November 2013 - Teach Tabhairne Fogra

Samhain
2013 November
ABOVE: Paul Gartlan of Gartlan’s Pub in Kingscourt, Co. Cavan. He is becoming the star of the
movie in his own right. Donald Clarke of the Irish Times states: “A man worth travelling to meet, I
suspect.” Since opening day fans of the movie have been travelling to meet him all because of this
famous line in the movie - The Irish Pub.
“You go into a pub abroad and they’d nearly ignore you. Go to a pub in Ireland and they’d be up
your arse to find out who you are.” - Paul Gartland
The movie is currently playing at the following theatres in Ireland:
Light House Cinema, Smithfield, Dublin | | Movies @ Dundrum, Dublin
Mahon Point, Cork | | Eye Cinema, Galway
Century Cinema, Letterkenny, Donegal | | Classic Cinema, Listowel, Kerry
**BREAKING NEWS: Coming to U.S. Cinemas & DVD - Early 2014!
(Continued on next page)
REVIEWS OF THE MOVIE - “THE IRISH PUB”
“T
he picture is delightful throughout and makes an implicit (but forceful) argument for the
magnificence of the traditional Irish pub: solid wood, stone floors, no music, little telly, nick
nacks, yellowed ceiling. Only one of the pubs featured – allowed in, we suspect, because the proprietor
is a particular character – seems to have been vandalized by the wretched modernizers... For all the
antique delights of the décor, The Irish Pub is most notable for its array of charming, angry, funny,
welcoming and eccentric publicans. We will reluctantly forgive director Alex Fegan for completely
ignoring Northern Ireland, and acknowledge distinguished contributions from the gentle Brennan sisters
of Bundoran, the chatty Eugene Kavanagh from The Gravediggers in Glasnevin, and Ray and Bobby
Blackwell of De Barra’s in Clonakilty. The undoubted star, however, is the supremely grumpy Paul
Gartlan of the pub that bears his name in Kingscourt, Co Cavan.” - - Donald Clarke, The Irish Times
“T
he Irish Pub is an absolute gem of a movie that should be seen by everyone. In an age when we
are hooked by the latest box sets from HBO, Netflix or RTE, this film stands alone as the finest
example of documentary film making that has come our way in quite a while. That the subject matter
should be so close to home makes it all the more refreshing. Congratulations should go to the team at
Element Pictures that put it together. If there is any justice in the world, awards will come their way.
Grab your partner, mother or granny and when it hits our cinemas (in Ireland) on October 4th go see it.
To be entertained for 90 minutes on the subject of pubs would seem like a stretch. Its beauty is in its
simplicity. Director Alex Fegan travelled the country visiting and interviewing the men and women who
run some of our most beautiful and out of the way watering holes. Many of the pubs featured have one
thing in common. They are preserved establishments from a bygone era that have withstood the onward
march of time. The destruction that has been visited upon some of our most beautiful architecture over
the last number of decades has thankfully not ripped the heart out of every town and village. The pubs in
question have stood tall and have refused to move on. They are uniquely Irish and the majority of the
selected venues have remained untouched for decades. What has kept them great is the publicans who
have lovingly managed them. Many of these establishments have been handed down from generation to
generation.” - - Tony Lawless, Trad Connect
“F
ilmmaker Alex Fegan travels the country, interviewing people on either side of the bar, to find
out what makes the Irish pub so darned special. Now that I think about it, it is fairly incredible
that no-one has come up with this idea before. The Irish pub is a staple in most major cities, and when
friends come to visit me in Dublin, many of them want to see a proper pub – or as we call them; ‘old
man pubs’. So what is it about the pub in Ireland that makes it so special?
The Irish pub has been in decline in recent years – blame the recession, the smoking ban, or the price of
a pint – and it seems as though it was this that spurred filmmaker Alex Fegan into examining this
institution and mainstay of Ireland. Each of the publicans interviewed tell stories from their – and the
pub’s – past, and in their own way, they contribute to a tapestry being woven on screen, a tapestry made
of stories, laughter, nostalgia and love. Fegan obviously spent years researching and making his film,
and what emerges is the mindset of the publicans, their deep love for what they do and respect for the
people they serve, and the seeming knowledge that they are a huge part of Irish culture and history.
What comes to light is the actual significance of the pub in Ireland; the fact that, in the past, it was often
the place where deals were made or broken, it is often still the focal point of a community and a place
where people can meet and talk.” - - Brogen Hayes, Hayes At The Movies
~ HIBERNIAN HALL ~
TIME CAPSULE
FOUND IN ROXBURY, MA.
BURIED BEHIND CORNERSTONE
100 YEARS AGO
Madison Park Development Corp. is
the current owner of the building.
Kay Mathew is the resource development
manager for MPDC and stated the owners
planned a “centennial” celebration for
Jeff Owen of Wakefield knocks on the cornerstone of Hibernian Thursday, Oct. 10th, inviting their current
occupants to the event.
Hall in Roxbury, Mass. ©2013 Boston Globe
However, one day before the celebration (Oct. 9th), an architect that worked on the building 8 years
earlier, suddenly walked into their offices “with a ton of old newspapers”. These newspapers dated back
to the early 1900s. Amongst the newspapers was a story about a secret time capsule called the
Metrocapsule that was buried in the brick wall behind the cornerstone of the building - over 100 years
ago.
With their centennial celebration scheduled for the next day, the owners quickly employed a local
construction crew to find and uncover the time capsule. That evening with guests gathered at the 3rd
floor historic Hibernian Hall Ballroom, Jeanne Pinado, Executive Director of MPDC announced to the
gathering of business tenants and non-profit tenants and guests that they had a secret surprise to be
unveiled that night. She then opened a narrow tarnished copper box which released clouds of decadesold dust into the air as she pulled out the following documents contained within:
Ancient Order of Hibernian Documents
A Certificate for $100,000 worth of stock in the Hibernian Building Association
A Book on Early Aviation
A Postcard from the Harriman Aeromobile Company
(an aviation firm that once had offices in the Financial District)
“3” - 1913 Newspapers including the May 30th issue of the Boston American
(with the story on the establishment of the Hibernian Hall)
Kay Mathew stated “the building was built by the AOH to serve as a community and social center for
the Irish immigrants coming to Boston in the early 1900s”.
Other groups participating in the centennial celebration included performances from Irish Step Dancers
and an Irish String Quartet, a steel drum band, and a James Brown impersonator.
The building itself on Dudley Street in Roxbury lay empty for years till the development company
purchased it in the year 2000.
Irish Network Chapter
UPDATES
Irish Network Chapters are based on the model established in New York in 2006 (IN-NYC).
The Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC, Consulate General offices throughout the United States,
Enterprise Ireland and the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) support this initiative to strengthen
the economic, social, heritage and cultural links between Ireland and Irish America.
This includes harnessing the energy and talents of the Irish Diaspora in the United States.
“Reflections on Peace and Reconciliation
on the Island of Ireland”
A discussion with Dr. Mary McAleese, hosted by Irish Network - Boston and
moderated by Dr. Robert O’Neill, Burns Librarian at Boston College.
Date: November 4, 2013 6-8 PM (Free Event IN-Boston Members Only)
Location: Boston College, Brighton Campus, 2101 Commonwealth Ave.
Mary McAleese was born into a Catholic family in North Belfast in June 1951 where her family
experienced sectarian violence, that forced her father to relocate the family. She is a former President of
Ireland (Nov. 1997-Nov. 2011), and currently a “Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies”.
She also is currently studying for a doctoral degree in Canon Law at Gregorian University in Rome.
One of her last events as President of Ireland, was to invite Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland where they
both visited sites dedicated to Ireland’s 700 year long struggle for freedom and independence. Queen
Elizabeth II was the first ever British monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland.
When she was 9-years old she remembers her beloved cousin moved to Philadelphia. She related that
event as similar “to a death in the family”. Today, the daughter of her cousin is a doctoral student at
Boston College. “Now in the way that the saints have of showing us their care, we will gather the
generations again, this time in Boston, and marvel at the indissolubility of familial love over time and
oceans and generations. Thank you, Boston College, for giving me such a gift." - Dr. Mary McAleese
Irish Network Chapter
UPDATES
Irish Network Chapters are based on the model established in New York in 2006 (IN-NYC).
The Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC, Consulate General offices throughout the United States,
Enterprise Ireland and the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) support this initiative to strengthen
the economic, social, heritage and cultural links between Ireland and Irish America.
This includes harnessing the energy and talents of the Irish Diaspora in the United States.
NEW ORLEANS - 2014 “INTERNATIONAL” FAMINE COMMEMORATION CITY
On October 4th, Jimmy Deenihan T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced
the city chosen to represent the International Commemoration of the Great Famine (An Gorta Mór).
“As Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, I am very much looking forward to
working with the ‘Irish Network - New Orleans’, the city’s AOH Hibernian groups and the local
community to make the arrangements for next year’s International Famine Commemoration programme.
I am sure it will be a very special and moving tribute to those who suffered and perished during the
Great Irish Famine and also a vibrant celebration of the immense achievements of those who emigrated
and their descendants who built new lives in their adopted homes in New Orleans and across the
Southern United States’.
The people of Ireland and New Orleans share a common bond of suffering and loss, and a spirit of
endurance and hope in the face of catastrophe. The failure of the potato crop during the 1840s was a
transforming event in Ireland, which changed the demographic and cultural landscape forever.
Thousands of Irish people emigrated to New Orleans and between 1840 and 1860, New Orleans had a
higher per capita Irish population than Boston or Philadelphia. The Irish Channel remains the centre of
the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in New Orleans today.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Irish people extended the same compassion and generosity to the
people of New Orleans that our ancestors received during the most desolate period in our nation’s
history. Indeed, the Irish Government committed €1 million to disaster relief in the immediate aftermath
of the storm. €700,000 was given to the Red Cross for immediate use along the Gulf Coast and €300,000
was given to various community and civil service organisations.” - Minister Jimmy Deenihan, T.D.
The 2014 “National” Famine Commemoration City will come from Connacht Province in Ireland, and is
yet to be announced.
Congratulations to both Irish Network-New Orleans and to the AOH of Louisiana!
20 years of ‘No Growth’ for Ireland
Unless Éire returns to the Irish Punt (Pound)?
This is not what the Irish policymakers and Irish
politicians wanted to hear.
Dr. Pippa Malmgren, a former economic adviser to
President George W. Bush spoke on Oct. 1st in Dublin at a
conference organized by Davy stockbrokers. What she had
to say about Ireland’s future economic growth was like cold
water being splashed on the face.
“Ireland could handle its debt through austerity, but the price would be 20 years of no growth.
But you have to accept 20 years of no growth. That’s the only other option. It’s what European
Policymakers expect Ireland to do. The question is, do the Irish people have the tolerance to take
that much pain?” - Dr. Pippa Malmgren, The Irish Times
Malmgren said Ireland should consider leaving the Euro (€) and
devaluing the Irish Punt (£), the currency Ireland used before switching
to the euro. She believes that Cypress may in time leave the euro zone.
She stated, “If a country can leave and devalue, it raises the
question for Ireland - what is the cost of staying in?”
Dr. Malmgren noted that inflation is starting to appear in Germany in
basic food items including potatoes and milk. Malmgren believes this
inflation will force the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep control over inflation and she warned
that once inflation begins to spiral it cannot be controlled.
“Germany doesn’t want inflation. Everybody else needs it, that’s the heart of the problem.”
- Dr. Pippa Malmgren, Economic Adviser
The Irish Punt was first introduced under the Currency Act in 1927. Equal to 100 pence, the Punt was
the currency of the Republic until 2002 when it switched to the Euro. After the housing bubble burst,
which had grown during the Celtic Tiger era, the Anglo-Irish Bank was nationalized in January 2009.
The failure of the Anglo-Irish Bank has cost Ireland about €41 Billion Euros and this sum is being
liquidated under the Irish Banking Resolution. The Irish Banking Resolution Corporation is a
government owned bank formed in 2011 to provide personal and corporate accounts, loans, mortgages,
and insurance services. Austerity measures by the Irish government have proven controversial.
===
Editor’s Comment: In the world of Genealogy, 20 years of no-growth = one generation. Ireland
already suffers from a “brain drain”. To expect an Irish child born today to grow up in a no-growth
society over the next 20 years and not emigrate (taking their superior education with them) is like
whistling past the graveyard on Oíche Shamhna (Hallowe’en). Taoiseach Enda Kenny states Ireland will
exit from the bailout in December 2013, which contradicts Dr. Malmgren. So who to believe?
The Gathering 2013 was a spectacular year long
celebration of all things Irish and the Irish Hospice
Foundation (IHF) has developed a book which is a
unique memento of this national celebration of Ireland,
its people and our Diaspora.
This book is a beautiful collection of over 60 stories,
reflections and photographs capturing an extraordinary
time for Ireland. It is a high quality, full color, hardbacked book of 256 pages, edited by accomplished
journalist Miriam Donohoe and designed by celebrated
designer, Steve Averill of AMP Visual, internationally
acclaimed for his award winning work with U2.
It contains many thoughtful reflections on being Irish
and on Ireland itself. Contributors include Bono, Brian
O’Driscoll, Colum McCann, Fergal Keane, Katie
Taylor, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Micheál Ó
Muircheartaigh, Moya Doherty, Niall O’Dowd, Pat
Shortt, the late Seamus Heaney, Simone Rocha, and
many others.
Some of The Gathering events featured include ‘The
Famine Attic Experience’ where Neisha Wratten
travelled from Adelaide to Leitrim to relive the last night her great-great-grandmother spent at the Carrick-onShannon workhouse before being sent to Australia; a special event to mark the return of the ‘Hide and Seek
Children’, Slovak Jewish children who spent a year recovering in Ireland in 1948 after the Holocaust; and
the ‘Gathering of the Stones’ where Masons from Ireland and abroad constructed a special dry wall
structure in Offaly incorporating granite blocks from the old immigrant docks in New York.
The book strives to honestly capture the variety of experiences of being Irish (or feeling Irish) – here and
abroad. Some of the stories will make us laugh. Some are very personal and moving. Others take a more
critical look at who we “the Irish” are and our place in the world. They are thoughtful and thought-provoking.
This book will be treasured long after the year of “The Gathering 2013” draws to a close.
WHY WE FUNDRAISE - IRISH HOSPICE FOUNDATION - ALL BOOK SALES DONATED TO IHF
At the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF), we receive no formal funding from the state so we are totally reliant on
voluntary donations from general public, corporations and philanthropic organisations to enable us to deliver
our much needed services. The Irish Hospice Foundation was set up in 1986 to fund and help develop specific
hospice services. Over time, our work has expanded to embrace the needs of people dying in hospitals, at
home and in other care settings, as well as those who cannot easily access hospice care because of where they
live and/or the nature of their illness. Visit: www.hospicefoundation.ie
Book Purchase Link on next page-Free Shipping
(Excerpts from the book continued on next page)
“FREE” Priority Airmail Shipping Worldwide from Kennys Bookshop:
www.bookshop.kennys.ie/book/IE/9780956659040/The_Gathering_Reflections_on_Ireland
If that's not enough to whet the appetite, there are over 200 hundred pictures including the battle of Notre Dame
and the US Navy at the Aviva Stadium, candid moments from Dublin Airport, the Oxford and Cambridge rowing
crews in action in Killarney, the re-enactment of the Battle of Vinegar Hill in Wexford, the Town of 1,000 Beards
in Galway, and many more.
The Rhythm Of Life - Moya Doherty (Co-Founder & Producer of "Riverdance")
It was always a bit of a puzzle to me, this 'being Irish' thing. I never really knew what it meant. If
you grew up in a border town in the 1950's and 1960's, as I did, you had a particular lilt to your
language and a particular list to your thinking. Pettigo, Co. Donegal. The main street: Britton's
Pub, the Custom House. Ms. Bishop, the protestant music teacher. The local primary school. Mr.
and Mrs. Snow across the road who sold their religious artifacts in a stall on the shores of Lough
Derg. The Tamlaght road with the milk churns. The Post Office at the top of the town where my
mother bought me my first green, white and gold apron to help with the housework. Dust under the beds, lino on
the floor, a hand-rotated dryer, the well at the end of the garden, the chipped crockery set for Crolly doll's dinner.
Reid's sweet shop, a skip and a hop away from our rented lodgings. The old, red leatherette-seated, yellow
Volkswagen Beetle. The Silver Cross pram where the next baby sat, strapped in under the milky spring sunshine.
The Cardinal Red polished front step. The river of life in a border town. Once a border town girl, forever on the
border. The border of life. The trips to Enniskillen - the first one home from the Erne hospital, the third girl of the
two school teachers. The clattering noise as I wore my mother's white, patent leather, high heels, clip-clopping
along the Ballyshannon hospital floor, visiting the next newborn sibling.
Ireland From Outer Space - Commander Chris Hadfield, Canada
The first glimpse you get of Earth after you launch in a space shuttle from the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida is the GREEN of Ireland. It is a wonderful sight when the sun shines through
the cloud and you see a green, green jewel, after all the BLUE of the Atlantic.
Space can be a lonely place, but it was made less lonely for me as I connected with so many
Irish people during my last mission before retiring as an astronaut. Looking down from my
perch in space, Ireland was just a tiny speck on the western fringes of Europe, yet it managed
to have a huge impact as I orbited Earth.
Everyone knows someone from Ireland. I grew up with an Irish boy in my native Canada, Seán Kennedy, one of
my best friends. While I don't have my roots in Ireland, I have a strong connection, as our daughter Kristin is
studying in Trinity College. On visits we hiked in the hills, saw historic Towers and drove through pretty villages.
When I was in orbit on my last space flight I tweeted a picture. I wasn't sure if it was an Irish, Welsh, or English
port city, but I was quickly advised by those who saw it that it was "Dublin". This sparked an instant and strong
connection between me and the people of Ireland, divided as we were by over 200 miles (in space). I found this
amazing like meeting a friend for the first time. It was a friendship that flourished - a connection from space.
52nd Annual Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade
2014 Queen Colleen Coronation
November 3rd — 2:00 to 5:00 PM
2013 Queen Jessica Lesser
with 2014 Candidates
Join the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee at the Celtic Tavern/
Delaney’s Bar where the new 2014 Queen Colleen will be chosen and
crowned.
This is an annual tradition that brings the Colorado Irish community together to choose a young woman
that will represent the community at various functions and gatherings throughout the coming year.
20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - JULY 2014!
Held in the heather of Clement Park in Littleton, with a backdrop of the majestic Rocky Mountains, the
Colorado Irish Festival will celebrate all that is Green in July 2014.
This Gathering of tens of thousands is known throughout the West for its outrageous display of kilts and
bagpipes; Gaelic sports and Irish step dancing; and the best Irish Rock and Traditional Music this side of
the Emerald Isle. While the line-up for 2014 is still yet to be announced, it promises to be a memorable
weekend of great entertainment.
Mark your calendars and save this weekend for the 20th Anniversary Celebration!
The Colorado Fenians Hurling Club is an official GAA organization that helps to promote and develop
the Irish sport of Hurling in Denver and Colorado. We provide education and training to both children
and adults regarding hurling skills and the history of the game; educate the public about Irish culture;
promote cultural awareness in Colorado; and foster a sense of community among members.
Indoor Hurling Classes begin on Nov. 3rd and 10th. These are for current members, new prospective
members and visiting GAA players from other teams in Colorado and across America. Check their
website for more information: www.coloradofenians.com/
Maureen O’Hara Sends Message
Upon The Unveiling Of The
Bronze “Quiet Man” Statue
As we first reported on last month in the
October Enewsletter, the unveiling of the
Quiet Man statue did take place at the
Cong (Mayo) Festival, on October 6th.
Unable to attend the unveiling, Maureen
O’Hara who played the role of “Mary Kate
Danaher”, sent a message to the crowd. (Today
Bronze ‘Quiet Man’ Statue; Artist Mark Rode of Co. Mayo Maureen O’Hara resides in Boise, Idaho.)
In 1951 when Director John Ford took a complete Hollywood production company to Ireland to film in
Cos. Mayo and Galway, no one had previously conceived such a venture. But then bringing together
John Wayne (Sean Thornton) and Maureen O’Hara (Mary Kay Danaher) was in itself a major event.
Maureen O’Hara’s message to the crowd present, and to the millions of fans worldwide of the film:
“I had never seen Ireland more majestic than she was that Summer in 1951. It was the first time
she would ever be captured in Technicolor and we all knew while we were making it
that the real star of the ‘Quiet Man’ would be Ireland herself - and she truly is.
I loved playing Mary Kate Danaher. I liked the hell and fire in her.”
- Maureen O’Hara, October 2013
Patrick Luskin, chairman of the Cong Festival Committee, stated at the unveiling “the statue is a fitting
tribute to the people who took part in the making of the ‘Quiet Man’.”
Also present at the unveiling was Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, who
performed the actual unveiling of the statue.
The story is about an Irish emigrant who returns to Ireland after a successful but heartbreaking boxing
career in America. Upon his return, he finds the old family homestead, meets Mary Kate Danaher and
has a run-in with her brother who is less than friendly to the returning Sean Thornton.
For many, the movie also represents a simpler time in Ireland, long before the Celtic Tiger and before
the current Economic Recession. If you’ve never seen the movie, find the time to do so. But as Maureen
O’Hara reminds us, the real star of the film is the beauty and majesty of Ireland’s west coast.
Editor: Ken Hannon Larson
Email: coinneach@teach-tabhairne-fogra.com
© 2013 Teach Tábhairne Fógra, Denver Colorado USA; All articles, photos and graphics.
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