On Thursday, September 7, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on whether or not to send the US/UK Extradition Treaty to the full Senate for ratification.
Please contact members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging them to Vote NO.
Dear Friends: Hope these sentiments inspire you to contact your U. S. Senator to stand up and be counted against this treaty. Keep the faith. All the best.
IRISHAMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE 611 PENNSYLVANIA, SE, # 4150 WASHINGTON, D. C. 20003
THE OLD LADY AND THE TREATY
Looking every bit her age, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher made her way to Senator Frist’s Office recently to urge the U. S. Senate to ratify a “modernized” Extradition Treaty with the United Kingdom. Lobbying and legislator buttonholing appears unseemly work for someone who now goes by the handle Baroness Scotland. But there she was not nearly as intimidating looking as she was when she led Britain from 1979 to 1995. Once called the “original case of Mad Cow Disease” by Labor Party apparatchiks, the Baroness was on a mission to kick some butt in the U. S. Senate over an extradition treaty that has been languishing there since it was inked by Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2003.
The treaty governs the removal of individuals from either country in the event one of the governments wants to arrest a person in the other’s jurisdiction for questioning or for a crime. Now why should the Iron Lady in her twilight years be hustling such a trifle as the ratification of a treaty? Well there is the little matter of revenge and, of course, her legacy.
First, lets speak to revenge. It is one of the oldest motives in the world and guided her every policy decision in Ulster from the assassination of her colleague Airey Neave by the INLA in London in 1979. With all the powers of the State, she corrupted law, justice and democracy in ways that inspired others around the globe. When it suited her she clothed her law and remarks about the “threat to the life of the nation” and then unleashed the Army SAS units in N. I. The “close collaboration between police, Army and Intelligence units” (now being called for in the U. S. to fight terrorism,) then facilitated British sponsored civilian killing sprees and the assassination of 5 elected Sinn Fein officials and 15 party workers committing the crime of canvassing for votes.
Legal novelties unknown in America up until now were perfected by Thatcher. They included instructing a jury that they could infer guilt from the silence of the accused; juryless courts; special rules for the testimony of paid informers and the political police; arrest without charge; immunity certificates for government killers; rules of censorship for the BBC; Coroner inquest rules changed only for N. I. and many others. The Baroness is quite proud of this record even though many believe the measures merely perpetuated the conflict. This is the road Ms Thatcher would have Americans travel. America, she argues, needs this Treaty to fight terrorism! She claimed in a letter to Senator Lugar that fears of Irish-Americans are “…entirely groundless.” It is of little consequence to her, of course, if it removes judicial review from extradition proceedings and denies Americans their right to a trial that is free of the anomalies perfected during the political prosecutions of the Thatcher era. The swift adoption of this Treaty would assure her revenge by giving British justice to troublesome Americans , the Irish here who escaped garrison Ulster and intimidate those who would speak out.
Now as to her legacy. In the decade she has been out of office she has done much to promote her view of the world, her relationship with President Reagan and how she made Britain “great” again. Virtually nothing is revealed about the Irish conflict and the policies and actions she adopted. It was a conflict which she did little to resolve and much to inflame during her Governments term. Even the useless Anglo-Irish Treaty would not likely to have come to past were it not for U. S. Speaker ‘Tip’ O’Neill belching that she was making a political football of the Irish issue. Almost from the day she left office, the Blair administration has been faced with one demand after another to investigate government responsibility for numerous killings of civilians in N. I. These have included the murders of lawyers Rosemary Nelson and Patrick Finucane, the cover up of the British Army role in the largest atrocity of the conflict, the Dublin Monaghan bombings which killed 33 civilians, British agents collusion with police and paramilitary death squads to intimidate, injure or kill fellow subjects of the Crown whose principal crime was being Catholic and/or a Nationalist. In order to preserve her place in history, the Baroness must associate herself with the fight against terrorism . Her position must be that she crushed terrorism not a civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. Historians must understand that the destruction of democracy in N. I. was made necessary for her to fight terrorists and not, as some might claim, to stem the rising electoral success of Sinn Fein.
In her missive to the Senators, Baroness Scotland suggested that “our trusted partnership” would falter if the treaty fails. The woman who former President Reagan once called “the best man in England” even had the temerity to tell U. S. Senators that the perception of the British people is at stake. By this it is now clear that what Ms Thatcher really is concerned about is the perception by the British people of her stewardship as Prime Minister.
Few Americans will know of or see this treaty drama unfold. That suits both the Baroness and Senator Frist just fine. He is anxious that the vote for the treaty be viewed as standing up to terrorists as opposed to a compromise of American rights and liberties. The record of the Senate is devoid of any principled stand on the conflict in Ireland or British misrule and most Senators feel now is not the time for a dose of courage. As for the dowager Baroness, she will settle back with her trademark glass of Scotch and in a toast to the “special relationship” once again make a mockery of our elective democracy.
Michael J. Cumming, Member, National Board 12 Marion Ave Albany, New York 12203-1814 1-800-947-IAUC iauc@iauc.org 518-482-0349, 518-447-4802
August 28 1170 - Richard de Clare marries Aoife Ní Mhurrachadha and sets a precedent for Norman rule in Ireland 1710 - A board of trustees for linen manufacture is established 1788 - Sir Aubrey de Vere, poet, is born in Adare, Co. Limerick 1788 - James Digges La Touche, banker and philanthropist, is born in Dublin 1798 - Cornwallis reaches Athlone; Humbert entrenches in Castlebar 1814 - Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, novelist and journalist, is born in Dublin 1815 - Mary Letitia Martin, 'Princess of Connemara,' novelist, philanthropist and daughter of 'Humanity Dick' Martin is born in Ballynahinch Castle, Co. Galway 1860 - Napier's and Deasy's Land Acts are passed 1872 - The first horse drawn tram cars enter service in Belfast 1877 - Charles Stewart Parnell becomes president of Home Rule Confederation 1896 - Birth of Liam O'Flaherty 1929 - "Health And Efficiency" becomes the very first publication banned by the Irish Free State 1975 - Willie John McBride retires from international rugby 1998 - The Real IRA and the 32 County Sovereignty Committee are to be placed on an international terrorist list by the US Government. An FBI clampdown on American supporters of both groups is also planned 1998 - The Northern Ireland Assembly heads for its first major crisis after a confidential document discloses that senior Ulster Unionists warned the British government they could no longer endorse the Good Friday agreement 1998 - One of the largest passing-out parades for the Defence Forces in recent years takes place; 86 recruits receive their two-star private rating at a ceremony in Gormanston Army Camp, Co Meath 2000 - Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy faces calls for his resignation as former judge Hugh O’Flaherty withdraws his controversial nomination for vice-presidency of the European Investment Bank.
August 29 1729 - Birth of David La Touche, banking magnate and MP 1798 - Cornwallis reaches Tuam 1803 - Samuel Neilson, co-founder of the United Irishmen, dies 1844 - Death of Edmund Ignatius Rice, founder of the Irish Christian Brothers Order 1890 - The Science & Art Museum and The National Library of Ireland open 1871 - Birth of Jack B. Yeats, painter and author, in London 1950 - Birth of Dick Spring, politician; Labour Party leader and Tánaiste, in Tralee, Co. Kerry 1951 - Bill Graham, rock journalist and author, is born in Belfast 1975 - Death of Eamon de Valera 1992 - U2 plays the first of two shows at Yankee Stadium in New York. They are only the second rock artist to play in this venue. Billy Joel was the first 2000 - Irish Travellers are granted the same legal protection as other ethnic minority groups by a judge in London 2002 - Sixteen soldiers are injured during sectarian street clashes in flashpoint east Belfast 2002 - According to Transparency International’s annual corruption index, Ireland has slipped five places and is now perceived as the third most corrupt country in Europe.
August 30 1559 - Lord Sussex, is sworn in as Lord Deputy 1690 - First siege of Limerick ends 1708 - Penal Laws passed in 1695 restricting Catholics rights are strengthened for the second time 1709 - All registered Catholic priests in Ireland are required to renounce the claims of the Stuarts to the thrones of England and Ireland — only 33 out of 1,089 comply 1841 - The Cork Examiner, now The Irish Examiner, hits the streets for the first time 1855 - Birth of Feargus Edward O’Connor, Chartist leader 1874 - Michael Banim, storywriter, dies; along with his brother and co-author John, he sought to create sympathetic, yet non-stereotypical Irish characters in his stories 1875 - National synod of Catholic bishops begins at Maynooth; they renew condemnation of Queen's Colleges and condemn Trinity College 1911 - The Chamber of Commerce calls for Ireland to adopt Greenwich Mean Time — 25 minutes behind Irish Standard Time 1928 - William Trevor, pseudonym of William Trevor Cox, short-story writer and novelist, is born in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork 1950 - Birth of Dana, pseudonym of Rosemary Scallon, singer/songwriter 1967 - Black Velvet Band by the Dubliners enters the British charts 1997 - U2 returns home for the first of two shows at Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium 2000 - SDLP leader John Hume, announces his intention to quit as a Stormont Assembly member 2000 - As many as 21 houses in the County Antrim town of Carrickfergus are attacked in incidents linked to the North’s bitter loyalist feud 2001 - Death of Donal O'Sullivan; he was Cork's captain in the 1956 All-Ireland football final against Galway and prominent in GAA administration at county and provincial level 2002 - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson accuses the United States of trying to scale back plans to save the world’s poorest people.
August 31 1767 - Birth in Belfast of Henry Joy McCracken, United Irishman and leader of Ulster insurgents in 1798 rebellion 1803 - French "Irish Legion" organized in Brittany 1806 - Birth in Dublin of Charles Lever; fiction writer who was famous for his rendering of Trinity College's privileged atmosphere 1830 - William Fitzpatrick, biographer and historian, is born in Dublin 1957 - Birth of Colm O'Rourke, Meath Gaelic footballer, in Co. Meath 1994 - IRA announces a cease-fire 1997 - U2 pays tribute to Princess Diana at Dublin concert 2000 - First Minister David Trimble is understood to be involved in secret talks with the Ulster Volunteer Force in an attempt to resolve the bloody loyalist feud raging on the streets of Northern Ireland 2000 - Former SDLP Derry Mayor Annie Courtney is to replace John Hume as an Assembly member for Foyle 2000 - The world’s largest fishing vessel arrives in Dublin after completing its maiden voyage from Norway. "Atlantic Dawn", which took over two and a half years to build in a Norwegian shipyard, cost Irish owner Kevin McHugh £50 million. In the liturgical calendar, it is the feast day of St. Aidan.
September 1 1737 - Launch of the Belfast Newsletter, now the oldest surviving newspaper in Ireland or Britain, and one of the oldest in the world 1729 - Death of dramatist, essayist and publisher Sir Richard Steele, the Dubliner who founded The Tatler and The Spectator 1789 - Marguerite Gardiner, née Power; Countess of Blessington; author, is born near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary 1814 - Birth of James O'Flanagan, author, in Fermoy, Co. Cork 1830 - Dublin Zoo opens 1830 - The “Wild Colonial Boy” is shot dead in a gun battle with police at Cambelltown, Sydney. Contrary to the popular song, “The Wild Colonial Boy” was John Donohue, transported from Ireland in 1824 1856 - Birth of Irish Nationalist Party leader John Redmond in Ballytrent, Co. Wexford 1864 - Roger Casement, British consular official and Irish nationalist, is born in Sandycove, Co. Dublin 1870 - Isaac Butt founds the Home Government Association; Home Rule is now the objective of constitutional nationalists 1999 - Van Morrison beomes the first the first inductee to The Hot Press Irish Music Hall of Fame. 1999 - Five-year-old triplets Jake, Melissa and Denis Doherty from Knockanes, Headford, Co. Kerry, arrive for their first day at school in Knockanes National SchoolPhoto Credit: Eamonn Keogh 2000 - The number of people out of work falls to an 18-year low 2000 - The resumption of normal train services to Westport, Co. Mayo is celebrated with a platform party. Bemused but delighted passengers are greeted with delicacies and glasses of champagne laid on by the local Atlantic Coast Hotel, one of hundreds of establishments in the Mayo region hit financially by the 10 week rail stoppage 2002 - Hugh Orde, Northern Ireland’s new chief constable vows to crack down on paramilitary "godfathers" who have orchestrated a series of unsolved sectarian murders.
September 2 1022 - Maelsechlainn II - "The great high king of Ireland" - dies 1649 - Siege of Drogheda begins 1752 - The Gregorian calendar is adopted in Ireland and Britain, 170 years after mainland Europe: 2 September is followed by 14 September 1731 - Birth of Sir Lucius O'Brien, opposition politician, once described as 'a man who disagrees with the rest of mankind by thinking well of himself' 1784 - Sir Eyre Coote, the elder, dies of apoplexy at sea off Madras, while being pursued by French ships 1893 - Second Home Rule Bill passed by House of Commons 1933 - Cummann na nGaedheal, the Centre Party, and the National Guard, once known as the "Blueshirts", join forces to form Fine Gael 1942 - IRA Volunteer Tom Williams is hanged at Belfast's Crumlin Road Jail 1998 - Sinn Féin formally nominate Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness as its representative to work with the International Commission on Decommissioning 2002 - Ireland forms an alliance with Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Greece in a bid to limit the expansion of nuclear energy 2002 - A Commission which includes loyalist paramilitaries calls on republican terror groups to join them in achieving calm along sectarian flashpoint areas.
September 3 1654 - The first Protectorate parliament meets; Ireland is represented by 30 members 1781 - Birth of William Sharman Crawford, radical politician, in Co. Down 1821 - The last day of George IV's visit to Ireland 1842 - In Kill, Co. Kildare, birth of John Devoy, journalist and leading member of the Fenians 1850 - Charters are granted to colleges in Belfast (now Queen’s University), Cork (now UCC) and Galway (now UCG), under the Universities (Ireland) Act 1854 - Birth of Fanny Parnell, Land League agitator and sister of Charles Stewart Parnell 1901 - James Hanley, novelist and short story writer, is born in Liverpool of Irish parents 1905 - Birth of James “Snowy” Dunne, widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest centre forwards. He played for Arsenal, Southampton and the Shamrock Rovers 1943 - Birth of Liam Maguire, trade unionist and campaigner for disabled people 1963 - Death of poet Louis MacNeice 1972 - Mary Peters wins the women's pentathlon in Munich and becomes the first Irish woman to win an Olympic Gold medal 1998 - Near the scene of the explosion, US President Bill Clinton and British Premier Tony Blair unveil a plaque in memory of the Omagh bombing victims 1998 - New Garda powers come into force which open the way for a clampdown on hardline extremists 2000 - Dom Columba Marmion, a Dublin priest who is credited with curing an American woman of cancer, is beatified by Pope John Paul IIIn the liturgical calendar, it is the feast day of St. MacNis, baptised by St. Patrick, and later consecrated Bishop by the Saint
Sources:
Web site: Irish Culture and Customs at http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/02Hist/8August3.html. The Celtic League. This organization publishes the annual Celtic Calendar. To order your own copy, visit: The Celtic League. Irish Abroad. Somewhat sporadic, but they often highlight an important date in Irish history. To visit, please click: Irish Abroad. The Wild geese. They update Irish history weekly. To visit their keydates page, please click: The Wild Geese.
Bear's team is plotting their strategy - editor's note #1 - make pants mandatory next year!
Jim Carr holding everything up on the first hole looking for a sandwich, a beer and someone to play with - editor's note #2 - re-read editor's note #1.Prospective new member Ed Blank is puzzled because he thought Bill Carr told him that one of the requirements of membership was that you had to be clean-shaven. Psyche!
I'm sorry Mickey, but old, short, portly bald people need to pay their taxes too!
Let's go people. The sooner you eat, get your prizes and leave the quicker I can get this megaphone back home before my wife notices that it's missing!
Don't these people have homes? Hey, I'll give you a free 6-pack of beer right now if you'll all just leave! Another great tournament! Many thanks to Bill Delaney and all of the golf committee members for their tireless dedication, sponsors and golfers for helping us raise much needed funds to continue to do our good works!
Had a little blogger issue earlier this week - sorry - enjoy - see special historical moment on August 25!
August 21 1791 - Birth of the word ‘quiz’ (allegedly and disputed). Richard Daly, a theatre proprietor in Dublin, makes a bet that within 48 hours he can introduce a new word into the English language. After the evening performance, Mr. Daly distributes cards to all the staff with the word written on it, and instructs them to write it on walls all over the city. Thus ‘quiz’ enters the language 1861 - Birth in Belfast of Frederick Crawford, militant unionist and organizer of Larne gun-running 1855 - Last ever Donnybrook Fair, held in Dublin since 1204. The general uproar of the annual event results in its suspension 1879 - A Vision of the Virgin Mary is witnessed by 15 villagers in Knock, Co. Mayo 1882 - Birth in Gloucester of Arthur Luce, a professor of philosophy and fellow of Trinity College in Dublin for 65 years 1911 - Irish Women's Suffrage Federation is formed 1920 - Birth in Belfast of Rinty Monaghan, world flyweight boxing champion 1970 - The Social Democratic and Labour Party is founded with Gerry Fitt as leader 1978 - RTÉ broadcasts Eddie Macken on Boomerang winning the Aga Khan trophy 1982 - Bono marries his high-school sweetheart Alison Stewart at a ceremony in Raheny, Dublin 1983 - A train from Tralee failed near Cherryville Junction and was run into from the rear by a train from Galway. Seven passengers die in the crash and and another passenger later dies from their injuries 1998 - A salmonella alert is issued following the deaths of five elderly people in two separate outbreaks at a hospital and home for the aged in Co. Galway 2000 - Two men are shot dead in broad daylight as an all-out war erupts between rival loyalist terror gangs in Belfast 2000 - The Catholic hierarchy confirms it is actively considering allowing lay people to be ordained deacons in a bid to cope with the shortage of priests 2001 - Sinn Féin warns British prime minister Tony Blair he should take note of a poll which found the vast majority of British people believe the North should no longer be part of Britain 2001 - Unionists withhold their endorsement of the Government's new implementation plan for future policing arrangements in Northern Ireland 2002 - Celestica Electronics sheds half of its workforce of 500 at Swords, Co Dublin. August 22 1791 - Theobald Wolfe Tone publishes "An argument on behalf of the Catholics of Ireland" 1798 - A French force of 1,019 men under General Humbert lands at Killala, Co. Mayo 1846 - John Keegan Casey, Fenian, poet and writer of "Rising of the Moon" is born near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath 1850 - First Catholic Synod in Ireland since the Middle Ages in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Paul Cullen summons the synod which runs from this date through September 10 1881 - Second Gladstone Land Act introduces the 'three Fs' - fair rent, fixity of tenure, free sale - and sets up the Land Commission 1889 - Birth in Belfast of Seán McEntee, Fianna Fáil politician 1918 - Dublin-born WWI ace Dennis Latimer shot down. A Bristol Fighter pilot and the highest scoring ace in 20 Squadron, Latimer shot down 28 enemy aircraft between March and August of 1918. On this date, he and his observer, Lieutenant T.C. Noel, were shot down near Westroosebeke by a member of Jasta 7. Latimer was captured, Noel was killed 1922 - Michael Collins is assassinated. On the last day of his life, he set out from Cork in a convoy that passed through Bandon, Clonakilty, and Rosscarbery on its way to Skibbereen. He stopped at Woodfield, and there in the Four Walls, the pub situated across the road from the house where his mother had been born, he stood his family and escort to the local brew - Clonakilty Wrastler. On the return trip they again passed through Bandon. Michael Collins had only twenty minutes more to live. Around eight o'clock, his convoy was ambushed at a place known as Beal na mBláth - the mouth of flowers. Only one man was killed--Michael Collins. It is thought that Irregulars did the shooting, but some say that it might have been his own men. To this day, there is controversy about what actually happened 1933 - The National Guard is banned 1954 - Birth of Jimmy Barry Murphy, hurler and Gaelic footballer, in Cork 1966 - The Munster & Leinster, Provincial and Royal Banks merge to form Allied Irish Banks 1977 - Cardinal Tomas Ó Fiaich becomes the 112th successor to St. Patrick as Primate of All Ireland 1998 - The republican splinter group INLA calls for a total and unconditional ceasefire and says it has instructed all units to desist from the "armed struggle" 1999 - Yann Reynard Goulet - "The Fox" - Breton patriot and Irish Republican dies in Ireland 2000 - Prominent loyalist Johnny ‘‘Mad Dog’’ Adair is sent back to prison after Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson suspends his early release licence 2002 - Caroline Corr, drummer with Irish pop band The Corrs, marries Frank Woods on the Spanish island of Mallorca 2002 - U2's "Elevation 2001: Live From Boston" picks up the "Best Music Release DVD" award at the 5th DVD Awards in Hollywood. August 23 1170 - Strongbow, a henchman of Henry II, arrives in Waterford at the behest of Dermot McMurrough, an event described in the Annals of Ulster as “the beginning of the woes of Ireland” 1742 - Birth of Walter Hussey (Burgh), lawyer, politician and orator 1798 - Frenchman General Humbert proclaims at Ballina, Co. Mayo, “Union, liberty, the Irish Republic” 1887 - The Land Act gives courts the power to revise and fix rents 1908 - Birth in Dublin of Mervyn Wall, writer who wrote under the pseudonym of Eugene Welply 1912 - Birth of Irish American actor Gene Kelly 1920 - Violent clashes in Belfast; 30 people are killed between August 23 and August 31; Catholics are expelled from shipyards and engineering works 1953 - Birth of John Rocha, fashion designer, based mainly in Dublin since the late seventies 1972 - Lord Killanin becomes the first Irish president of the International Olympic Committee 1995 - RTÉ reports on the closure of the Irish Press newspaper 1998 - A memorial service for the victims of the Omagh bombing is held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin and attended by many dignitaries including President Mary McAleese 1999 - Dublin Bus opens the controversial Stillorgan Quality Bus Corridor and triples travelling time for city bound motorists 1999 - Bus Éireann announces a luxury Expressway coach hourly daily service from Limerick to Dublin 2001 - An Bord Pleanála grants permission to build a four-lane bridge between Macken Street and Guild Street in Dublin In the liturgical calendar, it is the feast day of St. Eogan. August 24 1210 - King John sails from Dublin for England. He had landed at Waterford in June and campaigned in Leinster; after a short siege, he captures Carrickfergus, where the de Lacys have made a stand. On 28 July he captures William de Braose and confiscates his lands. Hugh and Walter de Lacy, lords of Ulster and Meath, forfeit their lands but escape to Scotland. John has defeated the hostile Norman magnates and has established relations with various Irish kings. Cathal Crovderg O'Connor, king of Connacht, has fought in John's army but then quarrelled with him - O'Connor offered his son Aedh to John as a hostage, but Aedh's mother refused to allow this. The dispute is later resolved 1747 - Birth in Dublin of William La Touche, founder of the Bank of Ireland 1798 - Generals' Cornwallis and Lake leave Dublin. Lake travels fast by road with a small force. Cornwallis travels with the main force down the Grand Canal 1803 - James Napper Tandy, Irish patriot, dies in exile in France. Originally a small tradesman in Dublin, he gained attention by his attacks on municipal corruption and his proposal to boycott English goods as a reprisal for the restrictions placed on Irish commerce. He joined the Irish volunteer army and he aided Theodore Wolfe Tone in founding the Dublin branch of the United Irish Society. When faced with a sedition charge in 1793, Tandy fled to the United States and then to France,where he was given the title of general. In 1798, he landed in Ireland, but when he discovered that the French expedition of General Humbert to aid the Irish rebellion had failed, he fled to Hamburg, where he was arrested. He was returned to Ireland, sentenced to execution, but reprieved through French influence. His fame is perpetuated in the Irish ballad “The Wearing of the Green” 1962 - Death of Agnew McMaster, the last of the touring actor-managers who presented Shakespeare’s plays throughout rural Ireland 1968 - The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marches from Coalisland to Dungannon in Co. Tyrone in one of the first large-scale marches of the six-county civil rights movement 1990 - Brian Keenan is released on 24 August, having spent 52 months as a hostage in Beirut 1998 - Shops re-open in Omagh; among the shops to open was Wattersons, which lost three members of staff, and the Oxfam shop, whose two teenager volunteers were also killed 1998 - Eight Navy divers are injured during an air-sea rescue display. The men who are all members of the Navy Diving Team were taking part in a demonstration by the Defence Forces as part of the Tall Ships festival in Dublin 1999 - Waterford Crystal is chosen to usher in the millennium in the city of New York with a gigantic cut glass Star of Hope ball. The component parts of the six foot diameter sphere, made of 572 crystal panels each consisting of five diamond shapes, will be assembled in New York. It is planned to hang 22 stories high over Manhattan and be lowered down a 77ft high flagpole in time for the stroke of midnight 2000 - Additional troops are ordered onto the streets of Belfast night as fears grow for the fragile peace process 2001 - Bono's father, Bob, is laid to rest at Old Balgriffin Cemetary in Co. Dublin. August 25 A Really, Really, Long Time Ago - AOH 32's Very Own and One of Heidleberg, PA's Finest Denny Donnelly Was Born 1170 - Richard de Clare (Strongbow) marries MacMurrough's daughter Aoife, as part of an agreement made two years earlier 1645 - Edward Worcester, Earl of Glamorgan; aristocrat and inventor, is sent to Ireland to raise troops for the king, and makes two secret treaties with the confederates on this date and on 20 December 1764 - James Hope, a member of the United Irishman, is born in Templepatrick, Co. Antrim 1769 - Henry Flood, MP for Callan, kills James Agar, MP for Tulsk, in a duel. The Flood and Agar families had disputed the representation of Callan for many years 1798 - Humbert takes Ballina after token resistance by Government forces 1803 - The British capture Robert Emmet 1863 - Eugene O'Growney, priest and Irish-language revivalist, is born in Ballyfallon, Co. Meath 1865 - Robert Lloyd Praeger, botanist and writer, is born in Holywood, Co. Down 1882 - Birth of Sean Ó Ceallaigh, Ireland’s second president 1921 - Birth in Belfast of Brian Moore who is best known for his novel "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" 1958 - The first Rose of Tralee festival is held 1986 - ‘Hurricane Charlie’ hits Ireland and the heaviest rain-fall over a 24 hour period is recorded — 10.63 inches at Kippure Mountain, Co. Wicklow 1998 - British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, arrives in the North to announce a security crackdown in the wake of the Omagh bombing 1998 - An armada of tall ships from around the world sails away from Dublin, ending a five-day visit 2001 - U2 brings the Elevation Tour to Slane Castle north of Dublin, site of the annual Slane Festival since 1981. It's U2's first performance at Slane since that first festival 20 years ago, when they were on the support bill for Thin Lizzy. August 26 1725 - Five Dublin children receive the first recorded smallpox innoculations in Ireland 1798 - Humber leaves Ballina bound for Castlebar. He takes an indirect route through the mountains 1904 - Lord Dunraven forms the Irish Reform Association to campaign for some devolution; the following December, unionists form a United Unionist Council to resist Dunraven's plan 1913 - Also known as "The Great Dublin Lockout", the Dublin Transport Strike, led by Jim Larkin and James Connolly, begins 1921 - Re-election of Éamon de Valera President of Dáil Éireann. He is proposed and seconded by Commandant Sean MacEoin and General Richard Mulcahy — both of whom later line up against him in the Civil War 1940 - German aircraft bomb a creamery at Campile, Co. Wexford; three women are killed 1997 - U2 plays at the Botanical Gardens in Belfast. It is the band's first show in Belfast in 10 years 1998 - British Prime Minister, Tony Blair meets with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo. They join forces to fight terrorism and discuss laws which will be introduced in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing 2002 - Roy Keane’s journey from unemployed potato picker in Cork to multi-millionaire player on the world stage is related in his book "Keane - The Autobiography" which is released on this date. August 27 1695 - The second Irish parliament of William III is called in Dublin; Robert Rochfort is unanimously elected Speaker 1798 - Humbert appears outside Castlebar. The Government forces are deployed to cover the direct route and Humbert unexpectedly appears on their flank. Humbert attacks. French advance causes Militia to run. Government defence collapses and Humbert takes the town. Cornwallis reaches Tullamore. Rebels assemble on Rebel hill, near Baileborough, Co Cavan 1870 - The Oceanic, a liner built in Belfast by Harland and Wolff for the White Star Line, is launched 1908 - Birth of Niall Ó Dónaill, Irish-language scholar and lexicographer, in the Rosses, Co. Donegal 1920 - Birth of James Molyneaux, Ulster Unionist Party leader 1928 - The Galway Gaelic Theatre - afterwards called the Taibhdheare Theatre - opens with Micheál Mac Liammóir's production of Diarmuid agus Gráinne 1937 - The first traffic lights in the Free State are installed at the junction of Merrion Square and Clare Street 1979 - Assassination of Lord Louis Mountbatten off the coast of Co. Sligo 1982 - The official police death count of the Troubles reaches 3,000 on this date with the killing of Hugh McKibbin in Belfast 1999 - On their first official overseas visit, Prince Edward and his new bride Sophie Rhys Jones arrive at Dublin Castle for the opening of the Millennium Gold Encounter. A total of 77 young people from 25 countries who have won their nation’s equivalent of the Gaisce award will attend the conference. Prince Edward is the chairperson the International Awards Association 2000 - A former member of British military intelligence reveals that weapons used by loyalist gangs who rampaged through Belfast's Shankill district the previous week were provided by British intelligence as part of a plan to defeat the IRA 2001 - Opponents claim that the introduction of tolls on the planned Kinnegad-Enfield-Kilcock motorway will cost commuters to Dublin an extra £20 a week; they outline their objections at an oral inquiry in Mullingar to plans by the National Road Authority to charge car users £1.65 to use the new 35 kilometre road 2001 - The newly restored century-old trading schooner, Kathleen & May arrives in Youghal after a 24-hour historic voyage from England to Ireland 2002 - Roy Keane's autobiography breaks the record for first day sales of a hardback book in Ireland. Sources: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/02Hist/8August3.html The Celtic League. This organization publishes the annual Celtic Calendar. To order your own copy, visit: The Celtic League. Irish Abroad. Somewhat sporadic, but they often highlight an important date in Irish history. To visit, please click: Irish Abroad. The Wild geese. They update Irish history weekly. To visit their keydates page, please click: The Wild Geese.
Going forward until either you and/or I get bored - hah - I thought an interesting thing to add to this AOH & Irish blog would be to add a "This Week in Irish History" feature which will be posted on every Sunday or Monday depending on my personal "satisfaction level" of weekend entertainment. The good works of the "Year of Remembrance" Committee spurred my enthusiasm of this initiative. Our weeks will start Mondays. Let me know what you think. And, if you have any other content ideas for this blog, please let me know and post away.
Here's my first volley at the week ahead. Enjoy.
August 14 1598 - Hugh O'Neill defeats the English at the Battle of Yellow Ford 1778 - Gardiner's Catholic Relief Act is enacted and grants rights of leasing and inheritance to those who have taken the oath of allegiance: the first rolling back of the penal laws 1784 - Nathaniel Hone, painter and member of the Royal Academy at the time of its founding in 1768, dies 1814 - Mary O'Connell is born in Co. Limerick. Known as Sister Anthony, she serves in the American Civil War as a nurse 1850 - The Irish Franchise Act is enacted and has the effect of increasing the electorate from 45,000 to 164,000 1903 - The Land Purchase Act (Wyndham Act) is enacted and allows for entire estates to be purchased by the occupying tenantry, subsidized by the state 1907 - H. Montgomery Hyde, author and unionist MP, is born in Belfast 1968 - Golfer Darren Clark is born in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone 1969 - First deployment of British troops in Northern Ireland 1992 - Boxer Michael Carruth wins an Olympic Gold medal in Barcelona 1998 - The Family Mediation Service, which enables separating couples to reach agreement on a range of issues relating to their break-up, is to be expanded nationwide 1998 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern pledges that the Stormont Agreement relating to the release of prisoners convicted of killing gardaí has to be honoured by the Government 1998 - "The Sovereign Nation", a publication of the 32-County Sovereignty Movement is launched in Dundalk 2000 - The Irish Locomotive Driver's Association rejects a bid to end the two-month-old rail dispute 2001 - Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid strongly criticizes the IRA after they withdraw a plan to put their weapons beyond use 2002 - Emer McGrath from Ballynew in Ballinrobe on the Mayo/Galway border becomes the country’s top student with eight Leaving Certificate A1s and one A2.
August 15 1649 - Oliver Cromwell arrives in Ireland as Commander-in-Chief and Lord Lieutenant with an army of 20,000, a huge artillery train and a large navy 1715 - On this date, Frederick Hamilton, former MP for Donegal, writes to George I that although the county is well affected, 'The great scarcity of armes in ye country is beyond anything I could have imagin'd till about three days ago that I had occasion to send some men after seven Tories that were hunted out of Fermanagh, & in the barony of Kilmakrenan, I could not get thirty men tolerably armed tho' I believe the country will be able to array seven thousand men' 1755 - Molesworth Phillips, sailor and companion of Captain James Cook, is born in Swords, Co. Dublin 1803 - Edmund Rice opens a school for poor boys in Waterford - precursor of the schools run by the Christian Brothers 1843 - Daniel O'Connell holds meetings for Repeal of the Union, attended by hundreds of thousands, at Trim and the Hill of Tara 1880 - Five people drown in Derrybeg, Co. Donegal when a chapel is flooded during Mass 1882 - Unveiling of O’Connell monument in Dublin 1919 - Birth of Benedict Kiely, novelist, short story-writer and critic, in Dromore, Co. Down 1917 - Birth of Jack Lynch, Taoiseach, in Co. Cork 1998 - Massive bomb explodes in Omagh shopping center; 29 people are killed and hundreds injured 1999 - The Portmarnock Hotel in Dublin wins the Powers World Irish Coffee Making Championship for the second successive year 1999 - Mobs in Derry attack police, loot businesses and torch buildings 1999 - Founder member of the SDLP, Paddy Devlin, dies in Belfast’s Mater Hospital after a long illness.In the liturgical calendar, today is the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is also the feast day of St. Daga, 6th century Bishop of Iniskin, Dundalk.
August 16 1793 - The Convention Act bans representative bodies set up to campaign for a change in the law, i.e. putative rivals to the parliament 1832 - An Act is passed which allows for tithe payments to be commuted 1878 - The Intermediate Education Act grants female students the right to participate in public examinations and to enter into careers and professions 1879 - National Land League of Mayo is founded 1882 - Charles Stewart Parnell becomes a Freeman of the city of Dublin 1892 - National Literary Society is founded1920 - Court-martial of Terence MacSwiney, Irish Volunteer and Lord Mayor of Cork 1921 - The first Dáil Éireann is dissolved and the second Dáil convenes 1981 - U2 plays its first show ever at Slane Castle outside Dublin, and its only Irish show of the year 1982 - Malcolm McArthur, who is wanted for the murder of a nurse named Bridie Gargan, is found in the flat of the Attorney General, Patrick Connolly; Mr Connolly resigns on this date 1995 - More than 100 people are evacuated from The Kitchen, the basement nightclub below the Clarence Hotel in Dublin after a fire is spotted on the roof. No injuries or fatalities are reported 1997 - On the 20th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, U2's PopMart show in Vienna, Austria is filled with tributes and references to the King 2001 - Dozens of wild birds, including swans, mallard and moorhens are rounded up by animal welfare workers after a major oil spill in the River Liffey at Palmerstown in Co. Dublin.
August 17 1779 - William Corbet, United Irishman and soldier, is born in Ballythomas, Co. Cork 1786 - Birth of Davy Crockett, American frontiersman and son of an Irishman 1791 - Birth of Richard Lalor Sheil, dramatist and politician; first Catholic privy councillor, in Drumdowney, Co. Kilkenny 1846 - Lord John Russell's Whig administration decides not to interfere with internal or export markets for food 1878 - Birth of Oliver St. John Gogarty, writer, and the model for the ‘stately, plump Buck Mulligan’ in Joyce’s "Ulysses" 1922 - RIC is disbanded to be replaced by the Garda Síochána 1978 - Thousands gather in Carnsore Point to protest against nuclear power 1999 - Mandate, the largest union representing bar and retail workers, demands the Millennium New Year’s Eve off for their workers 1999 - Emir Holohan Doyle is crowned Miss Ireland 1999 - Junior doctors threaten a period of industrial action throughout the country 2000 - The last RUC passing out parade takes place in Belfast before the force’s controversial name change to the Police Service of Northern IrelandPhoto credit: Paul Faith 2000 - President Mary McAleese leads mourners at the funeral of former Fine Gael Minister John Boland in St Patrick’s Church, Skerries, Co. Dublin 2000 - Beo 2000, the inaugural festival of Irish traditional music, takes place at the National Concert Hall in Dublin 2001 - General SemiConductor announces that its plant in Macroom, Co. Cork will close; 670 jobs are lost.
August 18 1579 - Death of James Fitzgerald, rebel leader 1728 - James Caulfeild, 4th Viscount and 1st Earl of Charlemont; soldier and nationalist, is born in Dublin 1814 - Birth of David Moriarty, Catholic Bishop of Kerry and opponent of nationalism, in Kilcarah, Co. Kerry 1961 - Death of playwright, humorist and writer Lynn Doyle 1986 - Chris de Burgh reaches no. 1 in British and Irish charts with Lady In Red 2000 - Guinness agrees to suspend the closure of its Dundalk plant and plans to axe 90 jobs at the Harp Brewery 2000 - Thousands flock to Kilrush in Co. Clare for the 40th anniversary of Ireland's only concertina-based festival which is held every year in memory of Elizabeth Crotty 2002 - In a bid to redress the huge population imbalance, it is announced that the Government is to scrap tough planning laws banning the building of single houses in rural Ireland.
August 19 1504 - After Ulick Burke of Clanricard seizes Galway city, Edward Fitzgerald, the Earl of Kildare, goes to Connacht and defeats Burke at Knockdoe. This is the largest battle ever fought between Irishmen, with 10,000 participants and 2,000 fatalities; however, most of the fighting is done by gall óglach - foreign warriors - or gallowglas. As a reward, Fitzgerald is made a Knight of the Garter 1792 - Edward Hincks, orientalist, is born in Cork 1839 - Act passed for the "improvement of navigation on the Shannon" 1876 - The ship Catalpa arrives in U.S. with Irish Fenian prisoners rescued from Australia 1887 - Birth of poet Francis Ledwidge in Slane, Co. Meath 1995 - After 26 years of shows by some of Ireland's top artists, Dublin's Baggot Inn hosts its final live concert performance 1998 - David Trimble demands that the British government introduce anti-terrorist laws equal to those planned by the Republic 1998 - Sonia O'Sullivan wins the 10,000m at the European championships in Budapest 1999 - The Connemara Pony Fair in Clifden- the west of Ireland's most prestigious horse festival - is marred by brawls between two traveller groups. The violence is a result of a long running feud between the McDonagh and Ward families 2001 - The remains of Aer Lingus chairman Bernie Cahill, who is believed to have drowned after an accident while attending his boat, are received by Rev. Fr. Michael Nolan at St. Mary's Church in Schull.
August 20 1778 - Birth of Bernardo O'Higgins, of Co. Meath origins, first Chilean head of state 1798 - Richard R. Madden - writer, historian, traveller and abolitionist - is born in Dublin 1818 - Birth in Dublin of scientist and Alpine traveller, John Ball 1860 - An expedition led by Robert O'Hara Burke, an Irish policeman, leaves Melbourne with the intention of making the first European crossing of Australia. They will make the crossing, but Burke and fellow-explorer, William Wills, will die on the return journey 1872 - Sectarian rioting in Belfast which began on August 15 continues through this date 1876 - The Irish Republican Brotherhood Supreme Council withdraws its support from the Home Rule movement 1880 - Death of Ellen Kean, one of the greatest actresses of her time 1919 - The Irish Republican Army is established by the Dail Eireann 1927 - The Currency Act establishes a separate currency for the Irish Free State 1951 - Birth of Thin Lizzy lead singer, Phil Lynott 1979 - Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats reach no. 1 in the British charts with I Don’t Like Mondays 1981 - Twenty-seven-year-old Michael "Mickey" Devine, from the Creggan in Derry dies on the 60th day of his hunger strike. He was the third INLA Volunteer to join the H-Block hunger strikers and he was the last of the group to give their lives in order to retain their status as political prisoners. 1999 - The main square in Tralee rocks to the Grand Old Man of Soul, James Brown, as the 41st International Rose Ball kicks off in the new Festival Dome2000 - Teenage heartthrobs, Westlife, make their first appearance in Tralee. More than ten thousand fans attend the free, open air concert 2002 - Postal deliveries in small communities across the country are delayed again on the second day of industrial action by members of the Irish Postmasters Union.
Last week's memorable radio broadcast on AM Newstalk 1360AM WPTT featuring AOH 32's very own Mickey Abbott, Dennis Murphy and Bill Carr begs the question, "Shouldn't we all finally accept the fact that there must be a height requirement and age limit for our membership?"
Bill Carr who is mysteriously absent from these photos may have an opinion. Heck, even esteemed journalist Ed Blank - our good friend and future AOH32 member - had the good sense to have his picture above muted for fear of having hard evidence that he was responsible for taking a precious hour out of his listeners' lives that they can never, ever retrieve!
Like I said last week, Ed had the good sense to recognize that our lads had the perfect faces for radio. And, the pictures above sure do support his case.
Seriously, Mick, Murph and Bill did great and represented our Division and the Order well! Many, many thanks to Ed for opening the door to us too!
Note: Yes, the board operator seen through the window was a little nauseated and listening to another station!
P.S.: Your comments - as long as they agree with mine - are always welcome!
On Sunday, August 13, 2006, the Pittsburgh Irish "Year of Remembrance Committee," comprised of members from several Irish-American organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh Irish Community, will be presenting a program named "The 25th Anniversary of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike Commemoration."
The event will consist of a Mass at 3:00 p.m. at Old St. Patrick’s Church (corner of 17th Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh's Strip District) followed by a procession up Spring Way led by our very own John Walsh of AOH Division 32, who will pipe us while marchers carry a tricolor flag-draped coffin and photos of the men we are remembering.
The procession will take us to the Fire House Lounge on Penn Avenue, where there will be a program with readers who will introduce background information on the ten men who died on 1981 Irish Hunger Strike, and the circumstances that led to this ultimate protest. Sean McClorey will provide accompanying music and poetry.
We expect to draw an audience from all segments of the Pittsburgh Irish Community plus others who are interested in Irish history. Much like the commemoration event that the committee hosted for the Easter Rising commemoration, we hope this event has a lasting impact on you as well as provide for an educational experience on our Irish history.
Due to the generosity of many AOH Divisions and Boards, the Irish American Unity Conference, the Knights of Equity, and the Daughters of Erin, Admission is FREE. Also, food and drink will be available for purchase from the Fire House Lounge.
Please come and join us in this historic commemoration.
Ed Blank, the movie critic for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and future member of AOH 32 (initiation to take place in September), is the guest host for the Doug Hoerth show this Friday, August 4, on AM Newstalk 1360 - WPTT on the dial, for three hours, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Ed has invited Dennis Murphy, Mickey Abbott, and Bill Carr to join him for the 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. hour to discuss the AOH. This is really a golden opportunity to get some publicity for the order.
Many thanks to Ed for being the pro that he is and for recognizing that Mickey, Bill and Murph have the perfect faces for radio!
Let's go people. The sooner you eat, get your prizes and leave the quicker I can get this megaphone back home before my wife notices that it's missing!
