Irish Scene July August 2013

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Volume 15 / Number 5 July/Aug 2013

2 Chances Win a Christmas Trip to Ireland Pages 32 & 64

Jean O’Riordan

Martin Kavanagh New WA Hon Irish Consul

In this Issue:

Meet the Perth Rose Mullingar is Handy!

Claddagh Irish Visit Martin O’Meara VC

Claddagh Launch

Festival of Plays Rory Gallagher fan New WA Irish Consul Derry City of Culture Local GAA Gaybo’s Man The Hanging Judge RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

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Beauty is more than skin deep for Perth Rose Cork woman Jean O’Riordan will represent Perth and its Irish community with elegance, charm and a sense of humour in the 2013 Rose of Tralee festival in August.

As well as the expectations of her adopted WA home she will also be carrying the banner of her native Watergrass Hill and family to Ireland. But even more than this the 27 year old surgeon at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is conscious that she is representing herself and everybody. “The Rose of Tralee is sometimes misrepresented as a beauty contest but that’s not the case,” she said. “I’m very proud to be associated with it, it’s a way of promoting positive values and characteristics in men and women and creating positive role models for aspiring Roses and young children, to promote behaving in a good way. We live in a world where people are focused on role models in fashion and celebrity and things like that when really we should value goodness in people and promote strong role models that people can aspire to be like. I’m a feminist in that I think women are as good as men and should be able to do what men do, I don’t think women are better than men, we are all equal.

Girls should be encouraged not just to be beautiful but to have other characteristics like truth in their eyes - just like in the lyrics of the Rose of Tralee ballad.”

Modest in her own claims about her singing and ability to play instruments like the piano, tin whistle and bugle, (Jean) sees the essence of the meaning of the Rose in the song that has become the festival’s anthem. For her the words of the ballad are as relevant today as they were over a hundred years ago when it was penned and that as well as beauty women - indeed everyone - should be cherished for their humanity. “Nothing has changed

in all that time, it remains as true today as it did back then. Its good to be a good person, a true person and to be as good as you can be.”

Jean knows that a high standard of Rose candidates come forward every year to be the Perth rose. She said the girls she got to know during the selection process have become great friends and supporters of each other.

She is also aware of the legacy of her predecessor, Lorna Gallagher, herself a nurse at another nearby hospital, Hollywood Private.

“If I had to describe her in a word it would be a Swan. She is so elegant and graceful. My friend works in Hollywood hospital as a nurse and she tells me that Lorna is like that all the time. She’s extremely pleasant to everybody and she’s like that all the time, she doesn’t put it on. She’s a beautiful girl and spirit, an amazing girl who has raised the profile of the Irish community and Perth,” added (Jean). “She took the role of Perth Rose seriously and she attended every Rose of Tralee event and function that was held.”

There is of course great excitement back in Ireland about her news.

“Lots of neighbours have been calling to the house and wishing her well and friends from all over Ireland, from Dublin to West Cork are ringing up with their best wishes,” said Dad, Tim. “One neighbour said it’s great that it’s a Cork girl but even better it’s a Watergrass Hill girl.”

Mum Violet said: “We’re terribly excited and proud of our girl but the more I think about it I’m not that surprised, she’s an extremely capable and competent girl and I know she’ll take it in her stride.”

Jean and her two sisters Joy and Edel - who also work in the medical sector as physiotherapists - and her brother Pete, a barrister, grew up helping their father, a vet.

“She was always very willing and enthusiastic and she’d get up at one

Jean O’Riordan or two o’clock in the morning to go to a place with no electricity,” added Tim. “She’d be out with wellington boots and wetter but not designer stuff to protect her from the cow dung,” he laughed.

Jean’s parents always joked with the children there would always be a job for them at home in the veterinarian clinic. “That was a strong incentive to do well in my exams,” joked Jean. “The idea of doing TB testing for the rest of my life, wasn’t ideal, I preferred going out on calls, not the TB testing.”

But years of helping her dad treat sick animals had a profound and lasting effect on her and today she works as a plastics doctor in one of Perth’s main hospitals, working in the public health system.

“I’m more of a doer than a thinker, I never considered myself an academic, you do need some academic element as a surgeon but what I like about it most is doing things,” she explained. “I like going in there, cutting out cancers, treating sickness, relieving pain.

Its something I learned form my father growing up. I relieve pain, that’s what I like most about my job, going in and being able to make a difference.”

She finds it hard when people don’t recover, or worse die. “Doing everything in my power to save a patient but losing them is the hardest thing. I suppose medicine has made such great advances in the last few years that we think if we give them

the appropriate treatment they’ll survive, its heartbreaking when you give people the best treatment and they die.”

In her work Jean carries out restorative plastic surgery, helping to give people back the use or form of their bodies when they have contacted serious disease. She has also worked alongside WA’s world famed plastics doctor Fiona Woods and has seen some of the most cutting edge medical work going on anywhere in the world.

“Maybe as technology changes we won’t be cutting in the future, as medicine advances. I had the great fortune and luck to work with Prof.

Fiona Wood. Being around her is energising. She’s a Duracell bunny.

She said to us at the start, “there’s no point in being mediocre and average when you can do something amazing. I think about that when I’m almost finished a shift or a job and it makes me go on to do the best I can. She’s an inspiration and she’s

pioneering so many new practices.”

One of which is to take a small skin graft and make it into a liquid solution and then spray it on burns victims, removing the need for large grafts from healthy parts of the body to damaged areas.

Jean studied and worked in the Irish health care system before coming to WA. She has worked shifts of up to 36 hours in a go without a break and knows the passion of the people who prop up the hospital sector, and understands the pressure they are under. She did her internship at the Mater hospital in Dublin.

“You worked through the day and night and you mightn’t get a break.

The workload was heavy and it was stressful, we learned how to deal with our stress. I learned so much in that year, perhaps more than I did in the following years. The Irish health care system is a very trying place to work, with very limited resources.

I’m working more

favourable conditions here and I’m not sure I could go back to that now but I have such great respect and admiration for those who work in that crumbling health system.”

No doubt Jean will be a tonic for many old friends from Ireland and watchers of the Rose festival when she takes to the stage. A fluent Irish speaker she isn’t sure if she will chat her way through her time on stage or if she will perform a talent.

“Lorna sang last year, she has a beautiful voice. I will wait to see what the other girls are doing on the night,” she said. Good luck Jean - from everyone in Perth.

The International Rose of Tralee and “Rose Gathering” Festival will be held from Wednesday 14 August until Tuesday 20 August.

(Jean, Tom and Violet O’Riordan were in conversation with Frank Murphy from Song For Ireland, Radio Fremantle 107.9. Edited by Lloyd Gorman)

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Australia’s mission in Ireland

by Lloyd Gorman So now you have been officially introduced to Martin (Marty) Kavanagh, the new Honorary Consul of Ireland to WA, and you know who to call in case of a passport emergency or other diplomatic difficulties. It took the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin almost two years to replace his predecessor Michael Nolan who in the course of doing the job over almost four decades issued an astronomical number of passports and dealt with thousands of calls for consular help and was the local face and hands of the Irish government in all issues - so it is a relief and boon for the Irish community here to have this representation in place again. Unfortunately there is very little doubt that Marty as HC will get some very hard cases and troubling stories across his desk and equally little doubt that he will deal with them as best he can. As HC he has certain powers and abilities but he does not have a magic wand to deal with every hard luck case that he hears. It would be reassuring to think however that he could call on the goodwill of the resident Irish community as a whole, or sections of it, for support and that this support would be gushing.

Equally important for our Australian readers is to know who they would be dealing with if they are in Ireland and are unfortunate enough to need the services and assistance of their government.

The Aussie ambassador to Ireland (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to give the correct moniker) is a Dr. Ruth Adler and she has only been in the Dublin job for a relatively short time but as career diplomat she has accrued years of overseas experience in places like Brunei Darussalam, Mexico and Manila.

The story of Irish Australian relations is said that the resources of Australia’s an interesting one, and did not get off to external affairs department were a great start. World War II had reshaped “inadequate in sufficiently senior and the world. Empires that had existed experienced career personnel to fill all before the conflict began became terminal of the country’s diplomatic posts”. He cases as people and nations - including said, “the situation would right itself many new ones - demanded freedoms with time and that it was necessary to previously unknown. It was against this draw on appropriate and experienced backdrop that official relations between individuals from outside the service.” the two countries started They compounded in 1946. It would take the diplomatic slur some years for that with the choice of agreement to become a candidate, Dominic concrete arrangement Mary Paul McGuire and an embassy in (1903-1978).

He Dublin would not be on might have had a the ground until 1964. good Irish sounding The first baby steps in name, one that would the new relationship have been well were taken about a known in Australia at decade earlier when the the time as he was a Australian government prolific and popular got around to appointing writer at the time. its envoy for Ireland. It And he was a devout is a convention for new Catholic. So on the Dr. Ruth Adler ambassadors in Ireland face of it sending to begin their consular careers in the a novelist to represent Australia in country by presenting their credentials to a land famed for its writers, authors the President. I don’t know if this custom and laureates, and strong Catholic was in place in the sixties, or even if this values might have seemed a good practice came about as a direct result of fit to someone. But McGuire was a it, but the Australian appointment did not paperback writer who could knock out impress the Irish. a best seller in as little as four days if Australia had misjudged the situation he got a good run at it or as much as and sent a chargé d’affaires - a position three weeks. It is not clear how long ranked below ambassador – which would McGuire held the post but it was not be held by someone not even living in the a long term thing but it was as far as country.

I understand the first and last time The then minister for external affairs Australia sent a lower ranking official

to Ireland to handle its business.

Over the years, as you would expect, there has been a steady stream of replacements for the top Australian job in Ireland and to lead the mission.

Like McGuire, not all of them were considered fit or appropriate for the job. Vince Gair, for example, was the ambassador to Ireland from 1974 until 1976. On the face of it he was an eminent figure having been the Premier of Queensland from 1952 until 1957. He was born to a Scottish father and an Irish mother, so he had good Irish pedigree and a high profile.

But he found himself in strife with the Irish department of foreign affairs when several female members of staff resigned in protest at his inappropriate behaviour and drink fuelled antics. He was considered “unfit for diplomacy” and recalled to Australia.

His predecessor in the Irish job was a local WA man, Ralph Honner who was born in Fremantle in 1904. A veteran of WWI Honner did not disgrace himself while living in Dublin from 1968 until 1972. Honner’s predecessor in Ireland Hugh Roberston was Australia’s first ambassador to the country. The Scottish born Robertson resigned from national politics in 1965 and was shortly afterwards given the Irish job.

He was not the only politician to leave politics and to then be asked to go to Dublin. Former Western Australia Premier Brian Burke is a prime example.

Burke came from an established

political family and won his first seat and election in 1973 at the by-election for Balcatta. Within ten years Burke had become the head of the Labor party and the 23rd premier of WA, one of the youngest in the history of the office. If his rise to power was supersonic then his downfall followed closely behind.

Five years to the day after he became premier, Burke resigned from politics (the story of his downfall is well documented and known to many and too long to get into here). Born a year after the concord between Ireland and Australia was signed in1946 Burke was 41 in 1988 when he was despatched to Ireland to uphold it. He was in the job until 1991 but was recalled to face a Royal Commission and subsequently sent to jail. The subject of his stint in Ireland might itself be worthy of a book but at a passing glance one can’t help imagine Burke made the most of his time in Ireland and enjoyed it and even picked up a few new tricks from his peers in Ireland.

The role of representing Australia’s interests in the Holy See (Vatican) was also part of the workload carried by the envoy to Ireland. Burke played this hand for Australia, as did some of his predecessors (Australia opened diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1973) and many of those who came after him). Sir Peter Lawler, who was Australian ambassador to Ireland from 1983 until 1986 lobbied for the job of Vatican ambassador to be a full time

A reader commented that our magazine was getting way too serious and needed a bit of humour! So, with that in mind the following story might tickle his fancy and also yours!!! You can blame JM!

one, resident in Rome. It wasn’t until 2008 when this happened, making Anne Plunkett the last Australian to manage the two posts out of Dublin.

As far as diplomatic postings go the Irish job is not the worst or the most arduous of missions. For a start I have read that the salary is about $190,000 a year, not a bad start. Then there’s the working environment. The embassy is in Bagot Street, a stone’s throw from the bench and figure of Patrick Kavanagh, peering endlessly at the water of the Grand Canal, and several great pubs where lunch as well as drinks can be quickly consumed and walked off with a quick stroll along the pleasant canal bank walks. The embassy itself was refurbished in 2004 and is within walking distance of the Dail, the majority of the other embassies and all the other main political and administrative institutions and offices in Dublin. At a push you could get around easily by bike if walking or limos weren’t your style.

A little further away, but still a pleasant ride on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) train is the ambassador’s residence in Kiliney.

Abbey Lea was built in 1909 in the Arts and Crafts style and originally occupied by Joshua Cheator, who owned a substantial amount of land in the picturesque district around it.

Today, the refurbished and restored pile in the affluent seaside suburb is used to entertain and for functions.

cover.

To Sean’s amazement, old Langer had his bell in his beak, so it couldn’t ring.

He’d sneak up on a pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one. “Cute Cork hoor” he thought to himself.

Sean was so proud of old Langer, he entered him in the Dublin Show and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.

The result was the judges not only awarded old Langer the “No Bell Piece Prize,” but they also awarded him the “Pulletsurprise” as well.

Clearly old Langer was a politician in the making.

Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of the most coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the unsuspecting populace and doing ‘you know what’ to them when they weren’t paying attention.

Vote carefully this coming Australian federal election as the bells are not always audible. Look what happened to Sean!!!

Smart Rooster?

Sean was in the fertilised egg business in Westmeath.

He had several hundred young ‘pullets,’ and ten roosters to fertilize the eggs. He kept records, and any rooster not performing went into the soup pot and was replaced.

This took a lot of time, so he bought some tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. While having a cuppa in the kitchen, each bell had a different tone, so he could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing.

Now, he could relax and just listen for the bells.

Sean’s favorite rooster, The Langer he bought from Cork, was a very fine specimen, but this morning he noticed the Langer’s bell hadn’t rung at all!

When he went to investigate, he saw the other roosters were busy chasing pullets, bells-a-ringing, but the pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for

Claddagh’s Visit to the Northern Ireland Parliament thanks to the people of Western Stormont Australia who contributed in any way On Tuesday April 9th 2013, representatives from the Claddagh Association Inc were invited to meet with the deputy First Minister Mr Martin McGuiness to discuss the launch of the ‘Information on Moving to Western Australia’ which coincided with the Perth launch at the Irish Club in Subiaco. The booklet was a special project undertaken by the Claddagh in response to some of the issues identified by the newly arrived Irish population to Western Australia. It was developed by a group of volunteers who had recently arrived and were able to provide

during this difficult time. Mrs Doyle wanted to make a special mention to everyone regarding the support Kevin, Ronan and their close circle of friends in Perth received in the days after Ryan’s death.

Following our meeting we were all invited to lunch and had a tour of the building.

It was a memorable experience and our thanks go to the deputy First Minister’s staff for arranging the visit and for arranging for the Doyle family to meet with us.

It was then off to Dublin to continue to promote the booklet,

we had arranged 3 radio interviews one in Drogheda and two in Dublin, Sunshine 107 FM with Lynsey Dolan and the Joan Lea show on 98FM. We also met with Crosscare Migrant Association in Sackville Street Dublin who were happy to include it into their monthly newsletter which is distributed throughout the world.

Joan Ross, President

Claddagh Helps Charlotte!

Samantha Melia, Bill Ross, Tom Quinn, Joan Ross and Mark Fitzpatrick (Charlotte below)

Bill Ross, Joan Ross, Martin Mc Guinness and Sinead Doherty at Stormont

information from their experience of what is essential information. The booklet is available for download from the Claddagh website www. claddagh.org.au The group spent the day at Stormont and during that time we met with Mr McGuiness who was very interested in the work we do and some of his constituents had been assisted by the Claddagh in recent times. Mr McGuiness had arranged for the Doyle family to meet with us at Stormont, their son Ryan died in Perth on the 19 November 2012 in Perth in tragic circumstances. The family wanted to thank the Claddagh for their support in the days, weeks after Ryan’s death. It was also an opportunity to get feedback from the family regarding how the process went, and how we can improve what we do from Perth. The Doyle family asked the Claddagh to pass on their

Following the very successful “Play a Round for Charlotte” golf day organised by the Claddagh Association, Joan Ross had great pleasure in presenting Charlotte’s father Mark with a cheque from funds raised at the event. It was only in August 2012 that Charlotte’s parents got a diagnosis of Charlotte’s Rett Syndrome. A rare neurological syndrome, causing apraxia or dyspraxia, the inability to perform motor functions, therefore affecting the ability to speak, gaze, walk, eat, drink, digest, talk, breathe and live independently. There is a high risk of scholiosis and seizures and an average lifespan of 40 years. The Claddagh continue to support local Irish families when a need arises and you can help by making a (Tax Deductable) donation to them if you are in a position to help!

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8

Finbar Furey: a Phenomenal Friend and Muso

By Mike Bowen

Finbar Furey on Uileann Pipes

“Hi Mike, Bill Bourke here” the voice says on my cell phone. “How you doing?” Before I had time to reply, he tells me my old pal Finbar Furey will be in town in a few days and is anxious to catch up with me. I tell him I too am anxious to catch up with Finbar for a chin-wag.

On the 15th of March I make my way down the freeway here in Melbourne to Frankston, only a stone throw away from Mornington the town that the Seekers made famous all those years ago with their hit song Mornington Town Ride.

I had the pleasure of living in Mornington for five years back in the 70s and I understand why the song was written.

Finbar greets me like a lost brother, with lots of hugs and kisses. It’s been a few years since we caught up and we have a lot to chat about and reminisce as our friendship goes back a long way. I am surprised with his physical appearance. He has lost a lot of weight and I ask him why and how. Then comes the shock

reply of “I had a massive heart attack on the 30th of October last year and took a trip to the pearly gates, only to be told there was a long waiting list and I would have to go back and wait in the queue”. “I took out the pipes and started to play when St Peter said to tone it down because I would wake up the dead, then he told me if I can play the pipes I mustn’t be dead and I would have to go back”. Typical of Finbar putting a comedy spin on his tragic lifethreatening situation. I was gob smacked with the news of his heart attack as no one contacted me to let me know at the time that he was ill.

Everyone assumed that someone else had let me know.

In spite of his health giving him a jolt he is in good spirit and retains that wicked sense of humour. As he prepares to tune up his pipes for the show we chat of old times and when The Furey’s first came to Australia back in 1983.

Amazing how circumstances can change ones lives. For The Furey’s that happened here in Australia when the lad who called me on my cell phone, Bill Bourke went to Ireland in 1982 and went to see The Furey’s play. He bought a copy of their album with ‘When you were Sweet Sixteen” on it. Billy fell in love with the song and gave it to Bert Newton the then highest profile person on Australian T.V. Bert also fell in love with the song and in no time at all they were riding the charts and have since became a household name and regular visitors to those shores. Now Finbar is a regular visitor as a solo entertainer who commands the stage with

Finbar Furey and Mike Bowen

his own special style of music and wonderful stories.

We reminisced about old times and an occasion when I joined him and his brothers on tour in the UK in the early 90’s. On the final night of that tour the band was playing in a place called Portmadoc in Wales. It was one of those nights when the air was filled with promise and expectation; we had travelled from Bristol in England over mountains and through torrential rains to this quaint little town of beauty. I was not at my best as my father was near death and as I was not able to handle the situation too well, the lads were babysitting and comforting me, hence Finbar’s storytelling to cheer me up. As the show came to an end of one of the best I have seen The Furey’s perform Finbar tells the audience “we have a friend of ours with us tonight from Australia who’s father isn’t doing too well right now and we are going to bring him out to introduce you to him and we are going to sing ‘My Old Man’ It was a fitting finish to the perfect night. With tears streaming down my

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face, I struggled to hold my composure while trying to put words to music. I will always be grateful to Finbar and his brothers. On reaching the ferry terminal at Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesea in North Wales at some ungodly hour of the morning after the long drive’, I realised I had no ticket to travel but Finbar to the rescue with just a few words “he’s with us” that was all that was required to assure me of my passage. Just when the night was ending and it was decided that we all should have a final drink to celebrate the success of the tour we were informed that the bar has closed and no more drink would be served.

With that, Finbar demands to see the Captain of the ship who duly arrives and greets Finbar with a warm smile and opens the bar and joins us in our celebrations.

Back in present day Australia it was again time for Finbar to weave his magic to the capacity crowd at the Frankston Centre. The lights dim and the master piper, singer, storyteller walks on stage to an audience who knows that they are in for a very special treat. He may be frail from his recent surgery but it does not show in his performance. From the opening old classic, tune The Lonesome Boatman to the closing number “When you were sweet sixteen” he held the audience spellbound in the palm of his hand as he weaved his magic in a show that gave value plus. More importantly, he left them with a memory they will never forget, the work of a master at his very best. At the end, we embrace, kiss and wish one another slant and hopefully it won’t be as long before our next encounter.

You can help Eoin Conquer Cancer....

In October this year Waterford man, Eoin Fanning will be taking part in the Sunsuper Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting the Western Australia Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR). The bike ride will take place over two days with a total distance over 200km, starting in Perth and ending in Pinjarra on day one with the return trip the following day. Each rider sets their own fundraising goal with a minimum amount of $2500 required to participate.

“I have already reached the minimum $2500 in donations but I want to keep on going. This is such a fantastic cause, I want to raise as much as I can between now and the event in October. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has donated so far. It’s amazing how generous people can be if you simply explain how their donations would be of such great help.”

Any amount of donation would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to make a donation to Eoin’s ride contact him via email at fanning.eoin@gmail.com. For more information about the ride, go to www.conquercancer.org.au.

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11

A Hero from Killucan (Part One)

Peter Conole, Western Australia Police Historian The villages of Killucan and Rathwire breaking the enemy line at the battle of in County Westmeath nestle together Boomplaats in August 1848, receiving a about 60 kilometres from Dublin. As of a dangerous wound in the process. Robert couple of years ago they were further distinguished himself in the desperate in a prosperous state, although their combined populations and ferocious Eighth did not amount to 1700. They Frontier War of 1850are ancient places and have 1853, from which he been the scene of dramatic emerged with four events in Irish history. more injuries, including In the 19th Century a serious one to his Killucan was part of a large right arm. He gained Church of Ireland (Anglican) promotions but no longer diocese. In the year 1828 the found it necessary to pay Reverend Cecil Crampton for them: Lieutenant in (1784-1863) was Rector of 1850, Captain in 1857.

Killucan and not in a happy The latter advancement frame of mind. The Bishop involved a transfer into of Meath disputed his right the oldest English unit to the position and two great in the British Army, and noble families transferred the 2nd Regiment of the struggle for control to the Foot (the Queen’s Royal Major Robert Henry House of Lords. Crampton Regiment), a good Crampton, late 1860s survived, perhaps because in the broader indication of the high regard many scheme of things his family could call on senior officers had for him. the support of a powerful network. Of Robert married Catherine Sophia that more later, for such linkages were at Middlemore at Worcester, England in times vital factors in the life of the hero June 1863. She was the daughter of an of this two-part series. For the moment influential retired general, Sir George it suffices to say that the Cramptons were Middlemore. Captain Crampton had a notable family of Anglo-Irish gentry, already been launched on his most vital descended in the male line from Captain career move - and it involved Western John Crampton, a soldier who settled in Australia. In March 1863 he received Dublin in the 1680s, late in the reign of an appointment as a staff officer in the King Charles the Second. Readers will Enrolled Pensioner Force (EPF), the be aware that such families often became backbone of the colonial defence system. devoted to their new homeland and Colonel John Bruce, the Commandant gloried in being Irish. in WA, wanted a well-educated and Cecil Crampton married Jane Ribton tactful second-in-command. The only and the couple were the parents of a local option was deemed unsuitable, so large family, including five sons. The Robert received promotion to Major youngest of them was Robert Henry on August 4, 1863 and embarked on the Crampton, born on July 12, 1827. He ‘Lord Dalhousie’ soon afterwards. He received a fine education and, as was and Catherine arrived at Fremantle in often the case with younger sons, chose late December. the army as a career or was propelled As the second ranking man of the into it. He purchased a commission as an EPF, Robert assisted Colonel Bruce in Ensign in the 91st Regiment of Foot (the day-to-day peacetime military matters, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) and such as personnel management, training, soon found himself in the thick of South site inspections and financial issues.

African conflicts.

Like other officers he also gave help and The young man proved to be a advice in establishing and preparing recklessly brave and capable soldier colonial militia units. Last but not least, – a ‘most talented and meritorious officer’ as befitted members of the gentry, he and according to one colonel. In a brief Catherine played key roles in local social war with the Boers he led the way in life. The couple began to raise a family

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in WA, starting with a son Cecil Robert Middlemore Crampton (born 1864) and twin daughters Violet and Mary (born 1866).

In mid-1866 Superintendent William Hogan of the WA Police resigned after some difficult and stressful disputes with colonial officials. The post was completely vacant with no permanent successor in sight. Robert Crampton assumed the role of Acting Superintendent on July 12, 1866 and soon revealed himself to be a supremely capable law enforcement administrator.

As this writer wrote years ago, the Major “…was an efficient and imaginative man and it is a pity the authorities did not appoint him to the substantive position of Superintendent.”

Robert made a point by giving credit where it was due, reporting to the Governor that “In justice to Mr Hogan I may state…that everything is in the most complete working order.”

He visited the key metropolitan stations of Perth, Fremantle and Guildford and came to positive conclusions, but soon realised he had to manage expanding policing requirements without funding increases.

In August 1866 he advised Governor Hampton that police expenditure was overdrawn because two new posts in the The Enrolled Pensioner Force Barracks in about 1868

north - Roebuck Bay and Cossack - had not been included in budget estimates.

Neither had the increased costs for horse forage, or the police assistance required to meet the needs of the C.C.Hunt exploring expedition.

In a report to the Governor, the Superintendent - note that the word ‘Acting’ is virtually redundant - spelled things out clearly by explaining the police set-up in Geraldton and beyond and the need to make arrangements for

expansion. There were seven police stations in the northern areas, not counting the two recent foundations which had somehow escaped treasury attention. The most senior officer was in charge at Champion Bay (Geraldton), Sergeant Joseph Dyer, a veteran of the Crimean War and the London Metropolitan Police. He had control of only 15 corporals or constables and five aboriginal assistants to cover a vast jurisdiction.

The Governor was not a popular man and had a reputation for both severe treatment of convicts and nepotism, which made him a prime subject for adverse press attention. He will have been grateful for Robert Crampton’s tact and attention to detail in times of cost cutting. The Superintendent came up with a plan of action for the re-organisation of policing in September, one that had been partially devised and recommended by William Hogan some time earlier.

Robert Crampton suggested that the settled areas of the colony be divided into five distinct police districts, with local capitals at Perth, Albany, Bunbury, Champion Bay and York.

He envisaged that each would be placed under the command of one of the five Sub-Inspectors commissioned under Hogan in 1865. A total of 21 police stations were included in the plan, which did not include the two most northerly posts or the Imperial Water Police, still a separate jurisdiction at the time.

The general idea was to have the system in full operation within 18 months, but delays occurred because of some complaints and anxieties about transfers. One reasonable but difficult matter involved Sub-Inspector William Snook of Fremantle, who did not want to be sent north because of health concerns. Communications in that pre-telegraph and telephone era were also problematic. Robert issued a directive

late in 1866 stressing that sergeants and constables had to report to Perth through the Sub-Inspectors, but allowed men to forward reports by the “most direct route” (ie, straight to him) if really awkward, urgent things were at issue.

Before the end of the year the Superintendent had some success in gaining extra finance for the police and came up with workable plans to improve the design of police stations and obtain fresh equipment by any lawful means necessary. For example, the Fremantle police were sometimes involved in the pursuit and capture of dangerous and desperate criminals, but were poorly armed and had only a couple of revolvers to use.

Sub-Inspector Snook informed central office that the captain of a merchant ship was offering several for sale. Robert gave permission for four more revolvers to be ‘snap purchased’, two each for Perth and Fremantle.

As will be seen, the year 1866 ended on a high note in terms of personal achievements, but it was a monumental disaster in the domestic sense. The Crampton family was hit by a triple tragedy that attracted sympathy from all levels of society and put a dire end to Robert’s personal happiness.

An Irishman designed the White House.

In 1792 George Washington and Thomas Jefferson organised a competition to decide who would build the domicile of the President, and the man who won was an Irishman named James Hoban. James Hoban was not only born in Ireland, but he also studied architecture in his homeland as well. Not only did he design it, but he also built it, and more than once. After the White House was destroyed in 1814, Hoban had to design and build it all over again. Only a true Irishman would be so stubborn. You can never keep us down.

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‘DANNY’ DECONSTRUCTED

Autographed sheet music of Danny Boy

By JOHN HAGAN

On Sunday nights during my youth, our family, like many others of that era, would gather round the piano to make music, at least that’s how I remember it.

No doubt our recitals (shall I deign to call them such?), included the hits of the day such as, This Old House, How Much is that Doggie in the Window?, interspersed with many beloved parental standards, including, Silver Threads Among the Gold, and Keep the Home Fires Burning. Being a Jo Stafford fan, Mother’s party piece was It is no Secret, while I entertained (if that is not an overstatement) with Hank Williams’, I Saw the Light. Memory alas fails me as to the musical offerings of others around the Sunday night piano.

But no matter who sang what, we seemed to know every line of it.

It was a time of joy for all of us.

How we looked forward to making a ruckus while enjoying each other’s company, not to mention the inherent amateur theatrics of the moment.

Why do I now, almost half a century later, recollect these youthful sessions as a highlight of my adolescent years? Whim?

Nostalgia? Because I am getting old and the past is more vivid than the present? Well, perhaps the latter, but not entirely.

A few years ago my Mother, our resident Sunday night pianist, passed away. She was certainly not a ‘concert standard’ accompanist, but she could hold a tune and tinkle proficiently enough on the ivories of our upright, ironframed, ancient, Acherberg piano.

While recently sorting through her ‘effects’ (a seemingly unfeeling description for the possessions lovingly collected and cherished over a lifetime), I came across

some of the piano sheet music she had accumulated. The Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill, The Holy City, The Hills of Donegal and Danny Boy, to mention but a few. All original scores – now yellowing, somewhat mottled and getting a little dog-eared.

At the top of Danny Boy score Mother had written her name, but near the bottom of the title page, just next to, ‘Price 2/= net’, was another signature, that of the composer, ‘Fred E Weatherly’. (It is his own hand as I have checked out the signature).

According to the title page, Danny Boy is a “Song, written to an Old Irish Air, by Fred E Weatherly”, which was published by “Boosey & Co. 295 Regent Street, London, W”, in 1913. But who was this Fred E Weatherly, and how did he become so intimately associated with our quasi-national anthem?

Born in 1848, in Portishead, England, Frederick Edward Weatherly was a veritable one man tune and lyrics factory, with over 3000 compositions to his name.

Of his musical career, The Times (London) eulogized, “His fertility was extraordinary, and though it is easy to be contemptuous of his drawing-room lyrics, sentimental, humorous and patriotic, --- it is certain that no practising barrister has ever before provided so much innocent pleasure.” Weatherly’s notable works include, The Old Brigade (1881), The Holy City (1892), Darby and Joan (1909) and the First World War classic - which recently featured in the film (and stage show) ‘War Horse’ - Roses of Picardy (1916), and of course the immortal, Danny Boy. But Weatherly did not confine himself solely to songs, his prose publications include Wilton School,

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(1872); The Rudiments of Logic, Inductive and Deductive, (1879); Questions in Logic, Progressive and General, (1883) and Musical and Dramatic Copyright (1890). He also published several collections of verse including Muriel and other Poems, Dresden China and other Songs and Songs for Michael, (1927). Beatrix Potter’s signed illustrations were first published in A Happy Pair, a book of verse written by Weatherly.

He also worked in opera, making English translations of Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana, for Covent Garden and writing the lyrics for the 1894 show Mirette, which opened at London’s Savoy Theatre Weatherly graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Classics in 1871, and in the same year (1920) he married Anna Maria Hardwick with whom he had a son and two daughters. He remained in Oxford, briefly working as a schoolmaster and then as a private tutor until 1887, when he qualified as a barrister. He began his legal career in London before moving to the west of England and remained active in the legal profession until the end of his life.

How he ever maintained a thriving law practice while contributing so much to music and lyrics remains something of a mystery.

Arguably, Danny Boy (1910) is his most enduring and popular creation, but Weatherly was not entirely responsible for the whole

composition.

Apparently, the first appearance of the tune in print was in 1855, in Ancient Music of Ireland, published Fred E Weatherly

by George Petrie (1789-1866). The untitled melody was supplied to Petrie by Miss Jane Ross of Limavady (County Londonderry), who claimed to have heard it played by Blind Jimmy McCurry, an itinerant piper.

She is said to have subsequently written down the melody and saved it, as she did with a number of tunes she heard played in the Limavady area.

However, there is now considerable doubt about Miss Ross’ story. No additional versions of the melody have been unearthed by other collectors.

The structure of the melody she recorded is unlike any other traditional Irish tune, and it is not suited for words in any of the known Irish song meters.

Some musicologists have alleged that Miss Ross wrote the air herself, although if she did, she certainly missed out on an embarrassment of royalties!

Another possible source for the melody has been attributed to Robert Clark, who is said to have played it frequently while walking between Suffolk and Manchester during the 1840’s, long before the Ross claim.

Relatively recently (1979), Hugh Shields identified a tune, in pioneer gatherer of Irish harp music, Edward Bunting’s 1796 collections entitled Aislean an Oigfear (the young man’s dream) which he maintains illustrates striking musical similarities to what we now know as the Londonderry Air. Whatever the tune’s origin, in 1912 Weatherly’s sister-in-law in America sent him a melody called the Londonderry Air which he had never heard before. He immediately noticed that this melody fitted perfectly with the lyrics of his composition, Danny Boy, which he had previously written in 1910. He duly effected a revision to meld the new melody with his lyrics, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Weatherly was made a King’s Counsel in 1926 and in the same year he published his autobiography, Piano and Gown. He died at his home, Bathwick Lodge, Bath, after a short illness in September 1929, at the age of 80. At his funeral in Bath Abbey, the Londonderry Air was played as a voluntary.

Throughout his lifetime, Weatherly never visited Ireland, nor did my Mother travel to England until the late 1940s, so the mystery remains as to how she acquired the autographed copy of Danny Boy. Alas, now I shall never know.

500 Shows Later...

Duncan still loves the Blues & Rory!

Duncan Smith’s knowledge and love of music has had him on 89.7FM Twin Cities radio’s program line-up from the beginning in Joondalup, Western Australia.

For the past the past 12 years he has had a radio show and on Sunday, June 23, celebrated his 500th show.

I have known Duncan for some years, as our sons played cricket together and the name Rory Gallagher came up in conversation on more that one occasion.

Duncan is a Gallagher tragic and he has ALL the CD’S of the iconic Irish blues guitarist/singer, as you see in the photo above.

Duncan told the Irish Scene that the show is very popular and plays heavily eclectic, catering for all age groups, include pop, rock, blues, folk, alternative, heavy, country and everything in between.

“We have listeners in Perth, the eastern states, country WA, the USA, England and Scotland, and Facebook followers as far afield as the Philippines and Uganda.”

Duncan, of Kingsley, marked 500 shows by playing songs with numbers in the title, including Led Zeppelin’s 10 Years Gone and The Beatles’ One After 909.

It is Duncan’s love of the music of Rory Gallagher that got my attention and he told me that he saw Rory in Australia on 2 occasions.

You can listen to Duncan on the World Wide Web on his 89.7FM Twin Cities radio’s program.

Well done Duncan and from all Irish Community in Australia, thank you for keeping Rory Gallagher’s music alive.

Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste during the late 1960s. A talented guitarist known for his charismatic performances and dedication to his craft, Gallagher’s albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London, UK at the age of 47.

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Sunshine & Fireworks for One Big Weekend Derry 2013

PERTH CITY

By Grainne McCool

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BBC Radio 1’s One Big Weekend finished in Derry on Sunday 27th May. It ended with an amazing display of fireworks and Bruno Mars’ ‘Just the Way you are’! It really was spectacular from beginning to end. The sun shone for the three day event and the city of Derry lit up like never before. The City of Culture sparkled.

The event opened on the Friday and Ebrington Square, Derry came alive with music and song. Calvin Harris clearly stole the night and Derry was on fire. Nearby villages and towns in Donegal heard the music and enjoyed. Saturday saw another musical extravaganza with performances by Kodaline, Ellie Goulding, The Saturdays, DJ Fresh, Biffy Clyro and many more. It was another star studded line up on stage. And Derry rocked into the night. Sunday saw Olly Murs, The Script, Paramore, Bruno Mars and a host of other stars dawn the Derry stage.

The weekend showed just what an amazing city and people Derry really is. The city opened its doors and let the world in. The experience exposed the true colours of Derry and allowed it to make headlines for all the right reasons. Derry showed what a welcoming, fun and beautiful city it really is. The music brought the people together and showcased the true spirit of the city, which is very much alive and well.

This will surely open the doors for more such events. The City proved to be a real hot spot and not only did the sun shine, but the people of Derry shined brightly.

Having been to OBW on the Saturday I saw personally just what an amazing job was being done.

Security was second to none. Facilities Ultan McCool and Jack were first class. One did McConnellogue from Muff not have to spend more than a few minutes in any given queue. Food, drinks and toilet facilities were exceptionally well organised and stewards were on hand at all times to offer any assistance. A one way system inside the arena was in place to ensure easy movement from one stage to the next. A little rain into the night didn’t deter anyone. It was excellent. The music was fore in everyone’s mind and it played out. Derry was rocking.

BBC Radio 1 brought an outstanding show to Derry.

Robbie Williams even popped in! Derry did itself proud over the weekend and people have made lifetime memories. As Bruno Mars sang ‘You’re amazing, just the way you are’. And Derry you really are amazing,

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The collection of pictorial material is wonderful: all the photos of Fenians in existence, rescuers, artwork, scenes in W.A. And Ireland; monuments in U.S.A. etc, etc. It’s a handsome book and a credit to a great effort in assiduous collecting over many years.”

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IN EXILE by: Mary Elizabeth Blake

And deep shame upon me that any one should hear!

The black cloud is gone of the hunger and the fear, The black care that sat like a wolf beside the door In the far, far land I shall never see more.

Ever Blessed Savior! be not wroth with me!

For all Thy gifts and mercies, praise and glory be; But the shadow’s in my eyes for the little one I bore, Who’s asleep in the land I shall never see more.

The green is on the grass and the blue is in the sky, And the soft, wet winds of April hurry by; The earth laughs loud to the waves upon the shore, But I’m sad for the land I shall never see more.

And often in the night time and often in the day I know by the tears that my heart is far away; I know by the tears that my heart is longing sore For the fair lost land I shall never see more.

“In Exile” is reprinted from The Little Book of American Peace is here and plenty, -- O the glad relief! – Poets: 1787-1900. Ed. Jessie B. Rittenhouse. Cambridge: With laughing of the children between my soul and grief; Riverside Press, 1915.

Sorrow is behind us and happy days before, -But God be with the land I shall never see more!

17

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Go raibh maith agat!

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Taste 32 would like to thank everybody and all its followers for the on going support over the last few months, it sure has been exciting and we hope to Keep Taste 32 unique and interesting with new ideas and promotions.

We have introduced our very own gourmet Coffee which has proven to be a big hit with all the coffee fanatics that come to Taste 32.

Taste 32 would like to introduce and Stephen Cleary welcome its new Butcher Stephen Cleary, I am sure all of you that have been to Taste 32 recently would know Stephen to be a right character and we are happy to have him as an asset to the company.

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Immigration Network Australia

Fresh Irish blood runs through WA Parliament

by Lloyd Gorman

The balance of power in WA’s parliament went dramatically in favour of the Liberal Party after the March 9 state elections. The Liberals won a landslide victory and trounced the Labor party. If there was political blood shedding there was also new blood injected into the body politic of WA and it is one region in particular that has produced the new vein. It is a custom of the assembly for newly elected members of parliament (MoPs) to use their first speech in the House to introduce themselves and their back story to the rest of the MoPs. One of Labor’s six new recruits to the parliament, representing the Mining and Pastoral Region, Stephen Dawson revealed he was Irish – and proud of it.

“My first experience of the Mining and Pastoral Region was on holiday in 1986,” he said. “My family first came to Australia in December of that year.

At the time I was the eldest of three children, although a fourth child was on the way. My aunt and uncle had come here from Ireland months before to run a youth hostel and we travelled around the world to visit them.

After months of planning, we finally

Stephen Dawson

arrived in the beautiful city of Perth.

We loved the place. We explored its parks, Fremantle, Rottnest Island and the beautiful beaches. Having come from Ireland where we put our shorts and T-shirts on when it hit 15 degrees, this great new place was not what we were used to.

“Soon after spending some time in Perth, mam and dad packed me, my sister, Mairead, my brother, Cormac,

and a twinkle that was to become my sister, Brid, into a family wagon, and along with my aunt, uncle and cousins off we set on for what was for us in those days an outback adventure. The journey took us through the Wheatbelt, the Goldfields and the south west of this great state. My first experience of red dust was the ochre sand caked into my nice, new, white runners.

“After seven weeks of experiencing first-hand the delights of Western Australia and recognising the opportunities that lay here, my parents made the difficult decision to shift halfway across the world in search of a better life for their children, and upon arrival back in Dublin they began the process to migrate”. Like many others who have settled here in WA, we were essentially economic migrants. The economy in Ireland was struggling, unemployment was rising and the working-class suburb we lived in was beginning to feel the consequences of joblessness and the social problems that this brings.

“Both of my parents were Dubliners and it was through them I gained my strong values around family, community, and social justice. Mam was one of nine children born to Jem and Dolly Mooney, one of whom, Thomas, a twin, died at birth. Mam’s eldest sister, Theresa, tragically drowned at the age of 16 years, and my heartbroken grandmother never recovered and passed away not long after. Now being the eldest child, mam took on the role of mother to her remaining seven siblings. In what could not have been an easy task for a teenager, she guided them along the path to where they are today. As I was growing up those aunts and uncles in many ways seemed like older brothers and sisters to me. Often mam would call out “Seamus, Michael, Martin, Walter, Noel” before she’d finally get to “Stephen” and I would realise that she was calling for me. The patience she must have gained looking after her siblings no doubt stood her in good stead, as for the last many years she has worked as a carer of the elderly, and with those she has cared for often becoming like our Aussie grandparents.

21

“My dad, Noel, was the middle child of three children born to Peter and Monica. Dad’s father died when he was just five years old, and so I never got to meet my grandfather and dad never got to experience what I got to have with him being a loving father.

As a young man, my dad went to England to play football for Everton, but missing home and his mam, he gave it up and came back to Ireland. He went on to have an illustrious career in the Irish Premier League. Dad continued to play top league soccer long after we moved to Perth and has played for and coached a number of Perth’s soccer teams over the years. My parents, Phyllis and Noel, have always been there for me and my brother and sisters, and throughout the years we might not have been happy with all the decisions they made but we know now that they made them with our best interests in mind. The immigration process over two years felt long, yet worth the wait. We were a young family escaping a depressed economy and in search of a better life.

I still cannot imagine what families who board rickety boats to come to Australia trying to escape persecution must be going through when they choose to set sail on those treacherous seas. It breaks my heart to think of and to hear of boats sinking, and with them the lives of people only seeking to make a better life for themselves and their families.”

The Dawson family arrived in Australia in 1989, just weeks before Stephen turned 14, a formative time for the Irish teenager in a new land.

“Having previously been schooled through the Irish language and speaking English only as a second language, my first day at Hollywood made me feel like I was on the set of Home and Away. It was a very different life to the rigours of a Christian Brothers school.

People carried surfboards and skateboards rather than the Hurley sticks and the round footballs that I was used to. Suddenly all the academic subjects that I had known and loved at school I now found more difficult and lost interest due to the language barrier. I kept with French, which I

had long studied in Ireland and took up the subjects of politics and drama, both of which I have no doubt will serve me well in my role in this place.

For us, like many other migrants, Australia has been the lucky country, but it is only lucky for those of us who make it! All my brothers and sisters have prospered in our new homeland.

We have done well and have benefited greatly from our lives here. Between us we have played soccer for the state, attended the WA Institute of Sport and received citizenship awards and all have made the most of the opportunities that WA has afforded us.

Perhaps it was because we were so far away from our extended family, but we are all good friends and very close knit. Rarely a week goes by that we do not catch up for a barbecue or lunch.

We are blessed. As a result of my family’s strong commitment to community, Irish culture and language has always been an important part of my life. I love nothing more than listening to the Pogues and Christy Moore or singing a few rebel songs on a night out. Over the years and to this day I still remain involved in the Irish Club of WA and occasionally tread the boards with the Irish Theatre Players.

It seems most Irish politicians, because of the struggles that the nation has gone through, have a tradition of activism in the pursuit of justice. After all, our country was invaded and our culture was suppressed for many years.

We have our own strong indigenous culture in Ireland, expressed mainly through our language, our music and our national sports. Thanks to Janet in the Parliamentary Library I have discovered that I am the twenty-third Irish born MP in the Western Australian Parliament, and the first in over half a century—part of a proud tradition of Irish rabble-rousers who have been elected to serve the people of this state.” Back in Ireland his dad was a shop steward in the Irish Transport & General Workers Union which he said was “a natural fit” for his membership of the Labor Party and his activism.

A background in activism and deep Irish roots led another MoP to the chambers. Also representing the Pastoral and Mining Region but this time for the National Party Jacqui Boydell (right) is new to the position of MoP, but not to the House, having worked in the parliament from 2009 to 2010 as a staffer, an experience which she said

was a good time and experience.

“My family background has great significance and meaning to me, as it has defined who I am today and is partly the reason I find myself in this place,” she said.

“My mother arrived at Fremantle port aboard the ship Ellinis on 6 June 1964 as an 18-year-old on a journey of adventure to a country she had never been to before and to a family that, although related, she had never met before. That would be a brave thing to do even by today’s standards. Well, I can tell members that my mother is a brave woman and a great role model to me, my daughter and my nieces, and, indeed, to many of the other young women she has met throughout her life. In fact, she and my father have always been generous with their time to family and friends, to people less fortunate than themselves and people more fortunate than themselves, and to their community of Carnarvon and the greater Gascoyne region in general.

My mother was born at home on the family property in Northern Ireland on the outskirts of a small town called Roslea. She was one of seven children, although unfortunately for my mother and her family, three of those children Jacqui did not survive, because Boydell they died during their early years. My family faced many adverse times during my mother’s childhood due to a number of factors: discrimination according to religious background; a lack of freedom; a threat of violence; a lack of opportunity; and, of course, the economy in general in Northern Ireland at the time, which was not great, and I am sorry to say we see that occurring again at this time.”

On her fathers side the family’s connection with Carnarvon and its community are deep, as has been the family’s contribution to the region. A few months after her mother landed in Australia she found herself in Carnarvon in 1965 and was married there on 12 February 1966. Building up a family trucking business they lived outside the town, alongside many indigenous families of the Ingada peo-

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ple, who lived in makeshift huts on the side of the road and faced many of the same social and economic hardships as other aboriginal people. “Boor Street was a long way from school, let alone from decision makers in Perth or local members of Parliament. I am not sure anyone in any authority really thought anything about what was occurring on Boor Street.”

But even in outback Australia they maintained their connection with the family in Ireland.

“I have been extremely lucky in my life to have had close relationships with my extended family,” she added.

“Even though many of them lived overseas, my parents always ensured that my brother and I engaged in family goingson. Through the guidance of my mum and dad, my brother and I are knowledgeable about our family history and have a much defined sense of who we are and where we come from. I think it is so important for children and families to understand where they fit in the world. To me, this is a starting point to base myself on.”

Indeed, amongst the factors that led her to a life in politics Boydell’s mother and father were a big influence. “I come from quite a political family, so my involvement in politics goes back to my parents’ involvement,” she said.

“In the early 1990s my mother was actually the divisional president of the Kalgoorlie division of the Liberal Party. My parents had been members of the Liberal Party, however, after a period of disillusionment, their involvement waned as did mine. My mother also ran for the seat of Gascoyne for the National Party under the leadership of Hendy Cowan. Once I heard about the concept of royalties for regions, I could not understand why a person living in regional WA at the time would not vote for the Nationals. I believed that only one party was listening to me and, as I said before, Parliament and decision making was a long way from my door, but all of a sudden here it was.”

Memory

John Boyle O’Reilly 25th Anniversary Commemoration On the weekend of March 25 and 26, over 300 people attended the John Boyle O’Reilly 25th Anniversary Commemoration in the Bunbury region.

I am tired of planning and toiling In the crowded hives of men; The two-day event Heart-weary of building and spoiling, And spoiling and building again. filmed by local And I longwas for the dear old river, Where I dreamed my youth away; documentary maker For a dreame r lives forever, And a toiler dies in a day.

Kim Redman and produced by local tour operator Peter Sunday 25th March 2013 Bunbury, Western Australia Murphy and editor of the Irish Scene magazine Fred Rea. Shot on location in the City of Bunbury, and in the Shires of Dardanup and Harvey, the 25 minute DVD not only highlights the natural beauty of the region; but also John Boyle O’Reilly’s daring escape from the penal settlement of WA on an American whaler in 1869. It also includes a 16 pages booklet telling the story of John Boyle O’Reilly and has some rare correspondence from O’Reilly.

The film also captures interviews with several local dignitaries, who over the years; have been keen supporters of the O’Reilly story. They include: Mayor of Bunbury David Smith, exLord Mayor of Bunbury Ernie Manea, ex-Deputy Mayor of Bunbury Tom Dillon, City of Bunbury Councillor Murray Cook and ex-Bunbury ABC Radio journalist Janine Unsworth.

The DVD was launched on June 25th in Bunbury and copies sent interstate, Ireland, England and America, where it is hoped the DVD will attract more interest in O’Reilly’s connection to the Bunbury region, while promoting the greater region as a tourism destination.

The cost of the DVD is $25. A limited number of copies are available from Peter Murphy on 9732 1270 or 043997650 or Fred Rea 0418943832.

You can have a copy posted for a total price of $30 includes postage and handing. Contact Fred Rea at fred@irishscene.com.au or send a cheque to: Gaelforce Promotions, 12 Dysart Court, Kingsley, Western Australia 6026.

From The Cry of The Dreamer

AUSTRALIA’S

by John Boyle O’Reilly

2013 © All rights reserved

J.B. O’Reilly

The Bell Returns...

Some, many, no, lots of years ago, local Perth musician Brendan Woods needed a bell for a show. “Where can I find a bell?” was the question.

Someone suggested that the Irish Club had a bar bell and following negotiations, Brendan borrowed it from the club. He used it for the show and low and behold proceeded to misplace it. Some weeks ago he was cleaning his cupboard and what should fall out and hit him on the head but... The Bell! When Julie got home she found Brendan dazed in the kitchen saying, “There’s a ringing in my ears!” Lying next to Brendan was a bell... “Where did you get that from?” Following a strong cup of tea it all came back to him and he knew where it came from. Last week, after many, many years, Brendan returned the bell to the Irish Club manager, Nick.

Fred Rea

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John Boyle O’Reilly Memor ial 25th Anniver sary Comme morati on

On the voyage of the convict transport “Hougoumont,” the Fenians produced seven issues of a hand written, literary newspaper “The Wild Goose,” the original manuscript of which is in the Mitchell Library, Sydney. Many of John Boyle O’Reilly’s poems made their first appearance in “The Wild Goose”. This one, entitled “Memory” was written on board the convict ship. Ormonde Waters “I love in memory to recall those days of peace and joy, to blot out worldly wiles and cares, and feel again a boy; to play along the Boyne’s green banks, or through the wild wood roam, to paint in fancy’s eye once more my dear old childhood’s home.

Ah, Time! Thy hand may sour the face and sow the wintry hair; but from my heart, those tender thoughts thou shalt not – cannot tear.

Though far removed from that dear spot, yet still I love to trace the river winding through the vale, each bright young schoolmate’s face.

To roam bird-nesting far from home, to hear the noisy mill, – yes all are dear! But one loved thought is brighter, dearer still.

‘Twas down beside the Boyne’s green banks, beneath the leafy shade, I told my boyish love-tale to a little brown-haired maid.

‘Twas there I heard the whispered words that filled my soul with bliss and planted first on Mary’s lips a lingering lover’s kiss.

All past and gone, those dreams of joy! All fled, and naught remains!

But memory’s potent spell recalls their pleasures and their pains, I pray that God may guard thy steps, and bless thee, Mary, dear.

I’ll never see thee more, but yet I know thou’lt drop a tear for him who loved thee first of all, who first thy lips impressed, and told thee how he loved thee, with thy cheek upon his breast.

Oh, Memory! Blest gift of God, continue still to pour thy softening influence on my heart ‘till this short life is o’er.

Some crush thy spells, because thy joys may leave a trace of pain, but Wisdom, purest, brightest gem, we oft through sorrow gain.”

DVD

1988 - 2013

DVD - Running Time 25 minutes

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Sunday Session in Rosies Fremantle with The Dublin Rogues

Open from 11am - 10pm with our casual and very affordable ALL DAY GRUB menu with Entertainment from 4pm to 7pm

23 William Street Fremantle • Phone 9335 1645

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Ireland-Western Australia Forum Promoting business, professional and cultural links between Ireland and Western Australia

Meet and Greet Night to Promote Business in Western Australia

If you would like the chance to promote your company, please send your details reception@kavlaw.com.au

On Wednesday July 31st, the Ireland-Western Australia Forum will be hosting a meet and greet night. The night will be a fantastic night for networking and catching up, with the chance for two companies to promote and introduce their respective businesses. Newly appointed Honorary Consul for Ireland, Marty Kavanagh, will also be in attendance.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Please join us for this great night with a complimentary drink on arrival plus finger food.

Date & Time: Wednesday 31 July @ 5.30pm Venue: Celtic Club, 48 Ord Street West Perth Cost: Free Event RSVP: Please feel free ot just turn up on the night but it would help greatly if you could RSVP reception@kavlaw.com.au by 24 July 213 for catering purposes.

The Forum is keen to lift our overall footprint and activities to a new level. If you are keen to be involved or wish to recommend speakers please do not hesitate to contact Marty Kavanagh on 92188422 or email: marty@kavlaw.com.au

All areas of Family Law, children’s issues,

divorce & property matters financial agreements Wills Restraining Orders

Marty Kavanagh

B.Comm (Hons), Grad Dip, LLB Barrister and Solicitor

2/100 Terrace Rd East Perth 6004 • t: 9218 8422 • m: 0430 960 859 Derry City of Culture...

The Return of Colmcille

Friday June 7th and Saturday June 8th were certainly the highlight of Derry’s City of Culture status to date. It marked the centrepiece in the year and the city glowed and sparkled for over 30 hours.

The weekend was titled ‘The Return of Colmcille’ and celebrated the iconic and fascinating figure of Saint Colmcille, Derry City and its people.

The weekend was a scripted production by Frank Cottrell Boyce and it promised to be even more exciting than his recent work on the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympic Games. This story was based on Ireland’s Saint Columba/Colmcille and it is believed he founded the City of Derry prior to heading to Scotland to spread Christianity. In this work Colmcille was returning to Derry to hear stories of all that had happened since his departure 1,450 years ago.

The crowds had gathered along the quay from early Friday evening. Entertainment was provided along the walkway and the mood was one of excitement and anticipation. The Colmcille curragh, which had departed the Scottish island of Iona came into view and the large barge with a wooden box was behind. As they approached the quay to tremendous applause, the city of Derry came alive.

Music composed by Jim Sutherland filled the air and people from all corners of the globe were there to hear it. The city was bursting with pride and this was evident in the faces of everyone around. An amazing and exciting weekend was underway.

A procession followed into Guildhall Square and culminated with the wooden box and its guard of monks being set in place. The mysterious box was to be opened on Saturday and it was the talk of the night to follow!

The box was opened on Saturday afternoon and it revealed a giant book for the people of the city to write their stories for Colmcille. The history of the city would be put in words. Following this the city was transformed into ColmVille and pirates and monks roamed the streets and there were performances everywhere.

At 9pm the People’s Procession passed through the city. An extravagant procession of costumes, a

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• e: marty@kavlaw.com.au

cavalcade of floats representing the whole history of Derry passed by. These included Dopey Dick, Monks and Skeletons, The Undertones, The Flight of the Earls, Women of the Shirt Factory, Punks and many more.

For the finale thousands gathered along the side of the river Foyle to watch the battle between the Loch Ness monster and Colmcille. The monster sailed up the Foyle breathing fire and fireworks towards the Peace Bridge, Colmcille and the people of Derry scared the monster off!

The monster sank and three white swans appeared – another legendary Irish myth, The Children of Lir! The crowds cheered and applauded and as the fireworks exploded for the ending the city of Derry was buzzing.

Derry was awesome this past weekend. The City of Culture status suits the maiden city and the atmosphere is just growing with each new month.

Colmcille certainly was welcomed back to the city with open arms and created a majestic atmosphere.

People are alive with emotion at the present time and everyone is being touched by the City of Culture!

If you are going to Ireland this year, make sure Derry is on your itinerary!

Grainne McCool

Gaybo’s man is a radio star in Western Australia.

Story and photos by Tom Gilmore.

For almost two decades an emigrant voice, now one of West Australia’s best known Irish-born broadcasters, Frank Murphy, worked with some of Ireland’s biggest TV and radio stars, especially as a producer of Gay Byrne’s RTE radio show. He was also involved in the production of many of Gaybo’s popular “Late Late Shows” during an era when the programme was the flagship one on national TV in Ireland.

Now the popular Cork-born producer presents his own show “A Song for Ireland” on Fremantle’s 107.9fm radio every Saturday morning from 7 to 9 o’clock and to say it’s a pot pourri of everything Irish is almost an understatement.

While music is its mainstay he has also interviewed a diverse array of guests on the programme from his former boss, Gay Byrne, to the Irish ambassador in Australia, Noel White, to comedian Brendan Grace who was a recent visitor to Perth.

But apart from his radio success there has been another important side to Frank Murphy’s flourishing career in this land ‘down under’. He has imparted his vast knowledge of radio and TV work on countless students at the exclusive Wesley College in Perth for many years since leaving the Emerald Isle for the sunnier climes of the southern hemisphere, mainly due to health concerns.

Frank Murphy at Fremantle Radio

producer on the Gay Byrne Radio programme, and also frequently on “The Late Late Show”, Frank spent a short time in the commercial radio sector in Ireland before heading for Western Australia.

“Ultimately I kept cutting back on my work from TV back to radio where there was less stress, but doing a flagship show either on radio or TV brings its own level of stress. While I love the work I’m best doing shows centred around music and the performing arts rather than hard current affairs,” says Frank.

That’s the groove that he has fallen into in Western Australia with his popular show which features Irish music, interviews local and Irish news. But after moving to Fremantle this veteran producer, who had spent so many years with Ireland’s national broadcaster also decided to upskill his knowledge of new technology and ended up teaching radio and TV production in the exclusive Wesley College in Perth, Western Australia.

“I had done a BA as well as other university stuff while in Ireland but I upskilled to Masters level after coming out here which was a new challenge. This helped me secure work as a lecturer both at college and university level,” says Frank. Far from the hustle and the bustle of RTE he basks in the searing Australian sun and, during a break from classes, sips coffee on a veranda at Wesley College with the azure blue sky, and the relatively few skyscrapers in Perth’s skyline silhouetted behind him.

Frank upskilled himself to PhD level and he ended up teaching media techniques even though he says he hadn’t been inside a classroom since a colleague of his at RTE, Dan Collins, was doing his H Dip in Ed many decades earlier.

He went through a strenuous audition at Wesley College working with teams of students but within half an hour he was called before the board of directors of the college and he was given the job as a replacement teacher for the man who interviewed him and who was going on long-service leave.

“I took over his duties during his long-service leave and later on I was interviewed for the permanent position. Now over 15 years later here I am heading for retirement as a 67-year-old man,” said Frank with a laugh. He smile too when reminded about clichés regarding old cameramen, old photographers (and perhaps old producers!) dissolving away.

Frank Murphy teaching TV production at Wesley College

“I came out here for health reasons and I don’t lie about that. Owen O’Brien, a renowned cardiologist in Ireland, told me when I was with RTE if I didn’t stop doing what I was doing I would kill myself.

“He said I had a sensual hypertension and while my mind was very strong my body would probably not be able to cope with the level of hard stress and hard work that I was doing because the medical people could not stabilise my blood pressure at the time. He said that a warmer climate might help my health because the symptoms I was getting were not of the ticker (heart) but mostly coughs and colds and almost like pneumonia. It interfered a lot with my work even though I would still go to work with those symptoms and to be honest a lot of the time I was struggling with it.”

When he left RTE, after many years working as a

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“The radio programme is growing and growing and retirement from teaching means more time to devote to that. I feel that the radio programme is on a springboard to better places now that I have more time to devote to it.

The college also asked me to continue doing some consultancy work which involves an amount of direct input from me, but not as a teacher. The media consultancy door will definitely always be open and other approaches have been made to me,” says Frank.

His media teaching role has been a demanding one and having observed Frank at work in Wesley College for some time during my visit there it is very obvious that he is a total perfectionist when showing his students the ropes regarding TV work in particular. But how difficult was the transition from his high profile work on TV and radio in Ireland to teaching the rudiments of media work to teenagers in West Australia?

“It was very difficult in the early times after my arrival but the same would apply to anybody coming out here today in the sense that if they think that they are coming to a land of plenty they will soon discover that the work ethic is really hard. The level of transparency regarding teacher’s work to their college and the State, and the governing body for examinations, is really thorough. Accountability is huge and a teacher will only survive this system if you can deliver to the students, the college and the State.

“You have to love it and you have to embrace the changes in technology regarding filming, editing, recording, blogs, the internet, mobile phone technology, and all the countless other developments in the modern media scene.”

Turning back the clock, does Frank still keep in contact with people such as Gay Byrne, Mike Murphy and other stars that he worked with during his decades in RTE? I asked.

“I’ve been privileged that, even though we had lost contact for a number of years, when I sought after them through another colleague, Bernadette Comerford in RTE, she ensured that we got back in contact.

Firstly with Mike Murphy in Florida and then Gay Byrne at his private home in Dublin and they were delighted to join me, as guests from afar, over the phone for one of my Christmas shows

on radio here.

“I was thrilled about that and delighted to establish contact with them again and since then a number of other Irish personalities visiting Perth, including Brendan Grace who was here earlier this year, have also been on my programme as special guests,” concluded Frank.

Now in retirement Frank has more time also to pursue his theatrical work and he recently devised and directed “Famine Echoes” which premiered at the fulcrum of Irish cultural activities in West Australia, The Irish Club in the beautiful Perth suburb of Subiaco. Among the guests

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Frank Murphy relaxing Wesley College neath shadow of Perth skyscrapers

on Frank’s programme recently was Sabina Higgins, the wife of the President of Ireland who joined him for a Bloomsday special.

Every Sunday Home Music Sessions For Venues call Sean on 9455 1303 -0-

2013 O’Brien Feis Winners

IRISH DANCING CHAMPIONS RECOGNISED

Irish Session and Classes Every Monday at The Irish Club

Enthusiastic Irish dancers from all over Western Australia gathered together over a weekend to compete in the second annual O’Brien Irish Dancing Feis.

“This competition gives WA Irish dancers the opportunity to demonstrate their skills whether they are beginners or advanced solo dancers”, said Rose O’Brien, Principal of the O’Brien Academy of Irish Dancing.

Over 200 girls and boys from as young as five years old performed a range of Irish dances in front of three interstate adjudicators. “These competitors push themselves to the limit, with the goal of improving their dancing technique and skills”, said Mrs. O’Brien.

Whilst improving their skills is a goal, dancers who impress the adjudicators win highly coveted trophies and sashes, identifying them as champions.

Mrs. O’Brien believes that dancers develop and demonstrate a healthy competitive spirit and learn to respect themselves and others as a result of competing.

Attending Irish dancing competitions is often a family affair with one or more children in the family competing while proud mum and dad watch and cheer their support. It is a lovely way to promote the Irish culture and for families living in WA to stay connected to their Irish roots.

The O’Brien Academy of Irish Dancing is one of many Irish dancing schools in Western Australia and has been in operation for twenty years, providing a range of classes in traditional Irish Dancing. Classes are held in the suburbs of Butler, Kinross and Subiaco.

Many of these highly skilled dancers will go on to compete in the National Irish Dancing Competition, to be held in Perth later this year. To the WA Irish dancing community, this is an exciting event as the National competitions have not been held in Perth for six years. You will find the list of all the Irish Dancing schools in Perth on the following page.

61 Townshend Road, Subiaco All Welcome

Neo Infrastructure is a leading Civil Construction and Mining Services Company, with offices in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

For more information about our company or employment opportunities please...

Contact Mike McGurk on 0407 475 033 Neo Infrastructure (AUST) Pty Ltd T: (08) 9409 3003 F: (08) 9409 3005 E: mmcgurk@neoinfrastructure.com.au W: www.neoinfrastructure.com.au

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2013 Feis dates:

Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc.

Ceili and Open Feis August 2nd ,3rd and 4th State Championships October 1st-6th Australian National Championships Perth Concert Hall November 9th & 10th Beginner Feis

Western Australia

Executive

President: Teresa McGorry-Mathers TCRG

Vice Presidents: Hilary McKenna TCRG Eileen Purtell-Ashley TCRG Secretary: Aisling O’Brien – TCRG Treasurer: Deirdre McGorry – TCRG (HON)

School Contacts Ceide Samantha McAleer TCRG Subiaco & Woodvale 9405 6255 / 0414 188 784 Delany Jane Goddard TCRG Forrestfield & Parkerville 9295 2447 / 0407 085 237 Eireann Siobhan Cummins TCRG Como/Jandakot/Rockingham 0422 075 300 Kavanagh Teresa McGorry-Mathers TCRG 9371 8400 / 0412 155 318 Deirdre McGorry TCRG (Hon) 0400 077 892 Osborne Park & Melville

O’Brien Rose O’Brien TCRG/AGCRG Butler, Kinross, Subiaco 9401 6334 / 0423 382 706 O’Hare Jenny O’Hare TCRG Wembley Downs & Os Park 0422 239 440 Saoirse Sinead Hoare TCRG Carramar 0414 647 849 Trinity Eileen Purtell-Ashley TCRG Morley 0413 511 595 WA Academy Glenalee Bromilow ADCRG Malaga 9276 3737 / 0410 584 051 Sue Hayes TMRF 9377 5600 Hilary McKenna TCRG 0404 730 532

AIDA WA would like congratulate all dancers who have competed recently in the McAleer Championships (Victoria) and the Gold Coast International (Gold Coast).

Want to Learn Irish Upcoming feiseanna: June 29th Dancing?

If you ever wanted to & 30th Ceili and Open Grade know anything about Irish Feis, at Belmont City College. dancing, Perth is definitely in the right place. Irish State Championships August Dance schools here have 2nd, 3rd & 4th, at John Curtin put together a huge resource on College of the Arts. AIDA wish all everything to do with Irish dancing. So whether you are beginner or you want to competitors the best of luck for know more about improving your dancing these Championships, as well as the Perth schools have everything you need to upcoming National Championships know right here.

See all the contacts on the left of this page! in Perth in October!

46th Australian National Championships Perth Concert Hall Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are still available for the 46th Australian National Championships (Perth Concert Hall, Oct 1st to Oct 6th), although there are limited sections still available for partnership, so contact perth2013@aidainc.com to find out how you can get involved!

For any enquiries regarding Irish dancing in Perth please contact Aisling O’Brien, Secretary AIDA WA aislingfiona@westnet.com.au 31

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THE

Friday 19th July 2013 in the Function Room Trappers Drive - Woodvale

Christmas Singalong and Carols Christmas Buffet - Dancing & Ceile Entertainment: • Them Little Secrets • • The Dublin Rogues • • Traditional Music: Dympna Finch • • Irish Dancers: Scoil Rince Ni Ceide/Upton • MC Fred Rea

Tickets $60

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Must Book and Prepay - Bookings 9309 4288 or pick up tickets from the Woodvale Doors Open 7pm

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Lawrence Clarke

TRADITIONAL BRITISH PUB

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Dear Editor I wish to tell you a short story and I hope you can relay it to your readers.

My sister and brother-inlaw have both suffered heart attacks recently. I had a fall a while back and, apart from two leg fractures and three ankle fractures, I fractured my lower vertebrae. Because we can’t do any physical work, the garden had become overgrown. Their daughter posted a thing on face book and Gum Tree if there was anybody willing to help by volunteering to clean the gardens. Because of little money, it would have to be a free service.

The first reply was from an Irishman who said, in no uncertain terms, my niece should be ashamed to be begging for help and further to shove her offer right up her ... well you can guess.

There were numerous swear words included in the reply.

Someone in the Irish community saw this rude reply and made it public to the extent where the man was inundated with derision for his comments. Further to that, these good and kind Irish people banded together, and on Saturday, arrived at my sister’s house en masse.

They spent the day working and when they were finished, after some hours, the gardens were beautiful and every bit of rubbish removed and carted away.

I can’t begin, nor can my sister and brother, to thank these wonderful Irish Samaritans. It has made all of us so very proud to be Irish. Thank you, again.

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Sydney...

Venue for International Famine Commemoration 2013 will see Sydney host the official international commemoration of the Great Irish Famine.

The four previous overseas Famine Commemoration events have taken place in Canada (2009), New York (2010), Liverpool (2011) and Boston (2012).

The National Famine Commemoration Committee in Dublin, which is chaired by Mr Jimmy Deenihan TD – the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht – has selected Sydney as the venue for the this year’s event.

Famine Commemoration Events: Friday 23 August 2013: Dinner in NSW Parliament House Saturday 24 August 2013: Seminar in NSW Parliament Theatrette 25 August 2013 - 14th: Annual Gathering at the Famine Memorial at Hyde Park Barracks as Sydney Hosts the International Famine Commemoration contact@irishfaminememorial.org for BOOKING FORM /other information.

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Image by Robert Frith

Award Winning Play for Perth Other Desert Cities is a profoundly moving drama about the generational and political divides in one family with a terrible secret to hide. Written

by Jon Robin Baitz, the writer of TV hits Brothers & Sisters, The West Wing and Alias, this play was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play and for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Other Desert Cities tells the story of a daughter returning to her parents’ home in Palm Springs, California, with a bombshell: she is about to

publish a memoir about a terrible event in her family’s past, a tragedy that her parents do not want to remember. In this family, secrets are currency and everyone is rich.

“A winner … funny and fierce, invigorating and intelligent.” Daily News Don’t miss this riveting drama with a twist, starring Janet Andrewartha (Neighbours, Prisoner), Conrad Coleby (Home & Away, Sea Patrol), Robert Coleby (All Saints, Young Doctors, A Country Practice), Rebecca Davis and Vivienne Garrett.

Black Swan State Theatre Company presents Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz, at the Heath Ledger Theatre, State Theatre Centre of WA from 20 July to 4 August 2013. Tickets on sale now through Ticketek.

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Oscar Wild Quotes....

1. A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal.

2. A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.

3. Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

4. America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

5. Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.

6. Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing.

Lord Norbury....

Bar, and by his sharp cunning and unscrupulous subserviency to the British Government, he secured promotion to Attorney General in 1798. He had “a country to sell’’ when the vote was being taken on the Act of Union, which deprived Ireland of her Parliament, and was paid for his vote by being made Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and raised to the Peerage as Lord Norbury. The idea of Toler becoming a Chief Justice so incensed Lord Clare, that he was moved to remark: “For God’s sake make him a bishop or even an archbishop, but not a chief justice.”

How He Ordered Men to the Gallows.

He had little learning or genius, but a certain order of low cunning which served his purpose better in those times of conscienceless misgovernment. He had a complete contempt for evidence, but ordered men to the gallows often on the most glaring perjury and lack of proof as to guilt. It is related that in one trial, being in a hurry to join some boon companions with whom he was accustomed to play the buffoon, he cut the trial short, and pronounced sentence of death upon the accused men without waiting to have the evidence against them put on record. When he pronounced the sentence which wound up as usual with the words, “and may God have mercy upon your souls,” one of the unfortunate victims, whose irrepressible humour asserted itself even in his fearful extremity, interrupted the sentence by suggesting “you needn’t mind the prayer.” Norbury, with whom it was a common thing to mix a vulgar joke with a, sentence of death, asked the prisoner why he objected to this praying for his soul, “Because I never knew anyone to thrive after it,” was the ready answer. Norbury slapped his hand on his knee, with delight, saying, “That’s a good one!”

THE INFAMOUS IRISH HANGING JUDGE One of the most loathed of all names in Irish history, aside from those of the notorious informers, is that of John Toler, or, as he is better known, Lord Norbury the judge who condemned Robert Emmet, as he had done scores of others, to the gallows, for the crime of desiring the emancipation of their country.

Born at Beechwood, Nenagh, County Tipperary, Norbury was the youngest son of Daniel Toler (d.1790) M.P., and Letitia, daughter of Thomas Otway (1665–1724), of Lissenhall, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. His elder brother Daniel Toler was also a politician, serving as High Sherrif for Tipperary and also as M.P. for Tipperary. The Toler family was originally from Norfolk but settled in County Tipperary in the 17th century. He was educated at Kilkenny and at Trinity College, Dublin. He lived at Cabragh House on the corner of the present day Fassaugh Avenue and Rathoath Road in Cabra, Dublin. He also had a townhouse at No 3 Great Denmark St. Dublin.

He was a fitting representative of the men transplanted into Ireland by Cromwell and given possession of the lands and property of the Irish, who were driven forth as mercilessly as if they were wild animals. At the age of 30 he was called to the

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and at once commuted the sentence to imprisonment. To another poor man Norbury, cried violently, “Don’t expect any mercy, from me, scoundrel. I see the rogue in your face”. To which the doomed prisoner replied, “I didn’t know my face was a looking glass”.

Curran, describing Lord Norbury, says: “His very appearance set dignity at defiance, and put gravity to flight.

The chivalry of Quixote was encased in the paunch of Sancho Panza. Short and pursy, with a jovial visage, and little, grey, twinkling, laughing eyes, he had a singular habit of inflating his cheeks at the end of every sentence and, with a spice of satire, was called ‘Puffendorf ‘ in consequence. His court might be distinguished by the bursts of merriment that issued through its portals. There he sat in all his glory, good humour personified, puffing and punning, and panting, till his ruddy countenance glowed like a full moon…

Norbury was all things to all men, and equally sincere to all— that is, meaning nothing to any.

With good humour ever in his looks, and merriment, also, ever on his lips, he was by nature fierce, obdurate and

callous. Utterly reckless of life himself, he seemed scarcely to comprehend how others could value it… Either not feeling or defying pain, he was a stranger to sympathy.

Trial of Robert Emmet.

Lord Norbury was a fitting instrument to carry out the severe policy of the Irish Government at the period of the Union, and the assizes at which he was present were invariably followed by wholesale executions. He presided at the trial of Robert Emmet, and more than once interrupted him in the course of his speech before sentence.

After he became unfitted by age for the due performance of the duties of his office, several ineffectual efforts were

36

made to induce him to resign. Daniel O’Connell despised him and initiated the investigation of his conduct in a trial where he fell asleep. He was eventually removed from the bench in 1827 due to his absent-mindedness and his inclination to fall asleep during important trials. The blow was softened by his advance in the peerage as Viscount Glandine and Earl of Norbury.

When Daniel O’Connell said, during the trial of a case, that he feared the chief justice did not apprehend him, Norbury replied by alluding to the report that the Agitator had surrendered himself to avoid fighting a duel: “No one is more easily apprehended than Mr. O’Connell—whenever he wishes to be apprehended.” Sir Jonah Barrington says of the judge, in his “Recollections,” “Lord Norbury had a hand for everybody, and a heart for nobody.”

He died in his home, number 3 Great Denmark Street, Dublin, on July 27th 1831 at the age of 91 years and was buried at St. Mary’s Church, Mary Street, Dublin.

Fred Rea

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The centre is open 9.30am to 4.30pm Monday/Tuesday/Thursday and Friday CLOSED WEDNESDAY (We are opposite Park Rd Railway Station and Bogga Road, Busway) The kettle is always on the boil For more info on any of the above, contact: Rita Stott, Co-ordinator, Irish Australian Support Association Queensland, 5 Abingdon Street, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102 Email: info@iasaq.com.au Phone: (07) 3391 1300, 0432 087 328

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Mullingar in Ireland will become the Citeog capital of the world this summer.

It can already claim to be the home of teenage heart throb Niall Horan of One Direction fame - himself a leftie – but after this summer it plans to monopolise the global affections of the left handed community.

The Co. Westmeath town is well suited to the planned task ahead as the centre of all things left handed of it as part of the continuing year long Gathering. After all, Mullingar, An Muileann Cearr in the native language, translates as the Town of the Left Hand Mill, a name derived from a miraculous seventh-century encounter at a local mill. The story goes that a miller refused to grind St Coleman of Lynn´s barley because he was already grinding wheat for the King. Local legend says Coleman caused the mill to move anti-clockwise, grinding both the barley and the wheat and giving rise to the town´s name.

The Westmeath capital plans to give the southpaws of the world all 700 million of them - something they have never had before, their own patron saint to bless and guide them along the path of lefteousness

and bounteousness. With a good ancient name (Mullingar is 1,400 years old this year) infused with the essence of the left and the remains of a fifteenth-century church still standing on the original seventh-century St Coleman monastic site in the area, the festival organisers have added a modern campaign to give the local saint a permanent presence and have him accredited as the Patron Saint of Left-handers.

“We are bringing St Coleman back to life with the help of renowned local wood sculptor Richard Clarke, who is left-handed himself,” says festival organiser Bartle D’Arcy.

“We have commissioned a series of images based on images of St Coleman in a thirteenth-century manuscript and we are also hoping to create the first Facebook saint through likes on our Left Hand Festival page.”

The Gathering event will also incorporate the International Left Handers Day (13 August), giving even more reasons to celebrate with fellow left-handers in 2013.

Doors will be re-hung, cutlery reversed, tables re-set and the townspeople will be doing the right thing by left-handed people for five magical days of leftism activity (The organisers promise some famous lefties will be among the festival goers and the crowning event will be the Left Handed Champion of Ireland who will earn the title after coming

The Left-Handed Whopper:

Burger King published a full page advertisement in USA Today announcing the introduction of a new item to their menu: a “LeftHanded Whopper” specially designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. According to the advertisement, the new whopper included the same ingredients as the original Whopper (lettuce, tomato, hamburger patty, etc.). However, the left-handed whopper had “all condiments rotated 180 degrees, thereby redistributing the weight of the sandwich so that the bulk of the condiments will skew to the left, thereby reducing the amount of lettuce and other toppings from spilling out the right side of the burger.”

tops in a series of trials and tasks.)

Festival organisers hope nothing goes right for the five days and tongue in cheek they’ll also arrange for lefthanded visitors who normally drive on the right-hand side of the road to drive on the left. Righties will be able to turn their life or their fortunes around by completing a left hand task at the Mill Wheel in Mullingar or trying out every day left-handed objects to experience just how awkward lefties can feel using the wrong equipment.

Altogether, some 50 gatherings are planned in town and county already, including Reilly, Byrne, Egan and Gallagher clan get-togethers (10 Aug), the country´s Biggest Ever Gathering of American Vehicles and the Joe Dolan International Bachelor Festival (2-4 Aug). The annual Festival of the Fires (4 May) will be one of the biggest Gathering events of the year.

An important fixture on the worldwide calendar, attracting attendees from the four corners of the globe, it will take place on the Hill of Uisneach, just 10 miles from Mullingar and the centrepoint of the island of Ireland. One of the ceremonial highlights of the festival is the lighting of the National Fire, ignited first on the summit of Uisneach and then carried to hilltops in every one of Ireland’s 32 counties.

Jim Watkins, senior vice president for marketing at Burger King, was quoted as saying that the new sandwich was the “ultimate ‘HAVE IT YOUR WAY’ for our left-handed customers.” The advertisement then noted that the left-handed Whopper would initially only be available in the United States, but that the company was “considering plans to roll it out to other countries with large left-handed populations.”

The following day Burger King issued a follow-up release revealing that although the Left-Handed Whopper was a hoax, thousands of Americans had gone into restaurants to request the new sandwich.

Simultaneously, according to the press release, “many others requested their own ‘right handed’ version.”

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Origin of the Word Quiz?

The Famine and Lumper Potatoes

Richard Daly proprietor of the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, in the year 1791, had an extraordinary propensity for making wagers. Hearing an actor described in French as unfagotin, a term for which it was argued there was no English equivalent, a discussion arose, in the course of which he offered to bet twenty guineas that within forty-eight hours a perfectly new word should be in the mouths of nearly all the people in Dublin, and within a week be in to be commonly used with a new and definite meaning attached to it.

The bet was accepted by Alderman Moncrieffe in combination with three others who were present, and the stakes were duly deposited. After the performances of his theatre were over, Daly wrote a word on each of a dozen or two cards, and giving one to each of the call-boys, scene-shifters, carpenters, and supernumeraries, with a lump of chalk, directed them to perambulate the city until daybreak, chalking the word upon as many doors and shutters as they could. The next day was Sunday, and upon the doors of shops, warehouses, and private dwellings, this one word appeared, in every direction, creating no little no wonder and alarm. Some believed it to be the watchword of a secret society, and the signal for some unlawful slaughter-house doings; some believed on first seeing that it was a nickname for themselves and all over Dublin it was talked about, discussed, and wondered at.

After a few days the general conclusion was that it meant nothing more than a joke - a mere trick to set people thinking only the hoax of someone who wanted to humbug and laugh at the entire population of the city. Thus, before the eyes and on the lips of all, the word rapidly acquired the meaning of a hoax or jest.

But the word was never forgotten, and it is now in common use, with a well-defined meaning attached to it, in India, Australia, America, Canada, in short, whenever the English language is spoken.

Dick Daly won his extraordinary wager, and the word ‘ quiz,’ although not of Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Celtic, or Saxon origin, is, now, beyond all doubt a part of the English language.

By Fred Rea Pete St John brought the story of the Lumper potato to my attention recently and I was interested to find out more.

The following from National Geographic News will help readers understand the history of this old Irish potato and An Gorta Mor, the Geat Famine.

“It struck down the growing plants like frost in summer. It spread faster than the cholera amongst men.”

The devastating disease nearly wiped out many Irish potato varieties, igniting the country’s Great Famine in the mid19th century.

But now, one of those blighted potatoes is making a comeback. Meet the Lumper.

As its name implies, this potato is not especially beautiful. It’s large, knobby, and, well, lumpy, with pale brown skin and yellow flesh. Still, it was widely grown in Ireland before the famine because it did well in poor soil and could feed a lot of mouths.

The blight (Phytophtora infestans) destroyed about one-third of Ireland’s potato crop in 1845 and almost all of it in 1846. Because so many people were poor and relied on potatoes for sustenance, the blight had catastrophic consequences, including food riots and mass death from starvation.

The Lumper is making a comeback!

Why revive this particular potato?

Because of its history and its unusual look and feel an Irish farmer said and he added. “The history books said the taste wasn’t particularly nice, so I was fascinated to find out what it was really like myself.”

So how does it taste? Descriptions range from “good” and “pleasing” to “not bad” and “soapy.” The Daily Spud blog calls the Lumper’s texture “waxy,” rather than floury like other potatoes— not necessarily a compliment.

Dermot Carey, the head grower at Ireland’s Lissadell/Langford Potato

39

Collection, which contains more than 200 varieties, has tasted his fair share of different potatoes. He’s not a huge fan of the Lumper: “It’s edible, but it wouldn’t be my favorite.”

The debate over the Lumper’s flavor appeal may never be settled, but one thing is clearly established: The Irish love their spuds. The Irish Potato Federation lists several popular varieties on its website, including the widely grown, red-skinned Rooster, the traditional, floury Golden Wonder, and the newly developed, highly blight-resistant Orla.

Too bad it’s not available in Australia.

But in Ireland, Lumpers, grown to be a bit smaller than those of the 1800s—could be purchased at the retail chain Marks & Spencer through the end of March this year.

Suddenly craving potatoes?

Irish Potato Flan, is an excellent luncheon dish, made easily with every day ingredients.

Boil a pound of potatoes, mash up well with 4 dessertspoons of hot milk and 1 of butter. Season with salt and pepper, or, if preferred, cayenne. Arrange in a border round the side of a shallow oven dish, and brush with a little egg yolk. Brown lightly, in the oven. Melt 1 oz. of butter in a saucepan. Stir in an oz. of flour and cook for a minute. Then add 2 gills (half a pint) of hot milk gradually, stir till it boils and thickens.

Add a “chopped hard-boiled egg, 2 oz. chopped cold ham, 2 table spoons of grated cheese, a cup of young green peas, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley.

Season this to taste before placing in the polato case, and sprinkle with finelychopped parsley.

Source: National Geographic News

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Local News of Interest from the Past

News Published Every Two Months Re se arch e d

LAND OF HIS FATHERS From: The Mercury Hobart: Wed 24 April 1935 Australian PM, Mr. Lyons in Ireland

“Glory be to God, it is the gentle-man himself arrived,” exclaimed the Irish Superintendent of the 14th century Irish Muckross Abbey at Killarney, when the Australian Prime Minister and Mrs Lyons drew up slightly late. Mr and Mrs Lyons enjoyment of the picturesque ruins of the Cistercian Abbey, containing unique architectural features, was increased by the, Superintendent’s richly brogued commentary. Apologising for the state of the ruins, he told them: “England has plenty of money to spend on the restoration of monuments, but in our

“THE MAN FOR GALWAY” From: The West Australia Wed 20 Nov 1901

Violent feeling has been aroused in connection with the Parliamentary by-election for Galway.

The candidates are the Honourable Horace Plunkett, Conservative, who formerly sat in the House of Commons for the South Division of the County of Dublin, and Mr. Arthur Lynch, an Australian born of Irish parents and lately an officer in the Boer army; who is standing in the Nationalist interests.

The contest is being conducted with extreme bitterness.

Mr Plunkett’s committee room has been wrecked and one of his supporters has been fatally stabbed.

Mr. Lynch is conducting his campaign from Paris, fearing arrest if he lands in Ireland.

Mr. John Redmond, the Leader of the Irish Nationalist party who is now in New York, urges the city of Galway to elect, as its Parliamentary representative the “soldier of freedom”.

Editor: By the way, Lynch won the election!

by

F re d

Rea

poor country we spend it on politics, which is a bad investment.”

Glancing rain shrouded the lakes and fells of Killarney.

He told Mr and Mrs Lyons that he had a brother who was a parish priest at Nyngan, New South Wales, “which is almost as hot as the place he is trying to save his flock from going to!”

The Bishop of Kerry, received Mr and Mrs Lyons in the new Cathedral at Killarney, to which much money is contributed from Australia.

The party arrived to-night at Galway, where Mr. Lyons’ ancestors lived.

STORY OF THE FENIAN OUTBREAK

Kalgoorlie Miner Friday November 24 1905 James Kiely, who has just ‘been pardoned by his Majesty for his connection with the Fenian outbreak of 1866, is now living in a weather board cottage in Mary Street, North Perth. Interviewed today he expressed his gratitude for the pardon. He said: “I was convicted of high treason in 1866, when I was a member of the 53rd Regiment. My regiment was stationed for some time in England, and then was sent to Kildare, Ireland. We were transferred to Clonmel 1865.

Things were awful bad in Ireland in those days, and the distress occasioned by the failure of the potato crops was terrible. Soldiers were continually being employed evicting poor peasants and no one could help sympathising with the poor people.

Fenian risings were taking place all over the country, and while at Clonmel I was persuaded by some American friends and got mixed up with one of the Fenian societies. There was a proposal that the armoury at Clonmel should be broken into, and a lot of keys were made for, that purpose, but they were no good.

I was handy at that sort of work, and I undertook with another man to make ‘pick-locks’ or as they are called nowadays ‘skeleton keys’, so that the armoury and magazine could be entered and 2000 rifles and ammunition taken out and distributed among the members of the different Fenian Societies. I did it, and opened the armoury, and went in by myself, but before all the arrangements were completed for the raid a detective got to know what was going on, and gave information, and I and several others were arrested. After waiting seven months for trial I was sentenced to imprisonment for ‘life, and after spending some years in various English prisons was, with 72 others, sent to Fremantle”.

“No Irish Need Apply”

The North Eastern Ensign (Benalla, VIC. : 1872 - 1938), Friday 28 July 1899, page 3

The Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne Age writes as follows: “The Presbyterian Assembly of New South Wales has received a commuication from the council of St. Andrew’s College with regard to the appointment of a professor

42

of Oriental and Polynesian languages.

The council had decided to institute a professorship, in accordance with the provisions of the Hunter-Baillie bequest, and the Assembly was invited to nominate a suitable man. The salary is £500 yearly, the first appointment to be for a term not exceeding three years. The only restriction is that no ordained priest of the Church of Rome can occcupy the chair”.

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By Lloyd Gorman

Don’t list History...

Listen to it!

Martin O’Meara was such a man, a A few years ago the Irish Echo newspaper published a list of the son of Tipperary and a West AustralTop 100 Irish Australians of all time. ian. Like throngs of young Irish today, The century of entries was drawn Martin aged 25 left his native village of from across every state and territory Lorrha in 1911 in search of work and a better life. After a brief on this mighty contisprint in Liverpool he nent, including nine made his way to Perth, from Western Australia. working as a stoker on While it was a great idea a ship, earning his pasto celebrate Irish people sage by the bloody and - contemporary and hissweaty work of shoveltorical - who had distinling coal into the ships guished themselves in furnace. When he artheir adopted home the rived in WA O’Meara Echo made a mistake by went straight to work limiting it to a hundred on the railways at Colpeople. No sooner had lie, where for four more the list been published years he laboured hard. readers in their dozMore sweat and blood. ens came forward with Then in 1915 as the the names of equally true scale of the war in deserving candidates Europe was becoming whose achievements Martin O’Meara VC clear O’Meara signed in the spheres of medicine, sport, culture, politics and more up with the 16th Battalion of the Ausshould have earned them a place on tralia Imperial Force to offer his service. Even more than before sweat and the Australian roll call of honour.

Notable exemptions to the direc- blood would be suffered.

He didn’t even want to fight. He tory of distinguished denizens even such high profile and documented just wanted to do his bit and instead local figures as Paddy Hannan and C of taking up a rifle he carried stretchY O’Connor or John Winthrop Hack- ers, helping the wounded and dying. ett, each of them Irish men who radi- O’Meara became the second West cally and fundamentally changed the Australian to be awarded the Victolandscape - literally sometimes - of ria Cross medal - with the first being Western Australia and the rest of the given to a soldier for his actions at Gallipoli - the furnace in which the country forever.

So what chance then do the likes proud ANZAC (Australian and New of humble heroes, people of quiet, Zealand Army Corp) military legacy unassuming and modest but amazing was forged.

The Irishman in an Australian accomplishments have of getting the uniform was in France, on the westrecognition they truly deserve?

44

ern front in 1915, when he earned the medal. For four days straight, he scrambled and scouted around no-man’s land (the patch of killing ground between the two opposing sides trenches) searching for injured Australian soldiers known as Diggers wounded in action and attacks on the enemy’s position. One officer reported that he estimated O’Meara would have carried at least 20 officers and soldiers back to the relative safety of their own trenches and all the time under a barrage of heavy artillery and without regard to his own safety. When he wasn’t doing this O’Meara was ferrying munitions and shells to artillery positions. His relentless and reckless actions earned him the the Victoria Cross medal - the highest decoration any solider in the service of the Queen or Commonwealth could be awarded.

The WA parliament recognised his bravery and even the people of his na-

Last Honours for Gallant Hero Today

The funeral this morning of Sergeant Martin O’Meara V.C. who died yesterday.

The deceased who has been in hospital practically ever since he returned from the war won his V.C. for exceptional gallantry in rescuing wounded comrades under heavy fire at Pozieres in 1916. He also carried ammunition and bombs to a part of the trenches that was being heavily shelled.

From Mirror Perth, WA Saturday 21 Dec 1935

Lloyd Gorman speaking at Martin O’Meara’s Graveside

tive Lorrha had a chance to celebrate him in person when - while recuperating in London from injuries he sustained later - he returned to his birthplace in 1917.

It was perhaps the last time in his life that he had any semblance of normality or happiness. When O’Meara returned to Perth the psychological damage of his battlefield experiences was beginning to show and only worsened. He spent the rest of his life - in terrible conditions - in a mental institution in Claremont. He died in 1935, just days short of his 50th birthday, unHe lies With unseeing eyes to face the rising sun Let him rest quiet his day is done.

Seek not to smooth the ruffled hair, to move his hands from where they clutch the soil.

Seek not to close the sightless eyes.

The battle’s over now — he lies The spoil.

Written by a Western Australian poet Paul Buddee

married. The VC medal he had pledged to an nurse from Kilkenny who cared for him while he was in London could not be tracked down so returned to the 16th Battalion in Perth. The Australian army gave him a full military funeral in Karrakatta where he rests now. He wanted his estate - worth $1335 - to go to his two sisters in Ireland (there was also a brother in New York) but also towards the restoration of the ruins of the Abbey in Lorrha.

As it happens the priest who led the funeral service was another son of Tipperary, Fr. John Fahy. Fahy was born within a few years as well as a handful

of miles from where O’Meara entered the world. The Irish priest also served in Collie at the same time that O’Meara would have been there. We do not know if the two men knew each other but it would be comforting to think that the path’s of these countymen crossed and they at least had met or were friends.

They had similar experience of war.

The Irish priest was himself a remarkable man, another prime suspect for any list of top Irish Australians. Fahy was a chaplain with the 11th Battalion and landed - against orders - with the first Diggers to hit the beaches of Gallipoli. He too was decorated for his action there with a Distinguished Order Medal and he would go on to France as well.

When the war ended Fahy returned to WA and was posted at a few parishes, but largely he was the parish priest for Claremont. Is it possible that in all his time at Claremont that he might have been called in to the local asylum and discovered O’Meara? Or indeed, dropped in whenever he could to visit the Lorrha man who he could have met previously? It is comforting to think they had formed a bond in life - as well as death.

The late Monsignor Sean O’Shea - the Clare man who was the parish priest for Rottnest for over 50 years - knew Fr Fahy. He told me once that Fahy was an inspirational character and outstanding priest. Mons - God bless him - who is buried in the grounds of the Rottnest Church he built - would also qualify for any list of top Irish Australians and also deserves to be remembered.

I had written about O’Meara for

45

Irish Scene a couple of years ago, but it was only very recently when I learned that the community of his native Tipperary home was going to commemorate him with a plaque that the idea of doing something for him at the place where he rests presented itself. For four years now GABU GUBU has been talking about issues and interests of mutual concern to Ireland and Australia. This time there was a compulsion to practice what I preached. If his native community was going to recognise this man with a plaque and ceremony, perhaps the first meaningful salute to him in almost 90 years, then something should be organised in tandem with this at the place where he wanted to be and rests.

The graveside remembrance for Martin O’Meara was organised hastily and at short notice (less than seven days). But the support, interest and assistance of the following people made it happen and worthwhile. I would like to thank them personally for their great help. They are Fred Rea, Irish Scene, Dennis Williams, Subiaco RSL, Major John Liston, Lt Col. Rhogan Aitken 16th Battalion, Andrew Fox, Metropolitan Cemeteries Board, Tony Costa (former Mayor of Subiaco), and most of all my wife Imelda for everything.

We have an obligation to remember and respect those who have gone before us, especially when they have achieved such distinction in their own lifetime with echoes in ours. If we must have a list, then at least let it be a bucket list, on which we all connect with at least one person from our past and do something in their name.

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The Club’s central location makes it the ideal place to host a meeting or special event, meet colleagues, develop new business partners or simply relax in comfort with today’s newspaper, the latest business publication or lifestyle magazine.

Our superb restaurant serves an a la carte style lunch Monday to Friday and the bar area, with separate lounge features a number of specialty beers on tap, and is ideal for a relaxing beverage, light luncheon or coffee.

In addition to the bar and restaurant, The Celtic Club members have exclusive access to our outstanding function facilities, fully coordinated by our professional staff with an extensive range of catering options. Located on the first floor, the main function room can comfortably seat 125 delegates theatre style or 120 for a banquet.

The Club’s impressive Jarrah lined President’s Room can seat up to 30 guests theatre style and is ideal for private business luncheons for up to 24 guests.

Becoming a member of The Celtic Club certainly has its advantages and now is the perfect time to join one of Perth’s premier business clubs.

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Congratulations....

Clodagh and David Murphy got married on the 15th June 2013. Clodagh is the daughter of the late Tim Hickey and Pat. Good luck to you both!

Festival of One Act Plays...

Hello lovers of great theatre!

2013

The Irish Theatre Players Festival of One Act Plays is upon us yet again. Following on from the phenomenal success that was The Patriot Game, the ITP are delighted to bring to our audience three very unique One Act Plays.

Eternal Triangle and The Bridal Night are both adapted from the short stories of the master story teller Frank O’Connor: Eternal Triangle, directed by Bella Hulls is set in the middle of Sackville Street (now O’Connell Street) in Dublin during the Easter Rising of 1916 and it tells the tragi-comic story of a tram operator and an unexpected guest to his broken down tram while the bullets of battle rage all around. The Bridal Night, directed by Robert Greaney, is a surreal play which explores the complexities of a mother’s relationship with her son and his unrequited love for a young lady. In the Shadow of the Glen, by J.M. Synge, directed by Jim Motherway, is a classic comic tale of Irish

THE PLAYS:

ETERNAL TRIANGLE

by Paul Avila Mayer, (based on the short story by Frank O’Connor) Directed by Bella Hulls ---

THE BRIDAL NIGHT

by Paul Avila Mayer, (based on the short story by Frank O’Connor), Directed by Robert Greaney ---

IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN

by J.M. Synge Directed by Jim Motherway PERFORMANCE DATES:

August: 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th , 16th at 8pm Matinee Sunday 18th at 3pm.

The Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco.

Bookings: Lucy / Jim Tel: 9401 0964 email: itpbookings@iinet.net.au

country life, from the pen of Ireland’s Shakespeare. Both Bella and Robert are first time directors and the job they have done is excellent!

Looking forward to seeing you all at our Festival of One Act Plays!

Know Drama, Ivan Motherway, President, Irish Theatre Players.

For more information: The Irish Theatre Players contact us at 61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco or Ph 9401-0964 www.irishtheatreplayers.com.au

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By Lloyd Gorman

If a man’s house is his castle and his telly is his Keep Grand Designs has - as this page has witnessed before - featured the home-building ambitions of a number of Irish people in the past, usually living in the UK. The programme fronted by Kevin McCloud has even been to Ireland on a small number of occasions. The episode shown on ABC1 on Sunday June 9 was shot in Ireland and was perhaps the best one yet with an Irish theme. Irish actor Sean Simon - an actor and musician with Andrew Lloyd Webber rather than a second rate Fair City ‘Star’ (more of Fair City later) was the focus of the show. With the proceeds from a successful stint with the famous Webber, Sean bought Cloontykilla Castle, also known locally as Rockingham Castle. Built on the shores of Lough Key in Co. Roscommon in 1839 the fortress was designed by the same architect responsible for Buckingham Palace.

The castle was left vacant from 1957 until 1997 when Sean became the owner. While every episode of Grand Designs shows the home builders struggling with some aspect of the cost or complexity or enormity of the project they have undertaken none that I have seen to rival this story. Having secured a bank loan of $1.2 million to renovate the castle the work began in 2008 as the crash was starting and by 2011 the project was still only half finished because the bank had pulled the plug on the money it had promised him. The programme did give a good glimpse and insight into the problems facing the Irish property sector and economy but it was Sean’s irrepressible good nature and attitude that really shone through. In some ways he was his own worst enemy but in many others he was his greatest friend. It was a pleasure to watch him talk about the building, a man who could only be Irish and represented the best of what it is to be Irish. He had some choice words for the bankers (banisters) and said: “I’m angry for my country” because of the grief the system had caused the people. Fair play to you Sean, I hope we see more of you

on our screens one way or another.

Another Irish castle drew another UK programme across the Irish Sea. This time it was Castle Coole, in Fermanagh, which was host to the Antiques Road Show (on Gem May 11).

I mentioned Fair City earlier. The wife - a Limerick woman - is stone mad for this dribble of a drama set in Dublin and has been missing it ever since we came out here. The RTE website is good for some things but programmes - like FC - which can be viewed on the site by viewers back in Ireland cannot be accessed from outside Ireland - which is not much good to the audience of millions of Irish living in the parts of the world. Thankfully, for her sake, someone is putting up current episodes on YouTube where they can easily be viewed by anyone. So what the internet takes with one hand, it gives with the other.

The success of Mrs Brown’s Boys in Australia still has me reeling and curious why but popular it is, and pervasive. A brochure for a well known high street electronics chain used images of Brendan O’Carroll and Co. on the screens of flat screen/plasma and LCD televisions being advertised for sale. Not sure if O’Carroll gets some kind of royalty for this but it is certainly a sign of how much the comedy - dare I call it that - has really gotten into the front sitting rooms of Australia households, and now even reaching into the pockets of the Australian consumer.

SBS 3 screened an episode of its popular genealogy programme Who Do You think You Are? with John Hurt on June 4. Hurt, a brilliant actor and no stranger to many great Irish productions (The Bird in The Field for one), went in search of his family’s Irish roots, only to find they did not exist. The realisation that his

48

lifelong affinity and believe in his Irishness was based on an untruth cut him to the bone and left him deeply upset. I have seen Hurt in Dublin and he is a common enough face in Ireland and always looked at home in the place.

ABC 1 had a good Aussie film on May 26 with Cliffy. The humble hero of the show wins a massive race and captures the hearts of viewers in the process. What was interesting, and unknown to many I’m sure, was that back in the 1970’s when the film was shot Belfast Boy turned Australian Tony Rafferty was one of the biggest names in the running world at the time. A good film worth watching.

I have lost track of the date but a travel/tourism programme called Urban Secrets, which mainly looks at cities in the UK, came to Dublin and did a good job of looking at the old and new attractions and

elements of the Irish capital, despite the very annoying presenter of the show.

The Wrath of God, which was made in the 70’s, is an off beat Western with some Irish themes and colours running through it including a powerful rendition of Molly Malone by one of the main characters. An enjoyable flick if you enjoy films of that era and genre.

Finally, if you are passionate and motivated about what you see on Australian TV and hear on radio, you could have a rare chance to have a say about what gets broadcast.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is reviewing the standards and other issues that will apply to TV stations and broadcasters. Go to their website www.acma.gov.au for more details.

Convention calls on the Diaspora On the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the constitution by the people of Ireland, a Convention on the Constitution has been established to submit recommendations to the Houses of the Oireachtas on changes to make the constitution more relevant to the Ireland of the 21st Century.

Comprising 100 members – 66 citizens, 33 all-island parliamentarians and an independent Chairman – the Convention will consider eight topics during 2013, ranging from making a provision for same-sex marriage to giving citizens resident outside the State the right to vote in presidential elections.

The Chairman of the Convention on the Constitution, Tom Arnold (former CEO of Concern Worldwide) invites Irish citizens resident abroad to express their views on future Constitutional change: “It is really important that we hear from Irish people where ever they are located. They will bring a valuable perspective to our deliberations and the Convention looks forward to hearing from them”.

Irish citizens living and working abroad are being encouraged to participate in what is an historic initiative in deliberative democracy.

The Government has undertaken to respond, by way of Oireachtas debate, to each Convention recommendation within four months and if it agrees with a particular recommendation for change, to give a timeframe for a referendum.

The Convention’s plenary meetings are streamed live on the website and include views expressed via social media platforms. Details, including how to make a submission are available at: www.constitution.ie

49

A historic moment in Irish American history took place recently at the graveside of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery, when a flame was taken from the Eternal Flame to be transported to Ireland, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of his memorable visit to Ireland in June 1963.

At the ceremony Ireland’s national anthem Amhrán na bhFiann was performed by tenor Michael Londra.

“The ceremony in Arlington marks the start, not just of the JFK 50 celebrations, but of a journey home,” Minister of State Paul Kehoe said.

After its journey across the Atlantic the flame traveled up the river Barrow in New Ross where Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Caroline Kennedy and former Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith ignited a new ‘Emigrant Flame’ memorial at the JFK50 Ireland celebrations.

The lighting of the flame culminated with a full programme of JFK50 Celebratory events in New Ross.

President John F Kennedy quoted John Boyle O’Reilly on June 28, 1963:

“The world is large, when its weary leagues two loving hearts divide; But the world is small, when your enemy is loose on the other side.”

Let us hear the positive stories about the Irish!

So, going back to the story of the soup kitchen, unfortunately for Joan Ross and the Claddagh association this reflects on them and the wonderful work they are doing for the Irish community in Western Australia. Questions have been asked of Joan Ross, “What are you doing about this?” They are doing a mighty job and need all the support they can muster to continue this wonderful work.

As I am writing this story the wheels are in motion for a fundraising event for a young 26 year old Irishman who has been diagnosed with cancer. It will be a great comfort to his Irish family knowing that his Perth Irish family are supporting him.

We know there are problems from time to time with a small minority of Irish backpackers in Australia and the support network around Australia is working very hard to address these issues but the vast majority of Irish here, are wonderful contributors to our Australian society.

Fred Rea

It was recently reported in a national Irish newspaper that a local Perth organisation set up to help the homeless by providing a hot cup of soup was been frequented by Irish backpackers. As a result of this story, Joan Ross of the Perth Claddagh Irish Support Association visited the area and enquired about the story and to confirm the validity.

Joan was not surprised to hear that the story was blown out of all proportion and the truth was the many visiting backpackers from all countries use the organisation from time to time. Joan offered to give financial support from the Claddagh Association to the said organisation but was told that it was not necessary.

Running negative stories about anything seems to be the aim of many of the mainstream newspapers and we at The Irish Scene have avoided this over many years. Some 12 months ago there was some negative publicity about Irish backpackers in Northbridge in Perth and this story made its way to Ireland. The story was that some of the Backpackers accommodation owners were barring Irish backpackers. I was contacted by an Irish radio station to ask if I would go on air and name the venues. The problem is that if I had done so, a question might be asked of me and my comment would be taken out of context and all hell would break loose.

I declined the invitation.

There is also now a world wide web Irish news site looking out for these stories and reproducing them for all to see.

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Serv ic i ng a l l s tat es of Australia 50

Dining Guide

Sponsor: Northside Meats

with Danielle O’Leary

Durty Nelly’s...

Just like home....

When we arrived, I thought we had picked the worst night for the review. It was Saturday, it was freezing outside and the British and Irish Lions rugby match was playing. Durty Nelly’s was buzzing – when we moved through the pub, the infectious atmosphere carried in from the verandah outside and we found the restaurant to be a warm haven of booths, intimate tables and the perfect amount of noise for a meal.

There is a soft, genuine sense of Irishness about Durty Nelly’s.

This may be to do with that all furnishings in Durty Nelly’s were imported from Ireland along with the actual pub itself. Thanks to this, there is an authentic feel in the pub – you step in off Shafto Lane and are transported back to Ireland.

We sat in our booth, and I could have been in my Cork local, Jim Cashman’s. Comfortable, warm and happy, we settled in for our night ahead. For entrée, we ordered The Plate – garlic and pepper calamari, black pudding, buffalo wings with toasted Turkish bread and homemade dip. It was the perfect start to the meal – instead of the usual chorizo and feta used in so many restaurants, the combination of calamari and buffalo wings was a refreshing change. The black

pudding, though, was the best part of the dish. I asked Dan, the amazing man who looked after us superbly, where the black pudding was from – it was a product of Northside Meats, and I should have guessed!

It was the smoothest, tastiest, most incredible black pudding this side of Dublin.

After the entrée, we had an impossible choice for our main meal.

It is an extensive menu offering a variety pizzas on a homemade thin crust base, Irish style food – from a gourmet Black Pudding Stack served with crisp bacon, seared scallops, grilled asparagus and tomato salsa topped with a fried egg to a Beef and Guinness Pie – hearty, slow cooked beef and vegetable pie topped with a flaky pastry lid served with colcannon mash and seasonal vegetables.

For our main meals, we ordered the Eye Fillet (220g) – served on rosemary potatoes, topped with a tomato and herb salsa, jus and crisp prosciutto. Presented beautifully, the steak was tender and cooked to a perfect medium and the potatoes redefined comfort food. My other half ordered the Fish of the Day – fresh pink snapper wrapped in prosciutto served with colcannon mash, asparagus, scallops and a tomato beurre blanc. A creative

A family tradition since 1954...

Phone: (08) 9249 8039 Fax: 9248 1753 • E: info@northsidemeats.com.au • 58 Westchester Rd, Malaga, WA 6090 • 51

dish that brought together the best of Irish potato and impeccably cooked seafood complimented by the prosciutto. We also ordered a side of seasonal vegetables just to be healthy (you can also order colcannon mash and curry sauce as a side if you want to really feel like you’re in Ireland!).

We shared a bottle of the house white, the delicious Stony Peak Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. My other half came along to the review with me – he has lived in Australia for two years but lived in Kilkenny prior to Perth. He had his first Guinness since leaving the hurling county and was very impressed by it.

If you’re homesick for Ireland, head to Durty Nelly’s to feel at ease.

I plan on spending a lot of time there this winter.

Durty Nelly’s is in Shafto Lane between Murray and Hay Streets, Perth and is open for lunch and dinner. Sunday is a good day with live music from Sparrow between 4 and 7.30pm

Historical Journey to Past...

from the fish and meat markets which were located there in the seventeenth century . It is a sloping street running from Christchurch to Wood Quay. At the higher end of the slope there was a steel works with an adjoining house accessed by several steps. This was a regular meeting place where we planned all sorts of play or mischief.

But long before that in 1742 this was where George Fredrick Handel first played The Messiah in a Music Hall which was on that site. The house is still there ; beside it, behind

by Marie Maloney Until I was almost fourteen years old we lived in two rooms on the first floor over a news agent’s shop in a row of terraced buildings on Parliament Street in Dublin. We were a short distance from Grattan Bridge and the River Liffey at one end and Dublin Castle and City Hall at the other. Parliament Street was fairly busy and frequently very noisy at night as there were two pubs quite close on either side of us and another straight across the road.

It was within the city walls of Old Dublin but as a child it was to me, just where I lived. However during a recent holiday in Dublin I have realised the historical significance of my childhood home.

With my husband Richard, I stayed in an apartment just a short distance from Parliament Street to once again immerse myself into familiar surroundings and for convenience of movement. This was an experiment that payed wonderful dividends. Living for six weeks in an area which I moved away from sixty years ago was an interesting experience. This was made even more fascinating by the fact that its historical significance is being honoured and promoted. As a child growing up amongst all of this ancient culture I was not aware of most of it. Parliament Street is part of Temple Bar which is now promoted as “Dublin’s Cultural Quarter” I spent many hours just wandering around the streets of my childhood home. At times I was almost transported back in time remembering the favourite play spots and the games we played as children.

St Michael & John's Church

St Michael & John’s Church was our local parish. I made my first communion and confirmation there, my five siblings were baptised there and my maternal grandparents were married there. It is now recognised as an important historical site. Prior to its life as a Catholic Church it had been The Smock Alley Theatre which was built in 1662. The Theatre closed in 1787.In 1815 the Catholic Church bought the old theatre building to build a church in order to amalgamate the two parishes of St Michael and St John. Much of the old building was retained in the new church. In 1989 due to falling numbers of parishioners the church was deconsecrated. It has since been restored as Smock Alley Theatre.

The school I attended which is next

Keenan & Sons, Fishamble Street

the original entrance to The Music Hall is a block of apartments which has a statue in memory of Handel in front of the building. On the other side of the old house is The George Fredrick Handel Hotel. Next door is another hotel called Harrington’s

Gaiety School of Acting

door is now The Gaiety School of Acting. I have found to my delight that some of my old play haunts are also significant historical sites.

To many of the local children Fishamble St was our favourite playground.

It got its name

52

Original Entrance to Music Hall

Hotel which has a bar named after a lady called Darkey Kelly who is reputed to be Ireland’s first female serial killer. She ran a brothel on

Some of Wall lenght wise in Lamb Alley (Cornmarket)

that site. She was executed in 1761 for the murder of five men whose bodies were found hidden in the brothel. What wonderful games we would have invented if we had only known some of this history as children.

Further down in Fishamble Street stands the oldest house in Old Dublin and it is now thought to be the oldest house in Dublin. It has been owned by the same family for more than two hundred years.

This house provided many hours of occupation for local children in the 1940’s. It is a big three storey building on the corner of Fishamble Street and West Essex Street. The expanse of wall space provided a prefect area for ball games. Each day several of the local children would spend considerable time hitting balls against the walls to the distress of the occupants who spent much

time shouting at us from a window above. The poet James Clarence Mangan was born in 3 Fishamble Street. One of my school friends lived in that house with her family which in the 1940’s was also home to a number of other families.

One cultural legacy that intrigued me even as a child are the walls that remain from the ancient walled city. There are a few of them scattered around the area, one example is in Lamb Alley just off Cornmarket. One short section displays the thickness of these walls. What started out as a visit to my childhood became a wonderful journey through history.

Editor: Elsewhere in this magazine a reference was made to the Smock Alley Theatre and especially the Manager! There is an enduring urban legend that suggests that Irish actor, and manager of the Smock Alley Theatre and afterwards the Theatre Royal in Dublin, Richard Daly (1758 – 1813) invented the word ‘Quiz’ to settle a bet in 1791.

Singer whose ‘Spancil Hill’ was hailed as finest version Robbie McMahon, who has died aged 86, was a songwriter and singer whose rendition of Spancil Hill is widely regarded as the definitive version. He reckoned he sang it more than 10,000 times since he learned it as a teenager.

The ballad is named after a crossroads between Ennis and Tulla in east Clare, the site of a centuries-old horse fair held every June. In 1870 a young man from the locality, Michael Considine, bade farewell to his sweetheart Mary McNamara and left for the US. He hoped to earn sufficient money to enable her to join him. However, he died in California in 1873. Before his death he wrote a poem dedicated to Mary which he posted to his six-year-old nephew, John, back home.

Seventy years later McMahon was given the words at a house party. His singing of the ballad was warmly received by those in attendance, who included the author’s nephew, then an elderly man.

Many singers have recorded the ballad, but McMahon insisted his was the authentic version. He told The Irish Times in 2006: “Nowadays the song is not sung correctly. Many singers put words that are not in it [at] all, singing stuff like ‘Johnny, I love you still’. There’s no ‘Johnny’ in that song.” The late writer Bryan MacMahon was an early admirer of his namesake’s talent and had high praise for his ability as a performer and entertainer.

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Martin Hickey Passed away peacefully on Tuesday 18th June 2013.

Martin played a big part in the Hurling and Irish community of W.A. in the 80’s and alway kept in touch with the many great people he met along the way.

To Martin jnr, Catherine, Chad, Hayley, Nick, Kayla, Tamara & Connor we express our deepest sympathy.

SlÁn a Chara!

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Michael Fitzgerald

Recipe Probably the best ever winter dessert Sticky date and orange pudding with baileys toffee sauce... Makes 6 Puddding 230 g chopped dates Juice and zest of I large orange 100ml water 80 g butter 150g brown sugar (dark) 3 medium eggs 175g plain flour 1level teasp baking powder 1 level teasp bicarb soda Sauce 60ml baileys liquer 300ml cream (thickened is best) 200g dark brown sugar 60g butter Preheat oven to 180c. Butter 6 individual ramekin dishes. Boil the dates and orange juice in the water and simmer for 5 minutes on a medium heat till the dates are soft.

Cool. Sift together the flour , baking powder and bicarb into a bowl. In a separate bowl cream the butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat in. Fold in gently half the flour mixture and half the dates. Repeat with the remaining flour and dates again. Divide into the ramekins and bake for 16 to 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and set for 10 minutes before turning out on to a plate. In the meantime for the sauce combine all the ingredients in a thick based pot bring to the boil whilst stirring then simmer for about 5 or 6 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour over puddings .

with Marguerite O’Dwyer The Cure Tavern Irish bar & restaurant

Amy’s Chocolate & Almond Cake

Our Amy was experimenting in The Cure kitchen one day & put together this recipe.

I personally am not a fan of chocolate cake as I find them very heavy, but this recipe is one of the best I’ve tasted to date. It’s light & fluffy with a velvety texture and the flavours linger in your mouth for moments after. Enjoy…..

Serves 8 - Ingredients 200g plain flour 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda 50g cocoa powder 220g caster sugar 125g butter, melted & cooled 125ml milk 125ml cream 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract Topping: 150g white chocolate Almonds - Crushed 1. Preheat oven to 180oC. Lightly grease a 6cm deep, 20cm round tin, then line the base with baking paper 2. Sift the flour, bicarbonate soda & cocoa powder into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar 3. In a jug, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, melted butter & vanilla extract

4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture & pour in the liquid mixture 5. Using an electric whisk beat the mixture on a low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for a further 3-4mins until thick & creamy 6. Pour into prepared tin. Bake for 40-45mins 7. After this time dip a clean dry skewer into the centre of the cake.

If it comes out clean & dry then the cake is cooked, if it comes out wet then cook for a further 5-10mins 8. Allow cake to cool in the tin for 5mins, then turn onto a wire rack 9. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pot of boiling water on low heat 10. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cake & sprinkle generously with the crushed almonds 11. Serve with whipped cream of vanilla icecream

Frank Murphy presents

Michael Fitzgerald

Group Executive Chef Creating Events With Style A Division of AEG Ogden (Perth) P/L

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Irish Music • Interviews • Local & Irish News 54

Official Press Release of the appointment of Martin Kavanagh as Honorary Irish Consul Western Australia The Embassy of Ireland is pleased to announce the appointment by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Eamon Gilmore T.D., of Mr Martin Kavanagh as Ireland’s Honorary Consul in Western Australia.

Mr Kavanagh, who succeeds Mr Michael Nolan, will take up duty in the coming weeks.

Martin Kavanagh is originally from Cork and is a prominent member of the Irish community in Perth. He is closely involved in the work of several Irish organisations and recently helped to set up the Ireland-Western Australia Forum to promote business, professional and cultural links between Ireland and WA. Ambassador White commented: “I am delighted with this appointment and I want to extend my congratulations to Martin. I look forward to working with him.

I know he will do a wonderful job as Ireland’s Honorary Consul, looking after the interests of Ireland and the Irish in WA. Martin’s appointment will enhance our capacity to deliver the best possible consular services to the Irish community in Perth and WA. It will also provide a platform to move our relations with WA - a region of increasing economic importance to Ireland - to a new level and to strengthen our business, tourism and cultural links.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Michael Nolan for his work as Honorary Consul, a role in which he served with distinction over many years, and to wish him well in his retirement”.

Embassy of Ireland, Canberra 15 May 2013

Martin Kavanagh Honorary Consulate of Ireland Western Australia It was with great pleasure and humility that I accepted the Tánaiste’s invitation to assume the role of Honorary Consul of Ireland for Western Australia. To represent Ireland in any capacity is a great honour.

I am very conscious that I follow in the footsteps of Michael Nolan who has served Ireland with great distinction. Michael’s hard work, intelligence and kindness have stood the Irish community in good stead for many years. Michael and Eleanor have also been extremely kind to Richard and me as we begin our work.

I would especially like to thank the staff of the embassy in Canberra who have been unfailingly helpful and considerate to me and I wish to acknowledge the hard work the embassy staff has done during the period between Michael’s retirement and my appointment.

The Honorary Consulate is now open to provide consular help and assistance (including processing passport applications) to the Irish in Western Australia.

Whilst it is important to remember that all Irish passports are produced in Dublin, we believe we can be of assistance checking and processing applications to ensure all is complete so as to avoid delays. If you require a passport application form or you have a general enquiry please feel free to drop in or telephone during business hours. If you would like us to check your passport application is complete please telephone to make an appointment and we’ll be happy to help.

I thank Fred Rea for his continued support of the Honorary Consulate’s work and I hope to update you on important issues via a regular column in the Irish Scene.

Marty Kavanagh Honorary Consul of Ireland Honorary Consulate of Ireland | Western Australia 2/100 Terrace Road East Perth WA 6004 www.consulateofirelandwa.com.au Office Hours: 11.00am – 2.00pm Monday to Friday by appointment only Email: info@consulateofirelandwa.com.au Phone: 08 6557 5802 Fax: 08 9218 8433

Follow the Irish Embassy on Twitter: @irlembaustralia 55

land of

&

Ireland

honey

Irish food is meant for welcoming From the Canberra Times 1968

Sally was unable to get her piece completed for this edition so, I had a search of the net and found this very interesting piece from the Canberra Times in 1968 (Pre Celtic Tiger). The book is still available on Amazon I believe? Here goes....

You may be surprised to hear that food consumption per capita in Ireland is among the highest in the world.

A quick glimpse through Frances Mayville Budin’s beguiling collection ‘Recipes from Ireland - Traditional and Modern’ will make it clear why the Irish arc such stout eaters.

Traditionally the heart of the home has been the kitchen and the hearth and a soft-spoken “Cead mile failte” - a hundred thousand welcomes - rests as easily on the Gaelic tongue as a pot of strong tea on the stove.

The simple wholesome food of Ireland is meant for welcoming, a fact made obvious by Mrs Budin’s collection of fascinating legends and songs

which are scattered among the treasured recipes of generations of hospitable cooks.

Frances Mayvillc Budin, is an American home economist who now makes her home in Dublin. She has gathered directions for making timehonoured favourites such as Pratie Cakes, Chicky-in-thc-Pot, Colcannon (a vegetable dish) and Carrageen Moss Souffle.

To these she has added recipes for Irish scones, soda breads, pancakes including the fabled Boxty-on-theGriddle and traditional and modern soups, hearty main dishes, zesty salads and rich desserts.

To make the book more useful Mrs Budin has contributed Irish menus for special days. She claims that each recipe has been carefully tested.

A concoction called Irish Mist liqueur seems to fascinate the author.

She suggests the use of the liqueur, blended in the heart of the Emerald Isle from Irish whiskey and heather honey, in Christmas plum pudding, pies, pancakes and with ham.

Gaynor Maddox says in a foreword: “Whether it is buttermilk oaten bread with sweet butter you’ll be wanting

for breakfast or a ‘cuppa’ with a thick slice of Barm Bracken in the late afternoon, you can find out how to make it in this book with the graceful air”.

One of the recipes which catches the eye in the chapter headed ‘Main Dishes’ is for Braised Limerick Ham . . . here’s the recipe.

Braised Limerick Ham Ingredients (Use McLoughlin’s): 2 cooking apples, peeled and sliced 1 onion and a sliced1 bay leaf 8oz cider 2 thick slices uncooked ham steak 1 tsp prepared mustard 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup orange or pineapple juice or vinegar.

Method: Combine the apples, onion, bay leaf and cider in skillet. Place ham slices on this mixture. Cover and simmer gently until the meat is cooked (this will, depend upon how thick ham is).

Cover ham slices with a mixture of the mustard, brown sugar and; orange juice. Place them, under-broiler until lightly brown. Set on hot serving plate and serve with apple mixture placed around ham slices. Makes 4 servings.

Meat Connoisseur is a WA family owned butcher that has taken over from PJ McLoughlin at Woodvale Boulevard Shopping Centre. We are continuing to supply the well-loved quality Irish products that this shop is known for. Please come and visit us for unrivalled service and quality, not only in Irish produce but all your meat and poultry needs. Brett Thomas.

9309 9992 Woodvale Boulevard Shopping Centre Whitfords Ave, Woodvale

56

Breac-Ghaeilgeoir i mBéal Átha an Ghaorthaigh

Frainc O Sé (ar lean........)

Ar an gcéad dul síos tuigeadh dom nach labhrann an cainteoir dúchais, ar an bhfód dúchais dó, ach Béarla, nuair a bhíonn stróinséirí ag éisteacht ar aon nós.

Bhí sin fíor i dtaobh na Gaeltachta ina rabhas-sa, pé scéal in áiteanna eile. I mBéal Átha an Ghaorthaigh a bhíos. Éinne nárbh ón áit sin dó, dhein sé talamh slán de gurbh ón áit domh-sa agus bhí sé sásta láithreach nach mbeinn-se sásta Gaeilge d’aon tsaghas a labhairt leis. Imeasc na ndúchasach féin bhí an dá shórt ann.

Iad siúd a mheas go rabhas chomh gar san do bheith im’ chainteoir dúchais nach mbacfainn le Gaolainn a labhairt, agus iad siúd a mheas gur chun a gcuid Gaolainne féin a ghoid a tháinig mé.

Ar deireadh thiar, trí chloí go doicheallach, daingean leis an mBéarla agus mo dhrochmheas ar an nGaolainn a chur in iúl go seileatach, seoiníneach, chuireas olc chomh mór san ar na cainteoirí dúchais, nach é amháin gur labhradar Gaolainn liom-sa d’fhonn cur as dom, mar mheasadar, ach gur labhradar Gaolainn le chéile chomh maith.

Ba mhór an chéim síos dóibh é sin, agus ghoill sé orm go rabhas ag cur le cruatan an tsaoil ag na daoine cneasta san, ach ba shólás dom go rabhas, im’ shlí cham féin, ag cuidiú leis an athbheochaint. (ar lean............)

Seachtain na Gaeilge 2013

As part of the worldwide Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations in March, An Rang Gaeilge in Perth held a Seanfhocail session during the regular Monday night class. The three groups (Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced) joined together for a night of fun and learning. It is great to see the growing interest in learning Irish among the Australian community and also Irish people availing themselves of the opportunity to refresh the Irish they learned at school.

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ULSTER

Rambles with David MacConnell

A good friend of mine who works in a school in Sorrento once remarked to me. “Sure it was something terrible to live there in the 60’s. We never went anywhere in those days.” Now I did not entirely agree with him but I have to admit that I was only in Enniskillen twice and that was only because I was going to Galway and Enniskillen was on the way.

Well you all probably know by now, Enniskillen is now on the map. Yeah the Big Map! On June 17th – 18th they hosted the G8 talks. (“Well thank God he’s going to write something politically orientated” I can hear Fred say. Fred is the editor as if you didn’t know by now. He’s almost as famous as Gerry, what’s his name!)

Well politics in Ulster for me when I was young was very basic. It was black and white.

It was orange and green. You were one or the other! I wonder if it has changed. Those that did - marched. Those that didn’t - stayed at home and watched those that did on the television!

Was this marching why they chose Fermanagh as the location of the 2013 G8 summit? Let me tell you a LITTLE about it.

The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of the world’s eight wealthiest countries. The forum originated with a 1975 summit hosted by France that brought together representatives of six governments: France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, thus leading to the name Group of Six or G6. The summit became known as the G7 the following year with the addition of Canada. In 1997, Russia was added to the group which then became known as the G8. The European Union is represented within the G8 but cannot host or chair summits.

There can surely be no better location for a summit of world leaders seeking to make decisions that affect the harmony and sustainability of the world in which we live than The Fermanagh Lakes; home to places that have been used for reverie and contemplation for hundreds of years.

Just down the road from the Lough Erne Resort is Devenish Island where St. Molaise founded a monastery in the 6th Century. With

one of the finest round towers in Ireland, the Devenish monastery is emblematic of the significance of Lough Erne and its environs for learning and spirituality. The area is rich with heritage and history and also provides a sensational backdrop to fishing and water sports for the increasing number of tourists who seek out Fermanagh.

The talks will take place in the Lough Erne Resort, a five star hotel, spa and championship golf course situated on a 600 acre estate between Castle Hume Lough and Lower Lough Erne. The resort boasts a banqueting hall and two championship golf courses. Ideally located only minutes from Enniskillen town centre and St Angelo Airport for private jet arrival, the resort is within a 2 hour drive of Dublin International Airport, Belfast International Airport (Aldergrove), Belfast City Airport (George Best), Sligo and City of Derry Airport as well as Belfast & Dublin ports. In Irish terms that is remote.

Lough Erne Resort has 5 helipads for helicopter arrivals, or arrivals by seaplane on Castle Hume Lough, which the resort buildings directly overlook. I must bring my helicopter the next time I visit. A team can arrange transfers to the resort whether you require a chauffeur driven car, limousine or car hire. Bicycles and small cars are not encouraged. Sorry only kidding. The 18th hole by the shores of Lough Erne is only a par three. But from the Championship tee, 228 yards from the green, it is totally intimidating.

(Well not for me I should add. It is not on my bucket list to drive off any Championship tees on any course!) Hit it right, the ball goes into the water and sinks into the lough; go left and you could brain an unsuspecting imbiber on the terrace; too short or too long, you are in the reeds; even a near-perfect shot can embed itself in a gully. Frankly, all the options look horrible.

If the Group of Eight presidents and prime ministers who gathered on Monday at the Lough Erne resort have a moment even to look, they might see this as a metaphor for the political choices they face. To stand the slightest chance of making a viable decision and executing it well, they need hard heads, soft hands – and a lot of luck. But that is one thing we Irish seemingly have. (Well, I am not so sure nowadays) Lough Erne is an appropriate venue in another respect. The reality of this sumptuous-

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looking setting is all too similar to most of the countries the leaders represent. Beneath the surface luxury, the operation is broke. It went into administration two years ago and is up for sale for a knock-down £10m. The purpose of the G8 summit may be unclear to most people including me before I started writing this article. Now it is just hazy. But apparently it is clear enough to the people around Fermanagh! It is the biggest property marketing exercise in history …Honest!

Lough Erne must be the second-most improbable setting in the 38-year sequence of these events. I have forgotten what the first

one was. The South Pole maybe or the top of Mt. Everest! Even a few years ago, the political atmosphere made this border region feel too dangerous for any world leader – most golfers too accept those with handicaps over 30. But a local entrepreneur had a vision: a five-star resort in the middle of nowhere. This vision subsequently turned out to be a nightmare. In late 2008 it became reality, just as the Irish and global economies caved in. Less than two years later the bankers pulled out of Ireland, north and south, and called in their loans. Now how mean was that?

Architecturally, the place is a bit forbidding: a grey mix of Scottish baronial and army barrack.

But it has two matchless advantages: the loughside scenery and the warmth of the locals. Ulster people may well be the friendliest on earth (except of course to each other). Apparently people there are ridiculously trustworthy, or so I have been told. That trust includes the local belief that this struggling area will somehow gain some benefit from this shindig.

There have already been some pluses: a few road improvements; beefed-up broadband and 3G coverage; and a major wash and brush-up for Enniskillen. “There’s not a painter unemployed for 200 miles round,” it was reported.

There weren’t many painters for 200 miles around anyway, I thought to myself. They are all in Australia! It’s great to be a cynic these days. “It’s 26 000 miles from Perth to Enniskillen! “ I sang and reminded myself of the recent

www.dan-dooley.ie 58

article about Donaghadee. (Oh get on with it man I can hear you say….

Sorry!)

You couldn’t get more Ulster when it comes to food for this famous event. Chefs at Fermanagh’s Lough Erne Resort have been working on the menus for four months. Yeah a long time to write out a menu! On the Friday before the great event, the last details were still being finalised at the luxury resort. Extra equipment has been bought, new uniforms brought in and all the resort’s kitchen utensils upgraded. (Who told me that? And new teaspoons!) Staff in Lough Erne’s four kitchens have undergone around 100 hours additional training each. It begs the question what they knew before doesn’t it?

Exactly what the G8 leaders will eat is being kept secret …perhaps because they are still working on the menu as I mentioned above. A range of up to 25 dishes – including vegan and vegetarian delicacies – will be offered…. and accepted one hopes.

The ingredients will be drawn from across Ireland – except, perhaps, for the lemons. (What? No Irish lemons. I am sure I’ve seen a few when I was there last!) Comber spuds, Glastry ice-cream from Co Down and fresh fish from Donegal’s Killybegs port are all expected to appear on the menus – beside cheeses from Fivemiletown, beef from Lisnaskea firm Kettyles, (if I only knew what they were) and black bacon and corned beef from Enniskillen’s renowned butchers.

Local delicacies will include yellowman ice-cream with a dulse garnish, (I honestly never knew that was a delicacy!) Toomebridge eels with a sweet red onion marmalade and local oatcakes. (What no Irish stew or Guinness pie?)

And, of course, the Ulster fry with black and white pudding. (Well I would hope so!) Thank goodness there was no gammon steak and pineapple on the menu. It used to be in ALL the menus and it was why I left Ulster 40 years ago!

The choice for the venue was made partly on security grounds. The resort is largely surrounded by water; six miles of fence and thousands of policemen will do the rest of the job. But David Cameron appears to be making another statement: that here is an area transformed from a war zone into a holiday destination.

As is customary, the protesters at the G8 will be trying to draw attention to various issues but the main themes for the locals are likely to be youth emigration and fracking. No, you don’t have to reread that. I wrote Fracking!

Plans for fracking near the border village of Belcoo are drawing strong opposition. But against that, there is not much in Belcoo, although there is an Italian deli with an enticingly open door. It’s fake, or so I was told but it is the best of several that have gone up on vacant shops in the vicinity. Who is it designed to fool, though? Maybe a passing Italian prime minister, or the locals pointing at a non-existent prosperity? This is Ireland, and one can never be quite sure who is kidding whom or if they are actually kidding at all! If Ulster was in the South, we could just blame it all on the “Celtic Tiger!”

Still, Fermanagh should enjoy the fun and attention. They would bring out the flags, except that this is Ulster, and the flag (that new four lettered word I mentioned a while back) you fly – Union Jack or Irish tricolour – is a provocative statement. The council wants them taken down instead.

Have you ever asked someone to take down his flag? Things could get nasty!

Now if you want to know what actually happened, well I will let you all Google it for yourselves. The headlines are not so different from what I hinted at above. One sure thing, the leaders of the G8 countries will not be reading this article and even if they did, I am sure they would not understand it. I know you will. As my Irish friend from that well known school in Sorrento would say, “Sure it’s as clear as mud!”

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Colin Merrey’s Book

s w e i v e R BOOKS Well - I hope you are ready to buckle down to some exceptional light (and occasionally heavy) reading so – let’s get under way without further ado. There are a lot of books in this issue – you will I think need a lot to get you through the cold Winter months this year when you can’t do much in an out of doors way.

I thought I would give you a quick heads up on my personal favourite booksellers in the Perth area – of those selling new books, I tend to patronise Dymocks at Whitford City and Subiaco a lot – they have a good selection of titles and are very friendly and helpful.

They also have stores in Fremantle and Subiaco amongst other branches.

I also look to Mark at Corona Books.

Warwick Shopping Centre for good service – I found him extremely helpful and obliging with a good knowledge of books and authors. He is very amenable when it comes to getting in hard to get novels, too.

In the realm of Second Hand book sellers, you can’t go past Pulp Fiction – they have stores at Whitford City and a Floreat Forum Shopping Centre. A close second (for me at least) is the Elizabeth’s Bookshop chain which has shops in Fremantle, Perth City (Murray Street), Nedlands and Subiaco to name but a few branches. I also look to the Guildford Book Exchange for good service. (These are very useful for books that are no longer in print and are mentioned here for the benefit of those of you who refer to back issues of the Irish Scene.)

Please also remember that, if you can’t get the books recommend here from these or your local bookseller, you can contact the publishers direct on their respective websites. Now read on!!

Firstly, my book of the month – I have chosen this one because I thought it was time I did something for our younger readers (this at the suggestion of one of my Grand-daughters!).

DORK DIARIES #6 - HOLIDAY HEARTBREAK – RACHEL RENEE RUSSELL Simon and Schuster Paperback $16.99 Here we have the sixth volume of the multi award winning series of books featuring Nikki Maxwell (the dork of the title). The format is the diary and doodles of a “not so fabulous life” and is certain to appeal to

all younger readers – I know it does to the ones in my life – I had never seen a child so engrossed in a reading book that was not part of the school curriculum before. It was great to see – let’s hope all of our little ones develop a keen interest in reading for enjoyment and not just for learning. Let’s have more of these and the like.

ANYONE WHO HAD A HEART = BURT BACHARACH Atlantic Books $32.99 Here is the story of a musical legend – Burt is a World renowned composer who has won numerous accolades during his long and illustrious career. Amongst his achievements are two Oscars, two Emmys and two Grammys in a single year – no mean achievement I must say – along with numerous number one hit singles (some co written with his musical partner Hal David) by the likes of Dionne Warwick, Cilla Black and Dusty Springfield to name but a few.

The book is co-written with Robert Greenfield and covers his life from “humble beginnings” to becoming one of the most celebrated composers of our time. I always enjoy a good biography and this one is no exception – I loved it.

As you know, I love a good thriller – but I also like books that make you think and that are factual and informative (nay instructional) in content. This issue, I have selected three for your edification – ones that I found very engrossing to say the least.

MAFIA REPUBLIC – JOHN DICKIE Sceptre Paperback $32.99 I loved this one – John Dickie is Professor of Italian Studies at University College London and has researched thoroughly this wonderful tome that chronicles the rise of the Mafia in Italy and Sicily from 1946 (the year that Italy became a democratic republic) to the present day and makes enthralling reading. I found it extremely disturbing to note how La Cosa Nostra grew there over this troubled period of Italy’s history. If you like historically factual stories, then this one is for you.

Hope you enjoy it.

THE BEDSIDE BOOK OF PHILOSOPHY – MICHAEL PICARD Murdoch Books Hardback $24.99 I have long discussed matters of a philosophical nature with my good friend Glen McCloud who is involved with the running of the WA School of Philosophy – in fact I have always had a bit of an idea to look further into matters philosophical. I thought this

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book would make a good introduction for me and indeed it did – it could also do the same for you if you are that way inclined at all. Its subtitle is “From Plato to Paradoxes: Thinking Through the Ages” and I found it not too hard going as I delved into its pages. Indeed, it is filled with philosophical puzzles that have intrigued some of our greatest minds together with quizzes and moral dilemmas that force us to confront the consequences of some of our beliefs.

A most informative book – it certainly kept my interest (for what I had thought might be a bit of a dreary subject) and did make me think a lot about a lot of things. See what you think – give it a go.

MASTERMIND – HW T THNK LK SHRLCK HLMS – MARIA KONNIKOVA Allen and Unwin $29.99 And here comes another eye-opener! This I found MOST enlightening – it promised to improve one’s powers of deduction – and it certainly did that as it trolled through the manner of deductive reasoning of the likes of Sherlock Holmes (via his “biographer” Dr John Watson) and suggested ways to channel your concentrative and other natural powers to greater advantage.

I found the book fascinating and indeed extremely helpful – I found that my powers of D D CT N, BS RV T N, M M RY ND M G N T N (think about it!) have improved apace and I am working towards a better knowledge and understanding of things and people around me. A great and useful tool altogether for the budding thinker.

PARIS – EDWARD RUTHERFURD Hodder and Stoughton Paperback $32.99 Whilst this is not strictly a non-fiction book, it is the latest in Rutherfurd’s copious volumes about some of the world’s greatest cities.

In the past, he has tackled with a great deal of success the likes of Dublin, London and New York, to name but a few, by researching thoroughly and reporting on their history through the lives of fictitious families as they grew and developed as the cities themselves developed – they are dramatised documentaries, if you will. I thoroughly enjoy his style of writing and found, as I did with his earlier books, a greater knowledge of these magnificent cities.

In particular, I enjoyed the two volumes on Irish history (which have both been reviewed in earlier issues of this magazine). In this book, we follow the

Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R de Cygne, Blanchard and Le Sourd dynasties as their lives unfold against the backdrop of the tumultuous history of Paris, the City of Love, of Terror and of Dreams.

Read enjoy and love this one as much as I have done. It will bring you a new understanding of this most romantic of cities.

THE CITY – STELLA GEMMELL Bantam Press Paperback $32.95 And here we have a debut fantasy novel from the pen of Stella Gemmell, wife of the famed best selling novelist, David Gemmell. For me it is a really good first novel which bodes well for future novels from this excellent author.

Here we have the story of a city that has been built up over many millennia that is both ancient and vast. At the centre of the City there resides the Emperor who, much like the great Oz, has been seen by few of his subjects.

This is the story of one man who, believed by many to be dead, has risen up to lead a rebellion against this Emperor………To what end? You will need to read this and find out for yourselves! I am not going to tell you.

A great book – read and enjoy it – it is not my normal taste in reading matter but I did thoroughly enjoy it all the same.

LOVE’S LABOURS LOST And now to some volumes primarily for the ladies – MAEVE BINCHY’S TREASURY – Allen and Unwin Paperback $22.99 Last year, Ireland lost one of its great romantic authors in Maeve Binchy – her final book was reviewed in an earlier issue of this magazine. Here we have for your enjoyment a collection of more than forty short stories that have been gathered together from earlier compilations (“The Return Journey” and “This Year it will be Different”) and with five new stories added for your further delight.

I had not read any of these earlier stories before and so all of these were new to me – I have always enjoyed Maeve’s writing style and her characterisations and this collection is no exception. I hope you will all take the time to read and enjoy them, too.

Hopefully there will be more re-issues of her earlier works for the benefit of those amongst us who have missed out on

reading them in the past.

SEDUCTION – MJ ROSE Random House Paperback $32.95 I found this a most intriguing story – it concerns the tale of a mythologist, Jac L’Etoile who arrives on the island of Jersey to discover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots – this at the invitation of Theo Gasparda man whose expectations are not the same as those of Jac. We delve into the story of séances that were conducted on the island by renowned French novelist, Victor Hugo, and discover via some of his letters, many of which had been hidden by the author many years before, indicate a rather sinister history altogether.

This is an unusual story but one that I found both intriguing and enjoyable at the same time. Hope you enjoy it, too.

RYDERS RIDGE – CHARLOTTE NASH Hachette $29.99 This is the first novel from English born Charlotte who now resides in the Redland Shire area of Brisbane.

Her subject, gleaned from working alongside doctors as a medical student in rural Queensland, is that of a country doctor, Daniella Bell, who escapes to Ryders Ridge in an attempt to forget her troubled past – but will she get her desire or will she be forced to face her demons head on? Read and enjoy – this is a tangled up love story – one that notwithstanding it is aimed at the feminine audience I quite enjoyed it. It is very well written and I look forward to her future novels with anticipation.

CLOSE MY EYES – SOPHIE MCKENZIE Simon and Shuster $24.99 This is Sophie’s first venture into adult fiction, having published many teen and young adult titles over the past few years.

It is the story of Geniver Loxley who has always believed that she lost her baby daughter, Beth, at birth.

Then someone turns up out of the blue to tell her that her daughter is not dead and that, in fact, she had been stolen at birth and further that her husband and her doctor had both been complicit in the subterfuge.

What is the truth about Beth Loxley?

As I did, you will have to read this one to find out – I did and was gripped from the very beginning. Great fast paced story and a worthy debut into the “adult” writing world. Roll on the next one.

THE SHADOW YEAR – HANNAH

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RICHELL Little Brown Paperback $29.99 This is the new one from Hannah Richell who last year gave us “Secrets of the Tides” which you may recall I covered in an earlier issue, also.

This time, Kat and her friends stumble on an abandoned cottage by a lakeside deep in the English countryside. They descend on the cottage with a view to dropping out for a while to enjoy the lazy Summer days and evenings there in peace and quiet. Do they get their wish?

I don’t think so – the tensions that arose during their stay reappear some three decades later as with her marriage in crisis she sets out to renovate the old cottage.

There follows a tangled and disturbing web of events that will leave you literally gasping as the story reaches its surprising conclusion. Enjoy this one – I did!

THE FIELDS – KEVIN MAHER Little Brown Paperback $29.99 This is a lovely sometimes sad, sometimes disturbing but always slightly humorous tale set in the Dublin of the 1980’s against the backdrop of the Troubles. Jim Finnegan is thirteen years old and the youngest in a family with five sisters. This is the story of his interrupted adolescence and his transition into teen and eventual adulthood with his varied exploits with his rumbustious family and friends and his slowly blossoming love affair with the young Saidhbh.

If you enjoy the writing of the likes of Roddy Doyle and Mark Haddon, then you are sure to like this debut from one of Ireland’s newest writers. I loved it.

IT IS ALSO MY BOOK OF THE MONTH FOR THIS ISSUE’S COMPETITION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN IT FOR YOUE VERY OWN, CHECK THE COMPETITION DETAILS AT THE END OF THESE REVIEWS. MYSTERY, MURDER AND MAYHEMAnd now to my favourite genre – WHISKY BEACH – NORA ROBERTS Little Brown Paperback $29.99 This is the latest tome to issue from the pen of one of America’s most prolific writers. She has produced many bestsellers over the years both in the romance arena and also in the crime thriller era (some of the latter using her pen name JD Robb).

This time we have Eli Landon – a man accused of murder but who had proved

Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R his innocence – but not to everyone’s satisfaction. Abandoned by all of his friends and family, he retreats to Whisky Beach where his family have lived for many generations at Bluff House.

But here is where a dangerous enemy of Eli sets out to ensure that Eli doesn’t get a peaceful life and himself back on track. Nora has again proved her mastery of this subject and has produced an absolute page turner. Really gripping stuff – I loved it.

THE GAME – TOM WOOD Little Brown Paperback $29.99 What a great yarn! This is the story of Victor, an assassin who is living a solitary, peaceful life in Iceland – then he is given a job for an unidentified Swiss broker following which he becomes attached to a group of mercenaries who are all International assassins. But – all is not as it seems. Someone from his past, who he thought was dead, appears during the course of his current assignment that turns him and his world completely on its head.

How he extricates himself from this dilemma is rooted in page turning action and thus evolves a story that I found completely unputdownable. Loved it immensely. I will certainly look up two his earlier books and eagerly await the coming ones.

Robert Ludlum’s “THE UTOPIS EXPERIMENT” – KYLE MILLS Orion Paperback $32.99 This is yet another story form the outlines left behind to his estate and family when Ludlum died a few years ago. Some of them have been developed by Eric Von Lustbader (mainly the Jason Bourne series) but here we have Kyle Mills developing the story of Colonel Jon Smith, a Covert One operative, who is tasked with delving into the operational capabilities of a “weapon” called the Merge – this can potentially help the US win most offensives that it enters into with its enemies and also potentially assure “peace in our time” – but what if it was to fall into the wrong hands???? This is a grand story (if a little fanciful for my personal taste) and again a real page turner. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you will too.

DEAD GIRL SING – TONY CAVANAUGH Hachette Paperback $29.99 Tony is an acclaimed Australian author and one whose stories I have read in the past – all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This one follows on from his book “Promise” which I really enjoyed and is the continuing adventures of Darian Richards, a retired and disillusioned homicide cop who keeps getting drawn back into unusual serial killer cases.

Here by virtue of a telephone call, a case from his recent past is brought back to his immediate present where he becomes involved with the finding of the bodies of two young girls who went missing during Schoolies’ Week on the Gold Coast.

Again, there are a lot of twists and turns in the storyline, some expected and some not, as the story rockets to its surprising climax. If you like a good Australian crime dram, then this one’s for you. Buy it. Read it. Love it.

DEADLY BUSINESS – QUINTIN JARDINE Headline Paperback $32.99 Quintin Jardine is the author of more than thirty published novels – however, this is the first that I have come across – and a great one it is too.

Set in Spain, this is the latest in Jardine’s Primavera Blackstone series and tackles the story of a writer from Primavera’s past who is determined to rake through the ashes of her past life. This is a really enjoyable read and is quite fast paced. I loved it as it meandered through its story well seeded with threats of blackmail, extortion and love and lust.

The ending was quite unexpected (by me at least) and I loved every word and minute of this excellent story. Hope you like it too.

NO WAY BACK – MATTHEW KLEIN Allen and Unwin $24.99 Mathew is a new author to me – I tend to give all writers I haven’t come across before a hearing because I’m always looking for new variations on old themes. I have certainly found one with Mathew Klein.

This is an engrossing story and based around the financial resources and legal industries in the USA – great subjects – much after the realms of John Grisham and Michael Connelly.

Jimmy Thane is given seven weeks to save a failing company from collapse

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– after beginning the task, he realises exactly why he has been put into this situation – not the reason he was told – all of the subterfuge and misdirection comes at him with a rush. The resulting story is a breakneck paced story that never fails to shock as it twists and turns to its inevitable conclusion.

If you like Grisham and Connelly, then you’re going to love Klein.

THE GUILTY – SEAN SLATER Simon and Schuster Paperback $24.99 This is the third novel in the Jacob Striker series – I have read the earlier ones and they are really something. This time, Striker discovers a torture chamber in a steel barn beside a river – the investigation leads him to two mysterious bombers who have to be caught before they achieve their horrifying endgame.

Very fast paced – very tortuous – very enjoyable book. Read it and then have a look for the earlier books in the series – you’ll find it a very rewarding search.

SIX YEARS – HARLAN COBEN Orion Paperback $32.99 I always look forward to a new Harlan Coben – especially the Myron Bolitar series (a new one of these will be coming in the not too distant future). I also enjoy his standalone thrillers such as this one. This is a great story with many unexpected twists and turns – just as we have come to expect from Harlan. Our story begins with Jake Sanders reading the obituary of a man who, six years earlier, had married the love of Jake’s life, Natalie – a woman who he had promised to leave alone and not try to contact. He travels to the funeral to offer his condolences to the grieving widow – which is NOT Natalie at all but a completely different person – one he did not recognise!

There ensues a gripping drama as the story unfolds after many many twists and turns in his search for Natalie and the shattering climax of this taut fast paced thriller.

This is great reading – buy it and thoroughly enjoy it. If you can only read one book this year then make it THIS one. A truly great author and story.

THE SCORE – HOWARD MARKS Random House Hardback $32.95 This is Marks’ second sortie into the realms of crime fiction and again features DS Catrin Price. This time, she responds to a series of texts and emails from an old school friend who wants her to help trace his daughter who has gone missing after posting after a video of

Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R the daughter singing in a night club is posted on the internet.

But all is not as it seems – there follows a tortuous chase and frantic search for other girls who have gone missing under similar circumstances. Again, all is not as it seems to Catrin at first. This is a very fast paced and very enjoyable story – very unexpected ending indeed. Enjoy THE CARRIER – SOPHIE HANNAH Hodder and Stoughton Paperback $29.99 Sophie is a most prolific writer indeed – some of her work has been developed for TV, in fact “The Other Half Lives” was shown recently on the ABC – a most unusual and entertaining show – but I digress.

Here, Gaby Struthers finds herself, following a delayed plane flight, finds herself sharing a hotel room with a stranger who is terrified that an innocent man is about to be sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Gaby is shocked to find that this man is a friend of hers. There follows a breakneck chase on Gaby’s part to sort out the mess and prove her friends innocence. Does she do so? Is the task an easy one? You’ll just have to read it to find out! I know this story will surprise you – hope you enjoy it.

THE BEAUTY OF MURDER – A.K.BENEDICT Orion $29.99 This is Benedict’s first novel – she has previously published a short story in a recent collection thereof.

This is an extremely good debut – I enjoyed it immensely.

It tells the tale of Stephen Killigan who is a lecturer at Cambridge University. on his way home from the pub, he comes across the body (dead, of course) of a young girl who has been missing for some time – a beauty queen no less. He runs off to tell the police but when they turn up, the body is gone and, as he knows so much about the missing body, he is immediately suspected of her abduction and murder.

Wow! This is a story with a great premise and the twisted tale is told in a brilliant and well executed manner.

Hope you enjoy it too.

THE SIXTH SOUL – MARK ROBERTS Corvus Paperback $24.99 A published playwright, this is Mark’s first novel for adults – and it is a real

cracker!

Five women have been abducted and their mutilated bodies dumped. The tabloid press are riding high on these murders and are convinced that this is the work of London’s latest serial killer. DCI David Rosen is tasked with the job of bringing this killer to book – a not too simple task but one that is complicated by the mysterious phone call he gets from a priest, who was once the Vatican’s leading expert on the occult, who reveals to him the Biblical and supernatural overtones of these murders. There then ensues a race against time to find the killer before the sixth and final victim is found and murdered too. This is a great story with a most unusual twist. I loved it – hope you do, CLOSE TO THE BONE – STUART MacBRIDE Harper Collins $29.99 This is the latest in the Logan McRae series of crime thrillers that are set in Aberdeen – Scotland’s Granite City. I have now read all of Stuart’s books and I must say that I have enjoyed them all – this latest is a grand addition to the stable, as it were. This time, a series of bodies keeps turning up and each time a body is found, Logan finds a small bunch of bones tied together with little knots of string. What is the connection with these murders and plot of a best selling novel? Logan battles through right to the end with many, many twists and turns of plot to confuse and confound him.

You may gather I am a big fan of these books with their off-the-wall characters, their gallows humour and macabre plots and settings – you are very right – I have also converted several of my good friends to the talents of Stuart MacBride. Hope I can add you to the list.

Well that’s it for books this issue - don’t forget – the book competition is open (see above) for my book choice of the month. All you have to do to win this book is to email me at colin.merrey@ yahoo.com.au and be the first response I receive and I will get the book to you as soon as I can. If you don’t have the internet, you can text me on 0409 882 909 and respond stating you are registering for the book competition.

Maybe then I can get a response and an un-nominated-by-me winner! The response to last issue’s competition was atrocious – not a single response! I have decided that if I get no response to future competitions, then I will nominate someone from the Irish community

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who I know will appreciate a good book to read as the recipient. This last one I donated to a good friend of the Irish Scene, Mrs T Robinson. Hope she enjoys it as much as I did.

Remember, if I haven’t heard of an author before or if it is a new author, I hope you will take my recommendations to heart and give them a good reading.

I will say no more at this juncture and wish you happy reading, and see you all in the next issue. I hope you enjoy my recommendations as much as I have enjoyed reading them on both your and my own behalf.

MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC

This issue, I have a wonderful DVD and CD release to tell you about. It is the new one from Celtic Thunder called “Mythology”. It was filmed at the Helix in Dublin a short while ago and is the latest in a huge range of musical productions by Sharon Browne

and David Munro produced over a five year period. Here are presented some thirty one songs (the DVD) while the CD presents an extract of fifteen to whet your collective appetites. The cast has changed somewhat over the years but some of the original members still remain. The show is currently presented

by Emmett Cahill, Colm Keegan, Keith Harkin, Ryan Kelly, Neil Byrne and George Donaldson and the show features such musical gems as “Isle of Innisfree”, Grande Affair”, “Rocky Road to Dublin”, “Danny Boy” and “Dearg Doom” to name but a few. Obviously, for reasons of space available, all 31 tracks cannot fit onto a single CD but the selection thereon is representative of the show as a whole. The production is superb and the arrangements polished and in the same vein as the earlier shows.

I loved them both (DVD + CD) and know you will too – add them to your collections and enjoy. You may also like to get the DVD’s of the three series of “Mrs Brown’s Boys” - a favourite show of mine, but not to the taste of all of our contributors/readers.

I’ll take my leave of you for another issue and look forward to catching up in the next edition. All the very best to you and yours until the next time. I wish you happy reading, watching and listening.

A New Celtic Woman

possible to alter the production just for Australia.

I also asked if (since the show is to be at the Perth Arena) they would be using large video screens so that the audience can get full benefit of the show in such a large venue. I pointed out that I had heard from many of the people who attended the recent Celtic Thunder concert there complained that they felt that they missed out on a lot because they didn’t use the big screens. Susan said that they had been used at venues in the USA with quite success but as it is the province of the promoter, they had no real control over that. I asked if she could get onto the groups management to ensure that we got screens here and she said she would put it to them to see what could be done but – no guarantees. Here’s hoping that the promoters listen and we get this added benefit for the Perth Arena show.

All in all I found Susan a delight to talk to with a truly sparkling personality. I am really looking forward to seeing the NEW Celtic Woman in September (the “Believe” DVD is already in my collection with the earlier incarnation of the Group) and hopefully (if you haven’t already got your tickets and/or can’t get to the show) I will tell you all about it in the November December issue of the Irish Scene. It will I know be a great show and I hope you enjoy it too – I know I will.

Colin Merrey Talking to Susan McFadden Celtic Woman, the great Irish singing sensation, is finally coming to Perth in September. I have been eagerly awaiting their visit and was delighted, as a preface/foretaste of their visit, to be given the opportunity recently to talk to their newest member, Susan McFadden (who joined last year), about the group itself and also her own career.

As you probably know from her surname, Susan is the younger sister of Australian adoptee Brian McFadden (who is currently doing great business both here and also in the UK with his latest CD of classic Irish pop music) and was an absolute joy to talk to. I asked about her personal taste in music and she said that essentially her musical loves encompassed Irish music (modern and traditional) show tunes and modern music generally – although she said that when she is touring she doesn’t listen to any music in case it impacted on her professional performance. I asked if her joining Celtic Woman had an influence on her brother’s recording an album of Irish contemporary songs and she laughed and said “Maybe!!!” But that all Irish music was experiencing such an upsurge Worldwide that she can’t be sure.

I asked if she and Brian came from a musical family background but she told me that no, her parents sent her to stage school in an attempt to keep her “off the streets” as it were during the economic downturn that Ireland was going through (and in fact still is). Her own career has seen her blossom in such London stage shows as “Grease”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and the musical “Legally Blonde” and the ITV show “Grease is the Word”. She has also recorded in her own right and has indeed made her mark on the British and Irish entertainment scene.

She said that she had never visited Australia and was looking forward to her September trip with the Group. I asked if she would be catching up with her brother, Brian, but she said no as he would be touring overseas while they were here further promoting his new CD album.

We then moved on to discussing Celtic Woman and what we could expect to hear from them in Perth. She said that essentially they are touring the “Believe” tour with which Susan debuted in Nashville last year. This includes such favourites as “Spaceman came a Calling”, “You Raise Me Up” and “Orinoco Flow”. I asked her if she had recorded with the group yet and she said that yes – there is a live concert CD of the “Believe” concert that is either on release or about to be released in the USA – she didn’t know when it would be released here in Australia.

I asked if (like other visiting acts), the group would be slipping in an Australian song as a local tribute but she said that no, the concert format has been set and fully rehearsed for International consumption so it wouldn’t be practical/

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Fairbridge 2013 With cars filled to the brim with instruments, food and a 12 man ‘Taj Mahal’ of a tent (thank you Dympna and Jamie Finch) we hit the road for the Fairbridge Folk Festival. We being the band ‘Them Little Secrets’ are relatively new to this Fairbridge phenomenon, but we are most certainly on the band wagon now!

Many of you may already know this, but there’s something magical about the Fairbridge Festival. Entire families roll in and camp for an entire weekend to enjoy the amazing variety of bands, dancing and workshops. There are kids everywhere and it feels safe. It’s the first time in a long while that I’ve seen little ones running around on nightly adventures without parents having to stress about their well being.

But its the kindness of patrons, organisers and musicians that really creates the atmosphere at Fairbridge. It is a festival run by volunteers who are completely invested in the happiness and success of every performer.

We had the absolute privellege of playing in the Chapel, late on Saturday afternoon and it was one of the most moving experiences we’ve ever had on stage, We would like to take this opportunity to thank the phenomenally talented Jane Morris and Charlie McCarthy who joined us on stage

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Those of you who attended the festival would have been as impressed and inspired as we were with the bands and performers on the bill. From interstate acts such as Tinpan Orange and Flap, to the local talent of Bellville and Mama Kin, each of the stages were graced with phenomenal talent.

Hilary McKenna had the crowds jumping with his Ceili dancing accompanied by the new local Irish group Morris and the Cuttlefish, who are definietly worth checking out! Gypsy Jazz with Charlie Mc Carthy band Bellville was a favourite with the crowds and Rhys Woods... Brilliant!

The essence of this festival is the reason it continues to pull loyal crowds each year, and we now count ourselves amongst the blessed who have had the chance to play there.

Make it a date for 2014, you won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by Fiona Rea

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Isteach sa Teach with Lloyd Gorman

In the last issue of Irish Scene Isteach sa Teach (IST) lamented the loss of some Members of Parliament (MoPs) who are either Irish or have strong associations or connections with Ireland. Labor man Martin Whitely - whose wife is Irish – for example, had last year – long before the hammering the party took at the polls would be evident – announced that he would not be contesting the seat of Bassendean.

Another Labor MoP not to get back in was Irishman Tony O’Gorman. Having been elected to the WA parliament in 2001 O’Gorman’s eleven years of representing the people of Joondalup came to an end at the state election in March, when he was not returned to the seat. The former pollie – who the Premier Colin Barnett tried (and failed) to humiliate in the House by referring to him as a leprechaun – has traded a life with the ALP (Australian Labor Party) for a new career with the API (Australian Property Institute) as its National President.

The press release from the API announcing his appointment in June tells us that he graduated in 1989 with a degree in business, majoring in property valuation and outlines his professional work since then and what he hopes to achieve. Good luck to him, it is a high profile position and one there is no doubt he will carry out with excellence.

However, what was really interesting about the Institutes statement was what was not included. It referred to and quoted him as Tony Gorman and Mr Gorman throughout the press release. As a MoP in the Legislative Assembly Tony was always referred to as Mr Anthony (Tony) Patrick O’Gorman MLA. So where has the O’ gone I wonder? I will ask him next time I see him or get a chance to ask and report back with an answer to the riddle of the missing O. I would like to turn the attention now to a man whose initials spell one of the greatest political names of all time JFK. It would be remiss of IST to allow the 50th anniversary of the American President’s four day visit to Ireland in June 1963 to go without mention. Kennedy had an abundance of fine qualities (and some less noble ones too) with oration being one of them. In four days of touring Ireland he must have given dozens of speeches but one that will be remembered is his address to the Dail, in Dublin on June 28.

“I am deeply honoured to be your guest in a free parliament in a free Ireland,” Kennedy told a house mobbed by its own Teach Dailers DEV and JFK (TDs) eager to share in the historic occasion and hear the most powerful man in the world address them. He did not disappoint them. “If this nation had achieved its present political and economic stature a century or so ago, my great grandfather might never have left New Ross, and I might, if fortunate, be sitting down there with you. Of course if your own President [Eamonn de Valera] had never left Brooklyn, he might be standing up here instead of me.”

He was able to tell them that the White House in Washington - and the Oval Office - were designed by James Hoban an Irish American architect (from Co. Kilkenny). “I have no doubt that he believed by incorporating several features of the Dublin style he would make it more homelike for any President of Irish descent.

It was a long wait but I appreciate his efforts,” Kennedy said. (He was also able to tell them that the sword of Irish patriot John Barry hangs in his office) He was able to share a joke about Leinster House, the home of the Dail. “This elegant building, as you know,, was once the property of the Fitzgerald family, but I have not come here to claim it. Of all the new relations I have discovered on this trip, I regret to say that no one has yet found any link between me and a great Irish patriot, Lord Edward Fitzgerald. Lord Edward, however, did not like to stay here in his family home because, as he wrote to his mother, “Leinster House does not inspire the brightest ideas.”

Kennedy’s speech recognised the bond Ireland and America share. “I am proud to be the first American President to visit Ireland during his term of office, proud to be addressing this distinguished assembly, and proud of the welcome you have given me.” He also recited a poem by John Boyle O’Reilly ‘The world is large’, which indirectly gives WA a claim on the speech too. Amongst the light hearted remarks and references Kennedy paid tribute to Ireland’s place in the world - not just in the history of America but as a modern day nation contributing to the world at large. In particular, he paid special tribute to the United Nations Peacekeeping efforts of the Irish army - which, like the entire country was still reeling from the loss of 26 Irish soldiers in their first deployment to the Congo just three years earlier. “The major forum for your nation’s greater role in world affairs is that of protector of the weak and voice of the small, the United Nations” he said. “From Cork to the Congo, from Galway to the Gaza Strip, from this legislative assembly to the United Nations, Ireland is sending its most talented men to do the world’s most important work - the work of Peace…. “…I am glad, therefore that Ireland is moving in the mainstream of current world events. For I sincerely believe that your future is as promising as your past is proud, and that your destiny lies not as a peaceful island in a sea of troubles but as a maker and shaper of world peace.” (Five months later President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated.)

But if you did want to find fault with Kennedy’s speech – to the point where you were sending out search parties looking for a flaw with it – then I guess you could say that he uttered or attempted a word of Irish during his Dail speech. (Obama would do it with some success in 2011 when speaking to a heaving mass at College Green when he translated his election slogan into Irish: “Is féidir linn/Yes we can).

So IST was pleased to learn that for the first time ever in the Federal Parliament in Canberra the Irish language was officially read into the record of the House of Representatives by a WA politican.

On June 19, Dr Dennis Jensen MoP for the seat of Tangney was taking part in the debate about the Labor party’s policy on temporary sponsored visas amendment bill.

Jensen, said there were few more appropriate words in any language to describe the desperate last minute political ploys that characterise these reforms saying: ““Ní hé lá na gaoithe lá na scoilb” (A windy day is not a day for thatching) He said he used the language in recognition of the invaluable and long contribution of migrants to Australia. His speech is available at dennisjensen.com.au

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The Australian-Irish Heritage Association Planning and Development The Board of the AIHA conducted the first of two reviews of the Association to position the AIHA where it can be most relevant to achieve our mission and goals. All activities and structure are being reviewed against the effort involved, the financial risk and the member support to determine if we should Retain, Drop or Develop that activity. We drew guidance from the many surveys completed by our membership.

We welcomed back Mary O’Byrne to the Board. Mary coordinates the Writers Competitions and History talks. Mary O’Callaghan has taken the newly created role of Publicity officer.

It is not planned to continue the annual WB Yeats dinner but instead we are looking to revert to a Yeats Garden party in the spring.

The annual Durack Lecture will be given by celebrated Irish born International sculptors Charles and Joan Smith of Aislinn Studios. Venue and date TBA. In the pipeline we are working on…

A Spring Stage Production “NEVER GIVE ALL THE HEART” on the life and works of Oscar Wilde Written and directed by Frank Murphy. This will be an event not to be missed and much planning is underway to finalise dates and venue.

Community quiz and trivia night for November is at the concept stage under Mary O’Callaghan with an Irish theme.

Bon Voyage to our President and Treasurer Denis and Patricia Bratton who are in Ireland at present. Denis will be sourcing more material for our Summer Garden Cinema.

Perth Heritage Trail – we launched an information Brochure on AIHA at St Patricks Day parade this year. This is now being developed into a guide on heritage sites in and around Perth under the stewardship of Sally Ann O’Neill. If us know of any locations that should be included please advise us.

The Australian-Irish Heritage Association is an inclusive organisation which encourages and promotes an awareness of Australia’s Irish heritage. To this end, the Association creates opportunities for all to learn about, participate in and enjoy this distinctive heritage.

BLOOMSDAY BREAKFAST – Sunday, June 16th Our thanks again to editors, Colm O’Doherty and Sean Byrne, celebrity performers Gerry Gannon, Peter Holland, Frank Murphy, Damien O’Doherty, Diana Warnock and musicians Katherine Freind, Soprano, Barry Preece, Baritone and Musical Director and Pianist Louise Hodge. It was a wonderful morning held at the Mighy Quinn Tavern in Tuart Hill who supplied copious amounts of Black Pudding and Potato Bread. Wonderful effort all round.

THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB – Is held of the 4th Tuesday of each month at the Irish Club, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco. All Welcome.

MONTHLY HISTORY TALK: Our May 2013 History Talk by Tony Costa, OAM, Ex Mayor of Subiaco was held at The Irish Club. It was a most informative, interesting and entertaining presentation.

A child migrant, Tony told his story with great passion and proceeded to present us with a selection of his favourite music...

Count John McCormack was Tony Costa & Denis Bratton mentioned a few times. We have it on DVD and if you would like a copy please contact Tony Bray.

Australian-Irish Heritage Association

Non Political-Non Sectarian-Emphatically Australian PO Box 1583 Subiaco 6904. Tel: 08 9345 3530. Email: aiha@irishheritage.net

www.irishheritage.net

Secretary: 08 9367 6026 Membership Due on 1st January.

Family membership $60, Concession $50, Distant (200 kms from Perth) $40 Membership fee includes tax deductible donation of $20 67

Have you heard?

Compiled by Fred Rea

Staunch Celtic supporter and great friend to many, Paddy Doherty has had a few health issues lately. From all at the Irish Scene, Paddy get well soon and we look forward to seeing you at ALL the Celtic games in 2014.

Our, gone but not forgotten, Folkie reporter Phil Beck in deep conversation with a bull! The question is: What is the bull thinking and who got to eat the apples? I’d say The Bull!

George and Bernie Chestnutt with grandaughter Aisling at her first Communion in St Luke’s Church in Woodvale. There must be a family crest for Aisling!

The wedding of Frances Rock and Daniel Webster both from Coolock, Dublin took place on Thursday 13th June 2013 in Dublin, Ireland. Both live in Tuart Hill, Perth and are regulars at The Mighty Quinn. Congratulations to you both! “Thats enough for tonight, but what are we going to drink tomorrow night!” Yes, it’s John Doyle and Phil Beck loading up at Baracus Winery in Donnybrook... $50 for 6 bottles of Shiraz.... Give us the lot!

Sarah from Rosies (above with Jon and Scot) is going on leave soon for a very special occasion. Good Luck Sarah and come back soon!

Lion, Brian O’Driscoll got a great thrill recently when he met Gerard Dinan at a Perth hotel. Brian was heard to say that is was a long time ambition to meet the legendary Gerard Dinan.

On hearing that Gerard was in the hotel foyer, Munster, Irish and Lion star Paul O’Connell was also thrilled to meet the great the great Gerard!

Send event photos to fred@irishscene.com.au

Frank Murphy of Fremantle Radio eating a Crubeen with cutlery! I ask you Frank, just not good enough! “It’s de fingurs boy!” Either way, he did enjoy!

We believe this photo of Marguerite of the Cure Pub and the Lions mascot was plastered all over the Irish newspapers when the Lions were in town! Great Photo - Great Memories!

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Our newly appointed Hon Irish Consul in Western Australia, Martin Kavanagh recently celebrated his 50th Birthday.

Congratulations Marty from The Irish Scene

Mike Bowen (right) was delighted to meet one of his soccer heros Martin “Fada” Sheehan during a visit to Perth recently. Former Corks Hibs star Martin now lives in Western Australia.

Looking Back with Frank Murphy – Writer/Director

For the great Gaels of Ireland The men that God made mad For all their wars are merry And all their songs are sad This paradox in verse from the pen of G.K Chesterton was the original springboard that set me out on the journey of discovery and research when I commenced working on this script of Famine Echoes. Yes it was going to be an era where all the songs were sad but so indeed was the actual turbulence of emptiness that was Ireland in the famine years of 1845 – 1849.

There was no war as such. There certainly was no merriment, but there was a lot of death. How could I approach this period without dabbling with revisionism and discover renewal?

That was my challenge. To dig deep within race memory seemed that I had to go to that sacred Space within.

Peter Brook the renowned author playwright and visionary came to my rescue. “The Empty Space” is arguably the source from which is any aspiring writer or director should draw from when such challenges occur.

Brooks premise is that there is nothing more exciting or challenging in the ritual of

drama other than a total respect for the empty space. Factor in as well that one has to work with other individuals to fill the empty space with creativity, with some vision of this difficult time in our history and acknowledge the fact that one is working with at least nine other individuals who bring their own life experiences to a performance level within a very short time. A pealing back of the layers that either divide or bind us all was a process that we worked through with amazing speed. I wish to acknowledge the entire ensemble of actors, dancers, singers, musicians and tech graphics design which were approached with willingness and courtesy and an acute awareness of the deadline.

The empty space altered. Voices and sound, movement and music interwove inter dependently so that a piece of performance eventuated from the process. For that short period as a director with our actors we managed to take a spiritual ownership of the space to produce a multi layered textured performance suitable for a paying audience.

Such were my thoughts as I tentatively approached all with a time constraint dangling over me. Audiences are now sophisticated in their expectations of production owing to the fact that television and media have raised that bar. For the nature of the piece a sort of ritual was required in the same empty space which was neither cathedral or church but the empty space of the Irish Club. Empty is entirely appropriate here.

Transformation was the challenge.

The Australian Irish Heritage Association is now willing to grasp the nettle in order that younger people will celebrate heritage as we pass the torch on to them willingly so that the core values and mission statement of this association are taken to the next level.

What also came to mind is violinist Jehudi Menhuin when he was asked to play with the Concertgebauw Orchestra in the shell of Auschwitz. Echoes of the past require time, money and energy before the creative juices can flow. We already were given the venue.

That was not negotiable. But we transcended all constraints and on reflection I am clear that our entire group worked from the same page from the beginning. While it wasn’t Auschwitz, death by famine and starvation of a race of people can really be challenging so that an audience will not only experience the death, the dark and the dour but experience some kind of optimism and renewal within the performance as we drew the piece to the end of the journey.

We worked from a script in workshop in our own home over many hours with all performers, so that the texture and colour sound and images would be created within an astute awareness of

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audience appeal and sensibility.

I was twice blessed when we hit on the idea of distilling the essence of the death of millions into one family as a powerful symbol of drama.

I drew from the seminal work of Liam O’ Flaherty and the story of three generations of the Kilmartin family to seek out the drama.The death of Brian Kilmartin would be a mirror of the suffering of an entire race. Our race.

Fiction married fact as we explored every possible website that offered us insight into newspaper reports of the time both Irish and English. We also attempted to give a voice to the voiceless by drawing from Cathal Poirteir’s actual text Famine Echo’s which drew from the

oral tradition which was handed down from generation to generation.

So through the mists of time the voices emerged and some stunning sepia images both still and moving pushed our narrative forward so that our audience gained insight by confrontation and the distance of time.

It would be unfair to mention any individual’s name of any performers.That is not my role or entitlement here. The images speak for themselves, I hope.

We worked as an ensemble in the truest sense.Professional approaches all round to the task in hand became the unspoken way to go.

I am deeply indebted to all our cast of dancers

by Scoil Cheide and Samantha McAleer’s extraordinary vision with movement to interpret the piece, similarly for John Spurling who realised all the images with an aesthetic touch and lighting that I had dreamt of.

My Dream Team of Performers:Lorna Gallagher, Gerry Grogan, Phil Beck Louise Muhling, Jean O’Riordon Marcus Whelan, Tony Costa Jennifer Hardey, Hayley Knowles Such was the reality of a quiet afternoon at the theatre of the Irish Club on May 19th last.

Enda says Thank You!

(GAA) sports man. He has been a member of Morley Gaels since 2011. Most recently Enda won a State Games All Star representing WA in 2012. He also won an All-Ireland Minor medal with Laois in 2003 representing his home club St. Joseph’s.

Enda’s fiancée Catherine and a group of friends and volunteers organised the benefit night at the Carlisle Hotel in Victoria Park. The benefit helped support Enda through difficult times. The money raised went towards Enda’s medical bills and daily expenses.

It was an amazing show of support on the night and the hotel were overrun by young (and not so young) Irish people wanting to show their support for one of their own in a crises situation. Irish families back home can be rest assured that if the need should arise, these young Irish people are willing to help… It was a night to be proud to be Irish!

Enda and Catherine and his family in Ireland have asked us to pass on their sincere thanks to all those who were so gererous on the night. Special thanks to Gerard Dinan and his mates... Brilliant!

Enda Butler and Catherine

The Claddagh Association Inc provides support to people from the Irish community in Western Australia during times of crisis. On the 7th of June, Claddagh along with members of the local Western Australian GAA raised funds to support Enda Butler. Enda is a 26 year old man from County Laois who has recently been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Stage 2A. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a form of cancer which affects the immune system.

Enda is currently undergoing chemotherapy which will be followed by radiation treatment. Sadly, Enda lost his Dad to cancer over Christmas 2012 and is now battling his own illness.

Enda is a vibrant and keen Gaelic Athletic Association

Around the Irish scene...

Happy 30th Birthday Jon! 70

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Dermot Byrne

The Irish Quiz Wiz!

a.k.a. Dermot from Lesmurdie on ABC radio Nightlife program.

In the absence of Dermot I have his permission to put the following quiz together for you. Dermot is enjoying sunny Ireland at present (not joking, it is sunny) and I do hope this is up to his standards. You can catch Dermot on the Tony Delroy ABC radio show some evenings (I believe he is even calling from Ireland). Tony Delroy does a wonderful show and if you are fed up with 24/7 pay TV you could tune into Tony on ABC Radio Nightlife week nights, especially his quiz! It’s great listening! Fred Rea 1. Name the horse market founded in 1766 in London and well known in racing circles in UK. 2. When Tasman wrote in his journal in 1642, ”This is the second land we have discovered, it appears a fine country”. Of what place was he speaking?

3. The city of Melbourne is named after Lord Melbourne, what position did he hold at the time?

4. Where was the movie Moby Dick filmed?

5. What article of food was known as Glasgow Magistrate?

6. Name the Hanging Judge who sentenced Robert Emmet to death?

7. Who was the Premier of Victoria at the time of the Eureka Stockade?

8. What was the name of De Valera’s political party which entered Dail Eireann in 1927?

9. Who led the Castle Hill Rebellion in New South Wales in 1804 ?

10. Name the priest who helped John Boyle O’Reilly escape from Western Australia?

Answers: 1 Tattersall’s 2 New Zealand 3 PM of England, 4 Youghal in Co Cork, 5 A Salt Herring, 6 Lord Norbury, 7 Sir Charles Hotham, 8 Fianna Fail, 9 Kerryman, Philip Cunningham, 10 Fr Patrick McCabe

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Contact: Alcoholics Anonymous, 24 Hour Helpline Ph: 9325 3566 • www.aaperth.wa.org

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Phone Sean Fleming 0459 693 273 perthdiesel@gmail.com If one could only teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society here would be quite civilized. Oscar Wilde

Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of WA Inc.

Wonderful Season Start..

Well it’s been a terrific start to the 2013 season with all clubs realising that it will take a lot more than just turning up on game day and trying your best. Some clubs have taking training to the next level with pool sessions, intensive cardio work, recovery sessions, boxing and weight training just to name a few. And the professionalism is shining through on the football and hurling pitches this year.

Football: BGC Grounds, Tom Bateman Reserve Cnr Bannister & Nicholson Rds, Canning Vale Hurling: RA Cook Reserve, Coode St. Morley

Rob O’Callaghan President GAA of WA

It’s great to see big crowds and a fantastic atmosphere about the place. I can guarantee that the run in to the finals will go right to the wire and we might see a few upsets along the way.

I also want to congratulate the junior committee on a fantastic job they are doing with the juniors. It’s reassuring to see so many young kids with Robert O’Callaghan and Sean O’Casey presenting a WA State jersey to Caitríona Hurley in hand having a puck around Perry from RTE every Sunday both north and south of the river.

There have also been some terrific games of football witnessed especially at Tom Bateman reserve on Sunday 18 June when Caitríona Perry from RTE came across to record the great work being carried out by all. Thanks to all the parents who brought their kids down south for the day and for also helping out.

Also keep your eyes open for our new programme which has profiles of all our clubs and also contains fixtures for season 2013. Special thanks to Cieran Gallagher for coordinating the information for the programme. Just quickly can anyone interested in coaching state teams for travelling to Sydney this year please notify Maya asap as we need to get started very soon. We have no excuses in sending very competitive teams across with the calibre of players we have here at the moment.

Stay safe and be good.

Robert O’Callaghan

gfhwa.com.au 73

WA Minor Gaelic Football 2013 players and parents to be held in the Irish Club, Townshend St, Subiaco on Monday, June 24th at 7pm. All interested parties are encouraged to attend on this night to discuss any issues they might have regarding the schedule of events

On Sunday September 30, 2012, two WA Minor Football teams opposed each other in the first round of the 2012 Australian State Gaelic Games Championships played at Tom Bateman Sporting Complex, Thornlie.

Like many WA teams in the past, the fifty players who represented WA came from a wide variety of sporting backgrounds.

Players with elite experience in AFL, Soccer, Rugby, Basketball, Hockey and other sports all showed that Gaelic Football truly was a sport that could be enjoyed and played by everyone.

Over one hundred players trained from early July and quickly developed the basic skills required to participate in Gaelic Football. By September, trial games were organized at the RA Cooke Reserve; Morley and development squads were cut to form the two WA Representative teams.

Following a week of Gaelic Football, Victoria eventually took out the honours for Minor Football. However, the success of the efforts of the WA teams resulted in eight of their players being selected on the All-Australasian Minor Football Team for 2012.

All players involved in the state competition continued their involvement through the summer months and on St.Patrick’s Day, the first WA Minor Football Final was played in Medibank Stadium in Leederville between Northern Lions and Southern Pirates.

While the Minor Boys carried on from the State Games, the interest in Gaelic Football crossed genders and over thirty girls commenced training in Forrest Pk, Padbury on Monday and Friday nights during the summer.

The interest and commitment shown by this group of girls has simply reflected the enormous growth and success of Ladies Gaelic Football back in Ireland and now here in Australia.

As a result two Girls Minor Football teams also participated in the first Girl’s Minor Football Final in Medibank Stadium, Leederville on St. Patrick’s Day also. Some of these girl’s are already training and playing with some of the Senior Ladies teams here in Perth.

This year the Australasian State Gaelic Games take place in Sydney, NSW. In the coming weeks, preparations will begin for development squads for the WA Minor Gaelic Football Team.

Again, we will be looking for Gaelic footballers and players from all other sporting codes that have an interest in representing WA Gaelic Football at inter-state level. Initially, training and development will be given to all players. Within a few weeks trial matches will be held to select our final travelling party.

An important date to be noted at this stage is for an Information Night for interested

and important dates leading to the games in October. With everyone involved from this early stage we hope it will ensure that WA will be well represented in Sydney 2013.

As part of our fundraising campaign, the WA Minor Board will present “Christmas in July” in the Irish Club, Townshend St, Subiaco on Friday, July 1th from 8pm. We invite all expressions of interest in participating on the state team to contact: Michael O’Connor (President Minor Board) at mgcoo@bigpund.com or 0417 096 424 OR Peter Kavanagh (Minor Board) at peterkavanagh.oz@hotmail.com 0410 921 961 Any further information will be posted on our Facebook page “WA Minor GaelicTeam”

www.thebreakwater.com.au

58 Southside Drive, Hillarys Boat Harbour Ph: 08 9448 5000 Fax: 08 9448 6000

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SHAMROCK At this time of the year it is appropriate for Shamrock Rovers to acknowledge the magnificent support it receives form it key sponsors.

CFMEU, Burswood OPEL, Phoenix Shutdown Services and Northside Quality Meats have shown their support for the club and this has been instrumental in helping with our good season to date.

Shamrock Rovers encourages all its supporters and friends to support these organisations in as many ways as they can.

CFMEU - become a member and help them grow - 92211055 Burswood OPEL - make them top of your list when you are looking to buy a new car (ask for Charles Kopelke and say you are associated with Shamrock Rovers - 93117566) Phoenix Shutdown Services - If you are in a position to engage on a project them then do so.

Contact Simon Maylor - 0409706197 Northside Quality Meats - Quality Irish Butchers - based in Malaga offering bulk meat supplies Paul McLoughlin’s your man there - 9249 8039 As far as the football is going the State League side has been in excellent form lately and is sitting just 4 points off top spot. Ciaran Byrne, with 13 goals from 10 games is the league’s leading goalscorer at this time and is looking good for the Golden Boot.

The Reserves have had a mixed season so far but are looking to get stronger now that the squad is settling down The arrival to the club of a full under 18s squad along with coach Richard McFadden has been a magnificent boost to the whole club and the young guns, many of whom are still 15 years old have performed very well so far - Welcome to Rovers lads!!

The Sunday Amateurs have continued on with last years excellent form and are looking very good to once again be in the mix for honours come the end of the season.

After some early glitches the Masters and Social teams have now settled down and continue to represent the club from a base in the Northern suburbs As always the club seeks new sponsors to help it grow and once again we appeal to anyone interested to contact the Secretary, Bill Byrne on 0439 953 957

Rovers

Michael Manning President Shamrock Rovers

Shamrock Rovers U18’s

The Huddle!

Club House/Home Ground Harold Rossiter Reserve Corner of Kent and Etwell Streets, Victoria Park.

Training Hours Tues & Thurs 6.15pm for a 6.30pm Start Head Coach: John O’Reilly 0426 252 542 First team / Assistant: Mike Ford 0488 335 444 Reserve Coaches: Mark Gillians 0410-698-772 Assistant: Dean Keating Under 18’s Coaches: Tom Motherwell 0420 764 236 Assistant: Bill Williams 0407 969 432

Bill Byrne, Secretary 0439 953 957 bill.byrne@hotmail.com

www.shamrockrovers.com.au 75

C e lt i c Supporters’

Club

Perth WA

Visit the CSC website at www.perthcsc.com Visit Celtic FC at www.celticfc.co.uk/

Call the Hotline at 9315 2211

Club Hotline (08) 9315 2211

Committee for 2011/12 Office Bearers

President: Paddy Mconie paddymconie@hotmail.com Vice President: Willie Rice Secretary: Brian Doherty briandoherty@hotmail.com Treasurer: Davy Barklay davidbar@arach.net.au Merchandise: James Burns General Committee Cathie Rice Brian Mosson James Lynch Website Davy Barclay webmhaster@gmail.com Club Website www.perthcsc.com Postal address PO Box 614 Inglewood 6932 Our Home Base....

NORTHBRIDGE

CELTIC LEGENDS 50 MURDO MacLEOD

The Celtic Years: 1978-87.

Appearances: 395.

Show us your medals: Four League titles; two Scottish Cups; one League Cup. Career highlight: Scoring a final-minute Old Firm goal in 1979 to beat Rangers 4-2 as 10 men won the league.

So what makes you a legend?

Blessed with terrific stamina and a shot that was as powerful with both feet, MacLeod was signed from Dumbarton by Billy McNeill for what was then a hefty £100,000 fee. He soon proved himself at Celtic, developing into an attacking midfielder who had a knack for scoring big goals in big games. He was also occasionally used as emergency cover in the full-back positions.

In season 82/83, MacLeod netted 19 goals from the middle of the park, although Celtic lost the league title to Dundee United. His goal in the 1979 triumph when 10 men won the league was voted the ‘best ever’ in an Old Firm derby.

He left Celtic for a successful spell with Borussia Dortmund. He later returned to the club as assistant manager in 1997 to take his place beside Wim Jansen to stop Rangers winning a 10th successive title.

48 PAT BONNER

The Celtic Years: 1978-1995.

Appearances: 641.

Show us your medals: Four League titles; four Scottish Cups; one League Cup. Career highlight: Will forever be remembered in the colours of his country when he denied Romania’s Daniel Timofte in the knockout stages of the 1990 World Cup. So what makes you a legend?

Bonner enjoyed an exceptional Celtic career and is still a hugely popular figure among the Hoops support. Bonner was Jock Stein’s last signing for Celtic and became a mainstay for the club throughout the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s. He enjoyed both ups and downs in his Celtic career, being part of successful times.

However, he also had to impotently watch the Ibrox revolution in the late 80s as Celtic slumped miles behind their great rivals on and off the pitch. Bonner’s worldwide reputation was given a massive lift after the 1990 World Cup when he excelled as Ireland got to the quarter-finals of the competition. He bowed out of Celtic after the 1995 Scottish Cup Final victory over Airdrie as Tommy Burns’ side ended a six-year trophy drought, signing off to a wonderful ovation from the Celtic support.

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The Bhoys at Rosies

Celtic Fixtures 2013/2014

Friday July 12: 19:00 Friendly Match Union Berlin Celtic Saturday July 20: 16:00 Friendly Match Brentford Celtic Saturday July 27: 16:00 Friendly Match Celtic M’gladbach Saturday August 3: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Ross County Saturday August 10: 17:00 Friendly Match Celtic Liverpool Saturday August 17: 15:00 Scottish Premier Aberdeen Celtic Saturday August 24: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Inverness CT Saturday August 31: 15:00 Scottish Premier Dundee United Celtic Saturday September 14: 15:00 Scottish Premier Hearts Celtic Saturday September 21: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic St Johnstone Saturday September 28: 15:00 Scottish Premier Kilmarnock Celtic Saturday October 5: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Motherwell Saturday October 19: 15:00 Scottish Premier Hibernian Celtic Saturday October 26: 15:00 Scottish Premier Partick Thistle Celtic Saturday November 2: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Dundee United Saturday November 9: 15:00 Scottish Premier Ross County Celtic Saturday November 23: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Aberdeen Saturday December 7: 15:00 Scottish Premier Motherwell Celtic Saturday December 14: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Hibernian Saturday December 21: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Hearts Thursday December 26: 15:00 Scottish Premier St Johnstone Celtic Sunday December 29: 15:00 Scottish Premier Inverness CT Celtic Wednesday January 1 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Partick Thistle Saturday January 4 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier St Mirren Celtic Saturday January 11 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Kilmarnock Saturday January 18 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Motherwell Saturday January 25 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Hibernian Celtic Saturday February 1 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Aberdeen Celtic Saturday February 15 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic St Johnstone Saturday February 22 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Hearts Celtic Saturday March 1 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Inverness CT Saturday March 15 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Kilmarnock Celtic Saturday March 22 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic St Mirren Wednesday March 26 2014: 19:45 Scottish Premier Partick Thistle Celtic Saturday March 29 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Celtic Ross County Saturday April 5 2014: 15:00 Scottish Premier Dundee United Celtic

Irish Golf Club of WA

The Secretary’s Trophy at Hillview Golf Club

1st: Kevin Ducker 40 pts 2nd: Lawrence Brophy 40 pts 3rd: Tom Barr 40 pts Lowest Gross: Tom Barr N.T.P. 3 Ron Collins, 8 Mick Connolly, 15 Lawrence Brophy, 16 Mark McLaughlin.

L/Putt: 18 Tom Barr 2 Ball: Lawrence Brophy and Tom Barr.

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An American is vacationing on his own in Ireland. He decides to play a round of golf at Kinsale Heads Golf Course and is paired with three locals. He takes a few practice swings, steps up to the first tee, and proceeds to hook the ball into the Atlantic Ocean. He shakes his head, reaches in his pocket, and re-tees another ball. He tells his playing partners that he is taking a Mulligan. He pounds one down the center of the fairway about 350 yards out.

With a big smile, he asks the others “In the U.S., boys we call that a Mulligan; was wondering what you called it here in Ireland.”

After a moment of silence, one of the locals replies, “Hitting three Sir!”

St Gabriel’s Hurling & CamogieClub

“New Members Welcome” to join contact.

Hurling: Steve 0408 940 265 Camogie: Bronagh 0405 582 123 Facebook: St. Gabriels Hurling WA Our Major Sponsors: m o n f o rd

St. Gabriel’s Hurling & Camogie Club is developing every week. Both teams are currently training at our training ground at Luketina Reserve, Wembley Downs on Tues & Thurs at 7pm. The ladies are currently competing in the 2013 WA Camogie league & championship & they are having great success, with the hurlers progress good in the league.

St Gabriel’s always welcome new players - beginners & advance!

Off the field both teams enjoy a number of social activities, the hurling team recently competed in the Mud Rush and the Camogie team participated in a fancy dress hurling blitz.

The clubs next outing is a joint event to be held on the 6th July details to be issued at training.

Special Note: St Gabriels GAA Club would like to wish a speedy recovery to one of their members Kenny Walsh, who was recently injured in an accident.

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Irish Business Contacts / index

Page: accountants: UHY Haines-Norton Tel: 9340 3748 baggage (unaccompanied) 59 Exportair Tim 9477 1080 BARBER The Perfect Barber - Mt Hawthorn Tel: 9444 9442 / 0452 123 455 builders: Dempsey Homes Tel: 9275 1304 Butchers 51 Northside Meats Tel: 9249 8039 56 Meat Connoisseur Tel: 9309 9992 CAFE/DELI: Donovans of Floreat - Phone 0450 319 320 Mrs O’Brien’s Irish Chipper Tel: 9388 6669 19 Taste32 Mt Hawthorn - 0448 328 112 Car Retailers: 35 John Hughes, Vic Park - Tel: 9415 0110 celebrant: 46 Marian Bryne Tel: 0410 345 224 Lorna Aylward Tel: 0419 926 830 chemist: Friendlies Leederville Tel: 9444 8219 civil engineers: 30 Neo Infrastructure Tel: 0407475033 construction & machinery: McIntosh & Son Tel: 9475 1600 Monford Construction & Mining Counselling Fiona Carberry, Counselling Psychologist carberrycounselling@westnet.com.au Tel: 0439 549 481 dental: Smile Professionals Tel 9451 1200 employment: Skills Shortage Solutions Tel: 9275 4460 32 Final Trim Operators Tel: 1300 083 599 Interstaff International Tel: 9221 3388 electrical 50 Iluka Electrice Tom Bowe 0422 440 588 Entertainment: DublinUp - Frank Glackin Tel: 0412 987 142 Brendan Woods Tel: 0448 399 928 Celtic Spirit Dancers Tel: 0401 340 229 Fiddlestick - David MacConnell 0413 259 547 Them Little Secrets: Fiona Rea 0404 831 445 equipment repair & maintenance 44 Perth Diesel Tel: Sean Fleming 0459 693 273 FENCING: PJ Malone Fencing - Tel: 9401 7660

Finance/advice: 11 The Loans Café-Nik Silsby Tel: 0402 284594 Liberty Finance Shelley Winters 0407992646 Freight Handlers: 59 Exportair - Tim Hawdon Tel: 9477 1080 Funerals: 65 Hetherington Funerals Tel: 9459 2846 McKee Family Funerals Tel: 9401 1900 furniture: Celtic Swan Gallery Tel: 9296 0728 6 First in Furniture Joondalup Tel: 9300 9010 house inspections: Housemaster Inspections: Tel: 0405 632391 garage doors: Buckley’s Garage Doors Tel 0425 125 889 immigration advice: 20 Carol-Ann Lynch 0402 514 741 9 ASC Migration Tel: 93015905 10 Gallagher Migration: Ciaran 041 449 8910 13 Advantage Migration Tel: 9228 8448 Irish Heritage: 18 AIHA Denis Bratton (08) 9345-3530 Irish Dancing: 31 AIDA Siobhan Cummins 0422 075 300 Irish Food: 1 Taste Ireland Sydney - Tel: 02 9386 5522 Irish embassy (canberra): (02) 6214 0000 Jewellers: Albens Master Jewellers Tel: 9325 6318 Sean Carroll online: seancarroll.com.au Siopa an Caislean www.royalirelandgifts.com Mechanics / car sales: 1 Killarney Autos - Neil Lenihan 0439 996 764 BVM Autos - Mike Barton Tel: 0413 889 501 Music: Zenith Music, Claremont Tel: 9383 1422 Music Schools: Cottage School of Music Tel: 9312 2200 plasterer: Plaster Master - Tony Tel: 0415 748 774 plumbing: Phone John 0407 920 044 Pubs, Clubs & restaurants: Bailey Bar & Grill Joondalup Tel: 9300 0633 73 Breakwater, Hillarys Tel: 9448 5000 29,40,41 Carnegies, Perth Tel: 9481 3222 46 Celtic Club, West Perth Tel: 9322 2299 37 Durty Nelly’s, Perth Tel: 9226 0233 3 Fenian’s / Novotel, Perth Tel: 9221 1200

Friar Tuck’s, Wannanup Tel: 9534 4788 80 Irish Club of WA, Subiaco Tel: 9381 5213 JB O’Reilly’s, Leederville Tel: 9382 4555 Kingsley Tavern, Tel: 9409 6767 64 Mooney’s Irish Sandwich Bar Tel: 9221 4872 43 Paddy Maguire’s, Subiaco Tel: 9381 8400 36 Paddy Malone’s Joondalup/Alexander Hgts 26 Rosie O’Grady’s Fremantle Tel: 9335 1645 2 Rosie O’Grady’s Northbridge Tel: 9328 1488 Sweetlips Leederville Tel: 9242 5745 & Fremantle Tel: 9430 6902 11 The Mighty Quinn, Tuart Hill Tel: 9349 9600 24,25 The Cure Northbridge Tel: 9227 9055 67 The Shed, Northbridge Tel: 9228 2200 37 Voyage Kitchen Tel: 9447 2443 33 Woodvale Tavern, Woodvale 9309 4288 57 Woodbridge Hotel, Guildford Tel: 9377 1199 Real Estate: 17 Professionals Kelly Team YokineTel: 9344 5544 O’Rourke Realty - Rory 9341 6611 Rose of Tralee: Jessica Tel: 0402 427 709 SAFES: Tri-Star Safe Co. Tel: 94937911 Solicitors & Legal: 27 Kavanagh Lawyers

Marty Kavanagh Tel: 0430 960 859 Sport - Clubs and Information: 76 Celtic Supporters’ Club Jon Tel: 9328 1488 72,73 GAA - Rob O’Callagahan 0407 421 224 75 Shamrock Rovers - Bill Tel: 0439 953 957 77 St Finbarrs Gaelic FC - Sean 0415 150 826 78 St Gabriel’s Hurling Club -Stephen 04088940265 77 Irish Golf Club of WA Martin 0419934681 THEATRE: 47 Irish Theatre Players-Ivan 0417 903 256 34 Black Swan Theatre training: 50 CertPlus Training Tel: 9278 2531 Travel & Tourism: 53 British Travel - Jenny Allen Tel: 9388 3114 5 Flightworld Michael Deering Tel: 9322 2914 Tourism Ireland, Sydney Tel: 02 9299 6177 tyres, batteries, brakes wheels: 16 Tyrepower: Perth City - Fiona: Tel: 9322 2214 WEDDING RECEPTIONS: 46 The Celtic Club, West Perth Tel: 9322 2299 welfare (irish): 8 Claddagh Association Joan Tel: 0403 972 265

The Irish Scene

Publisher/Advertising: Fred Rea 0418 943 832 Editor: Lloyd Gorman 0479 047 250 - gormanlloyd@hotmail.com Proof Reading: Jack Cullen and Imelda Gorman Publisher: Gaelforce Promotions, 12 Dysart Court, Kingsley WA 6026 Email: fred@irishscene.com.au Tel/Fax 9309 3167 www.irishscene.com.au Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by contributors in articles, reproduced articles, advertisements or any other printed material contained in Irish Scene magazine or on www. irishscene.com.au are those of the individual contributors or authors and as such are not necessarily those of Gaelforce Promotions. The publisher and editor reserve the right to accept, reject, edit or amend submitted material in order to make it appropriate or suitable for publication. Irish Scene welcomes submissions, ideas and suggestions for articles and features as well as photographs of events happening around and within the Irish community in Western Australia.

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Pie & Pint Night Every Thursday All welcome to join in.

Every Sun -1pm to 3.30pm.

Live music from 7pm.

(except on match days at Pattersons Stadium, Subiaco)

Jane & Fiona

Book your Function at the Club!

...the golden voices of Fiona and Jane

will entertain you while you enjoy your lunch at the club. They are brilliant artists with a wonderful repertoire of Irish and other songs.

There are four choices of main course on offer (including a vegetarian option) at $18 for adults and $9 for children. Dessert is just $5

Live matches- GAA Championships are now shown live at the club.

Call Nick on 9381 5213 for more details.

Contact the club on 93815213.

We have 3 function rooms and can cater for up to 200 people!

Full bar and catering options are available.

AFL Match Days

The club will open three hours before each home game at Pattersons Stadium and will be open after the game. Food will be served prior to the game.

‘irishclub western australia’

OPENING HOURS & ACTIVITIES

The Irish Club of WA is a Members Only Club, membership forms can be downloaded from the website.

MONDAY: Bar open 4pm to Late / Comhaltas - Music Lessons & Set Dancing from 8.00pm followed by the Seisiun TUESDAY: Bar open 4pm to Late WEDNESDAY: Bar open 4pm THURSDAY: Bar open 4pm to Late / Pint and Pie Night / Music session 7.00pm FRIDAY: Bar open 4pm to Late / Kitchen open 5.30pm - 8.30pm SATURDAY: Bar open 4pm to Late / Kitchen open 5.30pm - 8.30pm SUNDAY: Bar open from 12 noon to 10pm. Kitchen Open from 12.30 to 2.30pm and live music from 1pm to 3.30pm.

61 Townshend Road, Subiaco, WA 6008

Tel: +61 8 9381 5213 Fax: 9381 9764 irish1@irishclubofwa.com.au www.irishclubofwa.com.au 80