Newsletter Masthead
Wednesday, April 25, 2012

 
RECENT
PASSINGS

Fr. Tom McEnnis, 92,

a Galway native and priest of the Seattle Archdiocese since 1946, died in Arizona on April 21. His funeral is today, April 25, at 11 am at Holy Rosary Church in Edmonds. 

Obit Notice

 

Teresa Kane Fichtenholtz, 67, a native of Limerick, died on April 21 in Mountlake Terrace. Memorial arrangements are still pending.

 

Dr. Bill Godden, 88, a native of Bangor, Co. Down, died in Bellingham on April 6.  

Obit Notice

 

Sister Ellen Glynn, OSF, 94, a native of Galway, died March 5 in Tacoma. 

Obit Notice

 

Jo Anne Bell, 79, died January 28 in Seattle. She and husband Joe were longtime members of the Irish Heritage Club. 

Obit Notice

  

 

 

Ar dheis D� go raibh a n-anamacha d�lse   

May their faithful souls rest at God's right hand

 

 

The Celtic Connection
 Read the Seattle News in the most recent Celtic Connection, the voice of Celts around the Pacific Northwest. You can also pick up a copy each month at your local Seattle-area Irish Pub or Restaurant! 

 

IRISH CONSULATE

San Francisco

Irish Harp

Click to visit the website of the

Irish Consulate in San Francisco

 

 

 

Irish Consul

Contact John Keane, the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Seattle, for help with Irish Passports (renewal, new,  or emergency travel document), for information on getting Irish citizenship, or for any other Irish consular service in Washington State.

Tel 425-290-7839 

or Via Email.

 

IRISH PASSPORT?

Irish Passport

Are you eligible for Irish Citizenship or for an Irish Passport?

SEATTLE'S IRISH COMMUNITY CHAPLAIN
Fr. John Madigan
Fr. John Madigan,
Chaplain to the Irish Immigrant Community of Seattle, serving emigrants of all faiths or none. Contact Fr. John at 206-937-1488 (Ext 205), 206-935-8353, or


2012 Ireland Trip
Cliffs of Moher

Can you join us in GALWAY, Ireland, for a Sister City visit this coming September 2-5?Click the photo for more details.

Seattle
 Area Irish Resources

 

Click the Photos below for listings and contact information

Irish Festival

Irish Dancing Schools

 

 Fiddle

Irish Musicians, Classes and Sessions

 

Irish Language

Irish Language Classes

 

Claddagh Ring

Irish Imports

 

Guinness Pint

Irish Pubs and Restaurants

 

Shamrock

Other Irish Links

  
Click the Photos above for listings and contact information
  

Seattle
Area Irish Resources

Jopin Our Mailing List 

Join Our Mailing List!

 

Facebook 

Join the Irish Heritage Club on Facebook

 

Interested in studying in Ireland?

Ireland Study
Click photo for more information

 

Should you become a US Citizen?
Green Card
Even though you have a Green Card, there are some mighty good reasons why you should become a US citizen!
  

Interested in Living or Working in Ireland?

Images of Ireland
What you need to know before you should consider moving to Ireland.

 

FAMILY VISAS 

Liberty
For information on some of the different ways to get a US Visa for family members, visit irishseattle.com.

 

 

UPCOMING IRISH EVENTS

 

Irish Network Seattle Logo

LINKED-IN EVENT - You're invited to join Irish Network Seattle, Seattle's Irish business and professional network, tomorrow evening, Thursday, April 26, 7 - 7:30 pm, at T S Mc Hugh's, 1st and Mercer St, Seattle, for a talk by Matt Youngquist, President of Career Horizons. Matt will discuss how you can use LinkedIn, the business-related social networking site, to assist you with networking in the business world. Matt is a recognized expert in the field of career coaching, job hunting, and professional employment counseling. An author and speaker, he frequently writes for the Seattle Times and Puget Sound Business Journal. Event is free to anyone else interested, but do please register at irishnetworkseattle.org.

 

SEATTLE FEIS - The Emerald City Feis, an Irish Dancing competition involving more than 500 dancers from dancing schools throughout the Western United States and Canada, is this Saturday & Sunday, April 28 & 29, at the Seattle Center's Northwest Rooms, at 1st Ave N & Republican Street, Seattle. Admission on both days from 9 am to 5 pm is free. Hosted by the Baile Glas Irish Dancers and Tara Academy of Irish Dancing, see emeraldcityfeis.com for more information.

 

Irish Glass  

IRISH GLASS ARTISTS - Engaging with Glass through May 27 at the Traver Gallery, Tacoma, is the only US venue for this Irish exhibition which brings together a broad spectrum of work in glass, ranging from beautifully executed decorative objects to conceptual installation pieces incorporating video elements. The works of Irish artists resident in Ireland and abroad, including that of Seattle's own Paula Stokes, are included in the show. Dr. Caroline Madden, who teaches at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, was also the visiting artist in the hotshop at the Museum of Glass earlier this month.

 

SEATTLE GAELS - The Seattle Gaels have been enjoying strong turnout for all teams for the newly-underway 2012 season. The Gaelic Football program has been met with surging interest and both the Ladies and Men's teams having traveled to Portland for games. Hurling and Camogie are also enjoying a large class of recruits as they begin the hurling City League which starts this week at Magnuson Park, Field 10. Gaels practices are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at Magnuson Park, and are open to anyone interested in learning more. For details, visit SeattleGaels.com.

 

SISTER CITY - Seattle Galway Sister City Association supporters are invited to join Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, City Council President Sally Clark, and members of the Seattle City Council at the 16th Annual Seattle Sister Cities Reception on Wednesday, May 2, from 6-8 pm at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave. Enjoy international entertainment and international cuisine from various Seattle sister cities. $20.00 per person at 425-290-7839 or go to SeattleSisterCities.org.

 Trinity College

CALLING TRINITY ALUMNI - A Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Trinity College Dublin Alumni is forming in Seattle. The inaugural meeting will be a reception for Trinity's Vice-Provost for Global Relations, Prof. Jane Ohlmeyer on Monday, May 14, 6:30-8:30 pm in the Cypress Room at McCormick & Schmick's, 700 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue. Meet local Trinity alumni, their friends, and family. For more details and to RSVP, visit TCDAlumniPNW.org or email George Reilly at [email protected]

Colum McCann  

IRISH AUTHOR - Internationally bestselling Irish author Colum McCann speaks at Seattle's Benaroya Hall on Thursday, May 24 at 7:30 pm as part of the Seattle Arts & Lectures series. The 2011 IMPAC International Prize Winner was born and raised in Dublin. His 8th and latest novel, Let the Great World Spin, received the Literary Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the US National Book Award, China's Best Foreign Novel Award, and was Amazon.com's Book of the Year. Named one of Esquire's "Best and Brightest," his short film Everything in This Country Must (about the troubles in Northern Ireland) was nominated for an Oscar in 2005. LectureTickets are available at lectures.org.

Meet the Author after the talk when Irish Network Seattle hosts an after party at 9 pm at the new Paddy Coynes on Pier 70 at 2801 Alaskan Way. More details will be provided at irishnetworkseattle.org.

 

SCOTTISH FÉIS - You're invited to join Slighe nan Gaidheal's thriving community of Scottish Gaelic language and culture enthusiasts for Féis Seattle 2012 from Wednesday, June 13 - 17 at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend. Learn Gaelic, songs, dancing, eat great cuisine and make new friends. Visit Fis Seattle for more details.

 

IRISH LANGUAGE - A knowledge of the Irish language allows valuable insight into most aspects of Irish culture. Aidan Maher's Irish Language School teaches Beginning Irish Conversation Classes with the spring quarter starting on Saturday mornings May 12 - July 21 in the Mercer Island classroom, just off I-90. The textbook is Teach Yourself Irish. Beatha teanga � a labhairt - the life of a language is in its speaking. Contact Instructor Aidan Maher at 425-223-1869, or email [email protected].

Liz & Michelle  

'SIMPLY IRISH' FOOD - Started by Eileen Foley from Co. Tipperary, and Michelle Devaney from Co. Mayo, Colcannon Irish Foods can be found on Saturdays 9 am - 2 pm at Issaquah Farmers Market and starting May 16 on Wednesdays 3-7 pm at the Sammamish Farmers Market. With an enthusiasm and love for home baking and cooking, and armed with recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation, Colcannon Irish Foods offer an array of Irish breads, cakes and pre-prepared meals, naturally produced and made fresh on the day of the market, all ready to take home and enjoy that evening, or to be frozen and eaten at a later date. For more details, email [email protected] .

 

SL�INTE! - Sky River Meadery announces the Grand Opening on Saturday May 19 of their new tasting room at 14270 Woodinville-Redmond Rd, Redmond, at the south end of the Woodinville winery district. They'll be enjoying Irish music all evening "from 5-9-ish pm" while sharing appetizers and tasting Mead! Familiar to anyone who has attended any of the traditional Irish Mediaeval Banquets at Bunratty, Co. Clare, Mead is the traditional "honeymoon" drink and one of the oldest forms of wine known to man.

 

SENIORS' LUNCH - The next Luncheon for Seattle's Irish Seniors and their spouses or guests, is at the Wilde Rover Restaurant in Kirkland at Noon on Saturday, June 16. This is an opportunity for older Irish to connect with others who also grew up in Ireland or in an Irish family or community. All are welcome at $10 each for a buffet lunch subsidized by the Irish Immigrant Support Group. For reservations, more information, or if you know of someone who would like to attend, please email [email protected].  

 

 Ireland_National_flagErin Go Bragh FlagShamrock FlagShamrock Flag

IRISH FLAGS - Buy any Irish-themed flag from our Seattle partner, C. Anderson & Co. Custom Flagmakers, and they will make a donation to the Irish Heritage Club to support our activities. 

____________________________________________ 

Seattle Galway 2012 Trip

We're still planning on a Sister City trip to Galway this September. If you're interested in meeting us in Galway on September 2-5, 2012, contact [email protected].

_______________________________________

  

Beir Bua agus Beannacht 

(Good Luck and God Bless)

 

Thomas Jordan, a County Antrim native, is retiring from Boeing and leaves Seattle next month for Australia where he plans to live out his retirement doing God only knows what! One of the original founders of the Seattle Gaels Gaelic Footballers in 1979, Tommy has been a popular fixture in Seattle's Irish community for over 30 years and he's presently enjoying the many "Australian Wakes" being held in his honor before he leaves.

 

Brian Stapleton, a longtime IHC member and volunteer, is retiring from Boeing after spending 46 years with the company. He was hired by Boeing in 1966 shortly after earning his Master's Degree specializing in Electromagnetic Theory. Known as "Antenna Man", he was Boeing's Lead Engineer in Antennas/Radomes/RF Systems Analysis, and has 4 patents for antennas related to commercial aircraft. Along with wife Rosie, he plans to pursue in retirement their passion for Irish Set Dancing, Ham Radio, Sailing, Hiking, the Pacific Northwest's mountains and seashores, and enjoying their 6 children and 9 grandchildren.

Galway Marker  

Benchmark on the Galway Stone in Seattle

 

Michael McCafferty, 'the soul of SAM', is retiring as Director of Exhibition Design at the Seattle Art Museum. Also an artist, Mike traveled to Ireland in 1992 to oversee the design of the Seattle Stone monument that was unveiled in Galway in 1993. That monument was created to acknowledge the formal ties of friendship between the city of Seattle and its Sister City of Galway, and mirrors the Galway Stone in Seattle that is located in the courtyard at 2200 Alaskan Way, on Seattle's waterfront opposite Pier 66.

 

MISC IRISH/CELTIC EVENTS 

  • Gaelic Storm will be in Edmonds May 17, Bremerton May 18 and Tacoma May 19.
  • The winner of the drawing for two round trip tickets to Ireland on March 17 at the Irish Festival was Kaye Nichols who has already booked her flights to the Emerald Isle this summer. Congrats and Enjoy!
  • Irish Day at the Races at Emerald Downs is on Sunday, June 24. Free admission tickets!
  • Irish Night at the Seattle Mariners is Tuesday, July 24, vs. the Yankees. Free Irish Night cap, Irish dancing and bagpipers, reduced price tickets, at Mariners.com/Irish/
  • Seattle's Irish Community Picnic at Lake Sammamish State Park is Sunday, July 29
  • Celtic Thunder plays Seattle's McCaw Hall Wednesday, November 28
  • Irish historical novels by Tacoma man James Francis Smith are available on Kindle or contact [email protected].
  • POW Korea: A Memoir is a book by County Down native Pat Quinn who shares harrowing stories of his time as a POW in North Korean / Chinese prison camps between 1951-1953. Order at createspace.com.

For the latest information on these or other Irish or Celtic events in the Pacific Northwest, visit Hoilands.com.

MORE SEATTLE NEWS 

Arches   

IRISH WEEK - The iconic Arches at Seattle's Pacific Science Center were bathed in green for St. Patrick's Day, all part of the celebrations of St. Patrick's Day 2012 in Seattle. A very sincere M�le, M�le Bu�ochas, a Thousand, Thousand Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped organize everything during Irish Week 2012. 

Murray Parade Fire Parade Police Parade 

PHOTOS - Photos of the various events are in the process of being added to the IHC website at IrishClub.org, but you can already view some great photos by clicking on the names of photographers Michael O'Connell, the Seattle Times, the Seattle P-I and by Samuel Lin.

 

HIGH PRAISE - In the lead up to St. Patrick's Day, Fodor's, the world's largest publisher of English language travel and tourism information, listed Seattle's Irish Week as being among the best five St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the USA along with New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Boston. To read the report headed Best Stateside St. Patrick's Day Events, visit Fodors.com.

 

VOLUNTEERS! - The Irish Heritage Club is looking for a few enthusiastic and motivated people to join their group of volunteers to help organize next year's activities. If you or someone you know is interested, or if you have any questions, please contact IHC Volunteer Coordinator Candace Dunne at [email protected]

 

GOVERNOR'S VISIT - Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (n�e O'Grady) will be in Ireland for two weeks in late June and early July. She will first spend 10 days of personal time sightseeing around Ireland, and afterwards leads a four day business mission to Dublin which includes meeting with business and political leaders. One of the companies she will visit in Dublin is OpenHydro, an Irish tidal energy technology company whose business is the design and manufacture of marine turbines for generating renewable energy from tidal streams. The company has been contracted by Snohomish County PUD to install two tidal energy turbines on the seabed floor of Admiralty Inlet by 2013.

Barry & Governor
Irish Vice-Consul Barry O'Brien & Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire

KEEPING BARRY - Irish-American businessmen in California have offered to provide $175,000 a year  to keep open a diplomatic post in San Francisco that faces elimination due to Irish Government cutbacks. Vice-Consul Barry O'Brien is scheduled to return to Ireland at the end of the summer and is not being replaced. That would leave Gerry Staunton, the Consul General, as the only career Irish diplomat to cover the 13 western US states, including Washington and Oregon. No word yet on whether the offer is being accepted.

 

CIIC-COORDINATOR - The Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, a national umbrella group for all of the Irish Immigration Centers in the US including Seattle's Irish Immigrant Support Group, has hired Aileen Leonard Dibra as its new National Coordinator. CIIC represents immigrant organizations throughout the United States that provide services to Irish immigrants.

 

MITCHELL SCHOLARSHIPS - Among the dozen Mitchell scholars selected for 2013 are two students from Washington state, Ashleen Williams from Snohomish who attended the University of Montana in Missoula, and Rachel Carlson, a native of Battle Ground who attended Rice University in Houston. Twelve Mitchell Scholars between the ages of 18 and 30 are chosen annually from students across the US for one year of free postgraduate study in any discipline at a university in Ireland or Northern Ireland. The scholarship includes accommodations, some living expenses, and a travel stipend. For information, visit US-IrelandAlliance.org.

 

PUB OPENING - Congratulations to Galwayman Pat Coyne on the opening of his fourth Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub and Restaurant, this one on Seattle's waterfront on Pier 70 at 2801 Alaskan Way. This location is kid friendly and will include a pet friendly waterfront patio starting early May. Visit paddycoynes.net for more details.

 

NOVEMBER VOTING! - The Irish Immigrant Support Group encourages those Irish citizens who have been US residents with a Green Card for at least five years (3 years for the spouse of a US citizen) to apply for US citizenship. It typically takes just over five months to be approved which means that those who apply in the next couple of weeks will probably be able to vote in the Presidential election this November as Washington State's voter registration deadline is October 29. For the details on what's involved in applying, visit USCIS.gov.

 

YANKS IN IRELAND - A book called Living Abroad in Ireland is written by Seattle native Christina McDonald who moved to Galway in the 1990s to pursue a master's degree and discovered a country that offers far more than the clich�s she'd always known. She uses her firsthand experience to provide insight and advice about Irish life, plus extensive photos, illustrations, and maps. Living Abroad in Ireland, a Moon Travel Guide, also provides information on obtaining visas, finding employment, choosing schools for kids and tips on arranging finances. Available at moon.com.

  Moon Book   Cottage in Donegal  

DONEGAL STORY - Seattleite Eva Doherty Gremmert has published A Cottage in Donegal, Mary Doherty's Story. Written as a memoir from the perspective of a woman born in 1847 who spent her entire life in the same townland in Co. Donegal until dying in 1932, the book is a historical work of fiction that includes maps, illustrations, a list of Irish medicinal remedies, and family tree photos. Both informative and historically accurate, it's a lovely read. Order at EvaGremmert.com.

Census 2011  

2011 CENSUS - The census in the Irish Republic was conducted on the night of April 11, 2011 and results show the population of the 26 counties at 4.6 million, the highest level since before the Famine. Of those, 766,770 residents (17% of the population) were born outside the Republic of Ireland, 212,286 of them born in England or Wales, 115193 born in Poland, and 58,470 born in Northern Ireland. For an easy to read summary of statistics from the 2011 census, visit cso.ie.

 

LANGUAGES SPOKEN - Of Ireland's 4.6 million residents, 11% or 514,068 people usually speak a language other than Irish or English in the home. 119,526 residents mostly speak Polish in the home, followed by French (56,430), Lithuanian (31,635), German (27,342) and Spanish (22,446). 1.77 million or 41.4% of the population say they can speak Irish, but only 82,600 (1.8% of the population) regularly speak Irish in the home.

 

RELIGIONS - Although Catholic Mass attendance in Ireland has been falling in many areas, a record number of 3.86 million Irish residents, roughly 84% of the population, described themselves in the 2011 census as being Roman Catholic. There also are 129,039 members of the Church of Ireland (Anglicans), 24,600 Presbyterians, 6,842 Methodists, 45,223 Orthodox Christians and 14,043 Apostolic or Pentcostal Christians. Ireland's Muslim community numbers 49,204, while there are 10,688 Hindus, 8,703 Buddhists and 1,984 members of the Jewish community. 269,800 Irish residents reported having no religion, also the highest number ever.

 

MORE STATS

  • Three-quarters of Irish households get their water supply from public mains.
  • 70% of households use oil to heat their homes
  • 26% of homes use an individual septic tank.
  • In the 12 months prior to the census, 19,593 Irish-born residents had returned to live in Ireland after having lived abroad, including 1,688 Irish-born who returned from living in the US.
  • 1,563 US-born individuals moved to live in Ireland in the twelve months prior to April 2011.
  • There are almost 2 million homes in Ireland, but 14.5% (290,000) of those homes were vacant on census night, of which 20% were holiday homes.
  • There are 565,393 people (11.7% of the population) over-65 in Ireland, of whom 136,295 live alone.
  • The number of same-sex cohabitants almost doubled to just over 4,000 in 2011. In 1996, the census recorded just 150 same sex couples.
  • There are now more females than males in Ireland with 981 males for every 1,000 females.

TITANIC CENTENARY

Titanic Belfast  

TITANIC EXHIBIT - Titanic Belfast, a six-floor building (above) with nine interpretive and interactive galleries that explore the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Titanic, as well as the city and people who built it, was opened recently to mark the centenary of the Titanic's sinking on April 15, 1912. It is the world's largest exhibition on the ill-starred vessel. The tour starts with 1912 Belfast and moves through the ship's construction, launch, maiden voyage and sinking. The building can hold 3,547 visitors at any one time, the same number as the capacity of Titanic.

 

TITANIC PHOTOGRAPHER - Francis Browne became a distinguished member of the Jesuit order in Ireland and a prolific photographer. But his best known photographs are the ones of the Titanic and its passengers and crew that he took onboard as the ship sailed for two days from Southampton to Cobh (then called Queenstown), Co. Cork, where he disembarked. A wealthy American family did offer him a ticket for the journey on to New York but his Jesuit Superior ordered him off the boat. However, Browne had captured some of the most enduring and iconic images of the ship, many of which can be seen at titanicphotographs.com.

 

TITANIC VILLAGE - Fourteen people from the small village of Addergoole in Co. Mayo, were on the Titanic when it sank in 1912. Three of them survived and eleven were drowned, but they are still remembered in "Ireland's Titanic Village." The New York Times recently wrote about how the village "Embraces Its Haunted Legacy".

IRISH ECONOMIC NEWS

 

CHINESE VISITOR - After spending five days in the US in February, Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping spent three days in Ireland, the only EU country that he visited on his international trip. He brought to Ireland a delegation of 150 Chinese leaders and party bosses, and new Irish-Chinese economic links covering trade and investment were signed, signaling a new phase in the relationship between the two nations. Xi, who is in line to become China's leader in the near future, was also hosted by President Higgins at �ras an Uachtar�in and feted at a state dinner at Dublin Castle. During a tour of Croke Park, Xi even tried his hand at hurling and Gaelic football.

 

CHINA MISSION - In response to Xi's visit to Ireland, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny led over 90 Irish companies to China at the end of March as part of a seven day trade mission. In China, the Irish PM had talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping. Irish exports to China exceeded $4billion in 2011, up 6% on the previous year.

 

CHINESE INVESTMENTS - While Kenny was in China, the Chinese government signed an accord calling for major trade between China and Ireland. As part of the agreement, the China Investment Corporation (CIC) will invest heavily in Irish companies and state assets, a move that is expected to create jobs and boost Ireland's export figures. CIC was established in 2007 with $200bn in assets, a figure which had more than doubled by 2010.

 

WHY IRELAND? - Ireland is the European headquarters for four of the five largest internet providers in the world, nine of 10 of the largest pharmaceutical companies, 17 of the top 25 medical device companies, and for four of the five largest global gaming companies in the world.

OTHER IRISH NEWS

 

IRISH WEEK IN DC - A White House meeting was part of Irish Taoiseach (PM) Enda Kenny's five-day US tour in March which included a visit to Chicago where he marched in that city's St Patrick's Day Parade. On March 20 at the White House, the Taoiseach presented the annual bowl of Shamrock to the President, who promised in his reply that he would visit Ireland again if he is re-elected in November. The President and Taoiseach, along with Vice President Biden, also attended a St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by US Speaker of the House John Boehner where the Speaker spoke on the Irish tradition of hospitality and later shed a few tears during a song by an Irish tenor. The president and first lady later hosted an evening reception for the Taoiseach at the White House.

 

JOBS REWARD - The Irish government is funding an initiative to attract foreign job investment to Ireland. A reward of €1,500 ($1,953) per job created is on offer to individuals who use their personal contacts to pass on the names of companies planning to expand if those companies then go on to establish or expand operations in Ireland. You don't need to have any business knowledge yourself, you just need to know people and pass on their contact information. More details at  connectireland.com.

 

EMIGRATION SURVEY - An Irish Times survey of recent Irish emigrants found that 59% of them left Ireland out of choice while 41% said they were forced to emigrate. 72% of those surveyed were in paid jobs when they decided to emigrate, while 28% were unemployed. 72% of those who left also intend to return to Ireland to live at some stage.

 

PUNTS & EUROS - Ten years after the Euro was introduced to Ireland on 1 January 2002, when the Irish Punt ceased to be legal tender, there is still �283 million of the old currency in circulation, �185m in banknotes and �98m in coins, an amount worth €359m ($475m) in today's money. Ireland's Central Bank still regularly handles the conversion of punts to Euros, and around $2.6m worth of punts were exchanged between mid-February and mid-March of this year.

 

WATER CHARGES - The operation of water services in Ireland costs over $1.5 billion annually and the current system loses up to 40% through leakage. Now a new water utility company will assume responsibility for the delivery of water supply to homes across Ireland, taking over in 2014 from the 34 local authorities who currently oversee water services. Irish Water will be an independent, State-owned subsidiary of the Irish Gas Board. Installation of water meters will begin this year and 90% of homes will be liable for charges by 2014. Ireland is one of few developed nations which does not already charge for water on the basis of usage.

 

HOW RICH? - In the three years to the end of 2010, Irish household net wealth fell 23% when measured as a proportion of disposable income, mostly caused by the largest fall in property wealth in Europe. Over the three-year period, Irish households went from being the third richest among 14 European countries, to a mid-ranking position of seventh-richest.

 

ABORTION SITUATION - The Dil (Irish Parliament) recently rejected legislation to cover abortions in limited circumstances in Ireland, but the issue is expected to come up again in June. Following a 1992 Irish Supreme Court ruling - called the X-case - abortion has been legal in Ireland when there is a substantial risk to the life of the mother. However, legislation to implement that ruling was never introduced which means that anyone wanting an abortion must travel to England to get one. Because of that situation, the European Court ruled in 2010 that Ireland is in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Irish government recently established an expert group to recommend the required abortion legislation, and that report is expected in June.

 

SENIOR PENSIONS - The Irish government recently increased the qualifying age for the State Pension (formerly called the Old Age Pension) from 65 to 66 in 2014, to 67 by 2021 and to 68 in 2028. Non-contributory Pension payments of up to $290 weekly may be augmented by an electricity or natural gas allowance, a rent supplement, free TV license, telephone allowance, free travel on bus, road, rail and DART services, grants to improve homes, attic insulation and draught-proofing of older houses, a waiver or reduction of waste and water charges, etc.

 

NO FRACKING - Licenses have been issued for the controversial procedure of hydraulic fracturing to drill for gas in nine counties on Ireland's western seaboard and also in Co. Fermanagh. To heighten awareness about the issue, www.liveTrad.com has an online traditional Irish music session today, Thursday, April 26, at 2 pm PDT, live from a pub in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. Seattleite Dawn Bourke, who's originally from Belfast, is also encouraging people to sign online petitions to the Irish government to stop the process in the Irish Republic, and to the UK government to stop the process in Northern Ireland. More details at  leaksfree.com.

 

ARE YOU IRISH? - If you are of Irish Heritage and would like to connect with the Irish parish community from where your people first came, the Week of Welcomes is for you. It's a unique, personal and intimate experience, taking you deep into Ireland, its parishes and townlands. With stops at must-see places, as well as those that are off-the-beaten path, you will be entertained with history, stories, music, and lively discussions about Ireland's past, present and future. The Week of Welcomes will help you reconnect with your ancestral parish in Ireland!

 

GIRL POWER - A Cork teenager who was born with no arms or legs gives a keynote speech in the United Nations in New York this week where the 16-year-old high school student will speak about how technology has helped her overcome the challenges of living with the rare genetic disorder called Total Amelia Syndrome. Watch here a video of her appearance on Irish TV's Late Late Show where she displays a remarkable sense of humor and self assurance, and says she is like any other teenager who loves to go to concerts and GAA matches.

 

NO JUBILEE - Belfast's Lord Mayor, a member of the Sinn Fin Party, will resign next month before his term expires in order to avoid having to participate in celebrations marking the Queen of England's diamond jubilee in June. However, Sinn Fin, the party with the largest number of members on Belfast City Council, has supported City plans to fund community events marking the Jubilee.

 

NO SMOKING - Ireland's Minister for Health is proposing to ban smoking in all public parks, on beaches, boardwalks and in sports stadiums. A World Health Organization 2009 report claimed that 29% of Irish people still smoked. Smoking costs the Irish economy an estimated $1.3 million a day in lost productivity, with smoking-related illnesses costing another estimated $2.65 billion a year.

 

HEALTH CARE - A one-year-old Dublin baby who was born with an incomplete oesophagus which prevents him from eating, drinking or swallowing, is at the Oesophageal Advanced Center in Boston for a ground-breaking repair using a procedure developed at the Boston Center. All expenses for him and his parents are covered by the Irish Health Service.

 

IRISH SAINT - Fr. Edward Flanagan, a Catholic priest born in Roscommon in 1886, has been declared a Servant of God, the first step on the road to canonization. Flanagan emigrated to the US in 1904, and established the Omaha orphanage called Boys Home in 1917. He died in Germany in 1948 while touring Europe at the request of President Truman to investigate the situation of orphaned children following WWII. Flanagan was buried in the chapel at Boys Town where the official process for his canonization was started on March 17.

 

CENTENARIANS' BOUNTY - About $1.3 million has been budgeted to pay the Centenarians' Bounty in 2012 to an anticipated 388people worldwide. The Centenarians' Bounty is a cash gift of €2,540 (about $3,350) presented to anyone born in Ireland when they turn 100. It comes with a congratulatory letter from the Irish President, and former recipients of the bounty also receive a specially minted coin for every birthday after their 100th.

 

SENIOR BUTTONS - "Internet Buttons" is a program provided by an Irish company that allows experienced internet users to configure easy-to-use, custom-made browser buttons for people who are new to the web or who find it confusing to use a computer. Each button can be configured to simplify the connection to a person's favorite website, to their email, to a Facebook page, etc. See a gallery of possible uses and create the buttons for free at  internetbuttons.ie.

 

IRISH DIASPORA TV - An L�r TV, based in Dublin, is an internet TV channel for the Irish Diaspora as well as local communities in Ireland. The network's main channel focuses on Irish culture and heritage, including history, folklore, heritage, sports, drama and comedy. In addition the network has dedicated rock music, traditional music, kids and paranormal channels. Since its launch in 2010, the network has had viewers from more than 120 countries around the world, with the biggest audiences recorded in the USA. Watch at anlar.tv.

The Dubliners - The Croppy Boy
The Dubliners - The Croppy Boy

BANJO BARNEY - 72-year-old Barney McKenna has died, the last remaining member of the original line-up of The Dubliners, the group that was celebrated worldwide for their rousing Irish ballads. McKenna took up the Banjo because he couldn't afford a Mandolin, and was working as a glassblower when he first met Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and Ciar�n Bourke in O'Donoghue's pub in Dublin in 1962. Together they formed arguably the most influential folk group in Irish folk music history.

 

SCENIC CONNEMARATHON - Comprised of a Half Marathon, a Full Marathon and a 39.3 mile Ultra Marathon, this year's Connemarathon on April 1 had 200 runners in the Ultra-Marathon starting at Maam Cross, Co. Galway. Another 600 participants joined the race 13 miles later in the Inagh Valley for the marathon race, before 13 miles later again picking up 2,500 runners in the village of  Leenane for the start of the half marathon. All 3,000+ runners finished the race back in Maam Cross. Registration has already opened for the 2013 event at  connemarathon.com.

 

HOW HAPPY? - Irish people are among the happiest in the world, according to a new global report published by the United Nations. The World Happiness Report ranks the Irish as being the tenth-happiest country in the world, ahead of the UK and USA. But when asked specifically how happy they were "yesterday", Ireland ranked top of the world, with the average respondent giving a response higher than 9 out of 10. The study found social factors like the strength of social support, the absence of corruption and the degree of personal freedom are more important for happiness than income.

 

JOHN FORD - The John Ford Ireland Film Symposium will honor, examine and learn from the work and legacy of legendary filmmaker John Ford. Leading Ford authorities, enthusiasts, film experts and academics will gather in Dublin from June 7 -10 to celebrate the work and legacy of one of cinema's most influential directors. 

 

RE-SALE VALUE - A cracked Chinese Ming Dynasty porcelain dish that was sold for $375,000 in January at an auction in Co. Meath, was resold recently in Hong Kong for $2.17 million. The dish was brought to Ireland by a member of a Co Derry family who had served with the British army in China during the late Victorian colonial era. The "magnificent blue and white 'dragon' dish" measures just 10 inches in diameter and was made at the royal kilns of Jingdezhen in the reign of the Emperor Xuande (1426-1435).

 

BIG WAVES - Irish surfer Ollie O'Flaherty is in the running for one of big wave surfing's most prestigious prizes for his ride on a monster wave at Mullaghmore Head Co Sligo on March 8th. He and a UK surfer also nominated for a wave caught at Mullaghmore that same day, are two of the five nominees in the XXL Biggest Wave category of the 2012 Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Watch Ollie's ride on YouTube.

 

RARE COINS - A coin believed to be the most valuable in the world went on display at the Irish Museum of Modern Art recently. The 1933 $20 gold coin nicknamed the "double eagle" was designed for the US Mint in 1907 by Dublin-born sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and is one of only 13 known to be in existence. More than 445,000 were minted by the US in 1933 but none were officially circulated after the use of gold coins as legal tender ended with the discontinuance of the gold standard. One sold at auction in 2002 for $7.59 million.

 

JIM STYNES, RIP - 45-year-old Dublin-born legendary Australian Rules footballer Jim Stynes, who died recently in Melbourne after a long battle with cancer, was honored with a state funeral in the city where he spent his life after leaving Ireland in 1984. He always said that his greatest role was when he played for Ireland in the compromise rules game against Australia.

 

KERRY DEER - The Kerry red deer is as Irish as you can get, with ancient DNA recovered from the bone collection at the National Museum proving that the deer have been living in Ireland at least 5,000 years. The red deer species is widespread across northern Europe and 1,400 DNA samples were used for comparative purposes. Some of the bones held by the museum are as much as 30,000 years old.

 

CUBAN CELTFEST - CeltFest Cuba was held in in Havana last week, and for the first time ever, US performers were permitted to participate. The Celtic festival is supported by Culture Ireland, the Historian's Office in Havana, Na Piobairi Uilleann (Uilleann Pipers Club of Ireland), the Irish Arts Council, and the embassy of Ireland for Mexico and Cuba. It celebrates music and culture from Ireland and all regions with Celtic Heritage. CeltFest Cuba featured workshops in uilleann piping, fiddle, singing and dance, pipe and reed-making classes, informal seisi�ns and concerts with performers from Ireland and Canada.

 

FAMINE STORIES - New stories on the Great Irish Famine are now online featuring translations from the French language of accounts by the French-Canadian Sisters of Charity, or Grey Nuns, who cared for Irish Famine emigrants on Grosse Isle off Montreal in 1847. The annals contain extensive and highly evocative eyewitness accounts of the suffering of Famine migrants. The quarantine station at Grosse Isle reported 9,572 deaths from disease in 1847.

 

AOH NEWS - As they have done on St. Patrick's Day for over 30 years, the John F. Kennedy Ancient Order of Hibernians Division in Maryland again laid a wreath at President Kennedy's grave. Kennedy was an AOH member from the time he joined in 1947 until his death. Shamrocks were also placed at the grave of President George Washington's adopted grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, who was also the father-in-law of Robert E. Lee. Custis was a leading advocate of Irish freedom in the early part of the 19th century and once asked that shamrock be placed on his grave every St Patrick's Day with the words "God bless him." For over 50 years, the AOH in the Nation's Capital have fulfilled his wish.

 

GARVEY HONOR - On St. Patrick's Day, the AOH honored Geri Garvey, the Administrator of Irish Apostolate USA, with their "Friend of Ireland Award" to recognize her work in support of the Irish immigrant community across the US, especially her work for the undocumented Irish. The Apostolate was founded by the Irish and US Bishops and provides support to Irish community Chaplains across the US, including Seattle's Irish Chaplain, Fr. John Madigan.  Seattle's Irish Immigrant Support Group is also affiliated with The Irish Apostolate USA as are Irish Centers in other US cities.

 

DONEGAL DOCUMENTARY - An Irish documentary about a man who filmed life in Donegal from the 1930's to the early 1960's provides a fascinating insight into life in the county during those years. The RTE program is called "Filling The Fourpenny Seats" and is well worth watching.

 

CHURCH THEFT - The heart of St Laurence O'Toole was recently stolen from Dublin's Christ Church Cathedral where the relic was kept in a wooden container inside an iron cage. O'Toole, the first Irish archbishop of Dublin, was born in Co Kildare in 1128 and became archbishop in 1162. He gained a reputation as a skillful mediator between rival Gaelic and Norman factions then fighting for power in Ireland. He died in Normandy in 1180 while on another peace mission. The relic has no economic value but it is a priceless treasure for Dubliners.

 

GREATEST FOE - Britain's National Army Museum has decided that Ireland's revolutionary leader Michael Collins was Britain's second greatest foe since the 17th century, second only to president George Washington. The main criterion was that each commander had to have led an army against British forces since the 17th century. Cork born Collins introduced the "flying columns" in the Irish War of Independence, volunteers who waged a guerrilla campaign ambushing barracks and police stations and convoys before quickly withdrawing, almost fighting the British to a standstill. The "Big Fella" for a time was the most wanted man in the British empire. The year after signing the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, Collins was killed in an ambush at B�al na mBl�th.

 

DUBLIN FIREFIGHTERS - In 1190 and again in 1283, Dublin city annals record the destruction of a great part of Dublin by fire. In 1546 the Common Council of Dublin made provision for supplying "forty buckets of leather for carrying of water to fight fires and twelve graps of iron for pulling houses that chance to be afire". But it wasn't until 1862 that an organized fire fighting force was formally established. A celebratory parade of Dublin's firefighters and visiting pipe bands will be held in Dublin on June 2 as part of the festivities to mark the 150th anniversary.

 

IRISH HOME RULE - 100 years ago this month, there were huge demonstrations across Ireland in support of a Bill being introduced in the British House of Commons to grant Home Rule to Ireland, partially reversing the 1800 Act of Union which had merged the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Even Winston Churchill supported the bill, speaking in support at a Belfast nationalist meeting on February 8th, 1912. Although the Bill was eventually passed in 1914, it was never implemented as it was overtaken by events, including Unionists threats of force in opposition, WWI and the 1916 Easter Rebellion.

 

16TH - 18TH CENTURY - Before 1876 when organized policing began in Ireland, policing responsibility rested with the Anglican parish as, until 1871, Anglicanism was the "established" state church in Ireland. Anglican parishes handled street lighting and cleaning, and oversaw security by employing constables and watchmen. Now, records dating to 1724 from the parish of St John in Dublin, and some documents from 1595, have been digitized and put online by the Garda Siochana (Irish Police) Historical Society. The documents list the names of constables and watchmen, crimes committed, and the justice eventually administered. They provide information on baptisms, marriages and burials dating from 1619, and an even older vestry minute book from 1595. To view the collection, visit ireland.anglican.org.

Sting & The Chieftans - Mo Ghile Mear
Sting & The Chieftans - Mo Ghile Mear

"MO GHILE MEAR" - The Battle of Culloden on 16 April, 1746 pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart, known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie", against an army loyal to the British government. Fought in the Scottish Highlands, Irish units fought with the Jacobite army as Irish Catholics expected the Stuarts (Jacobites) to end the discriminatory penal laws in Ireland. The battle of Culloden was both quick and bloody, lasting less than an hour before the Jacobites were routed. Shortly after Culloden, the Irish lament "Mo Ghile Mear" (My Gallant Boy) was written in Irish Gaelic portraying Ireland as a woman who is a widow.

 

FENIAN INVASION - A new memorial has been erected on the shores of the Niagara River commemorating the Fenian invasion of 1866, when approximately 1,000 battle-hardened Irish American Civil War veterans tried to take Canada hostage in a campaign to force the British out of Ireland.

 

PEARSE INSURANCE - In 1916, Dublin bankers cashed in P�draig Pearse's life insurance policy just weeks after he was executed. Pearse had borrowed the equivalent of about $135,000 today to set up St Enda's school in Ranelagh, and handed over his life insurance policy and the deeds of the family home as security. On May 3rd, 1916, five weeks after the rebellion collapsed, Pearse was executed by firing squad at the age of 36. Several weeks later, Sun Life paid the Hibernian Bank a total of �329.16s.4d.
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Irish Taoiseach (PM) Enda Kenny rang the bell at the NY stock exchange on Monday, March 19, which was officially named Ireland Day.

 

The Irish Times says that it is Time to salute the US for all it has done for Ireland 

 

The New York Times says that St. Patrick's Day is About Immigrants, Not Irishness 

 

On St. Patrick's Day, The New York Times also profiled a biracial Jewish teenager from Greenville, Ohio, who in February won his third successive All-Ireland Irish Dancing title in Dublin.

 

The Wall Street Journal said that Ireland has a secret asset that it could leverage to enhance its chances of boosting growth rates: the Irish diaspora 

 

Irish character actor David Kelly, who motorcycled naked in "Waking Ned Devine," has died aged 82.

 

Anyone who worked in Ireland may be entitled to receive an Irish pension even if living outside Ireland. The application is made at welfare.ie.

 

Dublin's Catholic and Protestant Archbishops together carried a cross through the center of Dublin in a Good Friday procession from the Protestant Christ Church Cathedral to the Catholic Pro-Cathedral.

 

The Irish Times recently profiled Dr. Katherine Zappone, the Seattleite who is now an Irish Senator.

 

Ireland's Labor Party is the oldest political party in Ireland, founded in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in 1912 by James Connolly, James Larkin and William O'Brien.

 

The legal documentation facilitating the Plantation of Ulster, the colonization of Ulster by people from Scotland and England, was signed on 16 November 1612 in the Irish Houses of Parliament, now the Bank of Ireland, College Green.

 

The Flint Journal recently profiled Ron Howko, the Commander of the American Legion Commodore John Barry Post in the West of Ireland

 

Nobody has won more Golfing Majors in the past five seasons than Dubliner P�draig Harrington, the 2007 and 2008 British Opens, and the 2008 US PGA championship.

 

Time magazine listed Eight Reasons to Visit Belfast.

 

74% of Irish people aged 65 to 74 have never used the internet.

 

When the Irish flag was recently lowered at Kickham Barracks in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, it formally brought to an end a military presence in the town that stretched back to 1650.

 

The Irish Derby at the Curragh is June 30.

The round the world Volvo Ocean Yacht Race which started last October, ends in Galway around June 30

The Irish Open at Royal Portrush is June 28

 

Irish President Michael D Higgins will lead an official delegation from Ireland for the Overseas Irish Famine Commemoration in Boston on May 5th.

 

Dublin's Trinity College, which houses the ancient Celtic manuscript, has acquired an exclusive trademark for the Book of Kells name and logo, the ancient Celtic depiction of the letter "K" accompanied by a lion.

 

Irish hoteliers are adding Miso soup at the breakfast buffet and brochures in Chinese in a bid to woo visitors from the emerging tourist markets of Asia. 10,000 Chinese visited Ireland in 2011.

 

A unique set of new playing cards from celtic-journey.ie uses beautiful designs based on Irish mythology.

 

Abraham "Bram" Stoker, the Dubliner who is best known for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula, died 100 years ago on April 20, 1912.

 

Apple Inc. has been in Cork for 30 years where it currently employs about 2800 people and has just announced plans to hire another 500.

 

Trip Advisor, the travel guide and research website, lists Dublin's Ha'Penny Bridge as among the 10 most beautiful bridges around the world. 

 

The Dublin Fire Brigade is the only one in Ireland and one of the few in the world where every member is a trained paramedic.

 

Water consumption in an average-sized Irish household is 38 gallons per person per day. In the USA, it's about 100 gallons per person per day.

 

The New York Times writes about Belfast, "Raising the Memory of the Titanic, and a City's Role in Its Creation"

 

Check out an Irish Counties Jigsaw Game

 

Trinity College holds the largest collection of manuscripts and printed books in Ireland, having received a free copy of every book published in Ireland and Britain since 1801.

 

For several days in March, Tourism Ireland set up 'VirtuREEL' in Central Station in Sydney where travelers could jig along with Irish dancers on screen.

 

An Irishman from Cork who later gave evidence at the United States Senate Inquiry, was a Titanic survivor because he was hidden in a lifeboat by a woman whom he believed to be the wife of millionaire John Astor.

 

A BBC reporter who normally presents the London Stock Exchange report, recently kicked off her heels in the middle of her business report to perform an Irish jig 

 

Thousands of Irish dancers, including some from Seattle, were in Belfast last month for the World Irish Dancing Championships

 

A 25 year-old autistic man from Cork has had one of his artworks selected by the UN Postal Service for use on a stamp marking World Autism Awareness Day.

 

An eight-year-old Irish girl has become the youngest person ever to set foot on the North Pole. She did so by flying in.

 
Seanfhocal - Proverb
 
N� habair ach beag�n, ach abair go maith �
Don't say much, but say it well!
 
Sl�n go f�ill�n, Goodbye for now!
 
John Keane 
 
2012 John Keane. Items may be copied if
[email protected]� is credited
 Irish Heritage Club Logo
PLEASE BECOME AN IRISH HERITAGE CLUB MEMBER FOR 2012! Show your support for Irish activities in the Seattle area by becoming a member. Membership is used to support all IHC activities throughout the year, including the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the Irish Festival, and is open to anyone interested in "Things Irish". Dues are $20 (single membership) or $30 (family membership), and you can pay by cash, check, or Secure Credit Card. For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.irishclub.org

2012 Members remain in good standing until March 31, 2013