This weekend's decision of the members of the Progressive Democrats(PDs) to cease to exist as a political party was good news. While the PDs came into existence in 1985 with noble aspirations to expose state and political corruption as well as to secure on progress on liberal social issues such as divorce and contraceptive, they soon become closely identified with promoting the free market Thatcherite economic policies of successive governments over the last few decades. Whilst this led to the Celtic Tiger phonomena that gave Ireland unprecedented levels of growth and wealth, the monies gained were wasted on over-development, property speculation and in creating a dehumanising urban sprawl of concrete jungles and sterile greens . A new Irish identity emerged that was characterised by...
"All Great Truths Begin as Blasphemies"- George Bernard ShawA very wise observation.The beliefs of history's great political, religious and social progressives were always condemned by the authorities as been untruths and a threat to the...
Photo: Shane & Martin with the Manchester Utd squad! My spirit surged with a feeling of patriotic pride when I entered the grounds of Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Lyon in the Champions League earlier this year.For all around me the strong sounds of Irish accents emanated from the huge throng of fans filling up the stadium; two RTE sports commentators were prominently positioned with their crew on the pitch prior to kick-off; Irish flags and memorabilia dotted the landscape. I noticed too the ‘prawn sandwich’ brigade of the skyward corporate suites, so derided by Roy Keane towards the end of his playing days, contained a fair sprinkling of ostentatiously-dressed wealthy Irish businessmen. Just before I entered the stadium, I counted 17 parked buses (photo) in a...
My letter below on the subject of the significance of the Irish rejection of the Lisbon Treaty appeared in this week's Galway City Tribune:Dear Editor,While working in Poland in the days immediately after the referendum, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of Polish people who, upon discovering that I and my colleagues were Irish, came forward to shake our hands in appreciation for Ireland voting against the Lisbon Treaty.Thanks to Bunreacht na hÉireann, we were able to stand up for the rights of all Europeans to have the final say in the political re-structuring of Europe and have exposed in the process the serious democratic deficit that sadly is now appearing in the EU governing infrastructure. Greater efficiency for EU administration should not be secured by sacrificing the...
While membership of the European community has been extremely positive for Ireland in many areas including the economy, education, the environment, protection of wildlife habitats, women's rights and social justice, nevertheless there is a serious democratic discrepancy in the Lisbon Reform Treaty.In the first instance, Bertie Ahern was quoted as saying it is 90% the same document as the EU Constitution that was voted against by the electorate of France and the Netherlands, then quickly withdrawn by its promoters before it was thrown out by further countries. Two of our primary political leaders insult those who believe in the democratic importance of referenda namely, An Taoiseach by stating that he has not read the whole Treaty and our European Commissioner by saying only a lunatic...
Well, you would be right. Before I start into 2008, let me first thank all the visitors to the site during last year and indeed, at any time since I started the site. I'd do the things I do...
A Green Shamrock Car Float in a St. Patricks; Day...
Last Thursday I marched in Dublin as party of the International Writers Day of Support for the WGA strike in the USA. There was a strong turn-out of members from the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild, and other supporters such as Conor Kostick who represented the Irish Writers Union. After we donned t-shirts and mustered placards we marched through the Dublin streets. Several motorists honked in support, and lots of people took photos.
We picketed the Fox Studio office first, and continued down to the Sony office, where we picketed some more. Our protest drew two cop cars at that point, and an assortment of bemused gardaí - it must have been a slow day for our affable gang to attract their attention. Afterwards we adjourned to the IFI for a couple of drinks, and a bit of...
Halloween's Pagan Celtic Roots Today Halloween is joyously celebrated by children across the Western world. There is a popular misconception though that Halloween is a modern American invention. Not so. Like so many other things that have brought great happiness and joy to humanity for millennia, its roots lay firmly in the culture of the Irish Celts!Though it has to be said that the Americans, in their re-packaging & commercialisation of this ancient pagan festival, have destroyed much of the traditions that once were such an integral part of the festivities. For instance our Celtic custom of placing human skulls with candles at entrances to domestic dwellings in order to ward off evil spirits has been replaced by lights in hollowed-out pumpkins! Likewise the visits of children...
An Irishman's Guide tothe History of the WorldPart Two: India & PakistanIreland's Seismic Impact on the Indian sub-continentThough we Irish did not build the Taj Mahal, write the Kamasutra or take credit for ancient India's pioneering of plastic surgery and dentistry, nevertheless our little island of Ireland with its minuscule population lying at the very western edge of Europe had and still continues to have a notable influence on the history and politics of the vast Indian sub-continent.Individual Irish men/women and Ireland’s struggle for nationhood profoundly effected the Indian independence movement, its appearance onto the international stage & the forging of a pan-India identity. Our people educated many of modern India’s and Pakistan’s leadership and helped launch...
With an estimated 7,000-8,000 living locally, Polish people form by far the biggest non-national group in Galway city. This translates to 1 in every 7 inhabitants! Yet in spite of the arrival of such a huge number in the space of a few short years, Poles have fitted in quite well into Irish society and there has been little or no antagonism which reflects well on all sides.However, it is felt that these huge numbers have not yet translated into an effective cohesive community.So some locally-based Poles have set up 'The Galway Irish – Polish Association' as a national cultural and social group. They are organising a 'get-to-know you' walk in the Oranmore area on Sunday 9th Sept.Called the 'INTEGRATIONAL WALK' the meeting point will be at the Fountain in Eyre Square at 12.30pm with the...
Patriotism is your conviction that your country is superior to all others because you were born in it.George Bernard ShawI just love that quote from Shaw; it should provide a reality check to us all.We have no say in where we are born and our birthplace confers on us no special powers or higher intellect. No matter what our nationality, creed or race, we all bleed red blood when our arms are cut.Though extremely proud of my Irish pedigree, nevertheless I despise those of my countrymen who feel that today they are a step above all others & that being Irish gives them a special licence to misbehave especially when abroad. It is great that Ireland's new found wealth has given our people a growing sense of national self-confidence and that we now aspire to be world leaders in so many...
Ireland's Role in Saving the WorldPart 1: The History of Austria as seen through 'Green-tinted' GlassesIn my travels overseas I am always amazed at how many times I am screamed at by foreigners in an Irish bar-usually after they have consumed four pints of Guinness, two Jameson whiskies and one Bailey's Cream Liqueur and completed a rendition of 'The Irish Rover', with the eternal question, "OK then, what the hell did the Irish ever do for us?"My long, detailed and comprehensive answer usually leads them dumbstruck and lost for words (or maybe that is the result of the drink- who knows).Anyway...Though brutally oppressed and occupied by those nasty British for over 800 years, nevertheless we Irish managed to take time out from our own never-ending struggles to help raise the torch of...
The most cunning, the most devious of them all ? This guy wouldn't make it past the first count in a five seater... In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, bloodshed ...
The light of the sun - Lesser Celandines (ranunculus ficaria, aka pilewort) in bloom in woodland in Co. Clare. The clocks go forward, the sun shines for a couple of days and suddenly, it seems like summer. The...
St. Patrick’s Day is Ireland’s national holiday and understandably St. Patrick himself is looked on as the personification of all that is Irish.Yet he and so much of the traditions associated with the Festival have their origins far beyond our green shamrock shores.So for instance:St. Patrick- British & Roman!1. St. Patrick himself was actually Romano-British, the son of a Roman official that was taken as a slave by Irish sea raiders probably from near Carlisle (at Hadrian’s Wall) in northern Britain in the early 5th century. Even his adopted name is not Gaelic, coming from the Latin term ‘Patricius' (noble).Yet, as we say in Ireland, the invader/foreigner oftentimes becomes 'more Irish than the Irish themselves' (except for the Northern Irish Unionists of course!) Though brutally...
I had a fun weekend attending P-Con IV in Dublin. There were lots of amiable, interesting guests, good panels, and long discussions on matters pertaining to science fiction, fantasy and horror in literature and comics. Frank Darcy and his team did a bang-up job of putting together a friendly and accessible convention.
It's always a treat to be in the company of people who want to discuss genre work, and are knowledgeable about the subject. Even for a small convention like P-Con it's amazing how little time you get to catch up with everyone. I'll have to squeeze in some extra time for that at Octocon (Alastair Reynolds has just been announced as Guest of Honour of this year's convention). Apart from the people I'll be seeing in Japan for WorldCon. I don't know if I'll be able to attend...
I've started working on a very part-time basis for the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild. Mostly, I'm working on streamlining their web site and maintaining their electronic newsletter. An early stripped-down version of the Guild site is now live. It's serving up basic information at the moment, and I hope to add extra features over time.
As one would expect, the Guild is not overflowing with cash, so I'm doing my best on a limited budget. It is thanks to the munificence and foresight of funding bodies like the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board that I've been able to begin work on our long-term plans.
I've started up a Guild Blog to better serve up regular information on funding, competitions, courses, awards, and news pertinent to Irish playwrights and screenwriters. I...
The great Gaels of IrelandAre the men that God made madFor all their wars are merry,And all their songs are sad-G.K, Chesteron, famous English...
The greatest day in the Irish calendar - St. Patrick's Day - is now to go the way of other important religious, celebratory and national days.For the Galway City Business Association has decided to break with a centuries old tradition by announcing that retail outlets will open for business. In so doing, they are helping to undermine family and spiritual life in Ireland.Over the last few decades, the insatiable appetite to make money has taken precedence over all other human needs. Led by the big supermarket chains such as Dunnes Stores, Sundays are no longer a shop-free day, nor Thursdays & Fridays in Race Week, nor Easter Sunday.Under financial pressure, small businesses have gradually found that they had to follow suit.Even for the non-religious, these days once had a uniqueness and...
"Being Born in a Stable does not make you a Horse" -Duke of Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, referring to his Irish birth. Wellington's comment, with its allusions to Christ's birth in a stable, obviously portray's his resentment that he was born in a country inhabited by a people that his imperialist aristocratic pedigree felt were an inferior...
Two women were talking in the shop the other day. "Sure won't belong now till the races""That's right races and then the summers over""Right you are. Races, then ready for school, school opens and the shops have the Christmas stuff out""Agh now""It's true, I'm tellen' ya. Went to the shops last year for the Halloween gear,which they had of course; the very next row was lined with the tree decorations.""Ah, go on""Honest to God""Sickening!" "That it is"There you have it, already they're talking about Christmas and it's not even July.Here's an end of summer/autumn poem:Under Hogan’s WillowThe lover’s cheeks puff syllablesof loyalty pure,bleached;b’neath the shaded eaveof Hogan’s willow,before the kissing endsand the flailing of armsthe maiming of promisesbegin....
Whoa,I've just spent about an hour trying to get in here to post. Since it's been quite a while since my last post, (no computer)I guess an hour more wasn't too bad. Anyway, I am trying to find out how to make a webcast, but haven't gotten through all that's needed.Today is a very cold day, we've had hail and the news even showed us the snowplows that are ready to go in Dublin if we get the snowfall that is expected. All very reassuring if you live in Dublin that is. There wasn't much noise coming about all the other counties that may need snowplowing, but we'll see what happens.When I eventually get to the webcast thing, you'll hear this poem, but for now, just black and white.PremonitionIn a freeze framemomentyou know what's happening.A snake coils,the hair on a cat's back is...
"May You be in Heaven One Hour before the Devil Knows You're Dead!" -Traditional Irish drinking...
There is a very interesting article in today's British Independent regarding the rehabilitation of Oscar Wilde by the Catholic Church.For someone that was jailed for homosexual activities and led a bacchanalian lifestyle, this is extraordinary.Oscar's well-publicised witticisms sometimes displayed a carefree slovenly attitude that would have greatly upset society's religious and moral guardians. For example,"I can resist everything except temptation""Work is the curse of the drinking classes""Morality is simply an attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike""Some people say there is no God: others say there is no God. The truth probably lies somewhere in between."Yet I believe that these sayings were said 'tongue in cheek' and represented a witty send up of the stated...
December 31st 2006Violent storms sweep Ireland.The coastal seaside resort of Salthill in Galway City experiences severe flooding.Isn't time that the Irish and Galway authorities wake up to the reality of climate change and place a moratorium on all building and associated development along our floodplains and seashores?What is going on in Oranmore and is planned for Roscam sadly says...
Christmas Eve: Preparing Santa's Food & Drink My youngest son Dáire preparing the food and drink for Santa's visit.He leaves milk for Santa and a carrot for each of his accommpanying reindeers. To avoid confusion, Dáire placed the name of each individual reindeer ('Donner', 'Blitzen', 'Comet'...)above the appropiate piece of carrot!The FireplaceProbably a bit over-decorated!Christmas Morning- Dáire's Christmas PresentsPlaced at the base of the Christmas Tree, by Santa of course!!Christmas Morning- Children Come a Calling!A visit from some of Dáire's friends as they comparing their toys and gifts(Cepta is in the background on the left talking to our neighbour Josephine...
Christmas is not a good time to be separated from family and loved ones. Especially if that separation is due to war, famine or poverty.So as someone involved in working with asylum seekers on a weekly basis (through my computer Internet Outreach classes) Christmas, I and other support agencies personnel decided to help organise something really special for the residents of the Eglinton Hotel Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre.Through the residents' committee, we planned an exciting fun-packed party that took place the week before Christmas. It went like clockwork thanks particularly to the hardwork of Karen Winner (a professional clown!), Maeve & Adrienne from the Health Board, my two ever-reliable Iraqi friends Adil & Huda and Mayor of Galway City.There were hundreds of gift-...
I must be living on a different planet to the people in 'Irish Business Against Litter' (IBAL)!Their recent national survey released yesterday states that Galway City has achieved 'litter free status'.While respecting IBAL's excellent work in improving litter awareness amongst both the public and local authoritites as well as knowing at first hand the concerted efforts of Galway City Council in cleaning our streets, nevertheless this statement is a total distortion of the facts and creates a false persception of the true situation which can only damage the enviromental campaigning. For how true are IBAL's results in other jurisdictions if the facts in Galway do not match their assertions?So what areas did they actually visit within the city boundaries?Yes, there have been improvements in...