived. But she’s like that.

She thinks of everything.” A few weeks after all the excitement Carol said she was still enjoying their special visitors.

“The house is alive again,” she said. “Because we’ve empty nests – there’s only my husband and myself here. So to have the family back it’s marvellous. Marvellous.”

A beautiful moment examined

T

he ritual of meeting loved ones at the airport returning home for the Christmas holidays is another media favourite. It offers a ready made and ready to go wealth of beautiful moments, perfect photos and touching stories. The front page of the Irish Examiner on December 21 captured the scene with a set of photographs of a granny embracing her grandson for the first time under the heading ‘Love at first flight’.

An article in the newspaper told the story in more detail. It said grandparents Ger and Brian McGuiness sobbed as they met their seven-month-old grandson James for the first time. “He’s just beautiful,” said Ger. James’s dad Derek and his Australian wife Rebecca flew in from Perth with his in-laws Leachelle and Craig Archibald for Christmas.

Mrs Archibald said her grandson had “smiled” for the entire 17-hour trip and that he is “joy”.

“This is a pretty special moment for all of us,” she said. More than a 100,000 passengers landed or left Dublin airport on the day the McGuiness clan touched down, one of the busiest days in the festive period when 1.5 million passengers passed through the country’s biggest airports.

THE IRISH SCENE | 33

H E A R T W A R M I N G H O M E C O M I N G S

by Lloyd Gorman

The charm of Cork

R

ob Whittingham and his wife Julie, stayed with relations in Rosscarbery, Co. Cork, on a trip to Ireland late last year. The photo at table was taken at The Market Restaurant a small locally run and popular restaurant in the township square of Rosscarbrey serving home cooked delicious local produce. The photo shows Rob and myself (Julie) on the RHS of the photo and Rob’s relations Anne and John Hodnett on the LHS. The Hodnett family have lived in Rosscarbery for generations, Anne and John being very well known in the community there.

This was our third visit to Rosscarbery and each time we’ve had the most wonderful hospitality as well as being

generously chauffeured around Southern Ireland enabling us to see such beautiful countryside and historic places together with meeting long lost distant relations.

stant with a cherish di L-R Catching up and Rob y rth (Gen) MacCa relation Eugene t and John Hodnet Cobh, last port of call for the Titanic

34 | THE IRISH SCENE

Myself and Rob at beautiful Flendora inlet, Cork. Meal and breath taking scenery.

Family reunion

J

oan Tyson from Wembley returned to Ireland (in October) to catch up with siblings and extended family in Limerick, Cork, Tipperary and Dublin. Brother Noel from Sydney, Denis from Cork, Bernard from Dublin joined sister Mary who lives in the family home in Limerick.

Family memories of growing up together were relived and new memories created.

THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB Meets fourth Tuesday of the month, with exception of December. At 7.30pm January 23 ’Lessons in Chemistry’ by Bonnie Garmus, presented by Thelma Blackford THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB February 27 To be decided at January meeting Venue Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco Admission Free. All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Tea and coffee from the Bar $2 BLOOMSDAY - James Joyce Literary Competition presentations Contact Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com

Meets fourth Tuesday of the month, with exception of December. At 7.30pm May 24 ‘Phosphorescence’ by Julia Baird, to be presented by Trish Dooey June 28 TBA to be presented by Cecilia Bray Venue Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco Admission Free. All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Tea and coffee from the Bar $2 Contact Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com

AIHA FILM CLUB SEASON Wednesdays February 7,14,21,28, March 6 Sixteenth annual outdoor Irish Film Festival with a programme of rarely seen and some classic Irish cinema. Private garden cinema, 7.45pm nightly. Ample parking available. Big fifteen-foot cinema screen Programme will be released in January Plus Each night a supporting Irish short film or documentary, together with tea/coffee RENEWAL Due 1 January, 2024 and cakes. Ice creams $3 https://www.trybooking.com/BZAVU Family membership $65 Venue Kensington (South Perth) AIHA Website Concession (Centrelink and unwaged Entry Donation $15 to cover catering and costs, pay at the gate. students with ID) $55 Seating Come early for best seats, bring deckchair if running late Distant (200 kms from Perth) $45 Enquiries Tony Bray - Ph 9367 6026, check our website and facebook Membership fee includes tax The JOURNAL OF INTEREST deductible donation of $20 The Journal is our quarterly book publication edited by Teresa O’Brien. Correspondence may be Pay Online - you can register your emailed to journal@irishheritage.com.au Coming Updetails and pay via Brendan Award 2022 and 2023 – will be announced in the new year. https://irishheritage.com.au/memberProgram of Activities for 2024 is available to members and those on our database. Annual ship/registration/ General Meeting will be held on Sunday March 24 at 3pm.

Or Bank Transfer: Bank: CBA, BSB: 066-192 Account No: 1054 6502 AIHA BOARD OF MANAGEMENT AIHA was founded in 1993 to encourage and promote an awareness of Australia’s President – Heather Deighan Treasurer/ Membership – Patricia Bratton Secretary – Tony Bray Committee – Gayle Lannon, Peter Conole, Teresa O’Brien Irish Heritage. Members enjoy discounted rates to dinners and functions, exSupported by a tier of volunteers. Please talk to us if you are interested in being involved in some way! clusive events, quarterly Journal, voting rights, and opportunities to participate in PO Box 1583 Subiaco 6904. Tel: 08 9345 3530. Secretary: 08 9367 6026 activities which promote an awareness Email: secretary@irishheritage.com.au or admin@irishheritage.com.au of this distinctive Heritage.

Web Page: https://irishheritage.com.au/. Look us up on Facebook To mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses, the AIHA will hold a celebratory event on June 16th, officially known world-wide as Bloomsday, after Leopold Bloom in Ulysses. At the event, the shortlisted entries from our competition will be staged as readings, drama, music and visual presentations by solo or groups. The overall winner will be chosen by popular vote on the night and will receive a cash prize.

We thank our adjudicators Frank Murphy and Frances Devlin-Glass

Date Venue Admission Prizes Bookings

MEMBERSHIP

Thursday June 16 at 7.30pm Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco (to be confirmed) AIHA members $20, Non-members $25, includes light refreshments Best Edwardian dressed male or female. Plus special Irish raffle

Check our website https://irishheritage.com.au/news-blog/ for a selection of exclusive interviews conducted 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 link will be on our website as soon as available.

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

Members of AIHA receive 4 editions of the Journal each year. Latest edition for March 2022, Vol 31, No 1 is available. We now have a library of 30 years of Journal and are compiling an index of every article title, author and subject detail to be made available on our website from May this year. We anticipate almost 2,000 titles in the index.

Contributors can email editor Julie Breathnach-Banwait on journal@irishheritage.com.au Non-members can purchase copies at $10 Annual Mary Durack lecture to be delivered by Patsy Millet, daughter of Dame Mary Durack, AC DBE Australian author and historian, (1913 - 1994). Date is subject to confirmation by Irish Club in July or August

THE IRISH SCENE | 35

G’day from Gary Gray AUSTRALIA’S AMBASSADOR IN IRELAND Stay up to date with what’s happening in the Australian Embassy, Ireland by following:

@ausembire

Australian Embassy, Ireland

@AusEmbIre

James Hazell with Australian Slingsby Theatre group before their tour of Ireland.

Reflections on a year of change…

The crisp winter mornings bring a dusting of frost off the Wicklow mountains providing that quintessential European-styled holiday season, classically different than the beautifully hot Australian summer. As the season turns, there is change here at the Embassy as well. Since my last writing our new Deputy Head of Mission James Hazell has arrived and, like duck to water, has made an immediate impact on the team and our operations in Ireland. James has already been to Galway, Tipperary, Sligo, Athlone, and other corners of Ireland as he begins his four-year tenure on the island. He visited several Aussie businesses and representatives from regional Chambers of Commerce and industry bodies. Though I’ve been here for nearly four years now, it still amazes me, the pockets of Australians that have found themselves calling part of Ireland, their home. It speaks to the deep connection our two countries have.

James is undertaking his first leg of Irish language training here too. Though not compulsory for new starters, James felt it was important to better understand the country and grant access to many of Ireland’s deepest cultural roots. You can keep an eye on our social channels over the coming months to see it in action!

Of course, with James’ arrival we also said goodbyes to Tim Millikan, who has moved on to pastures new. Tim was an integral part of my time in Ireland and worked tirelessly during the many difficult COVID years when working conditions were at some of their most stressful. Tim was a stalwart member of our team and will be missed.

We rounded off the year with the annual Christmas Carols and lights at the Australian official Residence at Abbey Lea, Killiney. Santa made a surprise visit and was greeted by wonderful performances from the Supertones Children’s Choir and the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus. With Irish whiskeys, mulled wine, and hot chocolates for the kids, it was a beautiful way to start the Christmas festivities. Following the celebration, it

36 | THE IRISH SCENE

G’DAY FROM GARY GRAY was time for myself, Pippa and Ted to fly back Down Under for the rest of the festive period. I always look forward to this time of year. Indeed, it has probably grown in importance to me since leaving Australia for my post in Ireland – a feeling I’m sure is felt by all those living in Australia with family back home in Ireland and vice-versa. This Christmas took on particular significance for many Irish people who grew up and were greatly influenced by the work of The Pogue’s front man, Shane McGowan who sadly passed away just as the season’s festivities were getting underway. His song ‘Fairytale of New York’ continues to capture the mixed emotions, not just of Christmas, but of the Irish immigrant story more broadly. He was, and will, I think forever be seen as legendary for his contribution and will be missed by so many he left behind.

James Hazell in Sligo visitng famous ‘Shells Beach cafe in Strandhill.

The work for us remains of course and we’ve been busy preparing for Australia Day in January. The day marks a very important time in the history of our nation and reminds us of the very different histories that have created modern Australia. For us at the Embassy it is a day both of reflection and of celebration. It allows us to appreciate the difficulty in portions of our history, especially pertaining to Australia’s first nations peoples but to acknowledge that together we have created a nation to be proud of. One that respects individual liberty, champions equality and has accomplished a standard of living which is the envy of many.

As is always the case, the mind must begin considerations for next year. Australia Day of course comes first but we look forward also to the Wallabies arriving in Ireland. After such differing fortunes at the recent World Cup in France, it’ll be a great opportunity to see how both sets of players are developing. Ireland, and many of us, were hooked on the excitement of our respective team’s journey and will no doubt be feeling optimistic about this looming test. I personally have always loved an underdog!

James Hazell at his welcome to Dublin reception.

The Hon Gary Gray AO Australian Ambassador to Ireland

Santa Claus giving out Aussie sweets to kids at Abbey Lea Christmas Carols 2023.

Australian Ambassador to Ireland, Gary Gray with the Irish Thalidomide Association (2)

James Hazell at Coolmore Stud, Tipperary with champion horse, Australia.

THE IRISH SCENE | 37

2023

Blue skies ahead but its not all plain sailing

by Lloyd Gorman

I

n keeping with what has become a Christmas Day tradition in recent years, legions of junior Irish doctors gathered at Cottesloe Beach to celebrate together. Part of the ritual and fun sees the collection of clinicians pose for a group shot which is then posted on Twitter and also published in Irish Scene. The turnout of off-duty medicos is always impressive, and last Christmas was no different.

A reporter from the West Australian who visited the iconic beachfront spot to interview people there for an article (Thousands of families soak up the glorious Christmas sun at the beach, December 25) estimated the group size at 150.

“Visitors from the northern hemisphere swapped out the white Christmas for white sandy beaches, with the popular swimming spot filled with Irish punters celebrating the holiday the Australian way,” reporter Lauren Price wrote. “A huge group of 150 Irish doctors — who have recently moved to Perth — gathered on the beach and in true Aussie fashion, the men in the group took the opportunity to don their Christmas-themed budgie smugglers.”

She spoke with one of the doctors, Sorcha Leary, who said it was the group’s first ever “hot Christmas”.

“All our family are back home so we will do a barbeque all together later, once all the other doctors finish their shift today,” Sorcha said.

“It’s so nice here, there’s such a community

38 | THE IRISH SCENE

atmosphere and so much happening and everyone is very intertwined.”

But a story showing the other side of the coin was headline news in Ireland a few days earlier.

On December 20 the Irish Daily Mail published a front page story by journalist Helen Bruce about the ‘soaring’ numbers of Irish health staff leaving the Irish Health Service Executive for greener pastures Down-under (Fears for HSE As Our Medics In Exodus to Australia).

Bruce approached the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency for information about the number of applications by Irish medical personel to work in the country.

She found that the number of “successful applications” made in 2022/23 was close to 2,500, up 982 from 1,516 just twelve months earlier. That was a 140% increase on the numbers from 2018/19.

2

TTES 021 CO

LOE P

ERTH,

COTTESL

OE PERTH

, WA Dr Chris Luke from the Irish Medical Times discussed the situation with NewsTalk radio presenter Pat Kenny.

Dr Luke said changes were badly needed. “It is a complicated conundrum and it’s not going to be easy to fix,” he said.“There are factors that we need to identify including lifestyle and the conditions people are expected to work in here, as opposed to in Australia, for example.”

At 1,014 nurses were the single biggest category of the nearly 2,500 shunning the Irish healthcare sector (up from 400 three years earlier), followed by doctors (986), physiotherapists (149), radiographers (109), dentists (32) and psychologists (27).

“There are now 8,800 Irish medical professionals registered to work in Australia, up 2,204 since 2018/19,” wrote Bruce.

“The release of the stark figures comes as junior doctors are threatening to ballot for industrial action in the new year in protest at the HSE’s recruitment freeze.”

Unless the embargo on hiring is suspended – as requested by the Irish Medical Organisation and others – trainee doctors will ballot for industrial action in January.

They say capping the number of doctors in the already strained system will only make the situation worse.

WA

2022 CO

Ireland trains about 700 new medics a year, of which close to 500 go abroad, many within weeks of getting their licence. Australia – particularly Western Australia – is where about 400 of them came last year as Irish Scene has reported previously. “It is really incredibly simple, easy, and attractive to get to Perth, Melbourne, or Sydney,” he added. “Perhaps it’s become so easy, it’s a reflex of young graduates to head off immediately.”

Several listeners texted the show suggesting that trainee doctors either needed to work in the Irish system for a certain period of time before they could leave so the state could get some of the benefit of training them, or for graduates who did not want to do that to pay full fees for their studies.

He agreed that Irish hospitals were not easy places to work and that many of his GP colleagues are facing an increasing workload and stress.

“But you have to come back to the point I made, what is the health system for?,” he added. “Is it primarily for the graduates, or is it primarily for the people. The single most important observation I would make is this, the more our graduates, be they in therapy, or

TTESLOE

PERTH, W

A

THE IRISH SCENE | 39

medicine, or nursing or midwifery, the more they leave the more they make it difficult for those who are left behind. Its a really vicious circle….an immediate problem worsened by the exodus. I always come back to this idea that there has to be something at the very beginning of this whole eco-system when people go into medical schools or nursing schools or whatever, there needs to be some sort of incentive scheme and we need to be nuanced about this.”

In many parts of the world – including Australia, America, central and eastern Europe – ‘Return of Service’ or ‘National Service’ is the norm in the health sector. “Its only really in the UK and Ireland where it is not expected,” Dr Luke added. “So if the state trains you it should at least expect some amount of time back from you in terms of service.”

Mr Kenny – a former news and current affairs heavyweight at RTE – put it to the medic that if so many doctors were being trained “only for export” and subsidised with “huge amounts of state money...so people can head off”, that this did not make sense.

Dr Luke replied: “I completely agree, its absolutely ludicrous. Its like pouring more

Perth’s Irish community – like many others in Australia and across he world – came together to hold a vigil in the wake of the shocking murder of 23 year old Tullamore teacher Aisling Murphy while she was jogging in broad daylight in her home town of Tullamore, Co. Offaly in January.

A group traditio and fid county’ tributes woman promis also he GAA cl right. E the vig of the k to the s traditio music a vigil ton #Ashlin in Perth

Similar were st across includin the Am at Kang water into a bucket with a hole in it.

Point, B Hundreds of Irish people including It makes no sense economically or –ethically and all families withback youngtochildren, and I say we have to go squaretook onepart in based in an evening vigilhealth and walk at this debate and ask what time is the system Irish Au the Flame of what Remembrance in Kings for, or more importantly are medical and Queen Park on January 19, organised by the by Ann nursing schools for?”.

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Pétanque underway in Belfast

M

y good wife and I have just returned from a trip to Sydney. Why were we there? We were celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary and what a good time, with memories galore, we had with friends we had not seen for over twenty years. We visited the school I had taught at (Cranbrook School) where I had taught James Packer, Bryce Courtneys’s son and where Barry Humphries had attended one of our teacher’s functions as his son was in the Junior School. We had stayed at the Royal Sydney Golf Club and the Shangri-La Hotel. Naturally, on our travels we met Irish folk. Some of them were visitors, some were there to see their grandchildren, some were there on short visas and of course some had been there for eons.

One couple from Belfast were interesting for me as they, like me, had lived in Spain and France and were aware of the French game which they knew as Boule or Pétanque.

“We have it in Belfast now,” they told me. I was sceptical, so I had to look it up (as one does now) on my return. I was particularly interested in this sport as I had played it during all of the hot summer months that I had enjoyed in my four years living in south Spain. My competitors were mainly Belgian and French and they knew how to cook. Lamb cooked on a spit was my favourite. My friends favoured wine but I mostly stuck to the San Miguel which was insanely cheap. Below is an excerpt of what google dished out about pétanque in Belfast.

Lovers of French sport pétanque get their very own city centre court as part of Linen Quarter district’s regeneration was the headline that I found.

Apparently, Northern Ireland fans of this French sport can now partake of a leisurely game in the middle of Belfast city centre. I suppose you have to provide your own set of boules. Eight of them to be precise with four pairs of different patterns to identify them and a nut or cork to end up close to and a string of sorts to measure disputed claims.

Linen Quarter Business Improvement District (LQ BID) recently installed a pétanque court at Blackstaff Square as part of ongoing efforts to regenerate and revitalise the area.

“In the last two years we have had a considerable degree of growth. That is possibly connected to Covid because pétanque was something people could do, as it’s played outside on gravel,” says Dawn Kirk, honorary secretary of the Irish Pétanque Association (IPA).

The aim of French boules, or pétanque, is to throw the heavy metal balls (boules) and position them as close to the small jack as you can. To play, a player must step onto the pitch and keep both feet on the ground when throwing their boule. Boules are thrown out of the back of your hand.

“People like myself who are involved with the IPA would be interested in playing competitions and national competitions,” says Dawn.

“There’s different levels of play.

If you want to play at national

42 | THE IRISH SCENE

LES ULSTER RAMB

Above is a photograph of a game of pétanque underway in Belfast level you can, but you can play for leisure or you can play in some of the many interclub tournaments that we have, which is a wee bit of competition. It’s fun and all you need to play is a set of boules which aren’t expensive.”

The community has come a long way – from six clubs to 14.. An incredibly accessible sport, it caters for all abilities and ages.

“It doesn’t matter who or what you are. You can play at any level, for a bit of fun,” explains Dawn.

“It’s outdoor, it has a social side to it. You don’t have to be very physical; you’d have people with disabilities who can play because the objective of the game is that you just play on gravel and you just throw boules so there’s no restrictions physically for anybody being able to play, any age group can play.” Is there an element of luck to perfecting pétanque? “I believe there’s an element of luck in every sport,” admits Dawn.

“At the level we play, certainly there is an element of luck in it but it’s a good thing about the game because that means that everybody can get that lucky start in the game. “Sometimes you play a shot you don’t really mean to but it can work out really well. But I feel that adds to the game because everybody can get a lucky shot. But obviously the higher up you go, the less luck comes into it and it becomes more

and more skilful. If you’re planning the World Championships, there’s no luck, it’s all skill,” she laughs.

I have been informed that there are six pétanque clubs in Perth and Surrounds where surrounds means places like Safety Bay. I confess I have not been to any of these clubs, (I am still trying to put a ball from long distances into a tiny hole on a green) but I do have a set to play with in the back garden and I have observed a new court near the Recreation Centre in Wanneroo. It may be something to look forward to!

Today, pétanque is played in more than 40 countries with several million players. It is increasingly popular in Asia especially in Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore. Of course the aficionados tell me that it is becoming popular in Australia. Like every other sport I responded.

Somehow, I can’t really see it taking off in Ulster but as I age gently into the future with this new generation, I might well be wrong. May I wish you all a happy and successful New Year and please make sure that if you try this sport, do not drop the boule on your toe.

And as always, may your God in this time of conflict go with you. . David MacConnell THE IRISH SCENE | 43

WA bank wins legal right to serve writ on customer in Ireland by Lloyd Gorman

I

n a rare legal case, one of Australia’s Big Four banks was recently allowed to pursue a customer in Ireland who fell behind with their loan repayments for a mortgage property in Perth. ANZ Bank started proceedings in the Supreme Court of Western Australia in September last year to get the permission of the court to “serve the Writ of Summons on her in Ireland”.

At that hearing the judge established the woman had “signed the letter of offer at an address in Ireland” and that as such “[he] would not have been positively persuaded that the governing law of the loan agreement was Western Australia”.

Once the legal summons had been issued the woman [the defendant] would have had 42 days to respond and react. To support its case the bank included an affidavit from one of its own workers to the effect that the woman had signed a written loan agreement, with the loan secured by a mortgage for a property in Bicton.

At the October hearing the judge said he “expressed my concern” at ANZ’s “difficulties” in getting its own application together and that such costs should not be “visited on the defendant” and added to her existing “indebtedness”.

The affidavit said: “The defendant had failed to pay a sum when it was due and so was in default under the loan agreement and the mortgage”.

ANZ’s legal representative sought another adjournment to consider these and other issues and lodged new paperwork three weeks later.

Justice Matthew Howard first heard the matter on September 28 but noted the financial institution’s application did not include a ‘draft writ’.

Another hearing before Justice Howard was scheduled for November 3. “In anticipation of that hearing, my Chambers raised some further matters with the plaintiff’s solicitors,” the Justice said. As a result of that contact the bank filed more documentation in relation to its application.

“I was told at the first hearing that as a matter of practice a draft writ was not usually included in such an application,” Justice Howard said in a 14 page decision, handed down on November 10 2023.

Justice Howard could not assess if that was the case or not but said “such a practice” would not allow the Court to properly assess the exercise of its powers under certain legal conditions. “Without a draft writ before the Court, I considered that it would not be within power nor appropriate for this Court to give the plaintiff [ANZ] leave to issue a writ for service outside of Australia.”

The hearing was adjourned until October 5 to give the bank time to consider its position. Just before that hearing the bank filed an updated application, with a draft writ and some additional paperwork, including a request for the outstanding amounts on the loan and the mortgage, their legal costs as well as ‘possession of the property’.

44 | THE IRISH SCENE

The banks fumbled handling of the entire issue earned it a rebuke from the Supreme Court judge.

“As I expressed in the hearing on 5 October 2023, and repeated on 3 November 2023, I am concerned that what ought to have been a straightforward application if done carefully from the beginning, has become a convoluted process with four iterations of the plaintiff’s [ANZ’s] application and three hearings,” Justice Howard said.

Ultimately the bank got the Courts permission to serve the writ on the woman in Ireland but fixed the costs the bank could recoup from the woman – in addition to any outstanding amounts – at $1600. If or when the matter comes back before the Court Irish Scene will endeavour to report on developments in the case.

Bank’s ‘pot of gold’ tips

I

n an apparent attempt at recognition that St Patrick’s Day’s was coming up ANZ Bank offered customers advice about ‘How to fill your ‘pot of gold’ on its website on March 8, 2022.

The page on the website opens with the line: “You might have heard of the luck of the Irish, but when it comes to money, don’t leave your finances to chance!.”

The page has a photo of a guy – sporting a leprechaun beard and hat – giving a girl wearing shamrock shades and a green glittery tie a piggy back through the streets. The couple – who are probably in their twenties – look like they are having a great time and that’s all well and good.

The next line reads: “The Irish might swear by four-leaf clovers, but rather than relying on luck to manage your money, we’ve got some

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tried and tested tips to help you build your very own pot of gold.”

The bank goes on to offer some blindingly obvious ideas about how to make more money and manage it better. One section with the heading Make a start in investing opens with the lines: “The tale of the Leprechauns says that they guard their pot of gold, and really you should be doing the same. Investing can allow you to set some long-term goals and build wealth for the future”.

The final section is headed ‘Get ready to build your pot of gold!’ and reads: “Leprechauns and pots of gold may not exist outside of folk tales, but the reality is just as good. You can build your own pot of gold that will make your financial future bright.”

The actual advice given by the bank is the kind of basic and generic stuff you might expect from any financial institution. But the cultural references (clichés) to ‘the Irish’, ‘the luck of the Irish’, leprechauns, four leave clovers and all the rest of it is cringeworthy.

The tone of the message is somewhat patronising and condescending. It relies on the stereotypical idea of the Irish having luck on their side and loosely lumps that in with leprechauns and pots of gold to caution customers not to be foolish or careless with their money and financial well-being. The inference is you can like the Irish but don’t be like the Irish. It feels a bit rich being lectured by a bank, which has a market cap of $51.85 Billion.

THE IRISH SCENE | 45

THE SURFER

H

ollywood heavyweight Nicholas Cage spent the best part of three months in Western Australia late last year.

Sightings of the Leaving Las Vegas actor started popping up in local media in early October with the rumour mill going into overdrive about why he was around in the South Western region of the state.

While he might have managed to squeeze in some sightseeing and tourist activities Cage was actually here to film a new Stan movie called The Surfer. Production of the new film – which was shot in the single location of Yallingup – wrapped up in early December.

Production Attraction Incentive, which the state government claims is Australia’s most competitive incentive, designed to attract high profile, market driven screen productions to the state.

Lovely Productions is the Dublin based production company of Lorcan Finnegan who directed The Surfer. A bit like Cage himself – Finnegan has a quirky screen style and while his work has seen him create several short films, many TV commercials and music videos and a Sci-Fi feature film Vivarium, which was launched at the Cannes film festival.

The Surfer is a story about a man who returns to Australia to buy back his family home after many years in the U.S. Cage’s character is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a group of local surfers who claim ownership over the secluded beach of his childhood. Wounded, he defies them and remains at the beach, demanding acceptance. As the conflict escalates he is brought right to the edge of his sanity and his entire identity is thrown into question.

The story and the script for the new Cage movie was also written by one Dublin based Thomas Martin. He made a big impression with his first short film Danger High Voltage which won the Best First Short at the Galway Film Fleadh in 2009 and which played at film festivals across the world. This screenwriter has written several dramas for RTE and the Irish Film Board. He is also an author of short stories and has been nominated three times for the prestigious Hennessy/Four Seasons New Irish Writings Awards.

The Surfer is an Australian/Irish Co-Production and produced by Tea Shop Productions, Arenamedia, Lovely Productions and Gramercy Park Media with support from Screenwest through the Western Australian

As well as sprinkling some movie magic in the area, 150 West Australians were employed as cast, crew and extras while the production is estimated to have pumped about $4.8m into the local economy.

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THE TOURIST

T

ravel is a big part of the life of most successful actors. A big project can take them around the world and to places they might never otherwise get to see.

Playing the part of a man who finds himself in the Australian outback with no memory of who he is, Northern Ireland actor Jamie Dornan got to spend some time Down-under for the hit drama thriller series, The Tourist. Filming began in March 2021 in South Australia with most of the scenes shot in the regional towns of Port Augusta and Peterborough and the Flinders Range. Season 2 of the popular show was commissioned in March 2022, filming began in 2023 and it became available to audiences over the Christmas/New Year break.

This time Ireland provided the backdrop for the journey he must take, to unlock the truth about his identity. After 17 weeks filming in the Outback Dornan was back on familiar ground. “[On] the first day of shooting we were in Kilpedder in Wicklow, and I was walking through the trees and the worst rain I think I’ve ever seen came in and I thought, this is what it’s like to film in Ireland,” Dornan – who hails from Holywood, Co. Down – told the Belfast Telegraph (December 28, 2023). “I had sort of forgotten it being three or four years since I filmed here but Ireland is beautiful. “I’ve been to parts of Ireland that I’d never been to before. We predominantly filmed in Dublin and Wicklow, but we’ve managed to travel a little bit outside of there and got to showcase what a beautiful place Ireland is.

“Working with an Irish crew having the same sort of sense of humour has been great. It’s been a dream to shoot here.”

He is conscious of the important part the landscape plays in the story. “I hope they’ll like it,” he said. “We are offering up something a bit different purely by geography. I feel like the colour of the Outback, the scale of it and fear was a major character in the first series.

We’ve taken that away this time and we have suddenly gone from the orangey dirt of the Outback to the lush green settings of Ireland.

Particularly with the first episode, it’s like a Tourism Ireland advert. It’s different and I hope that people are on board with that and get the same sort of satisfaction as they did from the first series. The humour is all there, and the story is as mad as the first series.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 47

THE FOE

T

wo of Dornan’s talented Irish contemporaries also got to spend time in the Australian Outback on another feature film. Foe is a science fiction psychological thriller set slightly in the future, after severe climate change has ruined farmland. A farmer (Mescal) and his wife (Ronan) struggle on one of the last remaining farms until a knock on the door changes things. A stranger arrives at their farm and informs the husband he will be sent to a large space station orbiting the earth while a replica of him will be left to take care of his wife.

Filmed in the Winton Wetlands – about 240km northeast of Melbourne – the project was supported by the Victorian Screen Incentive and the Regional Location Assistance Fund and expected to inject almost $32 million into the Victorian economy and create 950 jobs. Released in the second half of 2023 it did not have the impact or mass appeal of a hit film. Any short-comings with the movie

could not be laid at the feet of the Irish actors.

The website Rotten Tomatoes reviewed it this way: “Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan give it all they’ve got, but they’re ultimately undone by Foe’s clunky sci-fi trappings and ponderous attempts to generate psychological thrills.”

ABC arts editor Luke Goodsell held a similar opinion. “Oscar nominees Ronan and Mescal are both charismatic, gripping performers, and they give Hen and Junior a rich sense of livedin love and loathing. But despite the stars’ best, hot-and-bothered exertion, Davis and Reid’s screenplay eventually hangs them out to dry”.

KID SNOW A

nother new film set and shot in the outback – this time around Kalgoorlie and the Goldfields region – is Kid Snow. Production was completed in 2023 but it is not yet clear what the release date will be. Set in 1971 Kid Snow is a 30 year old, washed up Irish fighter in a raucous travelling tentboxing show who is offered a rematch against the man he fought ten years ago. It’s his chance to turn the page on a tragedy that changed his life forever. But when the feisty single mother Sunny crosses Kid’s path, he is forced to contemplate a future beyond life on the road.

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More Irish Australian movies in the making?

T

he 38th Screen Forever 2024 conference – Australia’s premier screen industry event – on Queensland’s glittering Gold Coast will kick off with a focus on the possibilities for Irish Australian co-productions and better links between the film industry in both countries.

Productions, Southern Pictures, and The ACME Film Company.

At the Ireland Connect event on March 18 – the day before the conference begins – Screen Producers Australia (SPA) aims to provide fresh opportunities for up to 10 Australian producers to advance and potentially finance their market-ready TV and film projects through business relationships developed with Irelandbased producers.

The Ireland Connect delegation will be hosted at the annual film conference and include specially curated sessions, exclusive events, and bespoke 1-1 introductions to further international relations between screen businesses locally and internationally.

SPA said it saw an opportunity to provide more fresh co-production opportunities for the Australian market by building international relationships with the Emerald Isle through an Australian market first between Screen Forever and Screen Producers Ireland (SPI), opening doors to a thriving European market known for compelling dramas, laugh-out-loud comedies, and so much more, in the wake of the success of UK Connect at Screen Forever 37.

The ten Australian production companies seeking co-production partners selected to participate in Ireland Connect are Arcadia, Buster Productions, Factor 30 Films, Hoodlum Entertainment, LM Films / Chemical Media, Magpie Pictures, Princess Pictures, SeeView

The Irish production companies taking part are Calder Entertainment, Prelude Content, Red Shoe Productions, Ripple World, Samson Films, ShinAwiL, Subotica, and Tri Moon Films.

“We increasingly understand the need to provide unique, premium opportunities for Australian producers if we are to foster a sustainable and robust screen sector here in Australia,” said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner.

“We thank Screen Producers Ireland for their support in bringing the initiative to fruition.

We are excited to see how passionate screen professionals from opposite ends of the globe come together to create bold and exciting screen stories for the world.”

Susan Kirby, CEO of Screen Producers Ireland said: “We’re looking forward to working closely with Screen Producers Australia in developing meaningful engagement between Irish and Australian producers. There is a strong link between the two territories, which we hope to leverage with this initiative.”

THE IRISH SCENE | 49

G’DAY FROM MELBOURNE

I

wish you all the best luck of the Irish for 2024 and hope you all had a happy and safe Christmas.

It’s wonderful not to be focusing on the nightmares of Covid19, that plagued and caused many of us so much damage in many ways. Sadly, the nightmares of Covid19 have been replaced with headlines showing us the tragedies of the current conflicts of wars.

Time for us to reflect on how lucky we are here in Australia. Christmas was traditionally, always meant to be a time of celebration. Sadly, we are seeing so much conflict in many countries around the world. It’s heartbreaking to see those tragedies and devastation that some countries have inflicted on each other. All countries should be singing in harmony, not inflicting pain and sorrow on each other. The world has seen enough of wars, as history has shown us many times, the devastation that wars inflict on humanity. It appears to me that wars are more about possession of land and historical differences rather than looking to the future and focusing on peace and safety, for the future younger generation. All I am seeing is politics and religion at the helm of the conflicts while neither side wishes to stretch out a hand in peace.

I was born just a few months after the World War two ended and saw the aftermath damage inflected on so many lives. Many years later I saw the troubles that happened in my own country and the devastation that also brought to so many. In all wars, loss of loved one leaves scars, hurt and anger. Picking up more guns to retaliate just starts the whole cycle over again. Hasn’t the world seen enough of wars? Obviously not, as we now receive up close explicit graphics beamed into our homes on colour tv’s, unlike in past years when

50 | THE IRISH SCENE

the world saw only glimpses of wars on the old movie news in the cinemas.

I can only hope and pray that, like the memory of covid19 which is slowly crawling into the background of our minds, there may be also a cure for those wars of blood and violence. The children of the world need and deserve peace so they can plan for a better future.

This leads me to a story of hope for the future, when I recently interviewed an amazing young man, Cr Hadi Saab. He has all the qualifications to implement change in the world for the young generation. No, he is not Irish, but he has a personality and humour to equal any of the Irish people I have interviewed, over the many years I have been doing this work. Let me correct Cr Hadi Saab full title He is Cr Hadi Saab Mayor of City of Kingston, in Victoria. He is the third Mayor I have Interviewed in the last five months. Number one was Nathan Conroy, a Cork man, Mayor of Frankston in Victoria. The second was Kieran McCarthy, the Lord Mayor of Cork City on my recent visit to Cork and Hadi tops off my triple of Mayors that I met and interviewed for a year. Let me tell you why I wanted to speak with this young man with a smile that would charm the birds off any tree and a personality to match his smile.

I had heard so much about this young man from the residents and his fellow councillors, so when the offer came to interview him, it was too good to pass up.

Entering his office and being introduced by his staff in a not so formal manner set the tone for a relaxing conversation rather than a stiff collar interview.

I was impressed with the introductions. We shook hands and introduced ourselves, me in my native Gaelic language and he responded in Arabic. We were both impressed with each other’s non-English

G’DAY FROM MELBOURNE greeting. Hadi speaks perfect English and has an excellent command of Lebanese and Syrian languages. I tell him I am impressed with his command of the English language and he responds, I was born here. Oops, I thought to myself, I shouldn’t be presumptuous. I ask him to fill me in on some of his background as to how he got to the position of Mayor in Kingston. He said, first let me tell you how amazing things can happen by default. ‘Back in Lebanon years before I was born, my dad went with his brother to the Australian embassy there, to help him fill in an application to migrate to Australia. As my dad filled in his brother’s application, his brother asked him to fill in one for himself and so he did. Sometimes life takes a twist as if to laugh at us in our face. My uncle application was rejected, and my dad’s application was accepted. Sometimes life hands you an ace card and sometimes a joker. The ace card in this case was an unexceed a blessing in disguise, it gave my dad a pathway to a new life and future in Australia’. I tell him of the unusual circumstances of my reason for migrating to Australia. We both agree how amazing life can be for some of us, who are lucky to be given an opportunity of a lifetime like this. Mayor Hadi Saab’s resume shows the amazing amount of work he put in, to progress to where he is today. I will share just a tiny smidgen of his Resume, as It would require another three pages to cover his span of achievements.

Qualifications.

Oct 2023- present Graduate Australian Institute of Company of Directors (GAICD) Aug 2013-2019 Batchelor of software Engineering May 2011-2012 Certificate IV in Financial Services, finance and Financial Management Full Employment History.

2023 Mayor of Kingston 2020-2021 Deputy Mayor-Karkarook Ward Councillor City of Kingston 2020 Present Council-Karkarnook Ward Councillor 2016-2018 HR Administrator (Onboarding) Dulux group Pty Ltd 2014-2016 2IC Assistant Set Manager 2011-2019 Technology Service Associate/Team Leader/ Supervisor.

This young mayor has more skills and credits to his name than any of the others that I have interviewed.

I was so impressed, as to how broadminded and up to date he was with the tasks and planning required for the people of Kingston. He is not just go with the flow, as he is determined to make a major impact over the term of his stewardship, in office. He is very aware of the need for quality education and opportunities for the young and for the needs of the impoverished that requires extra help. We shared stories of the troubles in his parents’ land of birth, as I shared stories of the troubles in the land of my birth. We spoke about some of the similarities with the troubles in his parents’ land of birth and the historical Irish troubles. This young mayor is a breath of fresh air and a major step forward from the old-style mayor who were dangling chains and tailor-made suits. He is exactly what is required in politics today, a young man with an open mind and a willingness to work hard to make changes.

As I said earlier, he is not Irish, but he has all the traits and determination of an Irish fighter and with that quality I will have my money on this rising star.

Until I speak with you again next time, be good to those who love you and Slainte from Melbourne. Mike

THE IRISH SCENE | 51

Comhaltas Tommie Kearns It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of one of Perth Comhaltas’ greatest contributors Tommie Kearns.

Tommie has been a dedicated supporter of the Perth branch for most of its 40 year plus existence along with his wife Kathleen and their six children.

Tommie served for many years on the committee and also held the position of Chair for which his influence and connection to Comhaltas in Dublin and local Ballymote branch Craobh Paddy Killoran in his native Sligo was much appreciated. Great benefit and enjoyment was provided in bringing musicians, singers and dancers out to Australia to perform and teach at various Fleadh’s and concert series over the years. Known far and wide for his skill as a leading exponent of the sean nós singing style there was never a session or gathering where Tommie was not called upon

for a song. Many of the songs Tommie chose in his repertoire related to Irish Australian emigration and Fenian stories.

Although Tommie was not known to pick up an instrument to play, he had a great knowledge of traditional tunes and was in fact a great lilter.

Sincere condolences to Kathleen and all of the family at this time. Rest in Peace Tommie, you will be sadly missed by one and all.

Ar dheis dé go maire sé is go gcana sé go síorai.

Comhaltas Membership & Lessons for beginn

Perth Comhaltas welcome and encourage aspiring musicians of all ages and levels to get in touch. Members of our committee will be able to assist in the many areas of Irish music, song, dance and language, whether that be learning the bodhran, to gain an understanding of sheet music and common tunes played at the Irish sessions, the basics of Irish language and set dancing, and more.

Membership Benefits • Discounted Tuesday Night lessons (at the Victoria Park RSL); • Discounts for Perth Comhaltas Camps.; • Discounts for Perth Comhaltas Events (Céilí Dances, Dinners); and • Access to Comhaltas instruments and gear.

Membership Costs • Pensioner: $20 • Child: $20 • Family: $65 • Adult single: $40 • Adult (couple): $55

Tuesday Sessions This is our main gathering with a beginner’s lesson starting at 7:30pm, and a free open session from 8:30pm. We meet most Tuesday nights with the exception of public holidays. Lessons are for Music and Irish Language which take place at the Vic Park RSL, 1 Fred Bell Parade, East Victoria Park.

Fees for Lessons: Members: $10 / Non-Members: $15 (there is no charge to attend from 8:30pm and join in the open session).

Sunday Sessions On the 3rd Sunday of the month, we have an afternoon session in the Victoria Park Centre for the Arts, 12 Kent St, East Vic Park. This is suitable for beginners and for those who cannot make the Tuesday night lesson. The Sunday session takes place between 2pm and 4pm.

Comhaltas Bickley Music Camp and Perth Fleadh Ceoil (2024) Comhaltas will be hosting its annual Fleadh Ceoil competition in 2024. In addition, Comhaltas will be hosting its annual music, language and dance workshop weekend which will be held at the Bickley Outdoor Recreation Centre. Further details of our Fleadh Ceoil and music camp weekend will be communicated on our website and social media platforms in the new year.

From everyone at Comhaltas Perth, Sean Doherty Branch, we would like to wish you all have a safe and happy Christmas and happy New Year.

Contact Information - Perth Comhaltas, Sean Doherty Branch Website: https://perthcomhaltas.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perthcomhaltas Email: perthcomhaltas@gmail.com

Perth’s St Patrick’s Day parade back on track for 2024 On behalf of the St. Patrick’s Day Committee, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to you for your valuable support and participation in the annual St. Patrick’s Day festival held in Leederville last March. The event’s success was made possible by the commitment and enthusiasm of sponsors and attendees like you.

We are thrilled to announce that the St. Patrick’s Day festivities will return on Saturday, the 16th of March, taking over the streets of Leederville once again. Following the parade, we invite everyone to join us for a Family Fun Day on the Oval.

A special thank you goes to our major sponsors: Catalpa Group, Lottery West, the City of Vincent, and the Irish Government. Your contributions played a crucial role in making the event a success, and we look forward to your continued support in 2024.

We also want to express our gratitude to our outgoing treasurer, Steven Salman, for his years of dedicated service to the committee. We extend a warm welcome to Stephen O’Neill, who will be stepping into this role.

As we gear up for the 2024 festival, we invite applications for floats and participants. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on how to get involved in January. If you know of any organizations eager to participate or sponsor the event, please encourage them to contact us at 0479061147 or via email at olanstpatsfestival@gmail.com.

Once again, thank you for being an essential part of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to creating a great event together in 2024.

Go raibh maith agat!, Olan Healy - Chairperson St. Patrick’s Day Committee

Book Reviews

Books reviewed by John Hagan THE REST IS HISTORY TOM HOLLAND & DOMINIC SANDBROOK / BLOOMSBURY $34.99

Since time immortal, word of mouth has been the prime means of passing down history from one generation to the next.

Of course, in 1440, Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press severely impacted this tradition, but nil desperandum, humanity is filled with natural-born storytellers and is alive and well in today’s podcasts. The world’s most successful history podcast is Holland and Sandbrook’s THE REST IS HISTORY, extracts of which are reproduced in this 432-page, whistle stop compendium of some of history’s most fascinating, intriguing and maybe unheard-of events. The authors take us on an absorbing and humorous ride through our past – from Alexander the Great to Tolkein, the Wars of the Roses to Watergate, answering questions we didn’t even think to ask: Who hosted the most disastrous party in history? Does the Loch Ness monster exist? Is Emperor Nero the worst person in history? How did a hair appointment almost blow Churchill’s cover?

Which are the top ten dogs in history? Who was the Brazilian emperor whose subjects mistook him for a banana? There is even a chapter devoted to St Patrick with our patron saint under the historical microscope – did he really exist? Where did he come from? How is 56 | THE IRISH SCENE

he celebrated across the world? The authors’ style is witty and entertaining making it easy for readers (yes, even non-history buffs) to stay engaged as they unravel sometimes complex events to present them in a non-too-serious and entertaining way. The book contains 56 short chapters which are divided into a number of sub-sections thus making it easy to peruse. So run your Egyptian milk bath, strap up your Spartan sandals, don your running shorts and prepare for a journey down the highways and byways of the human past …

THE DROWNING BRYAN BROWN / ALLEN & UNWIN $32.99

The drowning, referred to in the title is that of David, a young Aboriginal boy whose body is washed up on a remote New South Wales beach. Initially, the death does not cause any suspicion; a mere case of misadventure.

But David has seen something which he shouldn’t have, resulting in him being caught, pushed in to a dam and drowned, with his body being consigned to the sea. This is the kicking-off point for Brown’s second novel, as he explores David’s small seaside town which, to the outsider, seems sleepy and unremarkable, but in reality basks in an undercurrent of deviant and criminal activities. Some of these are fairly mundane; dealing in the odd bag of hash,

Book Reviews while others, such as kidnapping and human trafficking are more serious. Brown has peopled the town with an array of interesting locals. Benny, a Lebanese, runs ‘The Basin’, the town’s busy café where he is assisted

by Adrian who has introduced him to drug dealing on the side. Brian, the local estate agent and married to Nolene, is engaged in an illicit affair with journalist, Wanda. Shelia cleans Adrian’s pad once a week but is keen to offer more, while local copper, Sergeant Tommy Gilmore has a feeling that there may be more to David’s death than meets the eye.

His unease is heightened with the sudden disappearance of Danish backpacker, Lelia, who has been working at ‘The Basin’. And then there are the reclusive bikies who live on a remote property in the bush. Why are they quietly building a barn? Brown has penned a rattling good, well plotted, fast paced, tense and gritty crime tale. As with his last novel ‘Sweet Jimmy’, he rachets up the tension with short, clipped sentences reflecting Australian thought and speech patterns.

What detracts from the novel is Brown’s overuse of profanities. There are seemingly three or four on every page. Swear words are literate ‘intensifiers’ and ideally should be used sparingly to add emotion, emphasis, shock the readers or break taboos. But Brown liberally strews them about so they become annoying, inappropriate and add little to the narrative. Come on Mr. Brown, you are a better writer than one who has to resort to, and rely on, gratuitous profanities to make a point or describe a situation.

FLAWED HERO: TRUTH, LIES AND WAR CRIMES CHRIS MASTERS / ALLEN & UNWIN $34.99

With a Victoria Cross and a Medal for Gallantry, Ben Roberts-Smith is Australia’s most decorated soldier – the best of the best. A hero? That is questionable. The book raises some reservations as to whether Roberts-Smith should have received the VC while a number of his SAS sergeants voiced doubts and unease about him being awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2014. Flawed? Undoubtly, with his prominent place in the Australian War Museum (Canberra) now in doubt. Here was a man described by his peers as, ‘a dead-set psychopath, a fraud, the Lance Armstrong of the ADF’. Did Roberts-Smith kill an Afghan

man who had a prosthetic leg and kick a captured Afghan farmer over a cliff before ordering another soldier to shoot him?

These matters (and more) are at the crux of Chris Masters’ fine book. In a quest to clear his name from these accusations, Roberts-Smith unleashed Australia’s most expensive deformation case with court costs estimated to be over A$25 million (and counting). On one side, supporting and bankrolling RobertsSmith was Seven West Media and its boss, Kerry Stokes, while on the other were his accusers, Nine Entertainment and the Fairfax Media Group (The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times) who made the killing allegations against Roberts-Smith. At the time Roberts-Smith was in a $700,000 management role at Channel Seven, despite his self-confessed unsuitability for the job (‘What do I know about f***ing television?

I shoot c**ts in the face.’). But this book is more than a war crime investigation and a searing insight in to the culture of our elite fighting forces. It is first and foremost a tale of dedicated journalism and truth-seeking against all odds, with skilled reportage taking on the legal system, the political establishment and swathes of the Australian media. Gold Walkley Award-winning Chris Masters, one of Australia’s most distinguished journalists and a defendant in the case, has brought to life the convoluted and intriguing defamation trial of the century, a courtroom drama of tightrope tactics, wit, trench warfare, tension and duplicity. However, although the trial verdict went against him, Roberts-Smith continues to maintain his innocence, and is appealing the decision, so for Masters (and us) the drama is set to continue.

THE IRISH SCENE | 57

Paula from Tasmania

BY PAULA XIBERRAS

Fleur gets Sassi in her new novel

BY PAULA XIBERRAS Fleur Macdonald’s new novel ‘Voices in the Dark’ introduces readers to Sassi Stapleton a likeable new heroine with, as the name suggests, a lot of sass.

When Sassi drops everything to visit her sick grandmother she is injured when her car rolls over after she avoids running over a kangaroo.

Sassi’s estranged mother, Amber, now living in South Africa is also on her way to visit her ailing mum.

The uneasy family relations are exposed at an emotional time with tensions rising.

Amber is acting enigmatically, and things are uncomfortable between she and her dad. A silenced voice is striving to come out of the dark and be heard.

Fleur once again delivers a riveting crime story with fascinating new characters and the welcome return of familiar faces.

‘Voices in the Dark’ by Fleur Macdonald is out now and published by Allen and Unwin.

Milkman Carpenter is Beatles Starr

BY PAULA XIBERRAS I recently spoke to Michael Carpenter who is a member of the The Beatle Boys band who performed in Tasmania with their tribute show ‘The Beatles, 50 years on’.

The production puts a spotlight on the world’s most famous and greatest rock and roll band that changed music and culture forever. Those hair do’s that gave permission for men to grow their hair long and gave girls permission to wear their

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skirts short. The Beatles had 7 songs in the top ten at one time, as they dominated music charts with such hits as ‘Help’, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Yesterday’,’ Love Me Do’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Let It Be’. All the number one songs plus more, including ‘Ob-ladi ob-la da’ are canvassed in the show.

As regards physical appearance, the guy’s attempt, with fashion, hair and nuances to replicate as close as they can the fab four. Of course, some artistic licence must be allowed as Michael at 6’ 1” is not an exact replica in height to Ringo at 5’ 10”!

Michael is the bands drummer and a multiinstrumentalist. He is a record producer, singer songwriter with several Golden Guitar nominations, is on the CMAA board but considers being part of the Beatle Boys as a career highlight.

His admiration for the Beatles is long, since he was three years old! He remembers being upset about them breaking up, getting a toy drum kit at eight, learning guitar at eleven and at 15 playing gigs, apart from a gig as a milkman, for over 31 years his life has been music.

There are some down moments, like too much head shaking leading to the loss of his favourite wig. Wigs and costumes have been a wonderful way to engage with kids who love the embellishments, accents and meeting the guys after the shows.

Michael’s favourite songs? Too many to mention but he does love ‘I Wanna hold your hand’, ‘Day tripper’ and ‘Hey Jude’.

It’s Summer bottom for Heather!

BY PAULA XIBERRAS Mrs Winterbottom takes a Gap Year is the latest novel by doctor/ author Joanna Nell. This novel is filled with all the usual humour

by Joanna, as she observes the issues of getting older and dealing with big changes in life such as retirement.

After many years working together in partnership as doctors and living together as husband and wife, when retirement seem the obvious option, the two Winterbottom’s, Heather and Allen, realise that the end of their professional life means addressing what they both want in their personal life and unfortunately if they don’t want to end their personal partnership, they

need to accommodate their different passions for retirement.

Mrs Winterbottom wants the opposite of what her name suggests, rather than sitting down in a wintery England, she wants summer! Or summer in the Greek islands to be more precise! This is encouraged by the passing of her neighbour Esme who regretted not taking risks. Heather doesn’t want to have the same regrets of not filling her bucket list.

While her husband Alan wants to wind down his connection with the outer world and wants life on a micro level, spending more time at home tending the garden and growing vegetables. The novel aims to show retirement doesn’t have to be the same for everyone.

Mrs Winterbottom’s foray into her passion leads to some interesting ideas of getting older in Europe compared to other countries, like England. Mrs Winterbottom, although considered retirement age workwise in England and perhaps retirement age when it comes to new romance is revered by her Greek male friend as a vibrant, attractive and not ready for retiring from romance!

This for Joanna Nell is positive ageing we still must catch up with.

Mrs Winterbottom takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell is out now published by Hachette.

PA D DY F I T Z G E R A L D Perth Comhaltas tributes Paddy Fitzgerald, who passed away recently.

He always made a point of catching up with his friends in Perth Comhaltas for a few tunes and stories on the occasions when in town for GAA events.

We also had the pleasure of Paddy’s company and fantastic tune playing at one of our Bickley music camps. Remembered for being so generous with his music and always welcoming and inclusive, Paddy will be sadly missed by one and all.

Our sincere condolences go out to Eileen and family.

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A great read for a good cause

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ongratulations to Irish community stalwarts Gerry and Lois Crowley who were two of the ten people in the ‘Woodies writing team’ who coauthored the book ‘The Not So Secret Garden’ which scooped a Highly Commended in the open category of the 2023 Write a book in a day competition. Some 1939 teams across Australia took part in the annual writing competition run by The Kid’s Cancer Project. The latest round of the fundraising competition – now in its 21st year – raised $903,000 for research into kid’s cancers. In addition to raising funds the competition also produces online books for children to read while they are in hospital.

The Woodies winners also organised their own print run of the book which was about two main characters – a guerilla gardener and a canoeist and a diamond ring – helping a neighbour, all set in an abandoned factory on the banks of the Swan River.

“We had twelve hours to write and illustrate the book,” explained Gerry and Lois. “There are set parameters that we needed to follow-

‘The Woodies’: Jane Dewing, Gerry Crowley, Jo Flynn, Carol Astbury, Lois Crowley, Chris Oakeley, Deborah Cooper, Bronwen Channon, Shirley Benton, [Inset: Ricky Arnold, illustrator]

60 | THE IRISH SCENE

setting, characters, a nonhuman character, issue and inclusion of five random words. Our coordinator received the parameters at 9pm the day before our selected writing day but we could not see them before 8am on the day. We were lucky that the National Trust allowed us to use the historic Woodbridge House to write in. Being in the building surrounded by portraits of the original owners, staircase, beautiful tiled floor and artefacts provided some inspiration for our story. The room we set up in had space that could accommodate the 10 of us with all our laptops, printer and whiteboard – which we used to capture our ideas and plan for the book. It was a cold day in July when we met, and with a few heaters on and the urn boiling away, we soon got down to business. There were challenges as we only knew a couple of the other writers and of course while having our own ideas on what the story should be about - the characters etc, we had to reach a consensus on many matters and be prepared to “let our own ideas go” if they no longer fitted with the way the story was developing. Our illustrator was amazing in the way he was able to represent the characters we described to him and then match pictures to the chapters. It was a long day and sometimes a little pressure was felt, knowing we had to have the book completed and submitted by 9pm in the evening, but we collaborated well together and it was an accomplishment to see how our individual chapters followed on from one another in a cohesive way.

New footy ‘Commish’ has Cork and Camogie credentials

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ork woman Martina Crowley has landed one of the top jobs in sports in Western Australia.

She started her new role as a commissioner with the WA Football Commission from January 1, for a two year term.

The Commission oversee’s the promotion, development and management of football throughout the state and provides guidance, planning and leadership to all levels of the game.

An attempt by Irish Scene to set up an interview with the new commissioner didn’t come to pass on this occasion but we will try again. In the meantime sports writer Mark Duffield did get to speak to her back in October when her name emerged as a frontrunner to fill the last vacant position at the WAFC. “I have had a really big interest in footy since I arrived in Australia 27 years ago,” she told Duffield. “My son Joe has played at various clubs over the years. I attend a lot of his games. I have come from an Irish background where the Gaelic Athletic Association was really strong and when I came to Australia the logical thing for me was Aussie rules.” Her love of sport and development of young people started back when she was younger in Ireland Crowley played Camogie. “My family interest in footy stems from the community aspect

of it and what it gives to people – the importance of it to kids as they are growing up – kids of all different backgrounds. ‘I think it is fantastic for getting people together and it is very much a family thing for us.

Joe played for Claremont (juniors) through years seven, eight and nine and he played at Scotch College when they won the Alcock Cup.” At the time she said that if she was elected her main focus would be on women’s football. “Female footy – and what is happening with that surge, I think there will need to be a fair bit of consideration given to how we manage that,” she said. “Do we have enough ovals? Lighting, stuff like that so people can train – there is a lot to be done to make sure women’s footy is given the support with the surge that is happening.

It is fantastic but we need to make sure we are supporting facilities. Things like change rooms. There is a lot to be thought through and what I am bringing are my skills in finance.” When it comes to financial affairs the Irish woman is a whizz-kid and a senior partner with global corporate consultancy PWC. She has been has been practicing as a professional for over 25 years, advising clients on a broad range of tax, accounting and advisory matters on both the domestic and international level.

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Mayo man now an Iron man

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ichlinn O’Reilly, from Westport, Co. Mayo, set a record for Irish athletes at the Ironman competition in Busselton last December.

O’Reilly, 28, first did the 3.9km swim in 47 minutes 46 second then an 180.2km bike leg in 4 hrs 11 mis 31 secs followed by and a marathon run in 2 hrs 54 mins 13 sec.

The Mayo man came in sixth overall and with a time of 7hrs 59mins 4secs, he became the first Irish athlete to do it in under eight hours, and knocked the previous record holder former cyclist Bryan McCrystal – who did it in 8 hrs 7 mins 37 secs in 2018 of the top spot.

Smashing the eight hour record was something he was incredibly proud of but he hopes to achieve more, but will need help to do that.

“What makes me even more proud is that this was achieved off the back of just seven weeks of full time training,” he told a reporter. “Before this seven week training block I was working three to four days a week window cleaning along with trying to fit in my training. Everyone else I was competing against are full time professional athletes with sponsors to support them. I truly believe that I have shown I have the necessary qualities to compete at the highest level as a professional triathlete. In order to fulfill my potential I need some additional financial support to allow me to dedicate more of my time and energy to training and recovering.

I’m wondering does anyone have any business contacts that might be interested in

supporting me on this journey. I know sponsorship is a two-way street and I have to be able to provide value as well. Please reach out if you have any potential leads or tips in Ireland and Australia.”

He was supported on the day and throughout his training by his Australian girlfriend Maeve.

“This is an Irish record and an incredible achievement,” she said. “Aichlinn has done triathlon since he was 16 years old. He has a bright future ahead of him, racing the Ironman distance. He is a brilliant endurance athlete and is ready to make his mark. This is only the beginning.”

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Helping Your family

62 | THE IRISH SCENE

RACHEL NETS GONGS

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ast Perth FC Irish Heritage Club Women’s team member Rachel Hein was named Players Player of the Season and Player of the Season at their end of season bash. Rachel scored

the winning goal for East Perth – in their first season in the competition – against the Perth Saints. Rachel is pictured her with her awards and also fourth from left, front row.

HISTORICAL HUSTLE

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here was an open invitation to the Irish (and rugby) communities to watch the ‘history in the making’ game between Perth Irish RFC and Sydney Irish RFC at North Beach Rugby League Club on Saturday 11 November, 2023. The two sides faced each other for the first time ever in the inaugural event of the Australian Celtic Cup. “From thrilling moments on the field to off-field camaraderie, it was a fantastic day,” Perth Irish RFC posted on its Facebook site.

“Here’s to the beginning of what we hope becomes an annual tradition between our two clubs.

A massive thanks goes to North Beach Rugby League Football Club for lending us their pitch and a shout-out to J.B O’Reilly’s for the epic post-match feast and entertainment!” (continued on page 68) THE IRISH SCENE | 63

Historical hustle...

64 | THE IRISH SCENE

(continued from page 67)

Signs of the Times

By Noel O’ Neill

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here’s a park I walk around but not through with my little dog… I’m not supposed to walk the dog in the park and there are signs No Dogs Allowed! Well I can understand that because people picnic on the grass. I remember when we moved to London the signs on the windows said “No, Irish need apply” so I remember that. It was no picnic. There is a stage in the park where several people perform, orchestras, Christmas choirs, acts of various types throughout the year.

But the saddest act I saw was a homeless man using the stage as a place to sleep. A one manshow who doesn’t really want to be shown. He is bearded, walks all day around the park seemingly lost in his own head, his own mind. Drinks and washes from the water fountain, uses the facilities, plays a little radio as if to escape from his mind.

When it is too hot he rips off his shirt and soaks it under the tap. His head is always bowed as if he is unable to lift it. I sometimes wonder if he may have no reason to look up, to look forward.

This is not someone we can write off as delusional or whatever name we decide to put on those who are without, those who can’t quite get it together, those who are a little lost and just wish to be found. This is someone who is trying to survive. So, I leave food sometimes while he sleeps. I watch him wake from a respectable distance, he looks around suspiciously then hungrily eats. He sings to himself, avoids other people, walks around the park with no particular destination. Around the memorial gravestones, along the playground across the duck pond and finally rests by a bed of roses. He talks to the family of ducks that sit near the pond…which sounds like advice from someone who had lost his family.

‘Now listen, stay together whatever happens.

You might lose each other along the way but the best part is getting together again. Watch out for people because people are careless and thoughtless. Watch out for what you eat, people will feed you anything but they are only feeding their own ego’. The sign said ‘Don’t feed the ducks!

It seemed like he thought more about nature than people. The Galahs swooped down and gathered among the fallen gumnuts and he spoke to them as if to remind them how lucky they are to have the park available to them and probably reminding himself of the same luck. The day was growing old. The sun was going down and I could see him settling in for the night on stage.

No audience, just himself alone, a one man-show who just needed to hide from the world for just another night.

THE IRISH SCENE | 65

Happy 93rd Birthday to the Mike Anthony Sheehy and brother John The usual suspects enjoying Finn the session evergreen Sr Romanus and JoanTony O’Connell, Kenmare, Co.Kerry Perth Quigley and Gerry Lyng atinITP visiting their beautiful mother Marita in atDee. Fibber McGee’s in Leederville visiting their twoOne sons live here andhas grand Sr Romanus was Actwho Season.

Gerry just daughter retired as Cara and her Mum Karina from Galway.This is their Clare Ireland. Lovely reunion. born and reared in Co. manager of Kielty the Barrack Street Bell Tower. fifth visit to Oz. Gerry They are to the live raffle here permanently Kerry Ireland. A St. John alsogoing scored prize! of God sister, and came to next year. Pictured with Santa and good friend Oliver Australia in 1951. Sr Ro- McNerney at the Claddagh Christmas lunch.

VALE manus did nursing training JOHN O’CONNOR in the hospital in Subiaco.

Over the years she has 9 April 1926-18 December 2023 John was a regular at the Irish Club and nursed in a variety of places including Goulburn many “Oh Claddagh dear what seniors’ can the lunches matter beforthree in N.S.W., Warrnambool years.

His love for Irish music was YOUNG ladies.... at the Irish Club appreciated by all and ever the one to in Victoria. Rivervale and Bunbury in W.A. Now she pick up his accordion and play a few is retired at St. John of waltzes for the seniors.

God Convent in Subiaco.

Grandad Mick O’Connor with Caroline A wonderful man laid to rest.

Phil Regan enjoying a drop with Frank and John McCarthy’s son FIONN on a For each of us he did his best.

Kelly (Finbar) at Midwest Irish Club in recent visit home to Kerry A gentle nature, a heart of gold, Geraldton. Uisce Beatha flows freely!

These are the Wonderful memories we will hold.

Lincoln Park reunion recently.

ForeverPhil, in our hearts.and Sean were in great voice.

Splinter Frank Smyth (top right) enjoying a Christmas get together Ar dheis DéLast go one raibh a anam. with his Australian/Irish family at the Irish Club of WA. they said, not sure about that!!!

At the Maria Forde Concert at Fremantle Workers Club: Corkonians, Noel Neff, Brenda Neff, Ann Cooney, Maria Forde, Frank Murphy, Fred Rea and Tommy O’Brien Frank Glackin and Mary Carroll Stalwarts family and of our Irish Community Maryinand Gerry friends enjoying theJasna) Dublin win over Kerry Get well soon Tom Quinn. Mr Shamrock Rovers, Paul McLoughlin (with celebrated Murphy enjoying a shuffle Tom has had a few health Marty Burke had a big a significant birthday before Christmas. the All Ireland football final. Dubs atAbu! the Claddagh Christmas issues lately but is on the birthday over Christmas.

Paul of McLoughlin Butchers is a wonlunch. Not sure if they won mend. Tom, the Irish comSuffice to say it was all derful supporter of our Irish community. the dancing competition munity and Claddagh need Dublin songs and De The old saying ‘It’s in giving you receive’ but it looks like they really you and hope you get better Banks never got a look Happy could never be so true when it comes to enjoyed it.

Brendansoon.

Kenny, Tony Sheehan, Bobin.O’Shea Tom Quinn Maith an Fear.

Marty isand another great 80th Paul. The Irish community support him Michael enjoying WA hurling and reminiscing finals in Morley contributor to our ‘active’ and he gives back generously. Just love Manning If you have a special event you would like Irish community and his pork sausages and black and white If you have a special event youcontinues would like on this in Dublin with please on this page send to....

Irish visitors Tony & Carmel to give of his pudding. Go raibh mile maith agatcelebrated Paul his family and friends page please sent to irishsceneperth@gmail.com irishsceneperth@gmail.com McCabe time. Onya Marty. from all at of Durty us. Nelly’s session.

Trevor “Huck” Russell 19.02.48 - 15.12.23

LADIES NIGHT OUT: Eilish DeBurca, Alice Gostl, Ann Colleran, Mary O’Driscoll, Eileen Cusack, Brid Duffy and Jamie King at the Fiona Rea and Nigel Healy “Woman’s Heart” concert in the North Perth Town Hall.

VALE MARGARET BURROWES Margaret passed away peacefully in her loving son Ken’s arms on the 2nd December 2023.

Loving mother of Graham, Kenneth and Pamela and son-in-law Oliver.

Grandmother of Edward and Ebony. Margaret will be sadly missed especially at the many Irish seniors’ gatherings in Perth. To Margaret’s surviving sibling Ken, our deepest condolences.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam

“An author’s first duty is to let down his country.”

Brendan Behan

Trevor grew his wings on the 15th December after a long health battle.

His family and friends hearts are completely shattered.

Huck has left a huge hole in ALL our lives that we will try to fill with the rich memories he has left behind.

To Marge, Leon and Heather our deepest condolences.

I will miss his ‘messenger’ messages.

“HEAVEN GAINED A DIAMOND”

Veronica Byrnes, Eimear McGlinchey Beattie and Mairead Caul enjoying a night out at the ‘Womans Heart’ concert.

Dermot Byrne (Dermot of Lesmurdie) enjoying the company of his daughter Clare and Great Grandchild Aziah, his 5th Grandchild. Dermot is unable to attend the Seniors’ gatherings these days but my spies tell me he has been spotted at the the Woodbridge Hotel Tuesday sessions. It’s hard to keep down the lads from The Rare Ould Times. Dermot did the popular Irish Scene quiz page for many years and today readers still ask if it’s coming back. Sláinte chugat a chara.

John Flood has been known to don the Santa outfit in and around Perth shopping centres over the years but this time the Claddagh Santa (Denis Bratton) had the pleasure of John’s company. Look at the familiar John smile.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dubliner, John McDonough as he battles a few health issues. From the rare ould stock that smile is always there.

Dubliners Backstage in Perth 1

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7

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Dennis Fairclough’s (pictured below, from Noggerup in the South West) photography story probably began in earnest after returning from the UK November of 1972 and buying a real nice Pentax Spotmatic II SLR and a couple of lenses in Singapore. “I threw myself into learning how to process and print during the rest of the 70’s”.

During the mid to late seventies Dennis was studying at University (WAIT). After getting his picture taking chops together, he started taking on a few photography jobs to tide him over his persistent student poverty. “One of my fave gigs was shooting concerts. During the seventies there was no lack of music in the Perth scene. Lots of outstanding local bands and international acts coming through in the day. I loved capturing those terrific artists at the top of their game”. He scored a great job taking promotional pics for the Parmelia Hotel. “No money to speak of, but free tickets to capture images of acts I couldn’t otherwise afford to pay to see. What’s a poor boy to do?”

The Dubliners were one of those bands.

Dennis retrieved from his archives, some of the images he had taken during a Dubliners tour of Australia in 1977. Dennis said, “Not all acts allowed you backstage, but the Dubliners were an amenable bunch, and let me capture a few images while they waited to go on stage. Sadly I had a few issues with the negative processing side of putting these images together. But I managed to pull a few back from the brink. This is one of the photos of Luke Kelly on right. ” We hope you enjoy seeing these images when they go on display in Molly’s Irish Pub in February, as much as Dennis enjoyed seeing the Dubliners in action. Fond memories indeed.

PS Interesting to see the ticket prices on advert, $6.80 and $5.58, how times have changed? Fred Rea

IRISH IRISH THEATRE THEATRE PLAYERS PLAYERS

Santa Claus - The WE ARE BACK IN THE REHEARSAL SPACE AGAIN PREPARING FOR OUR APRIL PRODUCTION “THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT” UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYES OF AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR BRENDAN ELLIS. The The Last Last Days Days of of Judas Judas Iscariot Iscariot is is a a hilarious, hilarious, poignant, thought-provoking poignant, thought-provoking work work by

by Pulitzer-prize Pulitzer-prize winning playwright playwright Stephen Stephen Adly Adly Guirgis.

Guirgis. Boasting Boasting winning a large, large, zany zany cast cast of of characters, characters, the the play play asks asks one one a of the the most most plaguing plaguing questions questions in in the the Christian Christian of ideology: What What happened happened to to Judas Judas Iscariot?

Iscariot? The The ideology: facts (we (we think!) think!) we we know know are are these: these: Judas Judas was was the the facts disciple of of Jesus Jesus who who betrayed betrayed his his friend friend and and teacher teacher disciple

to to the the authorities. authorities. He He is is seen seen as as the the man man responsible responsible for Jesus’s death; afterwards, Judas for Jesus’s death; afterwards, Judas fell fell into into despair despair and and hung hung himself himself from from an an olive olive tree; tree; since since then, then, he he has has been been suffering suffering for for his his deeds deeds deep deep in in Hell Hell and and will will continue continue to to do do so so for for all all eternity. eternity. Is Is that that really really fair?

Was Judas the duplicitous master of fair? Was Judas the duplicitous master of his his own own fate, fate, a a much-suffering much-suffering pawn pawn used used for for Jesus’s Jesus’s ends, ends, or or just just a a man man who who made made a a mistake? mistake? Set Set in in a a courtroom courtroom in in Purgatory, Purgatory, The The Last Last Days Days puts puts Judas’ Judas’ case case to to a a hilarious, riotous, piercing trial, the results of hilarious, riotous, piercing trial, the results of which which are are sure sure to to make make the the inhabitants inhabitants of of Heaven, Heaven, Hell, Hell, and and Purgatory — and the audience — reconsider Purgatory — and the audience — reconsider what what each each thought thought they they knew knew about about forgiveness, forgiveness, faith, faith, and and the human inside one of history’s most infamous the human inside one of history’s most infamous figures. figures.

SHOW SHOW TIMES TIMES ARE ARE APRIL APRIL 21ST, 21ST, 22ND 22ND & & 23RD 23RD AT AT 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE 24TH AT 2.00PM 7.30PM.SUNDAY MATINEE 24TH AT 2.00PM THEN THEN 28TH, 28TH, 29TH 29TH & & 30TH 30TH AT AT 7.30PM. 7.30PM.

THANKS THANKS SO SO MUCH MUCH TO TO ALL ALL OUR OUR MEMBERS MEMBERS WHO WHO ATTENDED ATTENDED OUR OUR AGM AGM ON ON THURSDAY THURSDAY 17TH 17TH FEBRUARY FEBRUARY AT AT THE THE IRISH IRISH CLUB CLUB OF OF WA. WA. FOR FOR THOSE THOSE WHO WHO MISSED MISSED IT, IT, HERE’S HERE’S OUR OUR REVIEW REVIEW OF OF OUR OUR YEAR YEAR 2021.

2021.

Also, Also, membership membership for for 2022 2022 now now available; available; www.trybooking.com/BWUGC www.trybooking.com/BWUGC

irishtheatreplayers.com.au irishtheatreplayers.com.au

IrishTheatrePlayers THE IrishTheatrePlayers THE IRISH IRISH SCENE SCENE || 85 85

Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc. The final months of 2023 have been busy for the WA Irish Dancing community! In November we held our annual Bun & Tus Feis, for all of our beginner dancers. This was a wonderful day, with many dancers taking to the stage for the first time!

Congratulations to all of the dancers and schools involved.

Stepping away from the competitive stage, AIDA WA is very pleased to congratulate Vaughan Cooper (WA Academy) and Dara McAleer (The Academy) who are currently in Taiwan performing in Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance! Vaughan and Dara have both had a fantastic year, both placing 3rd at the World Championships in Montreal and winning the Australian National Championships, along with many other podium placings on the international stage. Dara also became the first ever World Champion in the inaugural Michael Flatley Freestyle section at this years Worlds. Their hard work and dedication this year has well and truly paid off, and we wish them all the best for their tour with LOTD! Many of the schools have now finished up their classes for the year, celebrating their dancers achievements and showcasing their talents in Christmas concerts and displays across Perth.

Special congratulations to the Trinity Studio who celebrated their 20th Anniversary in November, a wonderful achievement.

Despite the end of term, there are many dancers who will be continuing to train and work hard over the break, gearing up for the 2024 international championships, with the All Ireland and World Championships taking place in February and March. All the best to those dancers!

As 2023 draws to a close we would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. We look forward to what 2024 brings!

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Irish Dancing AIDA WA EXECUTIVE 2023 President: Teresa Fenton TCRG Vice Presidents: Katherine Travers 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 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 Morley, 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

Stephen Dawson MLC Minister for Emergency Services; Innovation and ICT; Medical Research;

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

12th Floor, Dumas House 2 Havelock Street, WEST PERTH WA 6005 Email: Minister.Dawson@dpc.wa.gov.au Telephone: (08) 6552-5800

THE IRISH SCENE | 71

CARRAMAR

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A NEW SEASON STARTS

Well it’s that time of year again. Pre season training returns on Tuesday 9th February for our State League teams, with the Night Series starting in early February. Gerry, Adam and Ronnie will have their work cut out getting the lads ready for the coming season.

Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC is in Group C of the Night Series, all Group C games will be at Dalmatinac Park.

Home team

Away Team

Date/time

Round 1: Cockburn City

Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC

3/2/2024, 7:00 pm

Round 2: Balga SC

Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC

9/2/2024, 6:30 pm

Round 3: Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC

Gosnells City FC

18/2/2024, 5:00 pm

2018

2023

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

A massive thank you to our major sponsors for your continued support: • Declan McDermott, Integrity Property solutions • Dave Madman Muir, Madman Motors • CFMEU • Chris Williams, Muscleworx group, and • Frankie Atkinson, Muntz partners.

Again, special thanks to Nicky Edwards for his ongoing work in getting sponsors on board.

Thanks also to our loyal banner sponsors and various teamwear sponsors, several of whom have been with us for a number of years now.

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

All good things come to an end. The whole of Carramar Shamrock Rovers FC would like to sincerely thank Gay Collins of Pipeline Technic for his generous sponsorship over the past 6 years. Gay came on board in 2018 as our State League sponsor for a 3-year period, at a time when the club was struggling. His financial support helped us through a very difficult period, and then he stayed with us for another 3 years, for which we are very grateful.

We wish Gay and his family, and all at Pipeline Technic, all the best for the future. Gay, your contribution to this club will never be forgotten.

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The Irish Club Needs You !

Marty Kavanagh and Steven Dawson have agreed to chair a meeting which will be held at the Irish Club on 31 January 2024 at 7.30pm to discuss the future of the Irish Club. At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Irish Club of WA there was a discussion on the use and future of the Club.

The Irish Club is grossly underutilised. It is a multimillion asset of the Irish Community which is not used by the community it exists to serve.

We as members of the Irish Diaspora here in Western Australia need to use it.

We are proposing a meeting of the Irish Community here in Western Australia to see how we can get together more and use our collective abilities to make more of our undoubted needs become a reality.

What we would like is that your club/ organisation come to the meeting with an open mind as to what we can achieve.

It is not living up to its motto The Glory of God and the Honour of Ireland.

We need input from right across the Irish Diaspora here in Perth to see how we can make the Club the vibrant place that it can be.

A place that we can all call our own.

We would love to see you and your members come along and let us know what you and your members feel we can do for your organisation and your members.

It will be a broad and probably long discussion and we don’t think we will solve all the problems and divisions that exist in our community but it could be a start.

If you have a specific point you would like to raise please let me know. At this stage we don’t have a formal agenda for the meeting other than the future of the Irish Club and the Irish Community - Louis Byrnes

We have a very valuable asset i.e. 61 Townshend Road which legally belongs to the members of the Irish Club but in reality belongs to the Irish Community and its friends.

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J B F O R E V E R 2 7 G A L A B A L L

JBFOREVER27 Gala Ball was an amazing night

P

erth’s Irish community came together for a very special occasion and major event back on the night of November 11, 2023. The sold out JBFOREVER27 Gala Ball at the Hyatt Regency in Perth was attended by more than 500 people who were there in all their finery to support ball organisers and raise funds for two very good causes – the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and The Claddagh Association.

A year ago on January 22 Jeremy Burke, a 27-year-old talented musician from Kilcullen, Co. Kildare died in his sleep while he was in Toronto, Canada. At an obviously difficult time for his family, Jeremy’s body was repatriated back to the Burke family and his hometown thanks to the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust. The Trust was set up Co. Down couple Colin and Eithne Bell who lost their son Kevin, 26, when he was knocked down in New York. Since they established the charity, it has brought home the bodies of more than 1700 Irish people who have died abroad in tragic circumstances. The Trust asks for nothing in return but is totally dependent on the goodwill, donations and fundraising of people and communities to do its valuable work. Colin and Eithne were special guests at the Ball and in what was a touching, often funny and outstanding speech about Kevin, his life and death and how their experience led them to reach out to other local families who experienced similar losses and the creation of the Trust – a charity which is unique to Ireland. Other special guests included Jeremy’s parents and family members. Jeremy’s aunt in Perth – Caroline Kelly – who with the help of her committee pulled the whole thing together also spoke with emotion and impact about her family’s experience, Jeremy as a person and musician and their appreciation for the efforts of the Trust and the Claddagh Association.

Heather McKeegan from the Claddagh also addressed the ball goers to explain

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about the wide range of support work they do locally. Claddagh volunteers were also busy on the night selling raffle tickets and helping guests interested in bidding for items and whatever else needed doing.

A table with Jeremy’s guitar and some other personal effects was set aside in his honour and a video of remembrance showing the faces of many of those people who the Trust had brought home. There was also some star power with video clip celebrity greetings from Ireland, including the likes of Daniel O’Donnell, Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs Browns Boys) and Christy Moore who played and sang his hit song Ride On for the event. Moore is a native of Newbridge, Co. Kildare, which is close to Kilcullen. The Academy Irish Dancers also put on a great display as well, while a live band provided more entertainment and got everyone up dancing. A swag of donated prizes – including a rare, signed Kildare County GAA jersey – went under the hammer to raise for the charities. Special guest Dara O’Briain – who was in Perth to perform a stand-up gig the following night – jockeyed the audience and auction along with his trademark wit and plenty of Irish craic.

It was a special night in many ways and an amazing tribute to all those involved.

Thanks to corporate sponsors such as Pipleline Technics, Catalpa, East to West, National Reinforced Concrete and DCL as well as dozens of other businesses and the generosity of gala ball goers on the night just over $118,977 was raised.

At an event in the Mullaloo Beach Hotel a couple of weeks later, the proceeds from the ball were split evenly between the Trust and Claddagh at in the presence of Jeremy’s family, loved ones, ball committee members and friends.

Cheques for $59,488.66 were presented to Colin and Eithne Bell and Patricia Bratton for the Claddagh Association, who will be able to help a lot of people and families in crisis..

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J B F O R E V E R 2 7 G A L A B A L L

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@GAAINWA

Junior Academy Review of 2023 What a year 2023 was for underage gaelic games in Western Australia and the Junior Academy! In February we held a very successful Golf Day in Maylands which was over-subscribed and saw 140 golfers take to the fairways. A

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sincere thanks to Peter McKenna and all our sponsors who helped make the day such a great event! The first ever Australasian Feile was held in Adelaide in March where 61 boys and girls representing the Gaelic Games Junior Academy and Na Fianna Catalpa Youths took part. Held on a Saturday with finals on the Sunday, Western Australia sent 6 teams comprising, U10 mixed, U12 boys and girls & U14 boys (Black & Gold) and girls. The State brought 2 trophies back to Perth when our U12 girls and U14 boys black team beat Victoria in their respective finals.

The Feile weekend was a massive success with 3 states taking part and the

second edition will be held in Perth in March 2025. After a few weeks break after Adelaide, the Junior Academy sat down and planned for the rest of the season. The committee had fielded several requests for new kits, and we were delighted to secure Ecocivils and PCH Civil as sponsors for 3 seasons. Following advertisement of registration with a kit and non-kit option, orders flooded in and over 150 kits were ordered this season from O’Neills. Training tops for coaches were also ordered which went down very well with our adult members. By the end of the season over 167 children had registered to play gaelic games with the Junior Academy. Numbers at training were steady though out the year and it was very pleasing to see our U14 teams from Adelaide attend sessions once they started in August. It was also heartening to see numbers of girls at age 8 and over have an average attendance of 30 each Sunday at training. This bodes very well ladies’ football in Perth in the years to come.

Training sessions ran at Dianella Open Space each Sunday from 9am and our thanks to the City of Stirling for their assistance in securing a home. Every Sunday outside of the school holidays, lots of children and their parents attended training to learn the skills of gaelic games in a fun and safe environment. We even had a coffee van on sight and Paul kept the masses watered with delicious coffee in aid of homeless in Perth. 31 male and female coaches gave up their time each Sunday to teach the next generation of GAA players in Perth and we thank them most sincerely for their efforts. We also applaud our sister club Na Fianna Catalpa Youths in Rockingham who had 120 kids registered and playing gaelic games south of the river in 2023. That’s nearly 300 boys and girls from 4 to 17 playing gaelic games in Perth every weekend from August to November! Our last day was November 19th where we held a sausage sizzle and games.

GREENWOOD Mens & Ladies Senior Football greenwoodgfc@hotmail.com

MORLEY GAELS Mens & Ladies Senior Football morleygaelsgfc@hotmail.com

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS Mens & Ladies Senior Football southerndistrictsgaa@gmail.com

ST. FINBARR’S Mens & Ladies Senior Football stfinbarrsgfc@outlook.com

WESTERN SHAMROCKS Mens & Ladies Senior Football westernshamrocks@hotmail.com

HURLING CLUBS ST. GABRIEL’S Mens & Ladies Senior Hurling & Camogie stgabrielsperth@gmail.com

WESTERN SWANS Mens & Ladies Senior Hurling & Camogie westernswansgaa@gmail.com

PERTH SHAMROCKS Mens Senior Hurling perthshamrocks@gmail.com

SARSFIELDS Mens Senior Hurling

sarshurlingperth@gmail.com

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Finally, a big thankyou the children, parents and coaches who attended training each week, Shane Crowley from Ecocivils & James Culliney from PCH Civil, our hardworking Committee members, the Clubs and Executive of GAAWA and the Gaelic Football and Hurling Association of Australasia for their support. 2024 is shaping up to be another busy and successful year with our Golf Day being held in Maylands on 17 February and Australasia sending a team made up of players from Western Australia and Victora to take part in Feile in Ireland, hosted by Connaught June 29th, 2024. Keep up to date with all Junior Academy news via Facebook www.facebook.com/ juniorgaagamesWA For any queries please contact the Academy on ggjunioracademy@gmail.com

GAAWA

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GAA GROUNDS

Tom Bateman Reserve Corner Bannister & Nicholson Rds (entrance off Wilfred Rd) Canning Vale

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