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Dawson, now aged 36, has recently revealed the extent of time he spent at the former caped crusader's home, stating that his acting hero introduced him to a touch of Hollywood glamor during his stays there. Referring to him as his "American Dad", Dawson tells how he was initially supposed to spend just six weeks with Keaton and his ex-wife Caroline McWilliams when the actor was at the height of his Batman fame, but this evolved into a seven-year friendship, during which time he met the likes of Danny DeVito and Courtney Cox, whom Keaton spent some time dating during the '90s.
"I was a youngster from a housing estate in west Belfast. Paramilitaries, conflict, and terror were normal. Private planes, luxury mansions, hanging out with Batman and superstars on film sets was not," said Dawson, who now works as a firefighter controller in Lurgan.
"While the glamor was great, what mattered was that from day one I felt loved.
"Michael referred to himself as my American dad. He was a father figure to me. It is hard to explain how that strength transforms a 10-year-old child. Their kindness and openness stunned me."
During his time with Keaton and his family, Dawson became very close with their son Seán who was seven years old when he first began to visit. The pair remained close and Seán acted as Dawson's best man when he married. Keaton also attended the wedding.
"He sat quietly at the back of the church, forever the gentleman," Dawson added.
Dawson claims he also remained close with the family during the death of McWilliams in 2010, which he says left him devastated.
Keaton, who generally aims to keep his private life under wraps and whose mother is of Irish descent, has kept his work with Project Children quiet. Irish actor Liam Neeson is also a supporter of the charity and narrated the film "How to Defuse A Bomb: The Project Children Story" which premiered in the US in November. The documentary tells the remarkable story of New York policemen and brothers, Patrick and Denis Mulcahy from Co. Cork, and how they paired 23,000 Northern Irish children with 16,000 host families over 40 years. The brothers looked to bring both Protestant and Catholic children out of harm's way for their six-week summer holiday, providing travel and accommodation expenses, and starting out with just six children.
"Everything made more sense; being a Protestant or Catholic became irrelevant," Dawson said of his own time with Project Children.
"It was not just an individual act of kindness. They made me part of their family. I was a kid who felt hanging out with my favorite stars was normal - Danny DeVito, Andy Garcia, Geena Davis. Michael started dating Courteney Cox and I loved spending time with her.
"My life and perspective changed. When I first arrived I'd never once seen a different color or race of people in real life."
H/T: Belfast Telegraph]]>
He is a member of the Irish America Hall of Fame, which he was inducted into along with Vice President Joe Biden in 2013.
IrishCentral understands, from a close associate, he is actively seeking the job as Ambassador to Ireland. Ironically, his father was a trusted confidante of Joseph P. Kennedy, father of President JFK.
The Burns family and the Trumps have been close for some time. Before the Republican Primary in Florida, in March, Burns, speaking from Mar a Lago, said Trump was going to be successful.
The Palm Beach Daily News quoted him saying "I'm certain that Donald will take Florida easily, and if Marco (Rubio) comes in third he should give it up, but the problem with him is that he's stubborn. He's got no business taking on Trump. When he got in that name-calling fight with Trump they should have sent him home to his mother to wash his mouth out with soap."
Added his wife, Eileen Burns, "I am totally in love with this man. He's hoping to take Florida and Ohio and then he's going all the way. He's taking back this country and there's going to be big changes in the way things work in Washington."
The 80-year-old Burns is a nationally regarded Business Executive, Attorney and Philanthropist. He is the chairman of BF Enterprises, Inc, a publicly owned real estate holding and development company.
A Massachusetts native, he is the fifth of seven children born to John J. Burns and his wife, Alice. Burns traces his roots to County Kerry and is a graduate of The College of the Holy Cross. He also graduated from Harvard at the age 23.
He was the leading fundraiser behind the effort to restore the world-famous Marsh's Library, at St. Patrick's Close in Dublin, the oldest public library in Ireland. He also founded an American Law Library at University College Cork.
Additionally, Burns has established or donated significantly to many cultural and scholastic institutions. In 1986 he founded The Honorable John J. Burns Library of Rare Books and Special Collections at Boston College in memory of his father, who was a prolific lawyer and Joseph P. Kennedy's attorney and closest advisor.
Works from his renowned personal collection of Irish art have been exhibited at Dublin's Hugh Lane Gallery, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Yale Center of British Art in New Haven, Connecticut , and the Phoenix Art Museum in Arizona.
He was a principal benefactor of the first Irish Famine memorial in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which was dedicated in July 1997 by former Irish President Mary Robinson. In 2012 he donated a key Famine-era painting from his collection to Quinnipiac University's Ireland's Great Hunger Museum, in Connecticut.
He seems a likely frontrunner for the job given his close personal ties to Trump and his stellar Irish record. However, other contenders may well emerge for what is a plum posting usually announced by St. Patrick's Day.
Here's a video of Burn's induction into the Irish America Hall of Fame in 2013:]]>
Norwegian Air International Limited doesn't sound like an entity that has much to do with Ireland. However, Friday's announcement that the airline will fly Ryanair-type flights to America from Ireland at low costs has the potential to completely upset the cozy group of airlines who currently keep prices high on the route.
Introductory fares of $69 have been published which, no doubt, will be snapped up by bargain-seeking airline passengers, currently paying many multiples of that.
While the current plan is to fly to Cork and Shannon from Boston and New York, that could greatly expand if it proves a successful venture. The news has been received with huge enthusiasm in Ireland.
Speaking at the Irish Consulate in New York, Irish leader Enda Kenny enthusiastically gave a thumbs up to the new service. He said the decision would "do for long-haul travel what Ryanair have done for short-haul travel."
Anyone who has traveled between Ireland and Britain can certainly testify to that. Ryanair fly from Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and Gatwick in the greater London area at prices that are hard to believe at first. By yardstick of passengers carried, 100 million last year alone, Ryanair is now the largest airline in the world. They started in 1985 with one small internal route in Ireland.
Norwegian with its aggressive expansion plans may be joining the world rankings soon enough. Their entry to Ireland has certainly been welcomed.
Niall McCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said: "This is momentous news for air travelers on both sides of the Atlantic. It's great news for Open Skies and for consumer choice and competition. I firmly believe this will permanently transform the transatlantic market in Ireland and further afield for the better. Norwegian will do for transatlantic travel what Ryanair has done for European travel, bringing lower fares, increased competition and growth to the overall market.
"There has been a tremendous amount of work undertaken to secure this route on both sides of the Atlantic and we must acknowledge the huge support received from political, business and local government stakeholders in Ireland, the EU and U.S. The final stages of the process have seen a significant contribution and support from the public too and I want to thank everyone who helped make this happen.
"These flights will help grow inbound tourism, give Cork Airport's passengers greater choice, attract more investment to the region and improve social and cultural ties between Ireland and the U.S. We expect Boston bound flights to take off in coming months with New York flights beginning soon afterwards. Securing a transatlantic service for Ireland's second largest airport has been an aspiration of ours for some time and Norwegian Air's service will be welcomed by business and leisure travelers throughout the region."
Of course the airline pilots union has complained bitterly about Norwegian. Ryanair faced the same hostility when they started up but proved that cheap, safe, efficient no-frills flying is what consumers want.
It has long been the desire of Irish in America and Ireland for a Ryanair type airline on the North Atlantic route. Currently, despite 28 flights total a day from airlines such as Aer Lingus, American Delta, United, Ethiopian Air, there are little variances in fare. The only exception is WOW, an Icelandic carrier that however, stops off in Iceland for a lengthy period on the way.
Norwegian fly brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes, 20 percent more fuel efficient than their rivals which allows them to offer far lower fares. Any suggestion that the planes are battered charter type operations vanishes the moment you see the slickness of the new planes.
I happened to fly Norwegian to London last week and was impressed with the quietness of the 787, the enlarged windows which make for much better viewing and enjoyment of flight and the no frills, but perfectly adequate services available on board.
You can upgrade to premium economy which costs about $200 dollars more and makes a profound difference in terms of leg space, sleeping ability as the seats tilt back, and better food
Norwegian's motto is "Affordable Fares for All" and some of their top priorities according to their web site are:
• Attract customers by offering competitive low fares and a quality travel experience
• Maintain low operating costs, operational excellence and helpful, friendly service
• Offer "Freedom to choose": a core low-cost product as well as a more comprehensive package for those who desire more
• Offer high-frequency business destinations to primary airports and a wide range of destinations for leisure travelers
If they succeed they will revolutionize air travel from Ireland to the U.S. and send prices tumbling as Irish leader Enda Kenny has said.
The term "game changer" comes to mind. Amazing it took a Nordic airline around since 1921 to set the stage for massive change. It can only be good for consumers.
A little history: Launched in 1959, Guinness Draught Stout is the world's first-ever nitro beer. For our first 200 years, most Guinness was sold by the bottle, but in the 1950s there was increasing demand for a draught version of Guinness. However, our stout was far too lively to be dispensed with standard C02. So after nearly 10 years of research led by mathematician-turned-brewer Michael Ash, Guinness developed a way to draught beer using nitrogen. In just a few years, Draught Stout became the most popular Guinness beer. This nitrogen infusion is what gives Draught Stout its legendary head, creamy mouth feel and cascading surge-and-settle effect.
Read more Guinness news from IrishCentral here]]>
Because he was a rebel. And a rogue. He taught me about the audacious Brennan on the Moor and deadly fate of young Roddy McCorley. He sang sad love songs in that beautiful voice that would bring you to tears—then tore into the English with something like "God Bless England" or "Mr. Moses-Ri-Tooral-i-ay."
I first learned of the pleasures and evils of drink because of "Whiskey, You're the Devil" and a young girl named "Nancy Whiskey" who'd grab you "by the knees." And he didn't let the all-powerful clergy off the hook either, poking gentle, but pointed, fun at the priests and nuns in the audience.
There was another reason he was my hero—I knew Liam always got the girl. And, boy, knowing what I know now, did he ever!
I got to know Liam casually in the 1970s and '80s when he drank at the Lion's Head saloon on Christopher Street in the Village. I would tease him about why he always wore a cap—the worse show business sin, baldness!—and he would go right back at me, commenting about my scrawny red beard.
At the Head, he was a regular and a regular guy and at home he was, because of his albums, part of the family. He was loved and admired on both sides of the Atlantic and as soon as his death was announced on RTE on December 4, 2009 my phone started ringing with calls from cousins and friends in Dublin. His loss was profoundly felt not as a celebrity, but as a friend.
A Superb Performer and Showman
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem famously burst on the scene with an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1961.
"We weren't that impressed," wrote Liam in his autobiography. "We were arrogant. Young and arrogant. As they say in Ireland, we didn't give a tinker's damn. But we accepted."
There was a cancellation of one of the acts and the Clancys and Makem filled, getting 15-minutes of uninterrupted publicity. Fifteen minutes and 80-millon viewers later, they were, as Tom Clancy succinctly said, "Fuckin' famous!" After working at their craft in the back room of the White Horse saloon on Hudson Street in the Village for years, instantly, because of the power of television, they were celebrities.
Greenwich Village contributed a lot to the group. Back then, in the early '60s, it was a hotbed of poets and folksingers. Odetta at one joint, Tom Paxton at another, Peter, Paul & Mary around the corner. And a young future Nobel Laureate, Bob Dylan, hobnobbing with them all, especially one Liam Clancy. Liam was Dylan's hero too.
"People," the New York Times quoted Liam in his obituary, "who were trying to escape repressed backgrounds, like mine and Bob Dylan's, were congregating in Greenwich Village. It was a place you could be yourself, where you could get away from the directives of the people who went before you, people who you loved but who you knew had blinkers on."
Blinkers off, Clancy, in Dylan's eyes, attained new artistic heights. "I never heard a singer as good as Liam, ever," said Dylan. "He was just the best ballad singer I ever heard in my life."
A Man of His Time Through His Songs
Liam could sing about anything—the sea, apple orchards, traveling people—but he also had a social conscience. He sang poignantly about homelessness in "Streets of London".
He sang about our delicate ecological balance on Mother Earth in "The Garden Song".
He did not avoid the hot issues of the Northern Ireland Troubles either. In the 1970s when RTE banned the voices of protest in the North—one of the dumbest political decisions ever conceived by the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, the highly-overrated Conor Cruise O'Brien—Liam did not forget the struggle. It was almost impossible, even in the United States, to get a recording of "The Men Behind the Wire," but Liam sang it—and was criticized for it—when others would not even touch the incendiary rebel song, the best song to come out of the Troubles.
Liam's nationalism ran deep. His family owned a pub in Tipperary during the War of Independence and the Black and Tans often paid unwelcomed visits.
He could as easily recite Robert Emmet's Speech from the Dock as belt out Padraic Pearse's "Oro Se Do Bheatha" in Irish.
But he was also a showman in the best sense of the word. He could robustly recite the degenerate French poet Charles Baudelaire's "Get Drunk", then launch into a rendition of "Ar Fol Lol O," a song about the innate beauty of mankind.
His signature song, of course, was "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda," maybe the most beautiful anti-war song ever written. At concerts when he sang this song you could hear a pin drop and when he was finished there was no applause because the audience was stunned. It was not unusual to hear sobbing from man and woman alike.
The Almost Clancys & Makem Sitcom: "Bigger Than the Beatles"
A couple of years ago, I came across one of the great oddities about the Clancys and Makem. There was an old rerun of Danny Thomas' show Make Room for Daddy from 1963 on TV called "Oh, the Clancys." They sang "Brennan on the Moor" and "Portláirge."
I was so surprised by this show I emailed the late Jerry Campbell who was their manager for most of the 1960s. Back in the '60s Danny Thomas not only had his own show, but with Sheldon Leonard also successfully packaged two other hit sitcoms: Andy Griffith and Dick Van Dyke. Campbell's response shocked me:
"I had a deal with Danny Thomas & Sheldon Leonard," Campbell emailed me, "what you saw was basically the 'pilot.' It went well and I got a firm offer for CB&TM to star in their own weekly show on NBC, produced by Danny Thomas & Sheldon Leonard & I was to be the associate producer. Lot of money involved. Firm 13 weeks on NBC, plus 13 week options on & on and rerun right going on for years.
"Then the 'fun' began!! When the 'folkies' found out about it, they hit Liam hard—He was 'selling out,' etc. Heavy duty pressure from a number of people. Basically, these people were very jealous that they hadn't been offered the 'deal'. They all backed Liam into a corner & I kept explaining to him what was going on, so did the William Morris Agency who represented Thomas & Leonard and so did NBC. Then, a number of people got onto Tommy Makem & he caved in saying he didn't want to play an Irishman' on TV. I told him point blank that I would be hard put to seem him playing an Italian on the show. Crazy Shit!! All the 'Irish' who got into the 'discussion' were basically afraid CB&TM would be very successful and they didn't want that to happen & CB&TM. I didn't, couldn't understand this. When these same people who talked Liam & Tommy out of 'selling out' got their own deal with the networks, they jumped right on the 'bandwagon.' They turned down the entire deal—left big time $$Millions on the table.
"They did the same thing on a movie deal I had with Peter Bogdanovich for them to star in a Western that he & Larry McMurtry wrote. CB&TM made some big time dumb career decisions, but there was nothing I could do about it. If they had accepted the deals I got for them they would have been bigger then the Beatles."
"Our Revels Now Are Ended"
One of my proudest possessions is a copy of The Mountain of the Women that Liam sent me. I gave Liam a cameo in my Michael Collins fantasy novel, Terrible Angel, sent him a copy in Ireland, and invited him to my book party at the old Lion's Head, now the Kettle of Fish. In response, he sent his autobiography to me with this inscription: "For Dermot McEvoy, January 17th, 2003. One good book deserves another. Thanks for thinking of me. I'd love to have been at the launch in the Head/Kettle of Fish. Let's have a glass there sometime. Give my best to any of the old gang you may come across and—great good luck with the book.—Liam Clancy."
We never had our glass, but I got to know Liam better, for in the last decade of his life, he published an autobiography, The Mountain of the Women: Memoirs of an Irish Troubadour, which told his story, his struggles, and his many loves and many children.
He went even further in the documentary The Yellow Bittern: The Life and Times of Liam Clancy, which is a brutally honest look at the rise, the tragic fall, and the heroic rise again of Liam Clancy.
He once famously said to Bob Dylan: "No fear, no jealousy, no meanness" which is about the best philosophy a man can have in this tough life. Liam ended every concert with "The Parting Glass." It's as if Liam was trying to give his life philosophy—be true to yourself and do no harm to others.
Of all the money that ere I had, I spent it in good company.
And of all the harm that ere I've done, alas was done to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I cannot recall.
So fill me to the parting glass. Goodnight and joy be with you all.
Of all the comrades that ere I had, they're sorry for my going away,
And of all the sweethearts that ere I had, they wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot that I should rise while you should not,
I will gently rise and I'll softly call, "Goodnight and joy be with you all!"
God bless, Liam. We miss you.
Dermot McEvoy is the author of the The 13th Apostle: A Novel of a Dublin Family, Michael Collins, and the Irish Uprising and Our Lady of Greenwich Village, now available in paperback from Skyhorse Publishing. He may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him at dermotmcevoy.com. Follow The 13th Apostle on Facebook.]]>
For the most part, their memories are of family togetherness, mucking in and having fun at home, what Christmas is all about! Decorations and to be made and everybody pitched in with the cooking.
As we get ready for the occasion and the crazy shopping season, it's sometimes nice to sit down and remember that it wasn't always the fancy gifts that ensured you had a great Christmas but the people you shared those gifts with. This video will remind you of just that, as well as all the old traditions you may have let slip.
Do you have an old Irish tradition that you and your family carry out religiously every Christmas? Let us know about it in the comments section, below.
Share your favorite Christmas memories with us in the comments section.
Do you have an Christmas tales you'd like to share with IrishCentral? Share them with us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
* Originally published in December 2012.]]>
Although we're still the far side of Christmas there is some distance to travel before the Oscar rumors start taking over, there is already a lot of talk surrounding several Irish films and Irish actors whose 2016 performances left a mark on the movie-making scene. We take a look at some of the best of the bunch:
Ruth Negga - "Loving"
"Loving" is technically not an Irish film but its leading lady, Irish-Ethiopian actress Ruth Negga, is the talk of the town thanks to her stirring performance. Born in Ethiopia to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father, Negga moved to Ireland when she was four and was raised in Limerick. She starred alongside Cillian Murphy in "Breakfast on Pluto" and also appeared in the first two seasons of Irish hit series "Love/Hate."
She has been appearing more on this side of the Atlantic in recent years and is known for parts in "World War Z" in 2013 and "Warcraft: The Beginning" in 2016.
Her starring role in "Loving", however, has brought her to the attention of the Academy. Her sterling performance as Mildred, who is fighting for her right to marry a white man, has put her in contention for the Oscar. Set in Virginia in 1967, "Loving" tells the story of Mildred and her husband Richard as she faces punishment and imprisonment in order to obtain a legal marriage at a time when interracial marriages were illegal.
"Older Than Ireland"
Having already won the prize for Best Irish Documentary at the Galway Film Fleadh, the heart-warming "Older Than Ireland" will be the only Irish entry among the 145 films considered in the "Best Documentary" category.
This incredibly charming documentary is a great one to watch with an older Irish relative as it takes us back through the past century of Irish life through conversations with 30 Irish centenarians. From the good times to the bad, these Irish people have seen remarkable changes in the country over the past 100 years.
If you're looking for a great family film for the upcoming holidays this could be the answer for you. Each of the centenarians has a unique take on life and the developments they have witnessed through their lives. "Older Than Ireland" and its incredible characters richly deserve a spot among the nominees.
"The Secret Scripture"
With award-winning director Jim Sheridan at the helm and a whole range of up-and-coming Irish actors joining some of America's stars, this adaptation of Sebastian Barry's 2008 Man Booker Prize-nominated novel of the same name is yet another emotive piece of cinema greatness from the Irish man. The release date for "The Secret Scripture" has long been projected for 2016, so fingers crossed this makes it into theaters in time for Oscars season.
Set in Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital, the movie features Rooney Mara as the younger version of the now one-hundred-year-old woman, Roseanne McNulty, as she tells the horrific tale of how she ended up in the hospital for over 40 years for falling in love with the wrong person.
Irish names Jack Reynor, Tom Vaughan Lawlor, and Aidan Turner join Mara and Eric Bana as Sheridan, a six-time Academy Award nominee and director of Academy Award winner "My Left Foot," wows us once again.
Liam Neeson - "Silence"
Although there are rumors we may not see this film by the end of the year, ruling it out of contention for the 2016 Awards, there are just as many rumors stating that Neeson looks set to receive a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film "Silence." This would be Neeson's first ever Oscar if he was to take home the award in February.
The "Taken" star came extremely close in 1994, when he was nominated for Best Actor for his performance as Oskar Schindler in the award-winning, critically-acclaimed "Schindler's List." Regardless, rumor has it this could be the County Antrim native's best shot yet at bringing home a golden statue.
Also starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Tadanobu Asano, and Belfast's Ciarán Hinds, "Silence" is a historical drama based on the novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo.
Neeson plays mentor Fr. Cristóvão Ferreira in the film, which is based on the violent persecution endured by two Portuguese Jesuit priests in 17th century Japan. Fr Sebastião Rodrigues and Fr. Francisco Garrpe, played by Garfield and Driver, travel to Japan to find their mentor (Neeson) despite the Japanese ban on Christianity and almost all foreign contact.
It was thought the release might be delayed until January so that it would not have to compete with the wave of feel-good films that crop up in the weeks leading up to the holidays.
Read more: Top ten Irish-American Oscar winners of all time (PHOTOS)
Another film being mentioned in the Best Documentary category that also has a strong Irish connection is "Gleason," the story of Irish-American former NFL defensive back for the New Orleans Saints Steve Gleason. He was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), at the age of 34 and given a life expectancy of two to five years.
"Gleason," which has already won several awards at film festivals this year, tells his story, starting with his playing career and his role in helping get the once struggling team back on its feet before being he was dealt the terrifying blow of his diagnosis.
Gleason's determination to start a family and get his affairs in order make this an uplifting movie, some of which is built around a video journal he and his wife made for their son, who was born in 2011.
Kenneth Lonergan - "Manchester by the Sea"
Half Irish, half Jewish New York native Kenneth Lonergan, who formerly contributed to the screenplay for "Gangs of New York," is the writer and director of "Manchester by the Sea" starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams. Williams has also been mentioned for an Oscar nomination, but the film has earned critical acclaim for both its direction and screenplay. The film is seen as a frontrunner for Oscar glory this year.
Lonergan can be seen here talking about his roots in Ireland:
Natalie Portman - "Jackie"
This is a bit of a stretch. Although the big names in this film have no direct links to Ireland, the subject matter certainly does. "Jackie" is, of course, the story of Jackie Kennedy during one of the hardest periods of her life – the weeks of public mourning just after the assassination of her husband, President John F Kennedy. Jackie is contending with the memories of her husband's assassination, her fight to create a legacy, and the horror of her grief and the social pressure of being such a massive public figure, all of which is beautifully captured by Portman, who is at her best. There is quite a bit of buzz about her being named Best Actress for 2016.
Here's hoping we'll see these Irish names on the nominations lists come January 24!
Was there a stand-out Irish film this year we missed out on or any you feel were worthy of an Academy Award in 2016? Let us know if you've any suggestions in the comments section, below.]]>
Now we are all in our seventies and living in the four provinces of Ireland. Mary came out best. She worked her whole life, teaching in her local national school, in Dublin. John, her husband was the bank manager. Both have mighty pensions. Their days are full with bridge, golf, foreign holidays and their local 'active age group'.
God help us, but I feel I'm too young to join an active age group and they're too active for me anyway! I had to give up my good job when I married and moved to County Cork. (There was no marriage ban then for national school teachers, like our Mary.) I'm on a widow's pension this two years and it's not great. But I make do. I say my prayers and ask God to bless my children, who have no faith at all. Who are they going to turn to when they have troubles, I ask you?
I'm so glad that I live in a village. I can walk to Mass every morning, meet my friends and have a chat. We're terrible sorry that our post office, garda station and little shop have closed down. Now we have to walk out to the petrol station to buy anything, and everything comes in packs holding far too much for us. "Glory be to God," Dinny Murphy said yesterday. "I remember when you could go into O'Gormans and buy one egg, one firelighter and one fag!" Cathleen remembers when cigarettes were in your face on the counter and we all smoked. "Now, sez she, "It's condoms that are in your face and the cigarettes are hidden."
The free travel is great. I go up to Dublin to see my grandchildren very often and visit Mary, if she's not gone off again on another cruise! Her children can Skype her anytime no matter where she is, which is mighty. I'm afraid I'm no good at all at this 'social media'. The local school here had a week for us pensioners to go in and get lessons from the transition year students. We went in, four of us. God help me, but I tried. I really did. "Glory be to God," sez Dinny. "But this is way beyond me, I give up." And he and I did.
Peggy persevered and she can now email their two daughters below in New Zealand. She uses the computer in the library. We get the free bus to town on a Friday and she goes there. I get my hair done and buy my Buckfast Tonic Wine.
The free bus is great, absolutely great for people who live in isolated areas because it collects you from your own house and leaves you back there again. We hope the government won't stop funding it.
Poor P.J. would be lost without it. Our old farm is five miles from the main road, above in Connemara. His car is long gone with there being no money in farming anymore. He's right lonesome, I'd say.
The little pub near him closed down last year. With the ban on drink driving no one can use their cars to go for their few pints anymore. P.J. used to cycle to the pub and have a glass o' stout. Mary says "It's the chat he misses most." I agree, and even if they sat and said nothing at all – sure wasn't it a bit of company for him?
Read more: A sad true tale of isolation in rural Ireland, depression and suicide
Mary used to be on at him to write to The Knock Marriage Bureau. "Say you have a farm and your own house," she told him. "You'll be snapped up." He never got around to writing to them. He has the telly, which is good and a free license for it from the government. He has a fuel allowance too, so he'll not be cold. Mind you there is no shortage of turf beyond in Connemara, so he'll stay warm.
The free bus picks him up at his door every Wednesday and takes him to the little town. The bus calls to most of the houses in the area collecting his elderly neighbors. I gather that they have great chats on the journey into town and great catching up on news. They go to the bookies and the bar, or wherever they like.
But it's our poor Tom I feel most sorry for. There he is, an old priest in his mid-seventies above in a parish in Sligo. At this age of his life he expected he'd be retired with a couple of young curates running the show. Not at all, sure the poor man still has to do it all by himself. And he's lonely, in that big parochial house by himself, with little comfort in it.
Mammy was right. Mary, who was able to keep her 'permanent pensionable job' is the best off of the four of us. But, sure, aren't we well and healthy, and you know yourself, isn't that the most important thing of all. With the help of God we'll stay this way for the next while.
Read more: When the American dream tragically failed my grandparents]]>
Russian Chrome Chemicals 1915 company representative Vladislav Oreshkin said the incident was caused by an "old slurry tank built in 1960 with violations of health and safety rules."
Oreshkin said, "The accident today happened on a pipe between a pump and a cleaning station. Some of the water pumped from under the ground went on the surface."
"In Soviet times, some of the chromium-containing water stayed underground and went straight into Chusovaya River. Ten years ago, we launched a system of drainage wells that capture contaminated water and neutralize it. One of the wells got clogged and part of the water went on the surface," he said.
Officials assured residents of the town, which is located on the Chusovaya River in the Ural Mountains, not to worry as the leak would not cause any danger to their health.
"The situation is under control. Our team was at the site 15 minutes after the accident. We are planning to finish the clean up within one day," Oreshkin told The Siberian Times.
People living in Pervouralsk have described "colorful" rain and snow in the past. Complaints of "throat aches" have also been believed to be somehow connected to the plant.
Acquired by the MidUral Group, the Russian Chrome Chemicals 1915 company, which "specializes in production of chrome-containing industrial materials and reagents," has participated in an environmental protection program since 2011.
The company claims that it has taken measures to drastically reduce emissions of harmful substances in the air by 65 times and significantly lowered the concentration of Chromium 6 in the Chusovaya River.]]>
It hasn't helped that sections of the media have circulated examples in the category that are entirely or largely fictional. The peculiar thing about the issue is that it's been progressives and liberals who've fought censorship and historically pushed against the boundaries of the "safe spaces" of their day. And they still do -- Bill Maher continues to pursue the themes of his earlier show "Politically Incorrect" and Stephen Colbert mocks the "PC police."
How come, then, conservatives use the charge with such apparent effectiveness? Well, a labor official, I believe it was, suggested an interesting intellectual exercise: substitute the word "respect" for "politically correct."
Would you say someone is being "too respectful" when discussing a person or group? You see, in this country, the PC charge is most often used in the context of inclusivity and civility towards individuals or demographics that don't vote Republican.
At the same time, conservatives build a wall around institutions or principles that they deem to be worthy of respect and all hell breaks loose if there's any perceived attempt to breach it.
In 1964 LBJ posited in a TV ad that Barry Goldwater would blow up the world. The Democrats haven't run a good one since; these days, it's "Daisy Girl" 24/7 from the other side.
The old Clinton maxim "It's the economy, stupid" might ordinarily have worked this year, but Hillary was running for a "third Obama term." Maher has said that a President Romney would have happily run for a second term on the current state of the economy.
But the rules are always different with the Republicans, and their mastery of the dark arts gives them the edge.
You can't help but admire the lack of scruples and the assault on logic. They're joyfully shameless about it. But they're also meaner and tougher and thus probably deserve to win as much as they do.
At a time when the GOP seemed in utter disarray at the top, Fox News kept the fire focused on the Democratic candidate and worked overtime to normalize their own. CNN and the other networks, meantime, had a vested interest ratings-wise in a close race and didn't report important investigative work done by print and online media.
Now, we are increasingly slipping into the age of "post-truth" – which Oxford Dictionaries, in the aftermath of the Brexit and Trump upsets, has named word of the year.
Added to the problem is fake online news, which for instance was responsible for reports that both Pope Francis and Tom Hanks endorsed Donald Trump (their hopes were almost certainly in the other direction).
Back in the real world, Fox News keeps the faithful singing from the same hymn sheet, among them the kin of a prominent New York Times columnist.
Maureen Dowd told her readers about her Thanksgiving. "My little basket of deplorables, as I call my conservative family, gloated with Trump toasts galore, and Kevin presented me with his annual holiday column with an extra flourish."
"The election was a complete repudiation of Barack Obama: his fantasy world of political correctness," Kevin said early on in his piece for the paper of record.
Kevin Dowd is an "affluent, educated suburbanite," in his sister's words, and so Trump wasn't his first choice in the primaries. But he was fully on board and on message after the nomination.
He added: "Preaching — and pandering — with a message of inclusion, the Democrats have instead become a party where incivility and bad manners are taken for granted, rudeness is routine, religion is mocked and there is absolutely no respect for a differing opinion."
Like I said, shameless.
In Kevin's alternative universe, no doubt, South Carolina's Rep. Joe Wilson didn't scream "You lie!" in the middle of an Obama address to Congress. That was Nancy Pelosi kidding around. She does a great Rebel yell, too, as part of her ventriloquist's routine.
Kevin went on: "The rudeness reached its peak when Vice President-elect Mike Pence was booed by attendees of 'Hamilton' and then pompously lectured by the cast. This may play well with the New York theater crowd but is considered boorish and unacceptable by those of us taught to respect the office of the president and vice president, if not the occupants."
Kevin, God bless him, finally found something to label "boorish" and "unacceptable" in the 2016 election season. It's been a long 18 months for the rest of us.
In any case, the "Hamilton" cast members did not undermine the dignity of the office of vice-president. They were respectfully giving expression to the shock caused by the fact that someone with the attention span of a goldfish will have access to the nuclear button from January 20. It was also a legitimate protest against the naked use of incendiary speech by the man on the top half of the winning ticket.
Has a demagogue ever before been elected to lead a functioning Western democracy? Aren't ordinary people, particularly those belonging to groups he's singled out, right to be afraid?
And then there's that wonderfully serviceable and slippery distinction between the "office" and the "occupant."
To speak your mind and stand up for your fellow citizens is an attack on the institution your grandparents revered. But to promote the idea without evidence that the democratically-elected president of the United States (with clear majorities of the popular vote in 2008 and 2012) is secretly a Muslim and illegible because he was born on another continent – yeah, that's just taking issue with the occupant.
Again, like I said, a different set of rules.
This article first appeared in the Irish Echo. For more stories, visit their website here.]]>
This history of Ireland, despite our best efforts, is godawful. So how do you unpack 800 years of brutal colonial exploitation, oppression and murder in a four minute song and not get your listeners dander up?
Perfectly lovely Irish evenings have often run aground after a competently sung "Rising Of The Moon." Be careful who's lonely passion you're igniting. Later on you could find your wife musing sadly about a lost love as the snow falls faintly and faintly falls on the road home.
Listen, your dad doesn't know a Playstation from a Space Station. Unfortunately international patriarchy has determined that he's usually the one with the ready cash to purchase it. And if he follows Irish tradition he'll almost certainly have had a few jars before he even reaches the toy shop, raising the likelihood of a fatal error tenfold.
This method of ruining Christmas is utterly fail-safe, in the tradition of It's The Wrong Train Set, but this is a B-List Barbie, and the classic You Got Me The Little Mermaid When I Wanted Elsa from "Frozen." There'll be tears on Christmas morning and sulks for days.
Oh, tread carefully. This one unfolds when your older brother brings a nice American wan home from his new life in Miami. She or he is pretty, tanned and smells like fabric softener and bubblegum. You don't tell anyone, but she or he has completely turned your head and after a Guinness or two your natural caution is diminishing as your ardor swells.
This is a time honored Christmas horror. Whilst you take her or his hand and lead them to the dance floor the entire town will have taken note of your terrible transgression. More to the point, so will your fuming sister or brother. There are a million ways for this to go wrong and only a few where they can go right. It's too bad that you didn't meet him or her first, but those are the breaks and you'd be better off rolling with them than being rolled by an angry sibling.
Seismographs keep track of earthquakes with remarkable sensitivity, but an Irish mammy is an infinitely more sensitive social instrument, recording seismic waves, atmospheric conditions, double-entendres and rude remarks with an unparalleled precision.
Making the remark in an Irish home can lead to spectacular results that are not commensurate with the original offense. In a country where people are literally hardwired to seek consensus, a stinging phrase is an impermissible impertinence.
Comments can range from the deceptively innocent "I see you boiled the Brussels sprouts" to the intentionally wounding, "Is there sherry in this Sherry Trifle?" Pass a remark like that and watch a storm force gale gather around you, deservedly too, I might add.
Each year the Queen of England gives a speech that, thanks to our geographical proximity, is quite easy to pick up in Ireland too. At three in the afternoon some Irish households have left the TV on all day and some have inadvertently watched it, which, if overheard by the neighbors, can have interesting social consequences. This won't quite ruin Christmas, but it will raise eyebrows.
Nobody likes fruitcake. Nobody.
That's why there is only one fruitcake in existence and it's gifted and re-gifted to every family in Ireland in a tradition that reaches back to the age of the Firbolgs. Don't gift fruitcake and if you receive one pass it on the first chance you get. Don't break the chain.
Your auntie Mary has cataracts, but she's devoted to knitting. It's manual therapy for her anxious hands. Each Christmas she presents you with a special new hand-knit jumper (the Irish word for sweater) that makes you look like you're auditioning for Dr. Seuss, the musical.
It would, of course, be a terrible thing to avoid wearing this itchy horror to midnight mass where she can proudly claim it's all her own work before the entire community. Auntie Mary knows Christmas is a time for horrible jumpers and public humiliation and Auntie Mary ruins Christmas.
No one likes this embarrassing tradition, no one, especially not the Irish who are notoriously touch averse if they haven't sent you the unmistakable come hither signal. Irish people live in horror of being grasped by the uninvited and you'll rarely see the cold shoulder served colder if you try this nonsense on.
A nation once again? Keep your four green fields to yourself for the week that's in it between Christmas and New Years. There's nothing wrong with the political aspiration, but this is a time for deep relaxation and peace.
Read more: Irish Christmas tunes to get you in the holiday spirit
Bangor resident Victor didn't make the connection with his late mother Annie at first, however, not even when his wife referred to the address of his former family home in Dublin.
It was only when Hannah's name was mentioned that Victor realized his mother's role in the fascinating story.
"I simply couldn't believe it. I never knew about this letter. I never even knew it existed," Victor told the Irish Times.
The letter, which captured the spirit of Christmas past, included a present wish list and a good luck message to Santa.
"I want a baby doll and a waterproof with a hood and a pair of gloves and a toffee apple and a gold penny and a silver sixpence and a long toffee," wrote Hannah, born on Christmas Day 1900.
"My mother attended the Zion Church of Ireland school in Rathgar before going on to marry Alfred Bartlem in 1931, with whom she had two sons, Howard and Victor. She and Alfred moved to a house on Lomond Avenue, Fairview, shortly after they married, where she died in 1978," reported Victor.
He added that his mother had been extremely creative, excelling at various forms of needlework and later at woodwork and was also an expert baker of cakes and other confectionery.
Her niece Iris Murphy, who lives in Dublin, also contacted the paper after she was alerted to her aunt's story when her daughter in Tasmania read about it on IrishTimes.com.
"My aunt was a very happy-go-lucky person with a great sense of humor," said Iris.
* Originally published in 2012.]]>
The statue was rededicated in April as part of the local Irish community's effort to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rising. It was at that time that formal efforts to get the park named after Emmett began.
One man involved in the push was Peter Kissel, who told IrishCentral, "It's been a long-standing effort and it's been from a coalition of people; the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Irish American Unity Caucus. The effort has been spearheaded by Jack O'Brien who has been a member of both organizations."
"Robert Emmet is the ultimate Irish patriot and martyr who has inspired literally generations of people advocating Irish freedom – particularly the 1916 rebels – and he made a very famous, iconic speech from the dock before he was executed by the English."
The National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission approved the park's new name last month, without any objections, and it is now under consideration by Congress.
Kissel is optimistic about the bill's passage, saying, "The House [of Representatives] has already approved it and we expect the Senate to pass it this week or next."
And as to whether the park can look forward to a formal naming ceremony, they haven't quite got that far yet, "To tell you the truth we've been working so hard to get Congress to approve the legislation that we have not yet focused on when we'll have an actual naming ceremony but probably in the spring."
Robert Emmet was born in 1778 into a Protestant family in Dublin that supported the American Revolution. When he was 25 he was intimately involved in a failed rebellion against British rule in 1803. The rebellion failed and he was captured and tried for treason; his speech from the dock remains one of the greatest Irish speeches of all time, but it did not save his life and he was hanged the next day. He remains to this a source of inspiration to Irish nationalists across the world.
US House of Representatives passes law naming Washington park in honour of Robert Emmet @repjoecrowley https://t.co/cbO8OEjOxE pic.twitter.com/O8baU5cDRr— Simon Carswell (@SiCarswell) September 23, 2016
Travel search engine Kayak.com has also listed Dublin as one of the top ten trending cities around the globe to celebrate the New Year in its newly released Travel Hacker Guide for the holiday season. The capital city came in number six on the list.
The guide's 'hacker tip' for the city states: "The Procession of Light from St. Stephen's Green to Dublin Castle on New Year's Eve offers a moment of reflection before the pub-fueled revelry begins."
According to CNTraveler, there has been a 65 percent increase in flight searches to the city compared to previous New Year's Eve. The site recommends: "Road-tripping from the capital to the Cliffs of Moher, strolling the capital's creative quarter, tipping back a few with locals at the Bar With No Name."]]>
Everyone told Jackie Kennedy she was risking her life. The world's gone mad, they warned her - if someone can shoot your husband in broad daylight they can shoot you too.
On the day before her husband's funeral, her security experts told her she would be a fool to think of walking behind the funeral carriage for eight long city blocks. Think of all the exposed windows and rooftops, they told her. A bullet might have your name on it.
But Jackie's answer to all this hand wringing was as steely as her character: the president of the United States has died, she said, and we will morn him.
History shows her decision was the right one, because everyone who had access to a television set that day watched the event from start to finish. It was as big a moment in the nation's story as the death of Lincoln or the moon landing. The country came to a complete standstill.
But as Oscar winning actress Natalie Portman reminds us in Jackie, the powerful new film about the tragic first lady that opens this Friday, there was a human being under all that poise and position.
And Portman, 35, shows us what it cost her subject to keep the flame of Camelot – her mythical name for her husband's all too brief presidency – burning the way it still does in Arlington Cemetery.
In director Pablo Larrain's flawlessly directed film he keeps the camera close to his subject so we see what Jackie sees, and the effect is revelatory.
The film begins a week after the shocking assassination with Jackie, then aged 34, giving her famous Life magazine interview to Theodore H. White. As portrayed by Portman, she is utterly heart shot, still reeling from the shock, still incandescently furious but fully aware that she's become the custodian of her husband's legacy.
On the day of the shooting, the film reminds us, she has stand next to Lyndon B. Johnson as he is quickly sworn in as president, with her husband's blood still fresh on her dress. No wonder she was as furious as the film shows us.
With her Brahmin background and her debutante's flair, alongside her beauty, Jackie was an instant fashion icon. The film reminds us just how central the couple was to the style and social transformations of the 1960s, clearly foreshadowed by the presence of Robert F. Kennedy, played in the film with a lovely wounded authenticity by Peter Sarsgaard.
What many people don't recall now is just what an affront an Irish Catholic president was to the old money ascendancy class and much of the South. Visiting priests and Mass being said within the legendary building appalled many of Kennedy's detractors in ways that are broadly similar to the way even the idea of an African American president has in our own time.
To their detractors the Kennedy fortune was considered deeply suspect. Their politics and their strong belief in social justice and civil rights enraged their opposition and much of the country.
Jackie expertly reproduces the fault lines that inflamed the passions of all those who hated the Kennedys, but the film is never preachy or didactic. Instead it recreates the full complexity of that extraordinary before and after moment in history that changed the country and the world.
Portman's a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination for her work, the strongest of her career. She nails the old world Brahmin accent, she reproduces the stiffly formal finishing school walk, but better than all of that, she rescues Jackie, the thinking, breathing woman, from Jackie the myth, a testament to the level of artistry her portrait took.
If there is a more vulnerable image than that pink dress and pill box hat as Jackie steps off Air Force One in Dallas on that fateful day in November 1963 you'll be hard pressed to find it.
Portman, like Jackie, reminds us that history doesn't often announce itself while it's in the process of unfolding. Instead she gives us all the confusion and shock that leads up to the moment, and then away from it.
America changed the day Kennedy was killed. Arguably its brightest moment in a hundred years turned nightmarish and set the stage for all the conflicts to come that decade and all that followed: Vietnam, the civil rights battles, the assassinations of reformist leaders.
"We were beautiful but that's not enough," Bobby Kennedy tells her, reeling from the awareness that his brother's great work still lay ahead and was taken from him by an assassin's bullet.
In the film Jackie grapples with hard questions of her own. Where was God when her husband was shot, she asks her Irish American priest (played by John Hurt)? That crisis of faith in a benign deity mirrors her deeper crisis of faith in the political landscape that surrounds her.
But more than anything, Jackie reminds us how much of her husband's legacy was shaped by his widow. In her interview with Life's Theodore H. White she refers to the musical the president loved, Camelot.
"Let it never be forgot, for one brief shining moment there was a Camelot…" she tells the reporter; giving him his headline and her husband his greatest and most enduring epitaph.
Critics have for decades tried to portray Jackie as an empty-headed debutant. Even some members of the Kennedy family have taken similar cracks over the years. It's nonsense, and the film makes this clear.
By taking charge of every aspect of her husband's funeral she gave the nation and history the story that they will tell of her husband's dazzling and ultimately tragic presidency from now till the end of time.
One scene makes her resolve clear. Riding with Bobby Kennedy in the back of the ambulance that contains her husband's coffin on the day of the shooting, Jackie rolls down the window and asks the driver if he knows who James Garfield was. The driver says he doesn't.
Then Jackie turns to the nurse seated opposite her and asks her if she knows who William McKinley was. The nurse says no. He final question is do they know who Abraham Lincoln was, and they both nod yes. In that moment we understand that she has decided that a major funeral will be held in her husband's honor.
It almost seems remarkable that a film this solemn and serious could be made in this new era of reality TV presidents. Jackie, like her husband John a member of what Tom Brokaw memorably called the Greatest Generation, seems like an emissary from a lost era of maturity and grit.
You'll want to cheer as she defies the forces that try to consign her husband's life and work to a footnote of history. It's because she understood better than anyone what a foundational challenge he was to the centuries of ascendancy tradition in the North (including the criminal underworld) and the civil rights resisting good old boys who despised him in the south. She refuses to go quietly.
For years, decades after that fateful day in November, people would approach Jackie and say, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I remember where I was that day." Rarely did they ever realize that so did Jackie.
In the eyes of most Americans she had become not just a person but an icon. She had also become a story and it was a sad one.
Jackie successfully rescues her from her own towering myth, and everyone who cares about American democracy should see it and reflect on the lessons she still has to teach us.]]>
Here's our pick of the top Irish adverts at Christmas:
Guinness: This beautiful advert has some beautiful shots of a snowy Christmas all over Ireland accompanied by specially composed orchestral music by Kevin Sargent.
ESB: This 1980s ESB (Electricity Service Board) that seems to have stuck in the public's mind over the decade.
The ad, set to Dusty Springfield singing "I think I'm going back", depicts a son going home for Christmas and his Irish mammy preparing the house – something most Irish can relate to.
Barry's Tea: This radio ad shows some of Ireland's great Irish story telling. In just 1.29 minutes this ad brings you back to childhood in Ireland. The very phrase "Put the kettle on, we'll have cuppa tea" at the end is sure to get Irish people thinking of home.
Cornflakes: Although this ad is obviously an American ad it's been running in Ireland every Christmas for years.
If this little blonde angel's "Ho, ho, ho" at the end of the ad doesn't melt your heart nothing will.
Coke: Similarly, although this ad is from the US, the sound of these bells on the TV means that the Christmas season has arrived.
Vodafone: This cell phone company's celebration of "all the little things that make Christmas in Ireland such a wonderful - and happy - time of year" was realized in 2011.
This second Vodafone advert shows a fantasy world where people ice skate down the pedestrian shopping street, Grafton Street, in Dublin's south city center. Although the skating may not be real, thankfully, the glistening chandeliers hanging on the street are.
Meteor : Here's Meteor, another cell phone company's ad, that gives a humorous slant on competing Christmas carolers on Grafton Street in Dublin.
* Originally published in 2011.]]>
Nathan, a Computer / Software Engineer by day, takes up the camera only as a hobby but what amazing results he has gotten. He told IrishCentral his work usually "revolves around Light Painting Photography."
This video took two year to create. Nathan says to "watch out for the Milky Way, Auroras, meteors and lightning storms from many locations spread across Ireland."
Nathan explained how he came to be involved in astrophotography and the patience and time it takes to get perfect shot / sequence. "My career leads to my working hours being long and late in front of the computer so spending nights creating light art and astrophotography time-lapse became a means to balance out away from the screen," Nathan said.
"It can take about two hours to shoot five-seconds worth of footage so when you commit to a project like this it's a major incentive to get out to the mountains or beach any opportunity that weather indicates the skies will open up for the night."
What Nathan plans to achieve after the release of the video is perhaps to collaborate with others or, dream of all dreams, to get some free coffee! Nathan explained that "it was a personal project and its sole purpose was to continue to encourage myself to hike and camp through cold, wind and rain with hope of seeing the Milky Way or the Northern Lights for just a few minutes."
He also hopes that his work might make more people, living in and visiting Ireland, look upwards. "I would hope that it would also show the people of Ireland that there is magic to be seen in the skies all around Ireland if you just take the time to get away from the city lights.
"With the right conditions, Aurora Borealis can be seen by the naked eye as far south as the Dublin coastal village of Skerries and that places like Kerry and Mayo are some of the best locations in the world to see the Milky Way."
Well we're sold!
Read more: Ireland's Travel Secrets - The Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve
* Gareth Nathan is a Light Painter and Astrophotographer based in Ireland with a passion for adding color and vibrancy to ancient Ireland abandonments using long exposure photography to create unique scenes. You can check out more of his work on his website.
Guinness Backpack, $18.95
This versatile backpack is ideal for every hidden adventurer. With padded straps and its ventilated mesh material this backpack is ideal for all the seasons. The roomy interior will give the holder optimum space to pack everything he needs, whether it's for work or travel. The Guinness logo is easily recognizable and gives it its quality mark.
Guinness Slippers, $19.95
These slippers are ideal for any dad or grandad to relax in on a chilly morning. These super soft, one size fits all feet cozies will definitely keep the frostbite away this Christmas. The fact that they look like you're walking around in two lovely crisp pints of Guinness is only a plus.
Gentlemen's Hand Knit Aran Sweater, $199.99
Is there anything warmer than an Aran sweater? These are a traditional favorite back in Ireland and recognized around the world for their quality and warmth. Each hand-crafted sweater has certainly got an Irish feel, with a durability that will last way longer than any cold snap.
Guinness Pouring Spoon, $8.99
Do you like Guinness? Do you also like to mix Guinness with other Irish favorites like Smithwicks or Harp and come up with a new unique drink? Then this is the gift you didn't know you needed but always secretly wanted. Drinks like a Black and Tan (Guinness and Pale Ale), Half and Half (Guinness and Lager), and Black Velvet (Guinness and Champagne) are fan favorites both at home and in all the Irish bars in the United States and now you can bring that goodness home.
Men's Fisherman Aran Cardigan with Collar, $99.99
Shawl collar cardigans are about as classic as they come for men, especially the heavy wool ones which somehow read as both rugged and cozy. A perfect gift for the boyfriend or a Dad (or any awesome man in your life), we love the shawl collar here, and the merino wool which is ultra-soft yet durable. A layering essential for winter, our fisherman Aran cardigan is a keeper!
Men's Ireland Leprechaun and Shamrock Boxer Shorts, $16.99
Sometimes the best gift is the one that makes you laugh. And these certainly do that. These cheeky boxers will make sure you always have the luck of the Irish behind you.
Galway Pubs Irish Tee Shirt, $18.95
County Galway is one of the most scenic places to visit in Ireland. It is also home to some of the best pubs in Ireland. And with this t-shirt you can always keep them close to your chest. So if the man in your life is missing home over the holidays then this will surely help, as long as he's from Galway.
Black Ireland 1823 Cadet Hat, $19.99
When style meets comfort and warmth this is the result. This cadet hat will add a classic look to any man old or young. It's one size fits all so it will have a nice snug feel and leave no room for that pesky wind to grab hold of your man's precious locks.
Guinness Ireland Pint Glass Two Pack, $24.95
Anyone tired of those "baby" pints of Guinness you get in all the pubs, not like the pint you get back home that's for sure. This two pack of Guinness Ireland pint glasses will ensure your man and his partner in crime a proper pint of the black stuff at home. We can't guarantee pubs will allow him to bring in his own pint glasses.
Ireland Travel Mug, $17.99
Is your man always on the move? Does he miss Ireland just that little bit? Then this travel mug will be able to accompany him wherever he goes. Ideal for hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate and all the cold stuff as well, it is the ideal travel companion.
Guinness Ireland Money Clip, $14.99
One of the most ideal items for a man to carry in the US is a money clip. It is ideal for all the cards and cash a modern man carries. In Ireland it is not uncommon to have pockets full of change but in America money clips are a regular feature in any man's style. It is sturdy and emblazoned with the Guinness quality mark.
For all these gifts and much more you can head over to the IrishCentral Shop to find out more.]]>
The "The Catholic App" was developed by the archdiocese and the technology company Musemantik. The service, which is available on iPhone and tablet devices, was officially launched on November 22 in front of the dome of St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh, who was in the Vatican on official business, played the Scottish bagpipes at the launch.
"This is a little bit of smart technology that could make a big impact on how the Catholic Church brings the mercy of God and the joy of the Gospel to our contemporary world," he said.
Musemantik founder Dr Maciej Zurawski added: "Websites are losing popularity – what is needed to engage with the mobile generation is an app that is smart and personal, an app that is like a companion, a friend that takes the initiative to inspire you – that's the vision behind the Catholic App."]]>
Firstly, as president he cannot earn any income outside of his government salary for the duration of his term. This means any investment income he had upon taking office has to go into a blind trust until he leaves office.
There is a good reason for this rule. It was created to prevent the president from being corrupted by foreign influences. But since the sheer scope of Trump's conflicts of interest around the world is unprecedented for any incoming American president, it presents serious challenges for him and his incoming administration.
To govern well there can be no question of his intermingling private business with his public responsibilities as president. Unfortunately for the Republic, that's not how Trump apparently sees it.
Since his global brand is predicated on his name and image, he has been reluctant to give either up in exchange for the public good. Last week The Washington Post reported that 100 foreign diplomats gathered at President-elect Trump's hotel in Washington, D.C. to "to sip Trump-branded champagne and hear a sales pitch about the U.S. president-elect's newest hotel."
Trump to leave business empire to focus on running the country, but offers no details. https://t.co/PXTym17jdb pic.twitter.com/EUOeubJmoK— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 30, 2016
The Post quoted some of the visiting diplomats agreeing that their stay at the five-star Trump hotel was simply a ploy to ingratiate themselves to the incoming president.
This is the kind of pay for play tactic common to medieval kings, not presidents of the United States. It strengthens his critics' claims that he is intentionally seeking business and favors from foreign governments to enrich himself at the expense of his office.
Senior ethics watchdogs are already sounding the alarm. Last week Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor who previously served as chief ethics counsel to President George W. Bush, told the press that Trump's efforts to do private business with foreign diplomats violates a provision in the Constitution intended to prevent foreign states from buying influence with federal officials.
"No person holding any office of profit or trust under" the United States "shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state," the Constitution's Emoluments Clause states.
But buying Trump's favor by staying in his hotel "looks like a gift" being made by these diplomats, Painter said, and exactly the kind of favor that the Constitution seeks to prevent.
Trump is aware of the rumblings, and so he is using his Twitter account as a ploy to confound his enemies. By changing the subject he hopes to evade their scrutiny. It won't work.
So, Trump actually has until January 20 to do the right thing and sell his holdings, put them in a blind trust, or give them to his children to manage exclusively. Certainly, his involvement in any business discussions or considerations must end by that date.
BREAKING: Donald Trump says he plans to set aside business interests to focus on White House https://t.co/UF2JiJ7nRe pic.twitter.com/Elzlwp3egR— Bloomberg (@business) November 30, 2016
There are steep consequences if he still shows an unwillingness to go along. The founders did not want foreign payments to be made to the president in any capacity, ever. In fact, they permitted impeachment where a president flagrantly transgresses.
If Trump uses his office to apply pressure to foreign governments concerning his private business dealings, even though his children are effectively in change of operations, he will still be in violation of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Painter sounds his own dire warning. "I don't think the Electoral College can vote for someone to become president if he's going to be in violation of the Constitution on day one and hasn't assured us he's not in violation," he said.
Worryingly, Trump himself has not shown a mature grasp of the predicament that he finds himself in. He recently told The New York Times that he could run his business perfectly, and then run the country perfectly. He added that the " law is totally on my side, meaning, the president can't have a conflict of interest."
In fact, he can, and at the moment he clearly does. It remains to be seen if he has the will or the responsibility to do anything about it.
Read more: Put a lid on Donald Trump - put down your phone President-elect]]>
The play takes us into the lives of Maureen and Mag Folan, a 40-year-old woman and her aging, overbearing mother, living in the isolated farmlands of Galway. Maureen is desperate for an independent life, but finds it impossible to remove herself from the position of mother's minder. The sharp and sarcastic tongues on both women mad the play an absolute delight to watch, and we were hooked as they brought us down some deeper, more disturbing roads. At some moments the theater was brimming with uproarious laughter, dropping jaws, and gasps of shock, and at others, the silence and tension was so palpable that you could cut it with a knife.
The performance's director Garry Hynes won a Tony Award for Direction for the production, and Druid Co-Founder Marie Mullen returns to the stage as Mag, the mother, after winning a Tony for her 1998 performance of Maureen, the daughter. Aisling O'Sullivan plays an incredible Maureen, and is joined by the rest of the stellar cast, Marty Rea and Aaron Monaghan, playing the roles of Pato and Ray Dooley. It's clear that the actors are highly comfortable in the insular stage world that McDonagh created.
Award-winning playwright Martin McDonagh is best known for writing and directing In Bruges, the popular 2008 film starring Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, as well as other successful plays such as The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Lonesome West, A Skull in Connemara, and The Pillowman. Other films include Six Shooter, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
After the play's debut in 1996, the Sunday Times called it "one of the most exhilarating debuts in years...a must." From here, a modern Irish classic was born. History was made two years later in 1998 as Druid's production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning four. It received the Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award, Drama Desk Award, was nominated for an Olivier Award and was heralded 'the most acclaimed play of the season.' Druid, Galway, and Martin McDonagh were the toast of the international theatre scene and won praise from the President of Ireland, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and were guests on Rosie O'Donnell.
While all versions of the play have been acclaimed across the world, Druid's remains the definitive production. The New York Times said: "Sometimes you don't even know what you've been craving until the real thing comes along."
The play will tour coast-to-coast for 16 weeks across the United States, including a stop in New York's BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), before traveling to the prestigious Hong Kong Arts Festival. The Brooklyn Academy of Music presents the best of cutting edge, contemporary performance, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane will be a season highlight.
The tour kicks off with a six week run at Center Theatre Group's Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles between November 9 and December 18. It will return to the US in the new year with its BAM debut in New York between January 11 and February 4. Next it will move onto Arts Emerson in Boston between February 8 - 19, the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh between March 2 - 4, and then will complete its US tour in Ann Arbor, Michigan between March 9 - 11.
The final performances of the production will take place at the Hong Kong Arts Festival over Saint Patrick's Weekend.
Garry Hynes said: "It's thrilling to bring The Beauty Queen of Leenane to life again, two decades on, here in Galway. The first outing of the production took the world by storm and was a real whirlwind for Druid. Our audiences still speak about that experience. We're really looking forward to revisiting it with them and having a new generation experience the production for the first time."
The black comedy's explosive revival has been seen by thousands of Irish audiences and has won much critical acclaim. It was described by UK's The Observer as "stunningly performed...Garry Hynes's direction is so fine it is invisible – as if nothing on the stage could have been other than it is."
Hynes said of the touring plans: "I am very proud of our jam-packed schedule for the next five months, playing in some of the most prestigious theatres across America and onto Hong Kong Arts Festival. We look forward to introducing tens of thousands of new American and Hong Kong audiences to Martin McDonagh's darkly comic masterpiece."
I highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity and make it to one of the stops on this tour. The play is a thought-provoking, artful masterpiece. And if theater isn't your thing, I'd still suggest you go, if only to listen to the Western Irish accents, lingo and laugh-out-loud jokes.
Druid would also like to acknowledge the Arts Council for their support in funding the original staging of these productions and Culture Ireland for their support with touring.]]>
"I am delighted that the Norwegian Air International license has been progressed. It makes for a big year for Cork," said Kevin Toland, the chief executive of the DAA, which controls Cork and Dublin airports, told the Irish Independent.
Norwegian Air International (NAI), a subsidiary of Norwegian Air Shuttle, had applied in December 2013 for a permit to serve the U.S., but opposition from critics who argued that the license would undermine wages and working standards in the U.S. stalled approval of the permit for three years. Earlier this year, 32 member of Congress wrote to President Obama asking him to block the license.
In April, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted tentative approval, but the license was not issued. The final decision was not expected to be made until after a new administration was in the White House. However, on Wednesday, the European Commission accused U.S. government of breaching the "open skies" pact and filed for arbitration.
The U.S. Transportation Department announced on Friday that it had formally decided to grant NAI the license.
In a statement, the department said the case was "among the most novel and complex" it has ever undertaken.
It said: "We have taken the necessary amount of time to review and consider the comments from a wide range of stakeholders. Regardless of our appreciation of the public policy arguments raised by opponents, we have been advised that the law and our bilateral obligations leave us no avenue to reject this application. Therefore, we have decided to finalize our tentative decision to grant NAI's request for a foreign air carrier permit."
Tim Cannoll, the president of the Air Line Pilots' Association (ALPA), which was opposed to the permit has said the group "is considering all options to reverse this action."
"This flawed action is a lasting legacy of the Obama administration and demonstrates an egregious lack of support for working men and women in this country," Canoll said. "This decision is an affront to fair competition and will ultimately result in the loss of U.S. jobs and, potentially, significant losses for the U.S. international aviation industry."
The U.S. DOT conceded that opponents of the permit had brought up a number of "significant concerns regarding the applicant's potential hiring and employment practices affecting its operations in US markets."
"In reaching our decision to grant NAI's permit, we have taken into account the totality of the record regarding its application, including those changes to its hiring and employment practices that it has offered as a direct result of the difficult issues that have been raised during the course of this proceeding," it said. "We anticipate that they will be implemented, consistently with applicable laws."
It added: "Opponents have also raised another novel and important argument that goes directly to a central legal feature of the Agreement. By arguing that NAI represents a "flag of convenience," opponents lose sight of this key feature of the Agreement: that under the concept of a "Community airline," any carrier may fly under the flag of any European Union country, as well as Norway or Iceland, as long as it is satisfactorily owned and controlled by citizens of those countries."
Norwegian Air International said in a press release that it welcomed the decision. "We welcome the long overdue news that Norwegian Air International (NAI) has finally been awarded a foreign carrier permit by the US Department of Transportation.
"The decision now made by the US DOT finally paves the way for greater competition, more flights and more jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. Above all, it is a victory for millions of passengers who will benefit from more choice and lower fares."
In a press release, the CEO of Limerick Chamber has said that the announcement overnight by the US Department of Transport to award a foreign air carrier license to Norwegian Air International is hugely positive news for Shannon Airport and the wider region.
"It's no secret that Shannon has been activity engaged with Norwegian on this matter from as far back as 2014, right from the very start, and for good reason. This will translate into new services between Shannon and the US, which is very good and deserved news for Shannon but, moreover, for the wider region.
"As the Taoiseach said, this has the potential to do for long-haul what Ryanair has done for short-haul. That means lower prices, more services and the fact that Ireland and Shannon has been at the very start of this movement is very good news for this region. It will be good for tourism and very good also for business.
"I want to congratulate all at Shannon for their role from the very start of talks in helping to make this happen."
Ironically, a few years later, Donald Trump read the mood music far better than Hillary or sixteen Republican opponents. The billionaire understood American working-class frustration and he turned it into a famous victory.
Hillary supporters can argue all they want about Hillary getting more votes but both candidates going in understood what was needed to win, 270 electoral votes, not a landslide popular vote win.
Given the size of her popular vote victory and her inexplicable loss, it is clear the Clinton campaign got its tactics wrong. Of course, all this is easy with 20/20 hindsight but undeniably true.
Campaigning in Arizona, spending on field operations in Georgia and Texas and Utah was just a waste of time. Far more energy should have been focused on the number 270 and blue wall bastions like the industrial Midwest reinforced.
Instead, it seems like they went for a massive win.
The abiding memory of the race for me will be Donald Trump that last weekend, microphone and podium on hand, crisscrossing the key states and ending in Michigan, yes, Michigan at 1.30 a.m. on election day. He left everything on the battlefield.
In that same period the celebrity endorsements and concerts from Beyonce to Bruce Springsteen were rolled out by the Clinton campaign but that, too, proved a tactical error reinforcing the elitist message.
What swung the Irish working class?As I wrote in September, suffocating political correctness, hatred of Hillary Clinton, admiration for what Donald Trump has achieved and a deep sense that America is slipping backward.
Lack of concern for working-class white issues, over-intrusion by the government, a sense there was too many handouts, a belief there was minority mollycoddling and a fear of saying the wrong thing were also significant in my opinion.
Most Irish working-class Catholics, I think, believed Trump at least was giving them a hearing. Clinton, somehow, seemed to float above it all, her analytical and deeply intellectual mindset clashing with the raw, bare-boned approach of Trump.
Her campaign hardly worried about the white working class dismissing them as unimportant in many cases. They turned down an invitation to speak at Notre Dame, they refused to discuss seriously concerns issues such as gay marriage, despite the fact that both President Obama and Hillary until quite recently were also opponents of that.
Looking back, there are many moments she could have won it. The FBI acted disgracefully, involving themselves in an election. During the second debate with Trump roaming the stage distracting her, she could have used her best school marm voice to get him to back off, making it the high point of the debates.
In the end. it just went wrong for her. Our poll of IrishCentral readers in July showed Irish Americans voting 45 percent for Trump with 41 percent for Clinton and the rest undecided.That was probably accurate.
A strong feeling of lost identity in a vastly changed world has become now a powerful populist movement amazingly mirrored on the left by Bernie Sanders supporters.
The election season showed that America, left and right, is mad as hell and won't take it anymore. Bernie's attacks counted. By the time Hillary got to the general election, he had succeeded in driving her approval ratings down from 65 percent coming from her term as Secretary of State to the low fifties. The Trump machine did the rest.
Donald Trump seized the moment perfectly and ran an amazing campaign that articulated the fears and the dreams and catapulted him to being the Republican nominee, a scenario that top commentators openly laughed about six months ago.
But if Hillary's campaign was the Titanic, Trump remains a deeply flawed vessel, something the GOP must know. How he performs as president is anyone's guess but so far he seems to think picking the richest, oldest, white guys around leads to success.
He's entitled to his opportunity but he may end up regretting hiring so many plutocrats yet -- not to mention a general called "Mad Dog" for Defense Secretary at a time when cool heads are needed.
I think we will see his greatest problems coming with a foreign policy crisis which he is personally ill-equipped to handle. We can only hope that those around him, the captains and the wealthy kings can guide him through.]]>
"The Arts Center is a central plank of the cultural and political relationship with New York City Council. This is a global city for the arts and culture is central to our reputation here as a creative society. New York also offers great opportunities for Irish artists and the IAC will be a showcase for Irish talent. The Arts have strong support from the business leadership, and cultural events genuinely brings the arts and the business world together here."
He continued, "I am also delighted to announce that $265,000 will be provided this year to the Irish Repertory Theatre under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Emigrant Support Program. This funding will support the Rep Theatre's major restoration work which will ensure that the Theatre continues to be another beacon of Irish culture in New York and further afield for many more years to come."
The Irish Arts Center on West 51 Street, New York City was founded in 1972 to project a "dynamic image of Ireland and Irish America". It provides class for adults and children on a variety of aspects of Irish culture, ranging from language, music, dance, theatre and more. The center began a $54 million expansion two years ago that increased the center's existing space sevenfold - from 5,000 square feet to 35,000.
The grant will help the self-declared "home away from home" for Irish and Irish American artists continue its long tradition of serving all those with an interest in the culture of the Emerald Isle.]]>
What is so unique about Skellig Michael that requires such protection? The answer is in its history.
The rock of Skellig Michael was formed some 350 million years ago. The period of its creation is called The Devonian, named for Devon in south-west England where the period was first identified. It was the time when the great continents of Euramerica and Gondwana drew closer together and embarked on a process that gave us the formations of continents and seas of our present era. Time, and the evolution of nature's forces, worked upon the rock, separating it from the mainland of west Kerry, washed away all its neighborhood formation, and gave us what Skellig looks today. If for no other reason than its stands alone in glorious isolation, displaying its picture of layered topography, Skellig would be a place to see and marvel at. But the foundation of another layer, that of total devotion to a religious regime of great hardship, has placed Skellig in the forefront of places to see and wonder at.
Around the end of the fifth century A.D, a monk called Fionan, set sail with two others from an unknown monastery, aiming to find a place that was inaccessible to the outside world. Other's followed, driven by the zeal of the founder and his regime. The regime lasted seven hundred years. We know little about it. Little about its rituals and its organisation. There was no written description of their worship. What we know is that this little band of men, never more than seven, spent their lives in prayer, fasting, and shaping the rock to their humble needs.
Read More: My day on Skellig Michael, Ireland's mysterious "Star Wars" island
And it is that shaping that the true wonder of Skellig emerges. They had nothing but the most basis tools to build cells, a place of worship, graves for the dead, the flights of stair ways that curled up from the rock base to the shelf of habitation. Think of it. Rock forming rock. There was no cement then, no iron pickaxes, no trowels, no levelling systems. Only in the later period of seven hundred years habitation was lime mortar used. And yet, what the monks created, has mostly survived as a monument to their ingenuity and skill.
The monks used the ancient technique of drystone corbelling. Individual stones are laid horizontally, each one placed over the previous one in such a way that it overhangs on the inner face. The interior space reduces as it rises up to form a dome-like structure. All the stones are positioned and shaped so that they slope outwards allowing for wind-borne rain to run off and so keep the building watertight.
In its own perspective, Skellig Michael, as it stands to days, is as valuable to posterity as any great cathedral of antiquity or an illuminated book of gospels from an ancient scriptorium. But it is far more vulnerable. The rock cannot be placed in a sealed glass case or be surrounded by protocol and regulation. And that is the dilemma that now faces Skellig Michael. Its fame is worldwide, more and more visitors will want to see the wonder of it all. It will be a mecca for mass tourism because very little of its kind survives. Even without the future surge of visitors Skellig Michael is living precariously. It is a limestone porous rock. What you see from the mainland is the survivor from a once great shelf of stone that ran out to sea and along by the coastline. Limestone is prone to deterioration. It is laid down on shelves that lift and break as the sea beats upon it and all the other forces of nature collude in its downfall.
The greatest colluder of all may become Homo sapiens sapiens. We humans, being so wise, that the word appears twice in our genetic description. For the sake of Skellig Michael we need to apply that double source of wisdom now. The bald judgement is that the rock, and particularly what is built upon it, will not survive without damage if mass tourism decamps upon the island. It is now time--if not somewhat late, because some effects will not show immediately -- to bring all the forces together: government, tourism companies, boatmen, local providers, and develop a system to manage the effect of a growing demand. That does not mean to drive people away. Rather the opposite. What might be done is to develop a process that will cater for those who are allowed on the island and for those who cannot. Perhaps it might be that visitors would follow a supervised route throughout the island and its places of worship. The trek is not a walk in the woods, don't mess about, follow the direction of the wise ones.
Read More: The mysterious history of Skellig Michael
That does not mean to drive people away. Rather the opposite. What might be done is to develop a process that will cater for those who are allowed on the island and for those who cannot. Perhaps it might be that visitors would follow a supervised route throughout the island and its places of worship. The trek is not a walk in the woods, don't mess about, follow the direction of the wise ones.
And what for those who cannot make it to the home of St. Fionan or may not be comfortable with the crossing? Not far from Skellig, in the same county of Kerry, there is another famous island, An Blascaed Mor, one of the Blasket Islands. Many people come to see the island but are daunted by the boat trip across the sound. In Dun Caoin, from where the boats ply, there is now a wonderful 'Blasket Heritage', presentation, an audio-visual exposition. It brings you to the island as if you were landing at the pier, making your way to the deserted village, you look on the faces of people who lived there, hear the waves break. You might as well be on the island. Perhaps that too would work for Skellig.
Tom Nestor is a writer living in County Offaly. For almost forty years he wrote a column in the Limerick Leader - My Life and Times - about the Ireland that he grew up in during the fifties and sixties. It ran from 1964 to 1998. That column became the basis for two works of memoir, published by The Collins Press, titled "The Keeper of Absalom's Island" and "Talking to Kate."]]>
"The Wexford Carol"
"The Wexford Carol" originated in Enniscorthy, County Wexford (hence the name). It dates back to the 12th century and tells the story of the nativity of Jesus. It is one of the oldest known Christmas carols. For centuries this song would only be sung by men but since the 1990 it has been recorded by many female artists, including Loreena McKennit and Celtic Woman.
"Christmas in Killarney"
This tune was written by John Redmond, James Cavanaugh and Frank Weldon in 1950. Over the years it's been recorded by Bing Crosby (see featured video) on his album "Merry Christmas" as well as Ruby Murray in the 1950s and Dennis Day. It was also recorded by Bobby Vinton (1964), Anne Murray (1981) and the Irish Rovers.
"Once In Royal David's City"
This Christmas favorite was written as a poem by Dubliner, Cecil Frances Alexander. It was first published in 1848 in "Miss Cecil Humphreys' hymnbook Hymns for little Children". It was an English organist, Henry John Gauntlett, who set the poem to music the next year.
The carol was first recorded by the King's College Choir in 1948. Since then it has been recorded and sung by hundreds including: Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Chieftains, Daniel O'Donnell, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Petula Clark, Jethro Tull and Sufjan Stevens.
"Curoo, Curoo" / "The Carol of the Birds"
Named "Curoo, Curoo" (mimicking the call of birds) or "The Carol of the Birds" this song dates back to the 1800s. The song literally celebrates the melodies of the birds. In the past it has been recorded by singers such as The Clancy Brothers and Danny O'Flaherty.
"I Saw Three Ships"
Although British in origin this has been an Irish favorite for a very long time. The song originated in the 17th century in Derbyshire, England. It's thought the song refers to three ships which brought the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century.
This has also been recorded by several artists including Craig Duncan, on the album "Irish Christmas" and "Narada Presents: The Best of Celtic Christmas."
"Fairytale of New York"
This has officially been voted the best Christmas song of all time by various television, radio and magazine polls in Ireland and abroad. The Pogues released this tune back in 1987 and it took the world by storm. Featuring Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl it featured in the album "If I Should Fall from Grace of God."
"Don Oíche Úd I MBeithil"
This is a wonderful, haunting Irish carol. The title roughly translated means "That Night in Bethlehem." Recently it was performed and recorded by the group Celtic Woman.
"Rebel Jesus"
This song was featured on The Chieftain's Christmas album "The Bells of Dublin." The tune, by Jackson Browne, was just one of many rerecorded with the Chieftains. Other artists that worked with them on their Christmas music included Elvis Costello, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Marianne Faithfull, Nanci Griffith, Rickie Lee Jones and the actor Burgess Meredith.
At the time Paddy Moloney said, "These recording sessions hold special memories for The Chieftains and myself, and bring together all the colors of this festive season."
"Whilst Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night"
This is another famous Christmas carol which was written by an Irishman, Nahum Tate, back in 1692. He went on to become poet laureate of England. The carol tells the tale of the Annunciation to the Shepherds.
* Originally published in 2013.]]>
The Gaeltacht areas in Ireland are regions of the country where Irish is the main language spoken and the language of day-to-day life. By transforming Murphy's into a "pop-up" Gaeltacht for the evening, lovers and learners of the language will be able to return to that immersive environment if only for a few hours. Speakers can also show off one of the greatest parts of the Irish culture to a New York bar, where you often meet people who don't know that Ireland has its own native language.
The idea of the pop-ups first emerged in Dublin where a gathering was held last week on November 24, receiving a great reception and a packed-out venue. With anti-Irish sentiment often heard in the mainstream media in Ireland, along with complaints that nobody speaks the language anymore, organizers felt it was high time to show off the number of people speaking Irish in the capital, taking the language out of the normal Irish-speaker realms to places where it may not always be heard.
The original organizers, Peadar Ó Caomhánaigh and Osgur Ó Ciardha, had spoken of hopes that the concept would spread to other parts of Ireland and to other parts of the world and before the first pop-up event even took place in Bar Rua in Dublin, plans were underway to attempt the idea in New York, a stand-out city in the promotion of the language and a place where all minority language speakers can find a place and a people with whom to converse.
pop up Gaeltacht from Meon Eile on Vimeo.
"For me, Irish is a living, breathing, working and tweeting language," said Siobhán Ní Chiobhán, one of the New York event's organizers.
"I moved to New York over a year ago and I love meeting people who speak and who are learning the language. For months, I have been thinking about organizing an informal Irish language event, where people can meet up and speak in Irish.
"When the Pop Up Gaeltacht was advertised in Dublin, I felt it was the perfect vehicle to bring people together, out of the classroom, into an informal setting to converse through Irish."
Supported by the Brooklyn branch of Conradh na Gaeilge [the Gaelic League], Cumann Uí Cléirigh, named after the 1916 revolutionary Thomas Clarke who began an Irish club in Brooklyn in the early 20th century, Murphy's in Midtown Manhattan was fortunate enough to have an Irish speaker behind the bar and so attendees won't even have to code switch to English while ordering a drink!
"It's a night out with no agenda, no cost, no grammar lessons just new and old friends meeting up speaking a language that we love," added Ní Chiobháin.
"And of course being able to order your drinks 'As Gaeilge' with Danny our native Irish-speaking barman from Gaoth Dobhair behind the bar."
The Dublin pop-ups are to be a monthly event, held at a different bar each time, with hopes to continue the tradition in New York also throughout 2017.
Beatha teanga í a labhairt! (A language's life comes from speaking it.)
You can find out more on the New York Pop Up Gaeltacht here or visit the Pop Up Gaeltacht Facebook Page or Twitter account.
The Bar is buzzing tonight with the visit from @popupgael ! Call in for some craic agus ceol! pic.twitter.com/jqlR5Rs9Sy— Bar Rua (@BarRuaDublin) November 24, 2016
The Bar is buzzing tonight with the visit from @popupgael ! Call in for some craic agus ceol! pic.twitter.com/jqlR5Rs9Sy— Bar Rua (@BarRuaDublin) November 24, 2016
Read more: The only official Gaeltacht outside of Ireland is in Ontario (VIDEOS)]]>
In honor of Robinson's win on November 7, 1990, we have compiled a list of ten of her memorable quotes:
1. "I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system."
2. "The aim of human rights, if I may borrow a term from engineering, is to move beyond the design and drawing-board phase, to move beyond thinking and talking about the foundation stones - to laying those foundation stones, inch by inch, together."
3. "I'm more worried now than I was before I came here."
4. "We will not let governments off the hook. We will look to civil society to help us, to pin governments, to what they have committed to here. And we will report on it."
5. "A culture is not an abstract thing. It is a living, evolving process. The aim is to push beyond standard-setting and asserting human rights to make those standards a living reality for people everywhere."
6. "I am very shocked, as are all my colleagues about how much the people have been suffering, and how much they will go on suffering."
7. "It's only when you have a critical mass of women in politics that you get women's issues attacked."
8. "Young persons, because of their immaturity, may not fully comprehend the consequences of their actions and should, therefore, benefit from less severe sanctions than adults. More importantly, it reflects the firm belief that young persons are more susceptible to change, and thus have a greater potential for rehabilitation than adults."
9. "It is necessary to ensure that the requirement to combat terrorism is not used to clamp down on freedom of expression, legitimate dissent, freedom of association and so on."
10. "Count up the results of 50 years of human rights mechanisms, 30 years of multibillion-dollar development programs and endless high-level rhetoric, and the global impact is quite underwhelming, ... This is a failure of implementation on a scale which shames us all."
11. "In a society where the rights and potential of women are constrained, no man can be truly free. He may have power, but he will not have freedom."]]>
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Serves 2
* Roz Purcell is one of Ireland's most successful models and was the 2010 winner of Miss Universe Ireland. She now adds celebrity chef to her resume with her cooking blog, Natural Born Feeder.]]>
250g dark chocolate or half and half dark and milk if you don't like it too bitter
100ml cream
Break up the chocolate pieces into the cream in a heavy based pan and put on a gentle heat until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir until it all melts and then set aside to cool. When it is the right consistency to spread cover the sponge and make marks in it to resemble a log. Decorate and serve.
For the coffee flavor replace the cocoa powder with 2 teaspoons of coffee liquid extract. For the white chocolate add 75g of melted white chocolate to the buttercream and make a white chocolate ganache as above to cover.
Love Irish recipes? Visit our recipes page or like IrishCentral's Recipes Facebook page and never miss a recipe again!
* Originally published in 2012.]]>
"With a weather-nibbled coast spotted with sea stacks, Blue Flag beaches and offshore islands, Donegal is a land that feels undiscovered. Last summer, scenes for 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' were filmed on the Inishowen Peninsula. But this area of Ireland is also expecting 2017 to be a big year; there's an array of reasons to visit, from surfing beaches in Magheroarty and Ballyhiernan Bay to Horn Head – a driving, walking or cycling loop that squeezes the 1,600-mile Wild Atlantic Way into a 4.5-mile nutshell."
Speaking to the Irish Times, editor Pat Riddell said the county deservedly won the magazine's No. 1 place, "We considered many destinations for our Cool List 2017, but we felt Donegal was in a real sweet spot – off-radar and hard to access, but on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Read More: The wild and wonderful County Donegal (PHOTOS)
"On the one hand, you have big pushes like the Wild Atlantic Way and the recent visit of 'Star Wars'; on the other you only have to drive a few miles to have a beach or a road completely to yourself.
"It's a warm-hearted place, but wilderness always feels just a stone's throw away. And it is wilderness . . . world-class wilderness. We think it's due a big year."
It was an announcement that particularly pleased Orla Carroll who works with Fáilte Ireland promoting the west coast: "One of our key objectives for 2017 will be to boost visitor growth in the north west stretch of the coastal route. We know Donegal is cool and now we're delighted that the rest of the world is hearing the same."
If this inspires you to plan a trip to Donegal, check out our top five places to visit in County Donegal.]]>
But in the United States, our immigrant society and the fluidity of the term 'American' makes ethnicity something different. With the exception of American Indians we all came here from somewhere else. We are descended from some ancestor who stepped on board a ship or a plane. We remember them for that.
That variation is evident across the United States. The North End in Boston still bustles with Italian festivals every summer. Chicago is home to one of the world's largest St. Patrick's Day parades. The Midwest is strewn with German place names, surnames, and Oktoberfests. Louisiana has a distinct French character and the Southwest is as culturally Latino as Latin America itself.
To the perplexed European, it might seem difficult to identify with one culture when one's ethnic background is so fractured.
But one of the benefits of hailing from a nation rooted in multiculturalism is that it allows the individual to practically choose which one they celebrate. My ancestors were a mix of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, and Italian, but my reddish hair, Irish surname, and Roman Catholic faith meant the 'choice' was all too clear.
I became entranced by my Irish background after a middle school assignment opened up the world of genealogy to me. I studied the history of Ireland and tried to determine where my family fit into its complex story.
By the time I entered high school as a fourteen-year old freshman, my mind was made up: I would travel to Galway (the city of my forebears) as soon as the opportunity became available. That moment came after my acceptance to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester—a school renowned for its year-long study abroad programs—including one in Galway.
As part of the program, Holy Cross asks that students join a club, organization, or sports team to better engage themselves with the host nation. As a political science major, I knew my interests were best suited for some political organization. When I showed up in Galway on my year abroad I set out to to find one.
I saw no distinction between the Sinn Feins, Labours, or Renua Irelands. Ultimately, I chose Ógra Fianna Fáil for no other reason than that it was the first organization that offered free stuff. I was officially a Fianna Fáiler.
At the weekly Ógra meetings, we discussed the hot topics of the day. Those ranged from Brexit, to water charges, to the Irish Constitution's eighth amendment—each of which spent a significant amount of time headlining national news.
Listening to the other members' opinions provided better insight because they were better able to determine the impact and outcomes of certain decisions. The meetings also forced me to keep up-to-date on the local happenings because the discussions required at least a basic understanding of the topic.
One of the most memorable experiences during my Fianna Fáil membership was the annual National Youth Conference held in across the border in Newry, County Down. The event brought the entire Ógra community together to discuss policy matters, vote for new leaders, and create bonding experiences with other Fianna Fáilers from across the country.
I saw the Irish electoral system in action for the first time—a process completely counted by hand that increases accountability but takes much longer to complete. The system is totally foreign to an American used to electronic systems that spit out results in a few hours.
That trip also took me to Northern Ireland for the first time. I was totally unaware of the fundamental divisions that ripped the society apart. My fellow Fianna Fáilers explained it in detail, warning me that certain parts of certain places were off-limits to "people like us." They warned me that the North was "different. It's just different."
It was. Newry had a character that was so British in nature, it felt as if we were strolling through a small town in the English lowlands rather than through another part of Ireland. That a country could be so divided on such fundamental lines fascinated me. It significantly motivated my decision to enroll in a class on the Politics of Northern Ireland the next semester.
Not only did we explore Ireland's northeastern province, but we were also honored to have Micheál Martin, Leader of Fianna Fáil, speak to us at the reception dinner. Although Fianna Fáil has historically been the most successful political party in Irish history, it was severely punished at the polls in 2011 for its poor performance during the Recession, dropping out of government and becoming the third most popular party in Ireland.
That crushing defeat led people to presumptuously declare Martin as the first leader of Fianna Fáil to never hold the office of Taoiseach.
But the following spring, Fianna Fáil surprised pollsters nationally when it bounced back and narrowly missed becoming the largest party in the Dáil again, a turnaround so miraculous that The Irish Times labeled it "The 2016 Rising." Martin will continue to head Fianna Fáil, and his party's chances of becoming the Dáil's largest seem to increase every month. And when they do win, I will have the honor of saying I met and shook hands with An Taoiseach na hÉireann.
It was the practical experience of my Fianna Fáil membership that gave me the opportunity to discuss Irish politics, make Irish friends, and meet Irish politicians. But without the supplemental knowledge I received from my own study, I could not have understood the underlying historical processes that made it the country we see today.
I enrolled in classes that dealt with nineteenth-century Ireland, Cromwellian Ireland, Northern Ireland politics, and contemporary Irish political structures. In my leisure time, I read extensively about the lives of Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, Hugh O'Neill, and Daniel O'Connell, all while acquiring an understanding of their significance in each particular time period.
I wanted to experience the sights, sounds, and smells that went along with the facts and names. I travelled through the Wicklow Mountains, a journey IRA volunteer Ernie O'Malley made while evading the British during the War of Independence.
I stood at the foot of the General Post Office, the same place where Padraig Pearse proclaimed the independence of the Irish Republic for the first time. I traveled through the rugged roads of Béal na Bláth, the spot where Michael Collins was assassinated by his former compatriots.
I went North and saw the Peace Walls that continue to drive a stake through Northern society's sectarian communities. I even saw the abandoned ruins of Daniel O'Connell's birthplace in the Kerry countryside.
One can read all the history possible about a particular time or place, but one needs the freshness of the air, the smell of the flora, the sights of the sky and the earth in order to understand an event the way it was experienced by those who participated in it.
When I returned to the United States that May, my understanding of Ireland and my relationship with it were fundamentally changed. Before leaving, Ireland was a distant land that a few distant ancestors came from and that I kept a vague affinity for.
My year abroad fostered a totally new sense of my cultural identity. As a member of Fianna Fáil, I made lifelong friends that I still keep in contact with. I became attuned to the current affairs that are the result of over eight hundred years of history that I continue to reinforce by avidly reading The Irish Times, Irish Independent and other news outlets.
I even picked up some Gaeilge and determined that yes, Guinness is better-tasting in Ireland than it is in America. Having an Irish last name and attending a Catholic Church is not enough to make me 'Irish-American.' Possession of a deeply ingrained cultural appreciation of the 'old country,' having the privilege to say Ireland was home for nearly a year, and having an unbreakable bond that will traverse the Atlantic forever is what makes me an Irish-American.
* Dan Haverty is a senior political science major at the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester. He recently completed a year abroad in Galway.
Read more: How this Reno, Nevada woman became a proud Galway girl]]>
At the time Pence was undaunted by the criticism. "It's a test of the character of the conservative movement in the 21st century," he said. "We are either going to prove that we believe in the ideas enshrined on the Statue of Liberty or the American people will go looking elsewhere."
Pence's bill, an attempt at a compromise between a Senate / Bush White House bill and a House of Representatives bill, called for 12 million undocumented to self-deport then be allowed back in as legal guest-workers after security checks.
On a campaign-style trip to push his idea in 2006, The New York Times noted that Pence quoted the Bible and Ronald Reagan. He stood sweating in a tomato field beside Mexican workers and when asked why an Indiana congressman was focused on the border, he responded with a ready phrase: "April 11, 1923."
That is when his Irish grandfather, Richard Michael Cawley, a Chicago bus driver, arrived at Ellis Island. "We were especially close," Pence said and added that he saw his grandfather's thrift and hard work in today's immigrant generation.
Pence's bill went nowhere but strangely a version of it has been mentioned by Donald Trump on the campaign trail, when he talked about illegals all leaving but then many being allowed back.
If, by some miracle an immigration bill was passed granting work visas, it would be a tribute to the impact one Irishman had on Mike Pence
Pence was deeply impacted by Richard Cawley, born 1903 in Tubbercurry, Co Sligo who came through Ellis Island in 1924 after a stint in the Irish Army during the Civil War. He became a bus driver in Chicago.
In a speech in 2014 in Chicago Pence traced those Irish roots.
"I really owe a debt of gratitude to Chicago that springs from my own personal history. When my grandfather got off a boat on Ellis Island in about 1923, he caught a train to Chicago and he drove a bus in this city for about 40 years," Pence told the crowd.
"My mom and dad both grew up on the Southside of Chicago, down around 55th and Honore. In fact, we have family that goes to school and lives and works in this community here today."
The religious conservative also noted how especially meaningful it was to be addressing the City Club during December, the time of year he often traveled to Chicago as a child
"It's very personal when I'm in this city. I feel very at home. My story is I was raised by two big city kids in a really small town in southern Indiana," said Pence, who grew up in Columbus, IN and represented the area in Congress before becoming governor in 2013.
"Particularly this time of year the Pence family would find themselves in the back of a station wagon making the long trip up what was then Highway 31 to the Southside of Chicago to hearth and home and family and friends. It's a blessing to be here this time of year with all of you and reflect on those deep memories."
Historian graduate Robert C. Theiss from Arlington, VA researched more about the life of Pence's grandfather. "Passenger arrival records show Richard Cawley, aged 20, a miner, arriving in New York on April 11, 1923, on a ship called the Andania, which had set sail from Liverpool. The passenger arrival record shows Richard Cawley's place of birth as Doocastle (on the Mayo/Sligo border near Tubbercurry).
The passenger arrival record shows his last place of residence as having been Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancs., England.
"The arrival record shows as his final destination Chicago, where he would be joining a brother, James Cawley (1899-1982), already living in Chicago. Richard Cawley's death certificate shows he died on December 24, 1980, aged 77, in Columbus, IN. He had relocated from Chicago to Columbus to live with his daughter Nancy Pence and family following the death of his wife Mary Elizabeth just several weeks previously.
"The death certificate further shows that he was born in Ireland on February 7, 1903, his parents were Richard Cawley and Ellen Marren." It it is possible that by the time Richard Cawley emigrated to America in 1923, the family were residing in Tubbercurry. Mike Pence's maternal grandmother, Richard Cawley's wife, was Mary Elizabeth Maloney.
She was born on March 22, 1907, in Chicago. She died in Chicago on November 1, 1980, aged 73, just weeks before her husband Richard died. She was the daughter of Irish immigrants, but from a different part of Ireland. Her father, James Michael Maloney, was born on February 1, 1872, in Killaloe, Co. Clare, and her mother, Mary Anne Downes, was born on July 16, 1880, in Doonbeg, Co. Clare, which is where Donald Trump owns a golf resort."
A one time advocate for immigration reform, perhaps Richard Cawley's grandson, the next VP, can rise to the occasion again. It may be all that immigration advocates have to hang on to.
Read more: Mike Pence, Trump's VP pick, says Irish grandfather a huge influence on him]]>
This month Bobby Sands: 66 Days, the acclaimed new documentary film, tells the story of the Belfast-born hunger striker, now indisputably one of Ireland's most iconic political figures.
Using eye-witness testimony and previously unseen archive material, director Brendan Byrne's ambition is to provide the definitive account of the life and legacy of the self-created Irish martyr.
Most critics agree that Byrne, 49, has successfully achieved his aim. 66 Days is a thoughtful, considered, and remarkably even-handed telling of how and why Sands decided to go on hunger strike and what his decision meant for the country.
It took just over two months for Sands' hunger strike to run its course, and the prevailing attitudes about it (and him) largely depend on where you stood.
If you were nationalist you may have grieved for a mother who had lost her child as well as for a prisoner making a legitimate political protest. If you were a republican you were mourning the loss of an icon, an embodiment of the national struggle.
But if you were unionist or loyalist Sands was at best a canny political player, and at worst a conniving terrorist.
What's remarkable is that so many different people could hold such widely divergent opinions about the same man.
So in Bobby Sands: 66 Days Byrne grapples with this multifaceted and transformative figure in an even handed portrait that gives voice to all strands of opinion.
Knowing how divergent and contradictory public attitudes to Sands and his hunger strike would be, what compelled Byrne to make the film? "With the exception of Hunger, a film about Sands hadn't been made in detail," Byrne tells the Irish Voice.
"For a long time he was still too controversial a figure for many people. The people who you had to turn to for the money to make it just couldn't go there yet."
In Ireland and the U.K. there is peace, but there's been much less reconciliation after the long war and no great efforts have been made to do anything about it, Byrne says. That stalemate is only now being broken, particularly by younger people.
Although Byrne admires the award-winning Hunger (with Michael Fassbender starring as Sands), he calls it an experiential film about a hunger striker which mainly focuses on what it must be like to starve oneself to death.
"For me it passed over questions of who the guy was. I'm almost 50 years of age and I grew up in a working class community in Belfast, and I realized I didn't know much about Sands other than the face I'd see on the gable wall. So I thought for all those reasons it was time to open up the chapter again and take a fresh look," Byrne says.
May 5, 1981 was an unforgettable day for any Irish person who lived though it. It began with the morning news reports informing the nation (and the world) that Sands had died.
In the villages, towns and cities across the whole island many will recall the strange solemnity that descended. People were bracing themselves. The worst had just happened, and what The Troubles had taught us was the worst was usually just a prelude.
"A hunger strike is a line in the sand gesture, it's for when you are having a serious fight with your opponent. You have literally nothing else but your body to fight against the might of the British government. I think in some ways it was the only option Bobby Sands felt he had," says Byrne.
"He only took this path because his colleagues and comrades who had chosen to take it demonstrated that individually they weren't prepared to go to the very end.
"He knew if this was going to be a tactic the republican movement was going to be successful in he could only trust himself. That decision was even against the wishes of the IRA leadership."
In the film Byrne makes time for Sands' life before the conflict that would come to define him, and in this way he allows much more of the human dimension to emerge.
66 Days is so illuminating because it reflects on an ordinary life lived in the silent eye of a tragic conflict. Through his own words, poems, letters and "comms" from inside prison, and with particular reference to the personal diary he kept for the first 17 days of his hunger strike, Sands the man slowly emerges from the shadow of his own myth.
"The few criticisms the film has received to date have been really minor in relation to the acclaim it has received," Byrne explains. "Within a section of the insular unionist community Bobby Sands is someone they don't want to have to reckon with, because they don't have a charge sheet that proves he murdered someone, and because he's a guy who starved himself to death for something he believed in."
There's no good time in their books for an exploration of Bobby Sands life, no explanation is ever going to be good enough for those guys, Byrne says.
"If anything all they did was help us, because they went to the press, shouted about a film they never saw, and whipped up a huge amount of free publicity. Loads of people went to see the film as a result."
Mainstream British newspapers found the film balanced and well made, however.
"I think by and large it has been rightly singled out as not being afraid of being sympathetic to Sands without being sympathetic to the IRA, but more importantly it gives the other side. It's not only a one sided perspective," Byrne says.
The film also includes Charles Moore, the former editor of The Daily Telegraph and Margaret Thatcher's biographer. "By including such divergent voices we really made ourselves immune from anything other than low grade criticism," Byrne says. (The BBC is the film's main funder, a fact that Bryne also thinks speaks for itself).
Sands' own words are quoted extensively, opening a window into his beliefs, putting his voice at the center of the film and taking us inside his head, the only place where he found freedom.
What does Byrne think of his subject now that he has taken the time to speak to those who knew him, read Sands in his own words, and reflect on his actions?
"I was a 15-year-old school boy the year he died. I was going home from school and there were protests and thousands of people on the streets. I knew something seismic was happening that I couldn't fully process," Byrne recalls.
"But the images from 1981 became indelibly etched in my mind, and going back to make the film was going back to make sense of the history of that period and the country I grew up in."
Byrne attributes Sands' sacrifice to the birth of Sinn Fein and the path toward nonviolence and the peace process.
"In some ways it prolonged the war and propelled the peace at the same time," says Bryne.
Bobby Sands: 66 Days will open at the Film Forum in New York on November 30.]]>
Speaking anonymously to the BBC, "Jimmy," in his 20s, said that he exchanged explicit pictures with a woman he met on a dating app, only to find within 10 minutes she was asking him for money.
"She started sending me photos of my family from my social media contacts, saying she would send the pictures to them.
"It was really stressful and I didn't know what to do. I caved in and sent her £150 ($190). She said she wanted £300, but I said no, deactivated my social media account and went to the police.
"I was so worried about what my friends and family would think. I've spoken to my mum about it, that was tough enough, but I still can't talk to anyone else."
Last year Ronan Hughes, a 17-year-old schoolboy from Co Tyrone, took his own life after a Nigerian gang shared explicit pictures of the teenager with his Facebook friends after failing to receive a £3,000 ($3,800) extortion payment.
His parents slammed the response of local police, describing their initial response as "totally dismissive" and said they did not hear from the police for several days after visiting the next day.
Since then a further three victims of the crime in the United Kingdom have committed suicide in what police have called, a "really worrying, emerging new threat."
In total there have been over 800 cases of the crime reported to British authorities this year alone – more than double the figure for the whole of 2015 – although authorities believe it is still a massively underreported crime.
With this in mind Martin Hewitt, the National Police Chiefs' Council Lead for Kidnap and Extortion and Adult Sexual Offences, said that British police are stepping up to the challenge. "Firstly, we are providing information to police forces to better equip them to deal with these crimes when they are reported.
"Perhaps more important is a public awareness campaign to make not only potential victims, but all those around them – friends of potential victims, family members of potential victims – really raise awareness to what is a very damaging and invidious crime."
From this week onwards a video from the Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) featuring a young blackmailer called, "Jess" will be broadcast across social media platforms
And for those who find themselves victims of "sextortion" the NCA's advice is clear: "Do not panic, do not pay, do not communicate and preserve evidence."
"Obviously this is a business trade and investment trip...There are no political meetings on this occasion. I spoke on the day he was announced as President-Elect to President-Elect Trump and I look forward to meeting him in March."
On the possibility that there could be conflict with the new Administration if US companies continue to relocate due to Ireland's lower rate of corporate tax Kenny shrugged off the question, "Well in respect of the issue of let's say corporate tax rates, that's a matter for the American Administration… As far as we're concerned we control our own corporate tax rate and we're very happy with the level of investment in Ireland."
Perhaps in deference to his proximity to US soil, the Taoiseach was more interested in the possibility of British business relocating to Ireland, cheerfully adding, "a number of the companies I've met in the last few days [regarding] queries about relocation... [are] from Great Britain, we will compete for them in that regard very strongly."
Irish PM Enda Kenny says he wouldn't want Britain to "cherrypick" during Brexit talks https://t.co/dAI9JuH4xi pic.twitter.com/BghjapX7xE— Bloomberg Brexit (@Brexit) December 2, 2016
Regarding the plight of the undocumented Irish in the United States, Kenny was more forthright, telling reporters he already spoken to Trump about his concerns, "Clearly this is a matter of considerable interest to us and... the vast majority of [Irish] people here that we know of are contributing to America's economy, to America's society… and abide by the laws of the land. So I think the priority for the President-Elect in his comments was the issue of the border and immigrants with criminal records."
And as to whether he plans to tackle the President-Elect on his pre-election plan to abolish the J-1 visa - used by hundreds of Irish college students every year to spend a summer working in the US - he said, "I'd hate to see that go. I think the J-1 has been an incredible opportunity and a brilliant example of connecting with different countries and cultures for young people.
"I'd like to think we could work together to develop that for the future because it does set about maintaining links between Europe and America, and Ireland in particular has benefited greatly both ways from young people going to America, and coming back with experience, and indeed Americans coming to Ireland. It keeps that very strong cultural, social and business link. So I do hope that the J-1 is enabled to continue."
And he gave his full backing to his party colleague, Mairead McGuinness MEP, to becoming the next President of the European Parliament, "she is an outstanding candidate. She's a professional communicator and if anything has gone wrong in Europe in the past period it's that explaining what Europe is about to the ordinary citizens."
Ending the press conference on a positive note, he noted regarding billionaire businessman Wilbur Ross - Trump's nominee for Commerce Secretary - that, "He invested in Ireland when very few wanted to invest in Ireland, he made a very substantial return on his investments… and I wish him well in his time in office."]]>
Serves 8 to 10
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons molasses (dark treacle)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
Brandy butter for serving
Butter a 6-cup pudding mold or deep, heatproof bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl, stir together molasses, sugar, rum, and oil until blended. Stir in cranberries, raisins, and apple. Stir in flour mixture until blended.
Spoon batter into prepared mold and smooth top. Cover with a double piece of buttered wax paper and a double piece of aluminum foil. Fold together and make a pleat in the center (to allow for the pudding to expand). Tie paper and foil in place with kitchen twine.
Place mold or bowl in a large saucepan or Dutch oven fitted with a rack, or place a folded kitchen towel on bottom of pot to prevent direct contact with bottom of pot. Add enough hot water to pot to come halfway up sides of mold or bowl. Cover and steam on medium-low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. (Check water level once or twice during cooking and add more water when necessary.)
Carefully remove pudding from pot. Remove foil and parchment and run a metal spatula around sides to loosen. Place a serving plate over mold and invert. Slice and serve warm with brandy butter.
If not serving immediately, let pudding cool, covered, in the mold. When completely cool, unmold, wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Refrigerate pudding for up to one week or freeze. When ready to serve, put pudding back into its mold, cover with waxed paper or foil, and steam for 1 hour, as above, or until heated through. Thaw frozen pudding before reheating as above.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons brandy
In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add brandy and beat until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or crock, cover, and refrigerate for up to two weeks. Return to room temperature before serving.
Makes 24 bars
For the bars:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate or white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
For the frosting:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Make bars. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on short sides to make handles; spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into butter mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in chocolate, nuts, and cranberries.
Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top is browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let bars cool in pan for 10 minutes. Lift with foil handles to remove.
Make frosting. In a medium bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Frost bars, and then let cool completely and cut into bars (6 rows by 4 rows).
Makes 20 shortbreads
2 cups crumbled blue cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
Combine cheese and butter in a food processor and process until creamy. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Add to cheese mixture, a little at a time, pulsing 4 to 5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add dried cranberries and process just until moist clumps start to form. (If dough is not coming together to form clumps, add 1 tablespoon water and process until moist clumps start to form.)
Transfer dough to a large sheet of plastic wrap and knead gently until dough holds together. Shape dough into 5 x 2 1/2-inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet. Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap; slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light golden brown; rotate pans halfway through baking time.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks. (Recipe and image courtesy of Ocean Spray Cranberry Growers)
Margaret M. Johnson's "Favorite Flavors of Ireland" is a "labor of love and tribute to her thirty years of travel there. It offers more than 100 best-loved recipes from her previous ten cookbooks and celebrates the special flavors of each Irish season: Spring/An t-Earrach, Summer/An Samhradh, Autumn/An Fómhar, Winter/An Geimhreadh." To order a signed copy, visit www.irishcook.com.
This article first appeared in the Irish Echo. For more stories, visit their website here.]]>
"You know, you can have a pool person that's standing by if, God forbid, there's any bad news about the president that the country needs to know, but his own staff could tweet it out, for crying out loud."
Presumably Hannity expects to have his own special hotline to the Oval Office as an early and ardent endorser of the man his detractors are already calling Cheetolini for his frequent Twitter outbursts and temper tantrums.
Meanwhile, on Twitter, the President-elect himself is growing increasingly annoyed by the 2.3 million and growing vote margin with which Hillary Clinton trounced him in the popular vote.
Over the weekend Trump falsely announced he would have won it if counters "deduct the millions of people who voted illegally." Later denouncing CNN, who called Trump's claim erroneous, the President-elect retweeted disparaging comments made about the network by a 16-year-old boy on Twitter.]]>
Assembly members asked to hear anonymously from women who have had abortions, as well as from pro-choice and anti-abortion groups and from people representing disadvantaged communities. They outlined their wishes to hear a range of expertise and viewpoints to help them reach their conclusions on issues surrounding the Eighth Amendment.
Over a day and a half, the members heard presentations by medical, legal and ethical practitioners and academics. They also said that at future meetings they wish to hear from representatives of abortion clinics in Britain which deal with Irish women about the actual medical procedures involved in abortion, and from those involved in pre- and post-abortion counseling.
Laffoy said she had made a very conscious decision that the members receive the facts, without commentary about the perceived advantages or disadvantages of the current regime.
"It is essential that the members have that strong grounding, to allow them to be able to make their own judgments about material that is presented to them in future weekends," she said.
The assembly will meet again on January 7-8 for what will be the second of four meetings on the topic. Following the series of meetings Laffoy will prepare a report for the Oireachtas outlining the conclusions and recommendations of the assembly.
Flemish Belgian author and political commentator David Van Reybrouck has described the assembly as belonging to the most innovative democracy in Europe. In an open letter last week to several European newspapers, he said European democracies are in crisis because they rely on elections as a means of giving citizens a voice.
He wrote, "Come on, take Europeans seriously. Let them speak. Why educate the masses if they are still not allowed to talk?
"Look at Ireland, the most innovative democracy in Europe. A few weeks ago, a random sample of 100 Irish citizens, drafted by lot, was brought together into a Citizens' Assembly. This is a country that trusts its citizens, instead of fearing them."]]>
And they have warned that the stress of being forced to sit down for Christmas dinner with out-of-favor members of the extended family can prove the tipping-point for those in crumbling relationships.
Tony Moore, a counselor with Relationships Ireland said, "We've been seeing couples in greater numbers since early October and we'll be extremely busy from now right up to when we close up just before Christmas.
"If things aren't going well in your relationship, Christmas is an extremely difficult period. There's this perception that everyone else out there is having a wonderful time, which is rarely the case in most households. But for couples who are having problems, the sense that they are missing out can make the situation unbearable."
Moore said the charity's counselors task themselves at this time of year with providing a "Christmas survival plan" to help bickering couples survive the festive season without splitting up.
And he said one of the main pre-Christmas trouble spots he's noticed up to now has been amongst partners squabbling over inviting their respective in-laws to Christmas dinner.
"Even in the best of relationships, rows over visiting relatives at Christmas or having them over to yours are common," he said.
"But in a relationship where there are existing problems, this becomes one of the most stressful things of all at Christmas, and I've really noticed it in the last few weeks.
"If you can't stand the sight of your mother-in-law, for example, and are traveling half way across the country to spend Christmas Day with her, it is likely to lead to huge resentment and for those who have existing issues, this could push the relationship to breaking point."
Moore also advised couples in broken relationships to steer clear of alcohol over the festive season, as he said booze is far more likely to fuel tension and rows at this time of year.
"Small things can become very big problems over Christmas and if you've been out drinking till the early hours on Christmas Eve, the next day could be a complete nightmare," he said.]]>
-Got my wife a wooden leg for Christmas.
-Not her main present, it's just a stocking filler.
Q: Why would you invite a mushroom to a Christmas party?
A: He's a fungi to be with.
Q: What is Santa's favorite pizza?
A: One that's deep pan, crisp and even.
Q: What do you call a man who claps at Christmas?
A: Santapplause!
Q: Why does Santa like to work in the garden?
A: Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!
Patient: Doctor, Doctor I'm scared of Santa
Doctor: You're suffering from Claus-trophobia.
Q: Why was Santa Claus' help so down?
A: Because he had low elf-esteem.
Q: Why did Santa's helper see the doctor?
A: Because he had a low "elf" esteem!
Merry Christmas!
via GIPHY
* Originally published in December 2015.]]>
According to a message inside, the boat appears to have belonged to environmentalist and eco-adventurer Rick Small of Thunder Bay, Ontario, who built the boat in Newfoundland. The Telegraph reports that Small intended to sail in the "floating caravan" but was dissuaded from the endeavor before it accidentally broke loose from its moorings a few months ago.
The message left inside the houseboat suggests Small had intended to donate the 20ft timber and polystyrene houseboat to somebody in need. The message read: "I, Rick Small, donate this structure to a homeless youth, to give them a better life that (sic) Newfoundlanders choose not to do. No rent, no mortgage, no hydro."
It is not known why the boat washed out to sea or how it survived the ocean crossing. It is also unclear where Small is now, although it is not believed he was onboard the boat when it was swept out to sea.
CTVNews reports that in recent years Small has set out on a number of long-distance e-bike rides and is known as an eco-adventurer from Ontario, fueling his treks with solar power. His most recent journey was in 2015 when he left British Columbia on a solar-powered tricycle and set out to reach Newfoundland some 4,375 miles away.
The Irish Coast Guard has since contacted their Canadian counterparts in Halifax.
"They said the owner was hoping to cross the Atlantic in it, but they managed to discourage him," a spokesman said.
"It was last seen in Portugal Cove in Newfoundland during the summer and it broke loose.
"The Halifax authorities were amazed it made it to Ireland and was in one piece."
Mayo's newest tourist attraction... 'House boat' washed ashore after sailing from Canada. More on @rtenews pic.twitter.com/VpGvbgvrjp— Pat McGrath (@patmcgrath) November 14, 2016
The Ballyglass Coast Guard Unit in Co. Mayo were some of the first on the scene when the vessel washed ashore, initially unsure of what it was.
"I didn't know what to think, I was just concerned about safety and securing it," said Michael Hurst, a member of the unit.
"Then I thought: where in the name of God did this come from and who built it?"
"I wouldn't like to go out on it," he added. "But if you were homeless, it would be like a castle."
Locals are reported to be looking into the possibility of using the houseboat as a tourist attraction along the Wild Atlantic Way as hundreds have already visited the beach to take a look at the unusual washed-up vessel. A final decision on what happens to the structure, however, will rest with Mayo County Council.
Read more: How to travel to Ireland by boat]]>
"Initially I was nervous. You don't have an appetite or anything like that. You're faced with this weird situation where you could be wiped out at any moment.
Molloy described his unit as a "rag-tag militia," with "kids" as young as 16-years-old involved in the fighting.
He described how ISIS cut the throats of any of his unit's members that they captured and how often times untrained recruits blew themselves up with grenades. They lived in fear of ISIS overrunning their camp. He called ISIS "brutal and ignorant"
He said many people had the wrong idea about foreign soldiers who go to fight. "They assume you're an adrenaline junkie or a lunatic. I dropped a lot to come there, it wasn't an easy decision to make. Getting on that plane was both the hardest and easiest thing I've ever done in my life, it definitely wasn't something that I just did lightly."
During his time with the rebel group, he was usually one of about five westerners placed in a Kurdish unit of about 40 people or so.
In a recently published interview with the Irish Mail on Sunday he said that the fighting can be very unpredictable.
"On my first frontline battle in Tell Tamer, I walked the same route five, maybe six, times a day. I was so comfortable, then one day bullets rained down on me from ISIS fighters I hadn't observed. That sort of thing gives you a reality check. The comfort is taken away."
He says that on one particular occasion he was less than 40 yards from those he was fighting against.
"I could hear him shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as he was charging towards us. It was a failed assault on the village in front of us. The whole thing was just chaos and confusion and a lot of panicking.
Their main fear was being captured by the barbaric ISIS forces. "All of us thought we'd die," he recalled, saying he and his fellow soldiers would rather be killed than "be handed over to these people."
When asked if he had killed anyone, Molloy said: "Honestly, I don't know."
He decided to come home, he stated, after the fighting left him "exhausted" and "demoralized."
"I had been out there for nine months and I felt that was enough."
Molloy and other westerners were captured when they tried to return home through Iraq. However, the gang who captured them was forced to let them go following international pressure.
'I really appreciate everything' -Joshua Molloy expected to begin journey home https://t.co/FwAVR5voJo pic.twitter.com/s7Peeiz8fq— TheJournal.ie (@thejournal_ie) April 25, 2016
He described the war in Syria, which has been going on for five-and-a-half years and has seen over 300,000 people killed, as confusing as to who is with whom and "shapeshifting" with a lot of "misinformation" and "propaganda floating around."
"The war against ISIS is only just a slice of the conflict," he said.
He said he "learnt a lot from the experience" and "didn't go over thinking I'd be a hero … and take down ISIS," rather he just wanted to be "another pair of boots on the ground" in a conflict with no end in sight.
"I felt this war was not just about the horrific crimes ISIS was committing against people, but it was also a war on their history, a sort of cultural genocide.
"They were just erasing Christian and Yazidi communities. It was brutal and ignorant.
He told the Irish Mirror: "After a while it just makes you weary. There's only so much you can do. My opinions on everything have changed now."
Read more: Irish-born ISIS suicide bomber Khalid Kelly blows himself up in Mosul]]>
The truth is that there were never any snakes in Ireland to begin with.
There are no signs of snakes in Ireland's fossil record. In fact, it's likely that for millennia there weren't any snakes in either Ireland or Britain, though Britain eventually gained three species of snakes: the Grass Snake, the Adder Snake and the Smooth Snake.
So, how did that happen?
During the Ice Age, Ireland and England were too frigid to be suitable habitats for cold-blooded reptiles such as snakes. But then, 10,000 years ago, when the glaciers shifted and land emerges connecting Europe, England and Ireland, allowing for migration. Animals that did make it to Ireland during this time period included brown bears, lynx and wild boars.
As Popular Science noted, when the glaciers began melting, the land between Ireland and England was covered over 8,500 years ago, but the land between Britain and Europe went underwater 6,500 years ago, allowing more time for snakes to slither over.
Ireland is not the only place in the world without snakes – there are no native species of snakes to be found in Iceland, Greenland, Hawaii, New Zealand, parts of Canada, northern Russia, or, not surprisingly, Antarctica . . . meaning St. Patrick would have been a very busy fellow.
Rather, it seems that the snakes have served as an allegory for paganism, which St. Patrick "banished" when he brought the Catholic religion to Ireland's shores.
"At no time has there ever been any suggestion of snakes in Ireland. [There was] nothing for St. Patrick to banish," Nigel Monaghan, keeper of natural history at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin, told National Geographic.
Or, as Mark Ryan, director of the Louisiana Poison Center at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, told the magazine, "There are no snakes in Ireland for the simple reason they couldn't get there because the climate wasn't favorable for them to be there."
The only courageous reptile that did make it all the way to and populate Ireland was the common lizard. The Slow Worm, a non-native species of lizard that does not have legs, is often mistaken for a snake even though it was not one.
Interestingly, during the Celtic Tiger, owning exotic snakes became something of a status symbol in Ireland. But when the Irish economy collapsed, many snakes wound up abandoned due to the high cost of care.
For St. Patrick's Day 2013, the New York Times reported on the phenomenon and talked to Kevin Cunningham, founder of the National Exotic Animal Sanctuary, which took in many abandoned snakes.
He said that he believes Irish people have an inbred fear of snakes.
He added: "We have it deep inbred in us that they're evil and nasty and tempted Eve and were led out of Ireland.
"One six-foot snake ended up with us recently after its owner lost his job and had to move in with his parents.
"Being a good Irish mother, she said, 'Of course I'll take you back home — but I'm not taking your boa constrictor."
* Originally published in February 2015.]]>
Why? They were concerned the film would be taken at face-value and that audiences would believe it portrayed what life was really like in Ireland.
After attending a preview of the film in April 1952, Joseph D. Brennan, a counselor at the Irish Embassy in Washington, wrote to Department of External Affairs official Conor Cruise O'Brien about his qualms. Their exchanges on the matter are among a volume of documents on Irish Foreign Policy dating from 1951-1957 being published this week.
Brennan noted: "The color is beautiful. The scenery is delightful. But – the theme is not likely to be well received here."
He asked what reactions to the movie had been like in Ireland and requested a reply at the earliest possible date, which wasn't until "The Quiet Man" premiered in Ireland in June of that year.
Following up on his concerns in a July letter, Brennan expressed fear that there could be protests from Irish American viewers:
"If it were to be taken completely at its face value it would be accepted as a rollicking farce and no harm done but I fear it will be regarded by the Irish-American element here as purporting to portray actual life in Ireland. We may then have protests."
However, The Quiet Man opened in the US in August 1952 to positive reviews and even went on to receive seven Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture, and won for Best Director and Best Cinematography.
The New York Times even praised its apparent authenticity in their review at the time:
"It is obvious that in 'The Quiet Man,' [John Ford] actually went to the Emerald Isle with some of his veteran players, then enlisted some Abbey Theatre stalwarts before turning his Technicolor cameras on those fine bhoyos and colleens, a rollicking tale and the green, dewy countryside to come up with as darlin' a picture as we've seen this year."
Interestingly, just last year, following the death of Maureen O'Hara, the writer Malachy McCourt took to his Facebook page to express some of the sentiments the Irish diplomats were so concerned about.
"'The Quiet Man' ranks among most idiotic stupid anti-Irish movies ever made," he wrote on his Facebook page.
"Wife beating, priest-ridden, blather talking gombeen men getting drunk standing around gossiping and then erupting into stereotypical Irish behavior violent fighting."
McCourt held nothing back.
"John (Right Wing) Wayne could never qualify as an Irishman (too much of an ass---e) even if he kept his maiden name, Marion Morrison. No true Irish person takes pride in that low-class insult ("The Quiet Man") to Ireland and I hope Maureen O'Hara is not in a place where she has to watch it and I hope Wayne is."
Well, then!
How do you feel about "The Quiet Man?" Is it a nostalgic classic? A ridiculous, anti-Irish film? Somewhere in between? Let us know in the comment section.
H/T: The Irish Times]]>
Yet the pivot skill seems to have totally evaded him since he won the election, and he's still tweeting like a madman.
Trump isn't a candidate anymore. He's the incoming president of the United States and a jittery world is consuming his every utterance, but he's still behaving as if he's a Z-list contestant on a tacky reality show. You won, Donald. Okay? We're with you on that because we believe in the integrity of the American election system.
The recount effort by Green Party candidate Jill Stein, with support from the Hillary Clinton campaign, is totally ridiculous, and seems more designed to keep Stein's name out there instead of changing the outcome of the election. (How many votes did Stein earn on November 8? About one percent, 1.4 million or so, well behind third place Libertarian Gary "What is Aleppo?" Johnson.)
The end result of the long and extremely grueling 2016 campaign isn't going to change. Trump won. And that's that.
Gotta love @realDonaldTrump new hat. On Sun. #trump wore #45 it's a nice swipe at recount efforts. @fox @ThePolitiChicks @BreitbartNews pic.twitter.com/NLhNCypbas— Michelle Mears (@therighttalkusa) November 28, 2016
But, not surprisingly, the president-elect is a sore winner. Not everyone is bowing down to King Donald, and some of his subjects are an angry bunch.
That's democracy, right? No. That's illegal voters.
On Sunday Trump tweeted:
In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016
Millions voted illegally? Where? How, Mr. President-elect? You're tweeting that you're the incoming president of a country that's rife with illegal voters? What's your proof?
Is this the United States you're preparing to lead, or do you think we're some sort of banana republic? If so, what are you going to do about it?
It's head-shaking and deeply embarrassing that an incoming president, who won fair and square, is happy to throw dirt over our electoral process instead of rising above the fray and getting on with the business of forming a government, a process that's already a predictable joke given the in-fighting that's spilled out into the open courtesy of his most recent campaign guru Kellyanne Conway, who's been gleefully trashing the boss over his possible selection of the dastardly Mitt Romney as secretary of state.
And there was Trump again on Monday, formulating American foreign policy in one fell tweet with regards to Cuba. He tweeted:
If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016
Whatever happened to the art of the deal, Mr. President-elect? You wrote books about that, and now you're laying your strategy bare about a nation that's a major concern to millions of Americans in one simplistic tweet?
It's painful to contemplate, this reality TV circus come to life thanks to a cast of misfits who, so far, have shown an inability to rise above and demonstrate true leadership.
But, then again, it was all about winning and winning huge for Trump. After that? Clearly, at least from what we've seen so far, he doesn't have a clue.
Read more: Trump security leads to fears of massive St. Pat's parade disruption on 5th Ave]]>
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Castle Arch Pottery, Kilkenny
Castle Arch is owned and managed by Master Potter Ray Power. The studio is based in Kilkenny City across from the famous Kilkenny Castle. Ray has been making beautiful pottery for over 25 years and his designs are very unique and very Celtic. The range includes tableware, decorative pieces and many unique items that are exclusive designs of the studio.
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John Hanly Woollen Mill, Tipperary
Established in Ireland in 1893, John Hanly & Co Ltd specializes for almost 125 years in the traditional manufacture of scarves, throws and fabrics in wool, cashmere, lambswool, and mohair. The company is still under the management of the Hanly family with Brian Hanly as its 4th Managing Director. The company is the top producer of wool products and is one of the suppliers of commissioned products for the Carnua Brand.
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Don't forget the FREE Shipping and world-class 48 hour delivery service on every order. Visit the Irish Gift Market here.]]>
On our first trip, after arriving at Shannon Airport, Kate immediately opened what she thought was the passenger door and looked very confused. She quickly ran around the car leaving Mike behind the steering wheel. He found himself driving on the left side of the road for the very first time, in a rental car, having to manipulate the stick shift with his left hand. We were off for what we thought would be a one-hour drive to Doolin, in County Clare.
Kate, for her part, had worked tirelessly for weeks plotting the trip, pulling off detailed maps, and putting them neatly in a notebook. Leaving Shannon Airport that morning, we were met with one daunting roundabout after another in very rapid fire. Yes, we have "some" roundabouts in the U.S., but not with five exits and two lanes! Our directions said take M18, but little did we know that M18 and N18 are one and the same.
As we approached a critical roundabout, Mike's heart was racing and his voice rising as he yelled, "What way do we go? Which way Kate?" As you may have guessed, we ended up on N18 headed in the wrong direction. That was the last straw for navigator Kate who in a moment of panic threw our road maps into the back seat. It was only 6:00 a.m. and Kate hadn't slept in nearly 20 hours. It's called jet lag! We ended up in a factory parking lot where we managed to regroup.
One critical tip for a first-time driver in the Emerald Isle is, "Don't give up your side of the road!" The Irish drivers seem to have developed an innate ability to claim at least half of the road and even seem to enjoy playing "chicken" when it comes to the center of the road. Hang in there! You will get use to passing cars coming at you so closely that you can tell the color of the other driver's eyes. It's far less scary than having your front seat passenger screaming because you are inches away from the overgrown stone wall to your left. We know this because on our way to Doolin driver Mike came "a wee bit" to close to a hedgerow where we parted company with our side view mirror.
So much for the nightmare part of our story. Why is driving in Ireland an American's dream? Let us count the ways. You can venture to so very many enchanting places (e.g. the Berea and Sheep's Head Peninsulas) where tour buses aren't allowed, and Ireland's back roads lead to a myriad of incredible historic sites and hidden treasures such as stone circles, dolmens and famine burial grounds.
We almost forgot, Ireland's country roads allow you to meet and greet first hand domestic animals and wildlife. Stopping to allow dairy cows, beef cattle, free range sheep and even pheasants cross the narrow lane in front of you is an absolute treat! Most importantly, you get to meet so many friendly and welcoming Irish people who live and work in out of the way places not typically associated with tourism.
After five trips to Ireland, we offer several advance planning tips:
1. Take the excess rental car insurance that covers glass, side view mirrors and tires with no more than $100 deductible.
2. Go on YouTube and view the free video lessons on driving in Ireland.
3. Use Google Maps to plan your routes ahead of time.
4. Study the myriad of road signs you will encounter that are unique to Ireland.
5. Absolutely make sure you know if your rental car uses diesel fuel or gasoline!
Then buckle up your seat belts, say a prayer to St. Patrick, and be off for the adventure of your life!
* Kate and Mike Lancor live in Moultonborough, NH and enjoy "chasing" their own ancestors as well as helping others "chase" their ancestors. They run a genealogy search business and can be reached by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com or on their Old Friends Genealogy Facebook page. They have traveled to Ireland five times and especially enjoy "chasing" Irish ancestors for their clients.]]>
Let's start Christmas 2013 with his failsafe turkey recipe:
14 lb. approx. turkey
1 cup butter
3 tbsp. sage
1 medium sized onion
Seasoning — salt, pepper
On Christmas morning Dundon advises you to stuff your turkey with pre-prepared stuffings (see below). First preheat the oven to 400F. Soften the butter in a bowl and add the sage and mix. Rub some butter underneath the turkey breast by lifting the skin gently with your hands and massaging the butter onto the flesh.
Place the sausage meat stuffing in the neck cavity and then line the cavity with some tin foil or parchment paper and loosely pack the sage stuffing into the bird.
Put the turkey onto a large roasting tray and place in the preheated oven. If you feel the turkey is browning too quickly you can cover it with some foil for the first two hours.
Allocate 20 minutes per pound and then an additional 20-30 minutes in the oven. In total it should take about four hours. When a skewer is inserted into the meat nearest the bone (i.e. the leg) the juices should run completely clear. Allow the meat to rest when it comes out of the oven and carve as required.
That's the main event sorted out. Next you'll need a truly delicious gravy. That takes a little work but the end result is a triumph. Here's the recipe:
3 cups turkey/chicken stock
Turkey giblets
2 carrots
1 onion
4 tbsp. of plain flour
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup Red Wine
1 tbsp olive oil
Place the turkey giblets, carrots and onions on a tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven at 400F for 45 minutes to one hour until they are fully cooked through. Remove any excess fat, if any.
Pour the turkey stock into a saucepan and add the bay leaves, bring to the boil. Remove the tray with the giblets from the oven and place on the hob. Sprinkle the flour onto the tray and brown on the hob.
When the flour has browned deglaze the pan with the red wine, the pass the gravy through a sieve into another saucepan. Bring to the boil, then slowly add the warmed turkey stock and reduce by half. Serve immediately.
This year, if you're going all out, why not get adventurous with your turkey stuffing too? Here's the recipe:
1 cup sausage meat
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
2 onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup chestnuts, chopped
In a large bowl mix together the sausage meat, bread crumbs and the chopped herbs. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Add the finely diced onions, chestnuts, cranberries and garlic and using your hands to combine all the ingredients together.
Place the stuffing in the cavity of the Turkey and cook as per instructions or alternatively place in a baking tin and cover in foil. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes at 400F.
Traditional meatless stuffing is so easy to make, and so much tastier than the packet stuff.
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped Sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
4 tablespoons chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 350F. To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onion. Sauté the onion for three to four minutes until softened and translucent but not colored.
In the meantime, put the breadcrumbs and herbs into a large bowl ensuring the herbs are mixed through, season to taste. Pour the heated butter and onion over the bread crumb and herb mixture and place in a preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. If you are using this stuffing for the Turkey ensure the stuffing is cooled down before placing in the turkey cavity.
* Originally published in 2013.]]>