From February 22 - 24, a group of Hibernians attended a retreat at St. Paul's in Carnegie. Thanks to those who attended and who helped organize the event such as Mickey Abbott, Ed Blank, Pat McCann, Bill Delaney, Bernie Donnelly, Denny Maher, Tim Trant, Brian Walsh and Pat Walsh among others.
John James McEvoy - 2008 St. Patrick's Parade Grand Marshal
John James McEvoy, one of Allegheny County's most dedicated Hibernians, will be Grand Marshal of the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Parade March 15 in Pittsburgh.
The honor was voted upon by a majority of the directors of the Irish Society for Education and Charity, Inc. of Pittsburgh, parent organization of the parade committee, according to Jim Green, parade chairman, former president of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. and current vice president of the Allegheny County A.O.H.
The selection of McEvoy was announced at a meeting of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee Feb. 5.
McEvoy, who will turn 82 on March 29, is a native of Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes. He has been a Hibernian for three decades. He was the 1995 Allegheny County Hibernian of the Year and was granted the honor of "life membership" by the A.O.H. national board in 2006.
His formal education included his study of electrical engineering at Allegheny Technical Institute and Pennsylvania State University and mechanical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh before getting his degree in business administration and technical writing at Carnegie Mellon University.
McEvoy joined Hagan Chemicals & Controls, Inc., in 1942 but interrupted his civilian work to join the U.S. Army Air Corps (1943-45) and its Aviation Cadet Program.
After the war, he returned to Hagan, which was spun off to Westinghouse Electric Corp. in 1967 and from which he retired after 43 years in 1985.
In 1951 he married the former Catherine (Kay) Obeldobel, by whom he had a daughter and three sons.
His many activities in the early years included chairing Westinghouse family picnics and Christmas parties for 30 years and being a scoutmaster.
Within the A.O.H., he's Financial Secretary of Division 9, Recording Secretary of Allegheny County, Secretary of the St. Patrick's Day Parade committee, Sentinel of the Pennsylvania A.O.H. State Board and a Director on the Board of the Irish Society of Education & Charities, Inc.
After a long 9 weeks, and 11 years after he left Ireland, Joe Byrne arrived back in Dundalk this morning. He went straight to the courthouse where he was put under house arrest until Wednesday, when he will return for his bail hearing. When you take into consideration everything that Joe and his family has been through for the past 18 months, I take this to be good news.
We will be following this case very closely and Congressman Engel has asked our Ambassador in Ireland to keep an eye on this case as well. The Irish Civil Liberties, Michael Finucane in particular, will also watch over Joe’s case.
On behalf of Joe, Eileen and Mairead Byrne, I once again would like to thank all who wrote, sent e-mails and made phone calls to try and stop this extradition. While we came up short on the extradition, we know that the nobility of the Irish character is to be never broken by temporary defeat but to come back stronger and more determined than ever.
As news becomes available, I will forward the information on.
As tomorrow is March, I would like to extend to all of you a very Healthy and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day. God Bless!
All the best –
Carmel Reilly Treasury/Budget Manager Common Ground Community 505 8th Avenue 15th Floor New York, NY 10018 (212) 389-9377 (Telephone) (212) 389-9310 (Fax) creilly@commonground.org
Yesterday was a hard day for all of us Pittsburgh Irish and Non-Irish alike with the passing of legendary Pittsburgh sports broadcaster Myron Cope. Myron was a great Pittsburgher and we admired him and his passion for the city of Pittsburgh, its sports, and certainly, its fans. And, above all his creation of the famed Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel and his gift of it and its proceeds to cure Autism was saint like. You can read more about Myron and his impact on Pittsburgh by clicking through the links below.
On vacation in Europe, Murph noticed a marble column in a church in Rome with a golden telephone on it. As a young priest passed by, Murph asked who the telephone was for. The priest told him it was a direct line to Heaven, and if he’d like to call, it would be a thousand dollars. Murph was amazed, but declined the offer.
Throughout Europe, Murph kept seeing the same golden telephone on a marble column. At each, he asked about it and the answer was always the same: a direct line to Heaven and he could call for a thousand dollars.
Murph finished his tour of Europe with a stop in Ireland . He decided to attend Mass at a local village church. When he walked in the door he noticed the golden telephone, but underneath it there was a sign stating: “DIRECT LINE TO HEAVEN — 25 CENTS”
“Father,” he said, “I have been all over Europe and in all the cathedrals I visited, I’ve seen telephones exactly like this one but the price is always a thousand dollars. Why is it that this one is only 25 cents?”
February 24 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII announces the new Gregorian calendar, replacing the Julian calendar 1692 - The Treaty of Limerick is ratified by William of Orange 1780 - A British Act opens colonial trade to Irish goods 1797 - Birth in Dublin of writer, artist, musician and songwriter, Samuel Lover. To him is attributed the romantic proposal "Come live in my heart and pay no rent" 1841 - John Philip Holland, inventor and developer of the modern submarine, born in Co. Clare 1850 - Paul Cullen is consecrated Catholic archbishop of Armagh and primate of Ireland 1852 - George Moore, novelist, playwright and critic, is born in Ballyglass, Co. Mayo 1920 - Dublin Metropolitan District is placed under a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. 1948 - Birth of Dermot Earley, Roscommon Gaelic footballer and GAA administrator, in Castlebar, Co. Mayo 2000 - The Government calls for a full public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane 2000 - The North’s precarious peace process moves closer towards meltdown as Sinn Féin threatens to end their role as mediators with the IRA on decommissioning and warns of dissident republicans launching a renewed campaign of violence 2000 - A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II stolen from Edinburgh University by three inebriated Trinity College is returned 2002 - The Catholic Church and Government clash over next week's abortion referendum as a poll highlights confusion among voters. While bishops support the Government campaign for a Yes vote on the substantive issue of abortion, they question the future protection of the morning-after pill 2003 - Iarnród Éireann announces that it will not proceed with its plan to charge commuters for parking at three DART stations in Dublin.
February 25 1570 - Elizabeth I is excommunicated by Pope Pious V 1852 - Death of Thomas Moore, popular poet and editor of Irish Melodies 1891 - Edward "Ned" Daly, one of the leaders of the Easter Rising, is born in Limerick 1928 - Death of William O’Brien, architect of agrarian land reform 1934 - Ireland’s first ever World Cup match takes place in Dublin. The Irish draw with Belgium 4-4 1937 - The Imperial Airways flying boat Cambria is delivered to Shannon to begin the first trans Atlantic air service 1947 - The worst snow blizzard in living memory hits Ireland 1951 - Neil Jordan, writer and film director, is born 1952 - Joey Dunlop, motorcycle racer, is born in Armoy, Co. Antrim 1991 - Birmingham Six on verge of freedom. An announcement by the Director of Public Prosecution, Alan Green, says their convictions can no longer be considered safe and satisfactory. Hugh Callaghan, Patrick Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power and John Walker were all jailed in 1975 for an IRA attack on two pubs in Birmingham in November 1974 in which 21 people died 1998 - Security is stepped up in both Belfast and Derry amid fears the cities are targeted for a new wave of bombing attacks 2000 - The faltering peace process in the North suffer a double body blow with a bomb blast at an army base in Derry and a threat by the Progressive Unionists to withdraw support for the Good Friday Agreement 2001 - British supermarket chains draw up contingency plans to source supplies of fresh meat in Ireland if the ban on livestock transport is not lifted 2001 - It is announced that the birthplace of Daniel O’Connell, the Liberator, is for sale. The historic property at Carhan just outside Caherciveen, where O’Connell was born on August 6, 1775, is being put on the market by his descendants, a local family of O’Connells 2003 - The number of Catholics worldwide has exceeded one billion for the first time, according to figures released by the Vatican 2003 - North American Airlines and Miami Airlines, both charter troop carriers for the US military, end stopovers at Shannon because of recent security breaches 2003 - The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and the Northern Secretary Paul Murphy hold two hours of talks in Dublin. The talks centre on cross border co-operation and anti terrorist measures.
February 26 1797 - The Bank of Ireland suspends gold payments 1854 - William Smith O'Brien, leader of the 1848 rebellion, is pardoned 1962 - Due to "lack of support", the Irish Republican Army ends what it calls "The Campaign of Resistance to British Occupation"; which is also known as the 'Border Campaign' 1978 - Film critic Ciaran Carty hails the Irish language film Poitín for its deromanticization of the west 1983 -Irishman Pat Jennings becomes the first footballer to play in 1,000 Football League matches 1998 - During talks at Downing Street, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern launches a bid to persuade British Prime Minister Tony Blair to sign up to an Anglo-Irish paper which would lay out the details of a final Northern Ireland peace settlement 1998 - An army recruitment programme to bolster the defence forces with 500 new members is officially launched with a commitment made to keep staffing levels at 11,500 by the end of 1998 1999 - During talks in Bonn, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair agree to push for implementation of the Good Friday peace deal by the March 10 deadline 2001 - The Government imposes a temporary ban on the country’s 120 livestock marts as the devastating foot and mouth disease spreads in Britain. Strict procedures are also implemented in airports around Ireland to keep the disease out of the country 2001 - Blizzards, gale force winds and driving hail sweep the country, leaving many householders without electricity or heat.
February 27 1495 - Garret More Fitzgerald, Eighth Earl of Kildare, is arrested in Dublin by Sir Edward Poynings, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1760 - François Thurot holds the castle and the town of Carrickfergus until this date 1792 - The Irish House of Commons is partly destroyed by fire 1841 - William Bruce, Sr., the last surviving member of the Ulster Volunteer convention of 1783, a group that fostered efforts towards reform, dies 1907 - Coslett Quin, clergyman, scholar and linguist, is born in Derriaghy, Co. Antrim 1975 - Scotland Yard announces that the man who shot dead a police officer in London on February 26 had been staying in a flat used as a "bomb factory" by the Provisional IRA 1997 - After a contentious court battle contesting the referendum, the new divorce law in the Republic is enacted 1998 - A recruitment programme to bolster the defence forces with 500 new members officially launched with a commitment made to keep staffing levels at 11,500 by the end of 1998 2000 - President Mary McAleese and former Taoiseach Charles Haughey are among the many people to pay tribute at the funeral of North Kerry Fianna Fáil TD and former minister, Tom McEllistrim 2001 - In an effort to help prevent the spread of hoof and mouth disease, the Six Nations match between Wales and Ireland is cancelled and the Government has asked the Irish racing industry not to participate in the Cheltenham racing festival this year. All horseracing, including point to point events, and all greyhound meets are also cancelled until further notice 2001 - Blizzard conditions bring parts of Leinster to a standstill; all flights are cancelled at Dublin Airport and many roads are left impassable after heavy falls of snow Photo Credit: Charlie Collins 2002 - Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visits University College Cork where he is confronted by more than 400 angry students protesting his presence 2003 - The funeral of former chief justice and government minister Tom O’Higgins takes place at St Patrick’s Church in Monkstown, Dublin 2003 - The European Commission confirms that new cars cost, on average, are 10% more in Ireland than the lowest pre-tax prices recommended by manufacturers in other eurozone markets.
February 28 1713 - Henry Pyne, MP for Dungarvan, aged about 24 and the father of three children, is killed in a duel with Theophilus Biddulph at Chelsea Fields, London; Biddulph will later be convicted of manslaughter 1790 - The Northern Whig Club is founded in Belfast 1799 - William Dargan, railway engineer and philanthropist, is born in Carlow 1830 - Whitley Stokes, jurist and Celtic scholar, is born in Dublin 1884 - Seán MacDiarmada, revolutionary, is born in Kiltycolgher, Co. Leitrim 1929 - Poet John Montague, best known for his volume, The Rough Field, is born 1933 - Birth of Noel Cantwell, captain of Manchester United and Irish international 1938 - Alice Taylor, writer, is born near Newmarket, Co. Cork 1944 - John O'Shea, journalist, charity worker and founder of GOAL, is born in Limerick 1955 - Premiere of Sean O’Casey’s play The Bishop’s Bonfire in Dublin 1961 - Birth in Clones, Co. Monaghan of Barry McGuigan, "the Clones Cyclone", world featherweight boxing champion (WBA) 1985-86 1973 - General election in the Republic leads to a Fine Gael-Labour coalition government; Liam Cosgrave becomes Taoiseach 1998 - Death of one of TV's best-loved comedy stars, Dermot Morgan, who played Father Ted in the hit Channel 4 show 1999 - Sinn Feín supporters rally in Belfast to urge an end to unionists delaying the establishment of a power-sharing executive 2001 - Economic disaster is threatened after the first case of foot and mouth disease for 60 years is confirmed in Meigh, South Armagh 2001 - Dublin Zoo and Fota Island in Cork are closed as a preventive measure designed to protect any animals that may be susceptible to foot and mouth disease 2002 - U2 and Enya lead the Irish victory celebrations at the Grammys in Los Angeles. Bono's boys scoop the best rock album title for All That You Can't Leave Behind, best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for Elevation, and best pop performance by a duo or group for Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of. Donegal singer/songwriter Enya wins best new age album for A Day Without Rain 2003 - Soldiers add razor wire to Shannon Airport’s perimeter fences as the army and gardaí brace for trouble at anti-war protest 2003 - Bono is made a knight of the French Legion - France’s highest award.
February 29 1888 - Birth of Thomas Paterson, historian and antiquarian 1948 - Dermot Weld, racehorse trainer, is born 2000 - The British and Irish governments come under fresh pressure from a range of political opinion in Northern Ireland to convene a meeting of the North’s parties to resurrect devolution 2000 - Army bomb experts recover a hand held rocket launcher in Co. Tyrone just hours after it is learned that large amounts of Semtex high explosive have been stolen from Provisional IRA hides 2000 - Hospital waiting lists soar to their highest level in more than a year 2000 - Claire McCollum,a newsreader at Downtown Radio in Newtownards, Co. Down makes headlines herself when she proposes on air to Dungannon and Ulster rugby star Alastair Clarke. Mr. Clarke said yes 2000 - After weeks of controversy over the level of troop cuts and the lack of consultation with military chiefs, the White Paper on Defence gains Cabinet approval 2000 - The plan to allow solicitors be appointed as judges in the High and Supreme courts is broadly welcomed by the Law Society 2000 - Live on Today FM, Claudette Campbell pops the question to Richard Walsh 170 feet above the city of Dublin. Together for 14 years, the childhood sweethearts are among the first to take in the spectacular view from the capital’s new observation tower. Richard accepts his sweetheart's proposal.
March 1 1703 - Birth of Philip Tisdall, politician and Attorney General noted for his lavish hospitality 1726 - Abraham Shackleton, a Quaker, opens a school at Ballitore, Co. Kildare. Edmund Burke will later be a pupil 1794 - Statutes of Dublin University amended to allow Catholics to take degrees 1848 - Augustus St. Guadens, Irish sculptor of Dublin's Parnell monument, is born 1905 - Birth of Nano Reid, painter, in Drogheda, Co. Louth 1949 - Birth in Donegal of guitarist Rory Gallagher 1953 - Birth of Martin O’Neill, international soccer star and manager of Celtic 1965 - Roger Casement's body is re-interred in Glasnevin cemetery, Dublin 1976 - "Special Category" status is removed from political prisoners in Northern Ireland 1981 - Bobby Sands begins his hunger strike at Long Kesh prison 1998 - President McAleese defends her decision to hold a reception to mark Orange Day celebrations in the face of mounting criticism from unionists 1998 - DUP councillor Nigel Dodds calls for security to be stepped up following an INLA bomb attack at a school used by Catholic and Protestant children 1999 - The heroic action of a pilot and the crew of a Channel Express cargo plane avert a major tragedy as they land the plane safely at Shannon after two propellers on their ageing aircraft disintegrated, disabling two of their four engines and leaving a deep hole in the aircraft's fuselage 2001 - Fears of a foot and mouth outbreak in Kerry are eased with confirmation from the Department of Agriculture that no animals checked on two farms near Castleisland show symptoms of the disease 2003 - According to a new global survey, Dublin is one of the safest cities in the world.
PA State AOH President One of Two Grand Marshals for Harrisburg St. Patricks Day Parade
NEWS FROM HARRISBURG...
Denny Gaw, State AOH President has been selected as one of two Grand Marshals for the 2008 Harrisburg St. Patrick's Day Parade. State LAOH President Mary Ann Lubinsky has also been selected as a Grand Marshal. Parade Day is Saturday, March 15, 2008 starting at 2:00 PM, registration from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM. Information about the Parade can be found at: www.harrisburgirishparade.com
All AOH brothers are invited and encouraged to march in the parade in honor of President Gaw's selection as a Grand Marshal. Dauphin County Division I President Patrick Cronen is coordinating AOH participation. Patrick can be reached at : 717-319-1533, or by email at: pjcronen@comcast.net
Additional information about this release or about the Parade: Rodney Owens, Vice President Harrisburg St. Patrick's Day Parade Association Chairperson - Public Relations and Media 717-512-8052 rowens53@comcast.net
-- Jim Williams, Director District III Ancient Order of Hibernians
Director Harrisburg St. Patrick's Day Parade Association
Just passing along a note from a good AOH brother.
Dia dhbh a chairde:
I have been in contact with Father Aidan Troy of Holy Cross. He has given me the privilege of selling his book, "Holy Cross A Personal Experience."
During the thirty years of troubles in the North of Ireland, only a handful of people have become symbols of true courage. Father Aidan Troy is one of these. Although he knew little of the North, within months of his arrival in 2001 in the Catholic Ardoyne community, he had witnessed one of the most disturbing incidents in the North's recent history.
Young children, going to and from Holy Cross primary school, were subjected to some of the most shameful sectarian hatred and violence. Protestors taunted the children, their parents and teachers with comments about 'Fenian whores', as well as displaying pornographic posters, throwing balloons containing urine, and even pipe bombs.
This insider account of those shocking weeks does not make for easy reading. Nor does Father Troy attempt to offer simplistic solutions, focusing instead on his un-shaking belief throughout, that the rights of children must be paramount.
You can obtain a copy of Holy Cross A Personal Experience for $10.00 plus $3.00 postage. All money goes to Father Aidan and his un-relentless work. If you're interested contact me for details.
Also, the IAUC San Francisco chapter still has out of print copies of The Writings of Bobby Sands. This book came out a week or so after Bobby Sands died on hunger strike. The book is $25.00 plus $2.00 postage.
In connection with Conway Mill, the IAUC also has the 25th National Hunger Strike Commemoration & Rally Casement Park, Belfast August 13, 2006 DVD is for sale. $20.00 plus postage. Here from the family members and friends of the Hunger Strikers.
"We don't need to do what they did but we do need to be like them. We need to be magnanimous, generous, brave and determined. We need to be strategic and this is essential, to have their confidence in ourselves and in our position."
The hunger strikers knew exactly what they were doing, why they did it and the effect their actions would have. We also, friends, know exactly what we're doing, why we are doing it and the effect our actions will have. And that's how we're going to continue to build this struggle. That's how we're going to build support for an end to British rule in our country and for a National Republic.
Kieran Doherty said it all. "Leanaigi ar aghaidh." So lat Kieran whose spirit and the spirit of all those other hero's be with us today. Let that be our message. WE face the future confident in ourselves and our ability. Leanaigi ar aghaidh, tiocfaidh ar la..." Gerry Adams. Casement Park, August 13, 2006
As we prepare to celebrate Irish-American Heritage Month in March, brother Bill Carr thought this article on Irish Immigrants in the United States would serve as a healthy reminder of the struggles our ancestors overcame to provide us with the freedoms we enjoy today.
Brother-Hibernian Jim Lamb encourages like-minded Irish and Irish-American men and women to attend a meeting to discuss "the establishment of an organization and facility celebrating Irish cultures, promoting scholarship to enhance the Pittsburgh/Ireland link and commemorating the Irish contribution to Pittsburgh."
Lamb, president of the Ireland Institute and a member of Division 32, has drafted a tentative mission and goals document establishing a new organization, subject to amendment or even discarding.
Details: Jim Lamb's office: 412-394-3900 or JLamb@iiofpitt.org. Irish Centre: 412-521-9712.
February 17 1896 - In the House of Commons. Horace Plunkett and W.E.H. Lecky, Irish Unionists, support John Redmond's plea for clemency for Irish political prisoners 1945 - Birth of actress, Brenda Fricker 1978 - An IRA incendiary bomb explodes at the La Mon entertainment complex in Comber Co. Down ; it kills 12 people and injures 30 others. The blast is the second worst since the present wave of troubles began in 1969 1980 - The Derrynaflan Chalice and other ancient silver and bronze pre-Christian antiquities are discovered in Co. Tipperary 1998 - Sinn Féin announces it will mount a legal challenge to the British Government's attempt to have them expelled from the multi -party talks 1998 - According to a nation-wide survey, "Morning Ireland" is the nation's favourite radio programme 1999 - Farmers with tractors and trailers move through the centres of 28 cities and towns during a National Day of Action to protest proposed reforms in the EU Common Agricultural Policy 1999 - EU governments gear up for an epic battle with the European Commission over the Brussels verdict to end duty free sales 2000 - Minister O’Donoghue unveils a raft of far reaching proposals for a new legislative initiative at a passing out ceremony at the Garda College in Templemore. He tells the 98 graduating recruits he has received Government approval to draft and bring a new Criminal Justice Bill before the Oireachtas 2001 - Two explosions near Newry force the closure of the rail line between Portadown and Dundalk Photo Credit: Photopress, Belfast 2003 - Supermarket giant Tesco sparks a possible price war with the opening of its first petrol filling station in Killarney, Co Kerry 2003 - The famine replica ship, the Jeanie Johnston, is forced to drop anchor close to the Valentia Island, 20 hours into her 21-day voyage to Tenerife. Strong winds also lead Aer Lingus to cancel all flights to New York.
February 18 1366 - The Statutes of Kilkenny are passed in an attempt to prevent Norman settlers becoming “more Irish than the Irish themselves” 1478 - George, Duke of Clarence, is executed for high treason in the Tower of London; according to Shakespeare, he meets his death by being drowned in a butt of malmsey wine 1948 - A coalition government takes over under Fine Gael's John Aloysius Costello 1921 - Brian Faulkner, the last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland who serves from 1971 to 1972, is born in Helen's Bay, Co. Down 1922 - Joe Carr, amateur golfer, is born in Dublin 1948 - Actress Sinead Cusack is born 1964 - Death in Blackrock of novelist Maurice Walsh, author of the original story of The Quiet Man 1978: Police in Northern Ireland arrest at least 20 people in connection with the La Mon entertainment complex explosion 1982 - General election in the Republic leads to a Fianna Fáil minority government; Haughey succeeds FitzGerald as Taoiseach 1998 - A page in Irish history is written as Sinn Féin representatives walk into the Four Courts as plaintiffs rather than defendants. One journalist says "The last time Republicans walked in the front door of this building was during the Civil War when the Irregulars occupied the place" 2000 - One of Waterford’s best loved theatrical personalities, Denny Corcoran, is announced as the 1999 winner of the Waterford Crystal WLR FM Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame Award for his lifetime contribution to theate and music in a career spanning over four decades 2000 - The bodies of four soldiers tragically killed in a car accident in Lebanon are brought to the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel 2002 - Hospitals nationwide are forced to cancel admissions, postpone surgery and close outpatient clinics as the highly-contagious winter vomiting virus spreads, striking patients and staff 2003 - Singer Bono is nominated for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize. It is the second year in a row that he has been nominated 2003 - Twelve men serving sentences in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin make Irish legal history when they become the first graduates of a new course on the very reason they’re behind bars - the law.
February 19 1904 - Birth on the Great Blasket Island of writer Muiris Ó Suilleabhain who is best known for his book, "Twenty Years A-Growing" 1939 - De Valera states his intention to preserve Irish neutrality in the event of a second world war 1987 - A general election in the Republic returns a Fianna Fáil government with Haughey as Taoiseach 1992 - US government deports Joseph Doherty, volunteer Oglaigh na hÉireann 1999 - Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh launches an ambitious bid to cushion the impact on Ireland of huge cuts in EU beef subsidies as the deadline for sweeping CAP reforms nears 1999 - Families of missing IRA murder victims plead with Sinn Féin leaders to use their influence with the IRA to find out where the dead are buried 1999 - The hearing of an application by Sinn Féin for an injunction restraining the party's expulsion from the Northern Ireland negotiations resumes at the High Court 2000 - Four peacekeepers killed in an automobile accident in Lebanon - Privates Declan Deere, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Murphy and John Lawlor - are laid to rest in their native towns 2001 - According to the latest price survey, taxes make price of Irish cars highest in the EU 2001 - A 4ft limestone rock is unveiled at the entrance to Villierstown in west Waterford which is famous for the heroic exploits and achievements of John Treacy. Weighing a massive eight and a quarter tons, the stone, which came from the nearby quarry at Cappagh, bears the surnames of all 84 families living in the village and the immediate surrounding townlands as of January 1, 2000 2003 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says a second United Nations resolution before any military action against Iraq is a political imperative. But Mr Ahern is still refusing to state whether the Government will halt the use of Shannon Airport by the US military if the Bush administration undertakes unilateral action against Saddam Hussein without UN backing.
February 20 1742 - James Gandon, architect and builder of the Customs House, the Four Courts and other Dublin buildings, is born in London 1794 - Birth near Clogher, Co. Tyrone of William Carleton, one of the most graphic writers about the Famine. He is best known for his Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry 1874 - Gladstone resigns; a Conservative administration under Disraeli takes over 1882 - Birth of Padraic Ó Conaire, writer and poet, in Galway 1892 - First performance of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan 1989 - IRA bombs Tern Hill barracks in Shropshire 1998 - In a face-to-face meeting with Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam and Foreign Affairs Minister David Andrews at Stormont, Gerry Adams is told that Sinn Féin is suspended from the peace talks for just under three weeks 1998 - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern agrees to a demand from Sinn Féin Leader Gerry Adams for a crisis meeting next week, amid mounting fears that IRA 'hawks' will attempt to scupper any chance of Sinn Féin's return to the talks 2001 - Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne confirms that eighty publicans are to be prosecuted for serving drink to underage customers 2002 - After intense speculation that the Abbey Theatre would move to the southside of the Liffey to a completely new location in the Dublin Docklands, Arts Minister Síle de Valera informs the board of the theatre that the government has decided it is to be redeveloped at its present location 2003 - New figures compiled by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) show that Ireland has the highest death rate from heart disease in Western Europe. Finland is second and Britain is third 2003 - Sinn Féin chairperson Mitchel McLoughlin claim claims that the deadlock in the Northern peace process will only be broken by St Patrick’s Day if the British Government delivers on the outstanding promises of the Good Friday Agreement 2003 - The European Commission is accused of abusing private citizens’ right by conceding to American pressure on a data protection controversy. Transatlantic airlines such as Aer Lingus will be forced to provide US authorities with the names, addresses, phone numbers, itineraries and credit card details of all passengers flying to the United States. 2007 - Market hits record 10,000. Share values in Dublin surge to a new record with investors pushing the Irish stock market index above 10,000 for the first time.
February 21 1775 - Edward Denny, MP for Tralee, commits suicide 1760 - François Thurot lands French forces at Carrickfergus in Belfast Lough, increasing English anxiety about an Irish-Catholic alliance with the French. 1822 - Birth in Dublin of Richard Southwell Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo; Viceroy and Governor-General of India 1893 - Peadar O'Donnell, revolutionary and writer, is born in Co. Donegal 1922 - The Garda Síochána na h-Eireann - Guardians of the Peace of Ireland - is founded 1999 - Seven men, including senior figures in the Real IRA. are arrested in connection with the Omagh bombing - five in the Republic and two by the RUC in the North, in a simultaneous operation 2000 - A new survey reveals that Dubliners have more disposable income than people living in other parts of Ireland 2001 - The country's multi billion pound livestock industry is on full alert for signs of foot and mouth disease after the first outbreak in Britain for twenty years is confirmed in pigs 2001 - Ronnie Drew becomes one of the first non-sportsmen to receive a Posthouse Legend in Life award 2001 - The British and Irish Governments are considering proposals for round table talks involving the Northern Ireland parties amid growing pessimism about the peace process 2001 - Desmond O'Connell becomes the first Archbishop of Dublin in over 100 years to be installed as a Cardinal. A large Irish contingent from Church and State, along with family and friends of the Cardinal attend the installation which for the first time takes place at the front of the entrance to St Peter’s Basilica 2003 - A rare political letter written by Michael Collins fetches a record price of €28,000 at an auction in James Adam showrooms on Dublin’s Stephen’s Green. Despite fierce bidding by the National Library, the letter is purchased by singer Enya’s manager Mickey Ryan who says he wants the letter to remain in Ireland.
February 22 1772 - On the first occasion of his attendance after the death of his only child (a daughter), Thomas Eyre, MP for Fore, dies in the House of Commons - 'suddenly taken with an apoplectic fit and dropt down dead in his place' 1797 -The last invasion of England: Small French force commanded by Irishman William Tate lands in Wales 1832 - The first burial takes place at Glasnevin Cemetery 1886 - At Ulster Hall in Belfast, Lord Randolph Churchill gives his destructive speech which includes the incendiary comment, "Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right." The speech instills fear of rule by Roman Catholics in Dublin and incites militant loyalists 1893 - Peadar O'Donnell, novelist, editor of the newspaper An Phoblacht (The Republic) and social reformer, is born in Co. Donegal 1900 - Birth in Cork of short story writer Sean O'Faolain 1921 - Cecil King, painter, is born in Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow 1972 - IRA bomb kills six at Aldershot barracks in Surrey, including five women and a Roman Catholic army priest; 19 people are injured and one of these victims dies later 1995 - Death at the age of 76 of Dublin man Johnny Carey, soccer international, and one of Manchester United’s great captains 1998 - Republicans take to the streets in the first of a series of demonstrations in protest at Sinn Féin's suspension from the Northern Ireland peace talks 1998 - Opposition parties are claiming the Government may have breached the Constitution by allowing planes carrying US troops to refuel at Shannon Airport over recent weeks 1998 - Neil Jordan, director of The Butcher Boy, is awarded a Silver Bear for best director at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival 1998 - Cross-border cooperation between the Irish Marine Emergency Services and the Northern Ireland Coastguard is put to the test as emergency teams from the Ambulance Service, the RUC, Irish Marine Emergency Service, the Coastal Rescue Teams and others join forces for a spectacular drill on Carlingford Lough 1998 - Criminal and security sources confirm that the man believed to have masterminded the Omagh bomb massacre has escaped the country on a false Irish passport 1999 - Labour Party TD Pat Upton dies of a massive heart attack 2001 - Authorities begin placing a massive security cordon on sea and airports and along the 300-mile border with Northern Ireland in a determined bid to prevent animals infected with foot and mouth disease from entering the country 2001 - President Mary McAleese launches the Manchester Irish Festival and a website to provide a record of Irish family histories 2001 - The British Government unveils a £12 million aid package for victims of the Troubles in Northern Ireland 2002 - A unique record of the life and times of Irish emigrant families throughout the world is launched by President Mary McAleese in Manchester. This first ever social history of emigrant activity will be set down by descendants and will detail the difficulties, frustrations and ultimate successes of ancestors in their adopted lands.
February 23 1317 - Bruce's army marches south and reaches Castleknock, within sight of Dublin. The mayor of Dublin has imprisoned the Earl of Ulster, who is suspected of being sympathetic to Bruce. The citizens of Dublin destroy some of the northern and western suburbs, to prevent Bruce from using them as a base - to the later inconvenience of the administration, as many of the buildings it uses as law courts etc. are obliterated 1649 - Giovanni Battista Rinuccini returns to Rome. Originally from Rome, he takes his doctorate in law at the University of Pisa. During the next decade he wins distinction at the ecclesiastical courts in Rome and is made Archbishop of Fermo in 1625. In 1645, Pope Innocent X sends him to Kilkenny - then the capital of Ireland - to support the Catholics with arms, money and diplomacy. His determined support of the militant anti-English faction is doomed to failure, but gains him fame and infamy in Anglo-Irish history 1713 - Nicola Hamilton, widow of Tristram Beresford MP, dies on her 47th birthday. On the day of her death, she gave a party to celebrate her 48th birthday; one of those present was the priest who had christened her. He pointed out that it was in fact her 47th birthday - she had been born in 1666, not 1665 as she had always supposed. On hearing this she turned deathly pale; she sent for her children, told them the whole story, and died later that day. The Black Mark of Lord Tyrone 1935 - Thomas Murphy, a playwright best known for his portrayal of the people in the working class rural town of Tuam, is born 1943 - Thirty -five people die in a fire at St Joseph's Orphanage, Co. Cavan 1944 - Children's allowances are introduced in the Free State 1948 - Death of John Robert Gregg, Irish inventor of the Gregg shorthand system 1965 - Roger Casement's body is returned from England to be re-interred at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin 1998 - The Sinn Féin leadership takes to the stage at a Belfast hotel rally as fears grow that the party may not re-turn to the peace talks 2000 - According to a report released by the National Roads Authority, nearly half of Irish motorists never wear a seatbelt. Men are the worst offenders, with two-thirds admitting they do not strap themselves in 2001 - Measures to prevent livestock with foot and mouth disease entering Ireland are tightened as Britain halts all internal livestock movements amid fears that the outbreak there is spreading 2001 - A major recruitment drive for the Police Service of Northern Ireland goes ahead despite the refusal of the SDLP and Sinn Féin to support the new force 2002 - It is announced that Guinness is testing a new system that will slash the waiting time for a pint of the black stuff to 30 seconds. In an effort to combat declining sales in recent years, Guinness is hoping to appeal to people not prepared to wait the 1 minute 59 seconds for the traditional pint to be poured 2003 - Daniel Day-Lewis is named Best Actor for his role in Martin Scorsese’s epic Gangs of New York, the only prize which the film takes at the British version of the Oscars.
February 1o 1844 - Daniel O'Connell is convicted of "conspiracy," fined and sentenced to 12 months in prison 1852 - William O'Brien, writer and nationalist, is born in Mallow, Co. Cork 1889 - Richard Piggott is exposed as forger of 'Times' Phoenix Park letters 1907 - Death of Dublin- born journalist, Sir William Howard Russell 1926 - Danny Blanchflower, footballer, is born in Belfast 1965 - The Lockwood Committee Report on higher education in Northern Ireland is published 1998 - It is feared that a new wave of tit-for-tat sectarian terror will hit the North after the murder of Robert Dougan, a leading loyalist, outside a textile company near Belfast 1998 - Suspected SLVF leader, Mark "Swinger" Fulton, survives a murder attempt in Portadown, Co. Armagh 1998 - Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam and Ulster Unionist security spokesman Ken Maginnis agree to bury the hatchet in their bitter personal row, which threats to overshadow the Stormont talks process 1998 - Republican and security sources in the North clash amid allegations that IRA members behind the murder of top Belfast drugs dealer Brendan Campbell and fears it could lead to Sinn Fein's expulsion from the Stormont talks 1999 - Bertie Ahern's minority Coalition suffers another blow to its stability when Fianna Fáil backbencher, Beverly Cooper-Flynn, chooses to back her father, Padraig Flynn, rather than the Government in a crucial Dáil vote 1999 - A potentional major tragedy is averted when over 100 mine-workers ar lifted to safety after a fire 1,150 feet below the ground at Tara Mines, Navan 2000 - David Trimble meets with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin Photo Credit: Maxwells/Dublin 2002 - Children from Belfast's troubled Holy Cross school arrive in Connemara for what promises to be a welcome break. The three-day holiday is a gift from the proprietor of Peacockes Hotel at Maam Cross in Galway 2003 - A dissident republican bomb attack on Enniskillen prompts calls for the British government to put on hold any plans to scale down army installations in the North.
February 11 1774 - Death of Jacob Poolem antiquary, in Growtown, Co. Wexford 1858 - The Miracle of Lourdes takes place when St Bernadette - Bernadette Soubirous - has her first vision of the Virgin Mary 1926 - Rioting greets the Abbey Theatre performance of Sean O'Casey's The Plough and the Stars because of what is viewed as anti-Irish sentiment. Yeats tells the audience 'You have disgraced yourselves again' 1992 - After Haughey's resignation as Taoiseach, he is succeeded by Albert Reynolds on this date 1998 - The mother of Stephen Restorick, the last British soldier killed in Northern Ireland, says she is "saddened" by the decision of a member of John Hume's party to boycott a memorial service in the Co. Armagh village where her son died 2000 - A new de Chastelain report on the IRA arms decommissioning impasse identifies a real prospect of agreement 2003 - Dissident republicans opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland warn of new bomb attacks.
February 12 1722 - Thomas Burgh, MP for Naas, and Richard Stewart, MP for Strabane, receive the first £2,000 of £8,000 from the Irish parliament for operating their colliery at Ballycastle, Co. Antrim 1782 - The right of habeas corpus is introduced in Ireland 1820 - The ships East Indian and Fanny, with about 350 Irish emigrants aboard, leave Cork for Cape Colony, carrying some of the "1820 settlers" 1848 - John Mitchel publishes first United Irishmen 1923 - Birth in Castledawson, Co. Derry/Londonderryof James Chichester-Clark, Northern Ireland Prime Minister from 1969 to 1971 1930 - The first Free State Censorship Board is appointed 1945 - Jimmy Keaveney, Dublin Gaelic footballer, is born in Dublin 1949 - Fergus Slattery, rugby player, is born in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin 1971 - Delia Murphy, ballad singer, dies 1976 - Frank Stagg, Irish political prisoner, dies on hunger strike in English prison 1989 - Patrick Finucane is murdered by Unionist assassins; Finucane, who acted as solicitor for republican hunger striker Bobby Sands was shot dead at his north Belfast home in front of his wife and children 1998 - The IRA insists that their ceasefire is still in place — despite "speculation surrounding recent killings in Belfast" 1998 - It is confirmed that Ireland has one of Europe's top economies and our ability to compete globally outstrips Germany and France 1999 - President Mary McAleese says Pope John Paul has told her, in their private meeting at the Vatican, he is considering a return visit to Ireland 1999 - Literary legend John B. Keane discloses that he is back writing again after a four-year break due to illness 1999 - A new political storm rages after Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams predicts that the North would be moving toward a united Ireland in 15 years time 2002 - Health Minister Micheál Martin vows to press ahead with further restrictions on smoking in pubs, despite opposition from publicans 2002 - Two Dublin film companies are nominated for Oscars in the Best Animated Short Film category and Donegal singer/songwriter Enya is nominated for best song with May It Be, from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack 2003 - Irish musicians are hoping their plea to stop US military aircraft refuelling at Shannon will strike the right chord with the Government. More than 50 top acts have signed an open letter which will be sent to the Taoiseach asking him to end the refuelling stopover at the airport 2003 - Mystery surrounds the identity of an artist as 24 of his paintings are launched at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). Known only as “John the Painter”, he has been in psychiatric care in Cork city for more than 30 years 2003 - Talks between the Taoiseach, the British Prime Minister and Northern politicians conclude in Hillsborough Castle, Co Down.
February 13 1689 - William and Mary - daughter of James II - are proclaimed king and queen jointly 1820 - Leonard McNally, lawyer and English informer, dies 1871 - Joseph Devlin, Belfast Nationalist, is born 1864 - Stephen Lucius Gwynn, writer and nationalist, is born in Dublin 1898 - Frank Aiken, revolutionary and politician from Co. Armagh, is born 1938 - Larry Cunningham, country singer, is born in Granard, Co. Offaly 1956 - Birth in Dublin of Liam Brady, former soccer international 1998 - It is announced that Irish Embassy staff in Riyadh and Tel Aviv, the Saudi and Israeli capitals, are being kitted out with special suits to protect them against nuclear, biological or chemical weapons 1998 - Ireland's electricity industry, one of the last bastions of the closed market, takes a historic step towards open competition when Enterprise Minister Mary O'Rourke inspects the site of a Finnish-owned peat-fuelled generating station in Offaly 2001 - Kosovar refugees living in Tralee and Waterford celebrate their right to become Irish citizens, almost two years after they first arrived in Ireland. A total of 140 Kosovar refugees, displaced as a result of an ethnic war in their homeland, are to be allowed live in Ireland permanently on humanitarian grounds 2002 - It is announced that John Rocha is to become the first Irish designer to receive a CBE award for his long-standing contribution to the fashion industry 2003 - Nearly10,000 people are forced to find an alternative way of getting to work in Dublin when Dart services are disrupted by a major overhead line fault.
February 14 1629 - Valentine Greatrakes - or Greatorex - a physician who is known as the 'touch doctor', is born in Affane, Co. Waterford 1700 - A subsidy is authorized to Louis Crommellin for establishing a linen industry 1792 - Pianist and composer John Field gives his first public performance at the Rotunda in Dublin 1853 - The Queen Victoria sinks in a storm off Howth, with the loss of 55 lives 1856 - Frank Harris, writer and journalist, is born in Galway 1878 - Daniel Corkery, writer, critic and Irish cultural enthusiast, is born in Cork 1895 - Birth in Tipperary of Revolutionary, Sean Treacy 1951 - Alan Shatter, Fine Gael politician, is born in Dublin 1981 - The Stardust Ballroom in Artane, Dublin goes up in flames; 48 young people are killed and more than 100 are injured 1999 - The Provisional IRA calls a halt to 'rough justice' in a move which is being seen as a concession to the on-going peace process in Northern Ireland 2000 - Four Irish soldiers are killed in a tragic road accident in South Lebanon 2000 - Castlecove, Co. Kerry wins two prizes in the Nations in Bloom competition, held in Hamamatsu, Japan, overcoming challenges from cities such as Lisbon and Toronto 2000 - A joint Irish/British strategy for dealing with the difficulties left by the suspension of the Northern Ireland administration is finalised by Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and Prime Minister, Tony Blair 2000 - Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams says politics in Northern Ireland are now in ‘‘the worst crisis of a crisis ridden process’’ 2001 - The Ulster Defence Association, the largest of the Protestant paramilitary groups, breaks its silence to deny any involvement in the wave of sectarian pipe bomb attacks which have spread terror across the north 2001 - At Áras an Uachtaráin, president Mary McAleese presents the prestigious Gaisce gold medal awards to 55 young high achievers from 17 different countries 2002 - Pregnant women are advised by the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and of Health and Children to avoid contact with sheep at lambing time. The advice is issued in the context of the potential risks of contracting an infection that can occur in some ewes 2002 - The Bishop of Killaloe says he would welcome the ordination of women priests. Dr Willie Walsh made his comments amid a growing crisis within his own diocese. Just one priest is set to be ordained within the next seven years. In the same period, over a dozen priests are set to retire 2003 - Hundreds of train passengers have their travel plans disrupted by a lightning industrial action by the National Bus and Rail Workers Union in Cork. All services out of the city’s Kent Station from lunchtime until 5pm are affected.
February 15 1782 - The first Dungannon Convention of the Ulster Volunteers calls for an independent Irish parliament; Grattan continues to campaign for the same objective 1793 - A third convention of Dungannon - a gathering of Volunteers from Ulster is held 1794 - The United Irishmen publish a plan for parliamentary reform, advocating universal male suffrage, equal electoral districts and the secret ballot 1850 - Sophie Bryant, Irish patriot and women's rights advocate, is born 1874 - Birth in Kilkea, Co. Kildare of Antarctic explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton 1901 - Viscount Brendan Bracken, politician, publisher and British Minister of Information from 1941 to 1945 is born in Templemore, Co. Tipperary 1946 - Clare Short, British Labour politician, is born in Crossmaglen, Co. Armagh 1966 - Novelist John McGahern loses his job as a teacher at Clontarf National School because of ‘indecencies’ in his book "The Dark" 1971 - Ireland switches to decimal currency 1998 - Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness hints of the danger of an end to the IRA ceasefire if, as expected, his party is expelled from the Northern Peace talks in Dublin 1998 - Ireland has the second lowest number of workplace accidents in Europe, but employers face the highest rate of insurance claims, totalling £400m per year 1998 - According to the Small Firms Association, as many as 1,000 jobs could be lost in Ireland, following the takeover of the HCR group of chemist shops by British superchain, Boots 2000 - The National Bus and Rail union claim a high level of public support for its one day strike which forces 200,000 passengers to find alternative ways of getting to work 2000 - The IRA delivers a shattering blow to the Northern Ireland peace process by pulling out of talks with the arms decommissioning body 2000 - Bishop Cormac Murphy O’Connor succeeds the late Cardinal Basil Hume to become Archbishop of Westminster and the the new leader of 4·1 million Catholics in England and Wales 2001 - In Belfast, more than 100 members of health service union Unison stage the first in a series of "shadow of the gun" protest rallies. The public demonstration follows threats from loyalist terror groups to staff at the Mater Hospital on the Crumlin Road 2001 - Lena Hunt, a 78-year old pensioner from Limavady, Co. Derry, turns down a £250,000 offer for part of her back garden, insisting that it means more to her than money. Without the key bit of land, developers of a multi-million pound supermarket project are unable to proceed 2001 - One week after protesters call off their blockade of the ill-fated Mullaghmore interpretative centre and car park in the Burren, machinery moves in to demolish the buildings and associated facilities 2002 - Popstars group 6 grab No 1 spot in the Irish charts with their debut single "There's A Whole Lot of Loving Going On."
February 16
1768 - The Octennial Act limits Irish parliaments' life to eight years 1822 - James Thomson, engineer, is born in Belfast 1886 - The Irish Catholic Hierarchy formally endorses Home Rule 1902 - Birth of singer Delia Murphy in Ardroe, Claremorris, Co. Mayo 1932 - Fianna Fáil wins the general election; de Valera succeeds Cosgrave as President of the Executive Council; Seán Lemass is Minister for Industry and Commerce 1998 - Both the British and Irish governments are united on move to expel Sinn Féin from peace talks 1998 - Michael Flatley announces that he is to make his last live appearance in Ireland this summer 2000 - Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams accuses the British Government of tearing up the Good Friday Agreement 2001 - RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan warns that the Real IRA represents a potent and a growing threat 2002 - Three republicans accused of training left-wing guerrillas in Colombia could face trial within a month. A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office in the Colombian capital Bogota confirmed prosecutors have sent their case against Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley to a federal judge 2003 - Protesters make formal complaints to the gardaí alleging offences under the National Monuments Act after archeological contractors move on to the Carrickmines Castle site to start taking apart the stone structure.
Photo: Allegheny County AOH gifted windows of St. Brigid and St. Patrick installed and blessed by Bishop Bradley at Old St. Patrick's Church in Pittsburgh's Strip District, March 17, 2006
"A first of three mailings to hard-to-contact parishes has yielded two more windows----#306 & #307. Both are in Western Pennsylvania. St Michael's Church in Greenville, PA (near the Oho border) and Transfiguration Church in Monongehela, PA.
St Michael's Pastor sent me an article indicating the AOH gave a window in 1893 rededication but the windows were re-sized and the dedications are gone. I have asked Fr. if one of the windows is of St Patrick that is probably it. The Transfiguration window is still there also.
Another mailing has just gone out and one more is needed to finish off the parish contact attempts.I have always contended that PA and border States would end up having as many AOH windows as Mass.(present and past) just because of the concentration of these windows around mines and railroad depots and the Western spread of the AOH.
The best way to find them now may be looking at the newspapers the day after a church was dedicated or rededicated with a Mass. Newspapers were anxious to indicate who gave all the furnishings of the church. Of all the AOH windows now lost we have found nearly all of them that way. But we are in a race against time---at least toward the convention and the production of Volume III.
You will note on the attached Master List the windows for which we need photos. National President Meehan will make his semi-annual archives presentation sometime in March before St Patrick's Day. If you can help with family or friends secure any of these needed photos please do so now.
If you have any question or I can offer any advice, please do not hesitate to contact me. Click here to see the latest Master List. A newly revised one will be up on aoh.com shortly.
A total of 307 AOH Windows have been found in 37 states and here are the top 4 states:
MASSACHUSETTS = 56
PENNSYLVANIA = 39
NEW YORK = 35
OHIO = 26
Note: If you are going to St. Paul's Cathedral in Oakland, please take a good picture of the AOH window there and email/mail it to:
Michael J. Cummings 12 Marion Avenue Albany, New York 12203-1814 518.482.0349(h) 518.447.4802(o)
Eternal rest grant unto her oh Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her...
Regretfully, I must inform you that Linda Donnelly's mother and AOH 32 brother Bern's mother-in-law, Helen Swentosky passed away at about 3:00 p.m. Sunday, February 3.
Visitations will be from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday and from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Warchol Funeral Home, 3060 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, 15017 (near McDonald's) . The home's phone number is 412.221.3333.
The funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, 730 Washington Ave., Carnegie, near the Boys' and Girls' Club and on the same side of the street.
Please keep Helen, Linda, Bern and their family in your prayers.
Murph approached Paddys' Pour House in Carnegie. On the step outside he was accosted by a nun, Sister Marie, who said:
'Surely a fine man like yourself is not going into this den of iniquity? Surely you're not going to waste your hard-earned cash on the devil's brew. Why don't you go home and feed and clothe your wife and children?'
'Hang on, Sisters,' spluttered Murphy. 'How can you condemn alcohol out of hand? Surely it's wrong to form such a rash judgment when you've never tasted the stuff?'
'Very well,' said Sister Marie. Till taste it just to prove my point. Obviously I can't go into the pub, so why don't you bring me some gin. Oh, and just to camouflage my intent, maybe you should bring it in a cup not a glass!'
'OK,' said Murph and into the bar he breezed.
'I'll have a large gin,' he said to the barman. 'And can you put it in a cup?'
'My God,' said the barman, 'that nun Sister Marie is not outside again is she?'
February 3 1537 -Thomas FitzGerald, Lord of Offaly and five of his uncles are executed in London. This is the end of the FitzGeralds as a major power 1744 - Lord Netterville, indicted in August 1743 for the murder of Michael Walsh, is tried by his peers in the parliament house and honourably acquitted 1801 - Prime Minister William Pitt resigns over royal veto on Catholic emancipation 1881 - Irish Land League organizer Michael Davitt is arrested again in Dublin 1896 - Lady Jane Wilde (Spiranza), poet, nationalist and the mother of Oscar, dies in London 1911 - Death of Dublin-born Robert Noonan, better known as Robert Tressell, author of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists 1919 - Harry Boland and Michael Collins engineer Eamon de Valera's escape from Lincoln Jail in England. He is dressed as a woman 1929 - Val Doonican, entertainer, is born in Waterford 1939 - Amanda M'Kittrick Ros, novelist and poet, dies 1998 - Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, warns that substantive progress in the Northern peace talks would not be made by Easter unless the parties start discussing a single document containing the outline proposals for an agreement 1998 - Northern Ireland politician, Billy Hutchinson, facing a death threat from the Loyalist Volunteer Force brands the outlawed terror group as "a bunch of thugs, drug dealers and police informers" 2001 - It is announced that Irish celebrities in showbusiness, sport and the world of writing are among the top earners in England and Ireland. The Irish stars on the rich list include U2, The Corrs, Enya, Ronan Keating, Pierce Brosnan, Eddie Irvine, Roy Keane, Marian Keyes and Maeve Binchy 2001 - The Department of the Marine appeals for help in identifying a long legged deep sea creature, which was netted off the Kerry coast. A seasoned specialist on rare fish says he is baffled by the strange grasshopper like specimen found in nets 220 miles from the shore 2002 - British abortion providers are taking legal advice after Golden Pages inform them they are pulling ads for their services from its 2003 directory 2002 - Gales of up to 65 miles per hour ground flights at Dublin Airport and cause a Delta flight carrying 167 passengers and 14 crew to overshoot the main runway. No passengers are injured.
February 4 1775 - Birth of Robert Emmett, Irish patriot 1816 - Robert Hobart, 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire and former MP for Portarlington and Armagh Borough, dies from a fall from his horse in St James's Park, London 1830 - O'Connell enters parliament, having taken the new oath of allegiance 1868 - Birth of Irish patriot and revolutionary, Countess Constance Markievicz, née Gore-Booth 1921 - Sir James Craig succeeds Lord Edward Carson as Ulster Unionist leader 1962 - The first colour supplement is published by The Sunday Times 1992 - An off-duty RUC officer in Belfast kills three people in a Sinn Féin office before commiting suicide 1992 - Mary Robinson becomes the first Irish President to visit Belfast 2000 - Iseult Law, great-granddaughter of poet Francis Stuart, and hundreds of mourners pay a final tribute to the legendary writer at his funeral in Fanore, Co. Clare Photo Credit: Kieran Clancy 2000 - Actors from every genre of stage and screen show come together in the chapel at Terenure College in Dublin for the funeral service of Ballykissangel star Tony Doyle.
February 5 1811 - Maurice Lenihan, journalist and historian, is born in Waterford 1820 - Death of William Drennan; physician, poet, educator and political radical, he was one of the chief architects of the Society of United Irishmen. He is also known as the first to refer in print to Ireland as "the Emerald Isle". Burial takes place in Clifton Street burial-ground in Belfast and, according to his will and with deliberate symbolism, his coffin is borne to the grave by three Catholics and three Protestants 1880 -The Irish Rugby Football Union is founded in Dublin 1960 - The Gael-Linn film Mise Éire - I am Ireland - with music by Seán Ó Reada, has its first public showing 1961 - The Sunday Telegraph begins publication 1967 - The Musicians' Union bans the Rolling Stones's Let's Spend The Night Together from Eamonn Andrews' television show 1998 - It is announced that the Ulster Democratic Party, which was suspended from the Northern talks in the wake of Ulster Freedom Fighters-orchestrated sectarian killings, will not be granted a reprieve in time for the upcoming Dublin Castle negotiations 1999 - The French arrive in force in Dublin for tomorrow's Five Nations clash at Lansdowne Road 2001 - Extra British troops are deployed in an attempt to prevent further loyalist pipe bomb attacks on Catholic homes in north Belfast 2003 - A 120-strong 12th Infantry Battalion from Sarsfield Barracks is sent to Shannon to beef up security at the airport. The troops will remain until the threat of further attacks on military planes abates 2003 - The trial of three Irishmen charged with training members of the FARC guerilla movement resumes in Bogota, Columbia. 2006 - Former Bishop of Galway Eamonn Casey returns to Ireland after 14 years in exile. The cleric fled the country after he admitted to fathering his son, Peter.
February 6 1685 - Coronation of King James II 1877 - John O'Mahoney, Irish patriot, dies in New York City 1900 - John Redmond is elected leader of the Irish Party 1918 - The silent film version of Charles Kickham's popular novel Knocknagow, about life in a Tipperary village, is shown for the first time 1933 - 2RN is superseded by Radio Athlone 1971 - In Belfast, Robert Curtis becomes the first British soldier to be killed by the Provisional IRA 1998 - The European Commission launches an investigation into the FAI's refusal to allow Wimbledon football club to move to Dublin which could trigger a revolution in Irish and European soccer 1998 - Dr Kieran McCarthy, a marine specialist in the Zoology Department at UCG expresses fears that a uniquely Irish species of fish - pollan - which is found in only four fresh water lakes is being threatened by the vigorous spread of zebra mussels 2000 - A continuity IRA bomb explodes at a County Fermanagh hotel less than 24 hours before the Ulster Unionist Party’s Ken McGuinness is due to visit 2001 - Over 8,000 homes in the south of the country are left without power after a severe electrical storm and high winds wreak havoc 2001 - For the first time in three decades, Ireland’s first Eurovision winner Dana is back in the famous contest’s spotlight as she takes to the stage to introduce the entertainers at the Dublin launch of Eurosong 2001 2002 - The jinx on famine replica ship, the Jeanie Johnston, continues as the High Court grants an order against the owners and all persons claiming an interest in the ship 2002 - Pharmacists vow to fight Health Minister Micheál Martin through the courts to stop plans for industry deregulation 2003 - The Northern Secretary, Paul Murphy, returns Johnny Adair to prison alleging he had been involved in directing terrorism, drug dealing, extortion, money laundering and procuring and distributing guns.
February 7 1873 - Death in Dublin of Joseph Sheridan LeFanu. Journalist, novelist, and short story writer, he is often called the father of the modern ghost story. Although Le Fanu was one of the most popular writers of the Victorian era, he is not so widely read anymore. His best-known works include Uncle Silas (1864), a suspense story, and The House by the Churchyard (1863), a murder mystery. His vampire story 'Carmilla,' which influenced Bram Stoker's Dracula, has been filmed several times 1875 - Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, mining engineer, philanthropist, art collector and the first honorary citizen of Ireland, is born in New York 1877 - John O'Mahony, founder of the Fenian Brotherhood in US, dies in New York 1940 - Birth of Harold McCusker, unionist politician, in Lurgan, Co. Armagh 1959 - Birth of Mick McCarthy, Barnsley, Manchester City, Celtic, Olympic Lyonnais, Millwall and Republic of Ireland footballer; Millwall and Republic of Ireland manager 1991 - The IRA fires at least three mortar bombs at 10 Downing Street; they fail to detonate 1998 - A burst of Dear Old Skibbereen shatters the stillness as GAA star Michael McCarthy is laid to rest in his West Cork hometown 1999 - The British Government urges David Trimble and Gerry Adams to agree to some sort of compromise in a bid to end the paramilitary disarmament deadlock 1999 - Two Irish soldiers are hospitalized after being hit by shrapnel from a heavy 120 mm mortar explosion in crossfire between the Southern Lebanese Army and Hizbollah guerrillas 2001 - More than 3,500 passengers are affected by the cabin crew pay strike at Shannon Airport 2002 - The Cranberries announce that proceeds from their new single, Time is Ticking Out, will be donated to the Chernobyl Children's Project 2002 - One elderly woman, in line at St Patrick's Church in Ringsend, Dublin for a €1,000 cheque for flood damage, had all her possessions with her - in just one bag. She is just one of hundreds of homeowners who benefit after the Archdiocese of Dublin donates hundreds of €1,000 cheques to victims of the recent flooding in the city 2003 - Northern Secretary Paul Murphy says he is hopeful the Executive in the North will be up and running again by March 17 once a series of intense roundtable talks are completed.
February 8 1872 - Captain John Philip Nolan, a supporter of home rule and tenant rights, defeats Conservative William Le Poer Trench in a Co. Galway by-election 1999 - Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams refuses to rule out the possibility his party will take legal action to secure the early release of Garda Det. Jerry McCabe's killers when the anger surrounding the case dies down 2000 - Boyzone's Keith Duffy is officially declared Ireland's sexiest man by a prestigious panel of judges. Keith won out over an impressive list of handsome hunks, including Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne, Fine Gael deputy Ivan Yates, actor Noel Pearson and Esat multi millionaire Denis O’Brien. Dancer supreme Michael Flatley, comedian Brendan Carroll and the inimitable Jackie Healy Rae TD also feature on the sexiest list 2000 - US President Bill Clinton makes it clear to the Irish and British Governments he is ready to become actively involved in trying to save the Northern Ireland government if needed 2000 - The Northern Ireland peace process is plunged into further crisis following the disclosure that the UVF is planning a country wide purge against the renegade LVF 2000 - Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams issues a stark warning that he is ready to walk away from the Northern Ireland peace process if the Government re-imposes direct rule from Westminster 2001 - A man is injured by an explosive device amid heightening fears of fatalities in an escalating campaign of loyalist pipe bomb attacks on Catholic families in Northern Ireland 2002 - Dissident republicans are believed to be behind a bomb attack at an army training centre in Co Derry which left a civilian security guard critically injured 2003 - Deposed loyalist terror boss Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair suffers a final humiliation when a new paramilitary regime is officially installed in his west Belfast stronghold.
February 9 1731 - Birth of Sir Lucius O'Brien, opposition politician; he will eventually be described as 'a man who disagrees with the rest of mankind by thinking well of himself' 1903 - Charles Gavan Duffy, the first editor and proprietor of The Nation newspaper, dies in Nice 1932 - The Army Comrades Association is formed; later to be called the National Guard and nicknamed the 'Blueshirts' 1923 - Birth in Dublin of playwright Brendan Behan 1926 - Birth of Irish statesman, Dr. Garrett FitzGerald. Former Prime Minister. He serves as the Prime Minister of Ireland from June 1981 to March 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. During his time in office he attends more than 20 European Council meetings and at different times serves as President of the Council of Ministers and the European Council of Heads of Government. He is currently a member of the Council of State and an active Chancellor of the National University of Ireland, which comprises four of the State's seven universities. Dr. Fitzgerald is also a lecturer, consultant, company director and writer. He is the author of six books, the most recent being "Reflections on the Irish State" 1983 - A nationwide hunt begins following the kidnapping of prize stallion and 1981 Derby winner Shergar from the Aga Khan's stables in Co. Kildare 1996 - IRA ends ceasefire with London Docklands bombing, killing two and injuring 100 1998 - Claremorris show jumper, Carl Hanley receives the Irish Field National Award at the Annual Awards Ball in Dublin 1998 - Ulster Unionist rebels planning to overthrow leader David Trimble confirm there is "widespread concern" at the political direction of the party following revelations of a possible leadership challenge next month 1998 - Nationalist politicians in the North respond angrily to a consultative paper described as the most far-reaching British government review of police accountability for 30 years 2000 - Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson issues a direct appeal to the IRA to start disarming in order to save the peace process from collapse 2001 - Limerick man Michael Noonan is elected leader of Fine Gael. 2007 - Death of author Ben Kiely, one of Ireland’s best acclaimed writers and journalists at the age of 87. Born between Drumskinny in Co Fermanagh and Dromore, Co Tyrone and a former pupil of Mount St Columba Christian Brothers School in Omagh, his career spans six decades and produces many short stories and novels, as well as his autobiography Drink to the Bird: An Omagh Boyhood.
Feb. 10 - AOH 32 Division Meeting, 7:00 p.m. Uke's Club. New member induction. Have a candidate for membership? Contact Bernie Donnelly at 412.225.0900 or Ed Blank at 412.854.5555 before Feb. 7.
Feb. 22-24 - St. Paul's Retreat. Contact Mickey Abbott at 412.279.3165 for more details.
Mar. 1 - AOH Pennsylvania State Board Meeting, 1:00 p.m. The Priory Hotel, 614 Pressley St,, North Side. Afterwards, state chaplain Tom O'Donnell will say Mass, and food and refreshments will be offered for two hours.
Mar. 1 - Annual St. Patrick's Party, 7:00 p.m. Uke's Club.
Mar. 15 - St. Patrick's Day Parade
Mar. 30 - Annual Communion Breakfast, The Priory Hotel, 10:30 a.m.
From February 22 - 24, a group of Hibernians attended a retreat at St. Paul's in Carnegie. Thanks to those who attended and who helped organize the event such as Mickey Abbott, Ed Blank, Pat McCann, Bill Delaney, Bernie Donnelly, Denny Maher, Tim Trant, Brian Walsh and Pat Walsh among others.
