March 12 1295 - Richard de Burgh is released by the council in parliament at Kilkenny 1685 - George Berkeley, philosopher, physicist, mathematician, Dean of Derry and Bishop of Cloyne, is born in Dysart Castle, Co. Kilkenny. The university town of Berkeley in California is named in his honour 1689 - James II lands at Kinsale and proceeds to Dublin 1832 - Birth of Capt. Charles Boycott, despised English estate manager in Ireland, from whose name the word 'boycott' is taken 1873 - Gladstone's Irish University Bill is defeated 1875 - After being barred as an undischarged felon from taking his seat as elected MP for Tipperary, John Mitchel is re-elected on this date. He dies eight days later 1798 - Having been betrayed by Thomas Reynolds, the Leinster Directory of United Irishmen leaders is arrested 1860 - Michael O'Hickey, professor of Irish and Irish-language campaigner, is born in Carrickbeg, Co. Waterford 1930 - Pat Taaffe, jockey and trainer, is born in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin 1944 - Britain bans all travel to and from Ireland in an effort to prevent news of Allied preparations for the invasion of France reaching the Germans 1974 - Billy Fox, MP for Co. Monaghan, is assassinated 2000 - National Tree Week ends with a mass planting of 5,000 trees at Corkagh Park in Clondalkin 2001 - Department of Agriculture vets are investigating another suspected case of foot and mouth in the North. Tests are carried out on a sheep taken from a farm in Augher to an abattoir in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, for slaughter. March 13 1784 - Reform Bill in Irish House of Commons 1791 - Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man (part 1) - a reply to Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France and a major influence on Irish radicals - is published 1865 - Birth of Patrick Nally in Balla, Co Mayo. An athlete, he was a major inspiration in the founding the GAA in 1884 by Michael Cusack. The Nally stand in Croke Park is named after him 1922 - George Bernard Shaw's "Back to Methusaleh V" premieres in New York 1939 - At-Swim-Two-Birds, a highly experimental novel by Flann O'Brien, is published in London 1960 - Birth of Adam Clayton, bass player with U2 1973 - Birth of Ballybeg Prim, one of the greatest racing dogs of all time in Thurles, Co. Tipperary 1998 - Naval personnel question the crew of a British-registered flagship after a second day of intimidation of Irish trawlers off the South West coast 1999 - Over 250,000 people pack the streets around the River Liffey in Dublin to witness the largest fireworks display ever seen in Ireland The event marks the start of a five-day festival to mark St Patrick's Day as well as the official launch of the Millennium celebrations 2000 -A multi million pound seizure of drugs in Holland results in the arrest of John Cunningham, one of Ireland’s most prolific career criminals 2001 - The Irish food industry is dealt a hammer blow as the United States and Canada ban Irish food imports, worth over £100 million a year, because of the foot and mouth scare 2003 - Taoiseach Bertie gives his strongest indication yet that the US will be able to use Shannon Airport regardless of UN backing for war in Iraq. March 14 1705 - An English act permits direct export of Irish linen to American colonies 1732 - Birth of Sackville Hamilton, politician and civil servant 1738 - John Beresford, unionist politician, is born in Cork 1822 - Richard Boyle, civil engineer, is born in Dublin 1894 - William Earle "Moley" Molesworth, WWI Ace, is born 1902 - The Irish Association of Women Graduates and Candidate-Graduates, an organization open to those interested in promoting women's education, is launched 1962 - Eibhín Bean Uí Choisdeaíbh, Irish language folk song collector, dies 1973 - Liam Cosgrave is appointed president of Ireland 1985 - Schoolchildren claim to have seen a 'moving' statue in Asdee, Co. Kerry. Other reports come from Ballinspittle, Co. Cork. The faithful claim a miraculous event. Sceptics say it is an optical illusion 1984 - Gunmen shoot and wounded Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, in an attack in central Belfast. He is hit in the neck, shoulder and arm as several gunmen riddle his car with about 20 bullets. Three people travelling with Mr Adams are also wounded in the shooting No-one is seriously hurt and a fourth man escapes injury 1991 -The Birmingham Six - Paddy Joe Hill, Hugh Callaghan, Richard McIlkenny, Gerry Hunter, Billy Power and Johnny Walker - are released from jail after their convictions for the murder of 21 people in two pubs are quashed by the Court of Appeal 1998 - Former Defence and Marine Minister Hugh Coveney falls to his death from a headland near Roberts Cove, Co. Cork 2002 - Roundwood House, Mountrath, Co. Laois is the only Irish establishment to make the list of the world's top 50 restaurants published by Restaurant magazine. It places at 42.
March 15 1672 - The first declaration of indulgence suspending penal laws against Catholics and dissenters is issued by Charles II 1764 - Charles O'Conor, antiquary and historian, is born in Belanagare, Co. Roscommon 1773 - Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer is performed at Covent Garden Theatre, London 1774 - Isaac Weld, author, is born in Dublin 1813 - In the British House of Commons, Sir Eyre Coote (the younger), MP for Ballynakill and Maryborough, proposes the abolition of flogging in the army 1852 - Lady Isabella Augusta Gregory (née Persse), playwright, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre, is born in Roxborough, Co. Galway 1904 - Birth of George Brent, actor, in Dublin 1878 - Sir Robert McCarrison, medical scientist and honorary physician to King George V from 1928 to 1935 is born in Portadown, Co. Armagh 1976 - The IRA is linked to a bomb that explodes on a London Underground train; the driver of the train, Julius Stephen, is shot dead while chasing a gunman who is believed to have detonated the bomb. Ten other people are injured 1993 - Kitty Linnane, leader of the Kilfenora Céili Band, dies 1998 - The US Ambassador to Ireland, Jean Kennedy Smith, confirms she will leave her post after US Independence Day celebrations in Dublin on July 4 1999 - A prominent Irish civil rights solicitor, Rosemary Nelson, is killed by a Loyalist car bomb in Lurgan, Co. Armagh 1999 - The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Jim McDaid, unveils plans to commemorate the Year 2000. Commencing on St. Patrick's Day, "The Party Starts Here," is the official title of a 21-month long series of events, which will link over 300 separate festivals 2000 - The censor lifts a ban on more than two thirds, or 400, of prohibited books following an appeal by the Labour Party. Only 187 books and about 270 magazines and newspapers now remain on the banned list 2001 - John Gilligan is found not guilty of the murder of Veronica Guerin; however, he is sentenced to 28 years in prison on drug-related crimes. The sentence is twice what most people expected and six years more than the previous longest sentence handed down for a drugs offence 2002 - Tesco's supermarket chain in Ireland announces that, unlike its British counterpart, it has no plans to start issuing the morning-after pill to Irish teenagers free of charge. March 16 1618 - Richard Archdekin, Jesuit, educator and missioner to Ireland, is born in Louvain 1640 - Charles I's second Irish parliament meets 1690 - French king Louis XIV sends troops to Ireland 1789 - Francis Rawdon Chesney, soldier and explorer, is born in Annalong, Co. Down 1815 - William Reeves, Church of Ireland bishop and antiquary, is born in Charleville, Co. Cork 1828 - Patrick Cleburne, American Civil War Confederate General, is born in Cobh, Co. Cork 1839 - John B. Yeats, painter and father of William Butler and Jack B. Yeats, is born in Tullylish, Co. Down 1865 - Irish-born Martin Murphy, one of the greatest pioneers of early California, dies 1955 - Singer Ruby Murray scores five simultaneous hits in the British charts 1959 - RTÉ interviews Ireland's first bangarda, Mary Brown from Roscommon 1960 - The P & O liner Canberra (45,000 tons) is launched in Belfast 1988 - At Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast, a gunman kills three mourners and injures at least 50 people attending a funeral for IRA members Mairead Farrell, Daniel McCann, and Sean Savage shot dead in Gibraltar 1991 - Members of Irish Gay & Lesbian Organization march in NYC parade 1995 - Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams meets President Bill Clinton for the first time 1998 - In Washington, at the American/Ireland Fund dinner, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern bluntly tells Northern political leaders to display the courage necessary to make far-reaching compromises over the next fortnight to rescue the peace process from the dangers of failure 1998 - Beef exports from Northern Ireland are to resume after a three-year ban stemming from the BSE crisis 2000 - Hundreds of sprigs of shamrock are airlifted from Ireland by the RAF to Irish regiments of the British Army around the world in accordance with a decree issued by Queen Victoria 100 years ago. It is exactly 100 years since the queen decrees that all Irish regiments of the British Army wear a shamrock in their head dress on St Patrick’s Day to commemorate the bravery of Irish troops during the Boer War 2000 - Northern Secretary, Peter Mandelson, announces that more troop withdrawals are likely over the coming months 2001 - President Bush, Sinn Fein's President Gerry Adams, center, and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, right, watch Irish dancers perform at the White House in Washington. Ahern meets with Bush and discusses the 1998 power-sharing deal that has brought a tenuous peace in Northern Ireland. Standing behind Bush is National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, left. 2001 - Kilmainham residents protest against a planned office development in the heart of an historic part of Dublin 2001 - Irish Defense Minister Michael Smith, center, waves the Irish flag as he celebrates St. Patrick's day with other Irish peacekeepers at Camp Shamrock near the southern village of Tibnine 2003 - More than 1,500 performers create a Mardi-Gras atmosphere on the streets of Limerick for the 33rd International Marching Band Parade and Competition. March 17 1777 - Patrick Brontë, originally Brunty; clergyman and father of Charlotte, Emily and Anne, is born in Ballynaskeagh, Co. Down 1800 - Charles James Patrick Mahon, high-ranking soldier in Russia, Turkey, South America and France; duellist; & politician, is born in Ennis, Co. Clare 1794 - Sir Thomas Maclear, astronomer, is born in Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone 1820 - Patrick Edward Connor, Union General, is born in Co. Kerry 1852 - Patrick Sheehan, 'Canon Sheehan', priest and writer, is born in Mallow, Co. Cork 1853 - The Ossianic Society is founded to preserve and publish manuscripts of the Fionn cycle 1858 - James Stephens founds the Irish Republican Brotherhood in Dublin 1864 - Charlotte Milligan Fox, collector of folk music, is born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone 1877 - Michael O'Hanrahan, author and revolutionary, is born in New Ross, Co. Wexford 1889 - Harry Clarke, artist, known chiefly for stained-glass work, is born in Dublin 1899 - First issue of Gaelic League's An Claidheamh Soluis is published 1903 - St Patrick's Day becomes a bank holiday 1944 - Birth in Northern Ireland of Pat McCauley, rock drummer for Them 1951 -Scott Gorham, hard rock guitarist, is born 1964 - Joe Cooney, Galway hurler, is born near Loughrea 1976 - Birth in Dublin of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately 1997 - President Bill Clinton sharply increases the pressure on Northern political leaders to make concessions following a White House declaration that they will throw away a chance in a lifetime if they fail to settle an agreement by May 1998 - Frankie Curry, a top loyalist dissident, is gunned down by the UVF in revenge for the killing of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson 1999 - From Malin Head to Mizen Head, up to a million people turn out for St Patrick’s Day parades. 2001 - For the first time, Queen Elizabeth II sends a special St. Patrick's Day greeting to President Mary McAleese 2001 - Publicans in Westport, Co. Mayo call time on hen and stag parties. Bar owners in Westport, Co Mayo say the revellers are no longer welcome and will not be served in the town’s 44 pubs 2001 - Thousands of bargain hunters pack the RDS for the biggest ever Irish International Antiques and Fine Art Fair 2002 - In Dublin, an estimated 500,000 people line the parade route for the pinnacle of the €2.5 million St. Patrick's festival weekend 2003 - Two police officers and a paramedic are injured as sectarian fighting breaks out in flashpoint areas of Belfast 2003 - Snakes, sea monsters, Vikings and samba bands provide the sparkle in St Patrick’s Day celebrations around the country while the saint himself supplies the weather - warm and sunny in most areas. In the liturgical calendar, today is the feast day of St. Patrick, Ireland's patron saint. March 18 1736 - The Irish House of Commons condemns tithe of agistment on pasturage for dry and barren cattle 1800 - Harriet Smithson, actress and wife of the composer Hector Berlioz, is born in Ennis, Co. Clare 1801 - Ambrose O'Higgins, Viceroy of Peru, dies in Lima 1825 - In accordance with the Unlawful Societies Act, the Grand Orange Lodge advises its members that further meetings would be in violation of the law 1932 - The order outlawing the IRA is allowed to lapse 1949 - Birth in Belfast of Alex "Hurricane" Higgins, snooker player and two time world-champion 1952 - Pat Eddery, jockey, is born in Blackrock, Co. Dublin 1998 - The funeral of Hugh Coveney, politician and former Lord Mayor of Cork, takes place at St Michael's Church in Blackrock 1998 - Founder and executive director of the Chernobyl Children's Project charity, Adi Roche, is awarded the Frantsysk Skrayna Order by Belarus's envoy to Britain and Ireland, Uladzimir Shchasny. It is the country's highest honour and the first time it has been given to a foreigner 1999 - The funeral of murdered human rights lawyer, Rosemary Nelson, takes place at St. Peter's Church in Lurgan 2000 - The end of a 30 year ban fails to bring huge numbers of people out to see the controversial cult movie, A Clockwork Orange 2000 - Geneva-based financier and professional gambler, JP McManus jumps almost 20 places to 13th in The Sunday Times Irish rich list, with an estimated worth of more than £300 million.
In the old Celtic calendar, today is Sheelah's Day. In ancient Ireland, it was an annual festival to honor the fertility Goddess known as Sheela-na-gig. Naked Sheela-na-gig figures appeared in Irish churches constructed before the 16th century, but most were defaced or destroyed during the prudish Victorian age.
According to some sources, the origins of "drowning the shamrock" have also been traced to this date. In the eighteenth century, William Hone reported on the celebrations surrounding Sheelah, who has been variously identified as the wife, mother, or other relative of St. Patrick - noting that, the people of the day "are not so anxious to determine who 'Sheelah' was, as they are earnest in her celebration. All agree that her immortal memory is to be maintained by potations of whisky." At the end of the day, the faithful would then take their shamrocks and drop them into their respective glasses before downing the contents.
Since yours truly Mr. Blogger will be recovering from the St. Patrick's Day Button Party tomorrow and it's highly unlikely he will be blogging, I wanted to take a minute to close out the week and wish a Happy Birthday (his birthday is actually tomorrow) to the ageless, timeless and mindless AOH 32 brother Mickey Abbott - we wish him many more!
Years, upon years ago on a memorable March 10th our little Mickey came in to the world and his delivery doctor thought he was so ugly that he slapped his mother!
Seriously, Mickey is a good man, a good husband, a good father and a great AOH brother. And, most you might not have known this, but as you can see Mickey is world champion Irish pole vaulter too!
There has been a change in the Parade! AOH 32 has been moved up into the 1st Division. We are actually number 36 in the parade. We will be lining up on Centre Ave. (next to the Mellon Arena). The booklet listing all the entries in the parade is getting mailed today. There are 64 entries in the 1st Division, so I'd guess we'll be about halfway up the hill. The Junior Division will be right behind us.
Americans will spend an estimated $2.76 billion celebrating the St. Patrick's Day. This year, March 17 falls on a Saturday so restaurants and bars can expect bigger crowds.
Here is what Americans plan to do on this most Irish of days:
Spend on average $34.89 each, compared to last year's $27.94. By age: 18-24 year olds will spend $40.12; 25-34 year olds, $39.04; 35-44 year olds, $36.56.
On Tuesday, April 3rd the Junior Division will leave Bishop Canevin High School at 6:00 a.m. sharp and arrive at Antietam at 10:00 a.m, pick up their guide and walk the very same route of the Irish Brigade. They will have lunch at 3:00 p.m., leave Antietam and will arrive back at school between 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.Here are the details.
Bear O'Connell is hoping to make the trip depending on doctor's orders, but we still need 3-4 adult chaperones. If any member would like to go, help and have fun, please email me.
By Michael Seaver | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
DUBLIN, IRELAND - Shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Saturday the "unthinkable" will happen in Dublin's historic Croke Park stadium. Eighty-seven years after British troops fired into the crowd here and killed innocent Irish spectators, England's rugby team will sing God Save the Queen before a peaceful international match against their Irish opponents.
~ From 6.00pm to 8.00pm (incl. cocktail reception)~
~ All Welcome -Donations appreciated ~
~ For More Information Contact the IIP at (412) 394-3900 ~
The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh in conjunction with the O’Neill Summer School , will give the Irish American community of Pittsburgh the chance to not only trace their ancestral roots, but also walk in their ancestors footsteps.The O’Neill clan, and its lineage, is the oldest in Europe with an unbroken descent in its line, and this surname is one of the most illustrious in Irish, if not world history. The ancient clan system in Ireland depended on one key factor—commonality of genealogy or blood ties. This meant that every clan in Ireland had kinship and a bondwith the O’Neill clan.
The program for the event will include talks on Ireland’s ancient past, the Flight of the Earls and the shared future of all the people of Ireland, North, South, Protestant and Catholic, featuring guest speakers.
With the world in such a tizzy these days - with so many people ready to shout and argue and poke each other in the eyes - I can't think of a better time to embrace the Irish spirit.
It's my great good fortune to be a fellow of Irish descent. I share my good fortune with a quarter of all Americans, who can also trace their heritage to the rolling, green hills of Ireland.
As a lad, I remember my father the Big Guy sitting on the back porch on Sundays. Uncle Mike would sometimes visit for a couple of beers, and few things gave them more pleasure than swapping Irish jokes.
Such as the one about the fellow who was touring the Irish countryside. Hungry, he stopped at a farm and asked for refreshment. The lady of the house served him a bowl of soup. There was a pig in the house that kept running up to the fellow.
"That is the friendliest pig I ever did meet," he said to the woman.
"He's not friendly at all," said the woman. "That's his bowl you're using."
I know that I'm not really "Irish," but an American through and through. I know, too, that I'm also of German descent, and, much to my father's horror, my great-grandmother on his side turned out not to be Irish, but 100 percent French.
Still, in my family we idealize what it means to be Irish. Being Irish means to laugh easily, never to take yourself too seriously, to be cautious of getting stuck in the narrowness of your own point of view.
Which reminds me of the one about the German spy who is sent to Ireland during World War II. The German is instructed to meet an Irish spy named Murphy and confirm Murphy's identity by saying, "The weather could change by Tuesday."
After the German parachutes into Ireland, he sets off for town. Along the way, he asks a farmer where he might find a man named Murphy.
"Well, sir, it all depends on which Murphy," says the farmer. "We have Murphy the doctor, Murphy the postal carrier, Murphy the stone mason and Murphy the teacher. As a matter of fact, I, too, am Murphy, Murphy the farmer."
The German gets an idea.
"The weather could change by Tuesday," he says.
"Aye," says the farmer, "you'll be wanting Murphy the spy."
James Thurber, one of my favorite humorists, says the wheels of humor are set in motion by the damp hand of melancholy. Aristotle wrote that comedy and tragedy are close cousins. The Irish have long known that humor and laughter are our chief weapons for combating sadness and pain.
Which reminds me of the time a young Irishman tells his mother he's in love. Just for fun, he brings home three girls and asks his mother to guess which of the three he has chosen to be his bride.
After his mother interviews all three, she says, "Your fiancée is the one in the middle."
"That's amazing, ma. How did you know?"
"Because I don't like her."
British academic and joke theorist Christy Davies says a good joke can help clarify and express complex feelings. A good joke can cut to the heart of the matter better than any speech or law or government policy.
If only every country and every culture held such a point of view. How much better the world would be if all people responded to humor by laughing or at least by thinking -- instead of rioting and blowing things up.
These days, with all the conflict and disagreement going on, we could all profit from a better sense of humor.
Which reminds me of the time Pat explained to Mike why his valiant effort to scale Mt. Everest fell short.
"Aye," says Pat, "I would have made it to the top had I not run out of scaffolding."
Both of our sites, AOH Division 32 Web Site and Blog have been awarded Nancy's Celtic Award 2007. This award is not given lightly. As a prolific webmistress, graphic designer and author, it has always been Nancy's goal to increase awareness and appreciation for Irish and Celtic cultures. Her award is only given to sites that educate about and share the beauty of these cultures in a meaningful and aesthetically pleasing manner.
Galway Bay is sung by Dolores Keane (born 1953) an Irish folk singer. She was a founding member and vocalist of De Dannan, an Irish folk music group. Great scenery and songstress.
Old St. Patrick's Windows a Gift of True Christian Charity
Through the kind generosity of the Allegheny County Ancient Order of Hibernians and spearheaded by AOH 32, our two year crusade to gift windows to Old St. Patrick’s Church in Pittsburgh's Strip District (on the corner of Liberty Avenue and 17th Street) was accomplished and the AOH’s honorable tradition of gifting windows to Catholic churches will continue to inspire future generations of Irish Catholic faithful.
The new stained glass windows of Saint Brigid of Kildare and Saint Patrick of Ireland - designed and crafted by Nick Parrendo of the Hunt Stained Glass Studios - were blessed by Bishop Bradley of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17th 2006.
The media loved our story. KDKA-TV, WTAE-TV and WPXI-TV covered the Mass along with front page/main section stories in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Pittsburgh Tribune Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Here is a brief backgrounder about the symbolism of the windows.
Saint Patrick of Ireland Born: 387 at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland Died: March 17, 493 at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland (460 or 461 by other sources). Canonized: pre-congregation. Buried in Downpatrick, Ireland.
Patron of Ireland, and as represented in the window, bishop holding the shamrock used to explain the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. To Saint Patrick’s right is a representation of Saint Patrick enslaved as a shepherd in Ireland and instructed by the Angels to flee his enslavement.
Below both Saint Brigid and Saint Patrick are representations of stone posts and lintels -symbolic of the darkness and oppression of the people through the druid influence. Above them is a Celtic Cross symbolic of the liberation that the Catholic faith brings to the people of Ireland and the world. Saint Patrick stands atop a globe symbolic of his being one of the Saints universally recognized around the world. The likeness of Saint Patrick in the window is that of Fran Walsh, who for decades represented Saint Patrick in Pittsburgh’s annual Saint Patrick's Day parade. May he rest in peace!
Saint Brigid of Kildare Born: 453 at Faughart, County Louty, Ireland. Died: February 1, 523 at Kildare, Ireland Canonized: pre-congregation. Buried with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba in Downpatrick, Ireland.
Patroness of Ireland, and as represented in the window Saint Brigid is holding a cross she wove out of rushes from the floor to explain the love of Christ in His Passion.
To Saint Brigid's left are students holding manuscripts -as Saint Brigid founded a school of art (Illuminations). Also to the left is a ship representing Saint Patrick coming to Ireland as slave.
All of God’s Blessings to members of AOH 32, LAOH 32 and the AOH 32 Junior Division who unselfishly gave of themselves to support our holy crusade for Old St. Patrick's Church, for witnessing the great things we can do together in true Christian Charity!
The Third Annual AOH Allegheny County "Celtic Open" Scramble sponsored by the AOH Allegheny County Board will be held at South Park Golf Course on Friday, May 12. Registration is at 7:15 a.m.., 8:00 AM “Shotgun Start” is at 8:00 a.m., followed by a hot buffet and awards presentation at 1:30 p.m.
The $75.00 per golfer package includes: 18 holes of golf with cart , Continental Breakfast, Snacks at 9th hole , Hot Buffet, Prizes on selected Par 3’s , Hole-in-One Contest for New Car and Door Prizes
Mail all registrations along with $75.00 per golfer to: John J. McEvoy, 311 Sterling Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15210, 412.431.7196. Registrations due by April 28, 2006 and checks are payable to: AOH County Board.
For questions email Dan Devinney or call him at 412.687.2459 (H) or 412.434.8090 (O).
