CIS Newsletter November 2012

PO BOX 1706
CHRISTCHURCH
PH: 3388020
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2
President’s Message
3
GAA Club Update
4
Indoor Bowls Club
6
Auckland Feis
7
Tír na N-Óg
9
Future Dates to Note
11
The Earthquake Emigrants
12
Notices
15
Dia Daoibh
Welcome to the last newsletter for 2012. This year has certainly flown by
and we are well and truly counting down the days till Christmas!
In the next couple of weeks you will see we have a few events planned
to celebrate the festive season. On the 24th of November we have our
Christmas Dinner with a good old barn dance to follow. All the tickets
have now been sold for this event.
On Friday the 23rd November we have our last youth group for the year
and on the 15th December we will hold our Tir Na Nog and Seniors
Christmas get to togethers.
We have seen a major influx of new people arrive from Ireland this year
and this reflects strongly on the number of people coming to events.
Please take the time to welcome the new faces into the Society, they are a
long way from home and need our support.
It's short and sweet from me this month - On behalf of the Executive
committee I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe
Christmas. I hope you all have the time to sit back and relax during this
time, and we look forward to seeing you all next year!
Slan go Foill
Natasha
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On Sunday the 21st of October, Auckland hosted the first round of the
Inaugural New Zealand Gaelic Football and Hurling League. It was run
in conjunction with the New Zealand Feis Weekend, also hosted in
Auckland by the Irish Society. The New Zealand League is made up of
six teams from the three main Cities. A men’s team and a ladies team to
represent, Auckland GAA, Hutt Valley/Wellington GAA and The
Christchurch McKenna’s GAA. The League has been divided into three
rounds, each round to be hosted by one of the clubs taken part.
The Auckland Round commenced with the New Zealand National Anthem
followed by Amhrán na bhFiann. The Ball was then thrown in for the
opening match, Auckland v Wellington in the Ladies.
Despite very heavy, and at times torrential, rain there was a large
attendance out to watch the games.
Auckland Ladies defeated Wellington 2-04 to 0-01. This was followed
with another success for Auckland as the Men’s Team took a 3-14 to 1-10
win over the Wellington. The Christchurch McKenna’s fielded against
Auckland Ladies as the third match of the day. As the players lined out
Auckland GAA President Brian Foley paid tribute to Owen McKenna.
This was followed by a minute’s silence. Auckland Ladies took the win
for the second time, 3-04 to 0-03.
The game most talked about was the Christchurch McKenna’s v
Auckland Men’s. There was a great display of skill on the field which
saw a victorious Christchurch win 2-09 to 2-06. The fourth game of the
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day seen the Christchurch McKenna’s ladies take on the Wellington. At
half time the McKenna’s lead 2-02 to no score when the unrelenting rain
was joined by thunder and lighting. It was then decided in the interests
of player safety to discontinue. As a result the final fixture, Christchurch
McKenna’s Men versus Wellington could not be fulfilled, and will be
played at a later date.
The overall winners of the Inaugural New Zealand League are far from
decided; however as winners of round one the Auckland Ladies GAA
team were awarded The Jimmy Connolly Perpetual Cup by Rodney
Walshe, Irish Honoury Consul General, Auckland. The Men’s Cup
known as The Paddy Somers Perpetual Cup could not be awarded due
to no conclusive winner, but shall be awarded when The Christchurch
McKenna’s take on Wellington in a rearranged fixture.
The Second Round of the New Zealand League is set to take place in the
capital Wellington on the 19th of January 2013. The Final and concluding
Round will be held in Christchurch on the 2nd of March.
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Hi All,
Our Bowling season has now finished and we all enjoyed our usual after season
lunch at Caesars Restaurant, Northwood.
Sunday, 28th of October we had our get-together with the GAA members to
have a great afternoon showing them how to play bowls. Considering most of
them had never seen or played Indoor Bowls before they certainly learnt
pretty quickly and a fun afternoon was had by all. I think the best shot of the
day was the last bowl played which a GAA member kicked a Bowling members
bowl out of the way and came to rest at edge of the mat right on the Jack. In
fact some of our members found the GAA members putting the points on the
board. Lovely afternoon tea and a chat together, which is what the Irish
Society is all about, bringing the sections of the Society together. It was
decided that we thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon together and we would all
have another afternoon in the near future, (we will make bowlers of them yet).
The Society Senior afternoons are much appreciated by our members and we
would like to thank the Society for putting these afternoons on for us. It is
nice to meet and have a chat outside of bowls and also keep us involved when
our season is over.
The bowling club has been invited to Marie and Des Hurley for a barbecue at
the end of the month and we all look forward to getting together again. As
you can see we are a social lot and don’t just meet for bowls, unlike other
Clubs who only see each other in the bowling season, this makes us a very
close group.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy
Christmas and a great New Year and look forward to a good season in 2013.
Christine O’Brien
Secretary,
Phone 331-7011
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Kay- Hallissey Irish Dancers Success at the NZ National Irish Dancing
Championships
With 19 Dancers making the trip to Auckland and only 15 of them doing
Solo Dancing we had resounding success. The Dancers Won 5 National
Championships: Abigail Warrington in Under 17 Girls, Mitchell O'Hara ,
Junior Boys 11.-13 (2nd time), Ruby Jane McLachlan Minor girls Under
10yrs, and Harrison Bisphan Under 9 Boys winning for the 3rd time
We also had 10 Podium finishes and 3 place getters. Along with
Winning the Under 13 Composed Figure Dance ( a team of all dancers
under 13yrs) there other teams were placed in every team they entered.
This was an outstanding achievement for these young inexperienced
dancers. The comments passed by people attending the championships
about how happy they were and how they enjoyed watching them even
preparing to dance with their excitement, was infectious.
The dancers and parents had worked hard fundraising all year for the
cost of the travel to Auckland, and all had a great time and can’t wait for
next year when the Nationals will take place in Christchurch.
Abby Warrington
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Under 13 Dancers
I would like to thank all the parents and older girls for helping
throughout the year in whatever capacity your were asked. Without
your help the success would not have happened.
Shealagh Kay-Hallissey
T.C.R.G A.D.C.R.G
Teacher and Director
Kay-Hallissey Irish Dancers.
021 20 40 133
Ulster Cup
Our very own Shannon Dilger did us proud at the Centenary Auckland
Feis by winning the prestigious Ulster Cup that was donated by the
Christchurch Irish Society many years ago. How wonderful of Shannon
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to bring the cup back to Christchurch and we look forward to seeing her
winning performance at the Christmas Party on the 24th of November.
Comhghairdeas Shannon!
Labour Weekend saw the Tir Na Nog Families Car Rally. We had 5
families take part in this event. They had a great (and sometimes
confused!) driving around the back of prebbleton chasing clues. Thanks
to the families who were able to attend.
This was followed by a very delicious shared pot luck dinner. Due to the
positive feedback we've had we do plan to hold a Car Rally again next
year.
Don't forget the 15th December - we look forward to seeing you!
Preschool Music Group
This group has been a great way for Mums or Dads with preschoolers to
get together and have a chat and a coffee whilst the little ones have a
play. Elaine O'Leary and Siobhan Berghan have again kindly
volunteered their time and have put together a 25 minute session of
preschool music movement. This year they will be adding in some Irish
nursery rhymes and Gaelic children's music that they will interactively
share with the little ones. Afterwards a cuppa will be offered and we ask
if each person could bring a small plate to share. The sessions are held
on the first Wednesday of each month at 10am at the Christchurch Irish
Society (check the calendar for confirmation). All welcome preschoolers 0 -5 yrs with accompanying parent / caregiver and bring a
friend if you wish as the more the merrier.... RSVP Siobhan 3386626.
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Youth Group (10 - 14 Years Old)
We held a Roller Disco at the last Youth Group. The hall was filled with
35 youngsters boogying along to the music. The children shared a lot of
laughter, singing (and sometimes sore behinds) and there were even
some brave mums donning the skates!
Our next Youth group will be the 23rd October at 5.30. We will meet at
the club at 5.30 but will be holding the group offsite - more information
to follow.
We encourage individuals to bring along a couple of mates to enjoy the
evening alongside them. Feel free to pass this invitation on to other Irish
families you may know with youths.
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FUTURE DATES TO NOTE......
YOUTH GROUP
Friday 23rd November
5.30pm - 7.30 pm
Gold coin donation.
MOTHERS GROUP
(incorporating music for babys and toddlers)
First Wednesday of each month from 10am.
Bring a plate and a gold coin donation.
TÍR NA N-ÓG
Saturday 15th December Christmas Party
Santa and Disco 4pm onwards.
Please bring a plate to share - we will supply desserts!
SENIOR LUNCH
Christmas lunch - Saturday 15th December, 1pm - 4pm
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THE EARTHQUAKE EMIGRANTS
Feature from the Generation Emigration section in The Irish Times.
[Friday October 26th]
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/generationemigration/2012/10/26/the-earthquake-emigrants/
Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 8:37 am
We left behind the economic disaster in Ireland and entered the natural-disaster
zone of Christchurch, New Zealand, says ADRIENNE SLATTERY
Adrienne Slattery with her partner Tim Shannon,
their son Henry and daughter Isabella at a picnic at Lake Tekapo on New Zealand's South Island.
EVEN WHEN you move country, far from friends and family, life still
has to go on. Myself and my partner are in earthquake-torn Christchurch
with our two young kids and another on the way any day now. It is a
challenge bringing up children away from their grandparents, but you
can’t put your life on hold when you don’t know how long you will be
away for.
Our decision to leave Ireland was a quick one. I was pregnant with our
second child in 2010 when work slowed down drastically for my
partner, who was working as a structural engineer in Dublin. Things did
not look promising for the following year, and we were faced with
deciding whether to stay and have the baby in Dublin where we would
struggle, or to emigrate and find work somewhere else. We looked at the
Middle East as a possibility and my parents were keen on us going to
Canada, which would be a reasonably short flight from Ireland. But
New Zealand made sense. Tim is from Christchurch, and we knew they
were crying out for engineers to help to rebuild the city, which had been
destroyed by a major earthquake just three months before.
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We were due to leave on February 22nd, and woke up that morning to
the news that there had been another devastating earthquake in
Christchurch overnight. We panicked and had serious second thoughts,
but our flights were booked and we were packed up ready to go, so we
got on that plane. We were leaving the economic disaster in Ireland
behind and heading into a natural disaster in Christchurch.
We spent a week in Sydney before taking the flight to New Zealand. As
we flew in over Christchurch airport, we saw the city lights and took
that as a good sign. There was life there after all.
The rental market was really stretched here, so we took a massive risk
and bought a house. The first weekend after we moved in, there was
another earthquake. We hadn’t bought in Ireland because we couldn’t
afford it in the boom and it was too risky when prices began to drop, but
we were now thinking we had taken an even bigger risk buying here
when our investment could literally crumble to the ground.
As it turns out, house prices have increased by 10 per cent in the area we
live in since we bought in April 2011. There’s an accommodation
shortage, because more than 100,000 houses are in need of repair and
10,000 need to be rebuilt.
We have experienced 3,000 aftershocks and four large earthquakes since
we arrived. Every time the ground shakes it sends shivers up me. Our
whole lives have adapted though, and we have learned to be earthquake
aware. You constantly think about what is over your head.
The family with Adrienne's mother Ann on the
Mount Hutt ski field near Christchurch
The house is made from timber so we know we are reasonably safe in it.
It will sway and shake in an earthquake, but it won’t fall down. It had a
few cracks in the ceiling and some broken glass when we bought it, but
the damage was cosmetic and will be paid for by the government’s
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Earthquake Commission, which provides funding for properties with
damage under $100,000 (€62,529).
I thought I would join a mother and baby group or the local library to
meet new people when we arrived, but they were all closed because of
the earthquake damage. A lady on the plane told me about the
Christchurch Irish Society, and although I thought I would have little
interest or intention of joining an Irish club, I gave them a call and they
were amazing.
Some of the members have been here for eight or nine years, and they
really helped me to settle in. Their numbers have swelled enormously
this year with all the new Irish arriving over to work on the rebuild.
In most instances, the husbands come over a few months in advance,
find a job and somewhere to live, and the wife and children join them
afterwards. If someone new arrives in my area, the society let me know
and I go to meet them and their family. It is a great support network.
We left Ireland unsure whether we would stay, but once here we felt
committed. The motto the council is using is Rise Up Christchurch, and I
really believe it is going to be a great city when the rebuild is complete.
The positivity is infectious.
Construction workers, architects and engineers are coming from all over
the world, so it is an exciting time. The city will be designed, built and
owned by Kiwis, Irish, English, and all the other nationalities who are
making it their home. We all feel very part of it.
I am on maternity leave again but have a good job as a fire-safety
engineer. The work-life balance for families is great, the kids have an
active outdoor lifestyle because the weather is so good, and they are so
young they don’t notice that the city is like a construction site.
It is hard for my parents, but they understand that we didn’t have a
choice. We are lucky that they are young and able to travel. They came
over to visit within a month of my daughter’s birth and will be here
again at Christmas to see the third baby. We also met half way in San
Francisco in March, because we want them to get to know the kids while
they are young. Those visits are very important, and are factored into
our savings.
I don’t think about the long term. We are here for as long as Ireland is in
the situation it is in. The next five years will be lucrative for us here, and
we will review things then. In the meantime, we are determined to make
the most of it.
Adrienne Slattery runs workinchristchurch.com, a website about working and living in the
city. – In conversation with Ciara Kenny.
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Feel free to email info@christchurchirishsociety.co.nz to
have notices, adverts or items included in the newsletter.
Construction Workers needed
Kevin Lambe, of Lambe construction is seeking two hard working
individuals who are also capable of operating machinery such as digger
etc. For more info Ph 03 3278628; cell ph, 0274819073.
Email kevin.lambe@rocketmail.com
Waikuku Holiday Home
Hi , we have a holiday house at Waikuku beach. which we rent out short
term sometimes. It is great for families or for those working in Kaipoi or
Rangiora, or if they dont mind the 30mins commute to Christchurch,
There are others on holidayhouses too which could suit.
here is link to ours
http://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/1018.asp
Regards, Sharon Murphy
URGENTLY NEEDED: ACCOMMODATION
Temp (1-4 weeks) & short term (1-6 months) for workers and their
families from Ireland & the UK coming to help with the CHCH Rebuild.
Fully furnished sleep-outs, flats or rooms, for individuals, couples and
especially families, required.
Contact Coralie or Tracey
03 3489810
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