IRISH HERITAGE NETWORK No 8, June 2009 PRINT POST APPROVED PP 336663/00047

An innate right to land Kevin Cahill

The life and times of Arthur Calwell Mary Elizabeth Calwell

Tinteán No 8, June 2009 Tinteán is a publication of the Contents Australian Irish Heritage Network Regulars PO Box 13095, Law Courts, 2 Letters: Environmental omissions, St Patrick’s Day and more connections , 8010 3 Editorial: Patrick Finucane Conference 2009, Bernie Brophy Tel 03 9670 8865 4 What's on Email [email protected] 6 News: Speaking Irish; Irish Australian of the Year; St Brigid's; St Kevin’s Web http://tintean.org.au 8 News: St Patrick’s Day events Published four times per annum 10 Music: A step backwards in technology, Stuart Traill ABN 13643653067 11 Bolg an tSoláthair / Odds & Ends Val Noone ISSN 1835-1093 12 Miscellany Joseph Murphy 15 Irish language: Craiceann Geal – Croí Marbh, Bearnaí Ó Doibhlin Editor: 21 Poetry Neil McCarthy Liz McKenzie Features Deputy Editor: 14 The Red Ribbon Agitation, Peter Kiernan Felicity Allen 16 Dublin’s Hero Priest, Michael Doyle Business Manager: 17 The continuing saga of the Irish economy, Felicity Allen Rob Butler 18 PM disputes Ireland’s patron saint, Patrick McNamara Advertising: 22 The Irish War of Independence through Australian eyes, Joice Nankivell Loch Rob Butler, tel 03 9670 8865 24 Who owns the world? Kevin Cahill Production: 26 St Mary’s: vigilantes or in control? Frances Devlin-Glass Andrew Macdermid 29 Brigid and her sisters, Dianne Hall Other workers on this issue: 30 No more memoirs, Chris Ashton Peter Kiernan, Frances Devlin-Glass, 32 Calwell: committed to Christian humanitarianism, Mary Elizabeth Calwell Bob Glass, Catherine Arthur, Meg 44 Suicide rates in Ireland, Felicity Allen McNena, Kate Clifford, Rob Butler, Don McKenzie, John McMahon, Reviews Maureen Pollard, Elizabeth Benfell 34 A politician who divides opinion, Bill Anderson 35 The Last Salon of Lady Wilde, Ellie Kenealy Views expressed in the articles, 36 The Churches and Climate Change, Len Puglisi letters and advertisements are 38 Protagonist and antagonist in the intellectual ferment, Morag Fraser AM those of the contributors and not 40 Glendalough: The mother lode, Robert J F Butler necessarily those of the Australian 41 Down the decades with The Link and Nuácht, Mattie Lennon Irish Heritage Network or of the 42 History & the Irish language question, Frances Devlin-Glass, Patrick McNamara editor. 42 Speak of the Dead, Robert J F Butler 43 Feisty lady, Felicity Allen The Australian Irish Heritage Network Objectives is to explore and celebrate the playing out of the Irish heritage The Australian Irish Heritage Network aims to build the social, in – past, present and future. cultural, sporting, historical and literary consciousness of Irish Activities and to explore and celebrate the development of As well as the magazine, AIHN plans to conduct social and Irish heritage and culture in Australia. educational events; disseminate news and information via Principal Activity the internet; offer recognition for service to literary and his- As its first priority, AIHN produces the literary magazine torical endeavours; issue cultural and political comment; and Tinteán (meaning hearth in Gaelic and pronounced ‘Tintawne’ research and record our heritage. – the fada on the á giving the syllable the dominant stress Membership and the ‘augh’ sound, as in ‘taught’). The focus of the maga- Anyone identifying with Irish heritage is welcome to join. zine is to build and explore the Australian Irish identity. The AIHN Committee 2008–2009 magazine welcomes material which explores the big themes President: Peter Kiernan of exile, diaspora and settlement. It also encourages the tell- Vice-President: Frances Devlin-Glass ing of the micro-stories that express narratives of individuals Secretary: Bob Glass and families. There will be a continual study of the political Treasurer: Patrick McNamara and economic evolution of Ireland, and of the contribution Committee Members: Felicity Allen, Catherine Arthur, Rob which Irish-Australians have made to Australia. The intention Butler, Don McKenzie, Liz McKenzie

Tinteán June 2009 1 Letters

Environmental omissions on this occasion that I literally met my When I lived in Melbourne in the In Tinteán issue 7, the reviewers of match and my life was organised, for the 1980s, I was involved with the Welfare Golden Years, Grounds for Hope pre- better, from that date. Bureau and a few weeks ago called in sented a laudatory coverage of the How things have changed! Today, no to see Marian O’Hagan when I was in book, and dealt at length with social and march, and a St Patrick’s Day breakfast Melbourne for a conference. religious dimensions of the 1950–1960s masquerading as a party political event. I was aware of the tragic death of Newman Society phenomenon at the Robert O’Byrne, Shoreham, Vic. another boyhood friend in Melbourne , but they failed (Richie Grace, active in the GAA Keys- to deal with an important strand in the More Connecticut connections borough) through a trench collapse in book – earth-consciousness. Greg Den- I found Tinteán issue 6 very interesting the late 1980s or early 1990s and the ing’s intentions that the book should regarding the Connecticut connections. fate of other friends or sons of friends embody a contemporary direction The reference to Thomas Kelly could who came to grief whilst living or visit- entailed a major section dedicated to an possibly concern a local of the same ing here. ‘earth’ (and environment) theme. name who died in 1898, aged 75, but Keep up the excellent work of Tint- The reviewers fail to mention this whose daughter went to the USA in the eán! pivotal reorientation towards a new 1890s and never returned. Slán go foil/Cheers. religious consciousness. Neither do they But more interesting was the refer- Noel Ryan, Brisban, QLD acknowledge anthropologist-historian ence to the Drum/Maher families. It is Dening’s attempts to introduce us to over 60 years since I met Michael and Literary deep-time dimensions of culture and (I¿HDQGDOVR(OL]DEHWK 'UXP 0DKHU Go raibh maith agat mar an ‘Tinteán’. human formation. Nor earth scientist of the Minyip area. In fact, a daughter of Tá sé go sármhaith. Jim Bowler’s introduction of the same -RKQ DQG (OL]DEHWK 0DKHU PDUULHG P\ I have sent around your subscription theme including reference to aboriginal wife’s brother, Vincent Delahunty, and form so hopefully some friends will take perspectives. Nor engineer and natural- two Drums, of whom Michael was the it up. ist Geoff Lacey’s exposition of the sig- uncle, married into the Delahunty fam- You might be interested to know QL¿FDQFH RI ORFDO QDWXUDO VHWWLQJV 1RU ily, my wife’s cousins – a real circle of that the Limerick Journal brought out a this writer’s urbanist attempts to bring to relationships. special Australian issue some years ago. light Newman Society awakenings from Also in that article is a photo of a There are sure to be articles of interest the 1950s and religious explorations on Maureen Delahunty of Connecticut in for your readers. human-nature themes from around the about 1850-60. A Daniel Delahunty, my I am very glad my poem reached one world. None of these did the reviewers wife’s relation, went to America, so with or two in Australia and I would like to ¿QGZRUWK\RIPHQWLRQ this in mind I will contact Neil Hogan contribute again to your journal some- Are we to make of these absences of the Connecticut Society. You never time. Just say the word. that human-dominant perspectives still know. Beir Beannacht. prevail in the face of what writers like Ewan Neeson, Casterton, Vic. John Liddy, Limerick Fr Sean McDonagh and Dening are Interested readers may contact Sheila seeking to bring to our attention? And in Brinn, Liddy and Ryan Deegan at the Limerick Corporation at the face of what he and many others call Dia dhíbh/G’day. DUWVRI¿FH#OLPHULFNFLW\LH irreversible threats to the future of life I am one of the broadcasters on the on earth? I hope not, but I fear so. Irish Program 4EBFM 98.1 in A (Len) Puglisi, urban environmental and it was my turn to broadcast the pro- The Early History planner, Melbourne gram on Saturday, 14 March 2009. Len Puglisi reviews a book on climate Apart from playing the agreed pre- of Kells, Part One change by Fr Sean McDonagh at p 36 recorded message (contra deal between A 30 minute DVD dealing with the Tinteán and ourselves), I gave a brief founding of the monastery at Kells, St Patrick’s Day at Hilliers overview of the contents of Tinteán St Colmcille, the Book of Kells and My compliments to Patrick McNamara issue 7. the coming of the Vikings. It is a high et al for their great article in the last I was saddened to read the poem ‘Ger quality professional production, issue of Tinteán on the St Patrick’s Day Brinn Dies In Australia’ by the poet narrated by local historians. It was launched in Kells on 7th December March of the 1950s. I was a marcher in John Liddy. I knew both growing up in 2008, and produced by Kells Media those days. Like the principal author, I Rathbane, Limerick City, though they Productions, a small voluntary local was also persuaded to assist in lessen- were a couple of years younger than I. I production company. ing the overcrowding in St Patrick’s was unaware that the late Ger Brinn was Available for €15/$25 (incl. postage). Cathedral for Benediction by electing living in Australia, let alone that he had Further information from: Danny Cusack, to forego this celebration in favour of died in some tragedy. The poem doesn’t 7 Canon St, Kells, Co Meath, Ireland; a milkshake at Hilliers in Collins Street really provide details of the timing or [email protected] with some girls from Kilmaire. It was circumstances of the sad event.

2 Tinteán June 2009 Patrick Finucane Conference 2009 Pat Finucane was a busy and successful criminal lawyer prac- tising in , . On Sunday 12 February1989, Pat was having his evening meal with his wife Geraldine and his three children then aged 9, 13 and 17 when a gang of armed men burst into his home and executed him in the presence of his family. A total of 14 bullets entered his head, neck and torso; one bullet to his head was shot from a range of 15 inches. The Ulster Defence Asso- ciation, a loyalist paramilitary group, claimed responsibility for the murder. In 1993 I met Pat’s son Michael, in Belfast. He was trying to draw attention to his father’s murder and to the fact that no one had been charged over his death. He asked for my support. He was then studying law. He is now a solicitor practising in Dublin and his younger brother John, is also a lawyer, practis- ing in Belfast. I am a Committee member of the Brehon Law Society of Australia which among other things, looks at the abuse of civil rights in Northern Ireland. I was invited by British Irish Rights Watch to attend a conference on Pat’s murder. British Irish Rights Watch is a civil rights organisation operating out of London. It is an independent non-government ERG\WKDWPRQLWRUVWKHKXPDQULJKWVGLPHQVLRQRIWKHFRQÀLFW and the peace process in Northern Ireland. To mark the 20th anniversary of the murder of Pat Finucane, the group arranged a conference at Trinity College, Dublin on the weekend of 14/15 February 2009. Michael Finucane and Bernie Brophy Bernie Brophy The conference celebrated Pat’s life and legacy. He was an innovative and inspirational lawyer. His family has cam- Tony Blair. He also discussed the failure of the British govern- paigned for an independent public inquiry into Pat’s murder ment to provide protection for Rosemary Nelson, a lawyer who and law societies and human rights groups throughout the was murdered by a Loyalist car bomb in March 1999. world have echoed this call. /HDGLQJ (QJOLVK EDUULVWHU 0LFKDHO 0DQV¿HOG 4& VDLG Approximately 200 people, including lawyers and civil there could be no lasting peace in Ireland until there is jus- rights activists from Northern Ireland and the Republic, Eng- tice and justice must be built upon the full disclosure of the land and the U.S.A, attended the conference. Also in attendance truth. He outlined the drive by the British Government to keep was Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein M.P. from West Belfast. inquests out of the public eye. The Inquiries Act 2005 allows Speakers included Geraldine Finucane, Pat’s widow; Cana- the Home Secretary to issue ‘restriction orders’ on an inquest, dian former Supreme Court Judge, Judge Peter Cory; leading enabling the withholding of evidence from the Coroner. It is a %ULWLVKKXPDQULJKWVODZ\HU0LFKDHO0DQV¿HOG4&WKHIRU- transparent attempt to conceal the role of Government security mer U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges agencies and the political establishment’s role in ‘controver- and Lawyers, Param Cumaraswamy; Mike Ritchie, The Direc- sial’ killings. tor of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, North- Another speaker, Peter Madden, is a solicitor practising in ern Ireland’s foremost human rights group; Justice Treacy, a Belfast and Pat Finucane’s law partner. He has been acting for Judge of the High Court in Northern Ireland; and John Ware, the Finucane family. He outlined the latest developments in a distinguished B.B.C journalist who uncovered the role of the quest for a public inquiry into Pat’s death. He said,‘We will 0LOLWDU\,QWHOOLJHQFHDQG58&6SHFLDO%UDQFKRI¿FHUVLQWKH ¿QGRXWZKRNLOOHG3DW)LQXFDQHDQGHVSHFLDOO\ZKRRUGHUHG murder of Pat Finucane. it, who is accountable’. In 2001, Judge Cory was asked by the British Government 7KHKLJKSUR¿OHVSHDNHUVZHUHDOOLPSUHVVLYHLQWKHLUVLQJOH to inquire into the circumstances surrounding Pat’s murder. minded determination to obtain answers to the question as to After an inquiry lasting 23 months he found that from the whether the British Government was complicit in the killing of PDWHULDOKHH[DPLQHGWKHUHZDVµGLVFORVHGVXI¿FLHQWHYLGHQFH one of its own citizens. of collusion to indicate that there should be a public inquiry.’ Pat Finucane studied law at Trinity College Dublin and as This recommendation has not been acted upon. an undergraduate had played soccer for the University and was Param Cumaraswamy conducted an investigation in 1995 captain of the University Club. On Sunday 15 February 2009 in Northern Ireland and was convinced that the police were a game was played in his honour and following this a bench systematically harassing defence lawyers. He believed that Pat overlooking College Park was dedicated to his memory Finucane’s death undermined the rule of law in Northern Ire- %XWWKH¿JKWIRUDSXEOLFLQTXLU\LQWR3DW)LQXFDQH¶VGHDWK land. He was concerned that there was no judicial inquiry into goes on. his death despite assurances given to him by the British PM Bernie Brophy

Tinteán June 2009 3 What’s on

Bloomsday in Melbourne National Celtic Festival Friday 5 - Sunday 8 June 2009 Wilde about Joyce

Celebrate the double birthday bash at Portarlington Annual festival to celebrate James Joyce Tuesday, 16 June 2009 For the seventh year, Portarlington will host the National Celtic Festival. Back in 1759 Arthur Guinness first signed the lease on the Program: St James’ Gate brewery in Dublin, from where that famous ‘black liq- 1:00pm and 8:00pm: Theatrical entertainment, Wilde about Joyce, uidation with the froth on the top’ has poured forth ever since. That Queen’s Hall, State Library of same year, on the other side of the Irish Sea, Robbie Burns was born. 3:15pm: Seminar, Celtic Club, Melbourne Burns, ‘Ploughman Poet’, became the voice of Scotland’s humble 6:00pm: Dinner, Wilde at the Celtic Club rural folk, penning such classics as Auld Lang Syne, My Love is Like a Red Red Rose and the Ode to Haggis. Bob Glass 03 9898 2900 www.bloomsdayinmelbourne.org.au For Guinness’ 250th, a concert celebrating all things Irish is planned, with snippets of different performers, including international head- liners, with dancing and every different of Irish music. Reading Circle The festival will honour Robbie Burns with a more traditional format celebrating the Scottish bard’s work through a host of different Ned Kelly – Hero or Villain? performers including singers, dancers, pipers and musicians. A world class line-up of performers will hit the stages at Portarling- Celtic Club, Melbourne ton’s welcoming venues, including The Ol’ Duke, Celtic Club, the new 2:00 – 4:30pm, Sunday, 14 June 2009 improved Wine Bar, Parks Hall and the Village stage, set amongst the This is a FREE event Celtic Market. The international acts include Derek Warfield with his new band The The Celtic Club’s Cultural Heritage Committee has established a Young Wolfe Tones, soloist Gavin Moore, and the hot young Irish Reading Circle program to promote literary discussion and interest group, Gráda. in our Australian Irish heritage. The line-up for 2009 also includes: Bhan Tre, Braemar, Catherine All club members and other interested persons Fraser & Duncan Smith, Claymore, Dalriada, Dram, Eilean Mòr, Gibb are warmly invited to join the Reading Circle. Todd, Liminality, Maria Forde, McAlpine’s Fusiliers, Melbourne Scot- tish Fiddle Club, Oriel Glennen, Red Cat, Saoirse, Siobhan Owen, For further information contact: Squeebz, Trouble in the Kitchen, The Fiddle Chicks, The Message, Phillip Moore 03 9850 4468 [email protected] Wheelers and Dealers, Zeptepi, as well as dance troops, choirs, pipe or Helen at the Celtic Club 03 9670 6472 bands and much more.

The National Celtic Festival presents a diverse workshop program Celtic Soiree that offers the chance to dive in to the Celtic experience and learn a new skill or try something new, such as speaking Gaelic, unleashing Winter Solstice Celebration your inner Lord of the Dance, or playing the bagpipes. 7:30pm, Sunday, 5 July 2009 St Carthage’s, 123 Royal Parade, Parkville Contact: Rochelle Smith 0409 995 638 [email protected] The program, in the Celtic Tradition, will feature: Una McAlinden 0403 192 631 [email protected] t"BSPO4FBSMFT-JBHBO5SJP XJUI*SJTI 4DPUUJTI $BQF#SFUPO  or www.nationalcelticfestival.com.au Quebecois music & song t$BUSJPOB%FWMJO TIBSJOHUIFQPFNTPG3PCCJF#VSOT in the Celtic Spoken Word tradition Irish Studies Association of Australia t.BSZ5PSQZ%VP *SJTI"VTUSBMJBOGPMLTPOHT and New Zealand and modern composition

16th Conference Entry fee: $15pp ($10 concession): pay on arrival Ireland and the Irish Antipodes: One World or Worlds Apart Proudly sponsored by the Melbourne Celtic Club’s Cultural Heritage Committee. Thurs 9 – Sun 12 July 2009 Massey University, Wellington, NZ Co-ordinated by Beris Heasly & Marlene Shanahan Contact: Dr Brad Patterson, [email protected] tel: 03 9670 6472 fax: 03 9670 5153 Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, NZ www.celticclub.com.au [email protected]

4 Tinteán June 2009 Lake School Australian Irish Welfare Bureau 11th Lake School Launch Afternoon Tea & Dance Saturday, 4 July 2009 Mickey Bourke’s Hotel, Koroit 2:00pm–5:30pm The 11th Lake School of Celtic Music Song and Dance will be Last Sunday each month at the Celtic Club, Melbourne launched on Saturday, 4 July 2009 at Mickey Bourke’s Hotel, Koroit. The induction of Paddy Fitzgerald as a Legend of the Lake by Mary Fiorini-Lowell (Mary Bourke) will be featured. Donegal Association Dennis Taberner, Margie Brophy and Christine Meagher will also be inducted as Life Members of the Lake School. Dinner Dance The Paddy O’Neill award band, Dram, will perform. The 11th Lake School will be held Saturday, 20 June 2009 from Sunday 3 – Friday 8 January 2010. Celtic Club, Melbourne John Rodden 0410 595 495 Contact: Felix Meagher 0413 801294 [email protected] www.lakeschool.bushwahzee.com St Patrick’s Festival Committee Christmas in July Mary MacKillop Mass Saturday, 18 July 2009 Saturday 15 August at 7pm Janet Hallal 0407 887 992 Central Hall, Australian Catholic University, 18 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Australian Catholic History Society The Music Glenelg Festival Singers and the Box Hill Chorale, in association with the choir of Australian Catholic University and the Conference: Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, present the Melbourne Catholics in Australian Public Life since 1788 premiere of the ‘Mary MacKillop Mass’, a new work by Australian composer Nicholas Buc celebrating the life of Mary MacKillop. 9:30am – 5:00pm, Saturday,12 September 2009 Catholic Institute of , Strathfield Contact: Bob Glass on 98982900 www.boxhillchorale.org.au John Luttrell 02 9752 9513 [email protected]

Kilmore Celtic Festival Melbourne Irish Studies Seminars

Friday 26 – Sunday 28 June 2nd Semester 2009 Program Saturday all day: Non-stop live Celtic music Sunday: The Celtic Banquet 6:15pm, Tuesdays as per schedule Newman College, Melbourne tel: 03 5781 1711 www.kilmore.info/celticfestival Contact: Dr Philip Bull [email protected]

Irish History and Culture Australian Irish Heritage Network Shamrock in the Bush Stand By! St Clement’s, Galong Thursday 6 – Sunday 9 August The Australian Irish Heritage Network will be hosting a theatre night www.shamrockinthebush.org.au at the Celtic Club for all Tinteán subscribers and AIHN members on Wednesday 7 October 2009 at 7:00pm. Irish History Circle The star of the night will be Rod Quantock, about whom nothing should be said. 8:00pm, each 3rd Monday, Celtic Club, Melbourne Issue 9 of Tinteán in early September will have final details. Please Dan O’Connor 03 5938 6326 [email protected] make a note of the date in your diary now.

Tinteán June 2009 5 News

State pays €700,000 to teach made an award for the Irish Australian SUR¿W RUJDQLVDWLRQ WKDW DUUDQJHV HYHQWV Irish in colleges overseas of the Year in 1984. Its winners are in the Melbourne Irish community, with Universities across the globe are being chosen for their tireless voluntary work the proceeds being donated to worthy grant-aided by the Government to get and commitment to the Irish and broader causes, including the Welfare Bureau. more people speaking Irish. From Poland communities. 7KH'RQHJDO$VVRFLDWLRQÀRDWLQ6W3DW- to the Czech Republic and across the )URPDYHU\VWURQJ¿HOGWKHUHFLSLHQW rick’s Day processions was an enjoyable Atlantic to North America, third-level of the award for 2009 is Jim Leonard. sight. institutions are receiving a total of Jim has a passion for ensuring that Typically in the unhappy circum- €700,000 this year to promote Irish. In his community is a better place to be, by VWDQFHVRIWKHUHFHQWEXVK¿UHVDIDPLO\ all, more than 40 universities and other assisting those less fortunate – the old RI¿YHZKRORVWHYHU\WKLQJIRXQGDVDIH WKLUGOHYHO FROOHJHV DUH EHQH¿WLQJ IURP and frail, senior citizens, local schools haven at the Leonards’ home. the grant aid to support and develop the and kindergartens May the good work continue. teaching of Irish abroad in 2009. Jim is a model for what the Austra- Marion O’Hagan The largest single sum (€231,000 ) lian community hopes every immigrant has been granted to the Fulbright Com- would be – prepared to work and deter- Friends of St Brigid’s, Koroit PLVVLRQ±±WKHRI¿FLDOFXOWXUDOH[FKDQJH mined to make a go of it in his adopted The Friends of St Brigid’s received a program between the Irish and US gov- FRXQWU\ +H LV DQ RXWVWDQGLQJ H[DPSOH courtesy phone call from a local real ernments. of the community-minded immigrant HVWDWHDJHQWWRDGYLVHWKDWDQRWL¿FDWLRQ Minister for Community, Rural and who, once settled, looks after other new WRGHFODUHD¿YHZHHNWHQGHUSURFHVVIRU Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon Ó Cuiv said VHWWOHUV 7KH PD[LP WKDW µD VWUDQJHU LV the sale of St Brigid’s Church and Hall in that the Ciste na Gaeilge Subsidiary Fund only a friend that one hasn’t met yet’ Crossley would appear in the Warrnam- for Third-Level Institutions, which was aptly applies. bool Standard on Saturday 16th May. A established in 2006, was assisting institu- Jim’s generosity is well known in Ire- meeting of members of FOSB or anyone tions around the world to provide Irish land. Travellers know that on arrival they from the wider community who might language and Celtic studies programs. will receive a warm welcome – not only be able to assist in the Tender process 7KH SURJUDPV RIIHUHG DQ H[FHOOHQW an invitation for a meal, but also accom- was held on Monday the 18th May at the opportunity to present the Irish language PRGDWLRQXQWLOWKH\¿QGZRUNWKHQKHOS Crossley Hall at 8pm. It is vital that these to the academic community worldwide, ZLWK¿QGLQJSHUPDQHQWDFFRPPRGDWLRQ buildings are kept in public hands and not he stressed. In a three-year period 16 people have VDFUL¿FHGIRUSULYDWHGHYHORSPHQW ‘They will give the Irish language resided in this ‘home away from home’. For further information please contact equal status to other European languages A gentle unassuming Irish Australian, FOSB secretary, Teresa on 0355687239 being taught abroad. In addition, many -LP LV ¿HUFHO\ SURXG RI KLV KHULWDJH or 0437363572 or [email protected]. students who study Irish in their own He emigrated from Mountcharles, Co au or go to our website: web.me.com/ countries continue their studies here in Donegal, in 1968. Jim and Pam Fitzger- goanna/FOSB Ireland. It is wonderful to see students ald married in Melbourne in 1971. Jim from all over the world attending courses still sounds as if he arrived yesterday. Roll in the IMF in the Gaeltacht,’ the Minister added. Pam recalls, ‘When he arrived I couldn’t The average debt for every adult in Ire- Meanwhile, just under €700,000 was understand a thing that he said; in addi- land is €54,000. People are scared for paid out last year to families in the Gael- tion he was deaf in one ear and didn’t themselves and for the future of their WDFKWZKRDUHÀXHQWLQ,ULVK hear with the other.’ children. Sceim Labhairt na Gaeilge provides For many years as the Youth Chair- People are angry that an incredibly for a grant of €260 per household in man of his Lions Club, Jim devoted massively overpaid and featherbedded the Gaeltacht where Irish is the spoken himself to organising Christmas camps public service is escaping real pain. language. The children are tested by for underprivileged children. He served Teachers on a salary of €63,000 euro inspectors from the Department of Com- on a steering committee to establish a (€75,000, if you include pension) object munity, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. local Blue Light Disco that has now to making a higher contribution to their If their level of spoken Irish is up to been running for more than 16 years. pension and pay a levy on their sal- scratch, the household is awarded the full When the viability of the St Vincent de ary. Senior State workers earn at least grant. Where an inspector believes there Paul conference in Diamond Creek was €54,000 above the European average, is potential for the required standard to threatened, Jim took over as President some earn double the European average. be reached within three years, a grant of and assisted in building up an active The pay scale for the Librarian in The 50% is awarded. branch. Jim also volunteered at the National University of Ireland in Galway Brian McDonald, Dublin Austin Hospital, Parade College, Wattle is €123,000 to €158,000. (€41,000 is the (Monday April 20 2009) Glen Primary and the Diamond Creek equivalent at California State University) Community Fete. Instead of tackling the problem our gov- Irish Australian of the year 2009 He is a founding member and Presi- HUQPHQWLVH[DFHUEDWLQJLWE\ERUURZLQJ 7KH$XVWUDOLDQ,ULVK:HOIDUH%XUHDX¿UVW dent of the Donegal Association, a non- to pay the bill. As unemployment soars it

6 Tinteán June 2009 seems that the government can only think barristers and judges in Victoria of Irish EUHDGWKDQGSRZHUWKHSURIRXQGH[SHUL- of crippling middle income earners with origin.Frank’s passion was for social jus- ences of the landscapes, traditions and WD[HVDQGOHYLHVSXQLVKLQJWKHGLVDGYDQ- WLFHDQGKLVLQÀXHQFHZDVIDUUHDFKLQJ events that were his life. taged by removing support, destroying nationally and world-wide and has left Among his other writings is ‘Memory FRQ¿GHQFHDQGLQFHQWLYHDQGWKHQEODP- a substantial mark. He will be sadly ,UHODQG¶H[SORULQJKLVUHPLQLVFHQFHVDQG ing international forces for the problems. missed indeed. reactions to contemporary Ireland, espe- Painful as it would be perhaps the Peter Kiernan cially the Hunger strike between March answer rests with the International Mon- and October 1981. etary Fund taking over and implementing St Kevin’s goes to Glendalough +LVSRHPVRQWKLVKRUUL¿FHSLVRGHDUH change such as: St Kevin’s College, Toorak, in its latest acknowledged as the best written on the ‡ 'UDVWLFDOO\ SUXQLQJ WKH 3XEOLF 6HU- newsletter ‘Omnia’, reports on a visit to subject, and were read at the unveiling vice (but not front line workers such as Ireland by its Years 10 and 11 students. of the memorial plaque to the ‘Hunger nurses and Gardai); 22 boys and 4 staff left in early December Strikers’ by Martin McGuiness at Trades ‡&XWWLQJ3XEOLF6HUYLFHSD\ last year to visit Ireland and play Inter- Hall, Melbourne. ‡$EROLVKLQJ4XDQJRV national Rules football against schools (See Morag Fraser’s speech at the ‡$EROLVKLQJWKH+HDOWK6HUYLFH([HF- there. Starting off in Dublin, they played launch of ‘Journey without arrival’ on XWLYH0XFKPRUHHI¿FLHQW3XEOLF+HDOWK St David’s CBS, Artane which they nar- page 38 Ed.) 6HUYLFHPRGHOVH[LVW rowly won 34-32. They crossed to the ‡ $EROLVKLQJ WKH 6RFLDO 3DUWQHUVKLS west coast to play three of the best Gaelic Marie Feeley between Government and Unions; Football schools. In Tuam, Co Galway, It is with considerable sadness that we ‡ $EROLVKLQJ WKH 6HQDWH DQG FXWWLQJ they lost on a waterlogged pitch to St Jar- learned of the passing of Marie Feeley on the number of Dail seats to about a third. lath’s 18-30. After touring south through 13 May last. Marie has been responsible The young people of Ireland have Connemara, The Burren, the Cliffs of for the advertising in Tinteán and, prior courage; they have ability, education and Moher and Killarney, they played Tralee to that, undertook a similar role for Táin the will to make Ireland great. All they CBS Co Kerry and lost 41-51.The last magazine. Despite failing health, she need, and deserve, is a climate of hope to game was played in against Cloáiste remained as energetic as ever and never ¿UHWKHLULQFHQWLYH Chríost Ri (College of Christ the King) lost her enthusiasm for this role. It is time for change. at the Nemo Rangers Football Ground She will be sadly missed as part of the Joseph Murphy, Dublin under lights They played their best foot- team at Tinteán and our sincere condo- ball but against the best opponents and lences are conveyed to her family. The passing of Frank Costigan went down 58-81.After more travelling Q.C. and a visit to Edmund Rice’s original Attributions and omissions It was sad to read of the death of Francis school at Mt Sion, and of course to Glen- The Editor would like to apologies for Xavier Costigan on the 13 April 2009. dalough, the St. Kevin’s team returned the omission of the following attributions He had a long career of some 53 years home before Christmas. WR WKH DUWLFOH µ$ PDJQL¿FHQW PDQ¶ S in the law and was a leader and promi- This trip was such a success that plans – 18 in Issue 4 contributed by: Richard nent barrister for much of it. He leaped are in place for regular visits to Ireland. J Sullivan, writer and historian from into prominence when Malcolm Fraser Peter Kiernan Asheville, North Carolina, USA and Ann appointed him as Royal Commissioner Butler, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA to investigate the Painters and Dock- The Life And Works Of Vincent ZKR VXSSOLHG WKH PDJQL¿FHQW SKRWR- ers Union. In carrying out that much Buckley graphs. Many thanks to both. publicised and high pressure task, he A celebration of the life and Works of Vin- demonstrated his high intelligence and cent Buckley was held on Sunday March IHDUOHVVQHVVH[SRVLQJ FRUUXSWLRQ JUHHG 29th, at the Celtic Club’s Cultural Heritage and abuse of power. Bottom of the har- Committee. It was a rare opportunity Golden Years ERXUVFKHPHVZHUHUHYHDOHGIRUWKH¿UVW WR KHDU UHDGLQJV RI WKH H[FHHGLQJO\ ¿QH time but not the last as we now know. poetry and writings of Vincent Buckley Grounds for hope Frank was a soft-spoken, courteous [1925 – 1988], together with recollections Edited by Val Noone with Terry Blake, man of sharp intellect and subtle sense of his life, by those who were close to him. Mary Doyle and Helen Praetz of humour. He maintained,with dignity, 2QH RI $XVWUDOLD¶V ¿QHVW SRHWV 9LQ- Over fifty contributors argue that the marked and esteemed tradition of the cent Buckley was born in Romsey in their youthful ideals of more than VWURQJ,ULVKLQÀXHQFHRQWKH0HOERXUQH 1925, educated at St Patrick’s College, fifty years ago are still relevant to our Bar, originating from the very earliest East Melbourne, and at Melbourne Uni- present concerns about the future of colonial times, through the building of versity where he would eventually have a the earth and the human race. RXU PDJQL¿FHQW 6XSUHPH &RXUW EDVHG personal chair in literature. on the design of the Four Courts in His poetry speaks of both his Irish and www.rainbowbooks.com.au Dublin) and demonstrated by so many Australian heritage, and matches in its

Tinteán June 2009 7 Victorian Premier honours the Irish diaspora On the eve of St Patrick’s Day, the Pre- Minister for Sport, , in all other immigration combined – which mier of Victoria, the Hon John Brumby his capacity as Minister Assisting the WHUUL¿HGWKHHVWDEOLVKPHQWRIWKHGD\+H MP, held a reception for the Irish com- Premier in Multicultural Affairs. The MC noted the vibrancy of the Irish commu- munity in Melbourne. The venue, the Sir for the evening was George Lakakis, the nity in Victoria, clubs, welfare agencies, 5HGPRQG%DUU\5RRPRQWKHWKÀRRU Chairperson of the Victorian Multicul- language classes, dancing schools, Irish of the ANZ building in Collins Street, tural Commission. music outlets and community groups, the was most spectacular and, as the Premier In a relaxed and entertaining speech, Irish studies programs at the Melbourne alluded to in his speech, quite appropriate the Premier referred in detail to his Irish and La Trobe universities, and the Irish as it was named for an early Irish Austra- ancestry, of which he was obviously community radio programs. He observed lian, one better known for being the judge very proud and knowledgeable. He was the function was being held in the shadow who sentenced Ned Kelly. particularly delighted that his daughter of St Patrick’s Cathedral, outside of which Attending with the Premier, was the had chosen to continue her university stand the statues of Daniel O’Connell studies at Trinity College Dublin. He and and Archbishop – further his wife, whose Irish ancestry is stronger reminders of the contribution of the Irish even than his, were looking forward to In conveying the sympathy of the paying her a visit in Dublin later this year. Irish people to the people of Victoria at The Irish Ambassador, Máirtín O the appalling death and destruction of Fainín, was an honoured guest. Thanking WKHUHFHQWEXVK¿UHVKHSUHVHQWHGDPRVW the Premier for his generosity in acknowl- generous donation of $28,000 to the Vic- edging the Irish community, the Ambas- WRULDQ%XVK¿UH$SSHDO sador commented that for, a period in It was most reassuring to see the Irish the second half of the 19th century, Irish diaspora in Melbourne. immigration to Victoria exceeded that of Rob Butler

John Brumby, the Victorian Premier, with Máirtín O Fainín, the Irish Ambassador at the St Patrick's Eve reception

BUILDING & CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACTORS

Suite 109, 620 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne 3004 Tel: 03 9510 9162 Fax: 03 9510 9164 Patrick McNamara with Patrick McNamara at the St Patrick's Eve reception

8 Tinteán June 2009 Irish government Minister Ó’Cuiv & St Patrick’s Day On 18 March as part of its 2009 cel- done by Minister Ó’Cuiv in the pro- He expressed sympathy to the people of ebrations for the feast of St Patrick, motion and preservation of the Irish Victoria for their suffering and losses Melbourne’s Celtic Club held a recep- language. She delivered her speech in WKURXJK WKH EXVK¿UHV DQG LQ D YHU\ tion attended by representatives of Mel- ÀXHQW*DHOLFDVVXULQJKLPWKDWHIIHFWLYH moving gesture, made a presentation to bourne’s Australian Irish community work was also being done in Australia in President Moloughney: it was a folder to honour Eamon Ó’Cuiv, the visiting that regard. containing letters of sympathy, comfort Minister for Community, Rural and The gathering was then privileged and support from primary school chil- Gaeltacht Affairs in the Irish Dail and, to hear an Irish lament sung by the dren of Roscommon to the children of may we add, the grandson of Eamon de well-known Mossie Scanlon. It was the Kinglake Primary School. It was a Valera. an appropriate and moving interlude, GUDPDWLF DQG ¿WWLQJ HQG WR WKLV YHU\ President Seamus Moloughney wel- beautifully performed by a consummate uplifting reception. comed the Minister and assured him professional. Peter Kiernan/Patrick McNamara that he could not have visited a more Finally, Minister Ó’Cuiv responded, appropriate centre in Australia than ¿UVWO\LQ*DHOLF HYHQQRQ*DHOLFVSHDN- Melbourne’s Celtic Club. He recited ers were entranced) thanking all present WKH YHU\ VLJQL¿FDQW SUHVHQFH RI WKH for the warm welcome which he found ,ULVK LQÀXHQFH DQG GLDVSRUD KHUH DQG overwhelming and universal throughout thanked the Minister for his govern- Australia. He described his dedicated QUINN CIVIL ment’s encouragement and assistance and persistent interest in the Gaeltacht in so many diverse ways. He made a portfolio he held and he was pleased presentation to the Minister. WR UHSRUW RQ WKH VLJQL¿FDQW VXFFHVV KH Deirdre Gillespie then spoke in was achieving in the promotion of the appreciation of the invaluable work Irish language in Ireland and overseas. Specialists in water and sewer infrastructure ‡ Rehabilitation of existing pipes (water, sewer & drainage) ‡Both hydraulic and pneumatic bursting methods available ‡Construction of pump stations and detention The Club President and the Minister who presented the letters of the tanks Roscommon children ‡ Construction of new pipes Quality emergency service

Phone: 03 5940 2955 Mobile: 0418 353 140 Fax: 03 5940 2956 Minister Ó’Cuiv with Eugene O’ Rourke and Eamon Naughton [email protected]

Tinteán June 2009 9 A step backwards in technology

A reader has pointed out that the sheet- The story is that DRM was designed to To get around this, you actually need musicdirect.com service mentioned here be an inherent part of the new digital music to go a step backwards in technology. in our last issue is now available from formats and is intended to discourage 7KHVLPSOHVWZD\LVWRZULWHWKH¿OHVWR Cranbourne music. They don’t have in- wanton copying of copyrighted material. CD using something like Nero Express. store terminals that you can play around It acts as a limit on the number of copies This has to be done on the same computer with, instead you have to ask at the coun- you can make and the devices that you can that you used to do the download because ter and they will do the search on your copy to. It will also prevent you changing that’s where the DRM licences will now behalf. But it is a start and I have always ¿OH IRUPDWV LQ DQ DWWHPSW WR SXOO D IDVW reside and you need them for this initial found Cranbourne music staff to be very one. Of course it should be clearly stated step. Be sure to write them as audio. But helpful. They also have a city branch not here and now that trading in unauthorized RQFH WKH PXVLF ¿OHV DUH VWRUHG RQ GLVF too far from the Celtic Club, so pop in copies of copyrighted material is illegal in as normal CD audio they are effectively and say hello. every jurisdiction and that even swapping out of the DRM domain and can then be Another reader has asked if there is a ¿OHV ZLWK \RXU IULHQGV FRQVWLWXWHV ³WUDG- ripped back to mp3, or any other format, way round the ‘printing at home’ pitfalls ing” in the eyes of the music business. using something like Mediamonkey. The referred to in last issue’s report about But suppose you are not interested in snag is that not all of the tags survive the online music scores. Isn’t this altogether ¿OHVZDSVDQGMXVWZDQWWRHQMR\\RXURZQ journey and you will probably have to a bit risky? property. The short answer is you are quite re-enter some artist and title information. The safest way is of course to use the free to remove DRM restrictions from So it’s not a set and forget process, in-store service that the music shops are your own legally acquired music, usually you do need to do some typing but your plugging. They are obliged to provide GRZQORDGVDQGWKHUHVXOWLQJ¿OHVZLOOWKHQ ¿QDOUHVXOWPD\ZHOOEHZRUWKLW you with exactly what you pay for so any be much easier to move around the vari- $QG¿QDOO\±ZKRLVVKH"6%6YLHZHUV printing problems are theirs not yours. ous playback devices that you own. It’s a will have noticed a dark haired young lady Doing it at home from a website overseas ELW¿GGO\EXW,FDQYRXFKWKDWLWZRUNV with a very strong Ulster accent promot- has the potential to go wrong very occa- Here’s a short case study. My mobile ing life insurance in the 5 pm timeslot. At sionally but when you weigh this against phone has a feature that allows me to to RQHSRLQWWKHYRLFHRYHUVD\V³LI\RXGLH´ the often cheaper cost, most people would ¿QGSXUFKDVHDQGGRZQORDGPXVLFLQD Shouldn’t that be when and not if? But agree you can still come out ahead. variety of genres. I found some old tunes she looks good on TV and the accent is One enterprising chap suggested that I had been looking for since school a breath of fresh air. For sheer chutzpah SULQWLQJWRD¿OHDQGVDYLQJLWOLNHDSGI days (would you believe Diamonds by though, it’s hard to go past Tempo Holi- but the scorch viewer won’t allow that, so Jet Harris and Tony Meehan?) and went days advert for 8 days Self Drive Ireland you have to send to a printer. But having ahead. Result is my phone now has them priced from only $1,432. Looks like good done that, you are then free to scan your but in a special format which can only YDOXHXQWLO\RX¿QGWKHVPDOOSULQWWKDW new purchase back to a pdf and store it on be played on the phone itself. No chance says, “vehicle not included” Some would a backup drive. My own music collection of listening to them in the car. But at the consider that a self drive holiday can’t is gradually being converted this way. same time the phone company also have happen without a vehicle but obviously It’s very useful for traveling and makes it a website where I can download free cop- the folks at Tempo know better. PXFKHDVLHUWR¿QGWKLQJVLQDKXUU\ ies of my legit purchases to computer. In our next issue: two roads in Belfast Another reader wonders about Digital These, along with just about anything are as different as chalk and cheese but Rights Management (aka DRM)which else available nowadays for online distri- still managed to produce a pair of singers is a real pain when dealing with down- bution, are provided in WMA format and ZKRZRXOGKLWLWELJLQWKH¿IWLHV0D\EH loaded music. Can you get around it? so have been DRM’ed in order to put a you still have some of their records? And can it be done legally? limit on your future options. Stuart Traill LONERGAN FAMILY FUNERALS INCORPORATING W.G. RAVEN EST 1849   ȱȊȱ ȱȊȱ  ‘ŽœŽȱŠ›Žȱ‘ŽȱšžŠ•’’Žœȱ˜ĞŽ—ȱ›ŽŽ››Žȱ˜ȱ’—ȱ‘Žȱ–Š—¢ȱ‘Š—”Ȭ¢˜žȱ•ŽĴŽ›œȱ›ŽŒŽ’ŸŽȱ›˜–ȱ˜ž›ȱŒ•’Ž—œȂȱŠ–’•’Žœǯ Secure pre-paid funeral plan

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10 Tinteán June 2009 Bolg an tSoláthair / Odds & Ends

Melbourne heirloom now on Collections and then Australia. for the O’Donnell collection. the web The Táin Bó Cuailnge, which dates ,ZRXOGEHGHOLJKWHGWR¿QGRXWPRUH As many readers know, researching from the 700s, although the oral ver- about John Casey: does anyone know the story of Irish and Gaelic culture in sion would be older, is a series of tales about his descendants or relatives? Victoria in the 1800s feels like working of heroes, battles, betrayals and magic. at a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle without Central to the story is Cú Chulainn, an Other developments at the overall template and with half the Ulster warrior who defeats an army sent Newman College pieces missing. And that’s the case even by Queen Maeve of Connacht to capture For nine years now, under the leadership after so many excellent family histories the legendary Brown Bull of Cooley. of Professor Elizabeth Malcolm, New- have been written in the past ten or During the centuries of English rule, man College has been hosting the Mel- twenty years. copies of this and other stories were bourne Irish Studies Seminar series. On One piece in the puzzle, although made by skilled scribes, often with St Patrick’s night, Professor Cormac Ó most of the adjoining bits are still out JUHDW GLI¿FXOW\ DQG WKHQ WKH WDOHV ZHUH Gráda of University College Dublin, an of sight, is the library of the exceptional UHDGLQJURXSVDURXQGWKH¿UHVLGH6FULEHV outstanding economic historian, opened Bullengarook-born Gaelic scholar Nich- and their manuscripts were a crucial up distinctive angles on Irish history by olas O’Donnell (1862-1920), which is way of passing on Gaelic culture until drawing on poems, songs and folktales in housed at Newman College at Melbourne late in the 1800s when the Irish, though the Irish language. University. A gem among the 400 books still under foreign rule, gained improved In April Julia Kühns, a German-born in his collection is a hand-written copy of access to printing, and manuscripts were scholar based in Scotland, spoke in detail an ancient Irish saga called the Táin Bó less necessary. about the various manuscript versions of Cuailnge, or The Cattle Raid on Cooley. The extraordinarily detailed photo- the saga of Cú Chulainn’s death. She was Somewhere between 1862 and 1900 graphs shown on the net were taken by Lee surprised to learn that a manuscript on an unusual Irish migrant arrived at the McRae of the University of Melbourne, this very topic was held in the Nicholas docks in Melbourne, we do not yet know while the highly professional web pages O’Donnell library. that person’s name, carrying in their with commentary have been prepared by In a quiet and generous ecumenical luggage not just clothes and utensils but Professor Pádraig Ó Macháin of the Dub- move, Rev Robin Boyd has recently also this manuscript, one of the last hand- lin Institute of Advanced Studies. donated a couple of hundred books to the written copies of the Táin Bo Cuailnge. ‘This manuscript was made by one O’Donnell library. Robin is a Presbyterian In 1903 Nicholas O’Donnell bought of the last of the professional Gaelic minister from Ulster who made a major the bound volume from John Casey of scribes, Seosamh Ó Longáin (1817–80). contribution to the ecumenical movement Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. O’Donnell He belonged to the third generation of in Australia and Ireland. After working surmised that Casey, “a fair Gaelic a family of traditional scribes from Co. with the Church of North India he became scholar”, had brought it to Melbourne Cork, who generated a prodigious amount Director of the Irish School of Ecumenics. but was not certain. It is a leather book of Gaelic manuscripts, particularly in Robin and his wife Anne are retiring to of over 250 pages with a gold title on the 19th century. Seosamh himself was Edinburgh and since his eyesight is giv- the cover, bound by Francis Guy of 70 responsible for the production of in excess ing him trouble he offered his books on Patrick Street, Cork, and dated 1 March of 100 manuscripts,’ writes Ó Macháin. Ireland to those in Melbourne who might 1862 by the scribe Joseph son of Michael This new level of global publicity for make good use of them. His collection Óg O’Longan. a piece in our jigsaw has been arranged is strong on the dramatic developments You can now see every page of this by Angela Gehrig, director of the New- between the churches in Ireland over the heirloom on the website of the Irish man-St Mary’s Academic Centre. Allan past 40 or so years and includes some Script on Screen project based in Dublin. and Maria Myers funded the centre while rare booklets and working documents. The website is www.isos.dias.ie, go to Gerry Higgins funded the special room Val Noone R & C Conveyancing Property transfer specialists Rose Brady – Associate member AIC (Vic Div) Mobile: 0419 001 318 Phone: 03 5996 2759 Facsimile: 03 5996 3131 Email: [email protected]

Tinteán June 2009 11 Miscellany

Since my short news item on Clerical WR RI¿FH XQWLO th March. On television, that their heads and their hearts were tell- Child Abuse Allegations in the March in January, on the Late Late Show Pat ing them they should ask. The priest in issue of Tintean the Archbishop of Cloyne Kenny asked you, why, when we have Ireland became institutionalised and it is Dr. John Magee has resigned. I contacted had previous cases of abuse, this episode that kind of unhealthy situation that has Fr. Michael Mernagh, the 71 year old affected you so deeply?’ led to an awful lot of what we are faced Augustinian priest who walked 300 km ‘My answer to Pat was that this must with today. You don’t have to look very from the Cathedral in Cork to Dublin’s be the lowest ebb in the history of the hard to see that the whole of morality has Pro Cathedral as an act of atonement for in relation to abuse. It broken down. You only have to look at the sins of the church. was the most distressing and frustrating the corruption in economics, the banks, Fr. Mernagh works in the Liberties in because this time there was no excuse. the developers, and the government to Dublin’s South Inner City. He is also the We had all the guidelines in place. These see that it pervades the whole lot. There founder member and Project Co-Ordina- are the same guidelines that the hierarchy, is a need for a new catechesis of Chris- tor in Ireland of the Resource and Devel- including Magee, were party to tians, a whole new moral order. opment Foundation of South Africa’s formulating. So for someone not to put When the priest in Wexford was abus- Western Cape, an area with a population their own guidelines in place in a pro- ing children on the altar and some fami- of 6 million that is experiencing a major tective manner was very hard for me to lies complained they were ostracised. The crisis of absolute poverty, massive unem- accept. Jesus said,“Woe to you who scan- *DUGD¿OHVGLVDSSHDUHG,DVNHGP\VHOI ployment, aids, drug abuse, crime and How did this happen? Simply because, in violence. a small parish that calls itself a catholic He has published numerous papers on “My call for a community, there was no form of real, social inclusion and community devel- responsible, Christianity. The Gardai opment in Ireland, Africa and Europe, new moral order were members of the parish and were including The Final Report of the Irish not going to go against the parish priest. Government pilot schemes to combat has to start at the The families were afraid to go against the poverty (1975 – 1980) We met at the priest. People are not taking on their per- South Inner City Community Develop- very local level sonal responsibility as Christians. Until ment Association Centre in the Liberties. this happens the abuse will continue at I remarked that meeting him in Meath of the parish” the local level. Street, is like returning home after 60 I’ve had calls from around the country years, I grew up in Inchicore, not far telling me that abuse is happening now. from the Liberties, my mother shopped in dalise my little ones. It would be better for Teachers, and I’m not talking about the Thomas Street, and I went to St. James’s you that a millstone were put around your clergy, are abusing children physically Christian Brothers Secondary School. neck and you were drowned in the depths and sexually. In one instance, parents, in Fr. Mernagh has just returned from of the sea”.That’s why I decided to walk desperation, withdrew their children from South Africa where he spends three to the walk rather than just talk the talk.’ the school. They were ostracised in the four months each year. I asked him to tell ‘This scandal has had a very negative parish. My view is that until people hon- me a little about his work. impact on young people at a time when our their vocation as Catholics to exercise ‘The aim of the Foundation is to the Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Mar- their personal authority whenever they promote social inclusion by means of tin is appealing for vocations while, at the see wrongdoing or abuse it will continue. training, education, capacity building and same time he is preparing us in advance My call for a new moral order has to start giving people life skills.’ for what will be a shocking report on cler- at the very local level of the parish.’ ‘Very similar to the work you do in the ical abuse in the Dublin diocese which is ‘I agree but I have to ask where does the Liberties?’ due to be published later this year. The process start? It would mean an absolute ‘Yes! Our Association has been going question is how do we go forward from upheaval.’ for 26 years reaching out to the disad- here? What do we need to do?’ ‘Yes! There is going to have to be an vantaged in society. We have a social ‘Before I answer that question I think upheaval. But it starts with you and me development programme which supports that it is important to look at the priest Joe. We were reared to pray and obey; we young people, who, as it were, have in history. From the priest on the run, the were never reared to think for ourselves, fallen through the net. The programme priest on a pedestal, to the priest who is to be independent thinkers.’ includes capacity building and training now almost in the gutter. ‘OK, but where does the start of indepen- to give people life skills. We do sports, The Irish people put the priest on dent thinking come from?’ catering, welding and woodwork.’ a pedestal where he became almost ‘The Gospel. The Bible. The Prophet ‘I’d like to talk about your Walk of Atone- untouchable. He was never challenged Micah (Michaes) tells each and every one ment. It attracted massive media cover- in any creative manner. Because he was of us, “This and this alone the Lord asks age and huge support from the public never challenged about things like say, of you, act justly, love tenderly, and walk and the hierarchy. Despite the enormous alcoholism people covered things up. humbly with your God.” If, as individu- pressure to resign Bishop Magee clung People became afraid to ask the questions als, we act justly we will have a totally

12 Tinteán June 2009 different world society. If we love ten- derly we would have caring loving non – abusive relationships. If we were humble we would say “Yes! I’m a sinner I cannot judge others.” That’s where atonement starts. But it has to start at the local level It would require for older people a whole new understanding of their Christian vocation.’ ‘Where do we go from here?’ ‘The problem in Ireland is that we are all in denial at the moment. We are in denial about many things but particularly DERXWFOHULFDOFKLOGDEXVH7KH¿UVWVWHS is recognition of that fact and then to come out of denial. Then we must start re-educating ourselves and ask ourselves, what am I? And what am I called upon to do as a Catholic and as a Christian? It has to start at the parish level. At the moment everything is left to the parish priest and he is left all alone. Even so called par- ish councils are still leaving everything to the parish priest. It is really terrible that people are just not taking on their responsibilities.’ ‘There is plenty of food for thought here Father and there is an enormous amount of work ahead of us all.’ Fr Michael Mernagh Joe Murphy ‘I think that that’s true Joe.’ ‘I just remembered something. There is DÀLSERRNRQDVKHOILQP\KDOO,W¶VRQH About Joe of those books where you turn over a new saying each day. It’s called Senior Joe Murphy who was born in Dub- Moments and today’s saying is Aging is lin now lives in Dunlaoighaire with not for sissies. Well it occurred to me it his wife Anne. A retired consultant could just as easily say Christianity is not engineer Joe became interested for sissies. This has been a most interest- in Tinteán when one of our com- ing talk. Thank you for your time.’ mittee sent him several issues of ‘You’re welcome Joe.’ the magazine. He was impressed ‘By the way Father, I’ve just visited Wick- with the quality of a publication low Goal where a lot of United Irishmen produced by a group of volunteers were incarcerated before being shipped and phoned our editor Liz McKen- to Botany Bay. They have a Wanted zie who invited him to become our SRVWHUIRU0LFKDHO'Z\HUWKHUHEHO Irish Correspondent. and in a list of prisoners a John Mernagh Joe and Anne have three chil- is listed alongside Michael Dwyer. Is he dren, Yvette, Brendan and Joe and any relation?’ two grandchildren, Marco and Cor- ‘He is indeed. He is one of the heroes mac. His hobbies are oil painting, Hong Kong. He and Anne have most sidelined by history but that’s photography and gardening and also visited Australia, America and another story!’ since retiring has joined two cre- Asian countries. ‘Yes indeed it is and maybe we can take ative writing courses. He is a pub- We appreciate his well researched it up another time. Thanks again Father.’ lished and successful writer in his and well written articles and look Sin a bhfuil go fóill ó Sheosamh Ó own right. forward to receiving them. We wish Murchú. Slán agaibh go léir. Having trained in London Joe Joe and his family all the best. Happy Bloomsday everyone. has worked in Africa, Scotland and The Tinteán Committee Joseph Murphy, Dublin

Tinteán June 2009 13 The Red Ribbon Agitation

In the Gardens, directly behind the Art Gallery and Café, there are two rocks beside the pathway. There are bronze plaques on each, commemorating this Agitation which is not well known and not recorded in many history reference books and literature. 2QWKH¿UVWURFNRQWKHOHIWLQWKHLOOXVWUDWLRQWKHLQVFULS- tion recites: On Saturday 27 August 1853,after their massive petition against the hated licence fee was rejected by Governor La Trobe, ten thousand indignant Bendigo diggers gathered for a well-organised protest meeting. To show WKHLUGH¿DQFHWKH\GHFLGHGWRZHDUUHGULEERQV1HDU this spot, their leaders negotiated a temporary solution with the Bendigo authorities. But the underlying FRQÀLFWDERXWLQMXVWLFHUHPDLQHG,WHUXSWHGWUDJLFDOO\ in the Eureka Rebellion of 1854 in . ‘Political deliberation is the poor man’s right arm. It brought the Magna Carta to the barons, Catholic Emancipation to the Irish and triumphal repeal of the Corn Laws to the people of England. Surely it would The rocks commemorating the 1853 Red Ribbon Agitation bring democracy to the people of Victoria.’ George Thomson, Chartist and Leader of the Red Society with the assistance of the Vera Moore Foundation. Ribbon Movement. August 1853. On the second rock, there is a picture of Government Camp Bendigo, June 1853. This watercolour is by Ludwig Becker, These plaques were placed on 28 August 2006 by the Ballarat courtesy of the Mitchell Library, Sydney. Reform League Inc. in association with the Bendigo Historical Peter Kiernan PIERCE BODY WORKS John Keating Had an accident? & Assoc Not your fault? 191 Greville St, ‡:HFDQORRNDIWHUWKHSDSHUZRUN Prahran 3181 ‡9$&&$FFUHGLWHG ‡5HSODFHPHQWFDUVDYDLODEOH Commercial Lawyers ‡)OHHWDQG3ULYDWHZRUN ‡$XWKRULVHG,QVXUDQFH5HSDLUHU Tel: 03 9510 6904 Fax: 03 9529 2270 81-85 Gadd Street, Northcote Victoria 3070 [email protected] P 03 9482 4007 F 03 9482 6644 M 0412 348 876 E [email protected] W www.piercebodyworks.com.au

14 Tinteán June 2009 Craiceann Geal – Croí Marbh THE IRISH In this article Bearnaí Ó Doibhlin writes about the series ‘Craiceann Geal – Croí Marbh’ (White Skin – Dead Heart) which was broadcast recently in Ireland on the Irish language channel, TG4. The series PROGRAM explores the story of Robert O’Hara Burke and his ill-fated journey across inland Australia in 1860.

Craoladh an tsraith ‘Craiceann cháilíocht chuí ag Burke le bheith Geal – Croí Marbh’ ar TG4 ní ba i gceannas ar an taiscealaíocht. luaithe i mbliana, agus go bhfios Mar a deir duine amháin acu, cea- Éistigí dom ba é seo an chéad uair riamh padh é de bharr go raibh aithne a craoladh clár as Gaeilge faoi aige ar na daoine cearta ar Chu- eachtra éigin i stair na hAstráile. mann Ríoga Victoria agus go RADIO 4EBFM Tá ceithre eipeasóid sa tsraith raibh an cúlra ceart aige: tógáil agus is é Dermot Somers an uasal agus traenáil mhíleata. láithreoir. Tá clú agus cáil ar Sa chéad eipeasóid, ‘Tost na Somers mar dhreapadóir agus Dúchríche’, pléann Somers cúlra mar scríbhneoir, i nGaeilge agus i an Bhúrcaigh, a rugadh agus a Saturdays: mBéarla. tógadh in oirthear na Gaillimhe. Sa tsraith leanann Somers an Leanann an eipeasóid an turas 12.30pm–1.30pm turas taiscealaíochta a rinne an chomh fada le Menindee, achar tÉireannach Robert O’Hara Burke a thóg 56 lá mar gheall ar chinntí ó chósta go cósta na mór roinne éagsúla míchearta a rinne an Búr- South-East thiar sa bhliain 1860. Ní théann cach. Sa bhaile sin rinne sé cin- Somers ar chamaill ná ar chapa- neadh tubaisteach eile: an grúpa on ill, mar a rinne an Búrcach, agus a scoilt. ní thógann a thuras ach mí go Sna trí eipeasóid eile leanann leith. Tá trua ag Somers don fhear Somers an bealach a thóg an 98.1FM a sháraigh a phríomh dhúshlán turas taiscealaíochta cáiliúil ó ach a cailleadh go tubaisteach ar thuaidh agus ansin ar ais go Coo- The world on a bhealach ar ais. pers Creek. Bhain siad an áit seo Roimh agus le linn an achair ó amach naoi n-uaire ró dhéanach www.4eb.org.au Melbourne go dtí an Mhurascaill, le haghaidh tarrthála. cuireann Somers agallaimh ar Chomh maith lena thuairimí shaineolaithe áitiúla. Ina measc faoin mBúrcach, tugann Somers tá Michael Cathcart, an staraí a bharúil dúinn ar chúrsaí reatha as Ollscoil Melbourne, a bhí ina áirithe san Astráil. Ní dóigh leis láithreoir ar an tsraith Astrálach, gur caitheadh go cothrom le Ph (07) 3240 8600 ‘Rogue Nation’ ar na mallaibh. Bundúchasaigh na hAstráile le Labhraíonn sé freisin le Graham linn an turais taiscealaíochta ná ó Clarke i bPáirc Náisiúnta Mungo shin i leith. Déanann sé tagairt arís [email protected] agus leis an tráchtaire Bundúcha- is arís ar an damáiste don imshaol sach, Mark Sutton, faoin radharc a tharla sna ceantair intíre ó aim- a bhí ag muintir Bhundúchasaigh sir an Bhúrcaigh mar gheall ar an na tíre ar an dtaisceal agus ar ar iomarca innilte ar thalamh tirim, tharla dá mhuintir dá bharr. agus an iomarca bhrú ar na haibh- O’BOYLES Léitear sleachta as dialann neacha. an Bhúrcaigh, as na litreacha a Thaitin an tsraith go mór liom scríobh sé agus as an óráid a thug agus bhain mé úsáid as sleachta ROOF PLUMBING sé sular thosaigh sé ar a thuras. san ard rang abhus in Canberra, Tugann na sleachta seo léargas cé nach mbíonn caighdeán an Free quotes dúinn ar mheoin an fhir agus é ar taifeadta ró-ard nuair a íoslódáil- a thrasnú cáiliúil. tear cláir ar mo ríomhaire glúine. t"MMNFUBMSPPGTt#PYHVUUFST Cé go bhfuil meas ag Somers Is mór an trua é nach mbíonn na t4QPVUJOHt%PXOQJQFT ar an tsithiúlacht agus ar an cláir a chraoltar ar TG4 le díol ag acmhainn a bhí ag Burke, is léir go an gcainéal – ach sin scéal do lá .BSL0#PZMF n-aontaíonn sé le tuairimí na sain- éigin eile. QINPC eolaithe thuasluaite nach raibh an Bearnaí Ó Doibhlin )JDLPSZ%PXOT1MBDF %JBNPOE$SFFL

Tinteán June 2009 15 Dublin’s Hero Priest On 1 September 1917, the Ulster Presbyterian newspaper, ‘The and the bodies of dead men trodden under foot...and Weekly News’, in its obituary of Father Doyle wrote: on the half-rotten corpses of our own brave men we ‘God never made a nobler soul. Fr. Doyle was a good marched in silence...Half an hour of this brought us out deal among us. We could not possibly agree with RQWKHRSHQLQWRWKHPLGGOHRIWKHEDWWOH¿HOGRIVRPH his religious opinions, but we simply worshipped days previous. The wounded…had all been removed, him for other things. He didn’t know the meaning of but the dead lay there...just as they had fallen. Good fear and he did not know what bigotry was. He was God, such a sight!... Some lay as if they were sleeping as ready to risk his life and take a drop of water to a quietly, others had died in agony or had had the life wounded Ulsterman as to assist men of his own faith crushed out of them by mortal fear, while the whole and regiment. If he risked his life looking after Ulster ground was littered with heads or limbs, or pieces protestant soldiers once, he did it a hundred times in of torn human bodies. In the bottom of one hole lay the last few days … The Ulstermen felt his loss more a British and a German soldier, locked in a deadly keenly than anybody, and none were readier to show embrace…Another couple seemed to have realised their marks of respect to the dead hero priest than were that the horrible struggle was none of their making, our Ulster Presbyterians.’ and that they were both children of the same God; they Born at Dalkey, County Dublin in 1873, the youngest of had died hand-in-hand. A third face caught my eye, a seven children, Father Doyle was ordained a Jesuit priest in tall, strikingly handsome young German, not more than 1907. He volunteered to serve as a military chaplain in 1914 eighteen. He lay there calm and peaceful, with a smile DQGZDVDSSRLQWHGWRWKH5R\DO,ULVK)XVLOLHUVLQ+H¿UVW of happiness on his face, as if he had had a glimpse experienced battle in France, where he was caught in a German of heaven before he died. Ah, if only his poor mother poison gas attack. He ministered to the soldiers with total disre- could have seen her boy it would have soothed the pain gard for personal safety. Willie was mentioned in dispatches and of her broken heart.’ was presented with the ‘parchment of merit’ of the 49th Brigade. In December, 1916, Willie was transferred to the 8th Bat- In May 1916, he luckily escaped death: talion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. Willie’s concern for the ‘I was standing in a trench, quite a long distance from men shines through his letters and diaries. WKH ¿ULQJ OLQHWDONLQJ WR VRPH RI P\ PHQ ZKHQ ZH ‘I found the dying lad…tightly jammed into a corner heard in the distance the scream of a shell...What really of the trench. Both legs were smashed…so his chances took place in the next ten seconds I cannot say. I was of life were small. What a harrowing picture that scene FRQVFLRXVRIDWHUUL¿FH[SORVLRQDQGWKHWKXGRIIDOOLQJ made. A splendid young soldier, married only a month, stones and debris. I thought the drums of my ears were lying there, pale and motionless in the mud and water split by the crash, and...I was knocked down by the with the life crushed out of him by a cruel shell. The concussion, but when I jumped to my feet I found that stretcher bearers binding up his broken limbs; round the two men who had been standing at my left hand.... about a group of silent Tommies looking on and were stretched on the ground dead, though I think I had wondering when will their turn come.’ time to give them absolution and anoint them. The poor Willie was awarded the Military Cross in January 1917, fellow on my right was lying badly wounded in the though many believed that he deserved the Victoria Cross for head; but I myself,...was absolutely untouched, though his bravery. He narrowly escaped death several times, before covered with dirt and blood.’ he was killed by a shell in 1917, at the Irish positions on In August 1916, he participated in the gallant combat of the Frezenberg Ridge. He was recommended for the D.S.O. (Dis- 16th Irish Division in France. His description of Leuze Wood tinguished Service Order) and the V.C. (Victoria Cross). Sadly, is striking: KHµGLVTXDOL¿HG¶KLPVHOIE\EHLQJDQ,ULVKPDQD&DWKROLFDQG µ7KH ¿UVW SDUW RI RXU MRXUQH\ OD\ WKURXJK D QDUURZ a Jesuit. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. WUHQFKWKHÀRRURIZKLFKFRQVLVWHGRIGHHSWKLFNPXG Michael Doyle Ask Electrics Serving all suburbs, 7 days a week ARCHITECTS AND CONSULTANTS ‡$OWHUQDWRUV ‡:LULQJ UHZLULQJ ‡6WDUWHUPRWRUV Kevin 9326 7997 0413 101 360 ‡(OHFWULFZLQGRZV [email protected] ‡%DWWHULHV ‡'LVWULEXWRUV

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16 Tinteán June 2009 The continuing saga of the Irish economy In the last issue of Tinteán, the economic of Economics’ (named for the favourite 2009 when 100,000 people took to the situation in Ireland gave cause for con- pub of Dublin’s political and business streets. The protest was organised by the cern, but there was still debate about elite) laid the foundations for the Celtic Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), whether the country was truly facing Tiger state. They cut taxes, reduced with representatives saying that they were D FULVLV 'RXEW KDV QRZ ÀHG )LQDQFH import duties and embraced foreign looking for a ‘better and fairer way of Minister, Brian Lenihan said on the 7th investment. Low interest rates led to a dealing with the crisis’ Sally-Anne Kina- April that the country faces a ‘very grave housing bubble, a full employment econ- han, Secretary-General of the ICTU was national crisis’. Housing prices have omy, increased immigration and a bank quoted as saying their priority was looking fallen by up to 50%, and bank shares by lending spree. Housing’s share of the after the interests of ordinary people rather 90% while unemployment has hit 10%. Irish economy reached 14%; the highest than those of big business or the wealthy. In 2008, the economy recorded the worst in Europe. Developers like Sean Dunne A protestor at the march objected to being full year performance on record. Gross EHFDPHSXEOLF¿JXUHV6RPHEDQNVKDG subject to cutbacks when he had children Domestic Product had fallen by 7.5% allocated over 60% of their loans towards to support and had done nothing but go to compared to the previous year. As in property. When interest rates began to work and do his job. Australia, Irish consumers are putting rise in Europe, banks stopped lending, Writing in The Irish Times )LQWDQ the brakes on the economy by cutting leading to the sudden fall in asset prices. O’Toole strongly agreed with him, back their spending, possibly because 7KH JRYHUQPHQW QRZ KDV D ¼ ELOOLRQ describing the latest plans to provide more they anticipate losing their jobs. The KROHLQLWV¿QDQFHV money for the banks, pay cuts for the ,ULVK GH¿FLW KDV QRZ UHDFKHG  RI The Irish government has responded masses, cuts to social welfare, taxes on Gross Domestic Product; four times the to the crisis by attempting to impose low-paid workers and means tests on pen- European Union’s limit and the country’s D SHQVLRQ OHY\ RQ  SXEOLF VHF- sions as ‘Everything except an attempt to credit rating has been downgraded. tor workers. The levy could cost public HQVXUH WKRVH KDYH EHQH¿WHG PRVW VKRXOG This is a sharp contrast to the boom- servants between €1,500 and €2,800 per take the most pain.’ He commented that ing economic growth typical of Ireland annum. The government has defended this formula is a political broadcast on in the last fourteen years, but critics have the plan saying they are no longer in a behalf of the party of the rich. argued that this growth carried within it position to meet the public service pay Compiled from The Irish Times, The the seeds of the present downfall. In the bill. This proposed move led to a huge New York Times, BBC News and Reuters. late 1980’s the ‘Doheny & Nesbitt School SURWHVWPDUFKLQ'XEOLQRQ)HEUXDU\ Felicity Allen

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Tinteán June 2009 17 PM disputes Ireland’s patron saint Enrich your The Prime Minister, , was 1848 where the Irish national tricolour the guest of the Queensland Irish Asso- RI JUHHQ ZKLWH DQG RUDQJH ZDV ¿UVW life’s major ciation at its 2009 St Patrick’s Eve Din- unfurled by the Young Irelanders – in ner. In attendance as an honoured guest dramatic scenes, where instead of the was Eamon Ó Cuiv, the Minister for rebels taking siege in a local house, the moments! Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs police had to take siege because they in the Irish Dail and the grandson of did not have the numbers. Facetiously Eamon de Valera. Mr Rudd noted that the leader of that The Prime Minister enthusiastically rebellion, William Smith O’Brien, was welcomed Minister Ó Cuiv to Austra- punished with the one thing worse than lia. The Queensland Association was death by hanging – transportation to honoured to welcome the Minister to Australia! Ceremonies Brisbane, where his grandfather, Eamon Not only was his grandmother de Valera, had been hosted in 1948. The from a town of rebels, her family was PM said that the Minister was especially deeply entwined in an Irish factional by welcome because of his grandfather’s ¿JKW EHWZHHQ WKH 6KDQDYHVWV DQG WKH rich lineage, because he had embraced Caravets, which raged across Tipper- the group half a century earlier, and ary through most of the 19th century. Celebrants because of the great friendship which 2EVHUYLQJWKDWRQHLQ¿YH,ULVKFRQYLFWV exists between the Irish Republic and the transported to Australia came for politi- Commonwealth of Australia. cal insurrection, the PM claimed that Mr Rudd noted that it is customary PRVWRIWKHPODWHUMRLQHGWKH$/3:LWK on St Patrick’s Day for politicians to lay republicans, seditionists, murderers and claim to their Irish ancestry. Pretending IDFWLRQ ¿JKWHUV DOO LQ WKH IDPLO\ WUHH The Celebrant Centre to eschew blarney, he proceeded to claim Mr Rudd had felt himself destined for a to be a direct descendent of St Kevin, FDUHHULQWKH/DERU3DUW\ provides professional which of itself, he said, is problematic In a poor attempt to give the discus- well-trained given that St Kevin founded an ancient sion some balance and standing proud monastic order. ‘St Kevin is much mis- of his mother’s Irish heritage, Mr Rudd celebrants who understood,’ he continued. ‘There is a VSRNH EULHÀ\ DERXW KLV IDWKHU¶V VLGH RI create a personalised reasonable school of thought which says the family. An entirely different story: that indeed St Kevin, and not St Patrick, ‘English, lumpen Protestants – the lot of ceremony to suit any should be Ireland’s patron saint.’ them,’ he said. On his father’s side, he occasion. ‘Others could commend St Kevin’s KDGLGHQWL¿HGQROHVVWKDQVHYHQGLVWLQFW virtue, the sheer piety and poetry of his convict lines: crooks, forgers, highway name. A poetry so deep and so broad robbers, the lot – which by contrast Elegant certificates of and so rich that Dame Edna herself portrays his mother’s Irish forebears as a commemoration also has written that it is impossible for picture of respectability and tranquillity. anyone reputable, let alone a Prime Mr Rudd observed that the roll call available. Minister, to be possibly called Kevin.’ of Australian history is thick with Irish He announced that he had formed an names, whether in politics, in church, Weddings, namings, International Society of Much Misun- in business or in the wider community. derstood Kevins, with Kevin Costner He noted that the roll call in Australia funerals – all are as patron. He advised Minister Ó Cuiv includes at least six of his predecessors WKDWWKHUHZRXOGEHQRRI¿FLDOREMHFWLRQ DW 7KH /RGJH ± -DPHV 6FXOOLQ -RVHSK enriched with from the Antipodes if, upon his return to /\RQV -RKQ &XUWLQ )UDQFLV )RUGH - % personal story the Irish Republic, he took up this view &KLÀH\DQG3DXO.HDWLQJ,QWKHVHFKDO- as something of merit in discussions lenging times, he encouraged all to call designed by you. with the Church in Ireland and with the forth those great Irish Australian virtues Dail, and chose to change the name of and quality of pride, of tenacity, of forti- Call the Celebrant the patron saint of Ireland. tude in the face of adversity, of struggle, Returning to the ancestry theme, of faith, and of an abiding good humour Centre for unique and Mr Rudd said that his maternal grand- in the face of adversity. Great Australian lasting memories. mother, Hannah Cashin, was the qualities. Great Irish qualities. daughter of Irish parents, Owen Cashin Patrick McNamara and Johannah Maher, who arrived in This is an edited extract of the Prime 03 9419 0460 Brisbane in 1887 from the small par- Minister’s speech to the Queensland ish of Ballingarry in Co Tipperary. Irish Association in Brisbane on 16 Ballingarry looms large in the history March 2009. The full text is available on www.celebrancy.com of the 19th century, being the town in WKH3ULPH0LQLVWHU¶VRI¿FLDOZHEVLWH

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20 Tinteán June 2009 Poetry

Neil McCarthy is an Irish poet based in Vienna. He has published poems in numerous journals around the world and been a guest speaker in many cities including Melbourne, NY, Budapest and Prague. He has published three short books of poetry and has toured Europe with Irish musicians as part of his show ‘The Voice & The Verse’.

Worry about it tomorrow, do.

1. 2.

Today, I found myself sitting on some steps Two years ago in Shanghai, opposite a gay sauna I saw buildings as big as on La Trobe Street, my ambitions. penning postcards and lying through my teeth; Today, I was unsure whether these but the steps were a good buildings speaking to me were saying place to view the ‘Batman ³*R¿QGDMRE´RU Building roaring above Elizabeth ³*R¿QGDJRG´ Street and the Worry about it tomorrow, do.  VWHDGIDVWÀRZRIFRPPXWHUV of whom I am now jealous.

The farthest I have ever been from the sea

They can talk of Thailand as if nobody’s ever been, of Bondi Beach as if it were deserted, uninhabited, of Boston, Cuzco and Rome like they were villages just down the road, out past the Statoil Station, the cemetery, keeping going until you pass Harney’s Tavern and there, 2 km shy of the proposed new by-pass that will never happen, is the rest of the world.

The rest of the world is East Berlin to some, motionless in mid-Eighties madness, black and white politics mapped as colours in a Weetabix School Atlas handed down seven times, each with a different covering of our mothers’ worst wallpaper. The rest of the world happens on TV, in newspapers, in other people’s photos, tales and grievances and then, one day, it will catch you off-guard.

February 2006, and I sit reading Chekhov in a Korean restaurant in Melbourne, remembering Russia and the time I stepped off a train in Krasnoyarsk – the farthest I have ever been from the sea; and thinking about distance, and years and Ireland, and realising that what I’ve just written won’t matter a shit on my return, when I see again the smile on my sister’s face and my nephew fetches his dinosaurs to play.

Tinteán June 2009 21 The Irish War of Independence through Australian eyes

The Australian writers Joice Nankivell man, and under the great beard and over He was very much on the run. We never and Sydney Loch lived and worked his shoulders he wore what his wife saw him come and go. Finally he was in Ireland in 1920-1 during the Sinn called his ‘disguise’, an immense black arrested in the house in a sudden night Fein-Black and Tan war. The Lochs cape which drooped from his shoulders raid by Black and Tans, and he disap- kept in touch with both sides, as they to his feet. Sometimes he forgot his dis- peared behind barbed wire for the rest of had a contract to publish a book on guise, and then his wife would be seen the Sinn Fein war. the current Irish troubles, but became KXUU\LQJZLWKLWDIWHUKLVVWULGLQJ¿JXUH A few minutes after he was arrested sympathetic to the Irish cause. The We went to AE’s Hermetic Society, Mrs Fitzgerald ran into the sitting-room following account of their time there which was held at the same hour on the with her baby. I was guarded by a Black is taken from pages 63-7 of Joice’s same day each week. People who joined and Tan. She popped the sleeping baby autobiography A Fringe of Blue (Wil- AE’s circle were never invited to do so. on the sofa and asked me to keep an eye liam Morrow and Co, New York, 1968), 7KHLU ¿UVW DSSHDUDQFH ZDV DOZD\V GXH on him if he woke. The baby slept until to whom acknowledgement is made. to chance; but most of them went over the raid was over. His short life had been and over again. It was like being washed one long raid. In came Mrs Fitzgerald In Australia I had been friends with in a river of wisdom to listen to him. He and I picked him up to hand to her. He Sydney Loch, author of Straits Impreg- was bigger than other people in every crackled with papers, any one of which nable, one of the best books on the way. Huge, rugged. A better discourser ZRXOGKDYHEHHQVXI¿FLHQWWRKDQJKLV Gallipoli campaign. We decided to get than writer, and the words that poured father had they been found. The glance PDUULHG DQG GXULQJ WKH ¿QDO HLJKWHHQ from him pure poetry. He was simple of caution she gave me was not one to be months of the Sinn Fein war in Ireland and was prepared to be interested in treated lightly! we went to Dublin as freelance journal- everyone’s point of view, however About two weeks later the house ists. The Rogers, some of my cousins XQFRXWK DQG ÀRXQGHULQJ WKHLU LGHDV was raided again and weapons were living in England, thought I did not PLJKWEH2XU¿UVWDSSHDUDQFHZDVGXH found under the bed of our landlady. know how dangerous Sinn Fein was, to taking shelter in his doorway during a If arms were found in a house all men and they said no one could write the scrap between Black and Tans and Sinn were arrested, and so Sydney, and the truth without losing their lives. This was )HLQHUV %XOOHWV ÀHZ WKH GRRU VHHPHG old serving man, O’Connor, were thrust not true. Sinn Fein was too well aware to open of itself, and we slipped inside. into armoured lorries and disappeared of the value of any publicity to interfere He was in the middle of a talk, and he to Dublin Castle. Mrs Fitzgerald proved with any but the most noxious journal- motioned us to seats without stopping herself a tower of strength and took ists. And in those days newspapers were his river of words. We sat enthralled, hold of the situation. She dragged from not ruled so much by political gangsters while he discoursed on the idea that the unwilling landlady the fact that the as now, and journalists occasionally Christ and the devil were opposite sides arms belonged to her son who was an aimed at accuracy. of the same entity. He afterwards pub- RI¿FHULQWKH%ULWLVK$UP\OLNHWKHVRQV Dublin fascinated us, and we were lished an essay on this subject, but it of so many Irish patriots. Wires were soon on friendly terms with everyone. was not as warm, and alive, and human sent to him by a lawyer whom I hired, 7KHUH ZHUH FRORVVDO ¿JXUHV LQ WKRVH as the discourse. Hours spent in AE’s DQG DIWHU KH KDG RI¿FLDOO\ FODLPHG LW days. AE (George Russell), called the com pany seemed the only sanity in a as his personal property, Sydney was Hairy Fairy, because of his power to period of madness. released. O’Connor clung to him like a contact fairies; Maude Gonne; Count- We had a terrible landlady, with the drowning man and was so pathetic that ess Markiewicz, more beautful than the worst characteristics of the worst Irish. Sydney refused to leave until he was dawn; Yeats; Henry James; Douglas She was a hider of arms for the lesser released too. Hyde; Erskine Childers; Sarah Purser, lights in the Sinn Fein movement, for They had a grim week in the most the church-window painter; and Jack naturally she would never have been ¿OWK\ FRQGLWLRQV ZKLFK ZH IHOW ZDV White, the eccentric son of George trusted by the people in power. We had unnecessary, as the Irish question had White of Ladysmith fame. They all an upstairs apartment, and a Mrs Fitz- gone on for centuries, and Dublin Castle lived in Dublin and gave the richest gerald the lower. Mrs Fitzgerald meant had been used as a political prison for colour to life. nothing to us, except as a rather nice, most of the time. We had an apartment in a house in very overworked neighbour. She had ,QVSLWHRIWKHGLI¿FXOWLHV,ORYHG,UH- Ely Place. It had been George Moore’s three large children and a baby. One ODQG7KHUHZDVJRRGWURXW¿VKLQJZKLFK house. It was opposite Dr Gogarty, who GD\ LQ D ¿W RI FRQ¿GHQFH WKH ODQGODG\ Sydney indulged in occasionally, there sported a most impressive red beard. I ERDVWHG WKDW WKH KXVEDQG ZDV WKH ¿IWK were witty, delightful people. AE sought never knew such a beard could exist. He most important man in the Sinn Fein and found fairies on the mountain tops. had the illusion that he was a marked movement, the Minister of Propaganda. He painted them. We were invited to his

22 Tinteán June 2009 house sometimes on Sun days, to look of the shop streaming after him shout- Rotunda and tear each other to bits!’ he at his paintings, smoke herb cigarettes, ing: ‘Stop thief!’ Sinn Feiners and Black shouted after us. and drink herb tea. Therefore we can be and Tans forgot their differences. They How right he was, and how quickly said to have hobnobbed with fairies too. joined forces and ran! The police ran! they did it! The gentle Erskine Childers AE sold his paintings by the amount of 7UDI¿F VWRSSHG +H ZDV ¿QDOO\ FDXJKW who had worn himself to a shadow paint and canvas used, and we always on the doorstep of his own house. ZRUNLQJ IRU WKHP ZDV WKH ¿UVW WR EH regretted not buying one, although we ‘It’s my ham’ he cried indignantly, as µH[HFXWHG¶ E\ ¿ULQJ VTXDG 0LFKDHO needed nothing to keep the ‘Hairy Fairy’ he produced the receipt for it. ‘My ham! Collins, their military leader, was assas- in mind. What are you doing? Can’t I remove it sinated at the Dublin Horse Show.* We gained greatly in prestige by Syd- when I like!’ We saw the British Army withdraw. ney’s incarceration in Dublin Castle, and There was the man who travelled all 7KHROGÀRZHUVHOOHUVFRYHUHGWKHLUKHDGV I was the only one of our group who had GD\RQWRSRIEXVHVZLWKD¿VKKRRNDQG with their aprons and wept. They rocked not been jailed. This I found most sham- OLQHDQG¿VKHGIRUKDWV7KHUHZDVWKH to and fro wailing as they did at wakes, or ing. I remember one woman telling us SULHVWZKRWRRNXVFRFN¿JKWLQJLQWKH WKHIXQHUDOVRIPXUGHUHG%ULWLVKRI¿FHUV that she had hung a bomb on the throne very early dawn on Sundays, before he ‘Ach, the two eyes of them! Innocent as of England! Her desire to be invisible went to mass. There was polo in Phoenix daisies! What will we do now? Ach their was so intense that she was sure that Park every Saturday during the season. innocent eyes!’ And the street ‘streelers’ she had become invisible in actual fact, There were killings, and funerals and wept, and the shop keepers. And the old and she walked boldly past the guards grave diggers’ strikes; and everyone houses, already so full of ghosts, tucked to the throne room; past the policeman HLWKHU¿OOHGZLWKWUDJHG\RUYHU\JD\ more ghosts under their turbulent roofs, on duty in it, who appeared to be asleep The country was wonderful to wan- for all Irishmen love a battle, and they on his feet, and she hung her bomb and der in. There was poteen-running in had truly loved the plotting and the walked out without being noticed at all. Antrim and Donegal, for it was during blood-letting, and the excitement of their The policeman woke up and removed the ‘dry’ period in America. Many a immediate past. ‘The Sod of Turf’, that it before it had time to explode! How night I watched the barrels of poteen underground dive where conspirators, attractive they all were! Jack White with rolled down the slopes into the surf, and journalists and others went to droop his beautiful Spanish wife lived opposite ¿VKHGXSLQWRVPDOOURFNLQJERDWVWKDW their heads over good food, and plot in us in Ely Place. Jack White had started carried them to the ships waiting out at whispers, was closed. The Irish affair was a colony of love in Donegal, which he sea. I stayed at Cushin-dun on the Ant- over. No more headlines! Never, never tried to persuade all his friends to join. rim coast with Mrs White and watched again! Potato cakes and dressed crab +LVWKHRU\ZDVWKDWLIKHFRXOGRQO\¿OO the scene from her cottage windows. could be eaten elsewhere. it with a mixture of Irish and Japanese When the wrack came tumbling in were We packed up to leave. he would bring together the two spiritual the chosen nights and the stout army of Joice Nankivell Loch poles of the earth, and their union would wrack gatherers saw the barrels safely Contributed by Patrick Morgan bring peace. He travelled the country into the boats. Coast guards patrolled, *The mistake about Michael Collins preaching this, his worldly goods on a but they always turned up too late and – who was shot in West Cork – was a donkey, which carried a huge placard found only the wrackers hip-high in result of confused radio reports in the with the words: TO HELL WITH THE rolling surf. aftermath of his assassination. CATHOLICS on one side, which he Estelle Simpson stayed with us. How The Lochs published a book-length would display in Northern Ireland, and: delighted we were. We toured Ireland in account of their time in Ireland Ireland To HELL WITH THE PROTESTANTS her car, and bathed in that icy part of the in Travail (1922). They worked for the on the other for Southern Ireland. sea called the Gulf Stream. rest of their lives helping war refugees, There was Dickey Bird who walked :HZHUHSUHVHQWDWWKH¿UVWPHHWLQJ ¿UVWLQ3RODQGDIWHUWKH¿UVWZRUOGZDU into a shop one day and bought and paid of the Dáil (Irish Parliament). Sydney and then in Greece of the rest of the for a ham, which he requested the shop was arrested at it by Sinn Fein vigilance lives, except for the second world war keeper to leave hanging on the hook in RI¿FHUV EHFDXVH KH ORRNHG (QJOLVK when they were evacuated to the Middle the shop. He attached a label to it, and but Desmond Fitzgerald, released from East. Joice Nankivell Loch became took a receipted account. He said he behind barbed wire, vouched for him, one of the most decorated Australians would call for it later in the day. This he and he was returned to his seat. ever, being awarded eleven medals certainly did. He leapt through the door The old man who lived next door by various governments for her work into the crowded shop, thrust the cus- gave a great guffaw when we set out for in settling refugees. A biography of tomers aside, jumped at the ham, tore it the Dail, ‘Now the Irish have their Free her, Blue Ribbons Bitter Bread, was GRZQDQGÀHGZLWKWKHHQWLUHSRSXODWLRQ State, all the patriots will meet in the published by Susanna De Vries in 2000.

Tinteán June 2009 23 Who owns the world?

The following two-part article is Irish ‘landowners’ and substituted Eng- food and to shelter. It is this last attendant based on extracts from Chapter 8 of lish and Scottish settler landowners in right, the right to shelter, which brings ‘Who owns the world’ by Kevin Cahill, the 17th and 18th Century. The basic argu- us to the most basic connection between to be published by Mainstream ment in law was that the Irish ‘landown- basic human rights and land. Shelter, to Publishing, Edinburgh, Scotland in ers’ were mere tenants of the Crown, and be meaningful, has to be secure. A bunch 2009. (See the review ‘Invigorating the Crown could dismiss and evict its of branches that provides cover for a old ideas’ by Mairéid Sullivan, p 41 in tenants, legally, as indeed it could, under few days serves no meaningful purpose Tinteán Issue 7) Quia Emptores and associated laws. The in lives that are meant to endure for completion of the dispossession of the decades. The securest form of shelter is ‘Quia Emptores’ ,ULVKSHDVDQWU\DQGWKHH[HPSOL¿FDWLRQ a hard built home, owned outright by the A beautiful place in summer, the Irish of the dangers inherent in bad laws, person or family living in it. The right winter is as unforgiving as it is in any were the anti Catholic penal laws of the to secure shelter accompanies the other other part of northern Europe. Without 17th and 18th century which denied the two attendant rights to the right to life shelter and stricken by the potato blight, Catholic peasantry any form of tenure on and is inseparable from them because in a million or more starving and sick Irish the grounds of their religion. It allowed most practical situations, water and food peasants perished during the Great Fam- landlords to evict people ‘at will’ even if will not keep you long alive, if you have ine of the 1840’s. The main culprits in they had just paid the cash portion of the no shelter. The Irish Famine of 1845- Ireland for this enormous tragedy were rent. So was the stage set for the fam- 1847 is one of the grimmest examples of the landlords and the law. The law that ine deaths, by statute, – as all land was ZK\WKH¿UVWULJKWDQGLWVWKUHHDWWHQGDQW denied land ownership to the peasantry, owned by the Crown, the people were rights must be pursued and considered Quia Emptores Act of 1290 AD, is still on deprived of any right of redress when together. The common perception is that the Irish statute book. they were evicted and lost their only the million or more who died at the time It is this basic feudal law, restated, means of livelihood. of the famine, died because the staple which placed the actual ownership of all To be a citizen is to have the innate food of the peasantry, the potato, failed physical land in the hands of the Crown. right to obtain and own land. There is due to blight. Here, however, is how an Subsequently this law was placed in D GLUHFW FRQQHFWLRQ EHWZHHQ WKH ¿UVW eyewitness to the famine, an American the hands of the Irish Free State, thus human right, the right to life, and the journalist, Henry George, saw it. making all ‘land owners’ in Ireland ten- right to land, which is seldom raised, When her (Ireland’s) ants of the State, having to pay rent in especially by lawyers. To make the right population was at its height, contradiction of their alleged status as to life functional, three other attached and Ireland was a food exporting ‘freeholders’. The underlying principle inseparable rights have to be considered. country. Even during the in Quia Emptores also underlaid the Acts The right to life itself has no meaning if famine, grain and meat and of Settlement which evicted the native not accompanied by a right to water, to butter and cheese were carted

24 Tinteán June 2009 for exportation along roads that independence without possession of Those statutes were adopted by the State lined with the starving and past the land itself by the native people was LQLWV¿UVWFRQVWLWXWLRQLQ7KH,ULVK trenches into which the dead PHDQLQJOHVV 7KH ¿UVW ZDV WKH FULPL- State, as the successor to the original were piled. nalisation of the entire native population feudal superior, the Crown of England There was no actual shortage of food by the penal laws in the 18th century, and Great Britain, owns all the land (and in Ireland during the famine. There was enforced by law by their own local land- buildings) in the country. What individu- plenty of water. But note where Henry lords and against which they were pow- als and families hold, not own, is an inter- George found the peasantry, on the side erless. The second even more traumatic est in an estate in land, in fee simple. of the road – shelterless, or in the ditches event was the Famine and the vast toll The purpose of the feudal system and – dead. The Irish peasantry, about 98% of it took on the native population, in lives its structure of land laws was to preserve the then population of Ireland, were not and in emigration. It remained vivid in the position of the Crown or monarch as permitted to own land, or even to have the minds and memories of virtually the sole owner of the ‘physical’ land and secure tenancies. They were slaves. They the entire native Irish population at the to ensure that the bulk of the population were on their patch of land, in their hov- beginning of the 20th century. Nothing did not own land. The feudal system els, at the will of their landlord. By law. did more to persuade the Irish that only imposed on England by William the When they could not feed themselves the possession of their own land in their Bastard (of Normandy) in 1066, was due to the potato blight, and could not own hands and having their own govern- illegal according to the laws of the time. supply the feudal due of labour as well ment could protect them from legally It was theft. All subsequent feudal land as cash rent to their landlord masters, created disasters like the Famine. law was created to protect this theft, and they were turned out on the side of the to keep the stolen land in the hands of road, by law. By law, their hovels were Ownership of land in Ireland in the Crown and out of the hands of the torn down and they were hunted out of the 21st century population. It was an immensely suc- ZKDWVKHOWHUWKH\FRXOG¿QGLQKROHVLQ The position of land ownership in Ire- cessful endeavour. The English Crown, the ground. The law permitted landlords land is unique. Between 79% and 82% the successor to William the Bastard, to drive food past the dying, and have of all Irish homes are privately held in owns all land in England and UK territo- no responsibility, in law, for the conse- freehold tenure. This is the highest level ries. The Crown’s British subjects, 70% quences. The law was not an ass. It was a of private home ownership in the devel- who are ‘freeholders’ are not owners of murderous obscenity. oped world. All farmland is privately land, but feudal tenants of the Queen. As It is worth quoting Henry George’s held. This leaves the Irish Government as recently the second Doomsday in 1872- ¿QDOFRPPHQWRQWKHIDPLQH the formal owner of the woodland of 1.1 1876, only 2% of the Irish population The potato blight might million acres, of 210,000 acres of the 2.9 even had the status of feudal tenants. have come and gone without million acres of peat bogs and of its own The remaining 98% of the Irish popula- stinting a single human being urban buildings. This is, at most, 7.5% of tion owned nothing at all, not a blade of of a full meal. the country. In practical terms 85.5% of grass. They were not feudal serfs. They the Irish population have de facto own- were slaves. Background ership of about 92.5% of the country. The people who risked and gave their When the third British Empire created Based on private home and private farm lives to create the Irish Republic, did not Dominion status for Canada, Australia ‘ownership’, 92% of the population have do so in order that they and their children and New Zealand, in the 19th and early a stake in privately held property. Irish might have ‘an interest in an estate in 20th century it forgot its neighbour, Ire- private ‘landownership’ is higher than land, in fee simple’. They fought and died land. It was part of Britain, a part of the the USA, where private home ownership for absolute allodial ownership, even if IRXQGDWLRQVWRQHRIWKH¿UVW(PSLUH7R stands at about 70%, and private farm they had never heard of the word. The let Ireland go the way it was clamouring sole ownership stands at about 67% with men and women of 1916 did not line the to go, out of Empire and into a Republic, the Federal Government owning 33% of windows of the GPO shooting and shout- was unthinkable to the Imperial bureau- the USA. In Ireland most land ‘owner- ing “Give us an interest in an estate in crats even though the Irish were in a state ship’ is in the form of ‘freehold’. Those land”! Perish the thought. They fought of perpetual rebellion for independence. with a ‘freehold’ believe that they have and died that their people might be full Then, right in the middle of World War actual ownership of the physical land property owners and landowners in their 1, on Easter Sunday morning 1916 even their home stands on, and the building own country, that they might be true citi- ZKLOH,ULVKPHQZHUH¿JKWLQJLQ itself. Likewise for farming families and zens, in the real sense of having personal, the trenches for the Empire, a small group the land and buildings they hold ‘free- OHJDOSRVVHVVLRQRIWKHVROH¿QDOJXDUDQ- of Irish men and women staged an unsuc- hold’. In this they are mistaken. tee of survival, land. No one planned and cessful and profoundly unpopular, armed took part in a rebellion against English uprising in the Irish capital, Dublin. The Correcting a feudal error – a rule in order that the freeholders of Ire- ¿JKWLQJHQGHGEHIRUHWKHZHHNZDVRXW misunderstanding of ‘freehold’ land should be serfs of the Irish State nor The leaders of the rebellion were exe- The reality is that the Republic continues that it should be their landlord. FXWHGE\¿ULQJVTXDGDQDFWWKDWLQLWLDWHG in law as a feudal state. The State owns Kevin Cahill a profound change in Irish public opin- all land as feudal superior. This situation In Issue 9 Kevin Cahill will look at the ion, eventually leading to the creation of LV¿[HGLQWKHFXUUHQW,ULVK&RQVWLWXWLRQ Irish Law Reform Commission of 2004 a Free State within the Commonwealth in of 1937, as amended. The constitutional which is examining needed changes to 7KH¿UVW&RQVWLWXWLRQRIWKH,ULVK position is articulated in statutes, some the Irish Constitution including changes Free State followed in 1922. going back to the early occupation of the to laws pertaining to land ownership in Two things had convinced the Irish country by the English in the 13th century. the Republic.

Tinteán June 2009 25 St Mary’s: vigilantes or archbishop in control?

The parishioners of St Mary’s South Bris- One of the earliest curates, an Irish Peter Kennedy’s social justice creden- bane are in debate, a multi-vocal affair, priest Fr , boasted a BA from tials, and those of the St Mary’s commu- with their Archbishop, John Bathersby Queen’s College, Dublin, an unusual nity, are unquestioned by those opposed and Priest, Fr Peter Kennedy. Whether TXDOL¿FDWLRQIRUWKHSHULRG+HZDVDW6W to him. As prison chaplain for nearly the outcome of this debate results in the Mary’s for only seven months, dying of three decades, he recognised that he alone creating of a viable 21st century version SQHXPRQLF LQÀXHQ]D LQ  DJHG MXVW could not meet the needs of prisoners and of Catholicism, as the proponents for 26. In that short time, he was active in encouraged the community to participate Peter Kennedy argue, or victory to the VHWWLQJ XS WKH ¿UVW &DWKROLF FROOHJH 6W in the development of Catholic Prison hierarchy in reasserting its legitimate Leo’s, at the University of Queensland Ministry, which still operates today under power over orthodox theology and lit- (originally on Wickham Terrace). Another WKHDXVSLFHVRI&HQWDFDUH+HFRQFHUQHG urgy, is yet to be seen. Whether the mat- famous Irish-Australian connection with himself not just with prison visits, but ter of Peter Kennedy’s ‘insubordination’ the parish was Mary McKillop whose sis- also with educating prisoners and wor- and its attendant consequences can be ters were invited by the Mercy nuns at All rying about what happened to them on separated from the intentions of many of +DOORZVWRVWDIIWKHVFKRRO6KHOLYHGDQG release. Their practical needs for shelter, his parishioners to remain in the Catholic taught there for 15 months in the early food and work, and their education while communion, is also unclear. The situation 1870s. References to Peter Kennedy’s in jail, were part of their rehabilitation as in early May 2009, as this article is writ- ‘Irishness’ are often mentioned in the far as he was concerned. Kennedy was ten, is fevered to say the least. overblown media accounts of the stoush able to inspire and foster new thinking with John Bathersby. about how their needs and those of their History and Geography of St families were met. Mary’s Mission to Migrants and the At St Mary’s Church, many homeless, Even before this contretemps, St Mary’s Marginal indigenous, and mentally ill people share is and has been one of the most popular St Mary’s historian, parishioner Mag- WKHVSDFHZLWKPRUHDIÀXHQWSDULVKLRQHUV and viable parishes in Brisbane, attract- gie Boyle, stresses how multicultural at Mass. Fr Peter’s followers talk of acts ing between 800 and1500 liberal, middle- the parish has always been, its inclusive of kindness, such as bringing the drunk, class, professional people from all over credentials are deep. Lebanese Christians mentally disturbed, or vagrant into the %ULVEDQH DQG IXUWKHU D¿HOG HVSHFLDOO\ (David Malouf grew up in the area), min- church, encouraging his middle-class since July 2008. The Parish (or more istered to by Fr Khoury, worshipped there parishioners to interact with them. In correctly, Mass Centre) has a different until they built their own church in 1935, 1993, the Jubilee Year of St Mary’s, com- history, consistent with its present ‘clien- and successive waves of Dutch, Lithu- munity members initiated and committed tele’. The church is located on the south anian, Slovenian and Polish migrants 10% of parish income to establishing a side of the river. Before Expo 88 and came to the Church in the early 1950s. collective response to social justice and JHQWUL¿FDWLRQ WKLV ZDV D KLJKO\ LQGXV- Nearby Musgrave Park has been an unof- Micah Projects Inc. was formed as a trialised locale close to South Brisbane ¿FLDOµKRPH¶WR$ERULJLQDOSHRSOH'HQ- ORFDOQRWIRUSUR¿WRUJDQLVDWLRQLQ station and what used to be the goods and nis Walker, son of Oodgeroo Noonuccal, With the outsourcing of social services interstate rail terminal. It’s also close to has initiated a Sacred Treaty Circle and by government, it also concerns itself %RJJR5RDGMDLO,WZDVLQDÀRRGSURQH been given space for an icon in the church with homelessness, support for young section of the mighty Brisbane River and grounds. It is this openness to all comers parents, mental health and disability. It not a desirable place to live. Poor people that attracts today’s more middle-class offers support for those who have been settled there. and better-educated parishioner. abused in faith communities and church

26 Tinteán June 2009 and state run institutions. In 10 years, the www.stoneswillshout.com and their Fr Peter Kennedy speaks to the com- Esther Centre, an activity of Micah Proj- Newsletter, Into the Deep, give a sense munity prior to the Sunday morning ects, has responded to 3000 complaints of their preferred model of church). The procession from the Church to the about abuse by clergy, and by people in reports tend to be edited versions of dis- Trades Labour Council Building church and state-run institutions. puted liturgical forms and expressions Tony Robertson Peter Kennedy, sincerely believing he of theology, plus video clips of liturgy Members of St Mary’s Community is doing what Pope Benedict enjoined, and photographs. One such photo was gather around the Easter Cross prior ‘Everyone has a place in the Church’, of an alleged Buddha in the church at to the candlelight procession out of attends gay unions although he does not St Mary’s. Kennedy argues it is a statue the Church to their new home at the solemnise them, and welcomes Rain- of a monk praying, and not the Buddha, Trades Labour Council Building bow activists into his church. and has a place in the church as an ecu- Tony Robertson +LV WROHUDQFH DQG VXSSRUW RI WKLV JURXS menical gesture towards the Buddhist is unwelcome to Cardinal George Pell group that has met there for 10 years on debate with him may be Stokes’ more who has actively refused, and requires Monday evenings. The issue of the statue than Bathersby’s. his priests to refuse, communion to seems to be more Stokes’ concern than The vigilantes’ actions raise several SHRSOH ÀDXQWLQJ WKHLU JD\ SUHIHUHQFHV the Archbishop’s who was recently feted questions. Are two different ways of Kennedy’s supporters protest that this is by Rome and the Australian government being in the Church mutually exclusive? untheological, that only God can make for his ecumenism. +RZFHQWUDOLVGRJPDWKHRORJ\DQGVHW such discriminations. Kennedy is accused of: liturgical forms in the life of the Church? Women are another group margin- ‡DOORZLQJSULHVWand people to speak Are experiments/deviations to be per- alised by the Church, though it increas- the words of consecration at mass; mitted or managed/punished? Is any ingly depends on them for minor sac- ‡DOORZLQJZRPHQWRSUHDFK experimentation with Liturgy tolerated/ ramental functions such as distributing ‡QRW XVLQJ YHVWPHQWV ZKLOH VD\LQJ tolerable? communion. Kennedy’s opponents make Mass; much of the fact that he allows women to ‡XVLQJ JHQGHULQFOXVLYH ODQJXDJH The local concern µSUHDFK¶+RPLOLHVJLYHQE\ZRPHQZLWK (‘In the name of the Creator, the Those parishioners I have spoken to something to say are not an unfamiliar 5HGHHPHU DQG WKH 6DQFWL¿HU¶  IRU reveal a broad spectrum of support, and phenomenon in many Catholic churches baptisms thereby rendering them intelligent critique, of Peter Kennedy. around Australia, but it is noted in South invalid in the eyes of the Church; Some are worried, even anguished, about Brisbane. ‡SOD\LQJGRZQ WKH GLYLQLW\ RI -HVXV being considered ‘out of communion with in his liturgies and expressing his Rome’ when they believe they belong; The Role of Vigilantes doubts about such matters as the Vir- others are incensed that the media stoush Groups of right-wing Catholics under gin birth to the media, though he is has derailed the ‘real’ issues of their the leadership of Richard Stokes, who not accused of preaching this within spiritual lives at St Mary’s. More than one have severe misgivings about Vatican his church; expressed disquiet at the phenomenon II, have been collecting evidence of ‡LQGRFWULQDWLQJKLV ÀRFN E\ PDNLQJ of the ‘celebrity priest’ and worried that practices of which they disapprove, in social justice the key issue in his without him the movement would be churches around Australia for a decade preaching. unsustainable. There is real debate among and have been sending their reports to Kennedy may be less interested in the ordinary parishioners about how simi- Rome (their website Stones Will Shout, theology than in social justice, and the lar to or different the forms of worship

Tinteán June 2009 27 actually are from more traditional forms +RZHOO WKH VXFFHVVRU DSSRLQWHG E\ WKH Fr Terry Fitzpatrick leads the Eucha- of Catholic liturgy. One expressed $UFKELVKRSRQ)HEUXDU\+HUHVLVWHG rist for St Mary’s in Exile at the Trades concern that St Mary’s had become a A formal process of negotiation, but not Labour Council Building Tony Robertson &DWKROLFLQÀHFWHG +LOOVRQJ D OLWXUJLFDO mediation as the terms were not mutually ‘circus’, and worried about the attempt agreed upon, eventually took place with documentation on all sides of the debate. to revive 70s excitement, especially by the Parish Council on 27 March 2009, The Church tends to use fora such as the remobilising songs like ‘We shall not be in the absence of both Fr Kennedy and liberal Eureka Street (www.eurekastreet. moved’. That such Catholics can be com- the Archbishop The ‘agreement’ reached com.au) in particular, Frank Brennan’s mitted and also qualify their support, is with representatives of the parish is that piece, www.eurekastreet.com.au/article. important in such a debate. Perhaps the the keys were relinquished, and Dean aspx?aeid=12611) and the more ortho- most useful aspect of the controversy was +RZHOOWRRNRYHURQ$SULO.HQ- dox CathNews (www.cathnews.com.au). WKHUHYLYL¿FDWLRQRIVXFKGHEDWHVDQGWKH nedy has established a ‘church in exile.’ Some of the best commentary I have read owning of them by parishioners. is the thoughtful blog from ex-parishioner The Role of the Media and religious studies academic, Michael The hierarchy Fr Kennedy’s easy social relations, his Carden, who addresses the liturgical issues Archbishop Bathersby has been seeking sureness about his ministry, his willing- critically (see michaelcardensjottings. change at St Mary’s since 2004, but cen- ness to seek publicity for what he sees blogspot.com/2009/02/election-time-in- suring of other social justice initiatives as a prophetic mission contrasted with queensland.html). have been continual since the mid-1980s. Archbishop Bathersby’s avoidance of The power differential between hier- The vigilantes’ complaints to Rome have publicity and lack of media savvy has archy and so-called maverick priest does gained traction in the last two papacies. created an atmosphere in which mutual not help the matter. Fr Kennedy is not Archbishop Bathersby – previously a tar- respect cannot be guaranteed. The media alone in preaching an Australian ver- get of their complaints – could no longer have played up the drama and dumbed sion of ‘liberation theology’ and social avoid taking action against Fr Kennedy, GRZQ WKH QXDQFHV +HDGOLQHV VKRXWLQJ justice. Increasingly those priests who once, but tragically no longer, a close µ'H¿DQW SULHVW SODQV 0DVV DIWHU VDFNLQJ¶ align with him are speaking out. They put friend. The two men have confronted and ‘A Church collapsing without founda- their livelihoods – they are professional each other, but the Archbishop, rather tions’ don’t help. The debate as the media pastors who do not want to be sacked – than meeting with the parishioners, has (and the hierarchy) portray it, is heavily and their parishes – who do not want to conducted his business by letter. The polarised. (Christopher Pearson of The ORVH WKHP ± DW ULVN LI WKH\ GR VR +RZ threat in a letter in March 2008 to the Australian mocks what he calls ‘cafeteria’ many priests can Australian dioceses congregation, of not only sacking Peter Catholicism – the selective adherence to afford to lose? What are the implications Kennedy but excommunicating those those aspects of faith which are congenial of bringing in, (as is happening), priests who follow him, was received by parish- and ignoring the rest.) Only the ABC has from the Philippines and Africa, however ioners with disquiet. In an attempt to calm attempted a full and fairly objective cov- well trained, in terms of closeness to their the situation, mediation was mooted. But erage (Encounter, 15 March 2009: www. parishes? These are complex issues of the choice of Ian Callinan, the former SC abc.net.au/rn/encounter/stories/2009 power, neo-colonialism and culture, and DQG+LJK&RXUW-XGJHZLWKNQRZQFRQ- /2511007.htm). Fortunately, websites are how the hierarchy manages this symp- servative tendencies, was not acceptable helping disseminate a more nuanced and tomatic event is crucial. What is the price to Fr Kennedy. Again, by letter, Kennedy surprisingly open record. St Mary’s web- of change in the Catholic Church? was formally sacked and ordered to sur- site (www.stmaryssouthbrisbane.com) is Watch this space. render the keys of the church to Dean exceptional, and put into circulation much Frances Devlin-Glass

28 Tinteán June 2009 Brigid and her sisters Religious women in medieval Ireland

We don’t know as much as we would like planking which were painted with images a troubled period when there was great about women in early medieval Ireland, and hung with curtains. A cross wall sepa- unrest by resurgent Gaelic lords against the including St Brigid, although there many rated the altar from the rest of the church, English crown, Christine Holby, a nun of theories and stories about her. Most histo- and on either side of it lay the shrines of St .LOGDUHÀHGWR([HWHUZKHUHVKHDSSOLHG rians accept that many of the stories that Brigid and her bishop Conlaed. for permission to be enclosed as an anchor- VXUYLYHDERXWWKH¿IWKFHQWXU\6DLQW%ULJLG Control of Kildare was crucial to success ess. Kildare is not known to have housed were stories that had previously applied to a in the brutal world of 11th and 12th century nuns after this. goddess Brigid, in a process of gradual con- Leinster politics. Three times during the There were other new houses estab- version from the old pagan religion to the late 11th and early 12th century battles were lished where all the known nuns and new Christian one. The conversion period, fought at Kildare between rivals for the abbesses had English names, and some symbolised by the stories of St Patrick, but kingship of Leinster, and as consequences where the names of the nuns changed from representing a long term project involving women from the family of the winning Gaelic Irish to English at the same time many missionaries, was one where women side were installed as abbesses. On at least as the areas were occupied and colonised were keen participants. So Brigid’s story is two occasions these were associated with by the English. In the west of the country in many ways representative of the enthusi- the rapes of the abbesses to render them there was a healthy network of convents asms of early medieval Irish women to take LQHOLJLEOHIRURI¿FH for women who were all Gaelic Irish – Kil- up a life path that did not include political During the mid-12th century there was lone, Co. Clare where there were Uí Bhri- and dynastic marriages. a widespread and effective Irish religious ain, Kilcreevanty, Co. Galway, with the Ua We know that from the hey-day of early reform instituted by among others St Conchobair family, in the north Killevy medieval Irish monasticism between the 5th Malachy of Armagh in collaboration with also survived under Gaelic leadership of and 9th centuries, until the establishment of his great friend St Bernard of Clairvaux. the O’Hanlons. Anglo-Norman control in the 13th century, There was great religious enthusiasm So the time lines for women’s monas- Brigid’s monastery at Kildare continued as and once again the women were deeply tic houses in Ireland are that there were an important political and monastic centre. involved. It was at this time that many new WKUHH JUHDW ÀRZHULQJV RI HQWKXVLDVP DQG The abbesses of Kildare were mentioned religious houses were founded for women, foundation of monastic houses – the initial in the Annals, signifying both their high including Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly and conversion period from the 5th-7th centuries birth and their important political standing. Kilcreevanty in Co. Galway. Other con- and then the religious reform period of Early medieval monasteries and vents survived into the post-12th century the mid-12th century, followed by a third convents were not like the stone-built period – Killevy in Co. Armagh is one. In wave of foundations and re-foundations structure of the later medieval period in other instances convents were refounded associated with the arrival of the English or Ireland. Monasteries were in many ways in the 12th century on the same land as Anglo-Normans. In all these broad move- physically similar to secular settlements. older convents. One of the markers of an ments, women were involved and arranged They were generally round with internal old pre 12th century convent is its dedica- to have family resources transferred to reli- divisions where the different functions tion to St Brigid, while conversely one of gious causes while other women enthusi- of the community were carried out. The the markers of a totally new foundation or astically joined in. It must be remembered nuns would have lived in small huts, some a foundation that totally swept away older that the women who joined these com- alone and some in groups. These huts houses was dedication to either the Virgin munities as nuns were of the aristocracy would have been grouped together, but Mary or continental saints. So there was St – being a nun was work that could only be there was also a tradition of single huts Mary, Clonard in Meath established by the done by women from families who could for prayer, and private devotions. The Ua Mael Sechlainn in 1140s as a double afford for them not to be involved in the central communal building would have house and Killone or Church of St John day to day survival of farming and produc- been the church. Based on the evidence established in Co. Clare by the Ui Bhrain ing and caring for the next generation. So of surviving churches and of archaeologi- the early 13th century. ZKHQZHORRNDWWKHPDJQL¿FHQWUHPDLQV cal research, many early ones were small, Part of the colonisation process that of the medieval Irish church, we have to made of wattle and wood and probably occurred after the Anglo-Normans arrived remember that women were there as well RQO\ELJHQRXJKIRUWKHRI¿FLDWLQJSULHVWV in 1169, was the establishment of new reli- as men. These were Brigid’s sisters: nuns and a small group of devotees to be inside. gious houses including houses for women. and abbesses, vowed women and pious The rest of the community, more junior Some of the older Gaelic houses survived lay women who lived, worshipped and nuns and important lay visitors, would in Anglo-Norman areas, with a change in worked according to their faith. be outside. Other churches, like Kildare, patronage and staff and acceptance of con- Dianne Hall were larger if references to the number of tinental rules, usually Augustinian. Kildare University of Melbourne people who they could accommodate are was one such survivor although only by An edited version of her address for accurate. We have a very good descrip- losing its position as the most important Brigidfest 2009. Dianne’s book, Women tion of Brigid’s church at Kildare – it was convent in Ireland. So the convent of and the Church in Medieval Ireland, probably rectangular in shape, tall and con- Kildare survived, but with nuns with c1140-1540, was published by Four tained three chapels separated by walls of English names. Finally in 1447 during Courts Press in 2003.

Tinteán June 2009 29 No more memoirs

The single most important pioneer- Toowoomba in southeastern Queensland Denoon, former Director of the Aus- settler family in Papua Guinea during in the 1880s. His father Daniel was a WUDOLDQ 1DWLRQDO 8QLYHUVLW\¶V 6FKRRO RI the Australian administration, which railway clerk, a Catholic from County $VLDQ DQG 3DFL¿F 6WXGLHV WKH &ROOLQV ended in 1975, was the Collins-Leahy Limerick; his mother, Ellen, nee Stone, Leahy clan was ‘the most important clan, one or two generations removed a Protestant from County Kilkenny. By $XVWUDOLDQIDPLO\LQ3DSXD1HZ*XLQHD from their Kilkenny and Limerick 1926 Mick and his brother Tom had during the Australian era’ and ‘the lead- County-born forebears. In the first of a small trucking business. Gold was ing Australian pioneers for at least two a two-part series, Australian journal- GLVFRYHUHGWKDW\HDULQWKH1HZ*XLQHD generations.’ ist and author Chris Ashton recalls Highlands at Edie Creek, precipitating ,Q 'HFHPEHU  5LFKDUG LQYLWHG his long association with successive a gold rush which, in frenzy if not in me to join his family for Christmas. We generations of Leahys. scale, echoed its fabled predecessors in ÀHZ WR /DH 1HZ *XLQHD¶V SULQFLSDO California, Australia, South Africa and PDLQODQGWRZQVKLSDQGIURPWKHUHGURYH In the early 1960s Richard Leahy put Alaska. Mick read of it, dashed off a ¿IW\PLOHVE\DZLQGLQJGLUWURDGWKURXJK to me that the Irish, though capable of note to Tom ceding him their two trucks, tropical rainforest, crossing broad, fast- H[WUDRUGLQDU\ IHDWV ZHUH IDWDOO\ ÀDZHG ZLWKGUHZWKHLUMRLQWVDYLQJVDQGERDUGHG ÀRZLQJULYHUVDOZD\VFOLPELQJXQWLODW by their capacity for self-destruction. DVKLSIRU1HZ*XLQHD,QWKH\HDUVIRO- IHHWWKHMXQJOHJDYHZD\WRVWHHS The story of Ireland bears this out. lowing three other brothers, Paddy, Jim open grassland. Here sporadic sectarian and political DQG 'DQ MRLQHG 0LFN LQ 1HZ *XLQHD Here was Zenag, the homestead and strife continue long after the rest of either prospecting for gold or working farm Mick had built following the war. Christendom has called it quits. But sluice mines to fund future expeditions. :LWKDÀHHWRI86DUP\VXUSOXVWUXFNV Richard, WKH HOGHVW RI ¿YH FKLOGUHQ RI :KHQ -DSDQ LQYDGHG 1HZ *XLQHD ERXJKW DW WKH ZDU¶V HQG 3DSXD 1HZ Jeanette and the late Mick Leahy (1900- in 1942, Mick’s brothers enlisted in the *XLQHDQ GULYHUV ZHUH GHOLYHULQJ IDUP 79), was talking of the personal rather $XVWUDOLDQ1HZ*XLQHD$UP\$GPLQLV- SURGXFH±PLONYHJHWDEOHVHJJVSRXOPLONYHJHWDEOHVHJJVSRXO- than political; of his Irish heritage on his WUDWLYH8QLWDFLYLODUPVXSSRUWLQJ$XV- try, pork and beef – to shops in Lae, and father’s side as distinct from his mother’s tralia’s armed forces in reconnaissance in Wau and Bulolo, in the foothills of the Anglo-Saxon heritage. behind enemy lines, recruiting tribesmen Highlands. In search of gold in 1930, Mick led DV SRUWHUV DQG UHVFXLQJ (XURSHDQ FLYLO- $IWHU&KULVWPDV,ÀHZWRWKH(DVWHUQ WKH ¿UVW RI VHYHUDO H[SHGLWLRQV LQWR 1HZ LDQV,QFHQVHGDWWKHQRWLRQRIVHUYLQJLQ Highlands to stay with Jim Leahy on his Guinea’s mountainous interior. He dis- QRQFRPPLVVLRQHG UDQNV XQGHU JRYHUQ- FRIIHHSODQWDWLRQ(ULQYDOH(DFK6XQGD\ FRYHUHG KLWKHUWR XQNQRZQ grassland PHQWSDWURORI¿FHUV²LQ3LGJLQ(QJOLVK the nephews, most with the surname Col- YDOOH\V LQKDELWHG E\ YLJRURXV ZDUULRU kiaps—lacking his own experience, Mick lins or Leahy, with their own businesses tribes numbering hundreds of thousands. offered himself to the US Fifth Air Force – trade-stores, plantations, long-haul 5HDOLVLQJ WKH HQRUPLW\ RI KLV GLVFRYHU\ ZKLFKDFFHSWHGKLPDVDVSHFLDODGYLVHU trucking or timber-milling – gathered for he kept meticulous diaries of subsequent with the rank of honorary colonel. lunch and business-talk. journeys, not least his encounters, whether 7KH-DSDQHVHLQYDVLRQFKDQJHGKRZ , ZDV D PXWH VSHFWDWRU WR ¿HUFH GLV- cordial and hostile, with tribal warriors. $XVWUDOLD YLHZHG LWV 3DFL¿F ,VODQG WHU- cussion as to the processing and export His expeditions, numbering up to 100 men, ritories. To safeguard it against further RI FRIIHH ERXJKW IURP +LJKODQG YLOODJ- porters, cooks and armed guards, recruited incursions from its near north – the HUVWRDFHUELFDSSUDLVDOVRIJRYHUQPHQW from coastal tribes, were resupplied by Communists took power in China in RI¿FHUVEXVLQHVVDVVRFLDWHVDQGULYDOVWR DLUGURSVRISURYLVLRQVRUE\OLJKWSODQHV ²VXFFHVVLYH IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQWV the clan’s commercial interests. By turns landing on make-shift strips. Mick taught LQYHVWHG PDVVLYHO\ LQ LQIUDVWUXFWXUH² charming or cantankerous, Jim assumed himself to operate a Leica camera and roads, airstrips, patrol posts, schools, the mantle of clan patriarch, a role he 16-mm Bolex cine-camera, bequeathing KRVSLWDOV²DQG UHFUXLWHG WKRXVDQGV RI relished. a pictorial record, probably unequalled Australians to staff them. I treasure memories, then, of truck DQ\ZKHUHHOVHLQWKHZRUOGRI¿UVWFRQWDFW 7KH1HZ*XLQHD+LJKODQGVRIWKRVH MRXUQH\VWKURXJKWKH1HZ*XLQHD+LJK- between European interlopers and hitherto early postwar years offered rich pick- ODQGV RI ZLGH JUDVVODQG YDOOH\V JLUGHG unknown tribal peoples. ings. Dan and Jim Leahy planted the by high mountain walls, of tribesmen In 1935 with his younger brother Dan ¿UVWFRIIHH-LPZDVWKH¿UVWWRKDUYHVW adorned in Bird of Paradise headdresses, KHIRXQGDOOXYLDOJROGLQSD\DEOHTXDQWLDOOXYLDOJROGLQSD\DEOHTXDQWL- it commercially. In their wake from torsos shining with pig-grease and armed WLHV,WZDVQR(O'RUDGREXWVXI¿FLHQWIRU Queensland came thirteen teenage neph- with spears, stone-headed axes, bows and DOLYLQJ7KHIROORZLQJ\HDUKHDQG'DQ ews initially to work for one or another arrows, emblems of their warrior status. with his GLDULHVDQG¿OPVDQGSKRWRJUDSKV uncle before striking out on their 1HYHUPLQGWKDWWKHkiaps had by then toured Britain, Ireland and the US, his own. ‘Old’ Tom, the one brother who YLUWXDOO\ VWRSSHG WULEDO ZDUIDUH  1R DFKLHYHPHQWV KRQRXUHG E\ HPLQHQW remained in Queensland, contributed less than the grandeur of the Highlands, geographical and exploration societies in ¿YHVRQVDVGLGKLVVLVWHU0ROO\&ROOLQV gatherings of the Leahy clan offered me a public lectures, medals and citations. ZKLOHWZRRWKHU/HDK\VLVWHUVSURYLGHG glimpse of a world quite unlike my own. Mick was the eldest of nine children of three sons to the Leahy diaspora. I was 19, and I was agog. an Irish immigrant couple who settled in According to Professor Donald The following summer I returned to

30 Tinteán June 2009 1HZ *XLQHD WR ZRUN IRU -LP ¿UVW DV D RSLQLRQV RQ 1HZ *XLQHD Suddenly I was persona non grata, plantation assistant, then as a caretaker QDWLYHV LQ SDUWLFXODU DQG WKH guilty, in Mick’s words, of ‘bowdleris- coffee manager in the Western Highlands. 1HJURLG SHRSOH LQ JHQHUDO ing’ his memoir. It was as if someone I I was farm-bred though I knew nothing You would also be near admired suddenly struck me in the face. of coffee. From the nephews I learned the HQRXJK WR &DQEHUUD WR GHOYH There was no formal agreement or ques- rudiments of plantation management and LQWR WKH QHJDWLYHV WKH\ KDYH tion of compensating me for my time. mastered Pidgin English. and the diaries if needed and Fearful that I might pursue unauthorised When in 1969 I started as a journalist in select what you consider the publication of his memoir- – the notion Sydney, Mick and I began to correspond appropriate material. I could QHYHU RFFXUUHG WR PH ± KH GLUHFWHG WKH regularly. His 20-odd letters, which I send the MS to you right away 1DWLRQDO/LEUDU\WRDWWDFKWRKLVGLDULHV hold still, are courteous, with details of LI\RXZRXOGOLNHWRKDYHDORRN DQGSKRWRJUDSKVDFRYHULQJQRWHIRUELG- KLV FKLOGUHQ DW VFKRRO RU XQLYHUVLW\ RU RYHULW ding me, by name, from further access. starting their own businesses. But his In awe and admiration of Mick, I $W0LFN¶VEHKHVW5LFKDUGÀHZIURP central prime concern was the role I DFFHSWHGKLVLQYLWDWLRQZLWKWKHLQQRFHQFH Lae to Port Moresby to reclaim his could play in adapting his memoir for DQG RSWLPLVP RI \RXWK 1R RQH PHHWLQJ father’s manuscript, the rolls of bor- publication. KLP IRU WKH ¿UVW WLPH FRXOG GRXEW KLV URZHG QHJDWLYHV DQG 1DWLRQDO /LEUDU\  , KDYH ZULWWHQ XS DQ force of personality, inscribed in his face, photographs. As he left he said, ‘This is account of our wanderings KLV H\HV KLV GHHS PHORGLF YRLFH DQG DOOYHU\HPEDUUDVVLQJ¶ from 1930 to 1935 and as a his passion as he spoke of his adopted Mick died in 1979. In the early 1980s sort of insurance against being country. Alarm bells were ringing (‘If you KXVEDQGDQGZLIH ¿OPPDNHUV %RE summarily kicked out of here do not mind being associated with some of Connolly and Robin Anderson produced on the say-so of some of the my opinions…’) to which I was deaf. D GRFXPHQWDU\ ¿OP First Contact, present-day do-gooders and My reading of his diaries held by the the story of Mick’s 1930s expeditions. YLVLRQDULHV LQFLWLQJ WKH ORFDOV $XVWUDOLDQ 1DWLRQDO /LEUDU\ SHUVXDGHG %OHQGLQJKLV¿OPDQGSKRWRJUDSKVZLWK to what they are pleased to call me that his story, properly edited and WKHUHFROOHFWLRQVRIKLVVXUYLYLQJEURWKHUV independence, I am trying to LOOXVWUDWHG ZRXOG ¿QG D SXEOLVKHU Jim and Dan, and with Highlanders, it KDYH LW SXEOLVKHG LQ $PHULFD 6HOHFWLQJ WKH PRVW YLYLG SDVVDJHV IURP secured an Oscar nomination for Best where I imagine it would be his diaries, I compiled a leaner, tighter Feature-Length Documentary. In their worth enough to educate the PHPRLUDQGZLWKDUFKLYDOSKRWRJUDSKV book, First Contact, Connolly and youngest and see Jeanette DSSURDFKHGVXFFHVVLYHSXEOLVKHUV Anderson quoted Mick’s nephew, Bob DQG PH RYHU ROG DJH EXW , By 1969, with the prospect of winning Fraser: KDYH EHHQ XQDEOH WR ¿QG D JRYHUQPHQWDIWHU\HDUVLQRSSRVLWLRQ I was saddened by the way publisher so far. All the diaries Federal Labor Party leader Gough Whit- Mick kept going on and on and what I consider the most lam was arguing that Australian rule of about the injustice of the FRPSUHKHQVLYH SKRWRJUDSKLF 3DSXD 1HZ *XLQHD ZDV PRUDOO\ XQWHQ- Administration, the stupidity of UHFRUG RI D ZKLWH PDQ¶V ¿UVW able, and pledged himself, if elected, to the kiaps, the lack of discipline FRQWDFW LV LQ WKH 1DWLRQDO grant immediate independence. Some- in the community and the fact Library in Canberra should WKLQJ , LPDJLQHG ZRXOG HYROYH WZHQW\ that they’d [the Australians] all \RX JHW XS WKDW ZD\ DQG KDYH years was suddenly at hand. In 1972 I left be kicked out on their arses, WLPHWRORRNLWRYHU,ZLOONHHS Sydney to work in Port Moresby contrib- that the country was too good you posted as to the fate of uting to the Australian Financial Review for the people in it, that they my MS in the United States. I and to the weekly National Times. were going to ruin it and slide should hear from them soon. My search for a publisher open to back into barbarism. There The world has forgotten about Mick’s memoir continued. But he was was some sort of mental block. the white man’s contact with right. The world, it seemed, no longer I think he sat there at Zenag Stone Age people and is not ZDQWHG VWRULHV RI ¿UVW FRQWDFW 2QO\ and brooded so much that in interested either. Jacaranda Press, a publisher committed WKH HQG KH VWDUWHG WR EHOLHYH 4/6/69: My main reason for WR 3DSXD 1HZ *XLQHD YRLFHG FDXWLRXV what he was saying. He was starting to rewrite the whole interest, conditional on changing the listening to the news eight or account is the uncertainty of balance to more pictures and less words. nine times a day. He had an our POLITICAL FUTURE up This I did but Mick was not happy. LGpH ¿[H. It was disappointing here. I thought and still think 19/4/72: I think it has been too WR JR WKHUH EHFDXVH KH QHYHU it may become a ‘breadwinner’ ‘edited’ to the point where it is stopped fuming about it. When LI,FRXOGVDOYDJHHQRXJKIURP not much more than a lengthy he did stop fuming he was his here to see the kids educated caption for the photographs old charming self. and us ‘out’…If you would \RX KDYH , DP QRW KDSS\ ,YRZHGQHYHUDJDLQWRFROODERUDWHLQ not mind your name being DERXWLWDV¿QDODFFRXQWRIRXU anyone else’s memoir. associated with some of my explorations in this country. Chris Ashton

Tinteán June 2009 31 Calwell: committed to Christian humanitarianism through social justice Influences, Insights and Implications

In the first of two articles, Mary Eliza- in 1909 and all passed the equivalent of following both according to my beth Calwell discusses the life and year 12 and entered the Public Service. conscience. times of her father, Arthur Calwell, One was , later Catholic Speakers included feminists Adela and reflects on the importance of his Archbishop of Adelaide. Calwell joined Pankhurst and Vida Goldstein. Calwell religious convictions in his personal the Victorian Public Service in 1913. He wrote that Fabian socialists ‘did much to life and political career. ZURWHWKDWLQWKDWHUDLWZDVGLI¿FXOWIRU mould labour in this country…the only any Catholic to get permanent employ- party that puts the interests of Australia Many Australian historians write politi- ment in a bank or commercial life. At that ¿UVWDWDOOWLPHV¶ cal history with minimal recognition time, Archbishop Mannix came as Par- His strong sense of Australian identity of how religion in varied forms has ish Priest to West Melbourne. By 1918, and Irish, American and Welsh fam- shaped individual politicians’ priorities Calwell was President of St Joseph’s Old ily heritage gave him a commitment to and values. Few have understood how Boys, Secretary of the Young Ireland a democratic society in which church liberal and socialist ideas have been Society and a delegate to Victorian ALP and state were separate for their mutual interwoven with strong or weak religious conferences. EHQH¿W +H FRQVLGHUHG GHPRFUDF\ WR commitment and what that has meant He recalled poverty in West be not necessarily a just system but for political decision-making. Without Melbourne: the best available. In the 1950s, he anal- understanding how important such reli- It was a dreadful situation and ysed values of America’s founding fathers gious convictions were for Arthur Cal- it impressed me so much that I in annual articles for Literary ZHOOKLVSROLWLFDOVLJQL¿FDQFHZRXOGEH became a socialist quite early Supplement. In the article on Lincoln, he seriously misunderstood. in my life and I used to walk LGHQWL¿HGWKHSongs of Songs as an exam- Studies of Australian Catholic laity are to the Public Library and read SOHRIELEOLFDOLQÀXHQFHVRQKLVZULWLQJ relatively rare despite their importance in whatever literature I wanted Religious books from his youth politics, the professions, public service, to read and it was always of included A Course of Instruction for trade unions and sport. Calwell asserted a radical nature... I became Catholic Youth by John Gerard SJ, Medi- it was important to distinguish between convinced that socialism was tations for Lay Folk by Bede Jarrett, lives what is fundamental and what is acci- the only answer to the evils of of Augustine, Joan of Arc and Therese dental. Calwell and B A Santamaria were capitalism…mankind is fallible of Lisieux and writings of John Henry exponents of very different understand- and peccable so we’ll never Newman. Among other books were those ings of what it meant to be a Catholic have a perfect society… of Kier Hardie, Fabian socialists, descrip- layman. That was a national issue from The ALP was committed to socialism tions of nationalist struggles, Prince Peter the 1950s to the 1970s because of the and its interpretation was accepted by the Kropotkin, Edward Bellamy, Robert impact of their theological struggle on Catholic in 1905. The Blackburn Owen and Charles Dickens. Calwell the identity and fortunes of the Austra- Interpretation introduced at the 1921 read widely throughout his life, spoke lian Labor Party and Calwell spurned the Federal Conference by a Catholic and DQG ZURWH ,ULVK ÀXHQWO\ VRPH )UHQFK secrecy of ‘The Movement’ that damaged future Prime Minister, , some Mandarin and promoted Australian the Catholic Church’s credibility. was recognised by Coadjutor Archbishop literature especially as Minister for Infor- Arthur Calwell was born in West Michael Sheehan of Sydney in 1930. mation and as a member of the Common- Melbourne in 1896. His mother died at &DOZHOO¶V ¿UVW SROLWLFDO PHPRU\ ZDV wealth Literary Fund. the age of forty in early 1913 leaving of being taken by his mother and aunt to He believed the ALP that represented seven children. His Anglican father was hear Dr W Maloney whom he succeeded the underprivileged must have unity, dis- later a Superintendent in the Police Force as Federal ALP member for Melbourne cipline and loyalty. In 1931, as the young- responsible for a third of Victoria. Arthur 36 years later. He wrote: est Victorian President, he was respon- Jnr was educated by the Mercy nuns and My political interest was sible for the expulsion from the ALP of Christian Brothers at St Mary’s School stimulated and my opinions a Minister, and later, a former Minister and later, St Joseph’s College, North formed when I attended and former Premier. He helped many Melbourne. Calwell stated: ‘It was the meetings on the Yarra Bank desperate people during the Depression grounding we received in Christian doc- and in the Socialist Hall…I did of the 1930s. He initiated action that led trine and in secular learning by so many of not have, and never have had, to the Victorian Country Party assuming our teachers that was most important for DQ\ GLI¿FXOW\ LQ VHSDUDWLQJ RI¿FHZLWK/DERUVXSSRUWLQ$VD our future.’ With three other boys, he won my religious beliefs and my 9LFWRULDQ7UHDVXU\2I¿FHUKHZDVDXWKRU a half scholarship to St Joseph’s College political thinking, and in of three Government reports concerning

32 Tinteán June 2009 unemployment, widows’ pensions and $V ¿UVW $XVWUDOLDQ 0LQLVWHU IRU 22:15-22 and Section 116 of the Austra- industrial life assurance. He had con- Immigration he enabled survivors of lian Constitution. He wrote that, when tributed as a union leader, as Campaign the Holocaust to come here, the biggest Constantine became a Christian, the early Director for the Federal Member for Mel- number proportionately outside Israel. Christians exchanged a perfectly good bourne from about 1925 and, from 1939- Calwell stated Australians could not religion and accepted in return a set of 1945, as a Melbourne City Councillor. hold this continent for ourselves and our imperial garments. In 1946, he objected As Federal Member for Melbourne, descendants unless we greatly increased to the Vatican on behalf of a group of he declared his electorate was prob- our population needed for defence and Catholic laymen about some activities of ably the most cosmopolitan in Australia, economic expansion. He declared: ‘any Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Panico. deplored the treatment of Aborigines and immigration scheme can only succeed if Australian communism declined to urged that Asian residents be naturalised. it has behind it the support and goodwill about 5,000 members by 1950. In the $V&KDLUPDQRIWKH$OLHQV&ODVVL¿FDWLRQ of the Australian people.’ Under existing 1940s, ‘Movement’ supporters and oth- and Review Committee he enabled many legislation, our doors were open to any- ers tried to identify Labor’s Socialist Jews, Italians and some Germans to be one from Britain, continental Europe and Objective with communism and Calwell released from internment. As Minister for America. He observed that activities on stated: ‘It is the cupidity and stupidity Information he supported decisions of his religious and racist grounds by persons of capitalism that has spread commu- subordinate, the censor, thus earning the with ulterior motives: nism.’ He published a pamphlet What permanent enmity of newspaper owners. cannot be too strongly the Popes Have Said on Capitalism, Calwell established the Broadcasting condemned…and make for the Employing Class and Trade Unions Control Board, insisting that the ABC the creation of discord and quoting papal encyclicals, statements by give appropriate time to religion. bitterness that is harmful at Mannix and some French cardinals, the At a Catholic Communion Breakfast home and abroad. Melbourne paper, the Catholic Worker, in 1944, Calwell elucidated his com- +HWUDQVIRUPHG$XVWUDOLD>DV@WKH¿UVW and Catholic commentators, Maisie and mitment to Christian humanitarianism person to amend the Restrictive Immigra- Barbara Ward. In 1950, he outlined his implemented through social justice in a tion Act that removed some restrictions on long involvement and that of the ALP in nation free from ancient antagonisms. Chinese residents. Labor defended this act opposing communism and quoted from He said the highest value should be in general because of the earlier experi- Pius XI: ‘The great scandal of the nine- placed on spiritual values for Australia ence that employers would import work- teenth century was that the workers of the to survive as a nation that promoted ers to undermine working conditions. world were lost to Christ.’ Santamaria’s equality of people before the law, social Australia was commended for accepting LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ RI KLV µDQWL&RPPXQLVW¶ justice and the enrichment of society by single mothers and Calwell encouraged activities with the Catholic Church led HQDEOLQJ SHRSOH WR IXO¿O WKHLU SRWHQWLDO churches to provide chaplains for assisted to the revival of the perception that the by education. Communism had failed migrants and ensured his Department Catholic Church, as distinct from Sant- to take root. He believed people should paid them at Reception Centres. amaria, wanted to control an Australian be encouraged to marry and have chil- He believed in the separation of political party. dren in security and the country would church and state in a religiously pluralis- Mary Elizabeth Calwell have to pursue a policy of immigra- tic society free of ancient animosities and The author is the daughter of Arthur and tion. We should be ready to defend our asserted the right to comment on Church Elizabeth Calwell. After graduating from FRXQWU\ DQG ÀDJ DQG $XVWUDOLD PXVW decisions as a layman and as a politician the University of Melbourne with a BA have a soul, spirit and an anthem dedi- WR UHMHFW WKHLU ULJKW WR LQWUXGH RI¿FLDOO\ degree she was employed in the Reserve cated to Australia. into politics. The situation was compli- Bank and the Australian Public Service. +HZURWHWR&KLÀH\GHFODULQJKLV cated by the Vatican principle prevailing Later she enrolled at the United Faculty determination to develop LQ WKH QLQHWHHQWK FHQWXU\ LQÀXHQFHG E\ of Theology, an Associated College of a heterogeneous society: a European history, of the ‘thesis’ that the Melbourne College of Divinity and society where Irishness and made the Catholic state the ideal and awarded a BTheol, TheolM and DTheol Roman Catholicism would be the ‘hypothesis’, the compromise under by the College of Divinity. as acceptable as Englishness which Catholics lived in a non-Catholic and Protestantism: where an state. Calwell wrote that his arguments First published in The Australasian Italian background would be as and quarrels with certain churchmen all Catholic Record in April 2007. acceptable as a Greek, a Dutch concerned the jurisdictional or organisa- Reprinted with the approval of The or any other. tional sides of the church. He quoted Mt Record and of the author.

Tinteán June 2009 33 A politician who divides opinion

Redmond: The Parnellite WKHWHOOLQJSRLQWWKDW5HGPRQGKDVµPDQ- Dermot Meleady, DJHG WKH GLI¿FXOW IHDW RYHU WKH DOPRVW Cork University Press, Cork, 2008 QLQHW\\HDUVVLQFHKLVGHDWKRIEHFRPLQJ DW RQFH D QHJOHFWHG DQG D FRQWURYHUVLDO 2Q WKH ¿IWLHWK DQQLYHUVDU\ RI WKH (DVWHU ¿JXUH¶*LYHQWKDWWKHUHKDVEHHQQRIXOO 5LVLQJ LQ  WKH WKUHH PDMRU UDLOZD\ OHQJWK ELRJUDSK\ VLQFH 'HQLV *Z\QQ¶V VWDWLRQV LQ 'XEOLQ ±$PLHQV 6W 6WDWLRQ VWXG\ LQ  DOWKRXJK WKHUH KDYH RI .LQJVEULGJH 6WDWLRQ DQG :HVWODQG 5RZ FRXUVH EHHQ SROLWLFDO FRPPHQWDULHV  ZHUH UHQDPHG DIWHU WKUHH RI WKH JUHDW KLV DUJXPHQW UHJDUGLQJ 5HGPRQG EHLQJ ¿JXUHV RI WKH 5LVLQJ ± &RQQROO\ 6WD- QHJOHFWHG KDV VRPH IRUFH DQG LW LV FHU- WLRQ +HXVWRQ 6WDWLRQ DQG 3HDUVH 6WDWLRQ WDLQO\WUXHWKDWKHUHPDLQVDFRQWURYHUVLDO UHVSHFWLYHO\ 6R ZK\ LQ D UHYLHZ RI D ¿JXUH 0HOHDG\ KLPVHOI PDNHV LW YHU\ ZHOOPHW¶DQGUHOHQWOHVVNLVVLQJRIEDELHV ELRJUDSK\RI-RKQ5HGPRQGGR,SUDWWOH FOHDU WKDW KH EHOLHYHV WKDW 5HGPRQG¶V 5HGPRQG QHYHU VPLOHG LQ SXEOLF $IWHU RQDERXWUDLOZD\VWDWLRQVLQ'XEOLQ±KDYH UHSXWDWLRQ KDV VXIIHUHG IURP 5HSXEOLFDQ UHDGLQJWKLVYROXPHRQHPLJKWVRPHWLPHV ,JRQHFRPSOHWHO\RIIWKHUDLOV":HOOQR LQVSLUHG SURSK\VLFDO IRUFH DQDO\VLV DQG ZRQGHULIKHHYHUVPLOHGHYHQLQSULYDWH DWOHDVWQRWHQWLUHO\,DPPDNLQJDSRLQW WKDW LQ WKH OLJKW RI UHFHQW ,ULVK SROLWLFDO +DYLQJ VDLG WKLV LW LV FOHDU WKDW 5HG- SHUKDSV D VRPHZKDW ODERXUHG SRLQW WKDW GHYHORSPHQWV LQ UHODWLRQ WR WKH OD\LQJ PRQG ZDV QRW RQO\ D GHGLFDWHG KDUG ZKHQ

34 Tinteán June 2009 The Last Salon of Lady Wilde

As a fundraiser for Bloomsday in Mel- KHUUROHLQ2VFDU¶VGRZQIDOODQGGLVJUDFH stories. bourne 2009, which will explore the having encouraged him to pursue his .HYLQ /R¶V YLUWXRVR SHUIRUPDQFHV LQÀXHQFH RI 2VFDU :LOGH XSRQ -DPHV ill-judged suit against the Marquess of RQ YLROLQ DQG ÀXWH DQG 5RG %DNHU¶V -R\FH WKH %ORRPVGD\ LQ 0HOERXUQH Queensberry. She struggles to convince powerful tenor voice and original com- Committee in February produced two herself that ‘two years are not so long’, positions, were just part of a wealth of performances of an original theatrical although the audience’s knowledge that stirring music enlivening the salon. The entertainment. they will prove long enough to break audience’s spontaneous participation in Audiences were invited to participate :LOGH¶VKHDOWKDQGVSLULWDQGKHZLOOOLYH VLQJLQJ µ$ 1DWLRQ 2QFH $JDLQ¶ ZDV D LQWKHLPDJLQHG¿QDOVDORQRI/DG\:LOGH only two years after his release, lends popular highlight. noted in happier days for her brilliant added poignancy to her words. The entertainment provided insight conversation and ability to attract liter- 6R LW ZDV LQGHHG D ¿QDO ZRUG IURP LQWR WKH OLIH DQG WKRXJKW RI D ÀDZHG ary, musical, artistic and social luminar- /DG\:LOGH WKH VFULSW JLYLQJ KHU YRLFH but feisty woman and the philandering ies to her ‘at home’ gatherings in Dublin to articulate her strongly held anti- spouse she much admired. It indicated DQG/RQGRQ British sentiments and to read in suitably ZKHUHVHHGVZHUHVRZQRI2VFDU¶VEULO- Graeme Anderson and Frances declamatory style three of her poems, liant but tragic trajectory: his sharp wit, Devlin-Glass’ script used artistic licence published in ‘The Nation’ under the name IDFLOLW\ZLWKODQJXDJHEUDYXUDDQGÀDP- WREULQJWRJHWKHU/DG\$XJXVWD*UHJRU\ ‘Speranza’ and little known to modern boyance in performance, iconoclastic and (Anna Teresa Sheer), Rudyard Kipling audiences. Salon attendees were treated subversive instincts, and fatal misreading 7HG 5HLOO\  %UDP 6WRNHU %LOO -RKQ- also to snippets of Irish folklore, Kipling’s of the power of the law and the conse- ston), Enrico Caruso (Rod Baker) and ‘poetic’ espousal of the dominance of the quent shift in the tide of public opinion. /LO\/DQJWUHH 'L6LOEHU DOORZLQJGUD- English Empire, Gilbert and Sullivan’s :KHUHDV KLV IDWKHU µVFLHQWL¿FDOO\¶ PDWLF LQWHUFKDQJH RI FRQÀLFWLQJ LGHROR- PXVLFDO SDURGLHV RI ERWK 2VFDU :LOGH examined and recorded the nature of gies and clashing devotion to causes, and and his mother, and Hilaire Belloc’s DQFLHQW ,ULVK WULEHV 2VFDU WXUQHG KLV ranging freely over the wide intellectual, SRHPXQMXVWO\LPSO\LQJ6LU:LOOLDPZDV mercilessly penetrating eye and pen to anthropological, philanthropic and patri- mercenary in his dealings with the poor. dissection of the mores and appearance RWLFLQWHUHVWVRIERWK/DG\:LOGHDQGKHU Most interesting was the excerpt from RI WKH (QJOLVK XSSHU FODVV :KHUHDV KXVEDQG6LU:LOOLDP ‘Dracula’, a reminder that ¿Q GH VLHFOH his father outraged public morality by ,Q WKH UROH RI /DG\ :LOGH 'HLUGUH world weariness, smacking to modern fathering illegitimate children and being Gillespie conveyed strongly her still eyes of effete male wilting, was a stance the (dubiously successful) subject of a LPSRVLQJ SUHVHQFH ¿HUFH FRPPLWPHQW fashionable at the time among artists and FRXUW FDVH 2VFDU WKURXJK KLV ZULWLQJ to Irish nationalism, impassioned support writers, regardless of sexual orientation. and consciously adopted persona, sought of the oppressed, including women and The section of the otherwise eco- to challenge the established order and to the poor, and indomitable but neverthe- QRPLFDO VFULSW GHYRWHG WR 6LU :LOOLDP¶V ÀLUWGDQJHURXVO\ZLWKQRWRULHW\ OLHZLWK less fragile spirit in the face of severe antiquarian and anthropological work panthers) in the process. personal adversity. ZDVRYHUO\OHQJWK\DVZDV/DG\:LOGH¶V µ7KH/DVW6DORQRI/DG\:LOGH¶JDYH ,WLV/DG\:LOGHKDVIDOOHQXSRQ reading from her collection, ‘Ancient a sense of the larger political and pub- hard times. She is a widow, her husband, /HJHQGV RI ,UHODQG¶ 2VFDU :LOGH ZDV lic context within which the personal Dublin’s leading eye and ear specialist, LPEXHGZLWKDQGEURXJKWD¿QHUVHQVLELO- WUDJHG\RIWKH:LOGHIDPLO\ZDVSOD\HG having died twenty years earlier. She is ity to, his parents’ love of Irish folklore. out. The salon was pervaded by a note living in penury and her notorious son, Although undeniably Speranza’s night, it of underlying sadness, made more acute 2VFDU LV FXUUHQWO\ VXIIHULQJ LQ :DQG- was a pity this proudly devoted mother by audience awareness of greater grief sworth Gaol, convicted for sodomy. did not choose instead to read one of her impending. /DG\:LOGHEHDUVDVHQVHRIJXLOWIRU son’s lyrically haunting and less didactic Ellie Kenealy Read Ireland The only Internet Bookstore dedicated exclusively to Irish interest books Our aim is to make every book of Irish interest readily available to all customers – local and global. The Read Ireland online database contains the most comprehensive and up-to-date catalogue of Irish Interest books available. :HKDYHEHHQVHOOLQJERRNVIRURYHU\HDUVDQGJXDUDQWHHIDVWHIÀFLHQWDQGIULHQGO\VHUYLFHIRUDOOFXVWRPHUV www.readireland.com

Tinteán June 2009 35 The Churches and Climate Change

Climate Change – The challenge to all DQG UHDGDEOH IDVKLRQ DV 0F'RQDJK FDQ LQVLJKWVJDLQHGIURPHFRORJLFDOWKHRORJ\ of us PXVWHU &OHDUO\ KH VXFFHHGV 7KLV LV D ZH &KULVWLDQV PXVW UHDOLVH WKDW HWKLFDO Sean McDonagh KHOSIXO WH[W WKDW XQSDFNV WKH LQWULFDFLHV EHKDYLRXU PXVW QR ORQJHU EH FRQ¿QHG The Columba Press, Blackrock (Dublin), RI WKH VFLHQFH PDNLQJ WKHP DFFHVVLEOH VROHO\ WR RXU UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK *RG DQG 2006, reprinted 2007 IRUUHDGHUVSUHSDUHGWRSDXVHIRUDQHOX- RWKHU KXPDQ EHLQJV ,W PXVW DOVR H[WHQG FLGDWLRQRIPDQ\RIWKHEDVLFGHVFULSWLRQV DQGLQFOXGHRXUUHODWLRQVKLSZLWKDOOFUH- Sean McDonagh appears to have three RI WKH HDUWK¶V FRPSOH[ IXQFWLRQV ,Q D DWLRQ¶ S 6RZHDUHQRWKHUHWDONLQJ main aims for this book. 7KH¿UVWDVWKH FKDSWHUKHORRNVDWWKHYLHZVRIVRPHRI DERXW D WDNHLWRUOHDYHLW µJOREDO LVVXH¶ VXEWLWOHVXJJHVWVLVDFDOOWRHYHU\ERG\ WKHPDLQGLVVHQWHUVDQGRSSRQHQWVRIWKH RUµSUREOHP¶4XLWHFOHDUO\IRU&KULVWLDQV WRDFWWRDYHUWLUUHYHUVLEOHGDPDJHWROLIH JOREDO ZDUPLQJ SRVLWLRQ LQ D ZD\ WKDW¶V WKH\ DUH DGGUHVVLQJ VRPHWKLQJ DW WKH V\VWHPV RQ WKH SODQHW )RU 0F'RQDJK GHWDLOHGDQGVDWLVI\LQJO\IDLU GHHSHVW OHYHOV RI WKHRORJLFDO VSLULWXDO WKHUHDUHQRKLGLQJSODFHVDQGHVSHFLDOO\ 7ZRZRUGVRIFDXWLRQKHUH7KH¿UVWLV PRUDO DQG SURSKHWLF VLJQL¿FDQFH 7KH QRW IRU WKH FKXUFKHV ZKRVH UHFRUG RQ that because the science of global warming VHQWLPHQWPLUURUV3DXO&ROOLQV¶ZULWLQJLQ FOLPDWHFKDQJHDVKHGHVFULEHVDWOHQJWK LVGHYHORSLQJDWVXFKDEUHDNQHFNVSHHG God’s Earthµ:HQHHGWRWXUQEDFNWRWKH LVVSDVPRGLFDQGRYHUDOOSUHWW\LQHIIHF- QRRQHVKRXOGWKLQNWKDWKHVKHLVRQWRS QDWXUDOZRUOGLWVHOIIURPZKLFKZHVSUDQJ tive. His urgings for action are persistent RIDOODVSHFWV$V0F'RQDJKPDNHVFOHDU DQGZHKDYHWRUHLQWHUSUHWRXUUHOLJLRXV DQGFRQYLQFLQJ WKH GHJUHH RI FHUWDLQW\ LV QRZ VR VWURQJ DQG FXOWXUDO H[SHULHQFH LQ WKH OLJKW RI Two aspects affecting motivation can WKDW JOREDO VRFLHW\¶V UHDFWLRQ PXVW EH RXU LQWHUDFWLRQ ZLWK WKDW QDWXUDO ZRUOG EH KLJKOLJKWHG KHUH 2QH LV WKH PHDQLQJ GHFLVLYHDQGQRZ%XWIRUH[DPSOHLQWKH 6R DW KHDUW WKLV ERRN LV DERXW WKH GHHS RI µXUJHQF\¶ ,W¶V HDV\ WR EH OXOOHG LQWR ODVWIHZGD\VDVDUDQGRPVHOHFWLRQVRPH WKHRORJLFDOKXPDQDQGFXOWXUDOVKLIWWKDW LQDFWLRQE\SUHGLFWLRQVRILOOHIIHFWVIURP RIWKHKHDGLQJVWKDWKDYHFRPHDFURVVP\ FRQWHPSRUDU\HFRORJ\LQHYLWDEO\LPSOLHV¶ ZDUPLQJ FKDQJHV VWUHWFKLQJ RXW WR VD\ GHVN DUH µ5LFK QDWLRQV UHYLVH XS JUHHQ- *OREDO ZDUPLQJ LV RQH FRQVHTXHQFH  RU VHDOHYHO ULVH E\  DQG VR KRXVH JDV SUREOHP¶ µ7UDFNLQJ ELJJHU RIDQH[DJJHUDWHGKXPDQFHQWUHGYLHZRI RQ%\FRQWUDVW0F'RQDJKH[SODLQVWKDW ZDYHDFWLRQ¶µ1RUWK$WODQWLFFOLPDWHVKLIW OLIHRQHDUWKDQG0F'RQDJKOLNH&ROOLQV VRPHHYHQWVLQQDWXUHFDQEHYHU\VXGGHQ VHHVDZV RQ 6RXWK¶ µ'URXJKWV PD\ OD\ DQGFRQWULEXWRUVWRWKH*ROGHQERRN VHH )RUH[DPSOHKHUHSRUWVRQWKHµ

36 Tinteán June 2009 A shimmering social tapestry of Corkonia

The Cork Anthology Elizabeth’s absolute acceptance she foiled his murderous plan against her edited by Seán Dunne and understanding of the lives beloved cat, Tadhg. This was O’Rahilly’s Cork University Press, 1993 of her Bowen predecessors… revenge on her husband’s resistance in it is as though she laughed with Academic Council. Her comment that I’d strongly recommend this anthology to them, wore their clothes, ate ‘University College, Cork, was like a travellers to Ireland, to anyone with Cork such food as they did, shared the convent run by a mad reverend mother’ connections and indeed to hibernophiles. same sunshine and belting rain (p.112) seems an apt summary of that It scintillates with contrasting colours, through the same high-paned weird, ceremonial, cloistered lifestyle, textures, periods, personalities, landscapes windows. She was possessed. where a form of terrorism existed along- – and mindscapes. This mix of genres and How she rid herself of the side string quartets, gorgeous vestments, timeframes (which coincides with the possessive power of this house and incense under the leadlight windows. end of the Civil War) has an emphasis on is an even stranger mystery than Derek Mahon’s poem, ‘garage in Co VRFLDOKLVWRU\DQGDEXLOGXSLQWKH¿QDO the strength of that possession. Cork’, makes light of its social history, section of history with Michael Collins (p. 313) as it transforms petrol pumps into an old and Terence MacSwiney. Did Cork not A priceless work of literature is Eib- man and his wife, while ‘the virgin who have any history since 1921? hlin Dhubh Ni Chonaill’s lament for her escaped his dark design/Sanctions the Although women are not overly rep- husband, Art O’Laoghaire, assassinated in townland from her prickly shrine’. resented (only 15% of the writers are IRUUHIXVLQJWRVHOOKLVKRUVHIRU¿YH I particularly enjoy the effect that one women), many pieces concern powerful pounds. The penal laws at that time dic- anthologised extract has when placed women. This includes the Hag of Beare tated that a Catholic sell it to a Protestant alongside another that speaks to it, often (Earth-Mother of west Cork, one-eyed for that price. He had just beaten the High dialogically. Academic and middle-class, and storm-tossed) with plentiful memories 6KHULII RI &RUN LQ D UDFH , KHDUG LW ¿UVW Eilís Dillon’s piece sits alongside Seán of her adventures before taking the veil. from that consummate thespian, Professor O’Faoláin’s shabby, genteel, bobby fam- She sits not far from Spenser’s bride, for John A Murphy, over Art’s grave one eve- ily, and that alongside Isabel Healey’s whose safety the settler was prepared to ning in June 1983. It sent a shiver down reminiscences of being a farmer’s daugh- overlook (and demean) the existence of my spine because it was, and still is, such ter, three miles from Cork in the 1950s. many a Corkman. The woods might have a sensual poem. What astonishes me about Turning now to Eilís Dillon’s books for echoed ‘hymen, hymen’ on her wedding Eilís Dillon’s translation is its domestic children, written presumably during her day, but they were not native voices. Such tone. Could this be the result of being time at Honan Hostel. Her memories of Anglo-gentry were excluded from the translated by a woman? Nonetheless, it is Christmases in Cork’s Munster Arcade, lives of such personalities as Patrick Gal- a truly superb elegy. and of festivals like St Pat’s Parade and vin’s Aunt Bridget, ‘who had faith in chil- There are many surprises in this visiting musicians at the Cork Opera, is dren’, and Frank O’Connor’s mother, who volume. An example is Arthur Young’s HODERUDWHG XSRQ E\ 'DYLG 0DUFXV¶V ¿F- survived many exploitative foster-carers tree-planting tour of Mitchelstown, Ire- tionalisation of a visit by the Carl Rosa and a Catholic orphanage (with nuns kind land, in 1780 to replace trees felled by Opera Company during the Civil War. The and cruel). Her large family was farmed Henry Tudor for his navy. The peasantry practice was for the town to meet the actors out after the death of a loving father and a (described as being almost barbaric) and at the railway station and escort them to mother’s consignment to the workhouse. tenantry were given thousands of trees their hotel. For this, they were rewarded Cork County boasted the most fertile gratis and those who planted and tended with songs from the shows the company soil in Europe, and attracted generations them were paid extra for their pains. was rehearsing. These events sound truly of settlers along the Bride, Blackwater and Father Prout’s jolly verses about magical. Marcus dramatises what it was the Lee from the sixteenth century. There Cork, as a centre of trade, allow one to like in the 1920s, not knowing whether or DUH QXPHURXV DFFRXQWV RI WKH JHQWUL¿HG revel with him with Cork’s links (via the not the celebrities would arrive because of world of the Big Houses, and an amazing sea) in exotic places such as Cadiz and the uncertainty of communications. This account from two perspectives of Eliza- Bot’ny Bay. company brought a much relished taste of beth Bowen’s friendship with her remark- Eilís Dillon’s glimpse into life as a Europe to Cork, and Marcus’s viewpoint able housekeeper (Sarah), whom Molly Catholic professor’s wife and warden at is that of a Jewish Corkman. Keane knew well by the name Molly the Honan Hostel (University College The contrasts depicted in this anthology O’Brien (undoubtedly the same woman). Cork in the 1940s) is quirky. Her organi- between wealthy and impoverished make These accounts of an ordinary lower- sational abilities at housekeeping were the extracts that deal with the Famine, class woman by two of the gentry are exceptional. She ran a hostel for 50, apart which come late in the collection, excori- VLJQL¿FDQWDQGWKH\DLGLQXQGHUVWDQGLQJ from providing a full life for her three chil- ating. The scale of devastation in Cork is the complex interdependencies between dren (including a nurse). Not only did she PDGHWRVHHPRYHUZKHOPLQJE\VXFK¿QH rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant, and manage the house-staff, she also restored chroniclers as N Marshall Cummins and the upper class and their servants. Molly the Gothic vestments designed by the Dun $QW$WKDLU3HDGDUƿ/DRJKDLUH WUDQVODWHG Keane makes a strange statement about Emer Guilde. Furthermore, she skillfully E\ƿ&pLUtQ  Elizabeth Bowen’s recreation of her fam- negotiated the prurient interests of the Snap up the remaining cheap hard- ily over four centuries: President, Alfred O’Rahilly, in the ‘mor- backs. You won’t regret it. There is an eerie shiver in als’ of his female charges. Additionally, Frances Devlin-Glass

Tinteán June 2009 37 Protagonist and antagonist in the intellectual ferment

Journey Without Arrival, The Life and contoured bronze bust, but nothing static biography is hard-wrung self-revelation Writing of Vincent Buckley about him, with that resonant voice, and in any case, given in Vin’s poetry, in John McLaren then been surprised at the delicate slight- his critical writing, his self-deprecating, ness, almost a daintiness of feet and gait often searing, and endearing letters. Or it On 11 February 2009, John McLaren’s of the man who stepped out from behind is the revelations of those who loved Vin, biography of Vincent Buckley was all that formal structure. I was too young who truly knew him, or who honourably launched at the University of Mel- and too daunted—18 years old and 13 fought him, contested his views, used his bourne by Morag Fraser. By courtesy years of convent schooling behind me— to test their own. What is written here is of Morag, printed here is her address to do much more than dumbly note that always directed towards understanding, to launch the work. ODUJHQHVVDW¿UVW of the self, and of what matters. And I confess to a certain residual dif- Privacy, integrity and dignity are not About halfway through John McLaren’s ¿GHQFHDERXWP\VWDQGLQJKHUHWRQLJKW, violated by this kind of honesty. It’s biography of Vincent Buckley (a man, a am conscious that so many of you are so impertinent psychologising, ill-informed poet and teacher we all of us here, I think, much better equipped than I, you knew speculation or misrepresentation, or just knew to one extent or another, and whom the man intimately, loved him. And even VW\OLVWLF DQG LQWHOOHFWXDO DIÀDWXV WKDW we valued, or cherished in our various and with John’s manuscript in my hands I violates or traduces what one would keep complex ways), John quotes Vin quoting felt a reluctance to broach the life of safe, or hold precious in personal life. So another complex character that many of someone who has mattered deeply to me I thank you, John, for telling us so much us also knew to some degree. Picture it: but whom I knew as a student knows a about Vincent Buckley without ever tell- Vin is in Cambridge, where he attends teacher: intensely but at a proper, almost ing us too much. And for collecting and F R Leavis’s lectures. John notes that generational distance. Turning over the shaping Vin’s own words into such an Vin remembered Leavis with pleasure sheets last week I wasn’t sure how much eloquent apologia. DQGDIIHFWLRQ%XWLWLVZKDW/HDYLV¿UVW more I wanted—or needed—to know There is much here—grandeur, the said to Vin and what Vin remembered about a man who had already served and mundane, the contentious, the famil- that caught my breath. It wasn’t a piece nourished so many minds, like mine. And iar—for Vin’ friends and old students of erudition; it wasn’t a critical aside. there was a queasy revival of that inhibi- WRUHÀHFWXSRQWRUHMRLFHLQZLQFHDWRU Vin remembers that Leavis spoke to him tion about biography that the Melbourne remember fondly. That goes pretty much ‘about the largeness of the fenland skies’. University English Department so suc- without saying. But this is also fascinat- That serves for me as emblematic of cessfully inculcated in its students of ing and important social history—of what both men gave to those who knew the 1960s, an inhibition I thought I had events, of intellectual, social, political them, read them, were taught by them: thrown off in the 1970s in a desperate and religious movements. We here might an awareness of scale that one might call urge to a understand more about Samuel remember them but they call out too for sacred, of the openness of the skies, the Beckett. Irishmen, and Irish Austra- scrupulous recording. The biography promise inherent in nature, in life. Char- lians—they’re a life’s study, all the more speaks volumes about the way we regard acteristic of Leavis that he should note so to one descended from a Scot. and used to regard, Australian literature. the particular, the fenland sky. Leavis, But the inhibitions evaporated as It interrogates our waves of nationalism, DIWHU DOO NQHZ WKDW H[SDQVLYH ÀDWODQG I read. John McLaren’s biography of literary nationalism, modernism, Vin’s those fens, that broad cast of light; he Vincent Buckley has left his subject RZQ SDVVLRQDWH DQG FRQÀLFWHG DWWDFK- had grown up with them. Characteristic ZLWK ¿W SULYDF\ DQG GLJQLW\ 7KDW PD\ ment to Ireland, and what that meant for too that the poet Vincent Buckley should sound paradoxical. Privacy—how can his own shifting, questing identity, his UHVSRQGWRWKDWVSHFL¿FLW\WKDWDXWKHQWLF- it be preserved when so much of Vin’s sense of self. ity of noticing. life, his own words, his most intimate The biography, in focusing on a par- Largeness: that’s what John captures FRUUHVSRQGHQFH KLV FRQÀLFWV DUH KHUH ticular, but central life, also illuminates in this biography of Vincent Buckley. And in these pages, for strangers to read? PDQ\ VLGHV RI WKH SROLWLFDO FRQÀLFWV RI it is largeness, metaphysical/spiritual as But Vincent Buckley was a public man the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and beyond, and well physical that haunts one’s memory. as well as a private man. Poets take that JLYHVWKHPWKHLUVSHFL¿FDOO\$XVWUDOLDQ Almost paradoxical largeness. I’m surely unretractable step—they are by vocation, cast and colour. In here you can track not the only person here to have had the and perhaps by temperamental inclina- our debates about communism, demo- experience for months, maybe even a tion, accountable. And I asked as I read, cratic socialism, Catholicism, hear the couple of years, of seeing Vincent Buck- as a kind of litmus test, if one would, if I passions played back to us, remember OH\ DV WKH ODUJH ¿JXUH EHKLQG D OHFWHUQ would, mind a related kind of exposure. the participants. I was raised a Catholic, just head and shoulders, like a generously The answer was—no. So much of this but I married into what you might call

38 Tinteán June 2009 ‘the other side’, in religious and political terms so I vividly remember my father- in-law, Camo Jackson, philosopher, agnostic and passionate fellow traveller, turning scarlet—almost volcanic—as he sat reading Vin’s Cutting Green Hay. %XW , GRQ¶W ¿QG &DPR PLVUHSUHVHQWHG in John’s account of those times. He is there as he should be. They were extraordinary times, and for students and lovers of literature they were high times indeed. Without getting LQWRD¿JKWWRQLJKWDERXWDQ\RIWKHIDPLO- LDUÀDVKSRLQWVSKLORORJ\YOLWHUDWXUHWKH function of criticism, Leavis, prac crit, critical theory, the self, the author, etc HWFHWF,FDQFRQ¿GHQWO\DVVHUWWKDWYHU\ OLWWOHRIWKHSRHWU\WKHGUDPDWKH¿FWLRQ and prose that engaged both students and teachers at Melbourne at that time, has dimmed in memory. We had such riches, such abundance laid out before us, exam- ined, given context, enjoyed, recited, proclaimed, declaimed, remembered. What else can I say except that I wish my children and the many hundreds of English students that I have since taught, of John’s biography of Vin: it gives space that hallmark sincerity ‘Was the paper could have experienced those times, and scope for those debates, about poetry, alright?’ Oh yes. Oh yes. It was alright. shared in that bounty. Just as I wish that about politics, about religion, debates If I’d failed every question it would have my children could have gone to a univer- that we should revisit, not for nostalgia been alright, because I’d been there, I’d sity where Catholicism, Christianity, was but for relevance, for wisdom, to broaden listened, and I’d learned things new that abroad and so at home in the world. John our sense of our history, and to sharpen opened up the skies for me, and for so quotes Edmund Campion’s account of the way we argue and analyse. And there many of my fellows. those times: is such a bracing liveliness in what John Thank you, John, for doing justice to I was there when these records; instance Gwen Harwood being a man who was so large in our lives and papers… were given at wicked (as she so often was), toying can now be large for generations after us; Newman College and still affectionately with Vin as she sends him thank you for never boxing him in; never recall the brimming hopes and poems or disguised and coded broad- making him a saint; never patronising experiences of those days. Here sides; James McAuley being savage, him by pretending that he was any more was a Catholicism which did Alec Hope Delphic, and Vin himself—so or any less than he judged himself to be. not turn away from its own vivid, magisterial, vulnerable, so human. And now it is my humble but also time, its own culture or its own I have an abiding memory: after the my very great pleasure to declare John country; it was a humanism third, or was it the fourth year [Chris McLaren’s Journey Without Arrival, which took seriously the Wallace-Crabbe tells me fourth] Poetry The Life and Writing of Vincent Buckley, achievements and frustrations Seminar exam, I walked down the launched. of humanity, not thinking that Old Arts Corridor to the end and on Morag Fraser AM religion had all the answers if an impulse, one I shall never regret, I people would only listen. knocked on Vin’s door. He looked up, Morag Fraser is Adjunct Professor in Vin was of course right in the centre, that great head behind the desk on the the Philosophy Program in the School protagonist and antagonist in those times, other side of the room, my formidable of Humanities and Social Sciences at La in that intellectual ferment. teacher, and in that familiar voice, asked Trobe University and a former editor of That is another distinguishing feature me, his undistinguished student, with Eureka Street

Tinteán June 2009 39 Glendalough: The mother lode

The Life and Times of Glendalough and safety measures, there were only Mines three fatalities recorded over the period 55 min DVD of operation. Glendalough Mining Heritage Project $VWKH¿UVWSKDVHRIDSURMHFWWRKRQ- Committee & Keith Malone Video our and preserve the memory of these Productions activities and those who participated in www.glendaloughmines.com them, the Glendalough Mining Heritage 3URMHFW&RPPLWWHHKDVSURGXFHGDYHU\ Glendalough hardly needs an introduc- interesting documentary. The well- tion as the site of the ruins arising from written narrative is enhanced by excellent the establishment of a monastery by St SKRWRJUDSK\DQGWKHXVHRIDUFKLYDO¿OP Kevin, in the sixth century. What is less photographs, maps, drawings and other well-known, however, is that the valleys documents. Interviews with former mine seems to have been a problem and the of Glendalough and neighbouring Glen- employees and several technical experts echo with the voice of the principal nar- dasin were the sites of mining activities add considerable colour as they are used rator seems to indicate that it must have for over 150 years. in appropriate selections throughout the been recorded in an empty hall. There Commencing in 1809, mining of lead QDUUDWLYH 7KH VXEMHFWV RI WKHVH LQWHU- DUH DOVR VRPH GH¿FLHQFLHV LQ HGLWLQJ and zinc, and to a lesser extent, silver, views are relaxed and informative and with a few rough transitions and, in one provided employment for the inhabitants provide an element of local charm to the instance, an expert commentator appears of this area. This level of this activity story, as they feature some fascinating to have been mysteriously re-located in HEEHGDQGÀRZHGRYHUDOPRVW\HDUV characters, often obviously resplendent mid-sentence. ZLWKWKHPLQH¿QDOO\FORVLQJLQ2I in their Sunday best. Unfortunately, the Notwithstanding these criticisms, it note to Australians, is that part of this overall quality of these cameos is spoilt is a most interesting and informative mining lease was named Van Diemen’s by the fact that the interviewer does not production and will make a more than Land, because of its remoteness. appear to have been separately ‘miked’ useful contribution to the preservation of Surprisingly, given the hazards of min- and her voice is heard only in the back- this heritage. ing and the absence of modern protective ground. Audio production generally Robert J F Butler TUNNEY & HOULIHAN P/L

32%R[)DLUÀHOG)D[ 6HDQ7XQQH\  'HQLV+RXOLKDQ 

40 Tinteán June 2009 Down the decades with The Link and Nuácht Surprised by joy – impatient as the wind I wished to share the transport – Oh! With whom But thee... Wordsworth Patrick Kavanagh said that no one all contributors for, ‘articles, notes, could write a comprehensive account news stories and pictures which have of Irish life who ignored the Gaelic KHOSHGPHWR¿OOWKLVLVVXH¶ Athletic Association. Likewise, any 7KH¿UVWLVVXHFDUULHGDUWLFOHVRQ Located within the attempt to chronicle events of the last subjects as diverse as Charles Bian- century would be far from complete coni, the pioneer of public transport Celtic Club building if Irish Transport Authority (CIE) in Ireland, ‘The Goats of Westport’ was omitted. new loading gear for loading cattle CIE as a semi-State body was on aircraft and an advertisement from founded in 1945. From 1950 it Cotts of Kilcock, ‘Ireland’s biggest brought out an ‘in-house’ magazine. Mail-Order store’. In June 1951 the For the best deals The Link ran from 1950 and was CIE lost property department had a and service when replaced by Nuácht in the ‘nineties. ‘lost go-car’ on its hands. The last Nuácht rolled off the presses And in the small ads section of travelling to Ireland in 2003. May 11 1952 you could have pur- and beyond Thanks to a few dedicated chased a beautiful 3-plate electric employees most of these publications cooker for £17.10 shillings. have been rescued from obscurity. When the Nuácht was published And now they are about to ‘share the in full colour, it had the effect of transport (publications)’ with all on bringing employees, with a liter- CD-ROM. ary bent, who were shy about their 7KH¿UVWHGLWLRQRIWKH/LQNGDWHG scribblings, ‘out of the closet’. 24th November 1950 published a let- There is now in existence the ‘CIE ter from the CIE Chairman; Writers’ Group’ which brought out ‘Dear Mr. Editor, a collection of short-stories, poems, On the occasion of the essays and articles in 2005. The title ¿UVW LVVXH RI The Link, I of the anthology was, ‘There’s Love want to offer you my best And There’s Sex and There’s The wishes for the success of 46A’ with a foreword by Professor the paper. Brendan Kennelly who described At Emerald Travel, Seamus I feel sure that you, and the contributors as, ‘writers, keen and Christina Moloughney your colleagues who listeners, sharp observers, constantly contribute, or otherwise in touch with the foibles of human- continue a family tradition help, will do everything ity and, most striking of all they are of professional travel service that can be done to make gifted storytellers’. The group is now The Link a staff paper looking for people to contribute to a Level 3, 316 Queen St, which will, as its name second collection. Melbourne VIC 3000 suggests, bind together the If you worked for CIE and did 03 9670 9696 0419 401 584 members of our staff in all anything newsworthy, from ‘miss- Fax: 03 9670 7007 grades and in all places ing a free’ to acting as midwife on a throughout the country. crowded bus, there is a good chance [email protected] I ask every CIE man to that you are in there somewhere. If become a regular reader there was a picture of, or an article and in this way co-operate about, you or yours in any of these with you in developing magazines now is your chance to re- a spirit of unity and capture the past. good fellowship in our Down the decades with The Link organisation. and Nuácht , on CD-ROM available Yours sincerely, for €10 (including postage). Details T. C. Courtney.’ from; [email protected] The Editor, Frank Finn, thanked Mattie Lennon Licence 32507

Tinteán June 2009 41 History and the Irish language question

The first of the Melbourne Irish Studies Speak of the Dead Seminars for 2009 (on 17 March) attracted a great number of people Great Irish Lives to hear Professor Cormac Ó’Gráda of edited by Charles Lysaght University College Dublin on the ques- London, Times Books, 2008 tion of why the Irish language is so little used by historians. He disputed Contemporaneous accounts of the lives the notion that there was a lack of of individuals provide an important sources, that because they were oral element of biographical history. They and to some extent formulaic, on occa- UHÀHFW WKH DWWLWXGHV DQG HYDOXDWLRQV sion they were necessarily unreliable, of the time, are cloaked in the culture and pointed to historians’ laziness and beliefs of the particular period and ignorance of the Irish language and the comments are unfettered by as possible reasons. He pointed out later discoveries about the individual that many more day-to-day sources concerned. They say as much about were available in the nineteenth cen- the opinions of the author as they do tury to Scots Gaelic speakers than to about the subject of the obituary. published for Sir Roger Casement, for Irish, and argued that its low prestige ,KDYHVRPHGLI¿FXOW\LQDFFHSWLQJ H[DPSOH DOWKRXJK \RX ZLOO ¿QG RQH and decline had many reasons – glo- the title of this publication. The ‘Lives’ for John Devoy in this collection. On balisation, famine, its association with are a selection of 98 featured obituar- the other hand, later obituaries were poverty, its low prestige as a language ies from The Times over the period often written with an independence compared with English, the advan- from 6th June 1820 (Henry Grattan) from the editorial policy of The Times. tage of English for securing jobs, and to 21st May 2008 (Nuala O’Faolain). A good example of this is illustrated the lack of official status for Irish. He However, I’m not sure that some of in the balanced approach of the tribute also pointed the finger at the National these, for example, to Sean MacBride which was at some Schools’ use of English as the medium would be considered as ‘Great’. variance from the vitriolic attack of instruction since 1834, and to the fact The publication features a fore- on him in other pages of the same that the nationalist elite, the Revivalists, word by Garret FitzGerald and an newspaper at the time, completely were English-speaking. excellent introduction by the editor, consistent with the English attitude to He made a strong case for the value Charles Lysaght, which gives a use- an IRA principal. of folklore sources, despite their ten- ful background into the work and the The language of these obituaries dency to chronological inaccuracy and GLI¿FXOWWDVNWKDWKHPXVWKDYHKDGLQ FKDQJHVRYHUWKH\HDUVDVDUHÀHFWLRQ ‘unsafe-ness’ and took many examples culling these obituaries. He has cer- of idiom and also mirrors the way that to illustrate the point from the Irish tainly achieved a commendable bal- England saw the particular individu- Folklore Commission Archive (which ance in his selection. The quality of als. Earlier pieces are often stereotyp- had a variety of incarnations, includ- the written piece and its honest insight ical of the nationality of the subject ing most recently, digital archiving on LQWRWKHLQGLYLGXDO¶VOLIHZHUHVSHFL¿F with phrases such as ‘though an Irish- the internet) with its 3 million pages of criteria for inclusion, while other man, he was not given to verbosity’ interviews, questionnaires, and photos obituaries were omitted when more or ‘typical Irishman’. The obituaries and recordings. Ó’Gráda had himself comprehensive tributes were featured vary considerably in length and this used it extensively in his book on the elsewhere. Others were not selected inconsistency is prevalent throughout Famine, and suggested various meth- if the obituary failed to do justice to the entire period covered. Unsurpris- odologies by which in which its ‘unsafe- the Irish dimension of the person’s ingly, they are very well written and ness’ might be mitigated. The patterns life, for example that of George Ber- make this book most readable. of informants being second – and third- nard Shaw. Lysaght has attempted to Obituaries in newspapers have hand witnesses, because of the stigma cover, in this selection, tributes to the advantage of being prepared attaching to the workhouse, was also a individuals from various spheres of in advance, in almost every case, revealing aspect of his research. Irish life and he includes examples DQG WKXV EHQH¿W IURP FRQVLGHUDEOH He also talked of the work of other from politics, religion, literature, arts, research and revision. Anonymity of scholars who, in using the Irish Bardic sport, business, science and entertain- authorship, always a feature of The poetry of the 16th to 18th centuries, ment. He has also endeavoured to Times, allows for objective and honest had established that far from being a address a gender imbalance and to comment. Consequently, these reports tradition-bound template, and an ele- recognise some who are not particu- provide an excellent picture of the life giac tradition, it had engaged energeti- larly well known. of the individual concerned and form cally with modernisation, not giving up (DUOLHU RELWXDULHV UHÀHFWHG WKH an important part of the biographical hope of cultural revival, and drawing often troubled relationships between archives and a useful part of Irish his- dynamically on other cultures. the newspaper and Irish nationalist tory over the past two centuries. Frances Devlin-Glass politics. There was no obituary ever Robert J F Butler with Patrick McNamara

42 Tinteán June 2009 Feisty lady Pirate Queen: the life of Grainne O’Malley FDVWOH EXW VKH GHIHQGHG LW VR ¿HUFHO\ WKDW H[FXVHFDQQRWEHRIIHUHGIRUWKH(OL]DEH- Judith Cook LW KDV EHHQ NQRZQ DV µ&DLVOHDQDQ&LUFD¶ than soldier poets who invaded Ireland in Mercier Press: Cork ± WKH KHQ¶V FDVWOH ± HYHU VLQFH 'HVSLWH *UDLQQH¶VOLIHWLPH±:DOWHU5DOHLJK3KLO- DOO KHU FRXUDJH DQG DELOLW\ KHU KXVEDQG¶V OLS6LGQH\DQG(GPXQG6SHQVHU8VXDOO\ If only this book had been available in our death meant that her usefulness to the VHHQDVJDOODQWVZDVKEXFNOHUVWKHLUFUXHOW\ school library! The role models it offered 2¶)ODKHUWLHV ZDV RYHU VR VKH UHWXUQHG WR LQ ,UHODQG ZDV DVWRQLVKLQJ ZLWK 6SHQVHU for womanhood were Edith Cavell (shot KHUIDWKHULQWKHHDUO\VSUREDEO\OHDY- DUJXLQJ WKDW µ7URRSV VKRXOG WUHDG GRZQ E\ ¿ULQJ VTXDG  )ORUHQFH 1LJKWLQJDOH LQJKHUFKLOGUHQEHKLQG DOOEHIRUHWKHPDQGOD\RQWKHJURXQGDOO GLHG D VSLQVWHU  DQG $PHOLD (UKDUGW 6KHVHWWOHGLQWKHFDVWOHRQ&ODUH,VODQG WKHVWLIIQHFNHGSHRSOHRIWKHODQG¶ S  YDQLVKHG ZLWKRXW WUDFH  D ELRJUDSK\ RI so she could consolidate her power base in $OOWKH(QJOLVKJHQHUDOVSUDFWLVHGZDQWRQ *UDLQQH1L0DLOOH GLHGLQKHUEHGDIWHUD SLUDF\%\WKHWLPHRIKHUVHFRQGPDUULDJH FUXHOW\LQ,UHODQGVWDUYLQJWKRVHIHZSHDV- IXOOOLIH ZRXOGKDYHEHHQYHU\HQFRXUDJ- DWWKHHQGRIWKHVQRYHVVHOZDVVDIH DQWVQRWNLOOHGRXWULJKW6SHQVHU¶VGHVFULS- LQJ 1R RQH FRXOG GHQ\ WKDW VKH ZDV DQ IURPKHU6KHVXFFHVVIXOO\DWWDFNHGDVHULHV WLRQVKRZVWKHLUVXIIHULQJµFUHHSLQJIRUWK H[FHOOHQWUROHPRGHOIRUVWURQJDQGDVVHU- RIFDVWOHVZLWKFDQQRQ¿UHGIURPKHUÀHHW RQ WKHLU KDQGV IRU WKHLU OHJV ZRXOG QRW WLYHZRPHQ $V&RRNFRPPHQWVWKHUHLVQRSUHFHGHQW EHDUWKHPWKH\ORRNHGOLNHDQDWRPLHVRI Judith Cook traces the life of Grainne IRUKHUDFKLHYHPHQW'HVSLWHDWWDLQLQJFRQ- GHDWKVSDNHOLNHJKRVWVFU\LQJRXWRIWKHLU 1L0DLOOHIURPKHUELUWK SUREDEO\LQ  VLGHUDEOHSRZHULQKHURZQULJKW*UDLQQH JUDYHV¶ S   5DOHLJK WRRN SDUW LQ WKH WKURXJK WKH (OL]DEHWKDQ ZDUV DJDLQVW ZRXOGKDYHNQRZQRIWKHPRXQWLQJ(QJOLVK FROGEORRGHGPDVVDFUHRIWURRSVDIWHU ,UHODQG 7KHVH ZHUH ZDJHG LQ RUGHU WR pressure on the Celtic countries and that it WKH\KDGVXUUHQGHUHGDW6PHUZLFNLQ H[WLUSDWH,ULVKFXOWXUH$VDQREOHZRPDQ ZDVXQOLNHO\WKDWWKH(QJOLVKJRYHUQPHQW DQG5LFKDUG%RXUNHVXEPLWWHGWR(QJOLVK VKHH[HPSOL¿HGDQGDWWLPHVHQIRUFHGWKDW ZRXOG WUHDW ZLWK D ZLGRZ 6KH WKHUHIRUH UXOHDQGFXVWRP FXOWXUHDQGVREHFDPHDWDUJHWIRUQRWHG GHFLGHGWRPDUU\DJDLQ &RQQDXJKW KDG UHPDLQHG TXLHW IRU D ZDUFULPLQDOVVXFKDV5LFKDUG%LQJKDP Her second choice was Richard-an Iar- IHZ \HDUV ZKHQ 5LFKDUG %LQJKDP ZDV /LWWOH LV NQRZQ DERXW KHU HGXFDWLRQ EXW UDLQ%XUNH±µ,URQ5LFKDUG¶EXWWKHIRUP DSSRLQWHGWRJRYHUQ,UHODQG'HVFULEHGDV VKH DFTXLUHG HQRXJK /DWLQ WR QHJRWLDWH RI PDUULDJH ZDV IRU µD \HDU DQG D GD\¶ µFUXHO KDUVK DQG FXQQLQJ RXW WR HQULFK VXFFHVVIXOO\ ZLWK (OL]DEHWK , *UDLQQH DIWHUZKLFKHLWKHUSDUW\FRXOGFDOOLWRII himself at all costs and exterminate the DFTXLUHG VHDIDULQJ VNLOOV DV D FKLOG E\ *UDLQQH¶VVRQ7LEERWDQ/RQJRUµ7LEERW QDWLYHV¶ S LWZDV*UDLQQH¶VPLVIRU- DFFRPSDQ\LQJ KHU IDWKHU 2ZHQ RQ KLV RIWKH6KLSV¶ZDVERUQDWVHDGXULQJRQH WXQHWKDWVKHLQFXUUHGKLVZUDWKE\RXWZLW- WUDGLQJ YR\DJHV $V ZHOO DV QDYLJDWLRQ RIKHUWUDGLQJYHQWXUHVWRWKH0LGGOH(DVW WLQJKLPLQEDWWOH+HNLOOHGRQHRIKHUVRQV DQGPDQDJHPHQW*UDLQQHDOVROHDUQHGWR $WWDFNHGE\%DUEDU\SLUDWHVZLWKLQDGD\ DQGFDSWXUHGKHUWKRXJKVKHZDVQDUURZO\ VZHDUWDNHVQXIIDQGJDPEOHWRVXFKDQ RUVRRI7LEERW¶VELUWKVKHFDPHRQGHFN UHSULHYHG IURP WKH JDOORZV &RRN VSHFX- extent that she was also known as ‘Grainne WRUDOO\WKHPHQDQGGLGVRVKRRWLQJWKH ODWHVWKDW*UDLQQH¶VHVFDSHIURPH[HFXWLRQ RI WKH JDPEOHUV¶ 7KLV HDUO\ H[SORUDWLRQ %DUEDU\FDSWDLQ on this and other occasions shows that she HQGHG ZLWK *UDLQQH¶V DUUDQJHG PDUULDJH The destruction of Irish culture con- SURYLGHGLQIRUPDWLRQRQWKH6SDQLVKÀHHW WR RQH RI WKH µ)HURFLRXV 2¶)ODKHUWLHV¶ ± WLQXHGDQGE\6LU+HQU\6LGQH\ DV WRWKH(QJOLVKJRYHUQPHQW NQRZQDVµ'RQDORIWKH%DWWOHV¶ /RUG'HSXW\ WXUQHGWR0D\RZKHUHWKH :KHQ *UDLQQH UHDFKHG  WKH 0D\R 8QGHUWKH%UHKRQODZVWKHUHZHUHVHYHQ PDMRUIDPLOLHVKDGQRWVXEPLWWHGWR(QJ- UHEHOOLRQ KDG EHHQ EORRGLO\ FUXVKHG VKH FDWHJRULHVRIPDUULDJHDQGWKHLQQRFHQW OLVK UXOH *UDLQQH¶V HQVXUHG KHU EHORYHG had lost a son and all her ships and the \HDUROGJLUODJUHHGWREHPDUULHGXQGHUWKH 7LEERW ZDV VDIHO\ RXW RI KDUP¶V ZD\ E\ %RXUNHVRI0D\RZHUHUHGXFHGWRDEDUH VWULFWHVW RI WKHP ,Q WKH HYHQW RI ZLGRZ- IRVWHULQJKLPWRDQRWKHUFKLHIWDLQVRWKDW VXEVLVWHQFH OHYHO E\ %LQJKDP $W WKLV KRRG RU GLYRUFH *UDLQQH ZRXOG UHFHLYH KH ZRXOG JHW DQ HGXFDWLRQ 'XULQJ WKLV SRLQWVKHZHQWWRWKHWRSDQGZDVJUDQWHG KHUGRZU\EDFNEXWFRXOGQRWLQKHULWDQ\ WLPH WKH PRVW IDPRXV RI WKH *UDLQQH DQ DXGLHQFH ZLWK (OL]DEHWK , WR SXEOL- RI KHU KXVEDQG¶V ODQG RU SURSHUW\ :KLOH OHJHQGVDURVH6KHDVNHGWKH+RZWKVIRU FLVH %LQJKDP¶V EUXWDOLW\ %LQJKDP ZDV WKH %UHKRQ ODZV SHUPLWWHG GLYRUFH WKH\ WKHKRVSLWDOLW\GXHDFKLHIWDLQDFFRUGLQJWR called to account for his actions towards ZHUH OHVV HJDOLWDULDQ WKDQ FRQWHPSRUDU\ Irish custom but these did not apply within *UDLQQH¶V PDOH UHODWLYHV $OWKRXJK KH (QJOLVK ODZ LQ GHQ\LQJ SURSHUW\ WR WKH WKH3DOHVRWKHGRRUVZHUHORFNHGDJDLQVW GHQLHG KHU DFFXVDWLRQV KHU VRQV ZHUH ZLIH DIWHU WKH PDUULDJH HQGHG *UDLQQH KHU )XULRXV VKH NLGQDSSHG RQH RI /RUG freed and her petition for maintenance DQG 'RQDO KDG WZR VRQV DQG D GDXJKWHU +RZWK¶V\RXQJVRQVUHIXVLQJDUDQVRPRI ZDV JUDQWHG +RZ VDWLVI\LQJ WR GHOLYHU Donal then pursued his major life interest JROG,QVWHDGVKHPDGH/RUG+RZWKVZHDU (OL]DEHWK¶V OHWWHU LQ SHUVRQ 8QIRUWX- ±¿JKWLQJ6KHEXVLHGKHUVHOIZLWKKHURZQ that from that day forward an extra place QDWHO\%LQJKDPFRQWLQXHGKLVSXUVXLWRI DYRFDWLRQV RI SLUDF\ DQG WUDGLQJ EXLOG- would always be set at dinner for any trav- KHUDOORZLQJKHUQRQHRIWKHPDLQWHQDQFH LQJ XS WKH 2¶)ODKHUWLHV¶ DQFKRUDJH DQG HOOHU ZKR QHHGHG LW:KLOH WKH OHJHQG LV VKHVRXJKWDQGVKHYDQLVKHVIURPKLVWRU\ ÀHHWDQGDFWLQJDVFKLHIZKLOH'RQDOZDV ZLGHO\NQRZQWKHEDFNJURXQGRI*UDLQQH DIWHU RWKHUZLVH HQJDJHG 'RQDO WRRN D FDVWOH XSKROGLQJ ,ULVK FXVWRPV DJDLQVW (QJOLVK Cook does an excellent job of retriev- IURP WKH QHLJKERXULQJ -R\FH FODQ DQG RQHVLVQRWDQG&RRNEULQJVWKLVRXWZHOO LQJWKHOLIHRIDIDVFLQDWLQJDQGGHWHUPLQHG PRYHG LQWR LW ZLWK KLV ZLIH :KHQ WKH *UDLQQHDQGKHUKXVEDQGVZHUHGDQJHU- woman from the obscurity that swallows Joyces killed Donal while he was out hunt- RXVSHRSOHDQGYLROHQWZKHQFURVVHGEXW XSVRPDQ\KHURLQHV LQJWKH\WULHGGLVORGJLQJ*UDLQQHIURPWKH DWOHDVWWKH\NLOOHGLQKRWEORRG7KHVDPH Felicity Allen

Tinteán June 2009 43 Suicide rates in Ireland

Legalised in Ireland during the 1990s, changing suicide rates. This was surpris- EHMXVWL¿HGLQERWKDQGVRWKDW suicide remains proscribed by the Catho- ing as relationships between these indica- increased male suicide cannot be ascribed lic Church, though church burial is now tors and suicide rates are well established to increased acceptance of it. permitted. The issue has become more in other countries. Other information about subjective pressing given how severely the country Cleary and Brannick (2007) looked well-being in Ireland gives a very positive KDV EHHQ DIIHFWHG E\ WKH JUHDW ¿QDQFLDO at the role played by beliefs and values picture; levels of well being are among crash of 2008. In contrast to most West- in suicide risk, basing their work on the the highest in the European Union and ern European countries, suicide mortal- European Values Surveys. These are social capital remains stable. Cleary and ity amongst Irish men, once very low, derived from interviews with people in Brannick (2007) argued that it was not increased steadily for the past twenty the member states of the European Union. change itself that was the problem but the years, reaching 19 per 100,000 in 2000. Cleary and Brannick commented that, differential impact of change on different While suicide among Irish women rose since the 1970’s, Irish society had become social groups. Traditional areas of male between 1970 and 1980, it then levelled PRUHIUDJPHQWHGZLWKOHVVFOHDUO\GH¿QHG employment have declined over the past off at 4.5 per 100,000 remaining below 30 years while there has been large scale the European average. The pattern of ³$UPHGFRQÀLFW movement of women into the workforce. Northern Ireland male suicide over time Children show the same pattern of boys has been very different with a rise in sui- often increases social underachieving in education while girls cide rates appearing after 1994. are preparing for tertiary level as found A role for socio-economic factors cohesion and is then in Australia. Men still dominate the upper in suicide has been accepted since levels of society, but some men, notably Durkheim’s 19th century work. Large scale accompanied by a fall those lacking educational and other skills, social changes which increase the amount PD\ ¿QG PRGHUQ ,ULVK VRFLHW\ FKDOOHQJ- of ‘anomie’ and reduce social cohesion in male suicide rates” ing and be vulnerable to suicide. will increase suicide rates, particularly in As in Ireland, the suicide rate for males. Anomie refers to the way people norms and values. Marked changes have men aged 15 – 34 in Northern Ireland can lose their sense of belonging to a soci- occurred in religious practice, beliefs increased between 1984 and 2002 (Lar- ety. Increased urbanisation may increase about family life and attitudes to suicide. gey, Kelly & Stevenson, 2009). Their prosperity, but weaken links with family. Nevertheless they cautioned against the mean annual rate rose from 20.97 per Deindividuation of people moving to a big idea that all change had a negative effect 100,000 in 1984 – 1993 to 28.1 in 1994 city after living in a small town or village on society and argued that causal relation- – 2002. The second time period coincided would be expected to increase suicide ships (between change and suicide rates) with the declaration of a truce in North- rates. Factors which reduce anomie such are often wrongly inferred. ern Ireland. Some otherwise alienated as popular wars (e.g., World War Two in Religious adherence seems to protect young men may have derived a sense of Australia) are accompanied by marked people against suicide. One aspect of personal value from participation in the GURSV LQ VXLFLGH UDWHV $UPHG FRQÀLFW Irish religious participation, church atten- FRQÀLFW:KHQSHDFHZDVGHFODUHGWKHLU often increases social cohesion within dance, has changed dramatically. Church sense of self worth may have dropped. By each warring group and is then accompa- attendance has fallen from over 90% in contrast, the suicide rate among Northern nied by a fall in male suicide rates. the 1970s to around 50% at present. Nev- Ireland males aged 35 and over decreased Ireland has experienced profound ertheless, only Poland and Malta have VLJQL¿FDQWO\ZKLOHWKHVPDOOQXPEHUVRI social and economic change since 1970, higher rates than Ireland. Over 91% of female suicides meant that meaningful changing from a predominantly rural Irish people still say that they belong to a analyses could not be performed. Largey country dominated by religious values to religious denomination and secularisation et al, commented that the fall in suicide a more urban and secular one. Unemploy- has moved more slowly than in Europe. among middle aged and older men, and ment fell, female workforce participation Core religious beliefs (e.g., belief in life the relative immunity of women was sur- increased and economic output rose; by after death) have changed little since the prising, as Northern Ireland had experi- contrast, the doubling of expenditure on 1970s. The distribution of religious belief HQFHG\HDUVRIFLYLOFRQÀLFWGXULQJWKH alcohol is unlikely to have been positive. within Ireland does not match regional period examined. Unfortunately they had It is tempting to accept that these changes variations in suicide rates. There is a clear no information on the social and health have caused the rise in suicide rates, but rural/urban divide in religious belief with factors behind their results. the explanation is not quite that simple. the rural Western seaboard maintaining a Neither macro-economic indicators Lucey, Corcoran, Keeley, Brophy, Arens- YHU\WUDGLWLRQDOSUR¿OH\HWWKLVDUHDKDVD nor surveys of personal values offer any man and Perry (2005) examined the asso- much higher rate of suicide than Dublin – explanation for the changed suicide rate ciations between seven socioeconomic the most secular area of the country. among Irish men, nor do they explain indicators (GDP, unemployment rate, Attitudes to suicide changed between Irish women’s remarkable immunity to female labour force participation, alcohol 1981 and 1999, becoming more accept- it. The rise in suicide among young men expenditure, marriage rate, births outside able in 1990, followed by a change back in Northern Ireland following the peace marriage and crime) and the Irish suicide to a more conservative stance in 1999. mimics patterns seen in other societies rate. No associations were found between Almost three-quarters of Irish people sur- where a popular war has ended. these socioeconomic indicators and the veyed believed that suicide could never Felicity Allen

44 Tinteán June 2009 Jageurs Literary Award A prize for writers, honouring the great nationalist, Morgan Jageurs In 2005, the Celtic Club established the annual consciousness of the matter of Ireland or Irish- Jageurs Literary Award to honour Morgan Jageurs Australia – stories, one-act plays, poetry. Non-fiction and his efforts in promoting Irish culture in Australia is also eligible for consideration, but the judges and in establishing the Celtic Club. are looking for it to demonstrate ‘literariness’, an For 2009, the Australian Irish Heritage Network is awareness of the language arts for which Irish writers pleased to join with the Celtic Club in sponsoring the have justly become famous. Such writing needs award, with the prize money increased to $1,000. to be self-conscious, artful, shaped, and hopefully Born in Ireland, Morgan Jageurs (1862-1932) was a innovative. Literary manuscripts that celebrate, or prominent Melbourne monumental mason and was excoriate the culture, or take any position in between first to introduce the Celtic Cross to Australia. His great are welcome. Pieces that take risks in how they deal memorials can be seen in cemeteries throughout with the heritage have been among those that have Melbourne. With his knowledge of architecture he won prizes in the past. If the medium in which the assisted in the building of St Patrick’s Cathedral and writing takes place is poetry, then the word-length St Mary’s, West Melbourne. can be much shorter than the nominated 5,000 Jageurs was a man of many enthusiasms, most of words maximum. them focussed on Ireland. As well as being a founding There are few caveats on who can submit. Work member and President of the Celtic Club and the that has been previously published is not eligible Victorian Catholic Young Men’s Society, he was also for submission, and contestants can submit no more deeply involved in the Irish Land League, the Irish than two entries per person. Winning entries will be National League and, later, the United Irish League. published in Tinteán. He helped form the Melbourne Irish Pipers’ Club. Information about entering the competition and Jageurs was a fine orator and writer, especially on closing dates are to be found on www.celticclub.com. Irish history, art and culture. He hosted many notable au/literary and further information can be obtained Irish visitors to Australia, including the Redmond by emailing [email protected] brothers. Michael Davitt, who visited Australia in the The closing date for entries to this year’s 1890s, was godfather to his eldest son. In The Irish competition is 6 November 2009. in Australia Patrick O’Farrell says of Jageurs that he If you are aware of closet writers who think and ‘personally sustained virtually all Irish organisations read about Ireland and have things to say about in Melbourne during his active lifetime.’ Irish-Australia, then please bring the competition to The competition for the award aims to stimulate their attention. Or if you are one yourself, this may be the production of new literary artefacts with a a chance to strut your stuff. OPEN 7 DAYS 10% Discount on all food & drink for Members Function Room Available Capacity 250 standing, 150 seated Meeting Rooms Available 7 days a week Giant Screens, Live Sport Setanta Sports, Fox Sports and TVN Home to Celtic, Liverpool & West Ham Supporters Groups Free Live Music every Friday Restaurant Hours Lunch: Monday – Friday 12–2.30pm Dinner: Wednesday – Saturday 5.30–9pm Restaurant & Bar Menus available on our website, plus a full fax menu available for pre-orders

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