Irish Echo June 2018

IRISH RUGBY TOUR

DEPORTATION DAD

PAGE 23

PAGE 3

Ireland At Full Strength For Historic Tour Of Australia

Three Kids Set To Lose Their Dad After Visa Is Rejected

For breaking news visit www.irishecho.com.au

AUST RALI A’ S I RI S H N E WS PA P E R June, 2018 | Volume 31 – Number 6

AUS $5.95 (incl GST)

REFERENDUM RESULT

YES NO 66.4%

33.6%

MAJORITY VOTES TO REPEAL IRELAND’S CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON ABORTION

LANDSLIDE FOR ‘YES’ IRELAND has voted overwhelmingly to reform its strict abortion laws.

Campaigners celebrated with champagne after a historic referendum result in which two-to-one voted in favour of change.

The public decided by a landslide to repeal part of the state’s Constitution that effectively prohibits the procedure unless a mother’s life is endangered.

“I believe today will be remembered as the day we embraced our responsibilities as citizens and as a country,” the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (pictured left), said.

“The day Ireland stepped out from under the last of our shadows and into the light. The day we came of age as a country. The day we took our place among the nations of the world.”

The poll produced conclusive consensus for reform amongst men and women, nearly all classes and age groups and across most counties in Ireland. The final vote was 66.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which ef fectively outlawed abortions.

The turnout was a 64.1 per cent and

there were 6042 spoiled votes. The only constituency to vote No, narrowly, was Donegal in the north-west. There, 48.1 per cent voted Yes with 51.9 per cent against.

The strongest Yes vote was in Dublin Bay South, with 78.1 per cent.

The overall result mirrored almost exactly the 1983 referendum when the Eighth Amendment was voted in.

On that occasion, 66.9 per cent voted in favour of the abortion ban with 33.1 per cent voting against it.

INSIDE

• Celebrations in Sydney after referendum result • What happens next?

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

local LIMERICK DAD FACING DEPORTATION AFTER VISA APPLICATION IS REJECTED

Family torn apart by visa decision Fiona Brady

A HEARTBROKEN Limerick man who faces being deported from Australia if he doesn’t leave within days says his departure would have a catastrophic effect on his three young children.

Dan Hall, 45, has been told to leave the country after a last-ditch appeal to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on compassionate grounds was rejected.

Mr Hall, who has been here since 2007, is married to Virginia, and has three Australia-born children, two of whom have special needs.

His application for a permanent visa was rejected because his police check was not received in time.

The couple say they posted it the day they got it, but it went missing in the mail and did not tur n up at the Depar tment of Immigration until months later.

The devoted dad said the thought of having to leave his young family has left him at breaking point.

“The way I’m seeing this, it isn’t about me or immigration,” he said.

“It’s about my three little kids and their right to have both their parents with them at all times.

“It is going to be catastrophic for them … my wife is in bits.”

The couple have one son, Cu Chulainn, who is six and two daughters. Ashlinn is four and their youngest daughter, Kianna, is three.

The carpenter and cabinet maker is the sole wage earner for the family who live in Wangi Wangi, NSW. He said he has never been on the dole and has no criminal record. “[If I go] there will be no one to pay the mortgage,” he said. “The bank will come and take the house.”

Mr Hall arrived in Australia on a

tourist visa 11 years ago and met his future wife soon after. The couple married in 2009 and Mr Hall was granted a temporary visa the following year. The Halls say they could not afford to use an immigration lawyer and tried to navigate the complicated process of applying for a permanent spouse visa themselves.

Their efforts hit a hurdle when a marriage certificate was not received in time and they then had to start the appeals process.

During that time two of their children were diagnosed with special needs and Mr Hall then had a serious motorbike accident from which it took him two years to recover.

Mr Hall said they were close to being granted a permanent visa when a police check went missing in the mail.

His wife Virginia said she posted it on the same day that they received it and they are mystified as to why it only tur ned up at the Depar tment of Immigration five months later. The couple was unaware there was a problem until it was too late.

“We didn’t send it by registered post,” Mrs Hall said.

“We’re cranky about that, but we were rushing to get it out the door.”

His last hope to stay in Australia was an appeal to Mr Dutton on compassionate grounds. But on May 2 he received a letter saying the minister had decided “it would not be in the public interest to intervene”.

A spokesman for the Department of Home Affairs said it did not comment on individual cases. “What is or is not in the public interest is entirely a matter for the minister considering each case on its own merits.”

The Limerick man can reapply for a permanent visa while he is in Ireland,

Limerickman Dan Hall, who faces deportation if he does not leave the country voluntarily, with his wife Virginia and their children Cu Chulainn, Aishlinn and Kianna. (Right) Dan and Virginia on their wedding day.

but has been told it could take months for his application to be processed.

He is devastated at the thought of leaving his family, but said it would not be feasible to bring the children to Ireland with him because the two oldest are receiving vital support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

On a positive note, the Wangi Wangi

community has been rallying around the family. Locals have been signing petitions in the RSL and shops, calling him to be allowed to stay in Australia.

An online petition on change.org has more than 4500 signatures.

To see the petition go to change.org and search for ‘3 Aussie kids to be left without their dad’.

LUKE KELLY SHOW PAYS TRIBUTE TO ONE OF IRELAND’S GREAT MUSICIAL ICONS

As Luke would have it, popular Dubliner’s appeal lives on David Hennessy THE definitive Luke Kelly tribute act is on its way to Australia.

Created and performed by Dubliner Chris Kavanagh, the show celebrates the talent and legacy of the iconic flame-haired singer and musician.

When Kavanagh started his tribute show in 2001, he could not have expected it would lead to him playing iconic venues like Vicar Street and the Olympia or touring with John Sheahan and the Dubliners and playing gigs as far away as Australia. But his show is also endorsed by Kelly’s family.

“It’s one surprise after another,” Chris told The Irish Echo. “I felt like I won the musical lottery when John [Sheahan] asked me to go on tour with the Dubliners. We played for two weeks in Germany. Luke, in Germany, is a major icon, the German people absolutely adore him.

“He’s an icon. America has their Elvis, Ireland has Luke.

“The songs he chose, too. Some of them are very touching and deep and it takes a certain type of singer to put those songs across and Luke had that in spades. He had a way of connecting people through songs.”

Having the support of Kelly’s family is important to Kavanagh.

“Luke’s family still come and see us all the time and Luke’s two brothers come up and sing with us.

“They’re a lovely family and the talent is in the blood because they all sing.

They love what we’re doing and they’re lovely people. I found out going away

Chris Kavanagh (right) celebrates the genius of Luke Kelly (above) in his show, which is touring Australia in July. with the Dubliners, people have this idea that they’re wild men and I’m sure they were at one stage but they were pure gents when I was away with them, there was no mad behaviour.”

Kelly died in 1984 at the age of 43.

Known for his distinctive singing style and sometimes political messages, he continues to inspire generations of Irish singers.

“Growing up every Sunday, my grandmother had the Dubliners on the record player when the dinner was on and it’s amazing how that music gets into your blood and stays there. I played all different kinds of music through the years but I think you go back to what you know best, I was singing those kind of songs when I was about three.

I have returned home with the kind of music that I chose to sing and record,”

Kavanagh said. Bringing Kelly’s music to a crowd far away from their home in Ireland provokes an overwhelming response, according to Kavanagh.

“I suppose it’s like a visit home for the Irish in Australia.

“I remember the last time we were there, we were playing in the Enmore Theatre and it sold out but even the young people up the front, certain songs were stirring emotions; they were crying their eyes out.

“I suppose when we play here at home, we take a lot for granted. It’s only when you go abroad and play that you see a completely different reaction, people really get into it and I suppose it

is because they are away from home.

“It’s a great night out, especially that kind of music. Luke Kelly and the Dubliners, I suppose it’s music that even young people were brought up listening to when their parents were playing the tapes or CDs or records in the early days.”

Besides the endorsement of Sheahan, the only remaining member of the definitive five member line-up of the Dubliners, and the support of the Kelly family, Chris has received many accolades for keeping Kelly’s music alive.

Broadcaster Eamon Dunphy said the show was “a beautiful blast from our

beautiful past”. Kavanagh added: “I got one [a song] there recently off Shane Healy [songwriter of Johnny Logan’s Eurovision winner What’s Another Year].

“We had him [Healy] do a spot at a gig and he grabbed the microphone … and he says: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is the best ballad singer in the country’. That was huge praise for me coming from him.”

Kavanagh said he does not try to impersonate Luke but his voice does have a similar ragged style. Many have also commented on the resemblance.

He will be joined by his wife Hilary on bass and vocals and Joe Finn on uileann pipes.

“People shout out what they’re looking for and I love when they do because we don’t really use a set list as such, we just play the songs that we think should be next. A lot of people ask for Grace by Jim McCann or Seven Drunken Nights sung by Ronnie Drew.

We’re always able to throw them in there if they’re called for.

“It does (make it a great night), especially if you haven’t played a song before. I love the challlenge, we’ve gotten away with murder up until now.

Always up for a challenge. The audience love a bit of banter and craic and it brings them in.”

The Legend of Luke Kelly show kicks off a national tour at Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul on July 12.

For complete dates and ticketing details, visit troubadour-music.com

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

local BYRON BAY BASED MICK MCHUGH RELEASES A MILLION STARS

Debut album for expat Dubliner David Hennessy

HAVING shared the stage with artists as illustrious as Amy Shark and Damien Dempsey, Australian-based Dublin singer-songwriter is making a statement of his own with his debut album, A Million Stars.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Mick wrote the album with help from none other than Shane Howard of 70’s/80’s folk/rock group Goanna. Two singles – Not in Kansas Anymore and Good Good Day – have won acclaim, even receiving nominations for industry awards.

McHugh started recording in early 2016 and explains it may have been a long road but he wanted to make sure he was on the right track.

“I wanted to make sure I did it right,” McHugh told The Irish Echo.

“It gave me a great opportunity to step it up, to take myself to that next level as an independent ar tist and compete with the big guns.

“That was why I took my time to do it. I took the long road to make sure I did every step right.”

One of these steps was securing the services of Irish-Australian musician Howard, renowned songwriter of iconic tracks like Solid Rock.

“He is first and foremost a songwriter and he is all about the song. That is what he cares about. That’s why he was brilliant to work with.

“He said to me, ‘Mick, if you want me to work with you, you have to give me something to chew on’. It had to be something deep. He was writing songs that mean something, songs that have a bit of weight to them and have social commentary.

“I was telling a story of how I turned up to a gig one time and I realise my stuff wasn’t going to work here, ya know, because you have your stuff and you know where it works. I turned up and was like, ‘Oh man, not in Kansas anymore’.

“I was telling him this story and he clicks his finger, points at me and says, ‘That’s the song we’re going to write’.

We went into his man shed with the two guitars and we came out a few hours later with this song and it’s done

ALL ABOUT THE SONG: Mick McHugh is grateful for the musical opportunities he’s had since coming to Australia.

very well for us, finished as a finalist in the Great American Song Contest and it was a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Contest. It was quite an easy process to work together.”

Is it satisfying to get accolades such as these award nominations?

“It is absolutely because it’s a long journey and as an independent artist in this point of my career, it’s not financial gain so when it gets shortlisted, you know the song is doing its job, that it strikes a chord. It’s definitely ver y satisfying to get the feedback. It’s a pat on the back saying, ‘Good on ya, man. Keep going’. That’s what it means; you’re getting it right and it means something to people.”

VISA-BILITY Your visa questions answered Co Antrim native and registered migration agent John McQuaid provides a uniquely Irish perspective on immigration issues.

Dear John, I’m sponsored on a 457 as an accountant and looking to move to permanent residence. My employer offered to nominate me for the 186 visa, but now they have to pay a $3,000 training levy, and I have to commit to stay with the employer for two years. Is this true?

I have looked at the independent 189 visa and have the minimum 60 points needed to apply. Is this a better option since there are no training fees or commitment to employers? Antoinette K.

Dear Antoinette, Having visa choices is fortunate.

Picking the right path for your circumstances is a critical first step.

The Australian Parliament has passed the Skilling Australia Fund (SAF) bill that means employers will at some point soon have to pay levies to sponsor people on permanent or temporary visas.

For the permanent 186 visa the levy for a business with turnover less than $10 million is $3,000.

However, at the time of writing

McHugh has been honoured to support big Irish acts like The Coronas, Gavin James, Brian Kennedy, Nathan Carter, Bell X1 and Paddy Casey when they have come to Australia.

“When you get to do those gigs, you get to see someone at the peak of their performance so being around those situations is brilliant because you get to see these bands, not just the show but the entire process and that is really beneficial to me going out there then as an independent artist on my own doing the same thing. Then of course you get the exposure to their audience, and you’ve nothing to lose, you’ve everything to win. You show people what you do and you’re gonna pick up fans, you always do.”

The timing of McHugh’s album release coincided with the time he became an Australian citizen after 12 years here. This is a source of pride as it is a country that has been good to him. “I’m an Aussie, mate. Absolutely, very grateful to Australia for the journey it’s given me and continues to give me. I’ve become a full-time singer-songwriter.

“I saw the opportunity: ‘Because you’re emigrating, you have a clean slate. Here’s your chance to just pick up the guitar and go for that’.

“Ver y grateful to Australia that it responded and gave me a chance to grow. I work hard at it, that’s the other thing. I was coming out of Dublin going, ‘I’m working in restaurants, I’m

the actual date for the new law to come into force has not been set.

The law will be in force within six months, possibly much sooner, but if you are ready to proceed to a 186 visa application now, the levy could be avoided.

Holders of 457 visas who held or applied for their visa before April 20, 2017 are eligible for the permanent Employer Nomination Scheme 186 Temporary Transition visa when they have worked for two years in the role with their sponsor.

If you applied for the 457/482 visa after April 20, 2017, the Temporary Transition eligibility period is three years. When you apply for the 186 visa, the employer and employee do make a commitment to work together for two years from grant of the permanent visa. In practice this is difficult to enforce.

For the points tested ‘Skill Select’ visas including the 189, 190 and 489 visas, the process is much different.

You have to first make an expression of interest (EOI) application and then wait to be picked by the Government to apply for one of the visas. The EOI stage is competitive, with no guarantee of an invitation to apply for a visa.

These points tested visas require at least 60 points to be eligible for

an invitation to apply. However, in the past seven months only EOI applicants with 70 points or more have been invited to apply for the 189 visa.

For some popular occupations, such as accountants, even higher points are needed to get an invitation – currently sitting at 80 points for accountants.

(The statistics can be viewed by visiting www.homeaffairs.gov.au/ trav/work/skil#tab-content-2) So at this time, if you have between 60 and 65 points as an EOI applicant for the 189, 190, 489 visas you will have a very long and uncertain wait for a visa invitation.

There is no bridging visa at the EOI stage.

A bridging visa is only available when the actual visa application is lodged while you are in Australia.

Understanding your strategy and accurate points score here is vitally important.

Anyone who is not entirely clear on their pathway and options should seek professional advice from an experienced registered migration agent before lodging an application.

You can find a list of registered agents by visiting mia.org.au/

working in engineering, I’m working in teaching. I’m giving a lot of people a lot of my time. I wonder what would happen if I gave that time to myself?’

That was my other inspiration to give this a go, very grateful to Australia the way it’s given it back to me. With Australia, if you put the work in, it will come back to you.”

Having already launched A Million Stars in his home town of Byron Bay, McHugh has also played Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney this month. He will soon play shows in Tasmania, Perth and Adelaide.

“It’s just great to be back on the road,” he said.

Mick McHugh’s A Million Stars is available from mickmchugh.com

A U ST R A LI A’ S I R I SH N E WSPA P E R

Telephone: +61 2 9555 9199 Facsimile: +61 2 9555 9186 Postal Address: PO Box 256, Balmain, NSW 2041, Australia E-mail (Admin): mail@irishecho.com.au E-mail (Editorial): editor@irishecho.com.au Web: www.irishecho.com.au The Irish Echo is a national publication published monthly by The Irish Exile P/L Printed by Spot Press Distributed by Wrapaway

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local CLUB HIBERNIA TO FOCUS ON IRISH PROFESSIONALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Building a forum for Irish know-how A GROUP of Irish Australians is banding together to launch a new networking organisation for construction industr y professionals in New South Wales.

Called Club Hibernia, the group will meet quarterly in Sydney for networking, knowledge-sharing and social events. The new network’s launch event is on June 7.

Michael Cahalane, a civil engineer from Cork, was one of the people who came up with the idea.

“We had a conversation over a few pints that there was no real forum or networking association for Irish professionals in the construction indus-

tr y,” he said. “There’s such a large population of us working in the industry now. We decided there might be some value out of it.”

Mr Cahalane said they hope to attract about 100 people to the first event. Some of the people who’ve been signing up include contractors, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and project managers. While Irish people are in the majority, you don’t have to be Irish to join.

“It’s been formed by Irish people and there is a very Irish tint to it, but there are already plenty of people who work with us who aren’t Irish who are coming along,” Mr Cahalane said.

He said the construction industry is very bullish in NSW.

IRISH ABROAD

ROSE OF TRALEE

Fiona Brady

Taoiseach hints at Seanad spots for Irish abroad THE Taoiseach has flagged the possibility of new constituencies for the Irish abroad, electing their own representatives in the Seanad.

Leo Varadkar said he favoured reform of the Oireachtas upper house as part of a wider shake-up creating overseas constituencies of diaspora living in places such as North America, Europe and possibly Australia.

He warned that the prospect of processing millions of postal votes and certain provisions in the Constitution made it a complicated task but added: “I would like to see people elected from international constituencies, North America, Europe and so on, representing our citizens overseas.”

He said obtaining millions of farflung postal votes would be logistically complicated, expensive and perhaps not a good idea and would require constitutional change.

IMMIGRATION

Applications for work visas fall as rules tighten THE number of Irish nationals granted 457 visas has fallen sharply.

Under the 457 program, which is being replaced by the new Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) visa, tens of thousands of Irish workers were sponsored by Australian firms over the past 10 years. However, changes to the temporary skilled program, including increased application fees and more complicated pathways to permanent residency, have resulted in a slump in applications, new figures reveal. A Department of Home Affairs report points to a 32 per cent fall in applications between 2016 and 2017. The number of applications for 457s in the first half of the 2016-17 financial year was 18,320, down from 27,000 a year earlier. The number of Irish nationals granted 457 visas for this period was 740, down from 1050 a year earlier.

Despite the 29.3 per cent fall in visa grants, Ireland remains one of the top six countries for 457 visas.

Meanwhile the number of Irish nationals granted working holiday (417) visas is up 12 per cent, from 3897 to 4368, the report says.

“There is a massive infrastructure boom – projects like NorthConnex, WestConnex, the Sydney Metro, Sydney light rail – and then you have all the commercial projects around Barangaroo and around Central Station. Residential is still quite strong too, so it is a really good industry to be in at the moment.”

He said many Irish construction staff who had come here during the recession are now in senior positions.

Cahalane has been in Australia for 12 years and is a director at Warren Smith and Partners, a consulting engineering firm employing about 60 people.

Along with Mr Cahalane, the other Club Hibernia committee members are: Jimmy Larkin (MBM); Pat Cronin

(BDM Constructions); Cathy Hughes (Enterprise Ireland); Mick O’Driscoll (DCWC); Brian O’Mainin (Johnstaff); Francis Houlihan (Lend Lease); Elvire Callaghan (MSJ Architects) and Ken O’Neill (Aurecon).

While the aim is to keep the quarterly events informal, they may have guest speakers. “At worst, it will be a few pints and a bit of craic,” Mr Cahalane said, “but hopefully people can get a bit of value out of it by making new contacts and doing some new business – or finding a new career path.”

To register for the launch party on Thursday, June 7 at CBD Hotel, 52 King St, Sydney go to the Eventbrite website and search for “Club Hibernia”.

Corkman and civil engineer Michael Cahalane is one of the founders of Club Hibernia.

International Rose on hand to hail Aussie winners David Hennessy REIGNING international Rose of Tralee Jennifer Byrne was in Australia for a trip that included the Rose Selection balls of Melbourne and Queensland as well as the Melbourne Darkness into Light walk and trips to Sydney and Melbourne.

Offaly Rose Jennifer Byrne was selected as last year’s Rose of Tralee in the Dome in Tralee and will hand over her sash in August when her year as the International Rose comes to an end.

“It’s been absolutely brilliant,” she told The Irish Echo. “When I was trying to decide back in January whether I would come or not, it was a big decision because I was coming over by myself but I have thoroughly enjoyed every single second of it.”

Her year as the international Rose winner has been “just absolutely phenomenal”, she said.

“I’ve made so many friends and so many connections all over the world.

Just the friends I have made from it and all the travelling I have got the opportunity to do: I went to India with the Hope Foundation, I opened the Christmas markets in Frankfurt, going to Belarus with Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International was unforgettable. Definitely a major highlight for me was the New York St Patrick’s Day Parade. I got to go for breakfast at the Mayor’s mansion, at 6am that morning. Then I went to Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral which was really nice, then marched down 5th Avenue and then I did a live interview for RTE at Times Square.

“I have to say I’ve had just such an incredible time and in one way I feel like it’s gone so quick but in another way when I look back at it, I’ve just done so much that I feel like it’s time I gave someone else a go to have the incredible year I have had. I’ve really enjoyed the year and it’s been class and It will be hard to hand over the sash but at least another girl will get to experience everything I did.”

Coming to Australia allowed Byrne to reconnect with Emma Kirwan, her predecessor as Offaly Rose who now lives in Brisbane.

Byrne was there to see Suzie Jackson crowed as Melbourne Rose and Sarah Griffin-Breen take the Queensland honour, “Both of them are absolutely fabulous ladies and I think that they will do really really well in Tralee. They just have no idea what they’re in for. You don’t realise it on the night that you’re crowned but you really are in for a life changing experience, and they’re going to make so many friends and just have

PICK OF THE BUNCH: (Clockwise from right) International Rose Of Tralee for 2017 Jennifer Byrne with newly-crowned Melbourne Rose Suzie Jackson; Sydney’s 2018 Rose Caitlin Macinante and Queensland winner Sarah Griffin-Breene. a fantastic time. I’m delighted for the two girls and they’re both lovely.”

Meanwhile, Caitlin Macinante was crowned Sydney Rose on May 5.

Macinante lives and studies in Newcastle and her mother, Senator Deborah O’Neill, was Sydney Rose in 1980.

“It was such a fantastic night, all my family were there,” Macinante told the Irish Echo. “The girls were just wonderful, I had the best experience with all of them. It was surreal [to hear my name called as winner] because I was one of 14 girls and they were all incredible women and that night everyone spoke so well with their interviews. There was such a high calibre of entrants so it was definitely a surprise.”

Macinante’s escort is her fiance Barry Kennewell, who proposed in Ireland at Christmas time.

“We certainly didn’t think we would be back so soon. It was certainly a very special experience to share with him, lucky we practiced waltzing once!”

When asked what she is looking

forward to about Tralee, musical Macinante was certain: “There is the TV round that only half of the Roses get to and I would really love to do that because I sing and play guitar and piano so that would be a dream of mine to be onstage in the Dome and singing a beautiful Australian-Irish song.

“I can’t wait to get over there.”

Suzie Jackson was crowned as Melbourne’s Rose on May 12.

Born in Boston, Jackson grew up in the US, Dublin and Cork. She has lived in Melbourne since 2015 and is a nurse at the Alfred Hosptial.

“I’m still on cloud nine,” Jackson told the Irish Echo. “I don’t think my feet have touched the floor yet.

“It was an excellent night. I had thirty friends there to support so they were roaring and cheering. I’m looking forward to landing in Ireland and seeing all my friends and family and then going on the magical journey to Tralee and meeting my 63 Rose sisters.

“I’ve always wanted to enter since I

was a young girl. My dad used to [play] Gay Byrne and ask me questions so I can’t believe now it’s a reality.”

“Jennifer [Byrne] really made the night extra special and her advice was just to be ourselves and enjoy the moment because it won’t happen again, live in the moment and enjoy it.”

Sarah Griffin-Breen will be Queensland’s Rose after her selection on May 19.

“To be quite honest, it feels very surreal. I’m still a little bit in shock so coming to terms with it slowly,” GriffinBreen told The Irish Echo.

“Hopefully I will do Queensland proud, do myself proud so I guess that’s all I can hope for but I hope I’ll meet some amazing ladies and just have a really fantastic time.

“I’m really looking to meeting the other Roses and making some fantastic friendships.”

Perth and South Australia will select their Rose representatives for Tralee this weekend.

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abortion referendum :: ireland HISTORIC ‘YES’ VOTE CELEBRATED IN AUSTRALIA

‘I am so proud to be part of such a progressive country’ Staff reporters ABOUT 50 Yes vote supporters gathered in a Sydney bar to watch the results come in on Saturday night.

According to organiser Louise Nealon, the event was designed to give expats an opportunity to be part of what turned out to be an historic day. “[We] organised a results’ party so people could come together and laugh or cry together and importantly not feel alone as being so far away from home and not having a vote can be quite isolating,” the Sligo woman said.

“It was a beautiful night of solidarity and gratitude and people really appreciated having a place to come together and as it turns out celebrate together. If it has been a different result it would have been even more important to be together I think.

“The crowd was a great mix of men and women, straight and gay, and from all over Ireland.

“From the beginning of the tallies announcements, even before the actual results, people were cheering and really engaged with the coverage, very intent on every word being said.

“Irish people have always been into

their politics and political discussion and that was evident even in a bar in Sydney at midnight! While everyone had been hopeful, the landslide really surprised and thrilled everyone.

“Personally, I am bursting with pride today. I am so proud to be part of such a progressive country which in such a short space of time has thrown away its traditions to give all of its citizens their human rights and places its trust now in individuals to make the choices that are right for them.

“I am so proud of all the brave women and men who stood up to tell their stories; of all the canvassers who worked their hearts out to spread the message; of all the people who started with a ‘no’ and listened to why it should be a ‘yes’; of all the people who travelled home to vote from all the corners of the world and to the emigrants from around the world who helped in any way they could.”

Ms Nealon, who left Ireland for Sydney 15 years ago, said the result has inspired her to push for another important change.

“The next campaign needs to be about allowing emigrants to vote,” she added.

Yes supporters celebrate in Darlinghurst’s Baby Bear Bar as the scale of the landslide became apparent.

HOME TO VOTE CAMPAIGN IMPELS MANY EMIGRANTS TO TRAVEL TO IRELAND

Defiant emigrants have their say Staff reporters

A Yes voter who returned from Scotland to take part in the referendum.

A SUBSTANTIAL number of Irish emigrants defiantly returned to Ireland to take part in the referendum even though they may have been voting illegally.

Under current law an Irish citizen is disqualified from voting in elections or referendums if they have lived outside the country for more than 18 months.

The hashtag #hometovote, first used for Ireland’s 2015 gay marriage referendum, has been reused by Irish citizens overseas to share their journeys back home.

One who made the trek from Melbourne was Christine Howell, who said she booked flights to Cork the day the referendum was announced.

“It’s an added bonus that I get to see my family, but the referendum is the only reason I came back to be honest,” the 27-year-old Yes voter told the ABC. “It’s women’s rights; I feel it’s basic healthcare, human rights that women deserve, and we’re not getting that.”

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Some emigrants who have lived outside of the country for more than 18 months remain on the electoral register and risked charges of electoral fraud by voting in the poll.

Someone who does not meet the criteria to be vote-eligible, but votes anyway, is liable to be fined up to €3000 or even imprisoned if caught.

But the only system that exists to remove long-term emigrants from the Irish electoral register depends on intermittent, door-to-door checks by the Depar tment of Housing and Local Government. This approach means there are often inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the register.

Some emigrants who had returned to vote said they had a moral right to be part of the democratic process.

One woman, speaking to the Irish Times on the basis of anonymity, said: “I’m of the generation that graduated just after the biggest economic downturn in recent history and 50 per cent of people in my year migrated because they couldn’t find work here.

“My parents’ generation, like my generation, also lost half of its cohort.

They went abroad. It’s Irish history.”

Now based in England, she does feel guilty about voting illegally.

“For sure I have a conscience about it but I have justified my vote because I think that I should be entitled to shape the future of my country where I want to come back to and I think as well that I represent the lost youth.”

Another illegal voter made a comparison with the Brexit vote.

“It was the older generation who made the decision for the UK to leave the EU. So all of the younger people who are going to be living there, who have stayed there, they’re the ones who are affected by it.”

The Department of the Environment said it was a matter for each individual local authority to keep its electoral register up to date.

There are no figures available for the numbers of eligible emigrant voters who have been abroad for less than a year and a half.

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ireland :: abortion referendum RESOUNDING YES VOTE ‘A ROAR FOR DECENCY AND DIGNITY’

‘A moment of profound change’ Michelle Devane and Michael McHugh

PRO-choice campaigners have hailed the Yes vote as a resounding roar for “dignity and decency”.

Politicians and suppor ters of repealing the Eighth Amendment said it was a huge step forward for Ireland.

Together for Yes co-director Orla O’Connor said results showed “a resounding roar from the Irish people” for repealing the Eighth Amendment.

“Our campaign and we will be forever indebted to those women and couples whose own braver y and dignity have moved hear ts and changed minds – and given the scale of the victory, changed the country,” Ms O’Connor said.

Co-director Ailbhe Smyth said: “This will be a moment of profound change in Ireland’s social history, a moment when the nation collectively stood up for women and for their healthcare, and voted for constitutional change.

NO CAMPAIGN

A ‘tragedy of historic proportions’

Yes campaigners celebrate in Dublin after the historic vote.

“Together For Yes always knew that Ireland was ready for this change, because of the evidence and facts showing the harm and the pain of the Eighth Amendment.”

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said it was

a vote to put a “more compassionate and appropriate” policy in place, one that helped and respected women in vulnerable circumstances.

“This is a huge step for ward for Ireland,” Mr Coveney said.

Health minister Simon Harris said he could not have predicted the scale of the victory.

“Under the Eighth Amendment, the only thing we could say to women was take a flight or take a boat and now the country is saying no, take our hand, we want to support you,” Mr Harris said.

“Women in crisis pregnancy, we were telling them or letting them feel like they were on their own – and today the country is saying no, we want to stand with you.”

Amnesty Ireland executive director Colm O’Gorman said the outcome would be a huge milestone for women’s rights.

“This is such an important vote for women’s dignity and bodily autonomy,” Mr O’Gorman said.

Vocal Yes campaigner Dr Peter Boylan said the result was a watershed moment. Dr Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said he was ver y relieved and felt vindicated by the

outcome “It’s a wonderful day for Irish women,” he said.

Dr Boylan paid tribute to the women who had told their stories so bravely.

He also thanked his the consultants at the coalface, whom he said had witnessed, at first hand, the stark reality the Eighth Amendment made.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone said she felt a deep gratitude towards voters and she pledged that enabling legislation would be introduced before the end of the year.

Opposition leader Michéal Martin told RTÉ that the Irish people had made the right decision and it would mean better care for Irish women.

“It’s the dawn of a new era,” the Fianna Fáil leader said.

Sinn Fein president Mar y Lou McDonald said it was an important message of compassion and progress and the vote was “cathartic”.

“We have without doubt done right

by Irish women for this generation and many to come,” she said.

SAVITA’S NAME RINGS OUT AS CAMPAIGNERS CELEBRATE VICTORY

Michelle Devane

ANTI-abortion campaigners say the decision of Irish voters is a “tragedy of historic proportions”.

The Save the 8th campaign said a wrong did not become a right simply because the majority supported it.

Communications director John McGuirk said the unborn child no longer had a right to life recognised by the State. “ S h o r t l y, l e g i s l a t i o n w i l l b e introduced that will allow babies to be killed in our country,” Mr McGuirk said. “We will oppose that legislation.”

“If and when abortion clinics are opened in Ireland, because of the inability of the Government to keep their promise about a GP-led service, we will oppose that as well. Every time an unborn child has his or her life ended in Ireland, we will oppose that, and make our voices known.”

Anti-abor tion campaigner Cora Sherlock said she was saddened.

“A lot of misleading claims were made about Ireland’s healthcare,” she said. “I’m very upset that women were made to feel like they should be frightened going into Irish hospitals, which was a failing of Yes campaigners because our international record is fantastic in this area.”

Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who advocated for a No vote, said the support for repeal was not evident to him during the campaign.

“The people have spoken and I accept the will of the people,” he said.

Mr McGrath told RTÉ’s Referendum 2018 programme that he would hold the Taoiseach and health minister to their words that abortion would be rare and restrictive. He added that he hoped the concerns of the No voters would be taken into account in the legislation.

Independent senator Ronan Mullen, who drew criticism for his views on abortion and mental health during the campaign, said he had a strong sense of sadness about the voters’ decision.

“A lot of unborn children will lose their lives, that’s what happens when abortion gets legalised,” he said.

The Dublin mural honouring the memory of Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year-old mother who was refused an abortion and died from resultant complications in 2012, became a place of pilgrimage during the referendum campaign. Picture: Niall Carson

Tragic death that sparked action on abortion laws Michelle Devane, David Young and Eleanor Barlow HER name had drifted across the courtyard of Dublin Castle all day, but in the moments after the result was finally confirmed it rang out louder than ever.

Savita, Savita, Savita.

For the thousands of pro-choice campaigners, the landslide victory in the abortion referendum was for Savita Halappanavar, the expectant mother whose death in an Irish hospital has become emblematic for advocates of reform. Among the Irish tricolours and Repeal posters, a framed picture of the 31-year-old, who died when refused an abortion during miscarriage, was held aloft amid the cheers and tears of celebration.

Earlier, Savita’s father said Irish voters have done justice to his daughter. Andanappa Yalagi said no other family would have to go through

what they did. Mr Yalagi called for the new abortion legislation to be called Savita’s Law. “I have no words to express my gratitude to the people of Ireland at this historic moment,” he told the Guardian.

Mrs Halappanavar, an Indian dentist, died in 2012 in a hospital in Galway after being refused an abortion during a miscarriage.

Flowers and messages were left at a mural of Mrs Halappanavar in Dublin.

The mural, outside the Bernard Shaw pub in Portobello became a focal point for Yes campaigners as the result became clear.

Some people were in tears as they left flowers by the mural and taped messages to the wall.

Aoife O’Driscoll, 36, was at the mural with her two-year-old daughter Finn.

“I took part in rallies 20 years ago so it’s been going on a long time," Ms O’Driscoll said.

“We didn’t want to be out canvassing with her [her daughter] when she was a teenager. I’m speechless. It means much more than what it is.”

Kelly Phelan, 36, left flowers at the mural on behalf of her mother.

“It’s not really a feeling of happiness this morning, but it’s overwhelming relief actually and it finally feels like we’ve got it right.”

Ian Jennings, 24, said: “I’ve come down here specifically to say sorry to the women of Ireland and women like Savita that we let down. For decades in this country we turned women away, hid them and we shamed them and our generation has decided that we are never going to do that again.”

One message taped to the wall read: “I’m sorry. I hope this absolves our country’s guilt.”

Another note said: “Your death started me on this journey to repeal the Eighth. Today I stand proud of our

country as we managed to do that.

“You will never be forgotten and I’m so sorry we couldn’t help you. My Yes was for you.”

Rosita Sweetman, 70, a founder member of the women’s movement in Ireland, said: “It feels like the end of hundreds of years of repression by the Catholic Church. It’s such a huge change.”

Linda Cummins, 60, said: “I’m feeling a bit emotional and happy and relieved that this has been taken out of the Constitution. I think Savita was kind of iconic. She focused us on what this actually meant for women and what was really happening and it was just such a terrible, avoidable tragedy.”

Cormac McKenna, 61, left a message on the wall at the mural.

“I think there’s a sense of what could have happened if we didn’t put it into the Constitution in the first place.

There’s a huge sense of relief.”

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

abortion referendum :: ireland TAOISEACH HAILS DECISION AS AN ACT OF COMPASSION

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Government will legislate by year’s end Michael McHugh

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is greeted by cheers at Dublin Castle.

‘We voted to look reality in the eye’ FROM PAGE 1

Health Minister Simon Harris said: “Under the Eighth Amendment we used to say to women in crisis ‘Take the boat or take the plane’. Today we say “Take our hand’.”

Mr Varadkar said: “We voted to look reality in the eye and we did not blink and voted to provide compassion where there was once a cold shoulder.”

Thousands of campaigners have gathered for a “ground-breaking moment” at Dublin Castle as the results of Ireland’s abor tion referendum were announced.

Ve t e r a n c a m p a i g n e r F r a n k

Crummey, 81, was marking the occasion with his wife Evelyn and their children and grandchildren.

“It means everything to me because while I knew this day would come I honestly didn’t think it would come in my lifetime,” he daid. “Now that it has I’m just elated. I can die happy now.”

Mr Crummey said he had been a founder member of Ireland’s first family planning clinic.

“I’ve been campaigning for women’s rights all my life and this is another step in the emancipation of women.”

His daughter, Liz Crummey, 56, said: “I’m here for all of the women in my

life and in my family because this is just such a ground-breaking moment for Irish women. I was here in 1983 when the Eighth Amendment was put into the Constitution and it’s been a shocking time to live through.”

Her daughter Fiona McEvoy, 28, said she had flown home to Dublin from London to vote.

“Abortion in Ireland was already happening and I think exporting the problem was just making people very ashamed of how we treated those women. I think we were more ashamed of expor ting the problem than of women going for terminations.”

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IRELAND has voted overwhelmingly to liberalise some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe.

Here are some questions answered about where Ireland goes next.

So what happens now?

The constitutional provision which prohibits abortion in all cases except where a mother’s life is endangered has been overturned.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government aims to pass new laws by the end of the year.

Draft measures would allow relatively free access to abortions, subject to consultation with a medical professional and after a short waiting period, up to 12 weeks after gestation and up to 24 weeks with restrictions.

If, after 12 weeks, a woman’s life is threatened or there could be serious harm to her health, two doctors will consider whether to allow the procedure. Terminations will not be carried out after the foetus becomes viable, following 24 weeks of pregnancy.

So new laws are a certainty?

The leader of the Opposition, Michéal Martin supported the repeal but many in his Fianna Fáil parliamentary colleagues did not. However, they will not block the change. Those who campaigned against the measure have said they respect the democratic decision.

The law will be subject to debate

inside and outside the Dáil, and judging by the partisan nature of that before the referendum it could be passionate.

There is likely to be renewed emphasis on crisis pregnancy prevention and care which has led to the number of cases dramatically decreasing in Ireland in recent years.

How does the proposed regime in Ireland compare with the UK? The UK is covered by the 1967 Abortion Act after a private member’s bill was brought by David Steel MP. Abortions can legally be performed if continuing with the pregnancy involves a greater risk to the mental or physical health of the woman than having a termination.

An abortion must be agreed by two doctors and carried out by a doctor in a hospital or clinic.

Is Ireland ready to provide abortions?

The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) said it was committed to offering the procedures.

Chief executive Niall Behan said it would suppor t women with crisis pr egnancies thr ough whatever decision they make.

“The Yes vote places the imperative squarely on the Government to ensure that the legislation is enacted and services put in place without delay,” he said.

“The IFPA stands ready to provide high quality abor tion ser vices in Ireland.”

LONG JOURNEY FOR REFORM

Painful path to legislation 1861: ABORTION is banned in Ireland under the Offences Against the Person Act. 1967: A private member’s bill brought by David Steel MP led to Britain’s Abortion Act 1967, which still governs abortions in England, Scotland and Wales.

1983: A REFERENDUM in Ireland led to the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution recognising the right to life of the unborn child. It acknowledges the right to life of the unborn “with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother”.

1986: THE HIGH COURT ruled that the availability to Irish women of “information on abortion” outside Ireland breached the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.

1992: A TEENAGE rape victim in Ireland who was suffering from suicidal thoughts was prevented by the courts from terminating her pregnancy in England. It was dubbed the ‘X Case’ and was the subject of a ruling by Ireland’s highest court, the Supreme Court, which overturned the decision. Judges said a realistic threat of suicide constituted grounds for an abortion. Two referendums were held and as a result the Constitution was amended to ensure Irish women had the freedom to travel to other countries to seek terminations. Medical practitioners still faced uncertainty over when the procedure could be carried out in Ireland.

2002: YET ANOTHER referendum was held to decide if the threat of suicide as a ground for legal abortion should be removed. It was rejected.

2010: THE EUROPEAN Court of Human Rights ruled that Ireland had not provided clarity on the availability of abortion in

cases where a mother’s life was at risk.

2012: INDIAN DENTIST Savita Halappan avar died in a hospital in Galway after being denied an abortion during a miscarriage. Her husband claimed she requested a termination but was refused because the baby’s heart was still beating. A midwife manager at Galway University Hospital told Mrs Halappanavar a termination could not be carried out because Ireland was a Catholic country.

2013: ABORTION law was amended to allow terminations under certain strictlydefined circumstances – the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. For the first time, processes were set out to establish the circumstances in which there was a real and substantial risk to the life, not the health, of a woman, and where the only treatment that would avert that risk was an abortion.

2015: THE UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights expressed concern at Ireland’s “highly restrictive” legislation on abortion.

2016: THE UN found that Amanda Mellet, who had been carrying a foetus with a fatal abnormality, had been subjected to discrimination and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment due to Ireland’s abortion prohibition. The Government outlined terms of reference for a Citizens’ Assembly to begin examining the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and advise the Government.

2017: THE ASSEMBLY recommended that unrestricted access to abortion during early pregnancy be introduced prompting last week’s referendum.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland :: brexit NORTHERN IRELAND’S PRO-REMAIN PARTIES UNITE TO DEFEND OPEN BORDER

Brexit opponents take aim at ‘unrepresentative’ DUP David Young PRO-REMAIN parties in Northern Ireland have come together to insist that the pro-Brexit Democratic Unionists do not represent the majority view.

In a rare move, leaders of Sinn Féin, the SDLP, the Alliance Party and Green Party presented a united front at Stormont in calling for the UK to remain in the EU’s single market and customs union structures post-Brexit. They believe that is the only way to avoid the re-emergence of a hard border on the island of Ireland post-Brexit.

Representing 49 out of the crisis-hit Assembly’s 90 seats, in a region where 56 per cent voted Remain in the EU referendum, the party leaders claimed the British Government was not paying heed to the majority view, and instead indulging its “confidence and supply” partners at Westminster, the DUP. Sinn Féin vice-president and Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill said the EU negotiators needed to hear “loud and clear” that people in the region wanted to remain within European structures. “It’s important that we share this platform on the issue of Brexit because the majority of people

voted here on a cross-community basis to remain within the EU. That is the position which we are true to.

“For my part, the DUP don’t speak for people in the North, so it is important that we come together, those who share a common view in terms of the implications of Brexit, who share a common view in terms of what needs to happen next.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the parties were not adopting a political position, rather a sensible one. He claimed elements of the DUP were also warming to the idea of continued alignment with the EU in terms of customs and a single market.

“On this issue it’s important that as many of us as possible stand together to make it very, very clear – to both the British Government but also to the European Commission – that we cannot countenance a hard border in Ireland.”

Alliance leader Naomi Long insisted the issue was not one that could be divided along traditional green or orange lines.

“The issue of Brexit is not one which will only affect nationalists or only affect unionists; it will affect every single person in this region.”

Leaders of Northern Ireland’s Pro-Remain parties, (left to right) Naomi Long (Alliance Party), Colm Eastwood (SDLP), Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Féin) and Steven Agnew (Greens). Picture: Niall Carson

MORE NORTHERN IRELAND RESIDENTS OPPOSING BREXIT

New poll would find bigger ‘remain’ vote Michael McHugh

NORTHERN Ireland would vote more strongly to remain in the EU if there was another Brexit poll, a new study has suggested.

A total of 69 per cent would favour Remain if there was another referendum compared to 56 per cent at the two years ago, the UK in a Changing Europe project said.

Catholics were much more likely to support a united Ireland if there was a hard exit in which the UK left the customs union and single market.

The Irish border is one of the most vexed questions facing negotiators who aim to strike a deal before Britain’s withdrawal from the EU. Brendan O’Leary, Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, who also holds a visiting position at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), said: “Our results show that if there was another referendum, people in Northern Ireland would vote more strongly to remain in the EU. “The proportion wanting to Remain

has risen since the 2016 referendum as more people have become aware of the possible costs and inconveniences of leaving the EU, as citizens and as employees or employers.”

The survey was carried out for the Economic and Social Research Council which is funding the UK in a Changing Europe project. It said it provided an authoritative, non-par tisan and impartial reference point for those looking for information, insights and analysis about UK-EU relations.

Findings from the survey included: :: Catholics were much more likely to support a united Ireland if there was a hard exit in which the UK left the customs union and single market. :: 28 per cent of Catholics would vote for a united Ireland if the UK changed its mind and remained in the EU while 53 per cent of Catholics would vote for a united Ireland if there was a hard exit in which the UK left the customs union and single market. :: One in five Catholics found the possible use of cameras at the Irish border “almost impossible to accept”.

:: There were strong expectations that protests against checks at the Irish border or between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK would quickly become violent. :: There was substantial support for a Brexit that would largely eliminate the need for any north-south or east-west border checks, namely for the UK as a whole to remain in the customs union and single market. :: 61 per cent of the population favoured Britain and Nor thern Ireland as a whole remaining in the customs union and single market.

Principal investigator John Garry, Professor of Political Behaviour at QUB, said: “We find Catholics and Protestants most prefer the option that would avoid the need for any new barriers on borders, either in the Irish Sea or across Ireland. They want the UK as a whole to stay in the customs union and single market.”

“However, what may surprise people is the extent to which Catholics oppose all borders within these islands,” Dr Garry added.

WELLS FARGO EYES POST-BREXIT BOOST TO DUBLIN OFFICE

Another major bank mulls Dublin move Kalyeena Makortoff

WELLS Fargo is leaning towards a Brexit contingency plan under which the US bank could increase its Dublin staff by hundreds.

A bigger operation in Dublin is one of the most likely options for the group, which has said it will confirm its postBrexit arrangements in the coming months.

The prospective move would involve a notable increase to its approximately

115-strong workforce in Dublin, with one source saying the number of additional staff could be in the low triple digits, signalling between 100 and 300 new positions. It is likely that roles would be filled through a mix of relocations and local hiring.

Dublin is home to the head office of Wells Fargo’s regional banking operations, while London hosts additional entities including its investment bank. Wells Fargo has a total of about 1,200 staff in London.

Wells Fargo said it was actively recruiting in the region, including in Ireland. “The Dublin-based roles will support the business-as-usual activities o f W F B I [ We l l s F a g o B a n k International] and its customers in the EEA [European Economic Area] countries. An announcement on our post Brexit arrangements will be made in the coming months.”

Bank of America Merrill L ynch plans to relocate up to 125 UK staff to the Irish capital.

PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BRITISH PM

May promises to come up with border solution soon David Wilcock, Gavin Cordon and David Hughes

BRITISH Prime Minister Theresa May has told EU leaders she will shortly table proposals to resolve the vexed issue of the Irish border which is threatening to derail the Brexit negotiations.

Attending the EU Western Balkans summit in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, the Prime Minister reaffirmed her commitment that there should be no retur n of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

At the same time she stressed the EU’s backstop solution – that the North should remain aligned with the EU if there is no Brexit deal – remained unacceptable to the UK. Her promise to bring forward her alternative plan came as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar war ned Britain’s EU withdrawal agreement could be in jeopardy unless the deadlock was resolved.

Following what she said was a very constructive meeting with Mr Varadkar in the margins of the summit, Mrs May said they were working on what the UK’s future customs relationship with the EU would be.

“The commission published a fallback option which was not acceptable to us and we will be bringing for ward our own proposal for that fallback option in due course,” she said.

Mr Varadkar said he expected the UK to table new proposals within weeks but expressed concern they would not go far enough to resolve the border issue.

“Certainly any move on customs that brings the UK closer to the EU is to be welcomed but resolving the issue of avoiding a hard border requires more than customs,” he told RTÉ.

Earlier, arriving at the Sofia summit, Mr Varadkar said unless there was real and substantial progress by the time of the next EU summit in June there would be serious questions as to whether there would be a withdrawal agreement at all.

He said it remained an absolute red

British Prime Minster Theresa May is yet to reveal how the Irish border issue will work post-Brexit.

line for Ireland that there must be no hard border on the island and that all 27 remaining EU states supported the current backstop proposal.

“If the UK wants to put for ward alternatives to that – whether it’s an alternative text to the backstop or whether it’s some some sor t of alternative relationship between the UK and the EU – we are willing to examine that,” he said.

“But we need to see it written down in black and white. We need to know that it’s workable and legally operable and we have yet to see anything that remotely approaches that.”

Earlier Mrs May, who also held talks with European Council president Donald Tusk and commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, denied a report the UK could remain tied to the customs union for years after formally leaving the bloc while the future arrangements are resolved.

“No we are not [climbing down]. The United Kingdom will be leaving the customs union. We are leaving the European Union,” she said.

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

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IRISH ACTS

TOURING

AUS IN 2018

THE LEGEND OF

LUKE KELLY 12 July - Anita’s Theatre, Thirroul

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20 July - Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne

21 July - Albany Entertainment Centre, Albany 22 July - Astor Theatre, Perth

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland APPLE SCRAPS DATA CENTRE IN IRELAND

Delays bite into Apple development Michael McHugh

REGRETS APPLE’S DECISION: Business, Enterprise and Innovation minister Heather Humphrey.

TECHNOLOGY giant Apple has scrapped proposals to build a data centre in Ireland following delays in the planning process.

The development at Athenr y, Co Galway faced fierce local opposition and became tangled up in the court system. It was first suggested more than three years ago.

“Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre,” Apple said in a statement.

“While disappointing, this setback will not dampen our enthusiasm for

future projects in Ireland as our business continues to grow.”

The firm has been operating in Ireland since 1980.

“We’re deeply committed to our employees and customers in Ireland and are expanding our operations in Cork, with a new facility for our talented team there.”

Ireland has become reliant on jobs within the technology sector to boost its open economy and uses its low corporate tax rate and skilled workers to attract multinationals.

Business, Enterprise and Innovation minister Heather Humphreys said: “I very much regret that Apple will not be pursuing its plans to construct a

data centre in Athenr y, especially becasuse the project would have been a source of significant investment and job creation for the West of Ireland.”

She said the government did everything it could to suppor t the investment.

“This included high-level engagement with the company, both at home and abroad. Ultimately, in spite of these efforts, Apple has taken a commercial decision not to proceed, making it clear that the delays that beset this project caused them to reconsider their plans.”

She said the delays underlined the need to make the state’s planning and legal processes more efficient.

“The Government has therefore already been working, over the last number of months, to make improvements to those processes. This will ensure we are better placed to take advantage of future such investment oppor tunities, whether from data centre providers or other sectors.”

BRITISH LABOUR LEADER STIRS REUNIFICATION DEBATE

TRIBUTES TO UNIQUE PLAYWRIGHT

Majority now support a united Ireland, claims Jeremy Corbyn

Tom Murphy dies at 83

David Wilcock

JEREMY Corbyn says he believes that there is majority support for unification in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The British Labour Party leader also said he is committed to the Good Friday Agreement and any change must happen through consent.

However, he insisted he is not advocating or asking for a referendum on Irish unity.

The Labour leader said if he was to become prime minister, he would only trigger a border poll in line with the terms of the agreement – which stipulates a vote can only be called if there is evidence that a majority in Northern Ireland would support reunification.

Mr Corbyn, who in the past made no secret of his suppor t for a united Ireland, was pressed on the issue on his first visit to Northern Ireland as Labour leader.

He fielded questions from students at Queen’s University in Belfast a day after a spokesman said Mr Corbyn believed there was majority support for unification across the island of Ireland.

A bor der poll, which would be conducted by separate votes north and south, can only be called if the British Government believe a majority within Northern Ireland is in favour of unity.

Asked by a politics student whether he would call a referendum if he became prime minister, Mr Corbyn responded: “That would be a decision that would be made within the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

“If that is a wish then clearly such a poll would happen.

“I am not asking for it, I am not advocating it. What I am asking for is a return to the fullness of the Good Friday Agreement which would open up the opportunity and possibility for the future of Ireland as a whole.

“That is the point of the Good Friday Agreement. Not direct rule, not imposition of a political view from Westminster but devolution of powers to Stormont here [in Belfast] and, of course, the relationship with the Republic.

“It’s quite clear that it’s there for a poll on both sides of the border, should that be something that is demanded.”

Earlier, Mr Corbyn warned that Northern Ireland stood at a potential crossroads between a strengthened peace or a return to the dark days of the past. He urged Stormont leaders and the British and Irish governments

The late Tom Murphy, whose contribution to Irish literature has been celebrated.

British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses students at Queens University in Belfast. Picture: Liam McBurney

to renew efforts to restore powersharing at the crisis-hit institutions in Belfast, insisting peace cannot be taken for granted.

Giving a lecture at Queen’s to mark 20 years since the signing of the historic Good Friday peace agreement, Mr Corbyn said: “As we stand here today in celebration of 20 years of peace, we must also recognise we are standing at a potential crossroads.

“It is right we celebrate the achievements, not least as it is those achievements we must use as a springboard for the 20 years to come.

“We must neither be complacent, nor reckless. So I want to send this message to the people of this island – Labour is as committed to the Good Friday Agreement as we have ever been. It has served us well for 20 years and, with commitment and determination, will provide us with the framework for the next 20.

“I want to make a plea to all parties and all sides. We must do all we can to make powersharing work again in Stormont.”

“That means tough choices. It means compromise and give and take. But we owe it to the people of these islands not to allow political disagreements to open the way for any return to the grim days of the past.”

Northern Ireland has been without a properly functioning powersharing government for more than 16 months due to a bitter stand-off between the two biggest parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin. A row that broke out over a botched green energy scheme, and widened to encompass long-standing disputes such as the Irish language, gay marriage and Troubles legacy issues, shows no sign of resolution.

Mr Corbyn called on Prime Minister Theresa May to reconvene the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference – a body that offers the Irish a consultative role in non-devolved matters concerning Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP have been demanding the re-establishment of the conference, which last sat in 2007, as a means to plot a way forward amid the devolution crisis in Belfast.

Michael McHugh IRISH playwright Tom Murphy has left a deep and enduring legacy, his former theatre company said after the awardwinning writer died at the age of 83.

President Michael D Higgins was among those paying tribute to a man who portrayed the “essence” of Irishness – immigration, famine and loss – which was at the same time universal.

Murphy’s plays were performed around the world. “Druid is deeply saddened by the loss of playwright Tom Murphy.,” the Druid Theatre Company said in a statement.

“A native of Tuam, Co Galway, Tom Murphy, already an established Irish writer, became Druid’s writer in residence in 1983. His relationship with Druid marked an important step for the young company. For four decades his work resonated with Irish audiences, creating a deep and enduring legacy.”

Druid first produced plays by Murphy in 1984 – Famine and On The Outside before premiering Conversations On A Homecoming in April 1985 and Bailegangaire, featuring Siobhan McKenna, in December 1985.

Druid toured the work widely during

the 1980s, taking these Irish stories to new audiences around the world.

Dominic Dromgoole, then artistic director of the Globe Theatre, remembered “these productions as one of the finest examples in the world of a company of actors and director giving particular life to a writer”.

The theatre’s statement said: “Today we have lost a friend, a colleague, a great Irish writer and man of the theatre.”

Mr Higgins said Murphy made an outstanding contribution to Irish theatre.

“We have had no greater use of language for the stage than in the body of work produced by Tom Murphy since his earliest work in the 1960s.

“His themes were not only those which had influenced the very essence of Irishness – immigration, famine and loss – they were universal in their reach.

“From the early beginnings of his writings in Tuam, Tom Murphy produced a unique and often provocative body of work. He was above all the great playwright of the emigrant, more than anyone capturing, in a poignant, creative way, the transience that is at the heart of the emigrant experience.”

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June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

news EUROVISION SONG CONTEST :: IRISH ENTRY ATTRACTS CONTROVERSY FOR SAME-SEX DANCERS

Best Eurovision result in seven years RYAN O’Shaughnessy has said the final Eurovision scoreboard isn’t the most important result for him. He’s proud his message of inclusivity has been spread around the world.

Ireland finished 16th in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, the country’s best result in seven years.

The singer caused controversy in some parts of the world after he decided he wanted a same-sex couple to dance to the song’s love story. China censored the performance of the song in the semi-final, after which the country was banned from broadcasting the final.

While Ryan said it was “disappointing Ireland didn’t get the points we really wanted”, he added that spreading his message globally is a victory in itself.

“It’s been amazing to be able to spread this message we have around Europe. One of the biggest things we wanted to do was push a message of inclusivity and that love is love,” Ryan said.

“I’ve been energised by everything that’s happened around the performance and the messages of support we’ve been receiving from around the world.”

He also thanked the Irish public for backing him throughout the week.

“I think Ireland is the best country in the world. We’ve become a leading liberal country over the last few years,” he said. “I think when there’s a good news story Irish people love to get behind it. The support I received has really driven me on for the week.”

He added that now the contest is finished, he’s looking forward to spending time with his family in Skerries, north Dublin.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my grandparents and spending some time with my girlfriend,” he said.

“I can’t wait to get back to my little studio and go down to

Footballer avoids jail for drink driving FOOTBALLER Darron Gibson has been spared jail despite admitting a second serious drink-driving offence after a judge said the player had a number of psychological issues.

The former Republic of Ireland midfielder smashed his Mercedes into a taxi and five parked cars on St Patrick’s Day. He was found to be three times over the legal limit.

District Judge Roger Elsey sentenced him to a two-year community order with 250 hours of unpaid work, including 30 days of rehabilitation activity. Gibson must also pay one of the drivers £800 compensation, costs and a victim surcharge of £85 each and was banned from driving for 40 months.

Boy, 7 dies in Offaly light plane crash A MAN and a young boy have been killed after a plane crashed in Ireland minutes after 16 parachutists jumped from the aircraft.

The pilot, believed to be from the UK, and a seven-year-old local boy were on board when the plane went down in bog land in Co Offaly.

A Garda spokesman said there were 16 parachutists on board.

“All 16 made their jump from the craft,” he said. “Witnesses then saw the aircraft crash shortly afterwards.

There were two people on board, the pilot and a seven-year-old boy.”

IRA sympathiser faces London court AN alleged IRA sympathiser has appeared in court accused of possessing terrorist documents.

Christopher Partington, 33, is accused of collecting information about making explosives as well as an IRA manual on his mobile phone.

He is charged with seven counts of possessing documents useful for the purposes of terrorism between February 19 and May 1 this year.

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot remanded Partington in custody.

He will next appear at the Old Bailey on June 8.

Skerries beach and watch the sea.” He also hasn’t ruled out a second attempt. “We’ll see,” he said, coyly.

Meanwhile, former Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan said he thinks Ryan did the country proud with his performance. Charlie and Paul Harrington won the Song Contest in 1994 with Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids, giving Ireland our third consecutive win at the time.

“Ryan O’Shaughnessy impressed me so much. Just a beautiful song and I think he did us proud,” McGettigan said.

“The Eurovision is a much-maligned television programme but where else could you find 43 countries to come together and sing every year?

“It’s all about coming together and singing and Ryan really did us proud. I had fingers and toes crossed for him to win.”

McGettigan thought Ireland’s entry was in good hands with O’Shaighnessy, who has been performing for several years, including a stint on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012.

“He is a seasoned professional. He knows he did the country proud and we all got a great kick out of it,” he told Sunday With Miriam on RTÉ Radio 1.

Thinking back to his own experience in Eurovision, McGettigan advised all future entrants to make sure they enjoy their time on the stage because it is so fleeting.

“Just enjoy it because the three minutes will go by and if you haven’t enjoyed it, what about it?” he said.

“Paul [Harrington] and myself were so proud just to be saying ‘We represented the country at something here. It was like our World Cup. “Paul and myself hadn’t met prior to Eurovision. Of course we didn’t think we were going to win, two old fellas like us?

Another Eurovision anomaly I suppose.”

Israel won the Eurovision Song Contest with a song called Toy by Netta.

Ryan O’Shaughnessy performs his song Together at the Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal. Picture: Armando Franca

HEALTH CHIEF APOLOGISES TO WOMEN OF IRELAND OVER CERVICAL SCREENING

Fatal errors in health fiasco Michelle Devane

THE acting boss of Ireland’s Health Service Executive has apologised to women directly affected by the cervical screening controversy and to all women of Ireland who have been frightened and concerned.

Interim director general John Connaghan also apologised for the confusion and alarm created in relation to the Cervical Check screening programme, caused by the failure to communicate with those affected.

“This failure has impacted on every Irish female, their families, their spouses and their children,” he said.

Inaccurate smear test results and the failure to inform some patients of these results has caused enormous controversy. It emerged last month that an audit by Cer vical Check of 1,482 women diagnosed with cervical cancer since 2008 had found potential errors in earlier smear tests in 209 of the cases, with results showing no abnormalities when they should have flagged a cancer warning.

While screening tests are not 100

per cent accurate, the fact the majority of the affected patients were not told of the outcome of the audit has prompted a wave of public anger. Of the 209 women, 18 have since died.

Mr Connaghan took up the role after the resignation of Tony O’Brien last week over the matter.

“While the results of the audit were communicated to the relevant clinicians the arrangements thereafter appear to have broken down,” Mr Connaghan told a parliamentary health committee. “The outcome was that a large proportion of women were not told about either the audit itself or the results for them as individuals.”

Public confidence in the Cervical Check programme has been undermined as a result, he said.

The health department’s chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said no minister was informed in 2016 of the delays in telling women about the audit results. He added that the department was not aware of the issues until the controversy arose last month.

“Let me spell it out clearly; firstly, no Minister was advised,” he said.

Former Health Service Executive chief executive Tony O’Brien.

“Secondly, the decision not to escalate was a fair and reasonable decision.”

Dr Holohan said it was reasonable because the information provided in the briefing notes provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to the Department was evidence of ongoing improvement to how the service was being delivered, rather than the identification of a problem which required escalation to ministerial level.”

He told the committee he could not recall a time when patients were gripped with such widespread fear and concern as now.

The secretary general of the health department said the department was not aware of the widespread non-disclosure of information to patients from Cervical Check. Mr Jim Breslin said their actions might have been much different if they had been informed.

“I believe a reasonable approach was taken by the Department at the time,” he said. “Had the subsequent widespread non-disclosure been escalated

by Cervical Check within the HSE and raised within the depar tment this would have triggered a major concern and a much different attitude.”

The issue came to light last month when Vicky Phelan, a 43-year-old mother-of-two from Co Limerick, settled a High Court action for €2.5 million after being incorrectly told in 2011 that her smear test had given a negative result for cancer.

In 2014 she was diagnosed with cancer but only told of the false negative last September.

BOB GELDOF’S BAND AID ARCHIVE ARRIVES IN IRELAND

Records from 1980s’ charity effort to be put on display

Michael McHugh

BOB Geldof’s Band Aid archive has arrived in Ireland. An archivist will spend up to two years cataloguing memorabilia from the famous 1984 campaign for those affected by famine in Ethiopia, the National Librar y of Ireland (NLI) said.

The Boomtown Rats frontman is giving the State hundreds of letters, artwork, poetry and musical recordings after it was accumulated in a warehouse in London. Much of it will be digitalised and put on display for the world to see at the NLI in Dublin.

“In April 2018 the archive was brought from London to Dublin. A

contract archivist will spend 18 to 24 months cataloguing the collection, at which point it will be available to all researchers through the National Library’s Special Collections reading room,” the NLI said in a statement.

“Selective digitisation will be carried out thereafter, and the digitised materials launched online with free access anywhere in the world, subject to copyright and data protection restrictions.”

Geldof and co-writer Midge Ure’s first version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? raised £8 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. They gathered a group of musicians together in 1984 for the charity single. It featured Geldof’s

fellow Irishman Bono, George Michael, Duran Duran, Phil Collins and Bananarama, among many others. It helped inspire the Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia on July 13, 1985, and the Sport Aid campaign in 1986, all of which raised millions more.

“The NLI will develop a major exhibition in the National Photographic Archive to engage visitors of all ages and from across the world and explore opportunities for a ... travelling exhibition,” the library added.

The archive reveals the enormous level of organisation behind Band Aid. A trove of documents, including revealing letters written by public figures, will be among those disclosed.

Band Aid founder Bob Geldof

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June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

Mal Rogers scans Ireland’s regional media for what’s making news in your county DOWN

Tonagh and Neave are new names of Rowallane lions THE National Trust has unveiled the names of the two stone lions carved to replace a pair stolen from the entrance to the historic Rowallane Garden in Saintfield.

The Down Recorder reports that the imposing limestone sculptures guarded the entrance to the Trust’s Northern Ireland headquarters for more than a century but were stolen from their plinths on St Stephen’s Day 2016 in a crime that baffled police.

Despite an extensive campaign to highlight the theft, the statues’ whereabouts remains a mystery with Trust officials ordering two replacement lions to take pride of place at the entrance to the sprawling 50-acre estate.

The public was asked to help name the two new lions carved by stonemasons and last week the Trust revealed the new names – Tonagh and Neave – which when put together spell the old Irish name for Saintfield as chosen by former resident Justine Rea. The fifth-placed names choice was Rowan and Allen, followed by Rowly and Armytage. Third place went to Potter and Ponder, with John and Hugh the runners-up.

A National Trust spokeswoman said it was wonderful to see the new lions in place, greeting visitors and staff each day.

KERRY

Rescuers struggle to crack crashed security van IT took fire fighters more than an hour to crack a security van to rescue its unconscious driver, the sole occupant, after it crashed in a field outside Tarbert, reports The Kerryman.

The security van crashed through a ditch and came to rest in a field on its side a mile outside Tarbert.

The alarm was raised immediately by locals, but it took fire fighters more than an hour to cut into the locked-down cab of the van as they struggled to penetrate the armoured, metal plating heavy equipment.

Emergency personnel eventually used a concrete saw to cut through the reinforced windscreen in order to get to the driver, who lay unconscious with a noticeable head injury for the duration of the rescue.

Listowel and Tarbert gardaí, Listowel paramedics and Listowel fire fighters, along with members of the Ballybunion Coastguard, attended the scene with the Shannon Coastguard helicopter tasked to take the stricken driver to Cork University Hospital.

It is suspected the driver, a Limerick man in his 50s, suffered a stroke at the wheel of the van.

The Kerryman understands that he had not regained consciousness

by the time he was taken from the scene. He remains in Cork University Hospital.

Locals are understood to have heard an alarm sounding from the van before they heard the sound of the crash. Witnesses are asked to contact An Garda Síochána.

DONEGAL

Angry reaction to reports that graves are to be exhumed to make way for road THERE has been angry reaction to reports that a number of graves may be exhumed at Leck Cemetery to make way for a multimillion-euro relief road around Letterkenny.

The Donegal News reports that remains buried in the south-west corner of Leck Cemetery need to be unearthed for a new Letterkenny relief road to be built as part of a wider rejuvenation for the town.

Family members said they would chain themselves to the graveyard wall rather than witness graves being exhumed.

Earlier this month, about 100 people attended a public consultation for the new proposed route, and Donegal County Council is eager to hear the views and opinion of those interested in the project.

WICKLOW

Garda Pat McElroy and Nancy Sharkey, presiding officer for Gola Island, an island off the coast of Donegal, prepare to leave the island with the ballot box as islanders went to the polls a day before the rest of the country to cast their votes in the referendum on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. Photo Brian Lawless/PA Wire of the Vintners’ Federation,” Ms Brady said.

She also highlighted comments

by Minister for Transport Shane Ross, indicating that publicans should arrange transport options for customers, but said that a year later, “the minister appears to have decided that instead, we tax payers should provide this service on their behalf”.

According to Ms Brady, older people in Aughrim, in particular, are very isolated by the lack of rural transport services and very often have no choice but to pay €50 for a return taxi journey to attend healthcare appointments. She called for meaningful measures to be put in place to provide transport services for those who need them.

LOUTH

Active retirement group slams ‘booze bus’ plan

More than €21,000 raised for family of murdered man Yosuke Sasaki

A NEW Friday evening rural transport route connecting a number of south Wicklow villages to Arklow has been criticised by the Aughrim Active Retirement Group, which has branded it a booze bus – one “which does not offer meaningful transport to those who need it most”.

The group has been lobbying for improved rural transport links for many years, and chairwoman Margaret Brady expressed disappointment that an evening service would be introduced before a much-needed daytime service.

Addressing members of Arklow Municipal District at their May meeting which was held in Aughrim, Ms Brady said that the active retirement group has been lobbying Local Link for some time seeking transport which would enable access to Arklow town during business hours to facilitate medical appointments.

“Having participated in consultations on public transport services, we were very disappointed to learn in the Wicklow People that, instead of providing meaningful public transport services for people in Aughrim, tax payers will be funding three booze buses every Friday passing through Aughrim. While this has been welcomed by some councillors, we feel the need to point out that instead of improving the quality of life of the majority of people in the Aughrim area, this service will only service to facilitate alcohol consumption and provide financial benefit to members

MORE THAN €21,000 has been raised by the people of Dundalk following the horrific murder of young Japanese native Yosuke Sasaki in January.

The Argus reports that the 24-yearold man was murdered as he walked home from work in National Pen on the morning of January 3rd, 2018.

In the wake of an incident which shocked the nation former local councillor Oliver Morgan set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the repatriation of Mr Sasaki’s body to his family in the Japanese city of Ebina-shi.

The initial goal was €2,000 but Mr Morgan revealed last night that the final total achieved was €21,390.

When fees to GoFundMe are accounted for, this means that the Sasaki family will receive a total of €19,269.95.

Commenting on the matter, Mr Morgan said: ‘It gives me great pleasure to announce that with all the diplomatic procedures now at an end, I can finally declare that a fantastic total of €21,390 of a €2,000 goal has been achieved to help the Sasaki family with the repatriation of Yosuke’s body back to Japan.

He said the funds raised were a fantastic testament to the people of Dundalk, and to those who made substantial private donations from around the world over in showing solidarity with the Sasaki family.

A huge number of people also took

part in a vigil that was held in the town centre days after the tragedy.

Mohamed Morei has been charged with Mr Sasaki’s murder but has yet to face trial. He is being treated at the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin.

ANTRIM

DUP suspends councillor Thomas Hogg after he admits drink-driving THE DUP has suspended Councillor Thomas Hogg after he admitted drink-driving.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that the former Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey was fined £250 and disqualified from driving for 12 months at Belfast Magistrates Court on Friday.

Hogg’s solicitor said that the decision to drink-drive had been an act of kindness in an attempt to help a stranded friend.

Speaking after Councillor Hogg appeared in court the DUP said it had suspended him from the party.

“The party is aware of the judgement. Thomas Hogg has been suspended from the party,” a DUP spokesperson said.

Elected as a DUP councillor in 2011, Hogg served as Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey for two consecutive years from 2014.

In 2016 he was awarded an MBE for services to local government.

CARLOW

Gardaí shut down four suspected brothels in Carlow town GARDAÍ have shut down four suspected brothels after an investigation into human trafficking. The Carlow Nationalist reports that the four premises are in the heart of Carlow town centre in apartment blocks and buildings that are shared with local businesses. The exact location of the suspected brothels was not disclosed by local gardaí because of their close proximity to established businesses in some cases. The raid of the premises was carried out on Friday in Carlow town, with a further three more premises being shut down in Kilkenny city.

“We were looking for people who are here under duress, people who have been forced to work in the industry and not of their own free will.

In reality, we’re looking for human traffickers,” a Garda spokesperson told The Nationalist, adding that they were also looking for juvenile illegal immigrants who may have been forced into prostitution.

Gardaí from Carlow and Kilkenny were assisted by immigration officers in the planned series of raid on suspected brothels, after weeks of building up intelligence in the areas.

None of the women found at the premises admitted to being forced to work in the industry and no arrests were made in that regard.

However, gardaí have been working with Ruhama, an organisation that supports women affected by illegal immigration, human trafficking and prostitution.

MAYO

Pikemen required for battle in Ballina – women welcome, too THE town of Ballina has put out a call for experienced and aspiring pikemen and pikewomen, reports the Western People.

But don’t worry, it’s not that the Saxons are expected back. This is a re-enactment of the Battle of Ballina.

It’s a long way to come, but if you happen to be in Ireland on June 29, you could be part of the action.

The organising committee needs as many volunteers as possible to take part in the re-enactment of events that occurred locally during the 1798 rebellion when French General Humbert and his troops joined forces with the Irish in a bid to overthrow English rule.

Later on the night of June 29 the public will observe a dramatic re-enactment of the torch-lit entry of Humbert and his troops to Ballina.

The procession will enter the town via Bohernasup and will conclude at the military barracks at approximately 10pm.

Volunteer pikemen, women and children are encouraged to frequent the barracks as often as possible throughout the weekend as it will contribute to the atmosphere.

Local television production company, Gillian Marsh TV will film the activities throughout the weekend for RTÉ’s Nationwide programme. A French TV company will also record the events and the French ambassador will be in attendance too.

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June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

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time out

Stitched up again THE World Cup begins next week and of course no boys in green will be in action, unless you count Mexico, Nigeria and Cameroon.

The World Cup will, sadly, always stir up painful memories of Thierry Henry’s blatant handball which robbed the Irish of a place at the 2010 World Cup. But, now, we have a new footballing scab to pick at for ever more.

The Republic of Ireland Under-17s were eliminated from the European Championship at the quarter finals stage when goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran was sent off during the penalty shoot-out against Holland.

Corcoran saved Holland’s fifth spot-kick from Daishawn Redan to seemingly keep his side’s hopes alive – only to be issued a second yellow card by referee Zbynek Proske for allegedly coming off his line.

A distraught Corcoran was forced to hand his goalkeepers’ shirt to defender Oisin McEntee, but Redan made no mistake with his second attempt to send the Dutch through to the semi-finals after a game which had ended 1-1.

As the Dutch wheeled away in triumph after a 5-4 victory, Irish officials remonstrated with the referee and senior team boss Martin O’Neill marched onto the pitch to take issue with the decision.

June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

4th, globally known as the day fans celebrate all things Star Wars.”

As well as screenings of the films and a ceilidh featuring Irish dancers in Star Wars’ costume, there is the chance for fans to follow in the footsteps of star Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) in a Guinness pint-pulling challenge.”

Mmmm. Could be a black hole.

Taking Liberty’s

Now, fans are drawn to visit locations where The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi were filmed.

Unable to land on the outcrop because it is only accessible to the public from later in May until September, costumed fans posed for pictures in the shadow the Skellig.

One wonders what the old monks might make of it all but sounds like someone thinks there might be a Buck Rogers to be made.

The head of festivals at Failte Ireland, Ciara Sugrue, said: “We wanted to give fans the chance to experience for themselves and what better to start that than on May the

A DONEGAL nightclub has been forced to take down an offensive sexist billboard.

The advert featured the back of a woman golfer’s body with the message “Liberty’s: Your 19th hole for the summer”. Liberty’s is a club in Buncrana in Co Donegal. Golf’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is due to be held nearby in July.

Sinn Féin senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn said: “This large billboard sign on the approach to my home town of Buncrana is just plain offensive to women. And it is offensive to men who respect the women in their lives. If it was shock value publicity they were seeking, then mission accomplished.

“This is not a bit of a laugh any more. Society has changed.”

“It is unconscionable that you have civil servants making major decisions, then challenged by the courts, with elected politicians having no say whatsoever.”

Jeremy Corbyn, the British Labour leader, speaking in Derry.

“Not in its entirety, no.”

Caroline Nokes, the UK minister for state and immigration, on being asked if she had read the Good Friday Agreement. The minister struggled, at a Westminster parliamentary committee meeting, to answer questions on the dual citizenship offered to Northern Ireland residents as part of the Belfast Agreement.

“Not recently, no.”

Caroline Nokes, the UK minister for state and immigration, responding to a question by Labour MP Kate Hoey who asked the minster if she had ever read any Irish history. The minister had shown an astounding lack of knowledge on Irish affairs.

“Leo Varadkar’s visit is another demonstration of the poor manners and disrespect which appears to be the Irish government’s Brexit strategy.

Having told unionists just over a month ago that he recognised statements and actions by the Irish government were unhelpful or intrusive, he follows this up with a visit which no local representative is informed about and none of the other normal protocol is followed.”

The DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson, criticising the Taoiseach’s stance on Brexit.

“Until we reach this agreement and this operational solution for Northern Ireland, a backstop [solution], and we are ready for any proposal, there is a real risk. We have to be prepared for all options, including no deal. It is not my preference.”

Michel Barnier, European chief negotiator for the United Kingdom Exiting the European Union, speaking in Dundalk.

Gael force THE Force was strong in Ireland as Star Wars’ fans flocked to the first May The Fourth Festival.

Enthusiasts dressed as Darth Vader, a Stormtrooper and Chewbacca travelled to a rocky outcrop in the Atlantic that starred in the last two films. Skellig Michael, a sheer-sided island 12 miles off the south-west of Co Kerry, was the location for famed scenes where Luke Skywalker meets Rey. The World Heritage site was inhabited by monks from about the sixth century for about 500 years, who lived in stone beehive-shaped huts in a monastery clinging to the cliff faces on the 200--metre-high rock.

They said it...

“Ireland has undermined, the issue of Ireland in so many different ways has undermined, British governments, you know, going back well over 100 years now.”

High-profile British ITV presenter Robert Peston during an interview with Tory politician, Jacob Rees-Mogg.

“The issue of Ireland has undermined British politics for “much more than 100 years. It’s a very long and complex history … it is deeply disgraceful that people who wish to keep us in the European Union are threatening the spectre of a return to terror to try and make people accept their views”.

Jacob Rees-Mogg MP. “The best building I will ever do is my last one.”

Dermot Bannon, one of Ireland’s foremost architects.

“I’ve become great friends with my demons.”

Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, speaking about the most personal album of his life.

American Star Wars’ fans Donna and Kevin Zachman take a selfie with fellow fans in costumes of (left to right) Shadow Stormtrooper, Chewbacca and Darth Vader on a boat trip to the Skellig Islands. Picture: Brian Lawless

Quiz

1. Which is the oldest association football club in Ireland — Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers, Derry City, Distillery, Cliftonville or Bray Wanderers?

3. Which Irish playwright had the middle name Barclay?

4. Which organisation, to which Ireland belongs, has the anthem Ode to Joy by Beethoven?

5. Which two counties does Lough Corrib occupy?

6. The most ancient pig breed in these islands were originally known as Irish Grazer Pigs. Robert Peel purportedly exported them to his English estate — after which they are now named. How are they known today?

7. How is the name of the traditional tune Éamonn a Chnoic usually given in English?

8. Which two Irish writers wrote works (one a poem, one a play) after being incarcerated in prison during the time of a capital execution?

9. Charles Stewart Parnell married Katharine Page, born in Essex in 1845. How was she known at the time of her marriage?

10. He’s from East Wall in Dublin, and he plays Davos Seaforth in Game of Thrones. Who is he?

Crossword Clues across: 1. Who had the confused ability to find this east coast promontory (5,4) 6. Irish canal or British family? (5) 8. July’s sessions reveal novel (7) 9. Street in Dublin, city in the Bahamas (6) 11. Like a garden digging instrument, or Irish family (4) 13. Patrick, an actor, is no haphazard binger (6) 14. Espy a bishopric (3) 15. Swift word found easily on the web (5) 17. Diptera in Garriflynn (3) 18. Remove insect, we hear, from European capital to reveal Lough (4) 22. Arrange, merge a net treaty (9) 23. Bad smelling level in the army, for instance? (4) 25. Square in Irish town, Jane (4) 30. Harvest a haphazard pear (4) 31. A rival Don’s on a journey to Clare (12) 33. Noel a confused film star (5) 35. Famous Dublin murder confusingly hands vice to lord (9) 36. Locks nor keys, even jumbled could lead you to part of US city (7) Clues down: 1 . Hey! Hug a mystified Taoiseach (7) 2. Confused north-east thoroughfare finds Mr Rooney (5)

3. Owner of inn, plus fellow owners? (4) 4 & 6 down: Erin rages. Its confused people stage rebellion (6,6) 5. A golden, haphazard sort of place (7) 6. see 4 down 7. Oh aye, at stanzas and the like he was good but hidden (5) 10. Holder of material which might mean you’d inherit the knowledge of how many hours it is to Tulsa (4) 12. Goodbye, O menfolk of the king and small landholding (6) 16. Glaciers a surprising basis for Spanish town written about by Yeats (9) 17. An article in the middle of iron produces Monaghan river (4) 19. Venture needs French woman to show herself (5) 20. Woman in Tamybuck (3) 21. Attempt a score? (3) 24. Solar range hides Scottish island (5) 26. Wrap plesiosurs to hide fruit (6) 27. Young man to the north-east spots river (5) 28. Jessica, or town in Clare (5) 29. Potassium and Kildare town produce Wuthering Heights (5) 32. Nitrogen twice, separated by oxygen twice, equals 12 o’clock (4) 34. Woman you might meet the night before? (3)

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LAST EDITION’S ANSWERS: Clues across: 1. Cork. 3. Minestrone.

9. Navigator. 11. Oaf. 12. Flan. 13. Rarities. 14. Ode. 15. Corr. 16. Trek.

18. Finn. 19. Geodic. 22. Dubious. 25. Alias. 27. Envy. 28. All. 29. Echo.

31. Serenade. 30 across, 6 & 22 down: The O’Conor Don. 33. Ensconce.

34. Mary Lou (Sinn Féin president).

Clues down: 1. Concrete. 2 & 23 down: River Boyne. 4. Err. 5. Trollope.

6. See 30 across 7. Eiffel. 8. Agate. 10. Oisin. 17, 20 & 21 down: Eau de Cologne. 18. Fiona. 19. Guinness. 20. see 17 down 21. see 17 down 22. see 30 across. 23. see 2 down. 24. Saltee. 26. Sexton. 27. Epsom.

Answers: 1. Cliftonville, founded in 1879; 2. Beckett; 3. SDLP; 4. The EU; 5. It’s mostly in Galway, with a small area in Co. Mayo; 6. Tamworth pigs. 7. Ned of the Hills; 8. Oscar Wilde — The Ballad of Reading Gaol; Brendan Behan — The Quare Fellow; 9. Katharine O’Shea (aka Katie or Kitty); 10. Liam Cunningham.

time out

June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

wallabies v ireland join the rugby party AT P.J’s CAIRNS

MELBOURNE

SYDNEY

watch all games live & loud 9 june - 16 june - 23 june LIVE MUSIC ON STAGE

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review

June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

Imagined life: red in tooth, claw

THIS is the fourth in the series of novels about the O’Neill family from Maitland in New South Wales. The central character is Pat O’Neill, an Auatralian Federal Police superintendent who is brought out of retirement following his injury in the real-life 2004 Madrid train bombing in which 193 people were killed. After he returns to Australia, he is asked to work on investigating whether one of those responsible for the atrocity was an Australian.

After a great amount of training, involving army, police, security, signals and the US Foreign Service, O’Neill is sent to Afghanistan to help catch this elusive Australian terrorist. Once there, he undertakes more training, involving lots of acronyms for locations and organisations involved in the attempt to make that benighted country safe for ordinary citizens.

Although the mysterious Australian is captured, the action in which this happens is a disaster resulting in the loss of many lives and leaving O’Neill a psychological wreck.

After he returns to Australia, his

girlfriend Ginger tries to help him get his life back together, a role in which she is no more successful than the psychologists. The final chapters of the book are in some ways the most satisfying, the story taking an unexpected but quite believable turn that is uncommon in adventure stories of this kind.

More importantly, those final chapters remind the reader that this is a work of fiction, because the book suffers from its attempt to do too many things. The events in Madrid, Australia, Afghanistan and Istanbul with the accompanying narrative of O’Neill’s relationship with fellow AFP member Ginger would make a good story on their own. But the action is broken up with accounts of the training undertaken by the participants and explanations of the political background and the many aspects of the fight against terrorism, notably the way that both sides use electronic gadgetry to deadly effect. The reader may find herself nodding off as these diversions from the central story are described in numbing detail.

Then there is the struggle with the many acronyms, familiar to military and police, but more than a little annoying to an ordinary reader: FOB, MTF, ISAF, MATS, CCV, NVD, KLE, L&D. At one stage, O’Neill gets a message in his earpiece which goes, “First calculate the FORCEPRO requirements for Gowerdesh APB sites in the village and along the LOC north of CPD”.

At least he admitted that “I had no idea what all that meant,” putting him in the company of many of his readers.

Books that tell a story about efforts to bring miscreants to justice depend on a straightforward,

BOOKS ANGEL EYES: THE SHADOW OF DEATH Mick O’Donnell mickodonnellonline.com 404 pp

CC FROM A LOW AND QUIET SEA Donal Ryan Doubleday 183 pp $29.99

CCCCC Frank O’Shea linear narrative with a minimum of explanation. The reader becomes involved in what is happening and is impatient with anything that takes from the action. There may be a romantic element or some treatment of personal journey, but these will usually fit seamlessly into the storyline. Introducing elements of education or culture or training, often with characters who have little influence on the story, runs the risk of annoying the reader.

DONAL Ryan can do no wrong. Even here, when he almost appears to be creating a new form for the novel, he manages with a devastating final flourish, a tying-together of

three stories that seem to have no connection with each other.

Those three stories are told in a kind of monologue form, focusing on three characters from a different time and place. Farouk is a doctor in the early days of the war in Syria; he pays a trafficker to take him and his wife and child out of the country.

What happens is so devastating that his mind appears to be broken and the reader wonders why this part of the story is needed.

Then we learn about Lamby, the kind of small town Irish loser that Ryan seems to create so easily.

He lives at home with his mother and grandfather and works in a care home as a driver and general dogsbody. His affair with the dissolute Chloe has collapsed, but he misses the sex more than the companionship. Driving some of his charges to a nearby town for therapy, he forgets that there is a man in a wheelchair at the back of his new Mercedes bus. It is such a small detail that the reader is also likely to forget.

That man is John, the third of Ryan’s characters. At the very end,

we understand that he is actually much older than the other two and his monologue is in the form of a confession as in ‘Bless me, father, for I have sinned.’ He was a school bully and then a work bully and finally a wealthy accountant with a lucrative line as a lobbyist and access to people prepared to do physical violence to others at a price. At eleven years old, John lost his older brother after the latter had led his club to a county championship in hurling, but this does little to persuade us that he is worthy of much sympathy.

How the three of these men are connected is revealed in hints and throwaway lines as if it was irrelevant. ‘ … and the man with his arm around her throat whispering into her ear all the things he was going to do to her and the hardness of him sticking in her back … and the Guards taking her statement and seeing she was lying, she was lying, there was more to it than that …’ Even then, the whole story is not yet clear and you read on for a final explanation that is still partly hidden between the lines.

This is writing of the highest calibre. There is minimal dialogue and when it occurs, it is part of a kind of stream of consciousness that does not merit a paragraph break or punctuation marks. The book is a reminder that a story does not need literary flamboyance or long descriptions because the story and its individual parts carry the reader on a journey that in this case is seldom comfortable. Besides, we do not need to be told what the characters are like, because they do that themselves by their actions and words.

Another winner from Ryan.

The Gap of Dreams Australian Tour “The hottest group in the Celtic realm these days” The Boston Globe

8–10 JUNE

NATIONAL CELTIC FESTIVAL

Portarlington

12 JUNE

THORNBURY THEATRE

Melbourne

13 JUNE

THE OLD MUSEUM

Brisbane

14 JUNE

LIZOTTES

Newcastle

15 JUNE

FACTORY THEATRE

Sydney

16 JUNE

FLY BY NIGHT

Perth

Tickets from troubadour-music.com // altan.ie

June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

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Stephen Moore

Mick Quinn

Paul Martell

Former Wallabies Captain

Former Ireland International

Comedian

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Event Partners

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Thursday May 31 – Saturday June 9 KINGS CROSS, NSW The Walworth Farce at the Kings X Theatre

Equal parts hilarious, menacing, absurd, terrifying, tender, violent and deeply moving, Enda Walsh’s The Walworth Farce is a wild exploration into what can happen when we get stuck inside the stories we tell. Because in the end … what are we if we’re not our stories?

Times: 7.30pm (Tues – Sat), 5pm (Sun) Cost: $37 Adult, $32 Concession, $25 Previews Bookings: www.kingsxtheatre. com/walworth-farce/

Saturday, June 2 ADELAIDE, SA South Australian Rose of Tralee Grand Selection Ball

The 2018 Rose Selection Ball will be held at the Sebel Playford Hotel on North Terrace Adelaide and hosted by channel 7’s Tim Noonan.

Ticket price $150 includes canapés, three-course meal, drinks package and live entertainment.

Bookings essential.

Contact: saroseoftralee@hotmail. com

Saturday, June 2 PERTH, WA Perth Rose of Tralee Selection Ball

Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Perth Rose of Tralee Selection Ball being held at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Book now to avoid disappointment.

Tickets: $175 per person include: welcome reception, three-course meal, drinks package, music by Grand Remedy, Irish dancing by Keady Upton School and spot prizes and raffle draw.

Bookings: www.trybooking.com

Monday, June 4 MELBOURNE, VIC PJ O’Brien’s 21st Anniversary Party

Join us on Monday 4 June as we celebrate 21 years of P.J. O’Brien’s Southbank.

Join in the craic at P.J. O’Brien’s, featuring some of PJ’s favourite musicians, bring your instrument if you fancy joining in!

• $5 Guinness Pints from 6-7pm.

• Happy Hour 7-9pm.

Complimentary canapes & cake.

Everyone welcome!

Details available at: www.pjobriens.com.au/southbank

Thursday, June 7 PERTH, WA Mary Coughlan at Fly by Night

Mary Coughlan is arguably one of Ireland’s greaTest female jazz and blues singers, a true artist who has carved out a timeless and highly regarded career and a legion of devoted fans worldwide. Described as “Ireland’s Billie Holiday” Mary has overcome childhood trauma, alcoholism & drug addiction to become a musical force like no other.

Details and Bookings: www.marycoughlanmusic.com

Thursday, June 7 SYDNEY, NSW Club Hibernia Launch Party, Sydney

Join us as we officially launch ‘Club Hibernia’ – a group for NSW Construction Industry professionals to network, socialise and share knowledge.

Free event – Register your www.eventbrite.com

Friday, June 8 – Monday, June 11 SYDNEY, NSW Irish Winter Language School Sydney’s only live-in Irish language school on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The school is open to adults from across Australia including: complete newcomers to the Irish language, those who want to improve their Irish, fluent speaker who want to meet and converse in Irish. Daytime classes and craic at night.

Visit the website or contact Eilis 0424 718 538

Friday, June 8 – Monday, June 11 PORT ARLINGTON, VIC National Celtic Festival

This winter festival is regarded as Australia’s premier Celtic Festival and attracts over 15,000 people to the region over the three day long weekend event each June.

The Festival uses a range of venues within the town, including community halls and spaces, the hotel, restaurants, cafes and churches. Additional venues include the Village Stage, Celtic Club, Wine Bar, and Celtic Markets.

The National Celtic Festival program offers a broad and diverse range of arts experiences that capture the Celtic culture in its many interpretations within the Australian setting. The festival has become an annual event for families and friends to gather, offering time to relax and experience the depth of Celtic culture through the festival’s cultural diverse arts program. www.nationalcelticfestival.com

Friday, June 8 BRISBANE, QLD Brisbane Rugby Test IACC Corporate Lunch

Each Friday game eve, The Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Test Preview Lunch for a corporate audience, featuring expert analysis, a bit of fun and a premium networking opportunity.

We are delighted to announce that Wallabies legend Stephen Moore has joined the Chamber team for our June Rugby Corporate Lunches.

Contact: admin@irishchamber. com.au

Friday, June 8 MANDURAH, WA Mary Coughlan at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre

Mary Coughlan is arguably one of Ireland’s greaTest female jazz and blues singers, a true artist who has carved out a timeless and highly regarded career and a legion of devoted fans worldwide. Described as Ireland’s Billie Holiday, Mary Coughlan has overcome childhood

June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

trauma, alcoholism and drug addiction to become a musical force like no other.

Details and Bookings: www.marycoughlanmusic.com

Saturday, June 9 BRISBANE, QLD Ireland vs Wallabies 1st Rugby Test

Ireland take on the Wallabies in Brisbane for the 1st Test at Suncorp Stadium.

The Qantas Wallabies will host Ireland in the first three-Test series ever played between the two nations in June. The Wallabies have an imposing record over the Irish in Australia, having not lost to them on Australian soil since 1979. www.rugbyaustralia.com.au

Tuesday, June 12 MELBOURNE, VIC Altan – Gap of Dreams Tour

Performing at the Thornbury Theatre. The album The Gap of Dreams transports the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The chance to experience this 30-yearactive band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music.

Tickets: www.troubadour-music. com

Wednesday, June 13 BRISBANE, QLD Altan – Gap of Dreams Tour

Performing at the Old Museum.

The album The Gap of Dreams transports the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together in the mists of winter to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The chance to experience this 30-year-active band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music.

Details and Tickets: www.troubadour-music.com

Thursday, June 14 NEWCASTLE, NSW Altan – Gap of Dreams Tour

Performing at the Lizottes.

The album The Gap of Dreams transports the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together in the mists of winter to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The chance to experience this 30-year-active band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music.

Details and Tickets: www.troubadour-music.com

Thursday, June 14 BONDI, NSW The Irish Support Agency Visa Information Evening With John McQuaid

The Irish Support Agency, in association with Arrive Australia, is hosting a free visa information evening for the Irish community in Sydney. Information will be provided by registered migration agent John McQuaid from Arrive Australia Migration Services.

All visa types are covered,

what’s on

Ireland has a poor record in Australia. Not a single member of the Irish touring squad was even born the last time the Irish won a Test match on Australian soil. Can Joe Schmidt’s side turn the tide of history and create some more of their own in Brisbane (June 9), Melbourne (June 16) or in Sydney (June 23). including the recent changes to subclass 457 visas and Australian Citizenship eligibility. www.irishsupportagency.org.au

Friday, June 15 SYDNEY, NSW Altan – Gap of Dreams Tour

Performing at the Factory Theatre.

The album The Gap of Dreams transports the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together in the mists of winter to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The chance to experience this 30-year-active band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music.

Details and Tickets: www.troubadour-music.com

Friday, June 15 MELBOURNE, VIC Melbourne Rugby Test IACC Corporate Lunch

Each Friday game eve, The Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Test Preview Lunch for a corporate audience, featuring expert analysis, a bit of fun and a premium networking opportunity.

Contact: admin@irishchamber. com.au

Saturday, June 16 MELBOURNE, VIC Ireland vs Wallabies 2nd Rugby Test

ever played between the two nations in June. The Wallabies have an imposing record over the Irish in Australia, having not lost to them on Australian soil since 1979. www.rugbyaustralia.com.au

Irish players. For tickets: www. trybooking.com/VPOM

Saturday, June 16

The Lansdowne Club’s rugby lunch will be held at Doltone House at Jones Bay Wharf for a celebration of both rugby and the relationship between Ireland and Australia.

Includes a two-course lunch and the guest speakers include Phil Waugh, Alan Quinlan and Keith Gleeson.

Contact: Ph. 02 9901 3500

PERTH, WA Altan – Gap of Dreams Tour

Performing at the Fly by Night.

The album The Gap of Dreams transports the listener to the lifestyle of rural Donegal, to a time before electricity when folks would gather together in the mists of winter to tell stories, sing songs and dance into the wee hours of the night. The chance to experience this 30-year-active band is to experience the living legacy of Irish music.

Tickets: www.troubadour-music. com

Tuesday, June 19 SYDNEY, NSW Sydney St Patrick’s Day AGM

Sydney St Patrick’s Day Organisation is holding their annual general meeting on Tuesday 19th June – 7 pm at The Gaelic Club. sydneystpatricksday.com

Thursday, June 21 SYDNEY, NSW Sydney Irish RFC – Charity Speaker’s Night

Ireland take on the Wallabies in Melbourne for the 2nd Test at AAMI Stadium.

The Qantas Wallabies will host Ireland in the first three-Test series

To celebrate the Irish rugby Tour of Australia, Sydney Irish RFC in conjunction with the Rugby Club Foundation and in support of Hearts in Union, invite members and guests to our speakers night with former Wallaby and

Friday, June 22 SYDNEY, NSW Lansdowne Cub Rugby Lunch

Friday, June 22 MELBOURNE, VIC Melbourne Rugby Test IACC Corporate Lunch

Each Friday game eve, the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Test preview lunch for a corporate audience, featuring expert analysis, a bit of fun and a premium networking opportunity for the business community.

Contact: admin@irishchamber. com.au

Saturday, June 23 SYDNEY, NSW Ireland vs Wallabies Final Rugby Test

Ireland take on the Wallabies in Sydney for the final Test at Allianz Stadium. The Qantas Wallabies will host Ireland in the first three-Test series played between the two nations in June. The Wallabies have an imposing record over the Irish in Australia, having not lost to them on Australian soil since 1979. www.rugbyaustralia.com.au

stay up to date with what’s on at

IrishEcho.com.au whatson@irishecho.com.au :: (02) 9555 9199

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June, 2018 I www.irishecho.com.au

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

sports GOLF :: YOUNG IRISH DUO SECURE ‘SIXES’ TITLE

Moynihan and Dunne pair up for success Phil Casey IRELAND’S Gavin Moynihan almost doubled his career earnings on the European Tour for two days’ work after partnering Paul Dunne to victory in the second edition of GolfSixes.

Moynihan, 23, who has not made a halfway cut in eight events this season, chipped in for a birdie on the first playoff hole to secure victory over South Korea in the semi-finals at Centurion Club in St Albans. And the Irish pair then made three birdies and an eagle in the space of five holes to beat France’s Romain Wattel and Mike Lorenzo-Vera 2-0 in the final to secure the first prize of €100,000 each.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Moynihan, who had previously earned €128,000

on tour, the majority coming from a tie for 14th place in last year’s Irish Open.

“It’s been a great week for both of us.

To get it done today means a lot when you’re representing Ireland.

“The course set up well for us and we had fun. It was the best fun I’ve had on a golf course since turning professional and a great few days.”

Dunne, who played alongside Moynihan in a record Walker Cup victory in 2015 and won his first European Tour title in the British Masters last year, added: “It’s a fun event but when you have the Tricolour beside your name it becomes a little bit more serious.

“We’re happy to represent Ireland well, have a nice trophy under the belt and it sets well to kick on for the rest of the season.”

Gavin Moynihan and Paul Dunne celebrate their ‘sixes’ win. Matches are played over six holes instead of 18.

FOOTBALL :: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

O’Shea retires from international football JOHN O’Shea has announced he will retire from inter national football following the Republic of Ireland’s friendly against the United States this weekend.

The 37-year-old has won 117 caps for his country since making his debut in 2001 and played in two European Championships.

Ireland, who failed to qualify for this summer’s World Cup, welcome the USA to Dublin five days later for O’Shea’s farewell.

“After 22 years of representing my country (17 at senior level) it is with great sadness and joy that I will be pulling on the Republic of Ireland jersey for the last time at the Aviva Stadium,” he said in an open letter to Ireland supporters. “It has been an amazing journey but I feel now is the right time to step aside for the next generation to enjoy the experiences I am so humbled to have been part of.”

Only Robbie Keane and Shay Given have represented Ireland on more occasions than O’Shea and he is one of only six players to earn 100 caps.

O’Shea, who suffered disappointment at club level after Sunderland were relegated to League One, admits his final international appearance will be an emotional occasion.

“I always wanted to play as much as I could at senior level and to now have 117 caps has truly been an honour,” he said. “There have been many highlights, such as leading Ireland out

John O’Shea has played 117 times for the Republic of Ireland.

as captain, featuring at two UEFA European Championships, and getting to share a pitch alongside so many committed and talented players over the years.

“It is a similar sentiment with regard to my managers at international level – Mick McCarthy, Brian Kerr, Steve Staunton, Don Givens, Giovanni Trapattoni, Noel King and Mar tin O’Neill, they placed their trust in me and I hope that I paid them back in a small way by always giving everything on the pitch.

“I would also like to acknowledge the

support I have always received from Sunderland and, prior to that, Manchester United, in particular, Sir Alex Ferguson who is in my thoughts at the moment – get well soon Boss!

“I’ve never taken anything in life for granted and the passing in the last year of my dad, Jim, and my friend and team-mate Liam Miller has shown me that ever y moment in life (not just football) should be cherished.”

Meanwhile, Ireland’s assistant manager Roy Keane has dismissed comments by West Ham co-owner David Gold that star 19-year-old defender Declan Rice will be turned “into a strong England defender”.

Rice was named in manager Martin O’Neill’s 26-man squad for this week’s friendlies against France and the United States. Although he will still be eligible for England until he lines out in a competitive match for the Boys in Green, assistant manager Keane reaffirmed the player’s commitment.

“It’s going to be pretty difficult if he’s Irish,” Keane said when asked about Gold’s comments. “And he is Irish. He plays for Ireland. Where else would he want to go, if you had a choice, Ireland or England? It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it? Ireland.”

O’Neill has also handed first caps to Bohemians keeper Shane Supple, Peterborough counterpar t Conor O’Malley, Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams and Shamrock Rovers striker Graham Burke.

CYCLING

CRICKET :: IRELAND’S TEST MATCH DEBUT

First Test ends in defeat but cricketers are happy Liam Blackburn

IRELAND’S inaugural Test managed to attract Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger to Malahide, and the hope now is domestic interest will ensure the game becomes a major sport.

The Irish made a memorable debut in the five-day format and were even thinking of a stunning victory when they had Pakistan 14 for three on Tuesday morning, only for the tourists to get over the line with five wickets in hand. Staging that first Test was the culmination of years of hard work to get Ireland a seat at cricket’s top table.

The challenge now for Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren Deutrom and his team is how to build on it.

Jagger might have been intrigued enough to turn up on the third day but cricket in Ireland has a way to go to rival the established sports of rugby, football and GAA. “We’ve always said Test cricket wasn’t the end of the journey, it’s the beginning,” Deutrom explained.

“We’ve probably done this the wrong way around. Most teams, they get ver y good at what they do domestically then they make a big noise globally. We’ve made a big noise globally and are using that as a means of driving popularity of the sport back here in Ireland.

“We’re not going to suddenly be the biggest sport overnight but if I look back where we were 10 years ago to where we are now, and trace the potential for us over the next five, 10 years, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be a major sport in Ireland.”

Kevin O’Brien was awarded man-ofthe-match after making a century in his, and Ireland’s, first Test match.

Deutrom had previously suggested the total cost of hosting the historic Test would be about €1 million, so the last thing Cricket Ireland needed was a washed out first day, when more than 5,000 supporters got full refunds.

The figures neede to stage five-day inter nationals means the longest format will remain a rarity in Ireland.

Instead, Deutrom is hoping to develop the fan base through the white-ball game, with India due to play two Twenty20s in June.

“We know it’s not the format of the game that is going to be driving the popularity of the sport here in Ireland.

“The opportunities to grow the game will come primarily through the whiteball game but we still want to keep in contact with the Test format. It’s our way of maintaining our connection with the tradition of the sport.”

RUGBY

Two Giro stage wins for Bennett Trimble to hang up boots at 33 IRELAND has a new cycling superstar after Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) won two stages of the Giro d’Italia.

The Waterford-man claimed his second stage win of this year’s race amid lashing rain and lightning strikes over the final 10km of the stage.

Bennett, 27, fashioned victory in thrilling style, reeling in leaders Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida) and Carlos

Betancur (Movistar) over the final 400 metres before continuing a strong sprint over the line.

Bennett’s move left sprint rivals Danny Van Poppel (LottoNLJumbo) and Niccolo Bonifazio (Bahrain-Merida) to battle it out for second and third places respectively.

Bennett’s win makes him the first Irishman to win two or more stages of the same grand tour event since Sean Kelly won

the overall Giro title in 1988.

Bennett told the BBC: “It was a tough finale. I didn’t know how much energy the two riders in front had left at the end. I decided to go early. I didn’t know if I could hold it but I think I caught a few by surprise so that worked to my advantage.”

Belgian-born Sam Bennett moved to Sean Kelly’s home town of Carrick-On-Suir when he was four years old.

IRELAND and Ulster wing Andrew Trimble has announced he will retire at the end of the season. The 33-year-old won 70 Ireland caps between 2005 and 2017, helping Joe Schmidt’s men claim the 2014 Six Nations.

Trimble, who made a record 229 appearances for Ulster, was also part of Ireland’s maiden win over New Zealand in Chicago in November 2016.

In an open letter published by

Ulster and the Irish Rugby Football Union, Trimble called time on a sparkling career that included 17 Test tries.

“I know that I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have realised not one of my dreams, but two of them – to play for Ulster and to play for Ireland,” Trimble said. “These have been some of the most fulfilling days of my life and I feel nothing but gratitude for them.”

Ulster’s operations director Br yn Cunningham insisted Trimble should be proud of his lengthy top-level career.

“Andrew has been a class act both on and off the pitch,” said Cunningham. “It’s been fantastic to follow his journey to becoming the highest-capped Ulster player of all-time – a remarkable achievement!

“He can be justifiably proud of his playing career.”

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GUINNESS PRO14 FINAL :: LEINSTER V SCARLETS, AVIVA STADIUM.

Leinster on the double after final win over Scarlets

AFTER the mental and physical test of the past two weeks, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen was delighted to see his side overcome defending champions Scarlets 40-32 in a thrilling Guinness PRO14 final last weekend.

Hot on the heels on their nail-biting Champions Cup success over Racing 92, Leinster picked the right moments to strike against Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium, clinching a first PRO14 and European Cup double.

“The last couple of weeks have been a mental and physical test for all of us,” admitted Cullen afterwards.

“The European game a couple of weeks ago, the feeling at the end was incredible because it was so tight and only going into the lead in the 79th minute of the game.

“To try and get our feet back on the ground this week was a challenge, but credit the players. They’re the ones that produce the goods on the field and I thought they were exceptional.”

Despite a late three-try salvo from the Welsh region, Leinster scored at crucial stages in the decider including James Lowe’s effort on the stroke of half-time for a 21-11 lead.

Sean Cronin and Jordan Larmour scored in the third quarter and Jack Conan got the clinching fifth try while man of the match Jonathan Sexton kicked 13 points and was influential in the build-up to three tries.

It was a bittersweet experience for retiring captain Isa Nacewa in the 185th and final Leinster appearance of his glittering career, as a calf injury led to his 18th-minute withdrawal.

However, with Rory O’Loughlin stepping up to the plate in his absence, he was happy to end his second spell in Dublin on a serious high.

GET A GRIP: Leinster’s Tadhg Furlong is tackled by the Scarlet’s Ken Owens during the Guinness PRO14 final.

The 35-year-old Nacewa commented: “I blew my calf quite early. Not the way I envisaged. I think I sat here yesterday and said I’d last far more than 40 minutes. Don’t think I got to 20! “’Locko’ (O’Loughlin) had trained all week and I think he was just outstanding tonight. Came on, massive impact again. Good day.”

While Scarlets’ quest for a second consecutive league title came up short,

head coach Wayne Pivac believes their late surge, which produced tries from Werner Kruger and excellent Kiwi winger Johnny McNicholl who complete a fine hat-trick, typified the spirit and resolve of his squad.

“At 40-18 (behind), it just showed the true character of this side and how far we’ve come,” said Pivac. “I just felt that it typified this group. We take our hats off to a very, very good Leinster side.”

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL :: LEINSTER V RACING 92

Leinster clock up fourth Euro title

Leinster’s Jonathan Sexton, who has yet to taste defeat in 2018 in any jersey, celebrates the Champions Cup triumph. Picture: Adam Davy

LEINSTER sur vived a nail-biting conclusion to win the European Champions Cup for the fourth time, edging out Racing 92 15-12 in a dour battle at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium.

Isa Nacewa landed the matchwinning penalty in the 78th minute, but Leo Cullen’s men had to sur vive a frantic finish at the end of which Racing replacement fly-half Remi Tales pushed a drop-goal effort wide.

Racing shrugged off injuries to flyhalves Dan Carter and Pat Lambie to lead twice during a cagey first half, Teddy Iribaren’s two penalties being cancelled out by a Jonathan Sexton brace. The 6-6 scoreline became 9-9 and then 12-12 as Iribaren landed four of his five penalty attempts and Sexton finished with three.

It was left to the retiring captain Nacewa to bring Leinster level, before an of fside decision against Tales allowed the 35-year-old winger to boot the Blues to their first European title since 2012.

The Irish province now jointly hold the record for most European Cups won along with Toulouse, while Cullen is the first man to win the tournament

as both a player and a coach. Nacewa, Cian Healy, Sexton and Devin Toner all collected a record-equalling fourth title.

Leo Cullen praised Leinster’s players after a phenomenal win.

Reflecting on the tryless encounter, head coach Cullen said: “They played that territory game and just made it very difficult for us.

“There were times in the first half when we were carr ying into heavy traffic and then there’s players on our side of the ball.

“We just couldn’t get a flow into the game and it was frustrating at times.

We didn’t quite execute a couple of things and we were just a little bit off.

“The message was ver y clear at half-time (at 6-6) – just stay patient. We couldn’t quite get our noses in front, Racing always had that bit of an edge, in terms of they were always on the right side of that three points.

“But credit to the players. It’s phenomenal how they dug it out, stayed very composed right to the very end and pushed and pushed and pushed the whole time.”

“It wasn’t pretty at times. It was

tough to watch that last 20 minutes; torturous in many ways. Maybe the fact that it was ugly like that makes it even better.

“The quarter-final and semi-final (against Saracens and Scarlets) were some very, very good performances from the team, and it was a completely different type of performance today.”

Racing scrum-half Teddy Iribaren – kicking in the injur y-enforced absence of Maxime Machenaud, Pat Lambie and Dan Carter – was only a couple of minutes away from steering the French club to their first European title. However, Leinster’s retiring 35-year-old skipper Nacewa landed a penalty to have the final say.

Sexton, now a fellow four-time European Cup champion like Nacewa, admitted afterwards: “It was great for Isa to finish off with the last couple of penalties. I just slipped during the game and tweaked my groin a bit, and I was struggling a little bit with it.

There was no point risking it.

“Obviously when you have such a good kicker like him beside you, you just hand it over to him, and he did the job,” Sexton added.

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sports RUGBY :: IRELAND’S SQUAD NAMED FOR AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Schmidt to bring all his big guns down under

Under head coach, Joe Schmidt, the Irish have won their last 12 Test matches, including a Grand Slam.

CONCERNS that Ireland’s all conquering Grand Slam stars might be rested for this month’s tour of Australia have been put to rest.

Coach Joe Schmidt has named the best possible squad for the historic three-Test tour including Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray, Tadhg Furlong, Jacob Stockdale and Robbie Henshaw.

Scarlets’ Munster-bound lock Tadhg Beirne is in line for his Ireland debut after being selected in the squad.

Leinster fly-half Ross Byrne is the only other uncapped player in head coach Joe Schmidt’s 32-man squad to face the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The only notable absentee will be Sean O’Brien, sadly still sidelined with injury.

British and Irish Lions and Ulster

Ireland squad for Australian tour. Forwards: R Best (Ulster, capt), T Beirne (Scarlets), J Conan, S Cronin, T Furlong, C Healy (all Leinster), I Henderson, R Herring (both Ulster), D Leavy, J McGrath J Murphy (all Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster), A Porter (Leinster), Q Roux (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), John Ryan, CJ Stander (both Munster), D Toner (Leinster).

Backs: B Aki (Connacht), R Byrne, J Carbery (both Leinster), A Conway (Munster), J Cooney (Ulster), K Earls (Munster), R Henshaw, R Kearney, J Larmour (all Leinster), K Marmion (Connacht), C Murray (Munster), G Ringrose, J Sexton (both Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).

hooker Ror y Best has retained the captaincy, moving the 35-year-old a step closer to retaining that leadership role for the 2019 World Cup. “This has probably been the most dif ficult selection process for the coaching group to date,” Schmidt said.

“We sat down to review the last pieces of footage and to discuss the balance and combinations that we felt we might need in Australia.

“The final decisions which included a number of very tough calls, and some

players are incredibly unlucky to miss out,” Schmidt said.

“Over the past couple of months the national coaches have spent time in the provinces and been in communication with the provincial coaches who have done a super job in managing the players across the season.

“The coaching group are excited by the challenge that this three-Test tour will present,” Schmidt said.

“The players are also excited about going on tour and testing themselves

against one of the best sides in the world in their own backyard.”

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said Ireland’s strong squad was going to provide a robust challenge for his team, which is confronting off-field controversies over homophobic hate speech allegations against Israel Folau.

“It’s going to be tough,” Cheika said after Ireland’s squad announcement.

“But we’re looking forward to putting ourselves up against a contrasting style of play. They are obviously very well coached. They’ve got a clear and coherent plan they want to deliver and they deliver that plan every week.

“That’s what’s got them to number two in the world and it’s a place that we’ll be looking to cut them down from when they come over here.”

WORLD CUP WINNING WALLABY OWEN FINEGAN LOOKS FORWARD TO TOUR

Finegan’s awake to Irish form David Hennessy

OWEN Finegan is Irish. He looks Irish. His parents are both Irish. All his siblings were born in Ireland. He spent many happy times in Ireland. And yet, like former Wallaby skipper Stephen Moore, when it came to representative rugby it was his Australian passport and not his Irish one that that won out.

Finegan, now 46, played 56 times for the Wallabies and has no complaints about the choice he made. After all, he won a World Cup winners medal in 1999, scoring a try in the final.

But he treasures his Irish heritage, lovingly handed down to him by his late Meath-born dad Pat and mum Josephine.

When he thinks about Irish rugby now, Finegan says it’s the late Anthony Foley who springs to mind.

“It’s a fond memory I have got of him and my battles with the Irish team,” Finegan tells The Irish Echo.

The for mer back-r ower dislocated his shoulder tussling with the Irish flanker who passed away in 2016 while he was Munster head coach.

“I have great memories of playing at Lansdowne Road. It was a great stadium with great histor y. I remember running out to the ground announcer welcoming, “the Wallabies and Owen Finegan and his 40-plus relatives at the game today”.

“It was great to play in Ireland in front of my relatives. My mum and dad loved coming back over, coming back over for a month and making a good trip out of it. The only downside was dislocating my shoulder in one of those matches and having to have shoulder reconstruction at the end of it. That’s one of my not so fond memories but it was wonderful,” he said.

Firm Irish friendships were forged over the years including with the much-loved Foley.

“I saw he passed and the outpouring from the international rugby community was a wonderful thing. It was shattering.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen a bit of that with Jonah Lomu, Jerry Collins, a few of those I kind of ducked around were

only in their early 40’s, if that, but are not with us anymore.

“He was a great Irishman. It’s not often you meet blokes like that and if I was going to dislocate my shoulder, who better for it to be against than tackling Anthony?”

Finegan also played alongside some of Ireland’s biggest stars while playing with Leinster under current Wallabies coach Michael Cheika and in the Barbarians jersey.

“I also got an opportunity to play in some Barbarian teams with Gordon D’Arcy, Brian O’Dricoll and some other Irish players, it was a wonder ful opportunity to do that.”

Finnegan, named in the first Wa l l a b i e s t e a m o f t h e professional era in 2005, says it will be a tough ask for the Aussies to defeat the allconquering Irish.

“They’re in the top three in world rugby. They beat New Zealand and England to break their record run of wins. You look at a team like that that have been consistent in winning almost 20 games.

“Ireland played extremely well in the Six Nations, ver y tough. Australia struggled in a thr ee-Test series against England two years ago. Last year Scotland came down and beat us, so Ireland coming out as Six Nations champions and Owen Finegan in action against Ireland in 1999. The back-rower believes Joe Schmidt’s team is Grand Slam winners, that’s just about the strongest Irish outfit to take on the Wallabies.

Cheika took the Wallabies to gonna be a tough ask.” the World Cup final in 2015 but Finegan started at Randwick recent years have been Rugby Club before being a key disappointing for the Wallabies, part of Canberra’s Brumbies losing a home test series to from their ver y inception in It was great to play in Ireland in front of my relatives. My 1996. He helped them to two mum and dad loved coming back over, coming back over England and by a record margin to Scotland last year. titles, including captaining them for a month and making a good trip out of it.

“He did a great job initially, to their 2004 triumph. taking on the World Cup in 2015 He played 90 Super 12 with a very short turnaround matches and a record 31 tries been good to follow their where he enjoyed success.

“He made a really good job and they made the final against for a forward. It was in 2005 that movements and growth into and transformed Leinster from the All Blacks.

Finegan left for Newcastle Irish rugby players.

“O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Kearney, a t e a m t h a t w e r e m i l d l y “They probably haven’t had Falcons. He would spend one year in England’s North East Shane Horgan, Hickie were competitive into European that consistency since. He’s playing so a lot of those young champions,” Finegan said. been really good and most of before moving to Leinster.

“To end my rugby career and the clubs he’s been to have been “I had a year at Leinster and players were just raising their Michael Cheika was there with heads, coming to the fore as have stints at Newcastle, successful. He was successful me so it’s interesting. A lot of well so that was a good time. Leicester and Dublin, the over at Leinster and at the the boys, well they were young They were transitioning out, Leinster experience particularly, Waratahs and probably hasn’t boys when I was playing: those older players, so the coming from a large Irish had the same consistency withe Jonathan Sexton, Cian Healy, younger players were getting a family: My mother had 14 Wallabies. You want them to brothers and sisters, my dad consistently perform so even if Jamie Heaslip, Devin Toner and bit of an opportunity.”

Finnegan is now head coach had 13 brothers and sisters and they’re losing games, they’re all those blokes were starting off at Leinster as young pups of Randwick Rugby, the club the majority are still in Ireland. still very competitive and just when I was finishing off so it’s Cheika left to join Leinster It was a wonderful opportunity.” the best can beat them.”

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HISTORY

Touring Irish have poor record in Oz IRELAND’S record in Australia is poor and they will have to reverse a losing trend to continue their unbeaten run.

The Wallabies have hosted Ireland on 10 occasions since 1987, winning all 10 Tests.

To find the last Irish victory on Australian soil, you need to go back to 1979 when Ollie Campbell (above) kicked Ireland to victory in a tryless encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

That win, and a 27-12 victory a week earlier in Brisbane, gave the tourists a clean sweep on that tour.

Ireland famously fell one-point short against the Wallabies in the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Melbourne but that’s as close as the Irish have come to a win here over the past 30 years.

The most recent encounter in Australia was in Brisbane in 2010 when the Irish lost 22-15.

However, under Joe Schmidt, the Irish have won three out of four of the most recent clashes including a famous win over the Wallabies at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.

Australia, meanwhile, has struggled against northern hemisphere opposition in recent years, losing all three Tests against England in 2016 and going down to Scotland last year in Sydney.

However, the Wallabies ended their home season with a rare win over the All Blacks.

Ireland will kick off their historic tour of Australia in Brisbane on June 9, followed by a second Test in Melbourne on June 16 and a third at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium on June 23.

The Sydney Test is all but sold out but there are still tickets available for both Brisbane and Melbourne Tests.

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