Irish Scene May June 2013

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In this Issue:

O’Reilly Commemoration

Claddagh Launch

Finbar Furey Interview GAA Season Opens

Rosies 20th Birthday Bob Geldof Interview

St Patrick’s Parade

Volume 15 / Number 4 May/June 2013

Famine Commemoration Boomtown Rats Paul Kehoe TD Visit

Rose of Tralee

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Sir Bob in town Bob Geldof, Dubliner, rocker and global humanitarian, was in Perth in March to promote an upcoming Australian tour of the reformed (temporarily reformed) Boomtown Rats in Challenge Stadium on May 28, some 34 years after their first and only other concert in WA. His visit coincided with St. Patrick’s Day and saw him officially launch the parade in Leederville. He then shot over to the Irish Club in Subiaco where he gave a spirited press conference to the media.

Caroline Smith was there for that event and reports on page 59. But Irish Scene was also lucky enough to catch up with the man himself for a one on one interview. At the end of the interview I presented Bob with an early photograph of the Rats (see below) on stage at Dalymount Stand in Dublin in the mid 1970’s. It is a photograph he hadn’t seen before. It was taken by Gerry Quigley’s

brother who did a lot of photography work in the music business in Dublin and was featured in a story about Gerry – who earlier this year moved back to Ireland.

Instantly Bob starts recalling memories of that moment, prompted by the picture. After scanning over the image he paused and said: “That’s my sister...she died.” A number of people are standing on the side of the stage as the Rats thrash it out on stage to an audience who are going gangbusters. Bob’s sister Chloe died suddenly and unexpected in 2010. After a pause he thanks me again for the photograph, it is a touching moment and proof, if proof were ever needed, that the

rebellious and outspoken Bob Geldof known to the whole world is also an ordinary human being, a great Irishman and a hell of a good bloke.

LG: Bob, at the launch of the parade you saw the human face and scale of emigration. Is Ireland a country destined to be locked into a vicious cycle of people needing to leave Ireland?

BG: “Yeah, I think it is, its simply to do with size. Its too tiny. Even if you go to the top ends of the economy, which we could easily do, to biopharm, education, new technology and marry it to agriculture, there aren’t enough jobs in those industries to provide for the population. Ireland has always built emigration into its economy and economic structures. And the killer is we thought we had it nailed, with the Tiger, the downside was we were quite vulgar with our success, which I never really associated with the Irish.

Racist attitudes came to the fore, which was unbecoming given we had required the world to accept all of us. When it came time for us to accept back some of the world, we were inelegant. There’s a dignity now, but at what price. To see the queues at the airport is tragic and taking the benefit of our kids, you know, as I said before, a country that cannot give a future to its children is treasonable.

Its f....sad. I was one of the kids who had to leave in the 70’s, I kicked up a fuss about it and we [Boomtown Rats] ended in Dublin in the 80’s, at a fucking unemployment benefit, Self Aid. We reform in the face of similar conditions where the songs seem like I’d just written them yesterday.”

LG: Given the parallels between then and now do you think it is time to have Self Aid II concert in Ireland?

BG: “No, there probably isn’t because then it was an older type of economy where with a million quid you could create a few jobs, you could probably do that now but it was a friend of mine that got that together and I was prepared to help and so was everyone else on the day and a couple of jobs were created. But this needs really long term proper planning and we’re not in a position to do that because we are so chronically in debt. A bank crisis has become a sovereign crisis, you know! Who was on deck? on watch?

What happened is outright gangsterism and we are too small a country to take it, we are taking the hit and trying to make it work.

Perhaps in Ireland, uniquely, some of the perpetrators of this will go down, which they should.”

LG: But you have used Live Aid and other concerts to promote awareness for causes, why not another Self Aid type event?

BG: “Firstly, we don’t need to raise awareness of unemployment in Ireland.

Secondly, the difference between Live Aid and Live 8 is about raising two things, the lobby to press for political change because that’s ultimately how you resolve it and secondly the outpouring of that lobby at the moment to save as many lives as possible. Live 8 was about the politics of it, nailing home the politics of it and that was achieved. So it didn’t require money and the formula was different each time. I don’t think it would work in Ireland. You could be specific and say you will do a benefit for this, that or the other thing but with the over arching economy at home you are not going to deal with even the excrescence of that economy. You can show solidarity, sympathy with another gig but that’s not enough. Its heart breaking is the truth.”

LG: How do you wear your Irishness? What does it mean to you to be Irish?

BG: “I wear it easily, it is what it is. I’m neither proud or ashamed to be Irish.

I simply am, I’m Irish and every single characteristic I display is Paddy, that’s it. I talk a lot, I’m pugnacious. I won’t accept things as they are. Authority is to be tolerated, not respected. The individual has to earn respect. I won’t just respect someone because of a job title, like politician, you can f.... off! My immediate background is Belgian

Catholic, English Jewish, German Protestant and Irish nothing and the Irish won out. I think its self evident, you could not confuse me as coming from anywhere else, you know!.” I detest nationalism, its a primitive, emotional, political perversion of a natural instinct to be aware of your country and glad that you are part of it, and grateful for the attributes and attitudes it has give you.

So patriotism I have no problem with but nationalism perverts that absolute sense of being of a place and a people and its always, always played upon in an ugly sense. So I’ll kick against that as much as I humanely can.

LG: So what you saw in Leederville, and the Irish Club, on St. Patrick’s Day, that was patriotism?

BG: “Yes, it was a great joyous celebration.

This is who we are, we wear it lightly, ah, it’s fucking great you know! Being a tiny little country we have no option but to be curious about the rest of the world, to go into it, assimilate into it while at the same time brining an openness and inject into it, part of how you are, yourself and where you come

from and I think that’s something we’ve been able to do, you know, all 170 million of us. The Australian characteristic is far more Gaelic than it is British. There’s no question about that…I feel very at home in Australia, its easy here and I think that’s true of the Paddy’s. Lucky old Australia, you get the best of us.”

LG: Bob, the Gathering, a good idea or a rip off?

BG: I was at the Farmleigh Conference four years ago when the government desperately called in all the Irish who had made it and flatteringly I was asked to join them. They said “You tell us what to do, we’re not going to make any speeches, what the fuck do we do?.” I had no idea so many Irish guys, or guys who claim to be Irish, were at the head of so many vast organisations. Dude, it was blistering, brutal, the critique…One of the minor things to come out of it was The Gathering. They are putting out a desperate 999 call out to your international paddy’s. If there are people who are third, second or first generation Irish and are convinced to come

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back, maybe that kinship becomes not just an emotional and sentimental attachment but becomes tangible and real and the country benefits. Maybe it’ll fill the hotels, maybe they’ll spend the cash and maybe they’ll rediscover their roots and want to invest. So fair play, you do whatever you can do but it has the potential to be embarrassing. The name is embarrassing, your embarrassed by it, I’m f..... embarrassed by it. We don’t do this shit well, we don’t like Paddy Whackery and Jiggery Pokery but its all hands to the wheel and if you need my shoulder at the wheel I’m there. If there are people who are third, second or first generation Irish and are convinced to come back, maybe that kinship becomes not just an emotional and sentimental attachment but becomes tangible and real and the country benefits.

Apology to Tony Costa

In our last edition in the story ‘Tony tracks down his Irish family’ we erred in spelling the names of Fr Patrick MCabe and John McKane (Tony’s grandfather). We apologise to Tony for this. Fred Rea

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Lloyd Gorman What has never been in doubt - or could ever be in doubt - is the dedication, devotion and duty shown by the Sisters of St. John of God to their calling. Ever since their Congregation was founded in 1871 in Wexford, Ireland, they have been an order committed to compassion and caring for the sick and infirm, midwives to mothers, tending to the needs of patients, medical and spiritual.

Such was their reputation for excellence in the wards of Irish hospitals that the then Bishop of Perth Mathew Gibney - who was born in Killeshandra, Co. Cavan and has the distinction of giving Ned Kelly the last rites - called on them to come to Western Australia where there were no hospitals or healthcare system to speak of even though there was an overwhelming need for both.

It was the 1890’s and thousands of people flocked to the fledgling state in search of gold where many expected to find riches but instead only discovered hardship and disease. Most were wholly unprepared for what awaited them, no roads or proper accommodations, no water, no society or sanitation or escape from the terrible heat, no relief.

Sr Romanus Dee, s.s.j.g.

In 1895, completely oblivious to the difficulties they would face came eight young Irish women who would still have come even if they knew how difficult it would be.

A modest house on Adelaide Terrace, Perth would be the first home of these pioneer sisters and it would also double as a hospital. From here they would go out and establish other hospitals, in the city, in the bush, across the state and beyond to all parts of Australia.

The Sisters of St. John of God

have had an unbroken, even unrivalled tradition of tending to the needs and well-being of the community. Their work paved the way for the arrival of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God to Australia from Ireland in 1947. Their sacrifice and service as the founders of a healthcare and hospital system in WA was recognised in 2011 when the Sisters were formally acknowledged in the State parliament.

But for all their achievements and impact they have had on their surroundings there has perhaps been something of their own humanity covered by their habits.

Each of these women who went into the religious life and put the need of the many so that their own always came last, has her own story to tell.

Now, for the first time for most of them they have an opportunity to speak a little of themselves.

Sr Romanus, nee Therese Dee in Ahanagran, Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, in 1930, is seeing to that! Sr Romanus began her religious life in 1948 in the St. John of God Novitiate in Ballinamore, Co. Mayo. She came to Australia in 1951 and began her nursing career. Now in semiretirement she continues a prayer

ministry and uses her spare time to write. She has already published “Have you Met this Woman” a book about her own incredible life. Now she is using her time and literary skills to help her Sisters to tell their own tales in a new book “Ordinary Women - Extraordinary Lives”.

Many of the 40 Sisters featured in the book are Irish, Irish with some Australian and even English amongst them. Each of them has seen long service in the name of God. Their stories are incredibly rich and vivid, joyful and sorrowful.

Sr Chrys Cox (Cullerin Goulburn NSW) remembers her father working as a construction worker on the Sydney Harbour Bridge while for Sr. Eucharaia Duffy born in 1921 in Ireland her father who was a steward on the public roads and was killed on his way home from work while the children (12) were all young.

In Manchester, working in her aunts hotel she would live through a German bombing raid. Growing up in the war years, Sr Bridget Muldowney could also remember the need to blacken out windows in case German aircraft off course over Ireland might mistake it for England.

But for deep sorrow there was the heartache and tragedy of the loss of her baby brother Matthew who was still born.

Sr. Teresa Ann Garry was born in Co. Clare in 1936 recalls how Sisters in her convent were determined to find out who was taking wine and water from the Chapel Altar in Ireland and “set up a security team in the dark of night” only to discover the cat burglar was actually a cat. In Australia the hospitality of the nunnery would be extended to animals of a different breed in the form of the West Coast Eagles and Subiaco Lions.

Sr Domitilla Forde recalls how she couldn’t turn back to look at her family leaving Clarenbridge Church, Limerick because she was so heartbroken. Two of her sisters would

later join the order and follow her and all three are now together in Subiaco.

Mayo born St Tersina Connolly would also see four of her sisters join her in Australia. She came to Australia in 1949 and recalls a bomb scare in Subiaco hospital and the panic that had been caused by a hoax and the time a terrible fire broke out at a Ballarat hospital while she was Superior of the Convent of forty five Sisters and CEO of the hospital.

Sr. Clotilde Kennedy (Sligo) recalls Sisters hiding in the confessional box to avoid being taken on a scary driving lesson with their Mother Superior.

Sr Leone, born in Hughesdale, Melbourne in 1933 began her life with the Sisters in the Kimberley twenty years later. From the Novitiate and convent in Broome she gave 58 years working with Aboriginal people.

Almost forty of these were spent in education and when she worked to improve the education of her native born teaching assistants drew down the wrath of a government which threatened to cut off funding for programmes to the Aboriginal community in Derby. She stood her ground and the native teachers were accredited. Later the government opened up the Curtin University in Broome for teacher training and Notre Dame university also followed suite.

Sr Romanus summed up the lot of these and other women when they would first have joined the Order.

“We were teenagers mostly from a farming background, a free and easy outdoor life, and now were confined

to a house with a group of strangers.

We were young so we learned to accommodate. We had good fellowship and lots of fun.”

About the book its author adds: “It portrays a cross section of the present Sisters of St. John of God Community. In some ways our lives have been very similar, many from the same background and all with the same mission of devotion to the care of the sick and the needy. But our paths have often taken in different directions along the way and provided us with the privilege of serving in many areas. We have all been influenced by the spirit of Pioneer Sisters in whose footprints we have been privileged to walk. I think it is good to retain the blessings of these strong women who lived out the Gospel message of love and compassion to the sick and needy.”

As we have seen above, the Sisters were recognised in the last couple of years by the State government for their part in setting up a healthcare and hospital network in WA. But before this they were also recognised by local government.

It just so happens that they set up their first major hospital in WA in Subiaco in 1897 (an 18 bed hospital), where it continues to be to this day. Some years ago the local council named several streets in the municipality after the places in Ireland where the Sisters originated from. It is for this reason that you have a Wexford Street, Dublin Close, Edenderry Terrace, Tipperary Mews, Cashel and Clare Lane and others in Subiaco. Subiaco itself was founded

by Benedictine Monks in 1851 and today, through the Sisters – many of whom started their nursing careers there and are now actively retired there – continues to have a strong and unbroken link and tradition with faith and healing.

“The voice of God is often heard only in a whisper, in a breath of silence.

Remaining in silence in God’s presence, open to the Holy Spirit, is already prayer” (Taizé)

8

Information Book Launch...

Prevention is Better than Cure for Immigrants ills

By Lloyd Gorman Anyone who was ever been in the scouts or the girl guides, for even the shortest amount of time, will remember having the movement’s motto drilled into them: “Be Prepared” or “Bi Ullamh”. It is sound advice for any situation and would serve well as a guiding principle for life in general.

But being ready is not something that swathes of young Irish backpackers in search of adventure and craic as well as a wave of emigrants in search of economic improvement would seem to be.

Last month the Claddagh Association launched “Information on Moving to Western Australia” in response to a growing trend amongst those coming into the state in recent times. The booklet - which is also available online from the Associations website ( www.claddagh.org.au) - has been developed to equip Irish people immigrating here with the necessary information to prepare them for a new life in WA. “Many people arriving in Perth are very shocked at the high cost of living,” said Claddagh President Joan Ross. “Food, accommodation and a night out are all very expensive compared to Ireland. Migration can be at the least hugely overwhelming, being an immigrant in a new country facing crisis can seem to be the cruellest blow of all.”

An influx of Irish people has seen a dramatic increase in crisis and hardship cases.

“Generally these people come unprepared and with an unrealistic expectation of life in Perth, with the result they find themselves homeless and without food, that’s when the Claddagh responds to their plight. When help arrives they’re very grateful for the assistance provided and in most cases the provision of accommodation and food vouchers is enough to set them back on the right track” added Joan.

There are however more serious cases happening on a regular basis. The Claddagh estimates that in the last 18 months it has assisted the Irish embassy in Canberra with the repatriation of 10 young Irish adults and an elderly Irish man. Requests for assistance have risen by 37% in the same period.

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“Through the frequency and nature of the cases Claddagh dealt with last year the voluntary management committee identified that some people were coming to Perth without the fundamental basics, such as travel insurance, sufficient funds to support themselves and a return ticket,” she added.

“There are numerous Facebook pages for the Irish community in Perth that continuously have people seeking information on subjects such as employment, tax, accommodation as well as many others. The committee recognised there was a real need for relevant, practicable and accessible information for people immigrating and therefore decided to develop the information booklet.

A team of nine volunteers researched and collated information on a wide range of topics and issues.”

The booklet was launched simultaneously in the Irish Club in Subiaco and in Stormont Castle, Northern Ireland.

Joan, a native of Lurgan, and a number of Claddagh committee members met with the Joint First Minister Martin McGuinness to discuss the issues facing the Irish in Australia.

“Today’s launch of the Association’s information booklet provides practical information and guidance for people considering emigration to Western Australia,” said McGuinness.

“It covers a range of advice from applying for a visa to jobs and cultural information.

“I would advise anyone interested in making the move to Western Australia to read this book before making their final decision.”

Claddagh Committee members also met with the family of a young Northern Irish man from Co. Down who tragically lost his life last year. The Association was involved with helping the family in Perth and Ireland during that difficult time.

Claddagh Committee members also got to meet Paul Kehoe, TD, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of Taoiseach recently. The junior minister was in Perth - accompanied by the Irish ambassador Noel White - as part of his official tour for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

“He listened to the issues the Claddagh raised,” said Joan. “Both Ambassador White and Mr Kehoe advised that he would be happy to support the Claddagh application in the next round of grant funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Emigrant Support Grant. This grant from the Irish government provides the Claddagh with funding for administration purposes. The current grant application has been submitted to the Department for the development of the Claddagh to enable it to fund a part time administration officer and office space to carry on the vital work.”

The Claddagh Association was set up in 1997 by members of the Irish community who were concerned and wanted to offer a helping hand to Irish immigrants in trouble. The committee consists of 11 members four of who were the founding members - and a team of volunteers. It is a not for profit organisation and works on a voluntary basis. Fundraising events throughout the year are held to collect funds and donations to help it carry out its mission.

10

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Dear Editor Colon Cancer, a Near Miss: A warning for us all.

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increase if there is a family history, if one eats a low fibre fat meaty diet, a high calorific diet, gets little exercise and drinks significant amounts of alcohol (western lifestyle). Ironically, I live largely on a high fibre vegetarian diet, am fit for my age, not over weight by much, rarely drink alcohol, never smoked (am a bit of a sugar junkie, however) and still I nearly got zapped.

Literature research and anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that older people should not wait longer than five years for a colonoscopy, if there is no symptom; they should wait less than five years if there is a family history of polyps and act promptly, if there is a symptom such as: • A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool • Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool • Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain • A feeling that your bowel doesn’t empty completely • Weakness or fatigue • Unexplained weight loss An excellent source of information on causes, diet and prevention of the above is found on the Mayo Clinic Research website www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/DS00035.

Middle aged readers should also be aware that The Commonweath Government has just commenced a free National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme.

Information can be found on http://www.cancerscreening. gov.au/internet/screening/publishing.nsf/Content/bowel-about A stitch in time saves nine.

Ten years ago I was given the all clear re colon polyps and was told not to come back for another 10 years. My instincts told me otherwise. I took the advice, however. Last month I had my routine 10 year colonoscopy: I had no apparent symptoms or problems.

A large suspicious looking benign 2 cm long sessile polyp was found and cut out successfully. The biopsy showed that it was a Tubulovillous adenoma polyp (You can Google it). Such polyps are considered at the much riskier end of ‘benign’ and are likely to become cancerous, if not removed. Had I left the colonoscopy much longer, it would likely have ended in tears.

Whilst polyps grow slowly, a 10 year growth could be very significant. I was told I was lucky dodging the bullet (for the meantime at least).

Between feeling lucky, being involved in medical research, curiosity and my general community concern, I informed about 100 people of the ‘near miss’ on-line around the world, for their own protection. Replies were numerous and amazing. They range from bowel cancer being diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome and haemorrhoid problems to aged people being told not to come back for another colonoscopy for 10 years, as no new polyps were found since the previous colonoscopy.

Research indicates that the risk of colon problems may Victor Talbot (PhD and Retired Research Scientist)

13

Ireland’s Robert McClure...

Discoverer of the Legendary Northwest Passage

By John Hagan

On the morning of 19 May 1845, Sir John Franklin, and his second-in-command, Northern Ireland’s Francis Crozier, departed London on their ill fated voyage to discover the legendary Northwest Passage. It was the largest, bestequipped Polar expedition ever mounted. The two ships chosen, HMS Erebus, and HMS Terror, were the most technologically advanced vessels on the planet. Their bows and bottoms were specially reinforced, internal heating and insulation systems were installed, and each was fitted with sophisticated retractable screw propellers powered by locomotive steam engines. The vessels were also equipped with their own desalinators, and lavishly provisioned, thanks to a recent innovation - canned food. Staffed by 129 hand picked sailors, this was the Apollo mission of its day. Yet, it vanished without trace.

As the ships’ holds stowed enough food for a three year voyage, when nothing was heard from Franklin by 1848, the Admiralty saw no cause for undue concern. However, by 1850, alarm bells were ringing, leading to the launch of 30 separate expeditions to try to find the adventurers, or at least discover something of their fate. Robert McClure, commanding the aptly named Investigator, was one of the Admiralty’s captains charged with finding Franklin and Crozier.

Born in Wexford in 1807, McClure was earmarked by his godfather for an army career. Instead, he joined the Royal Navy in 1824, and in 1848, under the command of James Clark Ross, was involved in an initial search for Franklin and Crozier. Two years later in Investigator, he set out with Richard Collinson in the Enterprise, to again scour the Arctic for Erebus and Terror.

While previous expeditions had begun their searches along the east coast of North America, McClure and Collinson proposed to direct their efforts to the west via the Pacific and Alaska.

A complex man, Robert John Le Mesurier McClure was a mercurial leader, a reckless navigator and a hard disciplinarian prone to fits of

fury. However, like all great leaders, he possessed the ability to inspire and rally his crew, even when all seemed lost. An ambitious naval captain, McClure was impressed by the substantial rewards being offered for news of Franklin, while the prestige associated with finding the elusive Northwest Passage was also worth pursuing. So, when the opportunity arose, McClure ‘abandoned’ Collinson soon after the ships left Hawaii, determined that Investigator would be first through the Baring Strait, across northern Alaska and before plunging into the ice packs of the Beaufort Sea north of Canada.

McClure’s progress east, along the North American coastline, was terminated during the winter of 1850-51, with Investigator firmly imprisoned by bergs pouring off the Polar ice cap. On October 21, 1851, McClure and seven of his crew left the ship to head north over the ice in search of game on nearby Banks Island.

Five days later they climbed a small mountain to view the ice choked basin of Melville Sound.

If he could only cross that basin in Investigator, sail further east to Baffin Island and from there back to Britain, McClure would become the first man ever to complete a voyage through the Northwest Passage. All he needed to do was force his ship through the congested 12 metre thick ice that clogged the basin. It was a foolish aspiration, but McClure chose to dream it nevertheless.

In mid-July 1851, when Investigator was liberated from the ice during the brief Arctic summer, McClure set sail, only to be entrapped again by bergs at Mercy Bay on the north coast of Banks Island. Despite attempts to escape,

by September it became obvious that the ship would have to spend another winter trapped at Mercy Bay. With local game nonexistent, food supplies became dangerously low. Breakfast, for the crew, was a cup of weak cocoa and a small portion of bread. Dinner consisted of some salt meat (mostly bone) and a trace of vegetable, while supper was a cup of weak tea.

By January 1852, the length of the voyage and harsh conditions began to take their toll.

Two officers had gone insane; one third of the crew was confined in the ship’s hospital, and every single man aboard showed signs of the dreaded scurvy. When hunting parties were

14

lucky enough to shoot a caribou, even the offal and the hide were consumed. Their plight was further exacerbated by the fact that summer hardly came to the Arctic during that year.

Cloud was continuous and the sun had not been seen since May 1851. The outlook was dire, with death silently, and swiftly, stalking those aboard.

On 7 April 1852, one of the seamen alerted McClure to a distant “black dot” moving on the ice. Could it be a musk ox? A possible meal? As the dot moved closer it became apparent that it was a man – perhaps an Inuit. Apart from each other, the crew had not seen another human being for 21 months. To their surprise the figure greeted them in English. “I am Lieutenant Pim of the ship Resolute in Winter Harbour”.

The words came like an electric shock – they were saved! While the meeting did not become as famous as Stanley finding Livingstone, nevertheless it was a significant moment in Arctic history. Resolute and, sister ship, Intrepid had been dispatched by the Admiralty to search for Franklin, McClure and Collinson. Following the Pim meeting McClure reluctantly gave the order to abandon the ice battered, decaying and weary Investigator, and the crew made its slow and painful way over 80 miles of ice to the safety of Resolute and Intrepid. Those who survived the journey and made it to the safety of the rescue ships were treated to their first nutritious meal in years.

Hemmed in by ice for yet another season, McClure did not manage to return to England until September 1854, where he faced a court marshal for abandoning Investigator. Royal Navy captains were not expected to lightly abandon their ships. However, given the circumstances, the Irishman was acquitted from any blame for the loss of Investigator, and, in fact, received a commendation from the court for his achievements.

McClure was given credit for discovering the Northwest Passage even though he had not been able to navigate it. He was also knighted, awarded £10,000 (a princely sum in those days) by the Parliament and eventually promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

He died in 1873 and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. The ice choked stretch water north of Banks Island in the Arctic is named McClure Strait in his honour

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If you ever go across the sea to Ireland

by Charles Lynch

The words to that old song were ringing in my ears as the plane charged down the runway at Perth Airport. The date was the 18/03/2013 and the weather forecast for Ireland

A chilly Irene Lynch by the Statue of James Joyce. was wet and windy with the possibility of snow. When my wife Irene and I arrived in Dublin it was throwing it down in bucket fulls; but with Guinness selling at the equivalent of $5.00 a pint...No worries! We made our way to a great little Bar I know in the city centre called Madigans. (Yards from the statue of James Joyce.) After

The Church at Tallanstown with the rectory to its left. the finest Guinness we’d ever tasted we headed for the Irish National Archives, in Bishop Street. The hope was to establish where my mother’s father James O’Hare was born. All we had to go on was his name, year of birth, and a distant memory of conversations in the family that said he was from the Dundalk area. With

the help of the resident genealogist we narrowed that down to a village named Tallanstown, a few miles from the centre of Dundalk.

It is without question one of the prettiest little villages I’ve ever seen; but if you blink you could easily pass it. No shops, not even a post office, but of course being Ireland it had a pub and it had a church. On one side of the old church was the rectory and on the other an old building that once served as a school for the local girls and boys. It was Saturday morning around 10am when we decided to ring the rectory bell to attract the priests attention and ask to see the church records relating to baptisms.

“What do you want” bellowed a loud voice from above. Looking up to an open window... a large face with an even larger beard appeared peering down with an unamused look on his face. “We’d like to see the church records” I replied. “Come back at five this evening” he growled and shut the window... terminating any chance of further comment.

“Bad tempered bugger your priest” said I to the local landlady. “ He seemed extremely annoyed at being disturbed. ” It was at that point I noticed all the nationalistic posters on the pub walls and realised my comments... especially with my strong Lancashire accent, could be misconstrued by the regulars. (Most who appeared to be farm workers; some with arms and hands like Popeye the sailor man.) After all I was only joking.

“When you meet him you will realise he is a lovely man” she replied with a smile.

In view of my irreligious comments I thought it prudent to establish I was attempting to discover my roots.

Then let it be known with a few wellchosen words that I was a left footer and that all my grandparents were in fact from Ireland.

The landlady was of course

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A view of Buncrana with snow covered hills.

correct... Father Clark did in fact turn out to be a wonderful man. He was extremely pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable. His ability to plough through old records at a rapid rate of knots was impressive; and he quickly

St Mary’s Buncrana.

Within Its cemetery are many members of the Lynch family.

supplied the information I requested.

Then he added to it with other family details I did not realise existed. By way of thanks we lit a few electric candles in his church and noted the water in the font freezing.

Next we headed towards the snowcapped hills of Buncrana. Convinced I was quite knowledgeable about the Lynch side of the family; I saw the visit to Buncrana in Donegal as a opportunity to see where my grandfather, Charles Lynch, was born in 1870 and take photos of a beautiful part of the country. The owner of the B&B in Buncrana not only knew where my grandfather used to live but effected an introduction to cousins we never knew existed. Without question the view from the tiny two room farm house that in 1861 housed George Lynch his wife Bridget Lynch (nee Doherty) plus ten children was truly spectacular. Nevertheless, conditions in Ireland in the 1860s meant that most of the children (including my grandfather) migrated. For me it was absolutely amazing to find there were still members of my family living in the same 200 year old farm house where my grandfather was born. It was a fantastic trip and I look forward to my next visit; but away from the villages its no longer the Ireland I use to know. The EEC has screwed the place up good and proper. The young in Ireland are leaving in droves. But I’ve got news for them... in 100 years time Ireland, being the magical place that it is... will still have a pull on their descendants.

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Signed Rolling Stones Album, for a worthy cause

includes a digital enhancement of the signatures, the story of the album; and a statement that all proceeds from its sale will be donated to the “Claire We Care Foundation”, promoting drug education and organ donation.

As with many things in life, more time and effort was required for this project, than ever was imagined. In particular, I would like to thank David Crocker at “Digiwerx Photography and Imaging Services” for image enhancement and design; and Rob Wernicke of Wizard Frames, Inglewood (and host of The Sweet Java Restaurant, Mt. Lawley) for the layout and framing. Both gave their time and skills voluntarily, for the cause. The display is soon to be auctioned on the net. Let’s hope that we can find a rich and generous buyer for this item and raise significant funds, for a very deserving cause.

Back in 1965 the original Rolling Stones, including Brian Jones, were playing at Perth’s Capital Theatre, along with Roy Orbison and the New Beats. My wife, Krystyna, was then friends with the Stones’ fan club president and was given a fully signed copy of their “12X5” record. As with many LP’s of that time, the cover had a protective film on it, so sadly the biro signatures are quite feint.

Almost fifty years on, we thought it was time to do something with the LP. Ever the optimist, I requested that Mick Jagger resign the cover.

Not surprisingly I didn’t hear back from him! I then spoke to his brother, Chris Jagger, who happened to be playing with his band, in Fremantle.

He couldn’t help with my quest either, but at least wished me luck!

After chatting with friends, we decided that the album cover was still deserving of a framed display. This has at last been completed and

Colin Smiley

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Great Day for the Irish in Clontarf

by Yvonne Radzevicius We have more than likely heard this expression during celebrations of St Patrick’s Day but a week before that particular day it was a “Great Day” for the Clontarf Old Boys Heritage Committee. We had a visit from Mr. Paul Kehoe (Government Chief Whip & Minister at the Department of the Taoiseach- Irish Government Department - and Defence), Mr. Noel White (Irish Ambassador to Australia), Mr. Martin Kavanagh and who could forget the jovial personality of Fred Rea with his quick wit.

The reason for the visit was to evaluate what the Irish Government helped us to achieve with their generous funding of $3100. The guests appeared to be impressed with what the Clontarf Heritage Trail symbolized and showed a great deal of interest in stories from old boys regarding the life they had whilst Clontarf was their home. One of the significant buildings was the Chapel and the fact that some of the old boys had assisted with the building of same.

Having been sent pictures of the first shelter it was necessary for members of the Committee to exhibit the Plaque which demonstrates the gratitude for their generous support.

The special day would not have been complete without an introduction to the Market on Manning as the Management (David & Pina Vincent) and all the Stallholders are responsible each and every week for the Committee being able to accumulate a hamper and sell raffle tickets for same the proceeds of which have gone to the establishment of the Trail. Credit must be given to all concerned.

With this in mind an introduction and welcome was made to Mr. Paul Kehoe and Mr. Noel White who both kindly drew the winning raffle tickets. I thought “the Luck of the Irish” would be with me but no winner.

Still the day was a winner for Clontarf Old Boys Heritage Committee as it was noteworthy to meet the visitors who demonstrated a great interest in the project of which we are so proud.

A young person who visited the market for the first time was skillfully painting and upon request did a watercolor of the surroundings (including the chapel) and this rather remarkable accomplishment was presented to Mr. Paul Kehoe by the Chairperson of the Committee – Mr. Peter Bent.

To the Minister and Ambassador, Go Raibh Maith Agaibh or many thanks for your interest and time from Members of Clontarf Old Boys Heritage Committee and indeed all Clontarf Old Boys.

Minister Kehoe with the Mayor of South Perth, Sue Doherty.

Minister with Paddy Cannon

Yvonne chatting with Minister Kehoe and Ambassador White

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Immigration Network Australia

Lloyd Gorman...

Isteach sa Teach So, March 9, the date of the state election has come and gone and West Australia has a new administration that looks very similar, but not identical to its predecessor. From the Irish perspective the new legislature has lost its only Irish Member of Parliament (MoP) with Labor’s Joondalup member Tony O’Gorman not being returned to the seat. Meanwhile, another Irish man with a connection to Joondalup, local councillor Brian Corr also failed to win election in the ballot. Isteach sa Teach sends its regards to Brian Corr as he will continue on in his role as a councillor and best wishes to Tony O’Gorman down whatever path post political life takes him. The only other Irish connection to the parliament that I am aware of is that former MoP for Bassendean Labor Martin Whitely’s wife is Irish – but he had elected not to try for the seat again and so another connection was lost. Hopefully as yet unknown associations in the House with Ireland will make themselves known to us over the course of the next three years of parliament.

But despite the lack of presence any Irish born Australians representatives in the chamber, Ireland did at least merit a mention on the very last day of the last parliament [November 30 2012] and again on the very first day of the new assembly [April16].

In the dying hours of the old parliament National Party MoP Wendy Duncan recalled fond memories of a statue unveiling in remote WA. “Probably one of the most moving moments of my time as a member for the mining and pastoral region was the unveiling of the statue dedicated to the female pearl divers in Broome,” she said.

“Because they could hold their

breath better when they were pregnant, that was the state they were forced to dive. The women in the pearling industry ranged from those Indigenous women right through to the wives of the owners of the pearl luggers who were waiting onshore to see the pearl luggers return. People of Japanese descent, people from the islands, people of Aboriginal descent and the Irish all got together and stood in front of this amazing statue [of a] young Aboriginal woman reaching out of the water with a pearl shell and a slightly rounded belly. It was such a coming together of different cultures and histories and a real demonstration that we can all work together and get along.”

A less harmonious example of womanhood – who funny enough made pearls (at least pearl necklaces) a part of her trademark look – raised her head in the Western Australian’s parliament first day out following the recent election. The legacy of former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her impact on Irish affairs and other issues was raised

by Labor member Francis Michael Logan.

Logan emigrated to Australia in the 1980’s after the Thatcher government was elected. The intervening decades have not softened his dislike for her and amongst his criticisms of her he included the impact she had on Ireland. Logan’s comments on her period as Prime Minister and her effect of the Northern Ireland situation can be found in the Hansard report of the WA Parliament.

Logan went on to say that is not a good record. “It is a shocking record 21

and one that should be put on the record here in Western Australia and on the record here in this house, and I am very, very pleased to be able to have done it,” he added.

Meanwhile, while the WA parliament may have lost its Irishness a nearby Irish institution of a different kind gained a new political friend all the way from the national parliament in Canberra last month. Maverick Independent MP Bob Katter (below with Paul North) rolled into Perth to rustle up candidates and support for his new self styled political party Katter’s Australian Party.

After all the interviews, meetings and engagements on Friday the maverick parliamentarian and a small

entourage of hanger ons dropped into JB O’Reilly’s on Cambridge Street for a drink, after all it is thirsty work setting up a new political group. (see photo).

“I pulled him his first pint of Guinness, which I was quite pleased about,” said publican Paul North.

“Its not exactly Queensland milk, I think I’ll have a Bundy, I’ll stick with an Australian tradition” was his response added the pub owner.

“He’s extremely charismatic, he’s got a great smile and is a bit of a laugh,” said North.

Easter in days gone by Remembered by May (aged 93) in Donegal

BY Grainne McCool

Irish Scene Donegal correspondent With Easter just finished I thought it would be interesting to catch up with a local ‘nonagenarian plus’ to hear how her Easter days were spent many years ago.

May McLaughlin (nee Rutherford) turned 93 in January this year. She regularly tells me stories of days gone by and of people who are no longer with us. I visited May earlier this week for a cuppa and a chat and she filled me in on how her Easter was spent as a young girl.

May tells me that the Church and its celebrations were at the fore of Easter. Chocolate eggs were unheard of. She says that ‘on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, we had to get up early for mass. And we weren’t even allowed a cup of tea and had to fast from midnight the previous night.’

They returned home from mass and then went to school. Holidays consisted of only a few days back then and the main holiday was kept until October when schools would close for two weeks for the potato gathering.

Lenten fasting was paramount in these days. May says she remembers that during Lent they were allowed three meals a day and nothing in between. Every Wednesday and Friday were fast days and you never questioned it. She tells me that before the mass on Easter Saturday night, the Easter fire was lit in the chapel yard. After the ceremony everyone took a piece of turf and used this to light their own home fires on Easter Sunday morning. This was to keep

Biker May

the home safe from fire throughout that year.

May recalls how on Easter Sunday after mass herself and her siblings and neighbouring children would gather at a garden just below their home house in Carry, Iskaheen, Donegal, and light an Easter fire. There they would boil eggs and enjoy their Easter picnic. She says ‘we had a wee bite of whatever ye took out wi ye’. Lemonade was a treat if it was available and tea was a luxury as it was non existent during the war years. A simple day with siblings was luxurious. The older boys would go down to the garden earlier and build a slab hut. The same boys would then burn the hut later in the day. May says ‘we always looked forward to Christmas and Easter be-

Welcome on board Grainne

Grainne McCool contacted me some weeks ago and offered to write some stories from her native Donegal. She works as a freelance arts correspondent and regularly submit pieces to Irish publications abroad (eg, Irish American News Chicago, The Irish World, London). Grainne saw our magazine in a television programme about Irish people in Australia and decided to make contact.

Grainne lives in County Donegal, in the village of Muff, which borders

22

cause we knew we would get something of a treat. The remainder of the year was always tough and we just muddled on’.

May lost her younger brother Dan just a few days ago. Dan was 87 years old and died in Scotland.

While talking about Easter she incorporated Dan into a lot of her memories.

Whilst telling me about fasting during Lent and the lack of food in general throughout the year, she told me a wee story about her late brother, Dan. Dan would eat his bread which was meant for lunch on route to school in the mornings.

He always had a lunchtime date for a fight with a rival young man on a daily basis. It turns out the two men were in fact related! She laughs heartily on remembering the day the fight continued on the way home and Dan threw a stone at his rival but missed and instead ‘killed the old rooster’. As May says, Dan’s rival got off lucky that day!!

This young at heart 93 year old has fond memories of Easter time in years gone by but never forgets the hardships they endured. Family always was and still is the centre of her world. Even at 93 she clearly misses her late brothers. Another brother Vincent is still very much a part of his community and family life in Largs, Scotland.

May is a real inspiration to us all today and unlike most of us, always has time to sit down with a cuppa for a chat.

Derry City. With Derry being the European City of Culture this year and so much going on she offered to send us some reviews of events, books etc. Grainne also edits a local website that tells the craic on the streets in Inishowen (Muff and Moville). www.craicon.com We look forward to hearing from Grainne on a regular basis, Failte a Chara.

Fred Rea, Editor

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RAIN SPILL-

by Jenni Doherty Review by Grainne McCool RAIN SPILL is the debut solo collection of poetry and prose

by Jenni Doherty, published by Guildhall Press, and supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Jenni is a native of Greencastle, County Donegal and is now based in Derry. In this work she creates the illusion of a water dance through the use of Rain, Ocean, Mist, Fog, Frost, Storm, Snow and Rainbow as metaphors which capture a sense of place and belonging, of experience and emotion, of life and lessons learnt.

Some pieces have evolved naturally while others have been created for the purpose of live performance or as topical Jenni Doherty commentary for broadcast or newspaper.

Tender, light and humorous in places yet coarse, raw and unforgiving in others, this is a spill of thoughts, imaginations, fictions, ideas and realities gathered over four decades.

There is a very strong sense of locale in this collection. The poet is clearly rooted in her homeland. This is very evident in her piece Village Buttons. Here she is taking us through her journey in childhood, adolescence and a return in adulthood to her home village. Doherty’s use of poetic language in this prose is magical. She manages to pull the reader under her spell on reading it. We feel that we are actually there with her and her family and friends.

In Are We History we see a love story grow and then fall. We get an insight into the streets of her city and she successfully incorporates the troubled city life with the flagging love life.

Twin Peaks is dedicated to the poet’s twin brother. She vividly describes their close relationship and how life can put distance between people. Her love of family is evident throughout the work.

There is no mask on woman’s life in Rain Spill. This is especially true in the Storm section. Here Jenni tackles some serious female issues and leaves us realising just how vulnerable a woman can be.

On a lighter note we are taken on a journey through the poets thoughts on Dublin, Derry and Donegal in the poem Breathless. She clearly loves these three places and her sense of locale is again shining thorough.

There a very real and genuine love of life throughout this collection. Jenni Doherty is clearly someone who loves life and lives it to the full.

Rain Spill is available from www.ghpress.com and www. amazon.co.uk/shops/littleacornsbookstorecom

Friday July 30th - Monday August 2nd

The Homecoming...

Muff Festival 2013 welcomes you to a feast of family fun, sports, spectacle, live music and dance. This four day extravaganza hosts a veritable galaxy of daft competitions, street partying, parades and pageantry. An eclectic programme of over 30 events is staged over the August bank holiday weekend, with something for everyone, from floral displays to soapbox derby, to it’s a Knockout and Lorry Pulling.

The action kicks off on Friday evening with the Mayor’s Parade, led by the Festival Queen contestants, the Mayor and the Muff Accordion Band, also includes a host of bands, floats, displays and colourful fancy dress. Muff Junior Talent then takes to the stage and the first evening comes to a close with the crowning of the festival queen. Saturday has local produce and crafts available in the morning and a meet and mix gathering in the afternoon, with a host of fringe activities including Teddy Bears Picnic, Pet Show, Archery, and the soap box derby. Saturday evening is given over to showcasing local musical talent with our Battle of the Bands and a Back-to-Back competition. Sunday is family sports day including fun cycle, bonny baby, fancy dress, horseshoes, strongman and lorry pulling, culminating in our Open Air Ceili. Monday proves popular with junior visitors with treasure hunt, GAA and disco. The programme concludes with a festival finale concert.

www.mufffestival.com

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

In partnership with our good friends at Enterprise Ireland the Forum co-hosted a Business lunch at the Celtic Club on 11 March 2013. The Forum was delighted to welcome our two speakers Minister Paul Kehoe, Government Chief Whip & Minister of State to the Taoiseach and Mr Mark Keogh, MD of UON. As ever H.E. Noel White, Ambassador of Ireland showed his commitment to keeping WA very much a priority for jobs and investment by his attendance at the event.

The Forum was very pleased to welcome important clients of Enterprise Ireland. The event was a precursor to a much anticipated Enterprise Ireland trade mission to WA later this year. Minister Kehoe graciously launched the Forum’s website which was made possible by a significant contribution from the Irish Government for which we are extremely grateful. Check out the website on: irelandwaforum.org. We’d appreciate any feedback or sponsorship enquiries. As part of an extremely busy schedule Minister Kehoe also enjoyed a wonderful and very well organised BBQ with members of St Finbarr’s Gaelic Football Club. Many thanks to GAA President Mr Rob O’Callaghan for his continued support.

Marty Kavanagh

Minister Paul Kehoe

Ambassador Noel White

Marty Kavanagh

Minister Paul Kehoe and Ambassador HE Noel White at the St Finbarr’s GAA Club BBQ

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

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Congratulations Aidan Shortall Well done to Aidan Shortall on his resent selection for the state Under 15 rugby team. Aidan lives in High Wycombe, is a year 9 student at La Salle College is the son of Tom Shortall of the Woody in Woodbridge. He plays rugby club rugby for Kalamunda Bulls.

Aidan was selected for the Rugby WA under 15 State Team for the tour of Queensland in April. His father Tom told the Irish Scene that they played four games against selections from Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Aidan has been selected at Fly Half and will also be responsible for all kicking duties.

The 2013 Western Australia under 15 State squad selected just 23 players to tour Queensland.

The squad travelled to Brisbane on Tuesday, 9 April and, with a tough fourday playing schedule. Fitness was the key focus in training in the lead up to the tour.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if one day Aidan dons the Western Force senior jersey and be responsible for the

kicking duties a NIB Stadium.

The results of the U15 state tour: Game 1 v Brisbane lost 53 - 3 Game 2 v gold coast lost 21 - 18 Game 3 v sunshine coast won 34 - 0 Game 4 v Brisbane lost 14 - 5 All up except for game one, the boys competed and played very well considering the Qld sides were all very experienced players from a very strong rugby state.

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A Stalwart from Wexford

by Peter Conole, Police Historian

After the Western Australia Police became a united York to hand over a copy of the new Police Ordinance to and permanent force in March 1853 successive officers the local men, read out a circular order about their in charge were not coy about recruiting dependable responsibilities and offer advice as to appropriate officers from notable establishments in Britain. conduct and activity.

For example, Commissioner John Conroy Officer Furlong married Marion Roe in decided professional detectives would be Perth during July 1862. The couple raised useful and he selected two from the London six children, the oldest of whom was Met. One was Irishman William Hogan, John Phillip Furlong (1864-1926), who later a famous WA police leader and followed his father and uncle into the reformer.

WA Police and ended his career as a Hogan may have been behind the constable on security duty at the Perth idea of recruiting some solid general Mint. duties officers from the London force. A His father Philip received promotion contingent of six arrived in April 1857, led to the substantive rank of sergeant

by Sergeant Richard Gash. Like Hogan, on the first day of 1864. Most of the a couple of the Londoners did very well officer’s working life was spent in Perth and rose to high rank. The new ‘chieftain’ and Fremantle and William Hogan and who took office in 1858 was an aristocrat his successors as police superintendent named Sir Alexander Cockburn-Campbell. made solid use of his skills for ‘special He looked further afield for fresh blood - to jobs’. From about August 1866 he seems to old Ireland, in fact, which by the late 1850s have been periodically sent to Fremantle to had a well organised law enforcement system check out how things were going in the port in place. The Irish Constabulary (the Royal Irish town.

Constabulary from 1867) served as a model for the police A year later he went south to investigate and report forces of Canada, New Zealand, Victoria and The photo of Philip Furlong on a disastrous episode of August 1867. A other colonial dominions. police patrol failed in an effort to capture in the Irish Constabulary Sir Alexander made up his mind quite a ‘dangerous and desperate’ criminal uniform will have been early by studying the Irish set-up before named William Graham. Sergeant Furlong taken about 1859 or even sailing for WA. During August 1859 he examined the journals of the constables a couple of years earlier. I was in touch with the ‘Home Government’ doubt whether many photos involved, decided that their caution had regarding the selection of some top notch degenerated into cowardice and suspended of the Irish police of that recruits for the WA Police. To be frank Sir time have survived in Ireland the lot. A later investigation revealed that Alexander was a hard-edged martinet as a three had actually shown courage in the itself. It will be interesting senior man, but he had no prejudices based face of danger and only the man in charge to hear if anyone back in on ethnic or religious issues. His successor the old country contacts you was dismissed from the police. In October about it!

Superintendent William Hogan reaped the Philip helped close the incident off when benefits of this exercise when six sturdy and he went on prisoner escort duty to transfer experienced Irish constables arrived in Fremantle on the Graham from Perth to Fremantle Prison to serve out a new ‘Palmerston’ in February 1861. sentence.

The pick of the group was probably Constable Philip During 1868 the new police superintendent, Gustavus Furlong, who had been in the service from the early 1850s. Hare (late of County Galway), made full use of Sergeant He is pictured here in his Irish Constabulary uniform. Furlong. Hare moved around the colony to examine Furlong was born at Rathaspeck, County Wexford, most arrangements in scattered districts and police stations. likely in the year 1831. He was the son of Michael and He eventually deputised the competent and trustworthy Mary Furlong and by one means or another acquired a fine officer to do much of that work. During May 1868 Furlong education and good skills as an administrator. checked out conditions at Williams and around the present Whilst working in Perth, Phillip nominated his brother town of Harvey and then made recommendations about Richard Furlong (1833-1891) for immigration. Richard new stations and building upgrades which were received arrived with his wife and children in 1865 and a second with respect. member of the family was soon active in the WA Police.

A plum fell into Philip’s lap in 1871 when Hare’s Like Philip, Richard revealed himself to be a capable officer successor Superintendent Matthew Smith placed him in and rose to the rank of sergeant. charge of Fremantle, over the protests of local residents Philip attracted notice early. He worked as a probationer who wanted to keep the popular Sergeant William Regan for several months and took the oath as a constable on in place.

November 1, 1861. In January 1862 he was already an Sergeant Furlong did just fine, but in July 1872 Smith acting sergeant when Superintendent Hogan sent him to emulated Hare and used him as a ‘trouble shooter’. Things

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were not going well at York, the policing centre of the Avon Valley. Reports of poor discipline and careless conduct reached Perth and Sergeant Furlong went to sort things out.

He did so with style and improved community relations in the process by expanding police activity. He arranged medical care for citizens who were in dire need and got his constables to visit distressed and or isolated settlers to check out how they were doing.

His concern for the community was also demonstrated by interventions to protect vulnerable youngsters, by a crack-down on public abuse of alcohol and by ensuring improved treatment and medical care for prisoners being moved from the valley to Perth. In the process he persuaded the local magistrate to go easy on some young folk who breached rules of the day by engaging in team sports on Sunday afternoons.

When Sergeant William Waldock arrived to replace him in 1874 police and community relations around York were in good shape. Philip Furlong went further south that year to take charge of Albany police station and he remained there for several years. However, by 1878 the sergeant will have known that further advancement in the WA police was now unlikely. The colonial authorities were involved in a determined round of cost-cutting during the late 1870s and law enforcement suffered along with other sections. A number of very fine senior officers - such as Sub-inspector William Finlay, Phillip’s ‘boss’ at Albany - were retrenched or moved sideways into lower paid jobs.

Phillip Furlong served for a few more years at Perth and Guildford, recognised as an exceptionally capable police officer and administrator, albeit one who had to seek other prospects. We can safely assume that his admirers behind the scenes used their connections to his advantage.

Sergeant Furlong resigned from the WA Police on August 6, 1881 and moved to South Australia afterwards to take up a public service job. He was based in Adelaide and soon rose to the senior and influential position of Inspector of Schools in the Education Department.

He and Mary lived in the suburb of Norwood. Philip died there on September 16, 1902. Marion outlived him by five years. As revealed earlier, one of his sons chose a WA Police career, as did various descendants by marriage in the Veale and Dobson families.

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William Joseph Kinahan 14 March 1943 - 9 March 2013

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Our good friend, Willie passed away peacefully at home in the company of his loving family on March 14th. Much loved husband of Carmel and loving and caring father of Manus, Deirdre, Fergal. Niamh and families.

Deepest sympathy to Carmel.

Slan a chara!

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

Irish Session and Classes Every Monday at The Irish Club 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco All Welcome

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Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc.

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

Congratulations Dara and Shelby The WA Branch of AIDA Inc. would like to congratulate all dancers who competed in the recent World Championships in Boston – particular congratulations to Perth’s own Dara McAleer (16th) and Shelby Aylett (49th) in their respective sections – well done girls!

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

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

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!

Want to Learn Irish Dancing?

O’Hare Jenny O’Hare TCRG Wembley Downs & Os Park 0422 239 440

46th Australian National Championships

Shelby Aylett

Dara McAleer

Upcoming feiseanna:

June 1st & 2nd at John Forrest Senior High School, June 29th & 30th Ceili and Open Grade Feis, at Belmont City College.

If you ever wanted to know anything about Irish dancing, Perth is definitely in the right place. Irish Dance schools here have put together a huge resource on everything to do with Irish dancing. So whether you are beginner or you want to know more about improving your dancing Perth schools have everything you need to know right here.

See all the contacts on the left of this page!

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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TRADITIONAL BRITISH PUB

Friday 19th July 2013 at the Woodvale Function Room Trappers Drive Woodvale Christmas Singalong Christmas Carols Christmas Buffet - Dancing MC Fred Rea Tickets Sixty Dollars

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footbridge. The city now covers both banks (Cityside on the west and Waterside on the east). The city district also extends to rural areas to the southeast.

The population of the city proper (the area defined by its 17th-century charter) was 83,652 in the 2012 Census, while the greater area had a population of 105,066.

I was told (who by you might ask?) it’s an old city with a young heart. Derry / Londonderry’s population is one of the youngest in Europe and as such there are plenty of lively pubs, clubs and nightspots, world-class restaurants and an impressive arts and music scene to

ULSTER

Rambles with David MacConnell

I was half way along a great wee article about Belfast, my favourite city, when I

got a call from my famous editor (Yeah you guessed it …Fred) telling me that he had an idea! “Prime Minister”, I thought to myself, “An idea!” “Yeah” he said laconically. “Write something about Derry”. Well it so happened that I did mention that Derry was named the UK city of Culture for 2013 in my last article.

Of course I had been to Derry in my youth but only to pass through on our way to Donegal. Yeah, we were a so called rugby team at the time. Few of us knew anything about the city and anyway we were going to have great craic in Donegal, so what was the point in stopping!

When I visited it last year, I did not rate it as a city of culture but since then I have learned more and much to my astonishment it was also (apparently) named as ‘One of the Top Ten Cities in the World to visit in 2013’ by the Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel Guide 2013’.

They say in their brochure that: “Derry / Londonderry, is a city pulsing with life, resonant with centuries of heritage and passion, yet fresh as an Atlantic breeze.” I can only ask myself who writes that kind of stuff and wonder if they have actually visited the city!

Only kidding. Sure it’s a grand place and it’s only a few miles from the South where the most northerly part of Ireland

exists. You might like to explain that to any foreigners who read this column.

The first name for this ancient city was Daire Calgach, meaning ‘oak grove’ which is still an apt description as there are sturdy oak trees scattered across the city. The name Derry is an anglicisation of this.

It is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest city discover.

Unfortunately, I arrived there on a on the island of Ireland. In 1613, the city Sunday when most of these impressive places were closed. So I missed out in more ways than one. Derry is a compact city and easy to explore. There are great walking opportunities along the historic 400 year-old walls. Still intact and retaining the original gateways, this is the best-preserved walled city in Ireland.

Guilds from the City of London financed the walls, hence the origins of the name Londonderry. The Maiden City title is derived from the unconquered walls’ status. The walls were never broken, withstanding several sieges.

The city’s history and evolution, is explained in The Story of Derry at the Tower Museum. This permanent exhibition is the city’s journey through many centuries from its geological origins was granted a Royal Charter by King through its Christian, maritime, emigraJames I and the “London” prefix was tion, economic and more recent political added, changing the name of the city events.

Within the walls is a progressive, to Londonderry. While the city is more usually known as Derry, Londonderry is dynamic arts environment where new writing, film and dramatic arts flourish. also used and remains the legal name.

The old walled city lies on the west The Verbal Arts Centre, Nerve Centre, bank of the River Foyle, which is the Millennium Forum, Cultúrlann Uí spanned by two road bridges and one Chanáin and The Playhouse are venues

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for artistic expression by local and international writers, singers, dancers and theatre groups.

The city is bulging with galleries and art spaces, such as the Void, and Centre for Contemporary Art, along with a number of smaller galleries including Context, Gordon, Eden Place and Cowley Cooper.

Now what about this city of culture idea? Well, with a bit of research I found out the following.

UK City of Culture is a designation given to a city in the U.K. for a period of one year. The aim of the initiative, which is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is to “build on the success of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture 2008, which had significant social and economic benefits for the area”. Well it did not seem to help their soccer team did it?

A total of 14 cities applied for the honour including Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield and (wait for it) The winner is ….em Derry! And very well done to you boys up there!

“Was there any trouble here recently?” I asked a local. “Nat a tall”, she replied. “Don’t we have lots of wee peace monuments now!” she related as she pointed out one of them to me.

So, put it on your itinerary for your next trip. It looks like

I will have to return. I simply missed out on all the action and thanks Fred for the tip.

Farewell My Derry Love

by Pete St John

I walk the road again, my love Where we walked hand in hand And kissed all through the lovers’ rain In our green and pleasant land …

Along the Foyle in secret time When passion graced our forms How many dreams we shared, my love Now gone like summer storms.

So kiss me once for frienship’s sake And kiss me again for your great love of life And one last kiss for the love we could not ‘tend For I will love you ‘ till the end.

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See photos from the Festival on our facebook page...

Full review next issue!

Magnificent!

Congratulations All Round!

Perth Rose of Tralee 2013

Meet the Roses and Rosebuds 36

Perth Rose of Tralee

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Presented by THE IRISH CLUB OF W.A. Inc

The search for the 2013 Perth Rose of Tralee has commenced with a fun and relaxing Family day at Houghton’s winery where the Roses met their Rosebuds and of course the Judges. Luckily the weather was glorious and everyone enjoyed the games and face painting on offer. The next public function will be held at the stunning WA Rowing Club on the river, details below, and is shaping up to be a great night. There is still time to get involved in the Rose by advertising in our Ball program, this is a great way to promote your business to a capacity crowd, for more information contact Jessica Stojkovski on 0402 427 709 or email perthroseoftralee@gmail.com

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Other children: $5.00 Contact: Lindsay Ahern on 0450 499 198 or perthroseoftralee@gmail.com to secure your place.

Sundowner: 7:30pm Entry Fee - $35pp Contact: Kate on 0408 248 447 or perthroseoftralee@gmail.com to secure your place (Please advise by 3 May) A night for all of the family! A disco will be held for all the rosebuds from 5-7pm, and a Sundowner for the Roses from 7:30pm Finger food will be provided and drinks will be available to purchase at the bar.

PERTH ROSE SELECTION BALL Saturday 25 May 2013 Time - 6:30-12:30am Frasers Function Centre, Kings Park Cost - $160pp. Tables maximum of 10 people.

Contact - Lindsay Ahern - perthroseoftralee@ gmail.com or on 0450 499 198 The night we all wait for! One of our lovely entrants will be crowned Perth Rose 2013!

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As something that started out to celebrate a historical event, the John Boyle O’Reilly weekend in Bunbury has itself become something of a historical fixture. This year the commemoration marked its 25th anniversary - no small accomplishment and a tribute to the passion and people who have made it happen.

Remembering O’Reilly

by Lloyd Gorman Peter Murphy

gathered at the memorial at the picturesque Leschenault Peninsula at Australind to celebrate the famous poet’s escape to America in 1869.

Dr Ernie Manea, Liam Barry and Michael Manea

Over 300 people attended different events held over Saturday and Sunday, with visitors coming from around Perth, interstate and even overseas to take part. The festivities kicked off on Saturday with two guided heritage tours, including a trip to Dardanup where it is believed by locals that the famous Irishman hid in a well in their township while on the run from British authorities. This was followed

The Dublin Rogues entertained at the Dinner

by a celebration dinner at the World Kitchen in Bunbury on Saturday evening, where over 150 guests attended the function which provided plenty of Irish music, dancing and entertainment.

The following morning, a large crowd

latory letter. “They are, however, but an element of a greater body of work that you have delivered over many years to ensure that the role played by Irish men and women in the history and development of Western Australia is never forgotten. Your contribution in this regard will continue to inform and benefit future generations and, I have no doubt, reinforce the close ties of kinship that bind Ireland and Australia.”

Those attending and speaking at the celebration included local dignitaries such as Dr Ernie Manea, his wife Snookie, event organiser Tom Dillon, historian OrTom Dillon monde Waters and Bunbury city councillor and acting mayor Murray Cook. Former Subiaco The bus tour of the O’Reilly signifimayor Tony Costa, Ormonde Water’s cant sites in and around Bunbury was grandson Luke and Prof. Ronan Mc- organised by Peter Murphy of John Donald, director of the Global Irish Studies Centre from the University of New South Wales all shared their unique perspectives and insights into John Boyle O’Reilly.

The highlight of the two day event was the presentation of the ‘Brendan Award’ to John Boyle O’Reilly stalwart and Irish Australind stalwart author Liam Barry. This Denis Bratton Pres AIHA, Liam Barry and Tony Bray prestigious international award is Boyle O’Reilly Tours. All on the tour given by the ambassador in Can- were most impressed with Peter’s berra to Irish people who have knowledge and his tour opened the made a huge contribution to Irish/ eyes of all to the many secrets of the Australian culture and heritage. Bunbury connection to John Boyle The ambassador, Mr Noel White, O’Reilly. The visit to said it was a particular the Dardunup pub and pleasure and privilege the Dardanup historic to be able to award the graveyard were a highprize to Liam on the light and posed many special anniversary of questions from the tour the O’Reilly event. attendees.

“The annual commemoration of John Boyle O’Reilly and the monument in his memory are major achievements for which you deserve great credit,” Mr White said in his congratu-

38

Peter Murphy

Tom Dillion said Liam was ably supported by his wife and family and had been relentless in his pursuit of raising awareness of Irish people who had endured

Prof Ronan Mc Donald and Deputy Mayor Murray Cook

tough times and harsh punishments in WA. “It was Liam who single-handedly achieved assistance from state and local government in getting the John Boyle O’Reilly memorial park established at Buffalo Road, Australind 25 years ago, and it has been his tireless

Lyn Barry and Liam Barry

persistence that kept it highlighted, by winning national and international media attention, along with numerous publications (and his own books on the topic)” he said.

Festivities concluded on Sunday afternoon at the City of Bunbury function centre where a large crowd gathered to say thanks to the organisers and to bid farewell to all those involved in the successful venture. The plan is to raise the celebration to one of international significance and attract more visitors to the Bunbury and Dardanup regions.

Meanwhile, another significant historical event with links to O’Reilly was celebrated a week later in Rockingham. From Boston, O’Reilly worked diligently to plot the escape of his fellow Fenians still incarcerated in WA. It was thanks to his efforts and a ship called Catalpa that several years later these prisoners had their own dramatic and daring parting with captivity. Their escape is also commemorated now every year at the Wild Geese monument designed by Irish Australian artists Charlie and Joan Smith.

Tom Dillon says Thank You

It is very important for me to register a profound vote of thanks to the people who attended each, or all of the events that marked the 25th anniversary John Boyle O’Reilly celebrations, here in Bunbury, over the weekend of March 23 and 24. One of the highlights was Liam Barry being the worthy recipient of the distinguished Brendan Award from the Australian-Irish Heritage Association, along with a magnificent letter of recognition (for his efforts over the past 25 years), from Irish Ambassador to Australia, HE Mr Noel White.

It was wonderful for Liam and his family to have his brother Donal from Cork City Ireland, with them for this auspicious occasion.

There were many people behind the scenes who made the weekend come to fruition, in particular Professor Ronan McDonald of the University of New South Wales, who assured me that he was very impressed with the passion and commitment of everybody.

In closing, I would like to let you know that Fred Rea and Peter Murphy have produced a comprehensive DVD that covers the anniversary celebrations, so I encourage everyone to purchase this memorable production.

Thanks sincerely to everyone, Tom Dillon on behalf of Liam and Lyn Barry, Dr & Mrs Manea, Michael Manea, Fred Rea and Peter Murphy.

The red rose whispers of passion and the white rose breathes of love; O the red rose is a falcon and the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud with a flush on its petal tips; For the love that is purest and sweetest has a kiss of desire on the lips.

John Boyle O’Reilly

39

41

Local News of Interest from the Past

News Published Every Two Months Re se arch e d

In this issue we commence a new segment looking at past newspapers articles with specific reference to content of Irish interest.

In the following piece, published in the Inquirer & Commercial News on Wednesday 4th November 1868 reference is made to the Hougou-

by

F re d

Rea

mont. The Hougoumont was the last convict ship to arrive in Australia. On that ship was John Boyle O’Reilly and other Fenians who we have written about many times in previous stories.

It will give readers an insight to life in the colony at the time and

may give a better understanding of the rich history of Western Australia. This history has long been neglected and we at the Irish Scene will continue to tell readers of events of the past especially the contribution of the Irish in the development of Australia.

CONVICTS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. [From the Australian, and New Zealand Gazette 1868.]

Governor Hampton states in his annual report that the number of convicts in Western Australia at the close of the year 1867 was 3,220, being 85 fewer than at the close of 1866; but the number was increased by 279 on the arrival of the Hougoumont on the 9th of January, 1868.

Of the 3,220, 1,707 were on the public works, 1,367 were ticketof-leave holders in private service, 59 were conditional release holders, 66 invalids and in hospital, 21 in the lunatic asylum. 1,818 were maintained by the Imperial Government. The expenditure for the year was £114,140. The surgeon of Fremantle prison, noticing that six men were sent thence to the lunatic asylum in the course of the year,

remarks that there is nothing in the discipline of the prison which tends to produce mental alienation; comparatively speaking, there is little separate confinement, but every convict ship brings out a certain number of men of weak intellect, and a few years’ residence in so hot a climate develops the idiosyncrasy. The Controller-General reports that there were 58 deaths of convicts in the year, two being executions, and one escaped convict, who was armed and resisted apprehension, was shot by the police. The health of the convicts generally was good upon the whole, considering that a large proportion of them are men with constitutions impaired by irregularity of life.

The return relating to convicts on public works shows an increase of

From Perth’s Daily News on 20th November 1920.

LATE LORD MAYOR OF CORK

The following resolution was carried at a meeting of the Perth Celtic Club committee last evening and cabled to the acting Lord Mayor of Cork: “The Celtic Club of Perth deeply mourns the martyrdom of Mr Terence McSwiney late Lord Mayor of Cork and strongly protests against organised system of oppression and terrorism and, as well expressed

by Mr Asquith, the hellish reprisals of the English Government in Ireland, and sincerely condoles with the sorrowing relatives of the deceased and his countrymen in the sad loss they have sustained”.

offences of no less than 383 in the year, making 1,921 in all; 432 were cases of idleness. The number of offences indicative of the personal demeanour of the convicts, and of their conduct to officers, was somewhat less than in 1866. The number of magisterial sentences, including fines, passed upon ticket-of-leave holders in the year was 1,132, being 85 less than in the previous year, although there were 75 fewer ticket-of-leave holders earning their own livelihood. At the close of the year 59 conditional releases had been issued and three were revoked in the year for offences committed.

Twenty three men who either held conditional pardons or whose sentences had expired, were received upon new sentences.

From the Sunday Time January 25th 1914

STILL TWO SURVIVORS

Mr. James Kearney of “Macroom” Nannup, has sent the following to the “W.A.. Record” (and a shorter note to this paper): “I have read in your paper a notice of the death of Thomas Duggan, in connection with which you say that James Kiely is now the only survivor of the band of Fenians who came out in the Hougoumont. I was also one of that band, and came out with Thomas Duggan, John Flood and John Boyle O’Reilly.

I have the honour to be one of the foundation members of the Celtic Club, and most of the members of the club know my history,.

My reason for calling attention to your error is that, reading the notice, many of my friends may suppose I am either dead or have left the State. You have also erred in the number of the band. There were 48 civilians and 17 soldiers. I belong to Macroom, County Cork, a few miles from where Thomas Duggan resided.”

42

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Dermot Byrne

The Irish Quiz Wiz!

a.k.a. Dermot from Lesmurdieon ABC radio Nightlife program.

As quite a number of our readers come from Ireland, which can be described as a small island nation, a few more were born in Australia, which can be described as a large island nation, I would like to find out what you know about the other islands around the world.

Visiting Ireland?

1. Name the island Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on for 27 years.

2. Name the largest of the Aran Islands off the West Coast of Ireland?

3. On which island did Napoleon Bonaparte die?

4. What island in the Irish Sea is famous for its tailless cats?

5. On which island is the City of Jakarta?

6. Of which country are the Galápagos Islands a province?

7. Name the prison island situated in the Port of Cobh in Co.Cork?

8. What is the largest of the Channel Islands?

9. What is the name of the island in New York Bay on which many?

Irish Emigrants first landed in America?

10. What three islands form most of New York City?

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By Lloyd Gorman

From austerity to Australia As well as being the head of the Catholic Church the new Pope - Pope Francis - is also a head of state. Totalling just 108.7 acres (44 hectares) of land within the Italian capital city, Vatican City or the Vatican as it is more commonly called is the smallest independent sovereign nation on the planet. There is nothing minuscule however about its influence on the world stage. There are high expectations on the new pontiff to once and for all purge the church - all the way from the level of parishes in Ireland and around the world right up to the Vatican itself - of its shameful even criminal conduct in covering up and even fighting sexual abuse claims.

That is a discussion for another day and time will tell what progress or action has been taken on this issue. But what has been clear from the start is that he is a man who practices what he preaches. One of the first things he did after being elected Pope was to check out of the hotel where he had been staying as a Cardinal and settle the account. And instead of moving into the palatial splendour of the traditional accommodations of the Pope he has moved into a simple and Spartan unit, one of many used to house visiting clerics to the Vatican. My favourite move so far by the Argentinian however has been his decision to stop the 2,000 Euro bonus every Vatican cardinal gets when a new pope takes the throne at the head of the organisation.

It would be akin to a new Taoiseach in Ireland or Prime Minister or Premier here being elected to office and starting to make cut backs to already well paid government ministers, rather than with the people themselves which has been the experience of many to date. When the going gets tough it is not the upper echelons that feel the pinch, its the general tax paying

and hard working public who suffer in the name of austerity.

Austerity in economic and political terms is a policy - of major spending cuts and or tax increases - used by governments to reduce budget deficits during tough times.

Everything from wages and pensions to social welfare benefits and money to build things gets cut. Ireland, like several other European nations has been on the business end of government imposed austerity measures for some years now - and what has it achieved? Practically nothing, or nothing positive anyhow. The billions of EU bailouts to Ireland for the corrupted and collapsed banking system were given on the condition that the country would make the repayments - no matter what the cost. Irish austerity was born of threats and fears and the country’s economic independence and even its sovereignty has been compromised by the European Union the political entity that pretends to respect it. Several years on Irish people - like many others - who have seen little or no progress or improvement are asking what it is all about and what it is for. And all the time the EU lurches from one bailout crisis to another. It reminds me of one definition of lunacy, when you do the same thing over and over again but expect the result to turn out different.

For the first six months of 2013 Ireland holds the Presidency of the European Union. In theory this means that for half of the year Dublin shares power and authority with Brussels and Strasbourg, until the baton is passed onto another member state for another six months so that every member state gets a turn at the helm. It is a position the country has held on a number of occasions and has generally acquitted itself well in the role.

But last month the Irish head of state, President Michael D. Higgins, realised what may be his greatest moment in public

45

life. Members of the European Parliament packed in to hear him speak in April, and what he said was worth hearing. While his is a non-political role with constitutional ties on what he said the poet from the West of Ireland launched a blistering attack on Europe’s track record of using austerity measures to try and pick a path out of the economic turmoil. He called it the “great flaw of our time” and said it was causing “a crisis of legitimacy in the EU” and called on EU leaders to consider other options.

It was also potentially feeding the rise of racism, social breakdown and the loss of democratic accountability he said. His tough speech is a high point and moment of light in what have otherwise been bleak and uncertain times. A bit like the Lilliputian Vatican city being in charge of a global religion Ireland - with its population of just five million has demonstrated to the EU’s 500 million people that there is another way. If the message gets through and is put into practice in Ireland and elsewhere then there might even be hope.

If more politicians were like the Pope and the Irish President then maybe a lot less Irish people would have to make the choice between Australia and a life of austerity.

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The Celtic Club has a proud history spanning over 100 years. Presently the Club has a membership of approximately 700, and appeals to a wide range of individuals, all of whom enjoy the friendly and personable hospitality of a private member’s Club.

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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Review of The Patriot Game

by Solus Mac an Tuille

The cast of the Irish Theatre Players’ (ITP) latest production The Patriot Game, by Tom Murphy, walked through the streets of Leederville in the 2013 St Patrick’s Day parade. 97 years ago the men and women of the 1916 rebellion walked through the streets of Dublin driven by their love and devotion for their country. For 700 years the Irish bravely resisted British rule.

The Patriot Game is a play that explores the events leading up to and including the Easter Rising in Dublin during Easter Week in 1916. It is a difficult play to stage. It requires a large cast, multiple locations and special visual effects to successfully capture the atmosphere of Ireland at the most memorable and painful time in its history.

Prior to the Easter Rising there was confusion among leaders and followers. The play’s narrator helps our understanding of events as she comments on the events in the play and the historic events of the time. She also represents the opinions of the Irish people before, during and after the Easter Rising of 1916. Zoe Griffin was magnificent in the part of the narrator. She was vibrant and enthusiastic. Her innocence and pure charm were a tonic in contrast to the other historical characters. Zoe, in her first major role, gave a powerful display of acting for a 17 year old teenager.

The words of the great 1916 leaders still live to this day. Examples include Pádraig Pearse’s climactic closing words of his oration at the graveside of O’Donovan Rossa (a founding member of the Fenians), spoken within a year of his own execution, …but the fools, the fools, the fools! - they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.

And the words by Pearse in his poem The Mother I do not grudge them: Lord, I do not grudge My two strong sons that I have seen go out To break their strength and die, they and a few, In bloody protest for a glorious thing.

The main cast needed to be strong and believable especially for the parts of Pádraig Pearse and James Connolly. Many of the support actors played multiple small roles.

Kieran Garvey gave a powerful and very moving performance as Pearse the schoolteacher, patriot and lover of Irish culture.

Kieran has not been on stage before but his diction, timing, stage presence and stature were commanding and impeccable.

Killian Harty played James Connolly with full confidence.

This was the strongest performance Killian has produced for the ITP in his recent stage appearances. Two of the senior players Niall O’Toole and Stan O’Neill added a solemn presence in the funeral procession scene as well as playing the characters Eoin MacNeill/Chief Secretary and Redmond/ Under Secretary respectively. Martin Watkins played the parts of the Lord Lieutenant/Asquith/Maxwell with vigour and confidence.

Denice Byrne played the part of Pearse’s mother. Both she and Kieran Garvey moved us to tears in a very tender mother and

son scene. An interesting parallel was the fact that Denice’s own son Nathan Holland played the parts of the drummer boy and the child in the GPO. Nathan’s curls and hat could have represented the innocence of a country, held in bondage for too long, and about to grow up.

The support cast remained in character throughout the play.

Alexander Culling, Bobbie Greaney, Stephen McCarney, Paddy Ryan, Jenni Glassford, Mary Murphy and Michelle Delaney were among the talented ensemble who worked very hard to make the Irish Volunteers and other civilian and military personnel believable. The military costumes were well chosen for the period.

The lighting, special visual effects and sound were well executed by the biobox team under the baton of past ITP president John Spurling who returned for this special production. Photographs of actual crowds in Dublin were beamed around the walls at the theatre adding a realistic backdrop to the historic happenings.

The Patriot Game was originally commissioned by the BBC in 1965 but was considered too controversial and was never produced. However in 1991 it had its stage debut at the Peacock Theatre in Dublin. In 2013 director Ivan Motherway’s vision brought it to Perth and gave Perth audiences a wonderful and memorable production. This excellent production cements the ITP’s reputation as an outstanding community theatre group throughout Australia and beyond.

IRISH THEATRE PLAYERS

AUDITION NOTICE ONE ACT SEASON AUG 2013 Interested people are welcome to audition for the Irish Theatre Players 2013 One Act Season. Come and get involved with a Community Theatre Group that enjoys full houses for all its productions!

Tuesday 30th April, and Thursday 2nd May at 7pm At The Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco.

THE PLAYS: ETERNAL TRIANGLE by Paul Avila Mayer, (based on the short story by Frank O’Connor), directed by Bella Hulls.

Cast: Four male – 40s to early 20s; one female – late teen’s to mid-20s.

THE BRIDAL NIGHT by Paul Avila Mayer, (based on the short story by Frank O’Connor), directed by Robert Greaney.

Cast: Four male – 60s to early 20s; two female – one 50s or above, one mid-20s.

IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN by J.M. Synge, directed by Jim Motherway.

Cast: Three male – 60s to mid-20s; one female – mid-20s.

CONTACT: Ivan Motherway, 0417 903 256

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

47

By Lloyd Gorman

Repeats of RTE’s Dublin doctor drama The Clinic are still being rolled out late every Thursday night (12.30am) on ABC1 but BallyKissangel alas seems to have been pulled from scheduling completely in the last couple of months.

A SBS 1 Dateline documentary into child abuse in Ireland in the Church aired on February 19. The timing of this hard hitting show is all the more important as it comes less than a month after the Federal government announces a Royal Commission inquiry into sexual abuse by the Catholic church as well as other churches, institutions and groups.

On March 3 on Gem, (2pm) The Great Train Robbery. This 1979 flick stars (a post James Bond) Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland and makes for some pretty enjoyable viewing. The interesting thing about this film is that it is set in Victorian England but all the major train scenes and some others are shot in the Irish countryside Like Great Train Robbery The Silence - a four part series - is set in England, albeit modern day, but is actually shot in Ireland. This is a gripping drama about a young girl with hearing difficulties who witnesses a brutal murder and survives police corruption in her own circle. Worth the watch if you get the chance to see it.

While it is as English as toffee the widely popular Downton Abbey has also incorporated a strong Irish plot and interest into the period drama through the fortunes and exploits of the character Tom Branson (aka Dubliner Allen Leech) On March 9 I got a bit of that feeling that ‘if you’re Irish, come into the Parlour’. On ABC1 at 5.30pm Grand Designs - again - features the home build of their dream house by an Irish couple. Later that night on 7Two the crew of 60 Minute Makeover revamp the house of a lovely Irish woman - Evelyn - who lives in the UK and whose daughters called in the team of decorators to give their old ma a treat. Good on them!

I’d be fairly confident that it wasn’t intentional on the behalf of the producers of My Kitchen Rules but the cooking show that went to air on March 18 offered an extended taste of St. Patrick’s Day. It just so happens that on this occasion the contestants were cooking for the Melbourne Cup set. But of particular interest was the fact that they were dishing up grub for people in the Emirates VIP area - which as we reported

last year - was decked out in the style of literary Dublin.

The Irish capital however has lent a more entertaining element to the competition in the form of celebrity chef, guest judge Dublin born chef and restaurateur Colin Fassnidge whose abrasive manner and comments are totally refreshing and delectable, especially when compared against the routine and bland statements of everyone else on the show, judges and guests alike.

On March 20 Bob Geldof was the main guest on the 7pm Project and he came across very well. (Six days later on ABC1’s Lateline Geldof gives a powerful and cutting take on heavyweight political, social and moral issues.)

The man has the mind of a MENSA mastermind. On SBS at 8.30 that night we saw Irish actor Liam Cunningham travelling by 4x4 through some pretty hairy territory in Hostile Environment.

On March 26 at 8pm ABC1’s Foreign Correspondent travelled to Ireland to go behind the scenes of the horse trade and how the flesh of these fine animals can end up in the human food chain. It is not the first time Foreign Correspondent has voyaged to Ireland in search of the story behind the headlines, and as always, they do a good job of it.

George Gently, which was mentioned in the last TNTS , made its appearance on ABC1 for three episodes on Saturday nights, from March 30. Although shot in Ireland (and the UK) this was the hardest season of this cop show to identify any Irish landmarks. Still a good watch though. Later that night, and by accident, I stumble across Leap Year on Channel 9, starting close to 10pm. This American made movie was inspired by the Irish tradition that a woman can propose to a man during a leap year and the story follows the heroine Anna in her quest for her true love from America to Dublin. It was as good as it sounds.

The following night however offered up something a bit more manly. Ned Kelly on Go (8.30pm) with the late Perth great Heath Ledger in the shoes of the main character. He played the role convincingly and throughout the film he [Kelly] speaks about his Irish brothers and heritage. A great film and one that felt both Irish and Australian.

Another Irish Australian feeling film was The Sundowner, on GEM, during the day. Made back in the 60’s this is the story of Irishman Paddy Carmody and his trials and those of his family, in the hard world of the

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sheep and shearing business. I believe it was a big hit in its day but it feels a tad dated now. On the same day, Who Do You Think You Are? (SBS3 at 5.30pm) follows UK Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles in pursuit of his Irish roots, a quest that takes him to Dublin and Ballina, Co. Mayo, the poorhouse and the battlefields of WWI in France.

Talking of battlefields all the big fights in Braveheart (Sky 1 8.30pm) that same day, were filmed in Ireland. This block buster is probably one of Aussie actor Mel Gibson’s better productions and while much of it is shot in Ireland, the plot also involves an Irish interest.

On April 11, Mrs Brown’s Boys returned to (Channel 7) screens with an omnibus showing several Christmas episodes. The Brendan O’Carroll comedy show has been a runaway success in Ireland and the UK where it has even taken a BAFTA. But it has also rocked the TV ratings in Australia.

Hardly surprising then that one of the story lines in the latest season involves one of her boys emigrating to Australia. As it happens the entire Mrs Brown’s Boys cast will be coming to Australia to appear live on stage in a national tour from March 2014 but at time of going to press no tour details for Perth were available. The show is filmed in front of a live audience who in a sense become a real part of the show, so watching it in that format could be a blast.

My Blue Eyed Galway Girl Words & Music Brendan Woods I’m up here in the Pilbara were digging for iron ore The sun up here is scorching hot and my poor back ah she’s sore But I’m saving all me money the credit union all’s paid back I miss the snow and the Guinness your blue eyes and the craic Chorus My blue eyed Galway girl Ah love I’m coming home We’ll buy a place near Athenry And watch the world go by There’s bhoys here from Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone There’s rebels here from county Cork and jackeens from Dublin town ‘Twas the Celtic tiger drove us here I wish that she had cubs We’d have Las Vegas up in Donegal and loads of all night pubs

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Tis three weeks on and one week off then fly to Rosies down in Perth And listen to the Dublin Rogues they bring us back to earth I have a few and sing along at the Sunday session But I dream of my Galway girl and forget about recession Chorus With in influx of Irish FIFO (Fly In Fly Out) trades people local song writer and member of the Dublin Rogues, Brendan Woods has penned this song for the Bhoys! You can hear it on YOUTUBE - Dublin Rogues. Fred Rea.

Wendy understands the difficulties of setting up business in Australia

Meet Nick Henihan, New Irish Club Manager

For more than fifteen years UHY Haines Norton have been helping migrants from many countries around the world. Wendy Davies told The Irish Scene that recently they have assisted several Irish clients set up business in Australia and we are one of the very few advisory firms who have a wealth of experience in this area.

Wendy said, “Many of our Migrant Services team are themselves migrants who understand the difficulty of setting up a business and/or investing in Australia with all its unfamiliar rules and systems. Ultimately, it means we know the importance of having a support network in place from the word go and all the local knowledge, contacts and affiliations you need to start your business in Australia”.

UHY Haines Norton provides quality and reliable support in: • Setting up the correct business structure • Finding and starting with the right business • Having the business correctly valued and appropriate due diligence completed • Being tax efficient • Establishing relevant business networks • Protecting your hard earned assets • Ensuring compliance with visa requirements • Building a successful pathway to permanent residency Through their extensive local network UHY Haines Norton has the capability to provide a full range of professional services to assist in the set-up of new or existing operations in Australia and provide ongoing support.

Wendy continued, “Whilst we do not process visas, we do have specialist knowledge of the migration issues. Our team includes Registered Migration Agents, accountants and dual qualified UK and Australian tax specialists, who together can ensure your passage to permanent residency is as smooth as possible; we work closely with your own Migration Agent to ensure all the visa requirements are met.

For further information please contact Wendy Davies, Partner – Migrant & Business Advice, UHY Haines Norton DL: 08 9340 3748 or emailwdavies@uhyhn. com.au - ‘’You can also follow Wendy on LinkedIn’’

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Nick has had extensive hands on experience in the hospitality industry with training at Doyle’s Tara Hotel in Dublin, 10 years at the Skylon Hotel in Drumcondra as Deputy General Manager and 8 years as Licensee and General Manager at Moloney’s Public House in Mountmellick, County Laois and Duty Manager at the Swan & Railway Hotel in Fremantle since May last year.

Nick holds permanent residency and lives in Manning with his wife and two young daughters.

Club President Alan O’Meara told the Irish Scene that the Irish Club Management Committee is delighted to have Nick on board and looks forward to his ongoing contribution to the club and its members where he can utilise his experience to assist in all areas of the club’s management and operations.

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Dining Guide

Sponsor: Northside Meats

with Danielle O’Leary

Indulgent and Delicious Food at The Breakwater Naturally, traffic toward the coast dwindles during winter. There is something, apparently, unappealing about the strong, cold winds coming off the ocean. To me, I think it is a perfect night - and multi-award winning The Breakwater at Hillarys Boat Harbour offers the ultimate date night setting with outdoor heating, indulgent and delicious food with an endless wine list so you can curl up with a bottle of red wine.

If you want to make your night extra special, head upstairs to the Ishka Restaurant. Derived from the Irish Gaelic word ‘Uisce’ meaning water, Ishka Restaurant is the ultimate dining experience on the water in Perth.

The menu at Ishka reads like a wellstructured novel. With an elegant title page to draw you in, you immediately notice the full page of endless awards the restaurant has won. Once you begin reading the menu, the creativity and originality of the meals shine through – leaving you both confused at what to choose and wanting to order everything.

With a page each for the entrée, main and dessert choices, you’ll find yourself flipping back and forth between the pages to create the ultimate meal.

We began with a light dish to prepare ourselves for the main meal and dessert. We nearly chose the famous pan-fried tiger prawns or seared scallops but instead we chose the oven baked turkish bread with marinated olives, chorizo, EVO-oil, fig vincotto. It was beautifully light and generously flavoured.

For our main course, my companion ordered the fish of the day – red emperor on a bed of pumpkin and pea risotto with shaved parmesan.

He loved it: the risotto flavours complimented the delicacy of the fish. He also did not talk to me until it was over – which was a first for any meal we have had. I ordered the 180g tender ridge eye fillet served with roasted pumpkin, spinach, sauce bourguignonne.

The steak was cooked to a perfect medium and while I thought the spinach and pumpkin were peculiar choices, they worked incredibly well with the steak. Along with our main meals, we chose a side of hand cut chips that reminded us of how good chips should be and also a side of swiss chard, watercress and zucchini salad mint dressing which was insanely good. Just to give you an idea of how hard it was to choose a main, I was also deciding between

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these three incredible dishes: rosemary and honey scented dorper lamb loin, Australian sea bass and the slow roasted Plantagenet pork belly. Seeing these dishes go out to other tables, any choice would have been perfect.

For dessert, we shared the saffron poached pear with frangipani, pear puree, cinnamon and honey ice cream. Alongside a round of espresso martinis, the poached pear dessert had the perfect amount of sweetness to round off our indulgent meal. If I had the appetite, I would have ordered the Breakwater miniatures plate – offering a small version of every dessert on the menu: strawberry romanoff, rhubarb brulee, saffron poached pear, coconut and cardamom rice pudding, chocolate pave and cherry sorbet.

The wait staff at Ishka are at once the ultimate professionals yet friendly and relaxed: greeting customers with smiles, casually chatting yet knowing their food and wine list without a fault. Ishka Restaurant is perfect for any occasion, even if it is just to spoil your loved one.

Bus From Carnegies

52

Ireland’s top stout scientist visits Perth

By Lloyd Gorman Something about being a Guinness Book of World Records judge has always appealed to me, and I suspect a lot of other people who grew up watching or reading about bids to become the world’s first person to achieve something that probably never needed to be achieved. Being invited to attend and adjudicate at all sorts of bizarre and brilliant, weird and wonderful attempts at making or breaking records, would on the face of it seem to be a thoroughly interesting occupation. The story of the Guinness Book of Records is as Irish as the drink that shares a name with it and it owes its origins to something else that happens in pubs. In November 1951 while taking part in a shooting party in the wild life infested North Slobs of Wexford, Sir Hugh Beaver, the then managing director of Guinness Breweries got into a quarrel with another hunter on the trip about which game bird was the fastest in Europe - the golden plover or the grouse. He gave the question some considerable thought and effort but couldn’t find an answer to the riddle. More importantly, he also realised that such questions must be puzzled over every day in pubs the length and breadth of Ireland, and further afield, and that there was a market for this sort of book. The seeds of an idea were sown and an edition of 1000 copies of the first Guinness Book of Records were printed in August 1954, and then given away for free before it became the world’s yearly standard by which the most irrelevant or interesting of facts could be measured.

Sean Reid pours the perfect pint!

But I was recently introduced to another job, which also comes with a Guinness tag attached to it, that would for many be their dream job even more so than being a Guinness records judge. Whatever about the extensive lists of facts provided in the Guinness record book,

Fergal Murray and Lloyd Gorman

Fergal Murray is a man with an encyclopedic knowledge of Ireland’s most famous stout (my apologies to Beamish/ Murphys) Fergal Murray, a man who is the guru of Guinness, the alchemist of the alcohol brewing process. He is the Master Brewer for Guinness.

Fergal, and the Guinness entourage of PR people, arrive late for their own event but they have a good excuse, it has been raining and as usual when a bit of precipitation falls in Perth chaos on the road ensues. Rain is the most Irish excuse for tardiness that I can imagine (and appreciate) and it delays the other journalists - some of whom don’t even make it to the venue because of the weather and road conditions - so I take the opportunity to pull him aside and ask him some questions before the Guinness promotional event gets underway in The Breakwater.

We start at the beginning. How did you get into Guinness and one of the best jobs around?

“Kevin Street College is where I studied, the course we did was applied science and we got the degree from Trinity College,” he answered.

“I was a research chemist in a very old fashioned laboratory, something like from a Charles Dickens novel. Thirty years ago that was my first job, everybody left [Ireland], I got lucky.”

But wearing a lab coat and staring at test tubes and science beakers wasn’t exactly lighting his bunsen burner. “I was a young Fergal, I thought it was too slow and boring.

So I jumped at an opportunity to go into the brewery from the lab as an apprentice brewer.

Back then we were called brewing clerks, you learned the trade and picked up knowledge from the other, experienced brewers and it was all very manual back then, with pumps and valves and things, everything was done by hand.”

He was the first Guinness employee in Dublin to get and use a computer as part of his job.There is an exam and accreditation process and after three years associate brewers are recognised but that is only one of the first steps on the path to becoming a sage of the stout.

“You have to get around all the areas [of the brewery] to understand the craft of it, rather than just the science, to get a bit more passion and love for it, so that’s ten years

53

before you get there. Then you do a masters brewer degree and get accredited, that’s the journey and on the journey you fulfil roles in leadership, management etc.”

Before he became a worldwide spokesman for the Guinness brand he got some international experience under his belt. He spent three years in North America as a technical director for Guinness and also did a stint at a Nigerian brewery (Guinness’s single biggest market) in a similar role before moving back to Dublin.

He sees himself as a modern day incarnation of the Guinness founder, brewer Arthur Guinness. “If Arthur were here today, he’d be out doing what I’m doing, working. He was an entrepreneurial type of individual and he would be brewing as well as out there talking up the brand.”

It is his global commitments that bring Fergal - originally a Corkman from Douglas Street in Cork city - to Perth. “I’m here because Lion are our new partner in Australia, that started in November, they stated brewing beer in the market place, we just didn’t have an opportunity to get here any earlier and this is the first opportunity to come,” he said.

Guinness has already sent over subordinates from Dublin to Lion to help them get up and running, Fergal is on a diplomatic mission to meet and greet the new partners with a friendly face and to assuage any fears that could be created by the Australian handover to Lion [from Diageo].

“I’ve just come to say hello, not to look in on them, there are people who have come in and given them instruction already,” he said. “My job is to embrace them and remind them that you now have the job of managing the brand on my behalf, not only to sell and market it, but to undertand it and share that passion I have for it.”

The changeover means that Guinness in Australia will now be brewed in Adelaide rather than Brisbane and the pint lover in WA or SA or NSW shouldn’t notice any difference at all. “The supply has changed, but the market hasn’t, its the same relationship with publicans, just a new facility brewing it,” he said.

I ask him if there is anyone in the world that knows more about the iconic black and white drink and how it should be made.

“There’s a few folks who’ve been around as long as I have and have the experience and understanding of the beer, there are one or two of us dinosaurs left,” he jokes. “From a product point of view, there’s technical expertise in different areas and even I’m not always able to keep up to date with the technology or brewing changes and activations in other markets and parts of the world. But the element of craft is fundamental to the whole thing. There’s the science and technology pieces, which are world class, but you’ve still got to over see it, mind it. It’s a natural product being put through a whole range of wonderful machines, which are controlled by wonderful computers, but you’ve still got to love it, it ain’t going nowhere unless its tasted and looked at. In other words you can do all the technical stuff to verify she’s net spec but until its sampled, tasted and observed, its not going anywhere.”

Can Guinness after so many corporate changes of ownership still be considered an Irish drink, I ask? “ The connectivity to Ireland is always going to be there, its an iconic drink and its always going to be seen as an Irish brand,” he responds. “But there are markets around the world to be fair to them where we sell Guinness, for example, like Nigeria, where the Nigerians would suggest its their own brand and they’d wonder how do you drink Guinness in Ireland!.”

Fergal distributes credit for inventing the widget by saying it was part of a team effort, one that designed and created a small plastic gizmo placed inside cans that allowed the stout to be poured as if it was draught from a tap. “The physics behind it are astonishing,” said Fergal, a man with a physics degree. “The science was already understood but it was how to implement it that was critical and how to ultiise the the technology to create a product with a draught serve, that was the whole objective.” This one development opened up the way for an entirely new way to sell and package Guinness but Fergal said Extra stout bottled Guinness is making a comeback in Ireland and elsewhere.

As well as rubbing shoulders with journalists and publicans [he was also in JB O’Reilly’s - the biggest selling Guinness pub in Australia] on a regular basis, Fergal’s job sometimes even brings him into contact with a slightly more elevated class of people. He was, for example, involved in the preparations and events organised for the Irish visits of the Queen and American President Barack O’Bama (who can legitimately claim Irish roots) within a week of each other, exactly two years ago in 2011. Apparently the Queen didn’t drink a Guinness poured for her while O’Bama necked it down with all the consumptive and consummate ease of the most thirsty muck savage you can imagine. (All poured meanwhile by Michelle O’Bama who showed a real knack for how to pull the perfect pint.)

So if ever the job of handing out world record titles to people who hope to become somebodies through their accomplishments or helping the world’s A-class personalities comes up for advertisement I’m applying for the position - and I don’t even drink Guinness.

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and then add the butter.

2. Once it stops sizzling, add in the potatoes, onion, carrot and leek and cook for 7 minutes until softened but not coloured.

3. Add the flour and cook on a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Season to taste.

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

Marguerite’s Seafood Chowder This is a very filling soup that I have been making since I started cooking professionally.

Its creamy flavour is perfect if you’re looking for some healthy comfort food on a cold evening. Use the best-quality fish and shell fish for the best flavour.

Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 tbsp grapeseed oil 1 tbsp butter 2 large potatoes, cut into 1cm dice 1 small onion, cut into 1cm dice 1 carrot, cut into 1cm dice ½ leek, cut into 1cm dice 1 tsp flour 150ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine 300ml (1/2 pint) fish stock (buy fish stock cubes & dissolve in 300ml of water) 100g salmon fillet, cut into cubes (skinless & boneless) 100g cod / barramundi, cut into cubes (skinless & boneless) 100g mussels 100g prawn meat 150ml (1/4 pint) cream 1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp chopped fresh dill Sea salt & ground black pepper

4. Gradually pour the wine into the pan and allow it to bubble down, stirring continuously.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the salmon, cod/barramundi and prawn meat and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the mussels and cream and simmer for another 2 – 3 minutes, until it’s warmed through & the mussels have opened. Stir in the herbs and season to taste.

5. Ladle the soup into a bowl and garnish each one with chopped parsley

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107.9fm Fremantle Radio

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Irish Music • Interviews • Local & Irish News 54

So here it is then, my last column on the meanderings of Perth’s Folk Scene: the time has come the walrus said………and all that stuff.

I’ve been writing this column for at least seven years now and have waxed lyrical (and long) about millions of bands, pubs, concerts, sessions, festivals and so on, and I feel now’s the time to call a halt. This decision is taken with not a little regret cos I like the idea of my mugshot being plastered across the Mag every issue and am flattered that people actually read what I have to say, and, if they are to be believed, some of them like what I have to say.

But I take the old fashioned view that if I go to some pub or festival or whatever and don’t like it, I ought to be able to say so. What’s the point of having an opinion column if my opinion can’t be expressed says I. And there’s the rub: Fred Rea being naturally of a pacific nature and all round good egg, thinks that I should only say nice things about everybody and everything like he would, and to my chagrin he’s frequently used the green pencil to excise some of my most brilliant prose [I’m at my best when in hyper critical mode].

In the past I’ve waxed lyrical about issues and venues and all to no avail: none of my considered brilliance on these and sundry other topics made it to the printed page: all those journalistic gems lost to posterity. If I said that everything was nice, nice, nice, who’d believe me? And such an approach would devalue what I have to say when I do give praise, again who’d believe me: ‘ah he always says that’ would be the likely response.

It may soon have come to pass that the entire content of my column would be deemed beyond the pale.

So that’s it, I’ve had my moan, made my explanation and must accept that over the years I have grown more curmudgeonly and have metamorphosed into a fully fledged Grumpy Old Man with the inevitable result that the use of the green pencil is increasing in direct

correlation with my tolerance of crappy groups, soundmen, pubs whatever decreasing.

Of course my last column as resident Folkie couldn’t simply be my reasons for its being so; there must actually be some folkie stuff: and here it is.

Sean Roche was in the country recently, ostensibly to sing at the inaugural Catalpa Festival in Rockingham: a concept devised and organised by the assorted brains trusts of the WA Folk Fed, the Rockingham City Council and a couple of tourist boards and chambers of commerce. Sean had been given the go ahead to buy his air ticket and present an invoice to the Festival when he arrived. Now I don’t really know where the scheme unravelled but suffice to say that by the time Sean arrived the festival had, like one of Julia Gillard’s policy thought bubbles, simply popped and ceased to be and as far as I can tell all of the erstwhile organisers had headed for the hills or otherwise gone to ground.

While Sean made the most of his time here and played a few gigs at the Kingsley Tavern and the Workers’ Club in Freo, whether he actually got reimbursed for his ticket remains a mystery to me. So to does the question of whether or not the assorted brains trusts will try to resurrect the Catalpa Festival next year. I’ll put my money on one thing though: if they do revive the idea and want Sean to come out here they’ll have to buy the ticket for him first.

Arlo Guthrie was on at the Octagon the other week and I went along to see him. I’m not a great fan of his music: Alice’s Restaurant never really did that much for me, but I think he’s ok.

As it turned out it was a brilliant night, Guthrie is a phenomenally good performer, a good, and if not good then great, guitarist and a highly amusing raconteur.

The support act consisted of his daughter Sarah Lee and her other half Johnny Irion and they too were quite good; good singers and players but too much of their self penned material was like so much stuff these days, boringly self centred, self indulgent tosh, and as a result I was quite pleased when they finished.

For those of you who have recently returned from Mars and missed the news, last year was the centenary of Woody Guthrie’s birth and there was much slaughtering of fatted calves etc in his honour (although no sacred cows bit the dust and they are legion where Saint Woody is concerned): and the tour that Arlo and co were doing was a sort of commemorative tour for Woody, consequently most of the material in the show was Woody’s which as far as I’m concerned saved the support act from being awful: when they sang good (Woody’s) songs, and some of St Woody’s stuff is pretty good, they were good too.

Funnily enough when Arlo came on he mused about young acts generally and said that

55

too many of them leave him cold because their songs are mostly in the key of ‘me’. I thought that he could have been talking about Sarah Lee and Johnny but then again he probably wasn’t.

As I hinted above Arlo is a completely different kettle of fish from the youngsters, he is an accomplished performer completely at ease and at home on stage and I can’t remember having enjoyed an act so much for a long time: and even though I’m still not a great fan of the type of music he plays, the stuff he does has great merit musically, not being self indulgent self centred tosh and he’s bloody good at it.

When he comes back I’m going again.

Paul Brady was on at the Fly the week after Guthrie at the Octagon and sadly I was unable to go having already committed to a singing session round at Ken Kenny’s place. And of course Brady was in top form: as I was gleefully informed by Richard Collins; ‘That was the best I’ve ever seen him’. Rats! I love Brady’s music (when he does trad stuff anyway) and he is one of Ireland’s finest musicians and given that I wasn’t there it was inevitable that the show would be a ball-tearer. Next time………..

There’s news that an Irish jam session is starting (has started) up at the Worker’s Club in Fremantle. It’s supposed to have kicked of on Sunday April 7th at 5.00 and is to run weekly. I think the founders of the feast are likely to be Steve and Ros Barnes and Dave Hyams et al. I haven’t been able to get down there and see it yet but I will in the not too distant.

Also scheduled in for the Workers Club is the inimitable Bernard Carney who’ll be presenting his world famous Beatles Extravaganza on Saturday May 25th I’ll be there for that too I reckon. Unfortunately my thoughts and insightful commentary will remain, for reasons explained above, a closed book to you. Sorry about that.

Finally in signing off for the last time I should point out that Fred and I haven’t fallen out over this, and I’ll probably pop up now and again in the future with the odd CD or concert review or whatever: you don’t get rid of me that easily.

Slainte.

From Editor (Fred)... Thank you Phil for your contributions to our Irish Scene over many years and yes folks, this is an edited version of Phil’s column. When this man has a bee in his bonnet he really goes for it. I accept that I do like to say nice things about people and places but it is a fine line one walks when one decides to produce a mag such as ours. We are sorry to see Phil’s popular column cease but that is his right and decision as it is mine to edit any articles submitted for publication.

land of

&

Ireland

honey

by Sally Desmond

Whatever happened to Chrissie Cleary?

like ships that pass in the night.

The month of May was different! Every Sunday morning the children and teenagers of the Parish were deposited in the sacristy of Sunday’s Well Church groomed and curled within an inch of their lives for the May processions during the twelve o’clock Mass. The sacristy was ruled over by Mrs Beausang – her of the pin stripe suit and the navy hat – and the disposition of a stalag commandant. Every Sunday, without fail, she partnered me with Chrissie Cleary. Now there was at least an hour to wait before you moved off in a haze of incense and candles and there was generally a bit of giggling and passing of sweets but not with Chrissie – solidly ahead she looked as composed as a budda. She ruined many a procession for me. On occasion Mrs Beausang would decide that we should be the ribbon bearers and as we marched up the aisle Chrissie’s ribbon was always taut and neat and mine was always waving and when we got to be petal scatterers – Chrissie scattered hers with precision and to the beat of a drum in her head and mine were likely to flutter into the seats – well you have to scatter petals with gestures don’t you. Not Chrissie.

After school days we rarely met but once when I got engaged I met her and she looked at my ring and said “that’s nice”. Then when I got unengaged we met and she said, looking at my finger, “ah well”. I never knew if Chrissie danced, she certainly was never at the boat club dances or the ceilidh or even at the Oratory, which in fact was in her school. She didn’t look as if she danced but then we tend to judge people by their exteriors – for all I know she might have been wildly imaginative. I know we didn’t invite each other to our respective weddings – there was no need. I wonder what happened to Chrissie Cleary. And I do wonder if she wonders what happened to me.

I was walking home from Sunday Mass, kicking brown crunchy leaves, when I thought of Chrissie Cleary. The priest had reminded the congregation that the month of May was approaching – Mary’s month. It seemed to me, as I kicked the autumn leaves into whirly bunches that the seasons were out of kilter. May when I was a-growing was the month for Processions – every weekend, and consequently it was the month of Chrissie Cleary.

The Cleary’s lived not very far away from us and Chrissie was the same age as me. We went to different schools but they were in the same direction, consequently we often met on our way in the mornings and we walked together. That is all we did!! I have tried over the past weeks to think of one conversation or thought I shared with Chrissie or her with me. She was solid, sensible and composed. On our journeys to school there were walls, laneways, little sweet shops and hopscotch boxes scrawled on pavements – Chrissie never diverged from the straight line. In all the years we walked side by side I never once saw her hop, skip or jump. She never looked fearful at the approaching thought of the lies she would have to tell for undone homework. I am sure the neighbours took it for granted we were friendly but in reality between us there was a neutral zone as if something had been cancelled out. You couldn’t dislike Chrissie but you would never have shared your hopes and fears with her – she wouldn’t have welcomed them.

She was like a ship, she ploughed calmly through the turbulent waters of school years and in truth we were

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Rosie O’Grady comes into the prime of life Fiche Bliain ag Fas, written by Great Blasket Islander and author Mauirce O’Suillvan, is one of the best Irish books published in the last century.

The title of the book translates as twenty years a growing, with the start of each double decade marking significant stages in life. So it is for Rosie O’Grady in Northbridge, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. In the ever changing fashions and fads of Perth’s entertainment district Rosie’s has remained a constant in the community.

Breac-Ghaeilgeoir i mBéal Átha an Ghaorthaigh Frainc O Sé Ba mhaith liom uair éigin tuairim aigneolaí fháil ar an ainmhí sin atá ag dul, diaidh ar ndiaidh, i líonmhaire in ár measc .i. an cainteoir leathdhúchais, nó an cainteoir breacdhúchais (dá ngoirtear ina dhiaidh seo an Breac). Is duine den aicme sin mé féin. Tógadh sa chathair mé, le Gaeilge – nó le Gaolain(n)t chun a bheith an-cruinn. Ar scoil dom d’fhoghlaimíos Gaolain (ó Chiarraíoch), breac-Ghaeilge ó Chonnachtach nár chainteoir dúchais, agus Géaling ó fhear a tógadh le Béarla Chorcaigh (Eisean, taréis dom praiseach a dhéanamh de thairiscint céimseatan, a chéad úsáid an abairt íontach úd: “Dein é do dhéanamh arís ó thus”).

For close to a generation now the locale on Mulligan Street has been a beacon to new arrivals, a meeting point for friends and functions, a place to work behind the bar for some or to find out where you might be able to pick up a job for many others. It has witnessed countless All Ireland screenings as well as the excitement of international rugby and soccer fixtures. As well as hosting or launching untold cultural events over the years the sound of traditional Irish music, live bands and acts from WA and Ireland and beyond have all been heard inside the walls of Rosie’s.

Throughout the year its doors are open and a welcome awaits inside and on special occasions like St. Patrick’s Day it is one of the go to venue’s for many revellers - Irish and otherwise. Congratulations to the Brockwell family, John, Scott and Sarah and everyone else whose hard work or patronage has helped Rosie O’Gradys to become the much loved and enjoyed place it is today. Next year Rosie’s will be 21 of course, which will be another big cause for celebration.

Ó ba mheascán de chaint na nDéise, Bhaile Mhúirne, agus an Daingin a bhí mar ghnáth-theanga labhartha againn sa bhaile, níorbh aon ró-stró a chuir sé orm i ndeireadh na dála gach sórt Gaeilge a thabhairt liom, go mór mhór ó bhí cluas ghéar le héisteacht orm agus an-chur amach agam ar chórdaí scórnaí an Ghaeilgeora.

Congratulations from all of us at The Irish Scene, we look forward to joining you in your celebrations.

The Irish Scene

Fhaid is a bhíos imeasc Breac-Ghaeilgeoirí dem’ shórt féin, bhí ardmheas agam orm féin mar Ghaeilgeoir.

Thuigeas cách agus thuig cách mise. Ach ní túisce thugas cuaird ar an nGaeltacht ná osclaíodh mo dhá shúil Bhreac-Ghaelacha go leathan.

(ar lean................)

Seanfhocal: Is iomaí cor sa tsaol.

Proverb: There is many a twist in life.

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Proud to make a show of ourselves!

should be an even more resounding response to the bid to arrange a follow up parade in 2014. A vibrant and community focused way to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint and national day is in everyone’s best interests.

By Lloyd Gorman

Even before you got within an ass’s roar of the place you could tell it was going to be a big day for the Irish. The normally sluggish Sunday morning routine of train stations across metropolitan Perth was disrupted by small groups of people dressed in green garments of all varieties. Small pockets of people became big clusters on the platforms as people waited patiently for the next train and the sense of anticipation grew. The train, when it pulled in, was full with green and gold looking people. At Leederville station the population of what could be a decent size market town disembarked en masse and started walking in the same direction - the St. Patrick’s Day parade in the heart of the town of Vincent.

Thousands were already in place well in advance of the expected starting time of 10am and the flow of people kept coming like someone had forgotten to turn off a tap somewhere else. Children of all ages jostled for a position on the footpath while others clambered on top of parents shoulders for a vantage point. A bit of waiting around for the procession to get underway didn’t seem to bother anyone and before long the streets of Leederville put on the display everyone had come to see. The throng of people that had been heaving and moving in all sorts of directions came to a stop and the crowd’s momentum was transferred to the parade.

From the open top of a red double decker bus Bob Geldof kickstarted the whole affair while local mayor and Australian Irish woman Alannah MacTiernan led the parade. Practically every Irish organisation in Perth, companies with an Irish identity and even some Australian community groups - such as the Police marching band - made their presence felt in the pageant as it navigated its way around the Leederville CBD before feeding into the nearby oval where a cultural festival was waiting to extend the day’s itinerary of activities and interests. There was lots to do and see, places to get something to eat and areas to meet. March is a good month to hold a march but the harsh sun was zealously beating down on the proceedings. As a result anywhere harbouring a bit of shade or shadow from the direct light of day was quickly occupied by what could have been a coven of Celtic vampires, but which in reality was just parents with small children seeking some relief.

To say the parade was a success does not do it justice. It was a triumph. For the first time in years, families, individuals and anyone who wanted to could come together in a community setting to share and enjoy the experience and what it means to be Irish. For something that was put together for the first time by people who did not have the benefit of having organised it before reflected just how hard Irish Families in Perth, their sponsors and volunteers must have worked to make it all happen. They rescued an iconic and important thing. The endless hours of effort, organisation and worrying over details by the organisers translated into a well run, enjoyable and appreciated event.

They deserve a thank you, and continued support. Now that the parade has come out of a state of exile, and has been shown to be exactly the way that Perth’s Irish community want to celebrate March 17, there

Photos courtesy Jim Egan

58

Bob Geldof Talks to the Press!

By Caroline Smith It seemed that Perth had pulled off quite a feat when Bob Geldof announced that he would be attending St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the city this year. Indeed, when Sir Bob greeted the media on a normally-quiet Sunday at the Irish Club, there was a flurry of people inside, waiting to hear what the outspoken rocker and charity campaigner had to say.

Earlier that morning, Geldof had attended the annual St Patrick’s Day parade along Leederville’s Oxford Street, as guest of honour, albeit in a low-key fashion, mingling with the crowds and enjoying a Guinness.

Fresh from the festival atmosphere, he told journalists how aware he was of a strong Irish presence in Perth, evidence of an increasing stream of young people arriving here for work and a new life, looking to escape the economic woes of their homeland.

From the very beginning, he was blunt about the reasons why. “(Australia) doesn’t have to push very hard to get them to come here,” he said “There are millions and millions of people who aren’t coming back (to Ireland) because of the government’s gangsterism.

“It’s disgraceful, the number of jobs that have been lost, the families that have been torn apart. I guess it is to America, Canada and Australia’s advantage that these very bright young people are coming to make a future for themselves – and not just from Ireland.”

Geldof was pessimistic about how long it might take for concrete economic progress to be made, describing how his own family had lost out in Ireland’s property crash.

“I think it will recover, but it will take about ten years,” he said. “There’s still no floor on the housing market, so people’s assets have been wiped out entirely. It will come good again, but whether Ireland ever really offers a good future for its people, I don’t know.”

In fact, the rage and hopelessness felt by the young unemployed in Ireland and Britain today was reminiscent of the late 1970s, when punk bands such as the Rats began to make their presence felt.

“I have to say, when I listen to those old tracks – I was listening to Rat Trap yesterday – the same element of anger is there, and nothing has really changed,” Geldof said.

“There is a great treachery, when a country cannot provide jobs for its young people. So it’s not surprising that the generation that grew up in the UK or Ireland in the 1970s had that anger…we have the same crisis in the system now.”

Geldof said that while he identified with the general mood that spurred punk on, there was no doubt that the Rats were an Irish band.

“There was always some confusion about that, because there was the same economic situation in Ireland and Britain at the time,” he said. “So in 1976, there were bands like the Sex Pistols, singing about similar things. All these bands were just saying, change now.”

59

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Colin Merrey’s Book

s w e i v e R Well – that was quite an Easter and St Pat’s Day wasn’t it? 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.

I have given up on the new format for my offerings –I found it a bit too time consuming as the deadlines approached – the old format was more workable so I have reverted thereto. You will also note that there seem to be a few more books reviewed in this issue than usual – this is because I had a few left over after the last issue that I read over the Christmas break (didn’t do a lot over that period other than read because of the HOT WEATHER!!!!).

Always, too, please remember that, if you can’t get the books that I recommend from your local bookseller (which can of course happen on occasion) 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 found it entirely engrossing reading and a bit different from the usual books that cross my desk during the year.

Lancaster Men – Peter Rees Allen and Unwin Paperback $32.99 A lot has been written about the exploits of the British and Americans during the Second World War but this is the first that I have read that addresses the “forgotten men” of the British Air Force. These are the more than 10,000 Australian men who served in Britain in Bomber Command – those men who, when they returned to Australia after the War, were labelled “Jap dodgers” who were accused of hiding in England “while we were doing it tough over here”! Always remembering that about one in three of these brave men died in combat – and to think that they were denigrated in this way in their own country. This as a result of information received from Goebbels’ office after the bombing of Dresden which reflected a death count of 202,400 civilians – German propaganda that served to tarnish the reputations of these brave souls.

This then is their story told in the form

of sometimes humorous and sometimes not stories of their exploits during that tumultuous period of our recent history.

The author, Peter Rees, is a renowned journalist who has pur in more than forty years of writing for the likes of the Melbourne Sun, the West Australian and the Sunday Telegraph. It is extremely well written and honestly it’s a book that I found hard to put down once I had started to read it. This is enthralling stuff, indeed.

I urge you to read it – it will make you stop and think about just how much these brave lads did for their country and indeed the World at this troubled time.

50 Licks – The Rollings Stones – Pete Fornatale Bloomsbury Paperback - $29.99 I recall that, in my second flush of youth, we were inundated with rock ‘n’ roll bands in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. Not least amongst them was the Rolling Stones (who got the name from a Muddy Waters song). They have been proclaimed the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the World – and quite rightly so I may add!

They have survived much adverse publicity, very public condemnation of their actual and reported drug/substance use/ abuse and their outrageous behaviour and what’s more they are still rocking to this very day.

This is the book that arguably answers all of the many questions and criticisms of their lifestyle and other personal choices by way of interviews from all of the surviving members (including the elusive Bill Wyman, the Band’s former bassist).

Notwithstanding that I was always more of a Beatles fan than one of the Stones, I enjoyed reading the boys’ versions and explanations of the mystique that surrounds a lot of their exploits. If you enjoy their music then I strongly suggest that you read this book forthwith to hear the “real” story of how they came to be and how they arrived at their cult status today.

elaborate than others” That said, this is the story of Meg May, the daughter of a cooking obsessed and slightly mad mother, Val May. The pillars of Meg’s life become cooking, recipes and gardening – to some this may be all too familiar.

This has all been in an attempt for Val May to mask the fact of the terminal illness that threatens her very being. This is a very thought provoking book – but it remains very readable – I quite enjoyed it – more so than some of the stories aimed at the fairer sex, I must say. I think you’ll enjoy this one.

Bad Angels – Rebecca Chance Simon and Schuster Paperback $24.99 I quite enjoyed Rebecca’s previous book “Killer Heels” and I must say I enjoyed this one too. It is the story of Melody, an actress whose career is in tatters as a result in part because of too much plastic surgery and who has fled to LA in attempt to regain her life and her boyfriend. Others entwined in the story are Angela Fatyga, a nurse who falls for Jon Jordan, an assassin and a Russian oligarch in the form of Grigor Khakofsy, owner of the Kensington football team.

Mix in murder, mayhem, romance and Christmas and you have a most entertaining book.

With All My Love – Patricia Scanlan Simon and Schuster Paperback $24.99 Patricia Scanlan lives in Dublin and was a great friend of the late Maeve Binchy, to whom she has been heralded by many to be the natural successor She is quite a prolific writer and this, her latest, tells the tale of Briony McAllister who, as she reads a letter addressed to her that falls from an old photograph album she is looking through, discovers that all in her life and her understanding of the family’s relationship with her grandmother is not as she had always And now to some volumes for the ladies believed it to be. Follow the story as it unfolds and reveals all of the secrets, LOVE’S LABOURS LOST lies, betrayals and sacrifices that have The Story Teller’s Daughter – been made over the years and explore the Maria Goodin complex bonds between mother, daughAllen + Unwin Paperback $27.99 The book’s blurb tells us “every fam- ter and granddaughter. This is an enily has their secrets – some are just more thralling and entertaining book – enjoy.

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Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R Instructions For A Heatwave – Maggie O’farrell Tinder Press Paperback $29.99 This is Maggie’s sixth novel and it is set in the London of 1976 – it hasn’t rained for months and emergency water restrictions are about to be introduced by the British government.

Gretta Riordan’s husband, Robert, goes around the corner to but a newspaper and then vanishes. Here then is the story of the search for Robert which encompasses his two children who are each on the brink of divorce and his wife, Gretta, who may know more about his disappearance than she is prepared to say. I found it most enthralling as I followed the mystery to its somewhat surprising conclusion. Again I know you will enjoy this story as much as I did.

Lifesaving For Beginners – Ciara Geraghty Hodder & Stoughton Paperback $27.99 I first came across Ciara with the publication of her second book “Becoming Scarlett” which I reviewed in an earlier edition. That story was sort of a parallel to the mighty “Gone with the Wind” and was a really great and humorous take on that theme and an enjoyable read. (I hope you took my advice and read it for yourselves). I must say that, when Ciara was in Australia a while back, I had hoped to have an interview and chat with her – unfortunately our individual timetables did not permit this. This was a shame as I enjoyed this book equally as much if not more than “Scarlett”. It has a completely different premise and involves two parallel and seemingly unrelated plot themes. Milo McIntyre’s mother is killed in a traffic accident whilst in Dublin – the driver of the other vehicle is Kat Kavanagh – an author with writer’s block.

The way these stories intersect, revolve around each other and evolve I will not enter into as that would spoil the tale for you.

Suffice it to say that this is a real story about real people – I know you will enjoy it. If you can only read one book this

year, please make this the one you read in Paris. So begins an enthralling tale of – a great story! murder which is intermingled with a girl who has visions – in particular a vision Blackwattle Lake – Pamela Cook of a band of ghostly horsemen who tarHachette Australia Paperback $29.99 get for death some of the most nefarious This is the first novel characters in Normandy. This is a great for a new author of ladies mystery story and one that I commend fiction set in the outback to you whole heartedly. Most entertainof Australia. It tells the ing for lovers of both the supernatural story of Eve Nichols who and crime thrillers. returns to her family’s homestead after being The Game – A.K.Shevchenko Headline Paperback $32.99 away for some time with the intention of selling up the old place.

Our story opens in Sydney But….when she meets up with a lot of and continues on and extends the people she would rather have forgot- through Europe, Asia and ten and immerses herself once again her the Americas. It chronicles childhood memories, can she still walk the tale of four school friends away from everything? Read this won- who used to play a game that, derful debut novel to find the answer to in their early days, resulted these questions. I did and quite enjoyed in a tragic ending. Twenty it. It was a refreshing change from my five years on, Tony, the mastermind who usual diet of blood and gore! planned all the moves, and his three fellow players meet up again to continue Bridie’s Choice – Karly Lane their game – will have the same tragic reAllen and Unwin Paperback $29.99 sult? Can it have the same result? Does This is the latest offering from the auit have the same result? You will need thor who brought you “North Star” and to read this engrossing book to find out “Morgan’s Law” and is – and I urge you to do so – it is a real again set in the Australpage turner. ian outback. The leading It is also my book of the month for players of this novel are the competition for this issue. If you Bridie Farrell and Shaun would like to win it for your very own, Broderick. They come check the competition details at the from “both sides of the end of these reviews. tracks” and therein lies a great divide. Bridie, who The Blind Goddess – Anne Holt comes from a long line of battlers, has Allen and Unwin Paperback $29.99 always striven to leave the small town Anne Holt is often referred to as the where she grew up but family respon- Godmother of modern Norwesibilities have served to keep her there. gian crime fiction (Jo Nesbo) Shaun, who comes from a wealthy local and if this book is anything to family, finds his heart lies with Bridie go by this is a title well earned.

– but can they overcome the opposition This is a well crafted story of from his family? Bridie has a big choice corruption in the corridors of to make – but will she follow her heart??? power that are inured in the Read this great little book and find out. city of Oslo in particular and ScandiI enjoyed this one – in fact, the ending navia in general. A drug dealer is batmight surprise you. tered to death – a blood covered Dutch student is found wandering aimlessly MYSTERY, MURDER who refuses to talk – a shady criminal AND MAYHEM lawyer is murdered. All ingredients of a The Ghost Riders fast paced detective thriller. This is the Of Ordebec – Fred Vargas first English translation of the first book Random House Paperback $32.95 in her Hanne Willhelmson series and I Fred Vargas is a Frenchwoman who, loved it. I will certainly look out for the apart from being an accomplished au- next book(s) in the series. Enjoy! thor, is also an historian and Salvation Of A Saint – an archaeologist. This is Keigo Higashino the first novel of hers that I Little Brown Paperback $29.99 have read and it is indeed a This is a new author to me and this cracker. is an English translation of a book that “People will die!” said the was a Japanese best seller that has sold woman who stood outside the over 2 million copies in that Country.

Police Headquarters building

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Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R There seems to be an increasing demand for foreign crime novels in general these days and after reading this one, and indeed several others that I have reviewed both in the past and indeed in this issue, I can see why this is so.

Here we have the discovery of the body of a man who has been poisoned. The body is discovered in his empty house and his wife is the initial suspect. Did she do it? This seems hard to imagine when she was hundreds of miles away at the time. Suspicion falls in many areas and the ending (after a lot of fevered page turning on my part) really surprised me. This is a brilliantly original story – I loved it and I know you will too. Read it – I urge you

Cross Roads – Wm Paul Young Grand Central Publishing Paperback $24.99 This is an unusual story to say the least.

I haven’t come across this author before, although this is not his first novel.

It is an intriguing story of an egotistical self made man who suffers a cerebral haemorrhage and “wakes” in a hospital ICU to find himself in a surreal world. He is in a living landscape that mirrors dimensions of his earthly life from all of its many aspects. Our adventurer travels through this world and experiences many different things as he seeks out the truth of his life choices and their effect on others – were they the correct ones? Is this a completely new realisation that these revelations bring to his new “life”?

You will need to read this extremely unusual tome to find out. I can’t say that it is an entertaining book – it is more of an enlightening one – but again one that I think you could get a lot out of reading if you give it a try.

The Poisoned Island – Lloyd Shepherd Simon and Schuster Paperback $24.99 Well! I did enjoy this – the book has an excellent premise and tells its tale well. Set in 1812 in London, it recounts the (fictional) tale of a ship commissioned by Sir Joseph

Banks, the noted botanist who journeyed with Captain Cook on his epic voyage to Australia, to bring back plant specimens (one of which has questionable properties) from Tahiti for examination in Kew Gardens. This is a very intricate story and involves the supernatural, the Bounty mutineers and the murder of sailors from Banks’ ship committed in London and being investigated by the Thames River Police.

This is a fascinating tale and one that I really enjoyed – very unexpected ending – VERY good book – Enjoy it!

of International businessmen and attractive young widows.

It moves at a cracking pace and I really enjoyed it. Dennis Brattan – this is one for you and your impeccable collection of Irish crime literature. I know you’ll love this one – as I know all of you other readers out there will too.

Force and he is stationed in Carrickfergus. After his problems in the previous book in the series, he is back on the beat and up against many, many adversaries – his task begins with finding a torso in a suitcase and the tale goes on from there to its inevitable conclusion after shooting off at numerous tangents and red herrings. His search takes in the likes

The Hunters – Chris Kuzneski Headline Paperback $29.99 Yet another new author to me – a very timely introduction as, with the amount of reading that I do, I am always looking for new ones.

The Hunters of the title are a team of renegades, financed

Capital Punishment – Robert Wilson Orion Paperback $29.99 Set in London, this is Wilson’s first novel set outside of International settings. It concerns one Charlie Boxer who is ex Army and police and who has found his opBedlam – Christopher Brookmyre erating niche in private seOrbit Paperback $29.99 I have read a couple of Brookmyre’s curity. His speciality is kidnap and recovery and this is books over the years put keenly to the test when (those writing as Chris Frank D’Souza hires him to Brookmyre and which find his missing daughter Alyshia. This are crime thrillers) and is certainly a gripping page turner and enjoyed them immensely. one that I thoroughly enjoyed – you will Here we have him writnot expect the stand out conclusion to ing humorous fiction – a completely different style of novel and this tale. one that I did not enjoy quite as much I loved it and know you will too. as his crime stories. That said, it is still Ultimatum – Simon Kernick an entertaining book that tells the tale Random House Paperback $32.95 of a young man called Ross who wakes Haven’t come across Simon Kernick beone morning to find himself in the sur- fore but I will certainly look real world of a video game! Wow! Here out for his back catalogue he is conscripted into the armies of good and his future writings. If against evil and is called upon to fight they are as good as this one demons, slay dragons, fly spaceships and they will be indeed great the like. A masterfully written book al- reads. I loved this story that though not of the genre that I prefer to begins in a café in London read. It is still a very readable story with where at 8 am one morning a totally unexpected conclusion. If you an explosion rips through the morning like escapist, futurist stories, then this quiet killing several people. Following one is for you! this, a radio station receives a call to say that another bomb will be detonated I Hear The Sirens In The Street shortly with a further more deadly one – Adrian Mckinty to be exploded if “demands are not met Allen and Unwin Paperby 8pm”. back $29.99 Phew!!! This is a gripping tale and very I have enthused greatly fast paced – during the chase to find the over Mr McKinty’s novbombers, it is not sure who the targets els in past issues and I were or what the real demands are and am delighted to say that their implications, notwithstanding the he has just released a new demands sent to the radio station. Read one – the next in the Sean this if you don’t read any more this year Duffy series. Duffy is a Catholic in the extremely Ulster Police – it’s a really worthwhile read.

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Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R by a billionaire philanthropist, who are given various tasks to locate the World’s legendary treasures, mostly ones that appear to have “gone missing” in their chequered past.

Here, the mission is to recover a Romanian treasure that was stolen by Russian extremists who fear a German victory in World War 1. This is another page turner – it is very fast paced and with so many plot twists that I found it hard to keep up with who was on whose side at some of the time. The tale has a VERY unexpected conclusion – the story is left wide open for a sequel to which I will look forward with baited breath. A really good and most enjoyable tale to tempt you.

Dickenson, a lawyer, which appears to be a mugging gone wrong – but is it?

Again we have may red herrings spread thickly throughout the narrative and the surprising conclusion (I know – I say that a lot but this really did surprise me greatly) comes after many tortuous plot twists. This is a master storyteller at work – read and enjoy this one – I urge you.

Black Irish – Stephan Talty Headline Paperback $27.99 Harvard educated detective Abbie Kearney has returned to “The County”, an Irish enclave established in Buffalo, NY, to look after her aging father who is a retired legendary New York cop. A relentless serial killer has taken up residence in Buffalo and Abbie’s search for him come sup with resistance from within the “Black Irish” mentality of The County as one of their own appears to be implicated in Vengeance – Various – the crimes. How she overcomes this is Edited By Lee Child an enthralling tale and one that I really Allen and Unwin Paperback $29.99 Here we have, sponsored by the Mys- enjoyed – I didn’t expect that the killer would be who it turned out to be – or tery Writers of America that Abbie’s father and some rogue cops and edited by Lee Child, would also take major parts in her ina great collection of stovestigation. Wonderful stuff altogether! ries from some of the Another for my rapidly expanding colbest of the World’s crime lection. writers – some of these are Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Karin Slaughter, Alafair Burke (daughter of James Lee Burke – favourite of Curtin FM DJ Peter Newman) and Lee Child himself, to name but a few. It is too hard to outline any of these terrific tales but I can highly recommend them to you – this is a collection that will remain in my personal library (which is growing the hour as we speak!) for some time to come for a repeated re-reading. Buy it – Love it!!

Calculated In Death – J D Robb Little Brown Paperback $29.99 This time we have the prolific author Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb (which she has done since 1995).

This is the latest in the “In Death” series featuring Eve Dallas, who is married to Irish rogue and billionaire restaurateur, Roarke, and which is set in the near future of some 50 years to come.

We begin with the murder of Marta

bounty hunter who works for her cousin, a bail bondsman, tracing bail absconders.

Until she is given the task of finding Geoffrey Cubbin who is apparently on the run for embezzling millions of dollars of client monies. But is all as it seems? Of course not – we have a money hungry wife, a missing witness and many others thrown into the mix for good measure – as well as Plum’s Grandmother who goes undercover at the assisted living facility from whose residents the monies were stolen.

I have read a lot of Janet’s books in the past and have enjoyed them all including this one – a really good read. Hope you like it.

Touch And Go – Lisa Gardner Headline Paperback $32.99 This is the latest in Gardner’s Tessa Leoni series of novels and is indeed a good one. Here we have a family of three that is kidnapped from their Boston home and Tessa has to work out why they have been taken before she can even think about locating and rescuing them.

This is an extremely fast paced story and one that I enjoyed greatly – I love the way that the tale developed and the intriguing and twisted story line – You Guilt – Jonathan Kellerman won’t guess who or why this happened Headline Paperback $32.99 until virtually the last few pages – I guarBy now, you will be (or indeed should antee. This is the kind of story I really be) familiar with Kellerman’s oft featured enjoy. Great stuff! protagonist, Alex Cross, the child psychologist Never Saw It Coming – Linwood Barclay who helps weed out serial Orion Paperback $29.99 killers. This is the latest Barclay is a Canadian author and this of the Cross novels and is his third novel. This one features a again, with the aid of his probably fake psychic, Keioft times side kick, Milo sha Ceylon, who preys on Sturgis, attempts to solve people whose partners, or the mystery of an old doctor’s bag that other loved ones, have gone contains a child’s skeleton and appears missing and says that she can to be over sixty years old. When a new find them – for a price. This skeleton is discovered, the story begins all goes well until she conto twist from events that happened over tacts Wendell Garfield whose half a century ago to events that are un- wife has disappeared – apparfolding as the story progresses. Here we ently – or has she been murdered? Keihave all of the aspects that we have come sha’s story of her “vision” disturbs Garto expect from the Cross novels and the field – for a lot of reasons – it is near the ending was again a very complex one. I truth – this inevitably puts Keisha’s life found it hard to put this book down it in danger – has she unwittingly “seen” was so gripping! a murder???? This is a truly original storyline and I loved it. Keisha really Notorious Nineteen – Janet Evanovich “Never Saw It Coming”!

Headline Paperback $32.99 This is the latest in Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series of stories. Plum is a

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Colin Merrey’s

s w e i v e R Ghost Man – Roger Hobbs Doubleday Paperback $29.95 This is a first novel for Roger Hobbs and one that I loved every minute of. It is “fast, hard and knowing – an amazing debut” – so says Lee Child in his recommendation of this book which is full of intrigue, tradecraft and suspense. The story is set in Atlantic City and centres around a character known only as Jack – the Ghostman of the title. A casino has been robbed and the person(s) who arranged the heist have lost contact with the robbers – their own employees! Jack really has his work cut out to sort out the wheat from the chaff as it were in his search for the missing money – through cross and double cross he weaves an intricate trail until finally getting to the bottom of the theft. As Lee Child said – this is indeed an amazing debut novel. Read it and enjoy it too.

Strikeforce Lightning – Mark Aitken Allen and Unwin Paperback $29.99 Aitken is a resident of the Hunter Valley and this is his second novel. I must admit I haven’t read his first book – it must have slipped through the cracks for me! – but if it is as good as this one then I will certainly seek it out for a read. Here we have an ex-US Special Forces hero who is employed to prevent a thermonuclear strike which could have a huge and far reaching effect on the World’s future. With locations ranging from a cattle ranch in Wyoming to Jordan and other Middle East hotspots, this edge of seat thriller weaves a heady path through the corridors of International power and again through cross and double cross, plot and counter plot until it arrives at its inevitable conclusion. Again I loved this story – it is extremely well written and Aitken has a good way with words – very erudite indeed.

Buy it and love it.

The Foundling – Loretto Leary

The publisher is CeateSpace Independent Publishing Platform and the book is available from Amazon via their website at a cost of GBP8.42 plus postage etc.

Loretto is Irish born but now lives in the USA with her husband and son.

This book is the first in a trilogy set in the early 1800’s in Ireland and features

the Mountbellew family. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it – as I do almost any book on Ireland, its people and its history.

This book presents a very interesting and insightful introduction to the Irish politics of that period nicely wrapped around a beautiful love story: it is indeed a well crafted tale of mystery, romance, and class struggle against the backdrop of the 19th century Republican movement.

The second book “Stained Glass” should be available in December 2013 and the final book of the trilogy “The Blackberry Man” will be available in December 2014.

I really can’t wait for the next instalment – but of course I will have to!

If you enjoy books about this period of Irish history and this genre of writing then this book is for you. It is well worth getting hold of from Amazon – I don’t know if it is yet available in Australia but

I would hope that if enough of us get behind it then it may become available here in the future. Enjoy!!!

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.

The result of the last competition was a win for John from Killarney Autos. Well done John! So please all of you have a go this time! I hope you enjoy my recommendations as much as I have enjoyed reading them on both your and my own behalf.

See you next issue.

MUSIC music music....

CD out called “Songs for The Gathering” – most of these will be familiar to you (but a couple won’t – they were new to me) and all are recorded in Brendan’s own inimitable style.

You will find “Ringsend Rose”, a song written for him by Pete St John (this is a new recording of his old hit), “The Banks”, “Isle of Innisfree” and “Mountains of Mourne” to name but a few.

I enjoyed this album a lot having listened to it for quite some time in my car’s CD player. This will be a good addition to your collections.

Lastly, but not leastly (is that a word Phil Beck???), we have the latest CD “Begin” from Tommy Fleming who is touring Australia but unfortunately not coming to Perth and/or WA. Stand out tracks are “”Age of Miracles”, “If You Stay”, “Red River Valley” (an oldie but goldie given a refreshing new treatment), “the Night Visiting Song” and the title track “Begin”. There is also a companion DVD that comes with this CD which contains a documentary on Tommy called “Behind the Voice” and some bonus tracks and unseen footage of Tommy in performance. This is really a great one for your collections – hope you love it too.

This issue, I have a wonderful DVD to tell you about. It is a concert performed by Clannad at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin and I really enjoyed it. It is presented in both PAL and NTSC formats and features some new tracks but many old favourites like “Harry’s Game’, “Newgrange”, “Dulaman” and “Crann Ul” to name but a few. I loved it and know that all of you lovers of good modern Irish traditional music will enjoy it too.

We also have some music CD’s for your enjoyment this time – we don’t get too many but we have three for this issue. The first, “THE IRISH CONNECTION” is the latest from Brian McFadden – intrepid judge of TV’s “Australia’s Got Talent” and survivor of the Irish Boy Band era. Here, he has chosen several favourites from the likes of Mary Black (No Frontiers), U2 (All I Want Is You) and The Cranberries (Dreams) to name but a few. Brian handles these extremely well and I enjoyed them equally as much as the original versions. I think you’d enjoy this too if you give it a listen.

Secondly, we have the latest from The Celtic Tenors – “Feels I’ll take my leave of you for another issue Like Home” – and it is yet and look forward to catching up in the next another goodie. Here we have edition. In the meantime, hope you caught many Irish Gems in the form of up with Finbar Furey while he was here.I “Red Haired Mary”, “Westering Home” and “No Frontiers” amongst others. This is certainly did! It was a really great show from a truly listenable album and one that I had in the a true Irish folk legend. So all the very best car for quite some time. Great listening to you and yours until the next time from me.

Soon to hit Perth, Brendan Grace has a new

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FINBAR FUREY’S LOVE OF FREE SPIRITS

Finbar met when that author was researching his book “Free Spirits – Irish Travellers and Irish Traditional Music” (see – I said there was more to the title of this piece than at first glance!). This is a book that Finbar recommended to me as a great read – it is the story of the Irish Traveller musical families and their contribution to the Irish musical tradition.

It tells the stories, amongst others, of the Dorans, the Fureys,

By Colin Merrey the Dunnes, the Cashs, the Keenans and the Doyles. I found I had the great pleasure of chatting with Finbar on the it a fascinating read and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you would phone back in February of this year before his visit to Perth. like to get hold of a copy, I got mine through Amazon UK. It As you may know, I have had a minor acquaintance with Fin- cost GBP 20.00 plus postage and was worth every penny. bar and brother Eddie for some long time – this dates from But to get back to Finbar, he told me many stories – bethe time I used to run a folk club in Northampton UK before ing a master raconteur – about the style of 5-string banjo arriving in Perth in 1972. I have always found him easy to playing that he developed (much after the style of his idol talk to and to get along with and this time was no exception the late Derrol Adams) – his experiences on the road with to the rule. the Family and the likes of Hamish Imlach (with whom We talked about a lot of things (well, Fin talked and he travelled on a concert tour of English folk clubs that mostly I listened) chiefly about his recovery from the serious was curtailed before (as Fin said) “I succumbed to alcohol stroke he had towards the end of last year (touch and go – Fin poisoning”). Indeed Finbar is a great storyteller and musisaid 5 minutes either way could have had a VERY different cian – which leads me nicely to his concert at the Octagon in outcome). Fortunately he says that he has had a very speedy Perth on March 2nd 2013. recovery and was able to return to recording and touring by The evening opened with dancers from the Ceidhe School January of this year. He is currently writing and recording of Irish Dance who put on a great display of dances for the new songs and music for a CD to be released later this year. assembled patrons. I thoroughly enjoyed this but felt that I asked him how come he hadn’t produced his autobiog- is could have benefited from having a narrative telling us all raphy yet – and he said “funny you should ask that – the first what dances were being performed each time. A very profesdraft is just about ready”. He expected to receive it just prior sional offering from one of the best Irish dance schools in to leaving for Australia and said it would probably be released Perth and a very enjoyable performance all together. before Christmas this year. I will certainly look forward to Then Finbar took to the stage – he received a rousing reading it (and will keep you posted as to its availability in welcome and performed admirably all night. Accompanied Perth). It is being co-written with Oliver O’Connell – a man only by a guitarist, he sang, played guitar and banjo and told the most amazing and amusing stories of his life on the road and of his music. Regrettably, he only played one set of tunes on the pipes – probably as he told me during our chat because he had shoulder surgery a while ago as a result of many years FUNERALS playing pipes (Pipers’ Shoulder Caring for your Loved Ones g in r he called it) and on occasion a C y il m Our Fa Hetherington Funerals is familyhis shoulder pained him. mily run and owned, serving the Perth But this did not detract in for Your Fa area. any way from my enjoyWe have a reputation for providing a professional, high quality service ment of the night – this and our client families have been is solely a personal using our services for many years. regret – I enjoyed All funerals are arranged and run on a very personal basis. everything he did We conduct our business in a sensitive, dignified and efficient immensely and manner, allowing peace of mind to can’t wait for his bereaved families. next visit. He We conduct funerals for all religious denominations and sang all of the provide a complete repatriation “hit” songs and service. indeed sang a • Pre-Paid Planned Funerals • Music and Soloists very moving • Mourning Cards “Wild Moun• Bookmarks tain Thyme” • Thank You Cards • Service Booklets as a tribute • Slide/ power point to the late Phone: 9459 2846 Irish musical Mobile: 0408 817 801 legend Liam Email: jbh@q-net.net.au Clancy.

79 Kelvin Road, Maddington WA 6109 Roll on the day that Finbar returns – Free Call John Hetherington 9459 2846 Spirits Rule!!!!!

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St Patrick’s Day Mass

Visit of Irish Minister, Mr Paul Kehoe T.D. to Western Australia

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Have you heard?

Compiled by Fred Rea

Tourism Ireland organised the greening of many buildings last St Poor ould dog!

Patrick’s David Day and McConnell Perth sent me this one Council of his little House and pooch on St the Bell Tower were included.

Patrick’s Day

Pictured with Bob Geldof at the St Patrick’s Day Parade, Joan and Bill Ross. Joan and Bill have just returned from Ireland and in our next issue we will have an interview with about the trip and and their Claddagh information experience!

A very happy Andy McDonald receiving his winning trip to Ireland from Jennie Allen of British Travel at the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Leederville.

Congratulations to Paddy McOnie and Jackie on their recent wedding. Married on Sorrento Beach the happy couple were joined later by friends for a few drams at Fibber McGee’s. Paddy is president of the local Celtic Supporters’ Club.

Paul Brady

Tadg Byrne organised these “Paddies in the Pilbara” and raised $5700 for charity.

Brendan tells us that there are 41 Paddies on this one site and it’s a great craic.

L-R: Bronwyn Cross, Gerry Grogan, Charlotte O’Byrne, and Frank Murphy. Charlotte is an actress from Cork and was visiting her friend Bronwyn. Frank and Charlotte go back a long way and the banter over breakfast was priceless. Come back again soon Charlotte!

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Fiona Rea writes....

“What a blessing it was to have been in the audience of Paul Bradys ‘unplugged’ concert. He had the audience, some of which were Perth’s premiere musicians, completely captivated with his pure voice and phenomenal songs. It was one of those nights you realise you were in the presence of greatness... “ and so say all of us Fiona!

Reviewed by David Mc Connell I was doing some relief teaching recently and two polite boys (a novelty in itself) approached me and asked me if I had been to Nannup recently. “Yes”, I said enthusiastically. “You did not contribute to our busking tin!” they accused. “Well, there were just too many other artists” I flippantly replied.

Yes, there is Nannup the town, Nannup the camping site and of course there is Nannup the Music Festival. It was the beginning of March and time to get away for a few days and enjoy top entertainment once again.

With over seventy five acts divided into four ticketed venues and five free venues there was certainly something for everyone. The main venue is the amphitheatre: a real treat on its own as being outdoors makes it no easy place to perform but the sound engineers do an excellent job.

The Townhall is by far my favourite as the acoustics there are good and the atmosphere is always warm and generous.

I am sure it would be the artists favourite as well. The Depot and Shady Glade are basically large tents but it seems to work. All of the above include the ticketed venues.

The free venues include the Playground, the Fun House, Random and Roving, the Blackwood Winery and of course the Nannup Hotel.

Well that’s enough of the background, what about the event itself you might ask. Well of course there was something and more for everyone.

My personal favourite was a duo called “THE FALLS” from Sydney where they play in a local hotel called the Hollywood after which they named their first CD. They are romantics and they sing about their own experiences with life and love.

Simon is an excellent folk guitarist and Melinda sings and harmonises beautifully. “We write songs together.” They told me, “And we also love Irish music. We used to be a couple.

Then we broke up. Even though we broke up, we still enjoy writing songs, cooking pesto pasta together, paying each other out and eating burgers/tacos/pizza at 1am after gigs.” Their enthusiasm was infectious as they talked about their up and coming tour to Canada and the U.S. I am sure they were well received at all their venues.

Another duo that impressed me greatly (I seem to be into duos) was “SISKIN RIVER”. They are a compact duo with big sound, delivering an original style of folky blues, with a stomping groove factor, delectable riffs, fast fingers, and

evocative lyrics. With Tullara’s unique style of guitar tapping, and Shalane’s rich and earthy vocals, these sisters redefine the term ‘sibling rivalry’. What great names they were given! By their parents I presume.

There are simply many things to do and see and you can be surprised by the really simple ones as I was when I saw the artist below building her “sand castle.” In a word my kids might use …awesome.

As always my friends were impressed with other artists.

The Company was a breath of fresh air and Anton Franc’s unique blend of “folktronica” went down well with the audiences. Last year’s Emerging Artist winner “Spoonful of Sugar” reappeared with great style under the name “China Doll” and Hussy Hicks, who I wrote about last year, were once again welcomed back with open arms.

My ears are still echoing from the sounds of the 24th Nannup Music Festival. I am certain that the 25th will be one of the best and if I see my two busking friends there next year, well you can be assured I will be throwing some money your way.

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www.facebook.com/Taste32 The Mezz Shopping Centre Scarborough Bch Rd, Mt Hawthorn (Entrance off Flinders St - Opp Woolworths)

Phone 0424 618 258 taste32perth@gmail.com

The Australian-Irish Heritage Association Sunday 19th May

Sunday 16th June

Irish Famine Commemoration

“Famine Echoes”

Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco at 3pm A National Famine memorial day was established in 2008 by the Irish Government and is now commemorated in Ireland and around the world in May remembering the catastrophic potato famine of 1845 -51.

An evocation of famine in sound, music and verse.

Devised and directed by Frank Murphy with a cast of theatre performers and musicians.

Admission $10 at door, includes Irish Afternoon Tea. Net Proceeds will be donated to Claddagh Association.

Wednesday 22nd May Monthly History Talk Irish Club Committee Room 61 Townshend Rd Subiaco 7.30pm Guest speaker - Mr Tony Costa, former child migrant and Mayor of Subiaco. Admission free Enquiries: Mary O’Byrne 0405 090 091 or Denis Bratten 9345 3530

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 goes to Town Annual literary celebration of James Joyce’s masterpiece “ULYSSES” This year it’s Breakfast in the Parlour Room of The Mighty Quinn Tavern, 112 Wanneroo Road, Tuart Hill.

Join the Edwardian atmosphere of readings and songs performed by celebrity guests under editors Sean Byrne and Colm O’Doherty Restricted numbers, full Irish cooked breakfast.

9.30am to 12 noon.

Prepaid Bookings to Cecilia Bray on 9367 6026, Non AIHA members $30, AIHA Members $27.

Congratulations to Liam Barry winner of the Brendan Award for 2013

Tuesday 28th May Monthly Book Club Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco 8pm Book: ‘A Week in Winter ‘ by Maeve Binchy, presented by Maura Ducey Admission Free, All welcome. Light refreshments provided excluding drinks. Coffee from Bar $3.80 Contact: Maureen on 9279 2486 Next: June 25th, “The Surgeon of Crowthorne’

by Simon Winchester, presented by Nuala Ferguson

Left: President Denis Bratton presenting award to Liam Barry

Anzac Day 2013 Commemorative Service in Subiaco President, Denis Bratton lays a wreath on behalf of the Australian-Irish Heritage Association

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

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Blues & Roots ‘13

Reviewed by Paul Carpenter Regrettably, this year’s Blues and Roots festival had no Irish acts. Rumours from late last year that Glen Hansard and The Frames, along with Massachusetts Celtic/Punk legends the Dropkick Murphys, might be touring with the event did not come to fruition. Time constraints forced both acts to limit their Australian sojourns. Being that this was the first time in the festival’s 10 year history at Fremantle that an Irish act had not played this absence was all the more conspicuous. However, in the same manner as Jack Charlton assembled his World Cup squads from players who in some cases had only a remote, at best, connection with Ireland, for the discerning there was still Irish talent to be had.

Foremost of the performers who had an Irish connection at the festival was this year’s head line act, Iggy and the Stooges. A signpost in the history of the punk rock movement the Stooges front man, Iggy Pop, who heralds from Michigan – that most Irish of American rustbelt states – traces his ancestry to Ireland. And whilst Pop’s Irishness might even stretch the benchmarks set by Jack Charlton, he has a long association with Ireland by way of tours and recording at Dublin’s famous Windmill Lane Studios.

Playing to a fervent crowd with a presence that defied his age – 68 in August – Iggy Pop belted out classic Stooges tracks from “Raw Power” and “1970”, performing tracks contemporary to the 80s and 90s such as “The Passenger” and “Candy” later in the act. Putting men half his age to shame by the sheer physicality of his performance, though Iggy Pop took our collective breath away he never stopped for air. Testament, no doubt, to a work ethic forged in the Michigan steel mills by way of the grit that comes with ancestry.

But the Irish connection at this year’s festival did not end with Iggy Pop. Providing a respite from the audio deluge of the Stooges, the event also included a performance from the legendary Blues/Rock artist Bonnie Raitt. Having Scottish heritage (Bonnie), but also ancestral connections with the North of Ireland, Raitt has been an applauded voice within the American blues rock scene for nearly 40 years. Readers might be familiar with Raitt’s soulful interpretation of the Irish classic “A Stor Mo Chroi”. She appears to have recorded this track after a chance meeting with the Chieftains. Indeed, during her performance Raitt’s renditions of Gerry Rafferty’s “Right Down the Line” and John Prine’s classic “Angel of Montgomery” were delivered with the tempo reminiscent of a reel.

Damien Dempsey at The Bakery

Reviewed by Paul Carpenter A wag from The Guardian recently described Damien Dempsey as “the voice of his generation.” Judging by Dempsey’s sold-out performance at The Bakery on the St Patrick’s Day weekend, the wag might very well be right. With a black and white photograph of late Barney McKenna from The Dubliners pasted onto his guitar, Donaghmede’s finest son commenced his Australian tour. More accustomed to the broad spaces of Dublin’s Vicar Street, and on this tour promoting his latest album Almighty Love, the Sydney Opera House (truly a remarkable bill for such a young man), Dempsey played only feet away from an enthusiastic crowd.

An eagerly anticipated return after playing to Perth audiences 3 times over the last 4 years, Dempsey opened the show with tracks from his new album. This included a touching tribute to a young Dublin man who died in tragic circumstances only nights before the show. Though most of the audience were unfamiliar with Dempsey’s new content, they still took to it with a reckless abandonment. Standout songs were the title “Almighty Love”, “Bustin Outta Here” and “Community”, the latter of which prompted Dempsey to alert the audience that although they were a long way from home it was their community that bounded them together.

Then, about a third of a way through the set, Dempsey played the house down with his monumental track “Maasai”, from the award winning album To Hell or Barbados. Lowering the pace a notch with his poignant track “Colony”, Dempsey again sent the audience into a frenzy of spontaneous gigs with “The Rocky Road to Dublin” and heartfelt chorus singing to his anthem “It’s All Good”. After an encore that went well beyond the venue’s booking, Dempsey departed the stage with a reminder for the young audience to realise both the significance of the weekend and what would be for many an eventful but limited time in Australia. Judging by their reactions – it wasn’t just the wag from the The Guardian who thought that Damien Dempsey was “the voice of his generation”.

ey n r e N c iver M

Ol

Every Saturday Evening 6-8pm Enjoy Irish Ballads and Showband Hits www.capitalcommunityradio.com

For all your favourite musical memories

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Gaelic Football & Hurling Association of WA Inc.

Grounds: BGC Grounds, Tom Bateman Reserve. Cnr Bannister & Nicholson Rob O’Callaghan Rds, Canning Vale (Page 330 on your UBD Map book). President GAA of WA

aNOTHER sEASON bEGINS...

Well here we go. The season is off to a terrific start with everyone on board anticipating a very competitive and exciting year in all codes. The hurlers are getting geared up for the season proper after a very successful Tim Hickey Memorial Cup along with the footballers who had a very busy 7 a side tournament for Paddy’s Day. The Father Kelly Cup Final was played on Sunday the 28th April and the season will start proper in first week of May. Look I’m not gonna say much more except that if any families who have recently arrived to sunny Western Australia would like to join a local club or have young children of junior and Minor age please feel free to contact local GAA clubs or call into the Irish Club to get further information. I’m also available if you want to give us a call.

Hopefully we might see ye all down at the football ground at Tom Bateman Res in Canning Vale or up at the Hurling pitch at Cooke Reserve in Morley. Stay tuned for further information during the year and keep your eyes open for our programme which will be out in the next week or two.

Stay safe and will see ye soon.

Regards Rob O’Callaghan

GAA Family Silver

The people and stories behind 101 cups and trophies the GAA is family, and like all families it has its own valued collection of silver and colourful personalities. In this richly illustrated book, GAA Family Silver, Humphrey Kelleher recounts the history of 101 trophies and tells the stories of the people and organisations they’re named after. While exploring the background of these cups and individuals he brings us on a journey through the glorious but complex history of Ireland’s foremost sporting body.

‘An intriguing book where the stories of the fascinating personalities connected with the cups are woven with the very fabric of the GAA itself ’ Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh – Legendary GAA Commentator ‘A veritable mine of knowledge. Highly recommended’ Brian Carthy - RTE GAA Commentator ‘Kelleher deserves own trophy for ‘silver’ tome Martin Breheny, Irish Independent Available online at www.gaafamilysilver.ie, or from Humphrey Kelleher directly (humphreykelleher@gmail.com)

It’s Just Not Good Enough!

At the recent 7’s games in Gosnells local GAA stalwart, Tommy Kearns helped clean up the mess left behind. This is not good enough and would players and spectators please use the bins provided when discarding rubbish! Rob!

gfhwa.com.au 72

Welcome to the GAA Junior Season Gaelic Games Junior Academy dates and times..

Both Academies, North at Tapping Primary school and South at Bateman Reserve started in early April. They are from 12 to 1.30 pm and please be there at least a half an hour beforehand for a warm up, to prevent injury.

The Academies will run every Sunday from now until late September, excluding long weekends (holidays) and other important GAA fixture dates, we will keep you posted and also on Facebook.

Incorporation: The Gaelic Games Junior Academy is now an incorporated body (28th of March, 2013) and the first of its kind in Australia. This means that the organization is bound by the Associations Incorporation act of Western Australia 1987 and that we can now chase some government funding, for our underage players.

Irish Foreign Affairs Department and Croke Park funding: It has been confirmed that we have received $12,759 from the Irish Government and Croke Park to help us further build on last year’s success, with the founding of a second GGJA in the Northern suburbs. This grant has a major acquittal process involved with it and so we will have lots of paperwork to do to report back to Croke Park. But it should also help us to buy some much needed equipment for both academies and the Primary schools. It should enable us to purchase enough of equipment in order for us to sell to the Academy members, like hurleys and sliothars, which are difficult for our members to get hold of in Australia. There is huge support back there in GAA land for our Academies to succeed and we are the “talk of the town” according to what I hear, so we dare not fail, after so many people in key locations have put “their head on the block” for us.

Feile 2014: Our next big project is to enter an under 14 Hurling and football team from WA in the Feile in Ireland in 2014. This will take a lot of planning and we should be looking at doing this pretty soon, so if we could form a committee of dedicated people who can help plan this great initiative (so please put your hand up) as if left too late it just won’t happen. There will also be a big element of fundraising and we should get some government funding because technically this team will be representing Australia. I will

have more news regarding the Feile, when I come back from Eire in June, we also need an expression of interest from the families and children who want to represent Australia, to enable us to form a training squad.

Academy Day out and Blessing: We are planning a big day out for both Academies in the very near future and we will also get our organization blessed. This will be a fun day at Tapping primary school, where both our branches can celebrate the opening of our newest Academy with races and fun and games for adults and children of all ages. The date is likely to be the 5th of May from about 11 am till 3 pm.

Gerry Crowley

GAA Minors in Leederville on St Patrick’s Day

For more details on Minor (U18) Football in Western Australia contact Michael O’Connor on 0417 096 424 or email mgcoo@bigpond.com The Minors are organising a league at present and players are most welcome.

www.thebreakwater.com.au

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

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Irish Golf Club of WA

Winner: Billy Kavanagh and Mick Byrne The Irish Club Cup February 2013 Winner: Billy Kavanagh 45 points.

2nd Gjerde Oddbjorn 44 points.

3rd John Sampson 44 points.

N.T.P 2 Gjerde Oddbjorn, 6 Andy McDonald, 9 Karen Henessey, 11 Jimmy Dowling, 16 Gjerde Oddbjorn 2 Ball winners: Billy Ross, Karen Henessey, Gjerde Oddbjorn, John Sampson Longest Drive Gents: Mike Byrne Longest Drive ladies: Sally Ann McDonald Longest putt on the 18th Bill Ross

Charlotte, Mark, Caroline, Georgine and grandparents sincerely thanks the The Irish Golf Club, Sponsors and all participants for their support at the wonderful day!

St Patricks day Cup at Whaleback Golf Club Winner: Mick Byrnes 45 points.

2nd Chris McKenna on 42 points.

3rd: Kevin McGloin on 41 points.

Lowest Gross: PJ Kenny 27.

N.T.P: 8 Jack Ebbs, 13 Brendan Wymbs, 18 Jack Ebbs LD Gents: Dave Lonegan LD Ladies: Chris McKenna LPutts: Pat Hickey & Bob O’Shea The Captain’s Cup at Glen Iris Winner: Steve O’Sullivan 46 points.

2nd Peter McKenna on 45 points.

3rd Bob O’ Shea on 44 points.

Lowest Gross: PJ Kenny 32.

N.T.P 5 Willie Henry, 8 P McKenna, 12 Mick Byrne, 16 Mick Connolly LDrive Gents: P J Kenny, Ladies: Patricia Murphy.

LP 11 P J Kenny, 18 Bernard Kennedy. 2 Balls: Mick Connolly, Steve O’Sullivan, Eamon Fitzpatrick, Bob O’ Shea.

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C e lt i c Celtic crowned SPL champions Supporters’ Club Perth WA

“We have played very well this season and we played very well last season. We have been better this season and I think we have proved over the piece that we have been worthy champions. I think these players deserve it.”

Neil Lennon

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

The latest Celtic Graves event took place last on Saturday, April 6, at the Madonna Cemetery, Fort Lee, New Jersey in the United States.

A group of Celtic supporters gathered at the graveside of former Celtic goalkeeper, Charlie Shaw, along with relatives, including Charlie’s great-grandson, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of his death.

Celtic director Brian Wilson represented the club at the event, while Charlie’s great-grandson, Brendan Cahill, spoke on behalf of the family, who have been instrumental in organising this unique event.

Representatives from a number of supporters’ clubs, including the New York Celtic Supporters’ Club and the Bronx CSC, were represented. The blessing was conducted by Monsignor Peter Smith. The former parish priest of St Mary’s, Calton, Glasgow, is now the Vatican’s attaché to the United Nations in New York, and he previously conducted a number of the Celtic Graves Society events in Glasgow.

A true Celtic great, Charlie Shaw played for the club between 1913-25, making 444 appearances and recording 236 shut-outs. His appearances tally is all the more impressive when you consider he played football at a time when ‘robust’ challenges on goalkeepers were part and parcel of the game and keepers were not offered anything like the protection they receive today.

Charlie, at only five feet, six inches in height, perhaps didn’t possess the physical stature many would imagine was a pre-requisite for his position, but his agility, courage and bravery between the sticks could not be disputed.

He joined Celtic from Queens Park Rangers in May 1913, and made his debut against Third Lanark in a Charity Cup match. He won four league championships and two Scottish Cups during his time with his beloved Celtic.

He moved to the United States and sadly passed away in New York on March 27, 1938 at the age of just 52.

Speaking after the event, Jim McGinn, president of the New York Celtic Supporters’ Club, said: “What a perfect day. From the glorious sun-filled day that gave the Madonna Cemetery in Fort Lee, NJ a pristine glow, to the final invocation by Monsignor Smith, this was indeed an unforgettable tribute.

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“The large turnout was piped down a grassy path to the gravesite as the strains of ‘The Fields of Athenry’ filled the air.

“At the gravesite, awaiting the large contingent of the local CSCs in the area, were 15 to 20 members of the extended Shaw family. We formed a semi-circle facing the grave in an awe-filled moment of reverence, which the great man no more than deserved, as the piper played the last chorus of the ‘Fields’.

“At this point, Brian McIntyre of the New York CSC took over the MC duties. Brian did a masterful job of introducing the speakers and dignitaries. Brian said a few nice words complimenting and thanking the Celtic Graves Society for this special undertaking and all the work they perform.

“He then introduced in order, Chas Duffy of the Bronx Bhoys CSC, Celtic director Brian Wilson, Brendan Cahill (great-grandson of Charlie Shaw) and then closing remarks and final prayer by Monsignor Smith.

“This was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and several scarves were placed on the gravestone. The piper then played a rousing rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’ as the large throng trudged away respectfully from the great man’s grave.”

For more information on the great work of the Celtic Graves Society, go to

www.celticgraves.com

SHAMROCK

Rovers

Michael Manning President Shamrock Rovers

HOOPS APPEAL FOR Shamrock Rovers Golf Day JUNIOR PLAYERS Shamrock Rovers is URGENTLY appealing to any young player aged 16+ to contact the club with a view to playing in the State League under 18s Division One. Despite two successful years, which saw the club crowned as under 18 Champions in 2012, Rovers have found it difficult to replace those players who have turned 18 or left the club since last season.

Shamrock has a strong youth development policy and five of those overage players from 2012 remain at the club and are currently playing for the senior squad in the State League.

The club is launching an appeal to young players who want to challenge themselves at State level to contact the club Secretary Bill Byrne on mobile 0439 953 957 or by e-mail to billbyrne@hotmail.com for further information.

Anyone interested will be welcome. Everyone will be guaranteed regular football and and the club will not charge any club fees to those who join.

On the senior side the Hoops opened their season with a magnificent 3-0 away win at Mandurah, backed up by the reserves who won 3-2 In the seasons second fixture the reserves again won 3-2 but the first team suffered a major set back with serious injuries to striker Dan Corbett (knee) and goalkeeper Pat White (hamstring) very early in the game and eventually went down 0-2 in a close fought encounter.

Winner’s: Chris Freil and Frankie McGuinley Runners Up: Ronny Kenny and William Owen Third: Sean Dunne, Martin King NAGA: Fergus Kelly and Ron Arbuary NTP: 5 Keith Roche, 8 Frank Timmons, 9 Alan Lenard 13 Fergus Kelly, 16 John Sampson LP: 10 John Simpson, 7 Nick Murray LD Ladies: Marie Burke, Men: Frank McGuinley Thanks to the Sponsors United Weld Force Mark Kelly The Irish Scene Michael Murray The Irish Club of WA G. R. Electrical Bullivants Structural Resources Neo Infrastructure Celtic Décor Lotus Engineering Woodbridge Hotel Mighty Quinn Spanset Alan O’Meara Allied Heat G. A. Painting G. R. Engineering Northside Quality Meats Kelly Professionals Ryan Engineering O’Sullivan Painting ACU-Tech Pipeline Technology Valerie Boyle, Peard Spriggs Pipewelding Rosie O’Grady’s

The Shamrock Rovers inaugural Golf Day was a huge success and provided an injection of much needed funds for the club. Special thanks must go to Gerry, John, Martin and Peter for their efforts in organising the event, and the club acknowledges the support of all the sponsors who supported it. A full list of all those who sponsored the event is primnted on this page and will shortly be published on the club website which can be accessed here www.shamrockrovers.com.au The Hoops also have 4 Sunday League teams who will always welcome new players and once again interested players or anyone at all are invited to send an e-mail to Bill at the above address for more details.

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

www.shamrockrovers.com.au 76

the past 6 months we have purchased a new CX300C 30 Tonne Excavator, a CX55Bx 5 Tonne Excavator, a SR220 and a SR200 Skid Steer Loader. We also have a Mini Excavator CX36B and a 13 Tonne Excavator CX130B on order.”

Construction Machinery

Phone Steve direct

0408 940 265

9475 1600 547 Grt Eastern Hwy, Redcliffe WA 6104

KARRATHA MACHINERY HIRE EMPLOY CASE FLEET Owners of Karratha Machinery Hire (KMH) Phil (Banjo) and Tammie Patterson are thrilled with their new Case Fleet.

Phil said, “Our fleet was aging and with our expansion we were looking for new blood. We looked at a range of brands and we found that the Case Construction range is well suited to our requirements as a hire company. In

He noted that, “McIntosh & Son have an excellent reputation of providing high quality products with great back up support and customer service”.

“We are immensely happy with our new machines. They are durable, comfortable and easy to operate, which is great for our customers. The service provided by the McIntosh & Son team is second to none. The staff are friendly, easy going and extremely helpful. We couldn’t be happier”.

For more information on the Case Construction Equipment range contact Steve O’Dowd, Case Sales Specialist, McIntosh & Son on 0408 940 264 or email on steve.o@mcintoshandson.com.au .

www.mcintoshandson.com.au

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St Gabriel’s Hurling & CamogieClub With the first year of the clubs establishment in the past, St.Gabriel’s GAA Club is looking forward to their next in the year ahead.

Preseason has kicked off with both the Hurling and Camogie teams “New Members Welcome” currently training at our training to join contact. ground in Wembley Downs on Tues & Hurling: Steve 0408 940 265 Thurs at 7pm.

Camogie: Bronagh 0405 582 123 We would also like to thank our new Facebook: St. Gabriels Hurling WA sponsors for 2013 ODH Mechanical, Karratha Machinery, The Irish Club & PTR Asset Finance, with Monford and PERI continuing their support of Our the club.

Major

Sponsors:

mon f o r d

Upcoming Events:

Hurling bonding day is scheduled for the 19th May with details issued at training.

Our Annual draw took place last March with Galway’s John Regan winning the main prize on the night other prize winners included Conor McMahon and Damien Madden with Louise Madden taking out the sellers prize.

mon f o r d Construction & Mining Contractors - Earth Moving Contractors Monford Group is a group of three companies, Monford Plant Hire, Monford Labour Hire and Monford Constructions, performing works Australia wide.

Monford Group Pty Ltd has extensive experience and capabilities that include the construction of major mining, industrial and civil infrastructure projects, throughout Australia.

As a group Monford has completed projects involving concrete construction, civil construction, mining infrastructure, tilt-up construction, earthworks, equipment and labour hire.

One of the keys to their success is their professional approach to the construction of any project.

Monford has developed and implemented an Integrated Management System with the safety and well-being of their employees, partners and customers in mind.

Monford Group has proven that its resources and management systems ensure their projects are completed on time and within budget.

Monford Group has worked on some of Australia’s largest projects, namely; Pluto LNG Karratha, Sino Iron Cape Preston, FMG Solomon, Devils Creek Karratha, Perth City Rail Link Alliance Perth, Rapid Growth Project Port Hedland and the Nurrumbidgee to Googong Pipeline, NSW. Monford’s Clients include John Holland, Abi Group, Decmil, Georgiou, Kentz, AGC, Murphy Pipe and Civil and Construction Industries Australia.

McIntosh & Son is proud to be a major supplier of Case Construction Machinery to the Monford Group.

For more information please check out Monford’s website www.monfordgroup.com

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Irish Business Contacts / index

Page: accountants: 50 UHY Haines-Norton Tel: 9340 3748 baggage (unaccompanied) 59 Exportair Tim 9477 1080 BARBER 27 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: 49 Donovans of Floreat - Phone 0450 319 320 Mrs O’Brien’s Irish Chipper Tel: 9388 6669 69 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 computer services MCN Technology Nick 0424 515 337 construction & machinery: 77 McIntosh & Son Tel: 9475 1600 78 Monford Construction & Mining Counselling Fiona Carberry, Counselling Psychologist carberrycounselling@westnet.com.au Tel: 0439 549 481 dental: 12 Smile Professionals Tel 9451 1200 employment: Skills Shortage Solutions Tel: 9275 4460 32 Final Trim Operators Tel: 1300 083 599 12 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 FENCING: PJ Malone Fencing - Tel: 9401 7660

Finance/advice: 11 The Loans Café-Nik Silsby Tel: 0402 284594 28 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: 70 AIHA Denis Bratton (08) 9345-3530 Irish Dancing: 31 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 46 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 40, 41, 52 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 18 JB O’Reilly’s, Leederville Tel: 9382 4555 Kingsley Tavern, Tel: 9409 6767 49 Mooney’s Irish Sandwich Bar Tel: 9221 4872 43 Paddy Maguire’s, Subiaco Tel: 9381 8400 36 Paddy Malone’s Joondalup/Alexander Hgts 23 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 15 The Shed, Northbridge Tel: 9228 2200 37 Voyage Kitchen Tel: 9447 2443 57 Woodvale Tavern, Woodvale 9309 4288 33 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 Solar power: Town & Country Tel: 9403 6430 Solicitors & Legal: 27 Kavanagh Lawyers

Marty Kavanagh Tel: 0430 960 859 Sport - Clubs and Information: 75 Celtic Supporters’ Club Jon Tel: 9328 1488 72 GAA - Rob O’Callagahan 0407 421 224 76 Shamrock Rovers - Bill Tel: 0439 953 957 77 St Finbarrs Gaelic FC - Sean 0415 150 826 78 St Gabriel’s Hurling Club -Stephen 04088940265 74 Irish Golf Club of WA Martin 0419934681 THEATRE: 47 Irish Theatre Players-Ivan 0417 903 256 training: CertPlus Training Tel: 9278 2531 Travel & Tourism: 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: 12 Tyrepower: Perth City - Fiona: Tel: 9322 2214 WEDDING RECEPTIONS: 46 The Celtic Club, West Perth Tel: 9322 2299 welfare (irish): 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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Come and sample our great new menu...

There’s even a few desserts to choose from!

See the website for details www.irishclubofwa. com.au

The Dublin Rogues

Friday 31 May from 8.30pm No booking required as long as your are a member of the club you are welcome to come along and bring up to five guests with you.

Pie & Pint Night Every Thursday All welcome to join in.

Irish Club are hosting an

Immigration Seminar at the Club on Wednesday 29 May at 7pm.

All you ever wanted to know about visas. For further information email irish1@irishclubofwa.com.au or call 9381 5213

AFL Match Days

The club will open three hours before each home game at Paterson Stadium and will be open after the game.

Food will be served prior to the game.

Book your Function at the Club!

Contact the club on 93815213.

3 function rooms and can cater for up to 200 people!

Full bar and catering options are available.

Facebook ‘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 8.00pm 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 4pm to Late / Kitchen open 5.30pm-8.30pm

61 Townshend Road, Subiaco, WA 6008

Tel: +61 8 9381 5213 Fax: 9381 9764 irish1@irishclubofwa.com.au www.irishclubofwa.com.au 80