SCENE
vol 21, no 7 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
13 11 14
E
Registered with Australia Post PP100003914
IRISH
E FR
THE
M e r r y Christmas!
www.irishscene.com.au
Killarney Killarney Autos Autos Killarney
Crisis support:
0403 972 265
KILLARNEY AUTOS WOULD LIKE TO WISH ALL OUR CUSTOMERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
ALL MECHANICAL REPAIRS
From log book services to full reconstructions, it can all be done at Killarney Autos!
9309 4445 killarneyautos.com.au Unit 5/23 Buckingham Dr, Wangara
THE IRISH SCENE | 2
Page Index
Business Contacts MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT: baggage (unaccompanied) & FREIGHT 29 WA Labor Representatives 73 AI Express.............................................9243 0808 74 Stephen Dawson...................................9172 2648 79 Exportair............................Geoff/Tim 9477 1080 PROPERTY DEVELOPERs: Beauty & MAssage 20 Tyrone Developments.........................9582 2186 47 Sharon Nolan Beauty.................0498 980 987 Property maintenance: Butchers 91 Integrity Property Solutions.......0423 618 506 48 McLoughlin’s Meats...........................9249 8039 63 Jordan Kitchens & Cabinetry.....0405 182 730 88 Meat Connoisseur...............................9309 9992 Psychology: CAFE/DELI & fresh food: 90 Avoka Cafe.................6406 2336 / 6406 2105 25 Fresh Frontier Co...................................6162 9958 32 Voyage Sorrento...................................9447 2443
52 General Psychology Services......0414 251 967
IRISH community groups & INFO: 33 Aust Irish Heritage Assoc................9345 3530 51 Irish Families in Perth 66 The Claddagh Assoc............................9249 9213 40 IACC................................................... 1300 513 633
93 GAA.................................................0458 954 052 44 Perth Racing Ascot Racing Carnival 91 Shamrock Rovers...........................0410 081 396
Pubs, Clubs & restaurants: 21 Durty Nelly’s, Perth.............................9226 0233 59 Five 6 Eight, Perth.................................9325 4341 11 Galway Hooker, Scarborough Entertainment & RADIO: 28 Frank Murphy Celtic Rambles.................107.9fm 52 Irish Club of WA, Subiaco...................9381 5213 83 Fiddlestick............................David 0413 259 547 17 JB O’Reilly’s, Leederville....................9382 4555 2 Paddy Malone’s, Joondalup............9300 9966 79 Irish Theatre Players 6 Rosie O’Grady’s, Northbridge..........9328 1488 62 Oliver McNerney.........................................88.5fm 65 Woodbridge Hotel, Guildford............9377 1199 47 Torc Ceili Club Solicitors & Legal: Funerals: 23 Kavanagh Lawyers.............................. 9218 8422 37 McKee Funerals.................................... 9401 1900 69 Vibe Legal............................................... 6111 4890 45 Your Legal HQ.....................................9445 9200 Immigration advice: 65 EasiVisa................Carol-Ann Lynch 9429 8860 Sport & SportING Clubs:
TAX & accounting: 26 Lawrence Group...................................9285 8182
Jewellers: Travel & Tourism: 50 Perth Diamonds...................................9499 4474 57 British Travel.........................................9433 3288 Mechanics: tyres, batteries, brakes, wheels: 1 Killarney Autos.....................Neil 0439 996 764 9 Tyrepower Perth City................Fiona 9322 2214
IRISH
SCENE
THE
www.irishscene.com.au
Advertising: Imelda Gorman 0450 884 247
Editor:
Publisher:
Email: irishsceneperth@gmail.com Lloyd Gorman 0479 047 250 Email: irishsceneperth@gmail.com Canal Bank Media
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by contributors in articles, reproduced articles, advertisements or any other printed material contained in Irish Scene magazine or on www.irishscene.com.au are those of the individual contributors or authors and as such are not necessarily those of Gaelforce Promotions. The publisher and editor reserve the right to accept, reject, edit or amend submitted material in order to make it appropriate or suitable for publication. Irish Scene welcomes submissions, ideas and suggestions for articles and features as well as photographs of events happening around and within the Irish community in Western Australia.
THE IRISH SCENE | 3
A Christmas Message from the Irish Ambassador............................................45 A Glancing Look Through Glasnevin................30 A Great Time For Horseplay................................ 72 A Neat Idea For Home, and Away!.....................14 Around the Irish Scene.........................................82 Australian Irish Heritage Assoc..........................33 Australian Irish Dancing Assoc............................74 Book Reviews..........................................................78 Bríd Na Namhrán...................................................43 Christmas Cheer - Irish Seniors Lunch...............22 Christmas Cooking with Lee.................................64 Christmas on the Last Convict Ship to Australia.....................................................26 Claddagh Report....................................................66 Classic Disney Movie Screening: Darby O’Gill and the Little People......................83 Colonel John Bruce, Part 4...................................38 Comhaltas Perth.....................................................63 Discover Your Treasure With David...................50 Family History WA................................................70 G’Day from Melbourne.........................................54 GAA Junior Academy...........................................94 GAAWA...................................................................93 God’s Green Land.................................................. 24 Help Liam Rule At Pool!........................................92 Honorary Consulate of Ireland Western Australia....................................53 Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce............40 Irish Choir Perth......................................................69 Irish Scene Story Becomes ¤2 Million Deal........................................................18 Irish Stage Screen Sound.....................................84 Irish Theatre Players.............................................. 77 Isteach sa Teach.....................................................34 Matters of Pub-lic Interest!..................................56 Minute with Synnott...............................................76 On the Road: Australia Level - Complete..........88 Paula from Tasmania.............................................80 Remembering Martin.............................................31 R.I.P. Dessie O’Halloran........................................62 R.I.P. Ray McGowan..............................................87 Santa Had Shoes Like My Father.......................46 Shamrock Rovers....................................................91 State Hurling Golf Day..........................................37 The Full Circle..........................................................28 Through The Looking Glass................................... 4 Ulster Rambles.......................................................60 World Cup Rugby Fever........................................36
Through the
looking glass BY LLOYD GORMAN
A
rchitecturally speaking St Columba’s Church in South Perth is designed in the style of a Spanish mission but look closer and you will find it has more to do with Ireland than might first meet the eye. If you needed an extra reason to go to church that overlooks the Swan River then as it happens the 1936/37 built church is taking part in Open House Perth on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November. It is only a few years ago that the weather beaten roof, unique tower and windows were fully restored and brought the landmark building back to its original condition. There is a lot to admire about this little church – particularly for fanciers of Irish stained glass. “The church is noted for its exquisite Dublin made stained glass windows from the studios of renowned Irish craftsman Harry Clarke, and feature St Columba, St Brigid and St Patrick,” the blurb for the Open House event states. “I believe this to be the most outstanding rose window in Western Australia,” said St Columba Parish Priest, Monsignor Brian O’Loughlin. “It
Main: The St Columba’s Church in South Perth. Above: The Dublin-made stained glass windows inside the church. Inset: Harry Clarke encapsulates the artistic glory of the church with its rich and vibrant colours and unique figures.” The window in question depicts what you might call an Irish trinity. Not surprising then to learn that the parish priest at the time of the church’s construction was an Irishman. Monsignor John McMahon (18931989) was born in Ennis, Co. Clare and came to Perth in 1921. The Monsignor - whose maths tutor at UCD
THE IRISH SCENE | 4
was one Eamon de Valera - was in many ways a remarkable and capable figure whose life amounted to a long list of achievements worthy of a story in its own right another time. He commissioned a highly respected and skilled glass artist to design and make the rose window.
‘Holy Family’ (Joseph, Mary and Jesus), the ‘Queen of Heaven’ (Mary, with Gabriel and the Holy Spirit), the ‘Infant of Prague’ (Jesus as Holy Child), and St Anne (Grandmother of Jesus) - created an unforeseen complication. “Unfortunately, the new windows so darkened the Sanctuary that extra artificial lighting was required,” the Heritage Council report states. “Later, in 1969, skylights were installed above the altar, doing away with the necessity of extra lighting in the daytime.”
According to a 2006 assessment by the Heritage Council of WA the Rose Window above the choir loft in the northern gable is: “probably the most artistically significant feature of St Monsignor McMahon was a man Columba’s Church”…the windows, of many talents and interests. made in Dublin by the firm of He was heavily involved with Harry Clarke Ltd, exhibit excellent the development of the fledgling craftsmanship and contribute to the University of Western Australia splendour of the interior space. These (founded in 1911 by its Irish born intense and deep colours designed Chancellor Sir John Winthrop especially to suit Western Australian Hackett) and from 1930 he set out sunlight. The artist was enthused at to establish a residential Catholic the opportunity to ‘use extravagantly college, which finally happened in his richest and deepest colourings, 1955 when St. Thomas More College [for] in the old lands, the dull skies accepted its first students. Three limit the artist’s range’. [Clarke] later years later seven stained-glass claimed that the windows would window panels were installed on be his ‘finest effort’and the ‘best the east wall of the college’s chapel. advertisement’ for his work. The UWA highlighted them as part of high quality of the windows, in fact, its 100 Treasures series. The panels Above: Richard King. created ‘a stir’ at the Spring Show in depict Christ as priest and teacher, Dublin, where they were exhibited sending his Apostles to teach all nations. Saint Peter before being shipped to Perth.” is recognisable from his keys of authority and his The heritage body report offers this description of fisherman’s net, Saint John from his pen and the the Rose Window: “The Rose Window consisted of beginning of the Fourth Gospel and Saint Andrew three large circles, shaped in a shamrock formation, from his cross. They were crafted by the prolific with an image of St Patrick in the crowning leaf, and Richard King whose handiwork can be found in St Brigid and St Columba in the supporting leaves. churches and cathedrals across Ireland, and the Between these were smaller circles, ‘each a gem of central panel was donated by Monsignor McMahon. Irish interlacing’, with a different design in each one; In 1976 ‘St Tommies’ named its library after the Irish the patterns copied from the Book of Kells.” cleric. The Irish born Monsignor was very protective of the creation. When WWII broke out he removed and buried the stained glass windows in crates in the grounds of the church in case of possible enemy attack. When the war ended the crates were dug up but it was discovered that some bronze wire in the windows had become damaged in the process and the piece of glass with St Brigid’s name on it was broken. It was later replaced with some blue glass that was different from the original.
Decades after his parish priest predecessor at St Columba’s introduced some of the finest examples of Irish stained glass to St Columba’s and elsewhere, Monsignor Brian O’Loughlin has kept that tradition alive.
St Columba’s Rose Window was later joined by another custom made set from Ireland. In 1950 four coloured leadlight glass windows in the sanctuary were taken out and replaced with stained glass windows made by Dublin craftsman Richard King, who had trained in the Dublin studio of Harry Clarke and took over as its chief designer in 1931 with the death of Clarke. The new stain glassed windows -
The original cartouche (drawing in scroll form) of one of the existing sanctuary leadlight windows arrived at the parish, framed and conserved to complement the one currently on display, the paper said.
Two years ago in the run up to Christmas Monsignor O’Loughlin donated an authentic made piece of artwork by Richard King to the South Perth parish. The Record newspaper reported the story in January 2018.
The piece of artwork, which depicts the Holy Family, went up for auction in Dublin in December 2015. Continued on page 7
THE IRISH SCENE | 5
s ’ n o Seas tings e e r G to all
BOOK YOUR
Christmas Function 3 rooms to choose from
Christmas EVE PARTY - dec 24
Live music from 8.30pm
COME & MEET
SANTA CLAUS
At 10pm, presents for all!
HOME OF THE
perth celtic
supporter club
ring in the new year
December 31 with live music from 9.30pm
205 james street, Northbridge 9328 1488 • @rosieogradysperth northbridge.rosieogradys.com.au THE IRISH SCENE | 6
Continued from page 5
When he got wind of the chance to own the historic artefact the Monsignor made what turned out to be the winning bid. He gifted it to the parish in memory of his deceased parents, Gerard Patrick, Mary Margaret and his late brothers, Frank, Gerard, Gregory and Mark. “A parishioner, who was visiting Ireland, brought the rolled cartouche back with her for inspection and restoration in Perth,” The Record added. “Upon its arrival earlier in 2016, the 65 year old cartouche was described as stunning by both the auctioneer in Ireland and a local art expert.”
Above: Seven stained-glass window panels installed on the east wall of the University of WA, depicting Christ as priest and teacher, sending his Apostles to teach all nations
With the help of donations by parishioners and the expert hand of local preservationist Paul Malone it was restored. “[It was conserved] by washing and alkalising, backing with Japanese tissue, mounting, matting and framing with UV protective acrylic glazing to a museum standard,” Mr Malone told The Record.
in an old World War II era wooden hut that also acted as the island’s cinema house. As well as being a place of worship, the church is also popular with many of the 500,000 plus tourists and visitors to the island every year. According to the website of specialists Bisschops Glass in O’Connor, Perth, it designed and created 12 stained glass windows for Holy Trinity Church in 1999, with one of those being done in conjunction with Earley Studios in Ireland.
The beautifully restored cartouche was blessed at the start of Christmas Eve Mass.
A
nother beautiful example of Irish stained glass can be found in the compact Catholic church on Rottnest. Like St. Columba’s in South Perth, the hill top perched Holy Trinity Church, was built by another colourful and charismatic cleric who could proudly claim to be a native of County Clare. Thanks to the Herculean efforts of the late Monsignor Sean O’Shea from Kilrush the island - which he would serve for fifty years as parish priest - finally got its own purpose built church in 1975. Before that, mass was celebrated
“Mons” as he was affectionately known, died in December 2012 and the job of being the island’s chaplain fell to Rev Fr Leon Russell. Father Leon said he believes the stained glass window from Ireland is the large circular one above the altar.
Another little WA church, Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Leeman, just outside the coastal area of Greenhead, just over two hours north of Joondalup has distinctly WA themed stained glass windows with Irish inspiration. Kidogo owner Joanna Robertson sheds some more light on this glazed ensemble of a cross shaped window with two vertical rectangles on each side that she helped create as part of the unveiling of the then new church in the early 1990’s. Top inset: The round window at the Rottnest Island Church (above). Image from rottnestisland.com
THE IRISH SCENE | 7
Continued on page 8
Continued from page 7
“I was invited to collaborate to make this window by wonderful Perth master, stained glass artist, Matthew Goodlet (who died in 2013),” said Joanna. “I had recently moved to WA and was living in Fremantle and used to draw every Monday night at Matthew’s studio in the Old George Hotel, heritage building, in East Fremantle. One evening whilst I was drawing there, Matthew came to me and asked if I could help him - he had clients coming to meet him the next day to view his sketches for the windows for the church and he wasn’t happy with the designs he had. So I said “no bother” and cycled back to my place in Fremantle and drew all night and created the area. Top: the one-tonne wool tapestry hanging in St Patrick’s designs for the windows… and Basilica in Fremantle. Above: The stained glass windows on the then cycled back to Matthew’s St Patrick’s Basilica in front of the Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Leeman studio, gave him the drawings Fremantle was designed by (right) just in time before his clients Victorian born ecclesiastical arrived… and then cycled architect Michael Cavanagh home to get some sleep! Matthew, his assistant Ann (the second son of an Irish born builder and and I worked for a few months in his studio hand contractor) and was consecrated in June 1900. choosing the glass colours which Matthew would cut Its west window - of clear glass - has one of the to shape; I would paint in the traditional way with largest expanses of glass in any church in Australia. black “vitrifiable paint” over a light box. The black Interestingly this window has played a major part paint was applied to block light passing through in the redevelopment of the church building. In the coloured glass. The black “paint” was a mix of 1990, the pipe organ was increased in size to equip finely crushed glass powder and highly toxic black St. Patrick’s Basilica with the largest pipe organ of minerals that would melt and fuse onto the pieces any church in Australia. The proportions of the case of coloured glass when fired in a kiln. By fusing the for the organ were taken from the west window and black “drawing” onto the coloured glass, the artwork calculated using the architectural geometry of the was “permanent” and could never be scratched off.” building. Before this opportunity presented itself to her, But it is another large scale piece that was added Joanna used to go to Greenhead and stay at a friends as a result of the Basilica’s major interior facelift in beach shack. 1994 that is of particular interest for this article. As part of a new marble altar, a specially-commissioned “So I knew the area well and had sketched it and fifty sqm one-tonne wool tapestry icon of the Blessed photographed it many times. So for the design I Trinity was hung in the sanctuary. The impressive brought references of the islands and cray fishing wall piece was made in Ireland by artist Desmond industry into the design. Peter, the fisherman, is Kyne of hand knotted Australian wool in thirty depicted standing on a rocky outcrop with a crayfish colours. It has a strong resemblance to a big stained at his feet - in the Leeman landscape - pulling in glass panel. One of the mediums that Kyne has a net. It was exciting to be at the unveiling of the worked in is “kinetic glass”. His door sized 1986 icon window as all the attendees were so excited to see of Edmund Rice - unveiled in Liverpool in 1986 - is a the window. The window faces west so in the last great example of this work. Using modern technology afternoon the rich colours of the setting sun alter he developed “a unique process whereby light, and add colour to the window - so it feels very much falling onto a laser-ruled metal backing, is brilliantly alive!” The stained glass panels were paid for by the McTaggert family, who fished - and still do - in the reflected through glass in front, on which the Icon THE IRISH SCENE | 8
is painted. The Icon literally glows and sparkles in different ways depending on the angle of viewing it” according to the Edmund Rice Global Network. The tapestry celebrated the long links between the West Australian port town and Ireland. The parish of St Patrick Fremantle was created around 1850 and in 1894 when the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate arrived in Australia from Ireland the care of the parish was given to the order.
A
ll of the stained glass windows in St Mary’s Cathedral Perth - which was also designed by Cavanagh - were Above: The Pope and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sourced from an English stained glass maker (John Hardman) in Birmingham but some of the cathedral’s design is Inspired by Ireland’s ancient Catholic history. The mosaics in the sanctuary are taken from the Book of Kells and were installed by Sydney firm, Melocco Brothers. Harry Clarke was recognised in his native Dublin earlier this year. The Cabra Road Bridge in Dublin 7 was named in his honour in April when the Lord Mayor of Dublin Nial Ring unveiled a plaque on the bridge at a ceremony attended by members of the Cabra Road Residents’ Association - who applied to Dublin City Council’s commemorative naming committee in 2017 - and Clarke’s granddaughters. The bridge is in close proximity to St Peter’s Church in Phibsoborough, one of many churches across Ireland (England, America and as we have seen Australia) to house his work. The Irish Times reported at the time that: “The three-light window in St Peter’s Church, entitled Apparition of the Sacred Heart, St Margaret Mary and St John Eudes (1919) is considered to be one of Clarke’s early masterpieces.” In November 2016 then Taoiseach Enda Kenny presented presented Pope Francis with a framed example of a Harry Clarke piece. It was inscribed “From the Nativity Window by Harry Clarke, St. Patrick’s Church, Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. Presented to His Holiness
Pope Francis by Enda Kenny, TD, Taoiseach of Ireland, November 28, 2016.” But Clarke - who began his career as a book illustrator and had studied at the same Jesuit College as James Joyce - was just as much at home creating visions inspired by the Irish writers and other literary figures. The Guardian newspaper even likened some of the scenes and fantasy’s he created as being akin to being like Sci-Fi or Hammer Horror (1970’s TV horror series) and even erotic. Indeed a piece he created in the year before his death in 1931 which was deemed to be outrageous only went on permanent public display in the Hugh Lane Gallery in 2015. The Irish government commissioned Clarke - who WB Yeats had called “Ireland’s greatest artist in stained glass” - to create a piece of stained glass for the League of Nations building in Geneva. Clarke created eight panels - including more than a dozen pieces based on the writings of Yeats, Shaw and O’Casey. One small window of the Geneva commission depicts a scene from Liam O’Flaherty’s novel Mr Gilhooley, with a partially nude dancer, Nelly, Gilhooley’s mistress, covered only by a transparent veil. The artist inscribed a message in tiny handwriting on the panel: “She came towards him dancing, moving the folds of the veil so that they Continued on page 10
PERTH CITY Twice Winner “WA Tyrepower Dealer Of The Year” Qualified Mechanics for light mechanical work
Call Fiona or Adrian for a great tyre deal! You won’t be sorry
• TYRES & WHEELS • BRAKES & SUSPENSIONS • WHEEL ALIGNMENTS • WHEEL REFURB & PUNCTURES • BATTERIES We stock a huge range of tyres from all the leading brands!
Call us today 9322 2214
35 Troode St (next to Licensing Centre) West Perth. Email perthcity@tyrepower.com.au Happy Christmas to all our customers!
THE IRISH SCENE | 9
Left: The stained glasswork of Madigan’s Pub on North Earl Street. Bottom left: Gilhooley’s mistress Nelly, depicted in glass, covered only by a transparent veil. Bottom right: Bewleys on Grafton Street also features a Harry Clarke piece.
Continued from page 9
Continued from page 9
unfolded slowly as she danced”. The then leader of the Irish Free State WT Cosgrave rejected the work because he said it was not suitable. The panel was later lost for decades and was only acquired by the Hugh Lane Gallery in recent years, who purchased it from the Fine Art Society in London.
Raising the bar for stained glass Church’s and cathedrals do not have a monopoly on stained glass windows and panels. This colourful artform is just as much at home and likely to be found in another commonplace temple place of sorts across Ireland - the pub. Dublin, for example, is dotted with traditional drinking dens displaying the craft of a different sort of glass work. At least one of Dublin’s estimated 800 public houses claims to have a Harry Clarke installation, Madigans on North Earl Street. And while it is not a pub Bewleys on Grafton Street has what must be some of the best and most celebrated Harry Clarke stained glass windows anywhere in the world. He designed six decorative windows in 1928 for what was then the new premises of Bewelys Oriental Cafe. The first four windows, featured on the main wall of Bewley’s café, depict the Orders of Architecture; Corinthian, Doric, Ionic and Composite according to the official Bewley’s
website. The two decorative windows, overlooking Swan Lane located on the left wall of the main café, are made of lightly coated clear glass and decorated with elaborate and delicate depictions of butterflies, exotic birds and foliage. A €12 million renovation in 2017 opened up the entrance of the landmark cafe to make the Harry Clarke windows more visible. Another famous Dublin pub Grogans Castle Lounge has the next best thing to a Harry Clarke window on the premises. The little bar on the corner of William Street and Castle Market in Dublin 2 has always attracted an eclectic, interesting and diverse clientele. Tommy Smith became the owner in 1973 and runs it still. Under his aegis the place has become something of a rolling exhibition space where paintings of all sorts by artists of all caliber adorn the wood panelled walls of this great little boozer. Grogans has embraced its cultural connection with the city and customers and combined this with the Dublin tradition of stained glass. Some years ago the Grogans owner commissioned two panels for the premises as a tribute to his punters. One celebrates the characters who frequent the place during the day while the second is dedicated to his night time patrons. The magnificent piece was directly inspired by Clarke. “I was very taken with stained glass, I suppose it was my Christian upbringing,” Mr Smith told the Irish Times. “The only piece of art I was exposed to where I came from was church windows and stained glass. I came to Dublin and I had a look at Harry Clarke and then I really fell in love with it.” he said. Artist Lamb Plunkett created the pieces. As a student Plunkett used to drink in Grogans and would later suggest to Smith the idea of a portrait of the people who drank there. His response was “great”. She proclaims Harry Clarke as an influence. Not every pub can claim to have an original window created by one of Ireland’s most famous stained glass artists, but quite a few have old and original windows and panels worthy of artistic attention. For example, there has been a tavern on the corner of Dame Court and Dame Lane in Dublin since 1770, which today is the Stag’s Head. It has jealously Continued on page 12
THE IRISH SCENE | 10
THE IRISH SCENE | 11
Left: Blooms Hotel with its massive mural painted by James Earley. Below left: Grogan’s Pub. Below right: Guinness is also linked to one of the biggest stained glass restoration projects in Irish history. Bottom left: The feature windows of St James’s Church.
Continued from page 10
maintained many of its Victorian features such as wroughtiron chandeliers, polished granite, old barrels and ceilinghigh mirrors and a taxidermied head of a stag. Other locales with excellent examples of stained glass work include have Davy Byrnes (Duke St), The Olympia Theatre and The Bank (Dame Street) and The Flowing Tide, to name a few. Guinness is accidentally linked to one of the biggest stained glass restoration projects in Irish history. Arthur Guinness founded his brewery in the St. James’s Gate part of Dublin in 1759 (on a 9,000 year lease at 45 pound a year). In 1844 Daniel O’Connell ‘The Liberator’ laid the foundation stone for St James’s Church, which is just around the corner from the current Guinness Storehouse, now one of Ireland’s biggest tourist attractions. The church featured large stained glass windows made in France and Germany. In 1900 one of the massive brewing vats at the Guinness brewery exploded (a similar incident happened again in 1986). Nobody was hurt in the blast, but a lot of damage was done, including to the windows of St James’s Church. The church’s own website explains what happened: “the explosion caused a magnificent 50 foot high stained glass window in the church to be sucked outward, away from the building. It came crashing down and was smashed beyond recognition. The window, which was commissioned in 1859 was the work of one of Ireland’s first stained glass artists, Michael O’Connor. Reconstruction of the window was
undertaken by the Abbey Stained Glass Studios, which was established in 1944, the centenary of the laying of the foundations stone of St James’s Church. The shattered fragments of the window were carefully gathered and the window painstakingly reassembled using slides provided by the National Gallery of Ireland which had catalogued the window. About twenty per cent of the original glass had to be replaced. One year after the explosion in the Guinness Brewery, the craftsmen of the Abbey Stained Glass Studio returned the reconstructed window to St James’s Church. This beautiful piece of work, which consists of panels representing 20 different subjects, is testament to the talent and dedication of craftsmen practicing their skills 150 years apart.” About two years after the unique window in St. James’s Gate had been commissioned a new ecclesiastical furnishings and stained glass maker and retailer - Earley and Studio - opened in Camden Street, Dublin, as well as another outlet in Lower Clanbrassil Road and the company would become one of the biggest firms of its kind in Ireland and the UK. The stained glass window it designed and installed at the nearby St. Kevin’s Church, Harrington St, was the largest of its kind in Ireland. In around 1974/1975 Earley closed its Camden Street centre which featured a magnificent circular stained glass window - but continued its operations in Dundrum, before that too closed. The family tradition is carried on today by James Earley, in new and different ways and materials, such as perspex, glass and paint. James started producing artworks in public places in the late 1990’s, and he was active in the Irish graffiti movement as well. About nine years ago, he started to develop a distinctive style of abstract figurative works that stemmed directly from stained glass. In 2014, for example, he painted the entire outside of Blooms Hotel, directly behind the old Central Bank building in Dame Street, as a tribute to one of the greatest books about the Irish capital, Ulysses by James Joyce.
THE IRISH SCENE | 12
It took him eight months and is the largest public artwork in Ireland. The design is unmistakeably influenced by the art of stained glass and transformed an otherwise bland building into a Dublin landmark. In the long history of stained glass - it was created in medieval times as a way of communicating bible stories and scripture to a largely illiterate population - a world first for the field was created in Dublin last year. For the 2018 visit of Pope Francis to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families in the RDS Skoda Ireland - who were the official car company of the event - created a unique vehicle for the occasion. Boys + Girls, a creative agency in the city, teamed up with one of Ireland’s top stained glass craftsmen to customise the windows of a Škoda Karoq. Evan Connon - whose grandfather was a stained glass artist who learned the trade from Harry Clarke - designed and created the bespoke windows in his studio in Crumlin as a homage to the family in modern day Ireland.
F
inally, it turns out that there is at least one other Harry Clarke piece of stained glass in Perth that has spent quite a bit of time tucked away under a bed for safe keeping. JB O’Reilly’s owner Paul North is the proud owner of a panel
Above left: The unique Skoda with stained glass windows created for the visit of Pope Francis in 2018. Top right: The stained glass windows at the Irish Club in Perth. Above right: Paul North’s Harry Clarke piece. Above centre: The magnificent circular stained glass window in stained glass maker Earley and Studio’s Camden Street centre crafted by the legendary Irish artist. “I have no idea what it worth, but I paid 28 pounds for it,” said Paul. “It is a Harry Clarke window that I bought at an auction in Dun Laoghaire about 35 or forty years ago when we had pounds, and £28 was £28. I didn’t know anything about it but I bought it because I liked the look of it and the fact that it had the words Jesus, Mary and Joseph written on it,” he smiled. Paul said it hung in the Poor Mouth Cafe in Middle Abbey Street for ages where he was the manager. “One day Gavin Friday, the lead signer with the Virgin Prunes came in and offered to buy it from me as he collects religious iconography but I held onto it. I’ve had a mad idea about building a home one day and putting it in there.” Would he be tempted to install it in JB’s itself Irish Scene asked? “You’d need the right spot to put it so the light would come through it, otherwise there’d be no point,” Paul replied.
If you know of a stained glass piece in WA with an Irish connection or one in Ireland with a West Australian story we’d love to hear about it. THE IRISH SCENE | 13
A neat idea for home, and away! BY LLOYD GORMAN West Australian towns like Denmark, Collie and Toodyay have something in common with Skerries, Westport and Killarney. In the past they have all beaten hundreds of other small communities across Australia and Ireland to be named their nation’s tidiest towns. Competition is stiff for this prestigious award with participating communities putting in a lot of planning and effort to win or keep the title.
Some of WA’s key environmental leaders at the Tidy Towns awards – Waste Authority Chairman Marcus Geisler, Keep Australia Beautiful Chairman Michael Aspinal, DWERWA Director General Mike Rowe and Environment Minister Stephen Dawson MLC.
At the end of September Image: Twitter @DWER_WA the border village of Glaslough in Co. Monaghan where Paul McCartney married Heather Mills in 2002 won the award for Ireland’s tidiest village as well as the top national spot. There were 918 entries in the overall competition. Glaslough - which means “calm or green lake” in Irish scooped the tidiest village category last year and just missed out on the top gong that year by one point to Listowel, Co. Kerry. It was first crowned Ireland’s tidiest village in 1978. First place sees the winning village walk away with a cheque for €5,000 while the national winner gets €10,000. The real kudos comes with the media attention and reputation of being Ireland’s cleanest and prettiest place and the tourism attraction that goes with it.
“This means everything,” said Glaslough Tidy Towns Committee coordinator Louise Duffy. “There is such a brilliant sense of pride in the village and community. It is not just the volunteers but it is a community effort involving the residents of the village and volunteers from all the 12 organisations in the village. This is a whole community effort. You might have 40 or 50 volunteers involved working directly on Tidy Towns duties but then you have all of the community groups involved.There are over 500 people in the village and every resident made such an effort,” she added. Australia’s 2019 Tidy Town awards were announced in April in Tasmania. Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte) in the Northern Territory won out in three categories, but more importantly was crowned Australia’s overall winner. Collie in WA got a special recommendation in two areas. Tidy Towns judge Gail Langley said, “Santa Teresa represents a comprehensive working model of a community driven to strive to create a vibrant sustainable environment for themselves and future generations to live and work. As a community, they continue to evolve through necessity THE IRISH SCENE | 14
in a changing world, they are willing to learn and adapt in a unique environmental, social and political arena.” It is no accident or coincidence that Ireland and Australia share a Tidy Town programme. In fact, one gave birth to the other, starting here in Western Australia but we need to go back a bit to the origins of the competition. Life in post war (WWII) Ireland was a largely bleak affair with little economic opportunity or development. Money was tight for everyone, including government, so a solution would have to be found that was affordable and sustainable but also effective. Against this backdrop the national Tidy Towns scheme was launched in 1958 by Bord Failte (now Fáilte Ireland). The official Tidytowns website offers a history of the competitions origins and growth.
“It was originally part of ‘Tostal’, a nationwide festival celebrating all things Irish,” Tidytowns. ie states. The national spring clean festival “An Tostal”, translated means “Ireland at Home”. “A step-up from the original National Spring Clean Campaign, which ran between 1953 and 1957, TidyTowns rapidly developed its own identity and has gone on to become Ireland’s most well known and popular local environmental initiative. Right from the start, the primary focus of TidyTowns was to encourage communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit. The competition aspect was an important element in developing friendly rivalry that would help boost standards across the board. The winner of the first competition held in 1958 was Glenties, Co Donegal. However, the emphasis was always on participating rather than winning as the very act of taking part brought benefits to the community. As a result of this focus on long-term results rather than quick returns, TidyTowns was seen as a unique and far-sighted initiative. Although just 52 towns entered in its first year, TidyTowns rapidly increased in popularity with an average of 700 entrants per year. It is impossible to accurately estimate the number of people who have had some involvement in TidyTowns, but its safe to say it has run into the hundreds of thousands, and its influence on the transformation of Ireland’s landscape is undeniable.” Interestingly the history claims that its success spawned many other initiatives at national, county and local level, which boosted its reputation and impact but perhaps its most interesting spin-off is not mentioned. The site even contains two comprehensive histories which are guilty of the same omission. The missing part of the puzzle can be found on the Keep Australia Beautiful website which runs the Tidy Towns scheme. Just ten years after it started in Ireland, Western Australia was the first state in Australia (or anywhere in the world) to start a new Tidy Towns programme. KAB tells us that it was “based on an Irish community pride model” and that the first Tidy Towns awards event was held at the Palace Hotel (it does not state if it was the one in Perth or Kalgoorlie) on a date with some Irish significance March 17, 1969. The Keep Australia Beautiful WA Council expands on that beginning in more detail.
Coming up smelling of Roses The stark economic and social conditions that gave rise to the Tidy Towns competition in 1958 as a way of giving struggling local communities a self help boost also delivered another famous - if slightly younger - Irish festival. The Rose of Tralee festival has similar roots. Its predecessor was an annual pageant called the Carnival Queen, which had waned in popularity in the wake of the Second World War and rampant emigration. The story goes that a group of local business people got together in Harty’s Bar in Tralee to look at ways they could bring more tourists into the town and encourage ex-pats back home. In 1957 the Race Week Carnival was resurrected as an event that included a Carnival Queen. Around the same time, the then managing director of The Kerryman newspaper Dan Nolan - who was also involved with the races - was heading up another similar group which had the idea of a local festival named after the famous 19th Century ballad. With a modest budget of just £750 the first Rose of Tralee competition took place in 1959 and was a hit. The success of the event saw it quickly evolve from being one that was only open to women from Tralee, to young women from the rest of Kerry, Ireland and then around the world. Today the International Rose of Tralee Festival is a €100k plus festival entertainment programme - funded mainly by businesses in the area and sponsors - worth millions to the local economy and global publicity. Government funding for the Rose of Tralee - via Fáilte Ireland - has been problematic over the years. In the year of the global charm offensive to bring as many people as possible to Ireland known as The Gathering (2013), Irish taxpayers - throughout the Irish tourist body - pumped a record €107,000 into the Rose. But that funding dwindled in the following years to €30,000 in 2016 and to half that amount again in 2017. At the start of this year its allocation went back up to €30,000 as part of a nearly €3 million injection for 40 existing and new festivals across Ireland. Tourism minister Brendan Griffin said festivals and similar events are critical for tourism growth as they attract more than 200,000 overseas visitors to Ireland and contribute €108million to the economy every year. Fáilte Ireland aims to increase the number of festival tourists to 300,000 by 2022.
Continued on page 16
THE IRISH SCENE | 15
Right: Minister Michael Ring launches 2019 Supervalu TidyTowns. Top right: The winning town, Glaslough. Above: Mr. Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of SuperValu, Anne Doyle, chairperson of Skerries TidyTowns Committee and winners of Ireland’s Tidiest Town 2016, and Mr. Michael Ring, T.D., Minister for Regional Economic Development.
Continued from page 15
“The idea for the first Australian Tidy Towns competition was touted by the Western Australian Tourist Development Authority (WATDA) in 1968 to promote tidy and presentable towns the Tidy Towns Award program received instant success with 59 entries in its first year and the first awards in 1969,” KAB WA said. “Tidy Towns in WA emanated from an Irish project, ‘Tidy Towns & National Roadside Gardens Competition’ after R.H. Hiller, the Director of the WATDA was contacted by an agent from the Irish Tourist Board, based in Sydney. The agent stated they ‘had problems much the same as your own in bringing about the development of transport, accommodation, amenities, and of tourist attractions, on the scale required by the traveller of today’ and offered to share information on their own initiative and its well received success.”
The Tidy Towns competition was launched in 1968 by the WATDA with the judging taking place from November 1968 through to February 1969. Four judging categories were set according to town size and prize money ranging from $400; $600; $1000; and $1500 (smallest to highest population size). Competition winners were announced by David Brand MLA who was Premier and Minister for Tourists at the time, at a buffet luncheon at the Palace Hotel, on 17 March 1969. Corrigin, Merredin, Medina/Calista, and Bunbury were all amongst the winners, with Bunbury also named the overall state winner. Unlike today, the inaugural competition did not stretch state-wide; metropolitan (not just regional) entries were accepted; and local government agencies rather than communities were the competitors. “Over the years, there have been some changes to the competition including a broader environmental focus,” KABC WA added. “Traditionally, the program focused on tidy streets, litter prevention and beautification. Now communities investigate and conserve assets such as their cultural heritage, bushland and rivers and limit their impact on the environment through recycling and resource recovery. The awards promote pride in communities, the protection of cultural and natural heritage values, and a sustainable future. The benefits of involvement in the Tidy Towns program include increased tourism and marketing opportunities, increased youth participation, and community cohesion.” Tidy Town’s success in Western Australia would see it spread out to every other state and territory. In 1991 the Australian Tidy Towns Awards began, acknowledging that the concept was borrowed from Ireland and started in WA. The concept behind this community scheme has evolved to include a strong environmental message and emphasis on nature and biodiversity, heritage and culture and is now more popular than ever. THE IRISH SCENE | 16
Merry Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain Shona
Looking to book your Christmas Function? Check out our Christmas menus on our website:
jboreillys.com.au Available from Dec 1st to Dec 24th 2019
99 Cambridge St, West Leederville T: (08) 9382 4555 E: oreillys@iinet.net.au THE IRISH SCENE | 17
Irish Scene story
becomes €2 million deal BY LLOYD GORMAN Irish Scene readers who enjoyed the story about Ballinafad House in Co. Mayo in the last issue of the magazine (Ballinafad House To the Mayo Manor Reborn) and who have a small fortune burning a hole in their pocket could potentially put the two things together. As the September/October edition was at the printers, it emerged the Belcarra, Castlebar property, first built in 1827 for a newly wed couple, had been put on the market by its current owner. Bede Tannock, from Fremantle, whose ancestors left Tipperary in 1863 for Australia, and his partner Sandra are selling the Georgian residence that sits on more than seven acres of prime west of Ireland countryside. Ballinafad House was a derelict site in late 2013 when Bede and Sandra bought it. They quickly got to work to save the 70,000 square foot structure from total annihilation. Their rescue renovation featured as the opener for RTE’s “The Great House Revival” in 2018, which was shown on SBS here a few months ago. After a few years of hard work, the heritage overhaul restored about half of the 110 room property, which boasts its own indoor handball court as well as a chapel with seating for 300 people that was added in the 1960’s. The majority of the remaining works are “well progressed” according to Connaughton Auctioneers from Roscommon, who are handling the search for new buyers. “Since 2017, this property has been hired for events such as local fundraisers, weddings and corporate functions and all works complete are in full compliance,” the auctioneers state. “Having appeared on RTE’s The Great House Revival in 2018, Ballinafad House is well known both in Ireland and worldwide. You have a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this prestigious property nestled in an unspoilt area long the Wild Atlantic Way. Its future use may be a private Georgian home or Ireland’s top wedding venue. Maybe a hotel, retreat and spa. The next chapter of ‘Ballinafad House’ awaits. It could be you who tells the next story of this historic property.”
The Irish Scene article from September/October featuring Ballinafad House It is not clear why after taking on and achieving such an impressive restoration the Perth couple are selling the place, but it could potentially be a good buy for someone else. They paid €80,000 for the pile and had a budget of €500,000 to bring it back to its former glory. Even if they went over the original amount they allocated for restorations, the (Euro) 2 million price tag should on the face of it let them walk away from the project with a profit.
Ballinafad House, for sale
THE IRISH SCENE | 18
You could even say their asking price is modest. Ballinafad House was put on the property market in 2000, when the Irish economy was still strong. At the time the agents quoted a guideline price of £2.5 million for the 60,000 sq ft buildings and 400 acres or alternatively, a price of around £500,000 for the buildings on eight acres. The Ballinafad House story included an interview with Perth media identity Gerry Gannon, who was a boarder there in its days as a training college for missionary priests. Gerry, who hails from Co. Galway, said he discovered there that he did not want to become a priest but wanted a career in the entertainment and media industry, which he would go on to have. During his time there Gerry was part of a band which Irish Scene reported was named The Concords. In fact the group was called Swingtime Aces, according to Gerry’s daughter Nicola who said they keep the name alive as a bit of a family tradition. “We (the kids) use it as a drinking game when we play cards,” she laughed.
Tipperary Church up for grabs If Ballinafad House is an historic Irish property for sale with a West Australian twist, then there is also a West Australian heritage property of Irish origins on the open market. Tipperary Church is on the Northam-York Road, about 10km out of York and just under 1.5 hours drive from Perth. The Church, which also has a gallery and lodge house, sits on 2.7 acres overlooking farmland with views of the Avon Valley. The church was built in 1832 as a single spacious room with pointed windows and doors and a pointed high pitched roof in a loosely gothic style. It was built for the local, largely Irish, population who lived and laboured in the agricultural area and would continue that role until the early 1960’s. By virtue of its age it has a long and interesting story. The church was damaged in October 1968 by WA’s biggest earthquake. The quake measured 6.9 on the Richter scale, and struck about 100km (62 miles) east of Perth in Meckering. Some 20 people were injured and more than $2 million in damage was done by the earthquake, now regarded as WA’s most powerful, that could be felt hundreds of miles away. In 1978 artists Tedye and Bryant McDiven bought the small brick church and extended it into a private home with a two storey lodge for visitors and an art gallery. Today the church houses the living, dining and kitchen area of the private residence. An extension, built in similar architectural style, is home to a small library, an extra large bedroom and bathroom, with a mezzanine loft. The purpose built gallery has its own separate entrance from the nearby main road, and parking for up to 30 cars. There is also a swimming pool and a tea house. In the early 2000s the church was converted into B&B and about four years ago it was converted back into a private home. Tipperary Church has also had its own flirtations with TV. Don Burke - from Burke’s Backyard - visited and filmed in the church’s gardens in 1993. As well as being artists, the McDiven’s were Continued on page 20
THE IRISH SCENE | 19
Continued from page 19
enthusiastic gardeners who carefully tended and designed its complex of gardens - including a walled garden - areas with water features, linked to each other with winding footpaths. More recently (August 2019) the church featured in the new property programme from Fremantle, Escape from the City. It was one of a handful of properties in the Perth Hills shown to Malcolm Roberts and his Irish wife Phyllis. He had surgery to remove a brain tumour and the couple were looking to leave the Perth CBD behind and find a quieter life in the Hills. While they were very tempted by the church - and its Irish history - the location was just a bit too far removed for them to their family and the programme ended with their search still underway. More than a year later Tipperary Church is still looking for a new owner, with a reasonable asking price of $799,000. “In recent years it has been an award-winning bed and breakfast, a wedding venue, a place for wedding photographs, garden visits and a range of functions,” said Michael Hoad from Abode Real Estate. “Recently it has provided the current owners with an amazing lifestyle as a private residence and an escape for friends. Historical information has been collected and will remain with the property.” Top and middle right: Tipperary Church with its views over the Avon Valley. Bottom right: After undergoing surgery for a brain tumour, Malcolm is looking for a quieter home base. He and wife Phyllis have always wanted to farewell the CBD and live in the Perth Hills, so are searching for a new property.
L E T T Y R O N E TA K E Y O U H O M E
P h o n e : 9 5 8 2 2 1 8 6 / M o b i l e : 04 0 8 00 6 02 3 E m a i l : c a p p a g h @ b i g p o n d . n e t . a u / w w w.t y ro n e d e ve l o p m e n t s .co m . a u Tyrone Reg: 12088 Shane Baker Reg: 11898 Restricted Asbestos Lic: WARA1832
THE IRISH SCENE | 20
THE IRISH SCENE | 21
Christmas cheer - IRISH SENIORS LUNCH The Irish Seniors continue to have their monthly lunch in the Irish Club on the first Friday of every month, with entertainment provided free of charge by visiting artists. The Christmas lunch is due on Friday, December 6, starting from 12.30pm, with dinner dished up at 1pm. To book a place, ring the Irish Club after 5pm (you will not be able to get a human on the end of a phone before that watershed) at 9381 5213.
THE IRISH SCENE | 22
We get what matters to you. Contact/Custody Same Sex Family Law Adoption Property Settlements Surrogacy Binding Financial Agreements Family Violence Orders De Facto Relationships Enduring Power of Attorney Enduring Power Guardianship
Family Friendly, Family Lawyers 165/580 Hay Street Perth WA 6000 T: (08) 6557 5888 E: reception@kavlaw.com.au kavanaghfamilylawyersperth.com.au
THE IRISH SCENE | 23
God’s Green Land
BILL DALY: Originally from Tallow in West Waterford, Bill spent 30 years in Cork as a Senior Manager in the Electronics Manufacturing industry with such companies as Apple, EMC and Logitech.
BY BILL DALY A comment was made some years back that the only apparent outward semblance of Ireland achieving freedom from Britain was the fact that the post-boxes were painted green instead of red. This should be taken in the humorous context in which it was meant to be delivered. In 1921 we did not have an awful lot to start with but we were fortunate to inherit the British Civil Service. Some time ago I noticed two wall mounted post-boxes on the Douglas Road and the Well Road in Cork bearing the royal insignia underneath the green paint. The original British Post Office boxes were bright red.
He has been working on his own as a Consultant/Contractor in Manufacturing Operations and Materials for the past 18 years. He also attended UCC and has a BA Degree in Archaeology and Geography. Bill is now resident in Connemara, Co. Galway since 2009.
When Ireland gained Independence in 1921 the postboxes were retained, even the postage stamps were retained with overprints for some time. Now the postboxes are painted green, but the royal insignia can be clearly seen. The ones I have come across are those of Edward V11, this was Queen Victoria’s son who reigned from 1901 until his death in 1910.
Left: Stand alone and wall mounted post boxes, dating back to before the partition of Ireland in 1921
When I saw these it struck me as to how short a time we have been out on our own as a country. Sometimes I get the feeling that we can lack confidence and belief in ourselves as we are a small nation on the outer edges of Europe. In the early 1920’s when our first independent Government looked around at what they had to start with, they realised that they had very little. In the previous centuries of colonisation we had become an agricultural market garden to feed Britain and its Colonies. The Industrial Revolution was never allowed to reach us and apart from some areas in the Northern part of the Country there was no industrial base in the South of the Country at this time. However, with a strong innovative spirit that launched and developed projects like Ardnacrusha, Shannon Airport, Bord na Mona and the attraction of a Multinational Industrial base we have achieved a great deal in the past 80 years, and we should be very proud of this. Yes, we were certainly restrained during the colonial period but if we journey upstream a bit in time we will find an Irish people with a great economic and cultural tradition that has helped the advance of civilisation in a global context. In the Monastic period we travelled extensively throughout Europe, providing the people in these areas with learning and religion. Newgrange was constructed over 5000 years ago, at the same time as the Egyptian pyramids, by an Irish race that had a knowledge of trigonometry. We also produced intricate and priceless works such as the
Standing post box editorial credit: AC Rider / Shutterstock.com
Book of Kells, the Ardagh Chalice and knowledge of navigation may have seen St. Brendan reach Newfoundland as early as the 6th century. We have also produced literary giants such as Swift, Yeats, Shaw, Wilde, Joyce and Heaney that are now globally respected. Not bad for a small island country at the edge of Europe. There will be little downsides from time to time, but if we formulate an economic policy that develops value add and innovation over volume manufacturing and that also embraces the agricultural, fishing and leisure industry, our future is guaranteed to be very bright and long lasting. As a nation of less than 5 million people we have hosted the European Presidency representing a landmass of over 450 million people. This should not surprise us, we will never be a huge player but we can certainly be a very effective smaller one. I hope everybody has a very happy and peaceful Christmas, and may you wear prosperity and happiness as a warm cloak during 2020. Nollaig Shona Dhuit.
THE IRISH SCENE | 24
M
AS
CHRISTM Y R ER
Feels like an Aussie Summer... Tastes like home Brighten your back table (or picnic blanket) this entertaining season with a variety of products:
Traditional Salads Super Food Salads Naked Salads The Happy Gut Co. Salad Solutions
r look out foer! m m su is th me ng New Sparkliir ef k er at W
To check these ranges out further and find your nearest local stockist visit:
www.freshfrontier.co Phone 08 6162 9958 | 20 Hanwell Way, Bassendean WA 6054 THE IRISH SCENE | 25
Christmas on the
last convict ship to Australia BY BRENDAN WOODS The following was taken from the diary of Denis Cashman, one of the Irish prisoners on the Hougoumont’s 89 day voyage to Australia and eventual arrival in Fremantle on January 9, 1868. “My name is Denis Cashman, I was a convict on the ship the Hougournont on its voyage from London to Fremantle. My crime you might ask, I was a Fenian, a member of an organisation who aims were a free Ireland; free from British rule. Some of my fellow Fenian’s included, John Boyle O’Reilly, John Flood, Thomas Hassett and William Hogan. Some of these men had been members of the British army then stationed in Ireland and had been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for treason and for being members of the Fenians. They were sent on the Hougoumont, the last convict ship sent to Australia. This is an excerpt from the diary I kept during my journey to Fremantle.”
“
Above: JB O’Reilly. Left: The Wild Goose Hougoumont’s Convicts Journal
Season’s Greetings! Mo chairde. Ronan here from Lawrence Group. I am an accounting and tax manager with a breadth of experience in both Ireland and Australia. There are a whole heap of tips and concessions with respect to taxation that everybody, including the Irish Community in WA, need to be guided on. I serve a wide range of small to medium sized clients across all industries and can cater for all your accounting and tax needs. Happy to have a free no obligation chat or catch up anytime to discuss your current position and how I may be able to assist.”
TAX RETURNS & TAX CONSULTING ANNUAL FINANCIALS STATEMENTS BUSINESS ACTIVITY STATEMENTS (BAS) TAX PLANNING & MINIMISATION BUSINESS STRUCTURES & RESTRUCTURES BUYING & SELLING BUSINESSES CASH FLOW AND BUDGETING
Ronan Gibbons MANAGER P. 08 9433 3288 M. 047 900 2207 E. ronan@lawrencegroup.net.au
lawrencegroup.net.au Accounting services are provided by Lawrence Business Management ABN 79 128 381 939. Please refer to our website www.lawrencegroup.net.au for our General Privacy Statement & Disclaimers.
THE IRISH SCENE | 26
Indian Ocean, Christmas Eve 1867 After the usual exercises had been done, the exiles gathered round their mess tables, which were shortly to be converted to sleeping bunks, and recounted reminisce of incidents which befell them on the green hills and the valleys of Ireland. nces The reality of the present was for a while forgotten in telling of stirring and pleasant scenes of the past. Gradually most of the men returned to their sleeping berths and quiet reigned around the ship. The sea had somehow ceased its hoarse roar - relapsing from angry breaking mountains into quiet rolling swells. Squalling gusts however, shrieked through the cordage which was in harmony with the sentry’s sharp challenge of “Who goes there?” If one of the crew approached in the darkness, the quiet of midnight approached, the sentry’s roared “Half past eleven and all is well” and pasted from post to post. A stifled scream, a smothered imprecation or a rattle of a chain now and again faintly heard from the sleeping convicts, whose dreams where often frightfulwas disturbed, it may be from visions of some terrible incident in their past lives. ly Peace seemed to fall upon the elements as the moments sped that brought nearer the fast approaching festival of Christmas. All was still, twelve o’clock toiled out from the ship’s bell, it was answered by a chorus of voices inside the bars in the prison ship that began in subdued tones, but soon swelled out to a hymn of praise to the Almighty, the beautiful Christmas hymn Adeste Fidelis was chanted by all the Fenians. It startled the other convicts from their rest and brought the guards to the bars, but all respected the incident and observed silence till the hymn was finished. Memories of a softened nature were brought to the hardened and a sigh or two was heard as the strain died away on the night air. All was soon again quiet, the chanters having retired after paying the only tribute they could to the festival. During night the wind freshened up and towards morning a stiff gale was blowing, the weather became intensely cold and the seas, which towered and immense height were now and again shipped, the old vessel creaked all over as each succeeding wave danced her up and again dashed her into the valley of waters. It was a wild and a bleak Christmas morning as the exiles emerged through the trap door to come on deck after the bolts and padlocks had been removed. I prayed for the dear ones at home most fervently “my God grant them a Holy Christmas”. We breakfasted on sweet loaf, rather a delicacy, for convicts. No mass could be said as the ship was too unsteady. Later below under the lantern’s dim glare, the men gathered to hear as O’Reilly read aloud deck the Christmas edition of The Wild Goose (The Hougoumont’s convicts journal) and his poem “A Merry Christmas”: A Merry Christmas each one sends tonight across the foam To all the loved ones all the friends who think of us at home. From them a Merry Christmas flies on angel’s pinions bright, Tis heard upon the breeze that sighs around our ship tonight. Though on our ears no voices fall, our hearts, our spirits hear A Merry Christmas to you all and a happy bright new year. Let’s banish sorrow, banish fears and fill our hearts with glee And ne’er forget in after years our Christmas on the sea
After his incarceration in Western Australia and daring escape to America O’Reilly would enjoy what we might today call celebrity status on several fronts, including as a writer and poet. Such was his popularity that they even made Christmas calendars with his writings on them. O’Reilly’s influence and legacy are well rooted in Western Australia and America perhaps more so than is the case across Ireland. But his legacy is cherished and nurtured in and around the part of Ireland (Dowth, Co. Meath) where he was born in 1844. Most
recently a Fr. Iggy O’Donovan, gave a talk on the life of the historic figure, upstairs in the O’Raghallaigh’s GFC, North Road, Drogheda on October 25th. “The talk will cover O’Reilly’s involvement in The Irish Brotherhood, his exile to Australia and his escape to the United States of America where he is fondly commemorated and often referred to as the greatest Irish American of all time,” a flyer for the talk said. Hear the poem “A Merry Christmas” performed by Brendan Woods on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=eGruCburL1c
THE IRISH SCENE | 27
pulled Notre Dame Media in and we managed some training in the downstairs studio.
THE FULL CIRCLE BY FRANK MURPHY When Gerry Grogan and I first knocked on the door of the old Radio Fremantle 100FM at Canning Bridge, we were on air every Sunday between 1 and 2pm. We were in the country one year by 1996! A great air time. Sunday, relaxation time, accessible. and time to prepare. We had to pay a weekly stipend to get on air, quite apart from membership to Dita Jevons, who was working hard to raise funds, to keep the show on the road. We began with Sharon Shannon’s BLACKBIRD as our theme tune. We tried from the beginning to have the odd guest, used location recordings, as we cut and pasted our way through the first few years. Very reluctantly, with the pressure having agreed to take the extra load of launching Drama at Wesley College, which had now become a curriculum based subject separate from Media, something had to give. It had to be the radio show. However, not before I had
I was quite detached from all community radio for some years. I was made aware that my old friend Joe Crozier had slipped into some vacant chair, quick fast. Lovely Joe. Then the group who had been at Curtin seemed to join him. There was that Heritage Radio up town to boot. Expensive place to keep the old show going. But Brian Corr was going a bomb on Radio Fremantle!! A lovely informed broadcaster, who decided to go with the music. There was tad of pressure placed on Brian, owing to his successful appearance on a rival station and so we launched our show once again. It was truly a blessing. I was delighted. The timing was perfect. And so here we are, 12 years later and about to slightly alter focus, to have contemporary Ireland greeting Australia and beyond, every Saturday morning. The show has grown in breath and girth! For sure, Ireland has made some quantum leaps. But we still have Sharon Shannon, who has embraced SACRED EARTH. As we “ramble” out to meet new faces, new and old friends, without any constraints... it is good to greet other Oceans beside the Atlantic! Now there is the beacon! May we take this opportunity to wish all our listeners Christmas Joy and thank you for your constant feedback and for tuning in! Beannactai na Nolllag oraibh go leir.
FRANK MURPHY PRESENTS
CELTIC RAMBLES 107.9FM RADIO FREMANTLE SATURDAY 8AM - 10AM PRODUCER: GERRY GROGAN
Music. Conversation. Special Tributes. Interviews. Celebrating the Ireland of today and past times.
RADIO
FREMANTLE 107.9fm
THE IRISH SCENE | 28
Season’s Greetings
from your WA Labor Irish-Australian team
Alanna Clohesy
Jessica Stojkovski
Alannah MacTiernan
Stephen Dawson
MEMBER FOR EAST METRO
MEMBER FOR KINGSLEY
MEMBER FOR NORTH METRO
MEMBER FOR MINING & PASTORAL
Margaret Quirk MEMBER FOR GIRRAWHEEN
Delivering for WA walabor.org.au Authorised by M.Dixon, Level 1, 22 Eastbrook Terrace, East Perth
THE IRISH SCENE | 29
David Michael MEMBER FOR BALCATTA
A glancing look through
Glasnevin BY LLOYD GORMAN On the last day of his most recent trip back to the old sod, Irish born West Australian Tom Tallon discovered Dublin's City of the Dead (home to more than 1.5 million graves) and a tribute to an Irish WA figure. “My sister and I were driving back from the shops and when we were passing Glasnevin Cemetery. She remarked that people can now climb the O’Connell monument - a fifty five metre high round tower erected over Daniel O’Connell’s tomb. [O'Connell - aka The Liberator - died in 1847 and the tribute to a towering figure was opened in 1869. Loyalist bombers attempted to blow up the impressive structure in January 1971 in retaliation for the IRA's attempt to bomb Nelson's Pillar in 1966 - a botched job which the Irish army had
to finish off. The tower's one metre thick stone walls survived the blast but it was shut down - including with sheet metal on skylights so more Top: Cross of Sacrifice in the Commonwealth War explosives could not be Graves Commssion in Dublin, dropped into the vault - by commemorating each Irish soldier awarded a Victoria Cross. Above: the cemetery authorities Tom Tallon for the next 47 years. The crypt itself was reopened in 1991 but it was not until April last year that people could once more climb to the top and get a birds eye view of the 124 acres (50ha) graveyard and some of the best views of Dublin around.] This bit of information sparked Tom's interest and he went back to check it out. “Upon arrival I joined a guided tour of the site visiting gravesites of wellknown identities and included a very entertaining commentary by the tour guide,” he said. “Along the way we came to a memorial erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to the Irish who lost their lives in the two World Wars. This memorial was circled by plaques commemorating each Irish soldier awarded a Victoria Cross. A quick check revealed that Martin O’Meara had not been overlooked. [O'Meara was born in Lorrha, Tipperary (1885) and died in Perth in 1935. The plaque in his honour - and other Irish born men who were decorated with Victoria Cross medals in World War I - was unveiled at a special ceremony for Remembrance Day (November 11) 2016].
Above: The O’Connell monument
“At the conclusion of the tour we ended up by the most visited gravesite – that of Michael Collins,” Tom added. “The guide encouraged the group to visit the museum on site, which I did. Here on display were items originally belonging to those now residing in the cemetery and included uniforms and arms of THE IRISH SCENE | 30
participants in the War of Independence and the Civil War. Now a major tourist attraction, the Cemetery also has a souvenir shop where visitors are relieved of more of their money. I bought a DVD called “One Million Dubliners – every plot has a story” a fascinating documentary I recommend.” Tom came to Australia in 1970 - his family were farmers in the parish of Culmullen/ Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath - and put down roots in Perth in 1980. As much as he enjoyed the experience, he never got to do the one thing he had gone to Glasnevin to do, climb O'Connell's tower. “After spending time in the coffee shop and the museum, I made my way to the tower – bad timing – there was a crowd of school kids clambering around the place ignoring pleas from their exasperated guardian. It was time to retreat to safer quarters, up to the Brian Boru pub for a calming ale. I was flying back (home) to Australia the next morning. Ah well, next time.”
REMEMBERING
MARTIN
November 2019 will mark one hundred and one years since O’Meara returned to Australia. He returned to his adopted homeland November 6, the day of his 33rd birthday. It may have been the last time this quiet but courageous man was ever happy. We have an insight into his mind at that time as a journalist interviewed him - presumably by phone - and reported him in a newspaper story. He and other troops were kept in isolation upon their return to help stop the spread of the deadly Spanish Flu and it was during that incarceration somewhere between November 8 to 13 that he suffered a serious mental breakdown. The rest of his days would be spent in terrible torment. While the tragedy - and achievements - of his life seemed to slip into obscurity and be forgotten but for the last few years there has been a concerted effort here in Perth initially and now in Ireland to remember him. In what was a world first for the Australian government to allow a Victoria Cross medal to leave the country, Martin’s VC will remain on display in the National Museum of Ireland until the end of June 2020 as part of a wider exhibition. The Tipperary man was also remembered at this year’s Lucas Lecture at the Stephen’s Green Club in Dublin 2 on September 26. The lecture series was founded by the Stephens Green Hibernian Club in honour of Rear Admiral Lucas VC the first Victoria Cross winner. Australian’s ambassador in Ireland, Richard Andrews gave this years keynote talk and tweeted in advance that he was indebted to several people including Ian Loftus - a Perth based historian and author of a biography about O’Meara - for “their fantastic research on this iconic Irish Aussie hero”. A British military attache who was at the event gave this brief account of it: “Starting (and surprising us) with a moving rendition of the Band Played Waltzing Matilda, a fascinating, poignant Lucas Lecture tonight… very much brought out the enduring Irish/ANZAC spirit, a privilege to be there”. Peter Oakes, who was also present, tweeted that the ambassador had delivered: “a brilliant Lucas lecture on legendary Martin O’Meara VC”. Remembrance Day 2019 falls on a Monday, November 11. The annual Armistice Day Commemoration in Glasnevin will take place at 11:00 am on that date. In Western Australia, the Annual Poppy Day Appeal is to be held on Friday, 8 November 2019 in the Perth metropolitan area. Money raised from the appeal is collected on behalf of the Trustees of the “Western Australian Aged Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen’s Relief Fund Act 1932” which enables welfare assistance to be provided to ex-servicemen and women, their widows and dependents.
Above: Michael Collins gravesite
Lest we forget... THE IRISH SCENE | 31
High Tea VOYAGE SORRENTO BEACH PRESENTS
Mon-Fri 12.00 - 3.00pm
$39pp
Sat-Sun 1.30-3.30pm
$49pp
INCLUDES FREE POURING TEA OR COFFEE
Min. 24hr booking essential
THE IRISH SCENE | 32
ph. 9447 2443 voyagesorrento.com.au
THE FOURTH TUESDAY BOOK CLUB Meets fourth Tuesday of the month, with exception of December. At 7.30pm. NOV 26 “Hollywood Godfather” by Gianni Russo. Presented by Sally-Ann O’Neill DEC 17 Annual Christmas Social Gathering in members garden, Kensington. AIHA committees and
Australian-Irish Heritage Association Heritage with excitement – reasons to join us... We have an exciting programme coming up for 2020 which includes:
Australia Day bush concert
Irish Club Theatre, Sun Jan 26 at 3pm. With music, song, stories, poetry and afternoon tea. $10 at the door
supporters invited, bring $10 Kris Kringle. Outdoor Season of Irish Cinema RSVP by 15 December for catering. No book review this night just fun, food and games and a Wednesdays: Feb 5, 12, 19, 26 and March 4 at 7.45pm. Featuring Irish short film or documentaries, visit by a member of the Claus family! together with tea/coffee and cakes. Location Kensington, South Perth. JAN 28 “When All Is Said” $10 donation to cover catering. by Anne Griffin. Presented by Gayle Lannon.
Venue: Irish Club Committee Room, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco. Admission: Free. All welcome. Light refreshments provided. Tea and coffee from the Bar $2. Contact: Convener Mary Purcell, m.purcell@telstra.com
Brendan Award – deadline 31 December 2019 Nominate someone who has made an outstanding contribution to Australia’s Irish Heritage. It may be someone in your community whose service reflects favourably on Ireland and the Irish. Nomination forms are available from AIHA website or by contact details at foot of this page. Recipient for 2019 was Frank Murphy from ‘Song For Ireland’, Radio Fremantle 107.9fm, Saturdays 8 to 10am. Frank has earned a deserved reputation in media, art and academic circles as a great ambassador for the Irish Brand. He was presented on air during a Bloomsday broadcast on June 15.
Get involved – come to the Annual General Meeting
Irish Club Committee room, Sun Mar 8 at 3pm. We welcome a new influx of volunteers for the 2020 committee who want to share the fun of Irish artistic, historical, literary and social contribution to Australia.
Annual Catalpa CommemoratioN
Rockingham memorial, Easter Monday 13 Apr at 11am. Free event
Folk Musical
‘Horses Coming Home’ by Carmel Charlton Irish Club Theatre, Sun May 3. $10 at the door. Check promo on Youtube! Special events pending confirmation of dates by Irish Club Theatre:
Family movie matinee and short talk
‘The Zoo’ based on true events set in Belfast.
Daniel O’Donnell tea dance Exhibition dance and afternoon tea
Mary Durack memorial lecture Irish History documentary series with Q&A session
Sunday Miscellany
Off-Air presentation based on Ireland’s RTE Radio Sunday morning programme of short 5 minute “Radio essays, reportage, appreciations, memory pieces, poetry, travel writing and personal accounts”, with live music and visuals, and Irish afternoon tea. Building on the success of our pilot event on 6 Oct this year
Special illustrated talk on Irish Folklore with matinee movie
ANZAC Day commemoration Subiaco, Sat Apr 25 at 8am. Remembering Irish Anzacs
‘Darby O’Gill and the Little People’
As well as events we publish a quarterly Journal valued as a collector’s item, we promote Writing competitions with generous prize money, annual Brendan Award in recognition of people who contribute outstanding service to the community, Monthly Book club, new interactive website with discussion forum and Perth Irish Heritage trail, and support other community events like the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March, Famine Commemoration in May, and Bloomsday in June.
CAN WE INTEREST YOU? We invite you to come on board and share the fun in organizing and promoting events and activities of relevance and interest. We are actively looking for new members to the committee and helpers on the sidelines. We are looking for expressions of interest for the role of editor of the quarterly Journal from June 2020. Why not join us to explore and learn about our new website over afternoon tea on Sunday 10 November? Contact our secretary on 9367 6026 or secretary@irishheritage.com.au
Check out events on www.irishscene.com.au/calendar-of-events.html Australian-Irish Heritage Association Non Political - Non Sectarian - Emphatically Australian
Be proud of your Irish heritage
PO Box 1583, Subiaco 6904. Tel: 08 9345 3530. Secretary: 08 9367 6026 Email: secretary@irishheritage.com.au or admin@irishheritage.com.au Web: www.irishheritage.com.au Find us on Facebook @australianirishheritage Membership due 1st January – Family $65, Concession $55, Distant (200kms from Perth) $45. Membership fee includes tax deductible donation of $20 |
THE IRISH SCENE
33
BY LLOYD GORMAN
ISTEACH SA TEACH Workplace safety needs more action, less talk It is hard to believe that it is now four years to the month since Irish mates Gerry Bradley and Joe McDermott were killed in a pointless and preventable accident at an East Perth construction site. Anniversaries like this must be particularly tough for the families and many friends of the two lads at home and in Perth. The ramifications of their deaths in a senseless workplace accident is also still being felt in the construction and health and safety sectors.
Gerry Bradley and Joe McDermott were killed in a workplace accident four years ago
Deborah O’Neill, New South Wales Senator, raised the double tragedy during a sitting of the Senate’s Education and Employment Legislation Committee in Melbourne on September 20. The committee discussed the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment (Ensuring Integrity) Bill 2019 and interviewed several industry figures from around the country. Senator O’Neill – who was born in Australia to Irish parents – addressed Dave Noonan, National Secretary, Construction and General Division National Office, Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU).
commentary: “...without the CFMEU we would know next to nothing”. He was referring to what happened to his brother.
When she put it to him that he was familiar with the work of the Senate in the last parliament regarding industrial deaths, he said he was.
“We were told it’d be years before a WorkSafe investigation could come back because they’re so understaffed, and because we’re away from them in a different part of the world there’s a disconnect... I just don’t understand how a union can be stopped from accessing a site if they have legitimate concerns. And if two deaths happen one week later on the site that they tried to access, I just don’t understand how a construction company cannot be charged for that if they physically stop the union from accessing a site. He goes on to describe concerns about the size of fines. “I point to evidence about John Holland—in 2009, they were fined $180,000 for the death of a worker; in 2009, fined $124,000 for a worker who was badly burned; and in 2012, fined $242,000 for a worker’s death. What we’re talking about with right of entry is the opportunity for unions to act in the civic interest to prevent death so that people come home. Is that primarily what you seek to do when you ask for right of entry into a site?” she asked Mr Noonan.
“We had evidence about the CFMMEU, as it was at the time—I know that you’re here with the CFMMEU—and evidence about the death of an Irish backpacker, Mr Gerard Bradley, whose brother came online,” Senator O’Neill said. “I just want to take the opportunity to acknowledge that the work of the union is much more than the work of one person. This was Mr Bradley’s
He replied that it was one of the major reasons. “It’s probably the primary reason,” he said. “It’s the biggest issue for our members. This was with Jaxon Construction in Western Australia. Two young Irish workers were crushed to death by a panel. I think that resulted in the transport company that carried the panel being prosecuted.”
Deborah O’Neill
Dave Noonan
THE IRISH SCENE | 34
She asked him why the transport company and not the building firm was fined. “The head contractor, who failed to have any safe systems of work in place and who resisted entry by the union sometime before that, has not been prosecuted by WorkSafe despite the fact that the law would say that it’s got the ultimate responsibility of and duty of care to those workers on site,” he added. Senator O’Neill stated that right of entry is a very significant civic protection action undertaken by the unions at their own cost to make workplaces safer for Australian workers. “It is literally a matter of life and death for construction workers,” Mr Noonan said. The only positive things that can possibly come from a tragedy like that which claimed the lives of those two young Irishmen, is that they are never forgotten and that all the relevant authorities work together to make it impossible for the same thing to ever happen again.
Alannah MacTiernan
Matthew Swinbourn
Mark McGowan
Gerard Bradley and Joseph McDermott’s case has also been discussed in WA’s state parliament on a number of occasions. The last time was on August 28, 2018 in the Legislative Council during a debate about the Occupational Safety and Health Amendment Bill 2017, almost two years after the incident itself. Alannah MacTiernan said she had been asked to give an example that involved an employer. “I have one here on which we have some detail because it was raised in the discussion today,” said Ms McTiernan, Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, Ports. “That was the incident spoken about by Hon Matthew Swinbourn, which is the very tragic case of the two young Irishmen, Joseph McDermott and Gerard Bradley. The offenders were charged under sections 21(2)(b)(ii) and 21A of the act. The maximum fine available was $400 000 and the fine issued was $160,000. Our proposal is that the maximum fine be increased to $2 million.
“I understand that the member’s case is that there is no evidence that that would have any significant impact on the penalties that are determined. We do not accept that that is the case. I will say it one more time: we believe that by making this significant increase in the maximum penalty, Parliament is making clear the seriousness of these
offenses and the particular consequences that should be brought to bear. It is our view that, in a general sense, the judiciary will respond to that. The member trivialised the notion of sending a message to the community. We in this place frame legislation, and we make a decision that serious workplace accidents should attract a higher penalty. That is, indeed, the only way in which we can interact and communicate with the judiciary that our expectation, as the elected representatives of the community, is that these matters will be dealt with more seriously and attract a higher penalty.” The Senate committee was also addressed by Regan Ballantine, the Wesley Ballantine, who was tragically killed in a workplace accident in 2017 mother of 17 year old Wesley Ballantine, who who fell from the glass atrium roof of the GPO in Perth in January 2017, during a fit-out of the Forrest Place premises. On August 6 (2019) the Australian Institute of Health and Safety reported on its website that construction firm Valmont (WA) Pty Ltd had been fined fined $38,000 and ordered to pay $8,054 in costs over the fatal incident. The company “pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that persons who were not their employees were not exposed to hazards, and was fined in the Perth Magistrates Court.” Mrs Ballantine has championed the need for workplace safety laws, including the introduction of industrial manslaughter laws in Western Australia. In July 2017 the then freshly elected Mark McGowan government announced it would modernise the Work Health and Safety Act for Western Australia and replace three separate acts into one, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984. A panel of experts was set up to provide the government with advice on the adoption of model laws in Western Australia. That report was provided to the Cabinet (Premier and ministers) and then put out for public comment. Feedback on that plan ended on August 31 2018. A year later at the state Labor party conference (in August), Premier McGowan said he was committed to the idea of WA joining almost every other state and territory in implementing the harmonised Model WHS Act and supporting regulations. He also announced that WA will introduce corporate manslaughter laws as part of the work health safety law reform, with maximum penalties of a $10 million fine and 20 years jail time, but that legislation has yet to hit state parliament.
THE IRISH SCENE | 35
World Cup Rugby Fever
The Irish Club and pubs like Durty Nelly’s, JB O’Reilly’s and Five 6 Eight were popular places for Irish rugby fans to watch their side battle it out and for the rest of the competition after Ireland was knocked out!
THE IRISH SCENE | 36
STATE HURLING GOLF DAY
The State Hurling Golf Day at Maylands Golf Club in September was a great success and helped raise funds to send a team to the Australasian 2019 Games hosted by Queensland GAA. Even better the team - captained by Johnny Cody - went on to win the competition. Go WA!
Tony and Veronica McKee PO Box 994 Hillarys WA 6923
info@mckeefamilyfunerals.com.au www.mckeefamilyfunerals.com.au Tel (08) 9401 1900 • Fax: 9401 1911
Mob: 0413 337 785
THE IRISH SCENE | 37
COLONEL JOHN BRUCE His life & career - Part 4
BY PETER CONOLE Due to his established reputation for honesty and ability John Bruce was in an enviable position in the colony of Western Australia. He had held the position of Commandant of all military forces in Western Australia since 1854. In the course of 1857 the governor of the day made him a member of the Legislative Council and the Executive Council. Finally, in 1858 the London authorities decided that in the absence of a governor Bruce was to carry out the person’s functions. The decision had various implications and needs to be borne in mind when considering extreme circumstances. Bruce’s behaviour in public life was consistent from one year to another. He was honest and clear in stating his position on issues of the day and courteous when dealing with difficult council and committee members. He was also a social activist. For example, Bruce was prominent in successful in attempts to establish the Mechanic’s Institute and the Perth Building Society in the colony. Of course, his most important work involved the activities and personnel of the Enrolled Pensioner Force. One visitor to the colony (Henry Richardson, 1859), noted that Bruce was present in person when the convict ship ‘Sultana’ arrived. He was there to greet the men and gather information about how the voyage had gone. He also checked the welfare of prisoners and worked out how to process and assign them with the Comptroller General of Convicts. There is ample testimony from numerous sources about Bruce’s care and concern for the welfare of his soldiers, culminating in the founding of a Pensioner’s
Benevolent Society in January, 1855. Bruce donated money of his own to set up a fund. That was a good move indeed because some veterans, through no fault of their own, met with difficulties unrelated to poor behaviour or drink. Some of the veterans - whether recent or earlier arrivals - had problems in adjusting to farming life. It was all very well for them to receive plots of land, but many struggled at first through lack of knowledge. Bruce went so far on one occasion as to roll up his sleeves and show pensioners how to mark out their land grants in
By then things were already well under control. The colonial officials, with Bruce in support, had already taken action. Before the end of 1861 five rather well organised and armed units of West Australian volunteers were formed and at the ready - the Fremantle Volunteer Rifle Corps, the Metropolitan Volunteer Rifle Corps, the Pinjarrah Mounted Volunteers, the Swan Volunteer Rifle Corps and the Sussex Volunteer Rifle Corps. John Bruce took a bow on November 17, 1863: the officers and men chose him to be their colonel. Bruce remained at the centre of public affairs and was respected
Bruce’s behaviour in public life was consistent from one year to another. He was honest and clear in stating his position on issues of the day and courteous when dealing with difficult council and committee members. Fremantle and kick start work as farmers. He also moved around the colony - to York and Toodyay, for example - in order to attend official functions and social events and check out how his old soldiers were going. A key issue in relation to his role as commandant came into effect in the course of 1861. The London authorities decided that the colony could do without the continual protection of a garrison of British troops. In other words the locals needed to become a bit more responsible for their own wellbeing - even though they still had the Royal Navy to fall back on. A contingent of the 12th Regiment of Foot left in March 1863 and was quickly followed by a company of Royal Sappers and Miners. THE IRISH SCENE | 38
and sought after by governors and other officials when specialised advice on administrative matters was needed. For example, when the position of superintendent of police was temporarily vacant from 1866 to 1867 Bruce persuaded his peers to appoint another army officer in the interim. His senior staff officer, Major Robert Henry Crampton (also an Irishman) was given the position. In January 1867 Bruce took a well-deserved, extended period of leave in Britain. While there, on July 6, 1867, he reached the pinnacle of his army career by way of a promotion to the full rank of lieutenant colonel. Bruce was moved sideways to the half-pay list on the same day. It still meant extra cash for him and his other earnings as an official, plus some Bruce land
While in office over a long, hard and impressed local officials. He holdings and business interests, was even appointed a probationary summer Bruce did sterling work for meant the family was now constable, thus earning a higher an agricultural community hard financially secure. He returned to degree of freedom than other hit by recurrent dry seasons. He the colony in mid-1868 at a time exiles. In a made seed wheat available under when many colonists brilliantly bonds of repayment and assigned were concerned about organised the large of sum of 3000 pounds to the arrival In January coup, helped keep small farmers on the land. 1868 of about fifty Irish by a distracting Fenian prisoners on the He also intervened in a couple riot among ‘Hougoumont’. Even more of ugly squabbles among local other Fenian folk, especially farmers, officials. For example, the transportees, were also worried about unpopular Colonial Secretary O’Reilly was a disastrous drought Frederick Barlee (backed to some sheltered by during the summer of extent by Governor Hampton) local Irish 1867-1868. had feuded with Maitland Brown, sympathizers the respected and competent After his return Bruce and then Government Resident of the soon found that his taken aboard Greenough district. As de facto services at the highest John Boyle O’Reilly an American governor, Bruce disapproved of the level were required for whaler, the way Brown was treated and that a rather lengthy spell. ‘Gazelle’, on March 3, 1869. He led him in turn to quarrel with both After Governor John Hampton ended up in New York, of course, Barlee and the Attorney General. left the colony, Bruce took over and left a stormy situation behind Brown resigned on December 16, as acting governor on November him in the colony. Bruce and other 1868, but Bruce persuaded him to 2, 1868. Although Bruce did not officials were underwhelmed and cancel that action and return to know it for quite some months, the senior police officer in the office on December 28. Bruce noted he was now the de facto governor district, Sub-Inspector William Brown’s defiance of more senior of Western Australia. Back in Timperley, had to shoulder much officials but then frankly stated London, Benjamin Pine was of the blame. The police had been “justice will not allow me to say it appointed to succeed Hampton distracted by road building party was without provocation.” on July 7, 1868 but the colonial issues and obviously office then muddied the waters On balance Bruce’s knew little of proby allowing Pine to take the time in office was Fenian sentiments in position of governor of the actually quite placid the community. Leeward Islands. That left the and he returned to On a more positive WA position completely vacant. his normal duties note, earlier in Sir Francis Burt, a great lawyer after Frederick that February of and WA governor himself, argued Weld arrived. Weld 1869, Bruce, other back in 1995 that Pine had been was impressed by officials, the militia, appointed by letters patent and him and wrote to pensioner guards was still governor until Frederick the Colonial Office and the police had Weld was appointed in March 1869 (March, 1870) done very well in and arrived to take up the position about the “value organising security, on September 29, 1869. I have no of the zealous receptions and choice but to strongly disagree John Bruce in old age and disinterested public celebrations with that view. The simplest reason for the visit of efforts” of Bruce in is that the position did fall vacant caring for military pensioners and Queen Victoria’s second son, after Pine accepted another job. their families. The colonel was by Prince Albert, Duke of Edinburgh. It amounted to abandonment of then in poor health. He died on Everything went like clockwork employment. Bruce really was the November 5, 1870. After a great in that brief four-day event and de facto WA governor for many funeral ceremony, Bruce’s remains there was plenty of praise to months. were placed in the family vault pass around afterwards. As is at East Perth Cemetery. His most Bruce again showed himself to be common knowledge, things did a competent administrator while not go so well for the Prince in New lingering memorial is the name of a suburb where he had extensive in office, although there was one South Wales, March 1868. Henry land holdings. It is Nedlands, famously awkward incident. The O’Farrell, who was not a Fenian, named after his son Edward (‘Ned’) great Irish patriot and Fenian shot Prince Albert in the back. The Prince recovered within a fortnight. Bruce, who in later years was an organiser, John Boyle O’Reilly, army colonel in India. worked as a compositor in Bunbury O’Farrell was hanged. THE IRISH SCENE | 39
IrishChamber
Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce
TheIrishChamber
Learn more about the IACC
irishchamber.com.au
d WA Network - Well Connected based nationally and internationally.
First of the winners on the night were McDonald Surveys International, in the Established Business category. Their ability to harness new technology to create a thriving multi-faceted surveying and engineering company caught the judges’ attention, a fantastic achievement for husband and wife team Andy and Sally Ann McDonald, having movedDublin their wards Perth based McDonald Surveys InternationalMelbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, were business from Ireland to Western Australia in 2012. one of the stars of the show at the 5th Annual Irish Australian Business Awards on Friday the 11th October Western Australia and Perth in particular was also in Sydney. They took home top prize in the Established well represented in the Young Professional category this year, with Sarah Pettit, a Principal Migration Business category on the night, held in the presence Consultant at MAPIEN and James O’Donnell, a Fire of Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia Breandán Ó Caollaí, General Consul Owen Feeney and 400 businesspeople from across Australia, Ireland and beyond.
business shines
in Irish Australian Business Global Perspective Awards Night
Leadership Programs The Awards are an initiative of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce (IACC), which identify and celebrate the ongoing and extensive contribution to business success, in many cases, on a global scale, that Irish Australia brings.
Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce increasing profile in the
With an ever@IrishChamber
TheIrishChamber
community, the Awards were supported this year by IDA Ireland, EISS Super, Qatar Airways, HT&E, FlexiFi, Providence Asset Group, TransferMate Global Payments and the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade.
Speaking at the Awards ceremony, IACC President Carl Walsh said, “We believe that the Business Awards reflect our identity, where we bring the best of Ireland and Australia to our personal and business lives. Tonight, we will see many great examples of this identity embodied by our finalists, young and mature, female and male, Irish and Australian. They are building careers and growing businesses locally,
Above: McDonald Surveys receiving their award in Sydney THE IRISH SCENE | 40
Learn more about the IAC
irishchamber.com.a
Project Engineer at Wood & Grieve Engineers now part of Stantec. Winner in this highly competitive category on the night was Ceire Kenny, Environmental and Ethical Assessment Advisor at Lendlease. International Trader category was won by HealthTech company, Halaxy, which has recently opened a Cork office, impressed with the potential global impact of their product and it’s ability to allow frontline medical professionals to spend less time on administration and more with patients.
Education business having grown from a spare bedroom to a $35m enterprise, employing 150 people from over 30 nationalities and helping educate thousands of working adults across 43 countries. One of the loudest cheers of the night came for Cosmic Group Services, who took out a very hotly contested Start-up category. Their business, working in the renewable energy space, started three years ago with two people, an idea and less than $5000 in the bank. Fast forward to August this year, Cosmic Group now has 50 full-time employees and turns over $7m. This year’s new category, the Innovation Award, went to Quitch, whose gamified, mobile e-learning app changes the way learners engage with knowledge, improving retention and boosting performance.
EdTech was back in focus with Young Entrepreneur Ryan O’Hare’s Keypath
women in business event Oct 16, 2019
Our first annual Women in Business event kicked off in style on the 16th October. It was a wonderful afternoon of networking in the fabulous Champagne Lounge at Ascot Race Course, set against the exciting backdrop of a full race day, part of the 2019 Ascot Racing Carnival, which is running from 12th October 2019 – 4th January 2020. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors for the event: Vibe Legal, RWWA, Absolutely Beautiful & Nexia Australia. Our incredible speakers: Charlotte Mills, General Manager Racing and Wagering WA; Jessica Stojkovski, MLA Member for Kingsley; and Niamh Bliss of Absolutely Beautiful. Lastly a very special mention to our impromptu visiting guests who made the day even more exceptional for all our Chamber Guests, thank you: Trainers Danny Morton and David Harrison; Premium Bloodstocks Race Caller, Grant Burns; Darren McCauley and Brennan Fyans of RWWA; Jenny Harrison; and lastly, David Houston of Magic Millions Watch out for this wonderful IACC celebration of Women in Business next year.
THE IRISH SCENE | 41
BOOKINGS NOW OPEN
THE IRISH SCENE | 42
nach ndearna Colm a Bhailís amhrán ina honóir? Nár bhain sí deora as súile Sheáin Mhic Éil? Dúirt Bríd an méid sin agus a sheacht n-oiread eile, ach ba léir san am céanna go raibh fonn uirthi dul chun na feise, agus bhí a fhios againn uile go ngabhfadh. Le scéal gairid a dhéanamh de, bhíomar léi nó gur bhaineamar gealladh aisti go rachadh sí ann.
Bríd na nAmhrán
Agus chuaigh. Is maith is cuimhneach liom lá na feise. Bhí an saol Fódlach ann, cheapfá. Bhí an teach ag cur thar maoil le daoine bochta is le daoine sibhre, le daoine uaisle is le daoine ísle, le hógánaigh luatha láidre is le seanóirí críonna caite. Bhí sagairt is bráithre ann ó gach ceard. Bhí dochtúirí is dlíodóirí ann ó Thuaim is ó Ghaillimh is ó Uachtar Ard. Bhí lucht páipéar nuachta ann ó Bhaile Átha Cliath. Bhí mac tiarna ó Shasana.
BY BRÍD
Le Pádraic MacPiarais Ba í Bríd na nAmhrán an t-amhránaí ba mhó clú dá raibh i Ros na gCaorach ní amháin le mo linnse ach le linn m’athar. Deirtí go meallfadh sí an chéirseach den chraoibh le binneas an cheoil a gheall Dia di. Agus chreidfinn féin go meallfadh, mar is minic a mheall sí mise agus malraigh nach mé ónár ndinnéar nó ónár suipéar. Bheinn i m’fhear shaibhir inniu dá mbeadh scilling agam in aghaidh gach uaire a sheas mé taobh amuigh dá doras, ar mo bhealach abhaile ón scoil dom, ag éisteacht lena cuid amhrán, agus dúirt m’athair liom gur mion minic a rinne sé féin an cleas céanna nuair a bhí seisean ina stócach ag dul ar scoil. Bhí sé mar bhéaloideas i measc na ndaoine gurbh ón Reachtúrach féin a d’fhoghlaim Bríd ‘Contae Mhaigh Eo’. Agus nach le ‘Contae Mhaigh Eo’ a bhain sí na deora móra as súile Sheáin Mhic Éil tráth a raibh sé ar cuairt anseo, bliain go díreach sul má rugadh mise. Ní nach ionadh, nuair a chualamar go raibh feis le bheith i Maigh Chaorthainn, shocraíomar go léir inár n-intinn gurbh ag Bríd a bheadh an duais ar an amhránaíocht, dá ghabhadh sí ann. Ní raibh aon duine eile, d’amhránaí fir ná d’amhránaí mná, leath chomh maith léi siúd sna seacht bparáiste. Níorbh fhéidir go mbuailfí í, dá mbeadh ceart le fáil. Chuirfeadh sí ionadh ar mhuintir Mhaigh Chaorthainn agus ar na daoine uaisle a bheadh ann as Gaillimh agus as Tuaim. Thuillfeadh sí clú agus cáil do Ros na gCaorach. Bhéarfadh sí an duais go réidh agus chuirfí go Baile Átha Cliath í le hamhrán a ghabháil ag an Oireachtas. Bhí sórt leisce ar Bhríd ar dtús. Bhí sí róshean, a dúirt sí. Ní raibh a guth chomh maith is a bhíodh. Ní raibh a hanáil aici. Bhí cuid de na hamhráin ag imeacht as a cuimhne. Níor theastaigh duais uaithi. Nach raibh a fhios ag fearaibh Fáil gurbh í an t-amhránaí ab fhearr in Iar-Chonnachta í? Nár mhol an Reachtúrach í,
Chuaigh a lán daoine suas ag rá amhrán. Chuaigh Bríd suas. Bhíomarna ar chúl an tí ag éisteacht léi. Thosaigh sí uirthi. Bhí beagán cúthaileachta uirthi ar dtús, agus bhí an guth ró-íseal aici. Ach tháinig sí chuici féin i leaba a chéile de réir mar a bhí sí ag bogadh amach san amhrán, agus bhain sí deora as súile an chomhluadair leis an gceathrú deiridh. Chuir siad go léir na gártha astu nuair a bhí críochnaithe aici agus í ag teacht anuas. Chuireamarna liú asainn a shílfeá a phléascfadh díon an tí. Chuaigh girseach óg suas. Bhí an guth i bhfad ní b’fhearr aici ná mar a bhí ag Bríd ach, dar linne, ní raibh an t-uaigneas ná an binneas céanna san amhrán a bhí in amhrán Bhríde. Tháinig sí anuas. Chuir na daoine na gártha astu arís, ach níor thug mé faoi deara go raibh aon duine ag gol. D’éirigh duine de na breithiúna ina sheasamh. Mhol sé Bríd go mór. Mhol sé an ghirseach óg go mór, freisin. Bhí sé an-fhadálach. ‘Cé acu a ghnóthaigh an duais?’ arsa duine againne sa deireadh, nuair a bhí ár gcuid foighde caite. ‘Ó, an duais!’ ar seisean. ‘Sea, i dtaobh na duaise, táimid á tabhairt do Nóra Ní Chaiside (an cailín óg), ach táimid ag moladh duais speisialta a thabhairt do Bhríd Ní Mhainnín (Bríd s’againne). Cuirfear Nóra Ní Chaiside go Baile Átha Cliath le hamhrán a rá ag an Oireachtas.’ (ar lean...........) (Ó Pheann an Phiarsaigh, Pádraic MacPiarais, Cló IarChonnacht, 2016) Seanfhocal: Cuir an breac san eangach sula gcuire tú sa phota é. Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi shéan is faoi mhaise daoibh go léir!
THE IRISH SCENE | 43
BIGGEST SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER 2019 $135 PER PERSON
Take the stress out of organising your Christmas gathering and join us at Ascot Racecourse for Ascot’s Biggest Christmas Party! Located trackside and catering for groups big and small, this allinclusive event is set to delight. Includes a beverage package for the duration of the event, assorted food stations, food trucks, festive desserts, live entertainment, video games, giant lawn games, photo booth and more! Book at perthracing.com.au
S A REIM A
reimagined
PRECI NC
T
T EN
... A CK
D NE GI
LAND IS BA
CLASSY
AY
REIMAGINED
TABTOUCH
PERTH CUP DAY SATURDAY 4 JANUARY
perthracing.com.au THE IRISH SCENE | 44
T
A christmas message from
The IRISH ambassaDOR A chairde Gael san Iarthar Is tráth an-mhaith é an Nollaig le breathnú siar ar an mbliain atá caite is breathnú ar aghaidh ar an mbliain atá romhainn, tá súil agam féin is mo bhean, Carmel, go mbeidh gach rath is séan ort féin is do chúram in 2020. Christmas is one of the most enjoyable and inclusive of celebrations in the Irish calendar. We all make a better effort to be pleasant, kind and generous to our neighbours and all those who cross our paths at this time. Of course, not everyone is in a position to enjoy the Festive Season. Many lack the financial resources to fully enjoy what we regard as a normal life, others do not enjoy full health and others still are in situations that deny them the normal bodily integrity
and liberty. I would recall that Irish culture has always be open to helping the less fortunate, the excluded and the marginalised. In that regard, the beautiful tradition of lighting a welcoming candle in the front window of the home is the clearest beacon of Irish hospitality to the wanderer, the poor and the forgotten. I would encourage you to continue that tradition where possible. I want to acknowledge and thank all those who work tirelessly to ensure the health and vitality of Irish culture throughout the year in WA, so many individuals and organisations enrich the life of our community and thereby enrich the lives of all of WA community. Please keep up your great work.
HE Breandán Ó Caollaí
Ambassador of Ireland
Finally, let me express my sincerest appreciation to our Honorary Consul, Marty Kavanagh and team and to all those who work for the welfare of all our community in WA. Nollaig faoi shéan is Athbhliain faoi mhaise
YOUR
LEGALHQ
YOUR
IRISHLAWYERS
Based right here in Perth Business Structuring & Tax Employment Law
Leasing & Lease Review
Commercial Documents
General Legal Advice
Estate Planning
Disputes, Debts & Litigation
Contact Lindsay on 9445 9200 L1, 30 Hasler Road, Osborne Park THE IRISH SCENE | 45
www.yourLegalHQ.com
Santa Had Shoes
like my Father
BY GERRY GANNON At this time of year I sometimes delve back into my store of childhood memories to knock the dust off a couple of Christmases. I can’t help noticing how the festive season has changed and in certain other respects, how much it has remained the same. For us children, Christmas was a wondrous time of year, which began with the arrival of the first Christmas card. This would usually be around the 8th of December and from then until the 6th of January it was all go. We didn’t have television and so we took pot luck when it came to Santa’s delivery of goodies. These days the television is a kind of mail order service at this time of year, and the only trouble children have is making up their minds between the hundreds of expensive toys advertised. Our only worry as kids was if, in fact, he would come at all! For weeks leading up to Christmas, our parents had done an excellent propaganda job convincing us that if our chores were not completed and we were generally not of good behaviour, the man with the long white beard would pass us by. To make matters considerably worse, there was a spy in the camp in the shape of a little red robin. We had been conditioned to believe that this little fellow was there for the express purpose of keeping an eye on us to see that all was as our parents had wished and he would make reports to Santa that all was well – or not – on the Gannon farm. He was the bane of my life at Christmas time! I well remember one particular day, not too far from the Great Day, when I was meant to be splitting blocks. There was no one around and I paused for a rest and a daydream. I don’t know how long I was sitting there, lost in my reverie oblivious to all around me when suddenly, I looked up and straight into his little eye! He was standing not five feet away from me and looking straight at me. Fear gripped me! I had blown it! How long was he standing there? I had visions of that little red spy getting on his bike in a rush to break the news to Santa that your man at Gannons was slacking in a big way and that as far as he was concerned, he didn’t
deserve to get anything from Santa. The man with the long white beard would cross my name off the list in his red notebook and that would be that. At first I thought of killing him with a stone, but quickly dismissed that idea when I saw another not too far away from the first. Whatever hope I had of getting one, I stood absolutely no chance of getting the second one! He would then create murder with Santa and I’d probably get nothing for ever and ever for the slaying of the robin. In the end, I decided to act as nonchalantly as possible and kind of gradually get back to work so as perhaps he wouldn’t notice that I’d actually stopped at all. But I would never know if it had done the trick until Santa would actually arrive. Boy, did I sweat it out, but in the end he did arrive to put an end to my misery. In our house, Santa did not come in the dead of night when we were asleep. Oh no! He marched right in the door on Christmas Eve and my heart would be in my mouth. Coincidentally, he would always arrive when my Dad would be gone to Confession. From the time darkness would fall, we would strain to hear even the slightest sound that would indicate his arrival. But first we would have to have tea with Christmas cake and after that we would all go on our knees to say the Rosary. Now, the Rosary in our house was a full length affair at the best of times. The beginning was the standard version but the bit after the Five Mysteries had been written, devised and produced by my mother who was – and still is – a genius at manufacturing long prayers. It was about one and a half times the length of the standard version and would be included every night. You think she’d make an exception on Christmas Eve? I mean, what would happen if Santa came to the door while we were in the middle of the Rosary and sled off again because this thing looked like it wasn’t going to end? Oh no; she ploughed on regardless of whatever
THE IRISH SCENE | 46
disaster might befall and we prayed for the living, the well, dead grandmothers and sick cattle. And then he would come, when we least expected him! Suddenly, there would be a loud knock on the door! We would scream with a mixture of excitement and fear. We would hide and then rush out! Again, my mother would open the door to the man with the long white beard and he would shuffle his way into the kitchen with a flour bag over his shoulder. He’d sit down and chat with us, ask us our names and we would sing for him. Then he’d reach into the flour bag and bring out presents with our names on them. He’d get up to go and we’d ask him to wait on a while. No, he couldn’t. He had a lot of boys and girls to call on tonight and then… he would go. What excitement! The visit of Santa far outweighed the value of the presents. Then Dad would arrive back from Confession and we would all at once tell him of Santa’s visit. He would say things like “Ah, stop” and “He didn’t?” and “Well, isn’t it a pity I wasn’t here” “And, Dad, he had shoes just like yours” (First published in the Clonmel Express, December 1979 and on each subsequent Christmas until the late 80s)
CÉILÍ AND SET DANCING IN PERTH!
Time to get ready for Christmas! SHARON NOLAN BROWS & BEAUTY M O R E T H A N A T R E A T M E N T, IT’S AN ART BROWS & LASHES
Full brow treatment - includes brow mapping, brow wax or threading, and brow tint & trim First consultation & treatment............................... $40 Follow up treatment ............................................ $35 Brow shape wax/tweeze or thread........................ $20 Brow tint ............................................................. $20 Henna brows - includes full treatment .................. $50 Lash tint ............................................................. $20 Ellabanna lash lift & tint ...................................... $60
WAXING
Lip wax ..................$15 Lip & chin wax ........$25 Full leg ...................$35 Half leg ..................$20
Brazilian .................$50 Californian .............$30 Half arm wax..........$20 Under arm .............$15
MASSAGE
Full body Swedish Massage ................................. $55 Specialist in Indian Head massage ....................... $40 Back neck & shoulder .......................................... $40
ABOUT
SHARON
Sharon Nolan is a fully qualified Beauty Therapist (CIDESCO Ireland), trained with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brows in 2004 and Narandra Metha London Institute 2006, and has over 18 years experience servicing cliental from around Australia and Europe.
THURSDAYS AT THE IRISH CLUB, SUBIACO sean nos - 5.30pm set dancing & céilÍ - 6.00-7.00pm $10 pay as you go Teachers: Caroline McCarthy & Sinéad Hussey
CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT
0498 980 987 sharonnolanbeauty Servicing northern suburbs: Joondalup, Ocean Reef, Kinross, Butler, Banksia Grove, Merriwa, Currambine. Home Service also available (metro area, nominal fees apply).
www.facebook.com/TorcCeiliClub torcceiliclub@gmail.com
THE IRISH SCENE | 47
Christmas Price List 2019 McLOUGHLIN LEG HAMS • Our hams are Gluten free • Jarrah wood smoked and cooked on site – all prices per kg 5235 Full leg ham small - 7kg (feeds approx. 15 people) 4235 Full leg ham medium - 7.1-8kg (feeds approx. 25 people) 6235 Full leg ham large - 8.1+ kg (feeds approx. 30 plus people) 5261 Half leg ham (bone in) 5632 York ham -± 3kg semi bless 7234 Champagne ham (split) 5234 Champagne ham 5-7kg 5695 Champagne ham 8-9 kg 3885 Champagne ham (unsmoked) 2096 Pale gammon ham (unsmoked) (Hand tied and slow cooked)
$13.90 $12.50 $10.90 $12.90 $8.90 $14.90 $14.90 $13.90 $13.90 $18.90
Raw gammon hoins 1.5-3Kg Raw gammon ham leg 3-8kg Back bacon joint – pale Back bacon joint – maple cured Spiced beef Irish pork cocktail sausages
All turkey products will be frozen – please allow enough time to defrost. 3244 3241 3223 3227 3217
Free range unbasted Turkey Turkey breast fillet Turkey breast roll plain - 1.3Kg Turkey breast roll plain - 2.5Kg Turkey breast roll seasoned - 1.5kg (Sage and onion) 3228 Turkey breast roll seasoned - 2.7kg (Sage and onion) 3226 Turkey buffs (crown) 3-5kg 3238 Turkey Ballantine -± 5kg (Boneless whole turkey seasoned with duck breast and chicken breast)
$10.90/kg $21.50/kg $33.00ea $57.00ea $37.00ea $62.00ea $11.90/kg $19.99/kg
COOKED TURKEY BREAST ROLL Just heat and serve
IRISH CORNER 5262 0605 5230 2824 0753 3886
FREE RANGE TURKEY
$14.99 $16.99 $13.99 $13.99 $15.95 $15.99
3237 Turkey breast roll seasoned (Sage and onion) 3147 Turkey breast roll unseasoned
$27.99/kg $27.99/kg
RECOMMENED SERVING SUGGESTIONS 4kg Turkey 8 – 10 serves 5kg Turkey 12 – 14 serves 6kg Turkey 16 – 18 serves 8kg Turkey 22 – 24 serves
THE IRISH SCENE | 48
from all the staff at McLoughlin Butchers LINLEY VALLEY PORK
CHRISTMAS TRADING HOURS
All prices per kg 1673 Pork leg roast – ½ bone in 3-4kg
$9.99
1687 Pork leg roast – whole
$8.99
1586 Pork leg roast - easy carve
$11.99
1578 Pork scotch and crackle roast
$14.99
1595 Pork loins boned and rolled
$14.99
5445 Pork striploin - roast pieces
$11.99
WEBBER MEATS 3830 Rolled blade roast – whole
$12.99/kg
7042 Rolled blade roast – pieces
$13.99/kg
0495 Gourmet sirloin roast
$26.99/kg
3143 Chicken roll – cranberry and pine nut $13.99ea 3141 Chicken roll – sage and onion
$13.99ea
WEBBER COOKING TIPS
Last day for putting in your Christmas orders is 19th December All Christmas orders must be collected by Monday 23rd December 20th December 21st December 22nd December 23rd December 24th December 25th December 26th December 27th December
Friday 7.00am – 5.00pm Saturday 7.00am – 5.00pm Sunday 8.00am – 3.00pm Monday 7.00am – 6.30pm Tuesday 7.00am – 12.00pm Christmas Day Closed Boxing Day Closed Friday Regular Trading Hours
Regular Trading Hours Monday – Friday Saturday 9.00am – 5.00pm 8.00am – 5.00pm Sunday – Closed
Approximate cooking times per kilo
Pork - 45 min
Boneless Beef - 35 min
Turkey Breast - 30 min
Whole Turkey – 35 min
STUFFING 7391 Sage and onion stuffing
$10.99/kg
5431 Cranberry and pine nut stuffing
$13.99/kg
58 Westchester Road, Malaga. Phone 9249 8039 sales@mcloughlinbutchers.com.au mcloughlinbutchers.com.au Find us on facebook! $25.00 deposit required for small orders under $50.00. $50.00 deposit required for all orders over $50.00. All prices are subject to change due to stock availablity
THE IRISH SCENE | 49
Discover your treasure with David Pamela Anderson, Bono, The Edge and Eddie Irvine all have something in common. They are just some of the celebraties who own personalised pieces of jewellery designed and created for them in no small part by Perth based jeweller David Carroll.
The perfect Christmas gift... CREATE OR CHOOSE A DESIGN Create your own customised jewellery for a unique expression, or choose from our collection.
David originally hails from Belfast but moved to Dublin (Skerries) when he was 15. He came from a family of jewellers, so the decision to take the path into the trade was an easy one. He started his apprenticeship in 2000, a four year training programme that saw him learn the skills through a FAS* training centre in Baldoyle, North Dublin as well as placement in a working jewellers. “I worked in Paul Sheeran Jewellers in Johnson’s Court, Grafton Street for eight years,” said David. “Paul was a complete socialite and he was good friends with Eddie Irvine and Bono and people like that, and having these guys coming in and out was just the norm. Eddie Irvine was seeing Pamela Anderson for a while and he commissioned a piece for her that I worked on, and I also made items for Bono and The Edge. It was all customised stuff and could be anything from a ring to a pendant to anything else. “ David, now a dad of three who came to Australia for better weather and way of life, was schooled in the age old traditions and techniques of the trade, and is in awe of the abilities of ancient peoples in Ireland such as the Celts and Vikings to create amazing pieces that modern day jewellers would not be able to make. But he was also quick to embrace the possibilities opened up by modern technology, such as Computer Aided Design, which can create an image of the finished product before a tool is lifted in the workshop. He recruits whichever technique helps him achieve the end result his customers want.
DIAMOND PRICE PROMISE We are confident that you won’t find a better priced diamond. If you do, we will beat their price by 5%.
perthdiamonds.net.au Phone 08 9499 4474 Exchange Tower, 2 The Esplanade Perth WA 6000
David has an office in the CBD and meets customers by appointment. He discusses in detail what they want and helps them realise their vision in precious metals and gems. The fact his workshop is at home rather than a large premises also works to his customers advantage. “I’m not paying high street rents and the like which means I’m able to pass on the savings to the customer,” he added. “For example, someone who comes to me for something that costs $15,000 in a store, I can create for $7,000.” Perth Diamonds, phone 9499 4474. [*Foras Áiseanna Saothair was a government training scheme which is now called Solas.] THE IRISH SCENE | 50
Upcoming EventS IFIP Christmas Party Cost $5 entry per child. Adults go free! See our Facebook page for more details Playcentre meet up in January See our group page for more details
IFIP Padbury Playgroup Each Monday & Wednesday
EIMEAR BEATTIE
Irish families in Perth is a voluntary non profit organisation with over 15,500 members on our social media group. We provide Irish emigrants with advice on how to best assimilate into the Western Australian culture and lifestyle. We communicate with our subscribers through social media where topics such as long lost relatives, housing, jobs and social events are covered. It is a vibrant active forum that provides a wealth of knowledge to young families and singles emigrating to Western Australia.
Our playgroup meet up is a purpose-built playgroup centre which has undergone recent refurbishment. It has a bright indoor area and a small kitchen complete with small fridge, microwave, tea and coffee making facilities. Outdoors, there is a covered playground attaching to the building and the outdoor area is fenced with a locked gate ensuring the safety of our little ones. It also has a large selection of indoor and outdoor toys ensuring that all parents and kids receive a warm reception. New members are always welcome.
IFIP contributes to a cohesive Irish Community by working together with many of the wonderful groups in Perth that support Irish culture and heritage.
IFIP aims to: • Coordinate Irish family events including twice weekly playgroup. • Develop Irish Culture & heritage. • Help Irish people with any problems that might arise and provide a link to Australian and Irish support services.
www.irishfamiliesinperth.com facebook.com/groups/irishfamiliesinperth THE IRISH SCENE | 51
THE IRISH CLUB IS Proudly sponsored by
SuSANN Keating Registered Psychologist
Child, Adolescent & Family Psychology Service
Your Irish Psychologist in Perth
0414 251 967
www.generalpsychologyservices.com.au
We wish all our members a Happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year!
Join LUB C THE
ANDY’S GREEN CANTEEN
MONDAYS FROM 7pm
TUESDAYS
The Irish Club is a members only club, and we welcome new members. Application forms can be downloaded from the website.
WEEKLY EVENTS
CURRY NIGHT
Music Lessons, Set Dancing, The Seisiun, Irish Language Class
THURSDAYS
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
comhaltas, traditional music & irish classes
PIE & PINT
TORC CEILÍ CLUB
friday-sundays
A great place for a party!
Sean Nós 5:30pm Ceilí and Set Dancing 6pm
Quiz Night 7pm
roast + trimmings
contact the club for your next function
61 Townshend Rd, Subiaco Western Australia 6008
Phone: 9381 5213 • info@irishclubofwa.com.au • www.irishclubofwa.com.au Opening Hours: Mon-Wed 5-10pm • Thur-Fri 5-11pm • Sat 5-late • Sun 4-10pm
THE IRISH SCENE | 52
Martin Kavanagh Hon Consul of Ireland Richard and I are very grateful to Imelda and Lloyd to the opportunity to contribute to the Irish Scene.
So, Christmas is upon us again. Diaspora Forum
Brexit
2019 has been a very interesting year for the Irish in WA. Whilst many Irish are returning to Ireland many new Irish are still arriving, particularly in the fields of medicine and engineering. In the first week of December 2019 Ambassador O’Callaoi will host a global Irish diaspora forum to obtain input from the community on the development of worldwide diaspora policy. I hope you can attend, contribute and have your voice heard. The precise details are being finalised as we go to print.
Honorary Consuls Conference
I was delighted to attend the first ever conference of Honorary Consuls of Ireland in Dublin last month. approximately 80 of Ireland’s 90 honorary consuls attended an intensive 2-day conference on all aspects of policy from trade to social policy, the diaspora and the needs of the Irish abroad. It was a great initiative and provided a huge amount of very interesting, practical and helpful information. It was also a great honour to attend receptions hosted by President Higgins and Tánaiste Coveney.
At the time of writing there is much optimism that this very important matter will be finalised. However, as An Taoiseach has said recently “there’s many a slip between cup and lip”. Here’s hoping there will be a good solution for all concerned. Ireland’s future is in Europe but our relationship with Britain is a long and very important relationship with our nearest neighbour.
Community
Once again on behalf of the Irish community may I thank all the volunteers throughput our community for their tireless and selfless work. Whether it be in the Claddagh, GAA, ITP, arts and culture we are very fortunate to so many good and decent people involved in our community.
The Irish Club
On behalf of the Irish community may I thank the President of the Irish Club Alan O’Meara and his team for the huge efforts they have made this year particularly, to sustain and develop the Irish Club, in very difficult circumstances. I also commend Alan and his team for their openness and inclusivity in communicating with members and the broader community. The community forum and subsequent meetings have been very well received. The committee has done much work to develop proposals for members to make decisions. I continually have to remind myself that this huge workload is undertaken voluntarily. As a community we are all so very grateful.
Nollaig Shona Daoibh
After our wedding in September, I am delighted to finally be able to say “my husband and I” wish one and all a relaxing, peaceful and happy Christmas.
165/580 Hay Street, East Perth WA 6004 By appointment only Tel: (08) 6557 5802 Fax: (08) 9218 8433 Email: info@consulateofirelandwa.com.au Website: www.consulateofirelandwa.com.au Office Hours: Mon-Fri 10.30 - 2.00pm THE IRISH SCENE | 53
FROM MELBOURNE
BY MIKE BOWEN It’s getting to look a lot like Christmas. Soon you will be putting a slice of Christmas cake and glass of milk or a drop of Ireland’s whiskey by the fireplace for the fat man when he arrives. That should be enough to keep him from buying junk food on his way through, as he heads north over the equator. Just a word of caution, I recommend you put the children to bed early as Santa is sometimes not as presentable when he makes it to Australia as he is when he arrives in Ireland on his rounds. There has been reports in years gone by, that he has been sighted as far south as Hobart, wearing nothing but a red tradie t-shirt and budgie smugglers while having a few slugs from a bottle of Jameson’s, not a good sight for any child. I have never seen the fat man tipsy when he dropped off at my place; maybe that’s because I might have had a few too many myself while waiting for the Learjet that I asked for many years ago. He keeps telling me it’s almost completed and should be out of the production department by next year. I told him last year if it’s not delivered soon, I won’t be able to afford the cost of the jet fuel at the rate of the price escalating and if it delays any longer he might have to deliver it to my new address in heaven. For many of us expats, Christmas is a bit weird, even though it’s been more than forty five years since I
migrated here. Sometimes my mind is trapped in the time before migrating. A time when Christmas was cold, with sometimes snow covered streets and houses with chimney stacks filled with smoke billowing out. A time when the family sat around the table for a feast of roast turkey, potatoes, peas, carrots and a juicy ham just waiting to be devoured by all. When Christmas times comes around each year my memory is hijacked and my mind is cast back to remembering when I wore an overcoat, warm socks and boots in December, not budgie smugglers and thongs, like the ones Santa wears. You would think, after all the years I have spent here in the Land of Oz, my memory would have filed those memories in a folder, with a do not open sign unless you have a bad bout of sadness; which I don’t. It’s funny how it takes some of us expats a long time to adjust to different ways and customs. Yet I had no problem adjusting to the beer here, but having fish, prawns, scallops and calamari for Christmas dinner in scorching heat is still a problem coming to terms with me after all those years. I am at the age where tight t-shirts and sexy boxer shorts don’t flatter this man’s ego anymore especially when it comes to laying on the beach. The thought of me laying on a beach in Australia or anywhere else in the world in December, would be the equivalent of me trotting over the ice, walking to the North Pole in the
THE IRISH SCENE | 54
nuddy. Never happened and never would. Being a typical Irish pale face, it takes just about enough time to say hallo to me in the sunshine and I would turn the colour of a lobster and soon after I would be in recovery for some weeks. Despite problems that still challenge me, such as phobia of snakes, spiders, sun and summer downunder, I do have many great memories to tell you of Christmas well spent. Some years back my wife and I went to Cairns to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. Considering I was a non-swimmer at the time, I’m sure she would have prayed to all the saints in heaven to get me in the water, which she finally did. I was covered from head to toe and had a life jacket on to cover all perils from the sun and man-eating fish. The Great Barrier Reef was my baptism of fire, so to speak. While it took hours for my wife to convince me to get in the water, it took her a lot longer to get me out. Snorkelling there was one of the most exhilarating experiences in my life. Now don’t tell me that wasn’t brave for one who was so petrified of water, considering in my childhood I was so afraid of water it was said that I hadn’t washed in a bath until I reached the age of fourteen. While I shun the sun, I do treasure sitting in the shade reading a good book, great for recharging your winter batteries. Aha the Aussie Barbecues, yes Barbecues, another delight for all who came from afar to socialise around a cooker in the open-air. A strange way of getting people together to eat outside the house, thoughts
of a newcomer to the country such as I was then. Growing up in Ireland in my younger days, if one was seen eating in public, others assumed that those people did not have a table at home to sit at, or even worst maybe those people had no food at home. So when I was invited to my first Barbecue, I was asked to bring a plate. I brought six plates and some knives and forks assuming that my new friends were short of tableware. On arrival I was told that I was an idiot and that, bringing a plate meant bringing some meat or sausages. I replied, why didn’t you ask me to bring food? As I had always thought that meat was meat and a plate was a plate. I struggled to understand the sense as to why they just hadn’t asked me to bring some meat. But then again, if they had asked me to bring some, I might have thought they had no food in the house and I might have brought a whole side of a sheep with me! Maybe? I will wish you all a safe end happy Christmas and hope Santa brings you what you asked for. Lastly, I hope you’re well cashed up and not relying on your credit cards to buy the presents. If you are relying on the plastic card to fulfil your Christmas wishes, please remember to think of the enormous interest rate that comes with them before indulging, then you won’t receive a massive bill shock in January.
Until next time, Slaintē from Melbourne.
Please give our sponsors your support as it is only through their generosity that the Irish Scene can be published for you, for free! Would you like to advertise in The Irish Scene? It could mean that your business message can reach in excess of 40,000 + people. That is, in excess of 40,000+ people who will want to use your services – 40,000+ potential customers who want to know about you! THE
Imelda Gorman 0450 884 247 THE IRISH SCENE | 55
IRISH
SCENE
For more information, contact Advertising:
Matters of
PUB-LICinterest! BY LLOYD GORMAN
If Irish community doesn’t Club together, who will? The Irish Club held its AGM on October 27. For a detailed and definitive account of the Club’s financial position, members can ask for a copy of the Treasurer’s report, which was approved by the 100 or so members who were present. I was present at the meeting, but won’t try to compete with the information provided in that document or exactly what was said by the committee to the membership base. A more detailed account may follow in the next issue, but for now here are a few of the stand out things I personally took away from the event.
Above: The hardworking Irish Club Committee. Left: Members who attended the AGM in October. Below left: Irish Club founders Paddy & Lena Costello
The Club’s committee are in the job about five months and in that time they have been meeting regularly, putting in long hours (often at the weekends) and putting out figurative and financial fires all over the place. While there seemed to me to be a real sense of urgency rather than emergency at the meeting, the committee members were clear that the club was still in “crisis mode”, and they were still busy fighting those fires before they became infernos. The committee are painfully aware of how stark the situation is and seem to be prepared to put in the time and effort to tackle the issue. As part of the normal course of an AGM, the committee were asked to step down from their positions and nominations were called for. In a massive show of confidence for them, the entire committee was re-elected and there was even some new blood added to the team. You got the impression they would hit the ground running. The Club’s bar staff Adam and Sinead were recognised for their hard work and tireless energy to keep the place open and running in these tough times. Anyone who has even had the briefest of interactions with them will know how friendly, helpful and dedicated they are to the place.
The kitchen too is under new management and the food being prepared by chef Mick is helping to give people another good reason to come in and stay. The Club itself is a great place for various Irish and other cultural groups to meet, and during the week there is usually some organised activity happening in the place, except on Friday and Saturday nights, so there is a gap there to be filled. Above all else the Club is there for its members, and it is they more than anyone else who will decide through their actions if the club survives and thrives. The membership has dropped from more than 900 last year to just over 220 now. But those 220 appear to be more active and engaged with the club than the 900 plus ever were. Two members in particular - who were not identified went above and beyond and each gave the Club a loan of $20,000. This cash injection was critical to keeping the doors open when they otherwise would have been forced to close. The fact that the fate of the Club came down to the generosity of just two members who put their hands into their own pockets just to get by, will tell you how precarious the Club’s position was. Thankfully things are starting to turn around and takings over the bar - which took a massive hit last year - are starting to show signs of improvement. So
THE IRISH SCENE | 56
much so that the club could pay its bills for October and start paying back those two members a few thousand dollars of their community-minded investment. Their example is inspiring. The Club still needs its members to visit, eat and drink there and to put in in whatever way their individual skills (for example, DIY and painting), abilities, resources or time allow. Volunteering in whatever way even in the smallest ways - will make a big difference. If the Irish community doesn’t fight to save its own club then no-one else will do it for us!
Galway Hooker should net a good RETURN Summer is nearly here (it starts on December 1) and so too is Perth’s newest pub. The Galway Hooker in Scarborough has been in the pipeline for some time now, but is expected to open at the end of November, just in the nick of time for the start of the summer season, which is most ‘Perthies’ favourite time of the year. Beach goers and visitors to the Scarborough area who frequent the place will be able to get a good Irish pub and even cultural experience. Dublin native Lee Behan, ARK Group operations manager, reckons it will make the perfect pub addition for locals and tourists alike. “Scarborough is buzzing, this venue will add even more vibrancy to the area. Irish Pubs are known for their hospitality and great atmosphere and we’ll be taking this to the next level with an impressive range of quality food & drinks.” The Galway Hooker will have more than 70 whiskeys on offer, one of the biggest ranges in the country. Kegs of Guinness will be stored in a Guinness-only cool room, while pint glasses for the black stuff will also have their own dedicated dishwashers. Like any Irish pub worth its salt, the staff will be trained and practiced in the art of pouring a perfect pint of Guinness. The Galway Hooker is owned and operated by the same people (ARK Group) behind Durty Nelly’s, so they know exactly what they are doing. They say it will represent the ‘next generation of Irish pub’.
Paul Moloney, the venue manager said: “We’ve gone to great lengths to feature the iconic trademarks of an Irish Pub, in the beautiful coast setting of Scarborough. The venue will play host to cosy nooks, snugs, a live stage for the bands and an elevated alfresco area that overlooks the Indian Ocean – at the heart of the venue is an actual Galway Hooker boat.”
Above: Concept design for The Galway That Hooker interior could well Image from Hospitality Total Services (Aus) Pty Ltd be a world first and appropriately enough for a maritime themed pub the Galway Hooker was designed and built in Ireland by GGD Global and then transported Down Under in shipping containers. A team of trades will reassemble the pub size jigsaw and make sure it is ready to go for Perth punters. The story of The Galway Hooker starts in the 19th century with a fisherman’s boat iconic to Galway Bay for ‘hook and line’ fishing. Crafted to navigate the shallow waters, they were small, tough and notoriously prone to sinking on the wind ravaged shores of the West Coast.
Continued on page 58
STOP LOOKING & START
BOOKING!
FLY NOW , PAY LATER!
British Travel now offer 2 forms of payment plans to suit everyone. You can pay off over 2 to 12 months. Lay by is available to anyone over the age of 18 years, including 457 or similar visa holders
res@britishtravel.com.au
1300 857 434 www.britishtravel.com.au
Australian Federation of Travel Agents Member: (AFTA) • ATAS -Member ABN 65 08 124 5098
THE IRISH SCENE | 57
Continued from page 57
WA pub a world class winner! In the last edition of Irish Scene we saw how Murphy’s in Mandurah was spruiked in state parliament by local Liberal member Zak Kirkup, who recommended to other MPs in the house that the Irish pub was well worth a visit. “If members are ever in Mandurah, I recommend that they go to Murphy’s Irish Pub,” he said. “In 2018 Murphy’s was awarded the best food experience, I think worldwide, by Guinness. It is one of the best pubs to get a Guinness in the country.”
your tables, in YOUR pub. We live by the motto written across the bar ‘There are no strangers here, just friends who haven’t met’ - and we can certainly say, we are so glad we met you all. To everyone who’s every left a positive review across the many online platforms, and those who voted for us in the nomination process - we thank you for every kind word!” Apparently when Murphy’s Mandurah was read out amongst the nominees at the awards night, Edward saw people take out their phones to google where Mandurah is, and a local of the place said he was thrilled to see people in Ireland become aware of it.
Well, now Murphy’s have done it again. On Above: Murphy’s Pub owners Edward & Peta Janiec winning the ‘Food October 8, the WA local Experience of the Year’ award at the Irish Hospitality Global Awards in Dublin was named as the world winner of the ‘Food Experience of the Year’ award at the Irish Hospitality If anything, West Australian Irish pubs dominated Global Awards in the Mansion House, Dublin. the awards in terms of entries. In fact, of the five Murphy’s owners Edward and Peta Janiec attended Australian pubs in the competition, three of them the function in Dublin and said they are honoured to were from the West and made their presence felt in win the gong. more than one way. “This award is so important to us to honour & celebrate our hardworking kitchen brigade - run by our executive Chef Clarissa & Head Chef John, who have both worked at Murphy’s for almost 10 years respectively,” they said in a statement on Facebook.
“Our amazing team of eight chefs work tirelessly to serve thousands of meals to locals & tourists that visit Murphy’s every week. We’re proud of our strong kitchen brigade who all work so hard to give you their best in quality & consistency even through the busiest of lunch & dinner services. The Food Experience award does not just honour the chefs who produce the meals, it’s our great front of house team that work hard to deliver an experience by putting in the effort to get to know the patrons who call Murphy’s their local, and chat to tourists that visit Murphy’s from Bunbury, Perth, interstate & internationally. We’re proud of the personal service our great staff and managers offer that add to the experience at Murphy’s. Knowing hundreds of peoples names who dine with us frequently & and getting to know them more than just their names. We love knowing where everyone’s favourite tables are, their favourite meals, favourite drink & even down to their favourite shaped glass. There must be at least 50 tables that are book ‘their’ table in the venue every week. We love that they are
As well as the category it took top place in, Murphy’s was also in the running for the Pub of the Year, Best Irish Community Pub, Best Irish Whiskey Experience and Best Marketing Campaign. JB O’Reillys in West Leederville was also a contender in the Best Food Experience, Best Entertainment and Best Marketing Campaigns sections. Perth CBD premises Durty Nelly’s was shortlisted in the Best Entertainment Experience category. The only other Aussie Irish pubs to get through to the finals were Fionn McCools and D’arcy Arms, both in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. Another watering hole that many Perth Irish might be familiar with - The Irish Village - in Dubai - also ranked in most of the categories, as did McGettigan’s DWTC.
Winner alright, winner alright A paid trip for two to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup is a hell of a prize and the kind of thing anyone would love to win. That’s exactly - and exclusively what JB O’Reilly’s was offering punters who bought a pint of Guinness, Kilkenny, Furphy, 150 Lashes or Heineken over the course of September and October and who filled out an entry form. Friday October 18
THE IRISH SCENE | 58
8.30pm was the draw night and there was a good crowd in the place. Musos Rhys Wood and Dave Fyfe laid on the entertainment for the night and were given the job of picking the winning ticket. The big box of entry forms was colourfully escorted to the stage by two costumed horse and jockey riders. The first name pulled out was that of one Michael McManus, but because Michael couldn’t be found at the time (the winner had to be present to claim the prize), a second name was picked from the box. This time the name that matched the entry form was in the room. Murray Scott - a familiar face to many JB’s regulars - was called out as the winner and was happy to step up and claim what must be one of the best pub prizes ever given out in Perth!
Above left: Rhys Wood & Dave Fyfe entertaining the crowd. Above right: Congratulations to the winner Murray Scott!
Regular Live Music BLACKBOARD SPECIALS
Taking bookings for Christmas Parties now CALL, 08 9325 4341, or email, admin@five6eight.com, for bookings and enquiries Address: 2/22 Eastbrook Terrace, East Perth WA 6004 Facebook/Instagram: @five6eight Closed Monday - Open Tuesday to Sunday
THE IRISH SCENE | 59
ULSTER RAMBLES BY DAVID MACCONNELL
I sat out in my garden this morning finishing a book that had been recommended in the Irish Scene. I looked up to the blue sky and thought out the beginning of a story to write for the Ulster column. It seems a long time ago when I wrote my first article; The Ulster Fry. Well it was the first thing that came to mind and I dread to think how unreadable and how indigestible it was. ‘What are you doing?’ It was the wife (yeah still the same one from Dublin 4) bringing me back to reality. She is really wonderful at that: a nurse at heart, no time or place for romance with her. ‘You are staring up at the sky,’ she continued. ‘Are you all right?’ ‘Yes,’ I replied coming back from my Riviera. ‘I am thinking about my article for the next edition of the Irish Scene.’ She could not think of a suitable answer to that so she left me to continue my contemplations. I marveled at the way the world has changed in this last fifty years. My first computer was the size of an average kitchen. Of course it was not exactly mine. It was housed in a large room at Queens University. I approached it with my program on how to play “Buzz”; a rugby drinking game, such was my feeble intellect at the time. I had handed in the program a few days before and I was waiting for the printout on how it had gone. Not Good. I collected a ream of printout to discover that my 147 cards had 43 syntax errors in them. I never did find out if the logic was correct or not. I would presume not. Some eight years later I became a qualified ‘Systems Analyst.’ When I applied for the course in London, I did not know what a Systems Analyst did. I enjoyed the learning experience and was eventually offered a job in London. Unfortunately at the same time, I applied to emigrate to Australia on the toss of a coin! I succeeded but could not obtain a job as an analyst as I had no previous experience. I was a computer salesman by day and a waiter at night. I even served
the Prime Minister (Malcolm Fraser) once and have many stories to tell, though not here. So what was I going to write about Ulster this time? The main news in the world is of course about our American cowboy; a certain Mister Donald Trump. No real connection to the Province or even Ireland. The next big item on the world agenda might be that nasty word which sounds like an ancient Irish cereal. Can you get my meaning here? I am just so sick of the word. I have no idea what will happen in a few weeks time and I certainly have no notion what will be the consequences. As far as I can make out, not a single person in the world knows the answer to that. I can’t imagine it will be that good, but on the positive side, it can’t be that bad either. I am certain the sun will still rise and give us all a good chance of having a beneficial day. My good editors have just reminded me that this is the Christmas edition. So I am going to change tact and forget about the news, which by the time you read this article will be all ancient history anyway! I googled ‘Chrismas in Ulster’ and found very little. Google advised me to try ‘Christmas in Northern Ireland’. I relented. A host of items appeared; Christmas in Bangor, Events in Belfast, stories about the weather, stories about Santa, Christmas markets, Christmas lights, German beer drinking sessions and lots more. I must confess it was not the kind of Christmas I remember as a youth in Bangor... some years ago now. Something happened here which I am sure you have all experienced. When writing, I save almost every 15 minutes or so just in case! Well it happened here. I had almost finished this article when Word warned me it had not saved properly. It gave me a choice but of course I saved the original and not the most recent.
THE IRISH SCENE | 60
Not very good for a trained Systems Analyst you will be saying. True. Here goes again. Now what was I writing about? Please don’t say the usual rubbish... I suppose I can now say that Christmas in the Province is much the same as most other places in the world. They even have great festivities in Bangkok around Christmas! I am not really qualified to make that first statement. I have not been back there (Ulster) around Christmas for more years than I care to remember. Oh, OK... Over forty years, but like the rest of the world I learn what it is like through the internet and I believe nothing much has changed. The big build up (rip off I used to call it) when we all bought useless presents for each other. You had to be careful who gave it to you in case of the disaster of returning their gift (unknowingly) the next year. Most men leave their buying to Christmas Eve which leaves the stress involved down to one day. Most women worry about Christmas dinner for two months. The first worry is who is going to be the host. God, not Aunt Aggie’s again. Didn’t she cook a two pound turkey for ten of us three years ago? We all had to cheer ourselves up with Aunt’s Georgina’s Christmas pudding. She did waste half a bottle of brandy on it! The other problems include ‘what should you bring; when should you arrive; what should you wear; will the children behave themselves?’ There are many others of course.
of the former British Empire (Commonwealth?) call the day after Christmas ‘Boxing Day’. Everyone else calls it ‘St. Stephens Day’. Of course the U.S. has to be different and don’t celebrate it at all. I wonder, do the ‘Irish” celebrate it there? They are renowned for celebrating anything so I would imagine that they would. The day commemorates Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. It is an official public holiday in most parts of Europe including Austria, Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Poland. Apologies, I could have left that list out but on the slim chance you were interested, I included it after a good two seconds thought. Well it turns out that I had forgotten a lot of the material I wrote before the computer crashed. It was about global warming and pollution. The folks in Australia are demonstrating this week to highlight the lack of interest and action on this important issue. I was educated mainly in science and I have to say two things. Firstly, the earth is 4½ billion years old. Life probably came about a million years later. The planet has experienced many times of warming up and cooling down over this period due to a variety of reasons; the orbit we pass through, the tilt of the earth’s axis, the output of the sun, the orbit of the moon, to name a few.
Now the province has a problem with the day Secondly, there is some after Christmas. If you definite proof that the are of one persuasion, human race is also you might call it ‘St. affecting the climate Stephens Day’. It is the and in particular the day to recover. There temperature. The former Student climate change protesters in Melbourne. Image from ABC News: Andie Noonan is some story about a may take a few million wren so google that years. The latter appears if you are interested. The other lot calls it ‘Boxing to take only decades. We will have to do something Day’. The first thing to say about Boxing Day is that about this and soon. its origins have nothing to do with boxing, or with Have a look around – what do you see? There’s a putting used wrapping paper into boxes, or with haze in the sky, some dusty rubbish clogs a drain, boxing up all your unwanted presents, or indeed with trees are curling and dropping their leaves again, football, horse racing, hunting, shopping, going for and a constant hum fills the air. It rises and falls icy mass swims in the sea, or any of the other activities with the flow of traffic. The rivers are full of effluent that now characterise the day after Christmas and and the seas are becoming dangerously packed act as an antidote to the languor that descends on with plastic! What a mess! And it’s all ours. We are households at around teatime on Christmas Day. The the only creatures in the history of our planet that origins of Boxing Day lie not in sport, but in small creates rubbish that is not readily returned to our acts of kindness. It is generally accepted that the environment. In fact it, our rubbish actually harms our name derives from the giving of Christmas “boxes”, environment, affecting both the plants and animals mainly from the rich lords to the poorer servants that live there, and us. who normally had the day off having worked on the Continued on page 62 day before. I suppose you could say that most parts THE IRISH SCENE | 61
Continued from page 61
We send more and more rubbish ‘away’ to landfill every year. There is no ‘away’, everything ends up somewhere and we are all responsible. And the bad news is that just about everything we do can cause pollution. The good news is that in most cases, there are relatively easy ways to reduce or even stop the pollution. I checked on the internet to find that Ulster (OK... N. Ireland in this case) is quite high in the stakes of producing a fair amount of pollution. When I was a teacher, pollution was brought to our attention and the students tried to do something about it. They collected so many bottles that the company responsible for removing them told us we would have to stop as they could not remove them all! Hopefully we have all moved on from that scenario. At that time I wrote a song about the problem but although it is somewhat dated now, it still makes a point. I can’t sing it to you here but here are some of the words.
Chorus We wanna have another real revolution We wanna stop all the vile pollution We want it now ….. we want it today If we all have our say ….. It’s pollution no way. Verse 1 We don’t want toxic waste or three-eyed fish We don’t want isotopes served in our dish We don’t want insecticides dissolved in our tea We don’t want aerosols with that C.F.C. Verse 2 There’s pollution all around us in the air and in the sea There’s chemicals that make you cough and coat your lungs for free There are oil-soaked penguins resulting from the spill There’s pollution all around us making everybody ill. A few more verses but I am sure you get the gist. The title is off course ‘Pollution No Way.’ I have long since returned from my contemplations in the garden and I feel the summer coming on; none of those cold Christmas outings for me. I have honestly forgotten what it was like and I have no real intentions of returning to find out what I was not missing! It will be down to the beach with a stubby or two. For some strange reason I find Guinness a little heavy in the summer. I suppose we will be fast approaching Christmas when you read this, so let me take this opportunity to wish you a fantastic Christmas and my very best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2020. May we celebrate all our wins and losses with honour, passion, dignity and a drop of the black stuff and as Dave would say ‘May your God go with you’.
R.I.P.
DESSIE O’HALLORAN BY OLIVER McNERNEY Irish singer/musican and fiddle player Dessie O’Halloran was born 29th August 1940 in Inishbofin, Co Galway. He passed away aged 79 on 28th September 2019 at Salt Hill, Co Galway, after a short illness. Dessie emigrated to the United Kingdom in the 1950s, and returned to Ireland in the 1980s. He recorded his first solo LP titled “The Men Of The Island” in 1975. His song “Say You Love Me’’, featured on the “The Diamond Mountain Sessions’’ album by Irish musician Sharon Shannon, was a no. 4 hit in the Irish charts in 2001. He also had a hit with the song “Courting In The Kitchen’’.
Dessie O’Halloran Image: amarketnews.com
Irish President Michael Higgins said of Dessie, “he was blessed with a very distinctive voice and a great musical talent, he used his music to bridge the divide of space, time and social background.” Check out Dessie’s performances on YouTube!
Hear all your favourite Irish music with Oliver McNerney VCA Radio 88.5fm
“Anything Goes’’ every Saturday afternoon from 3.00-5.00pm, also streaming live all over the earth. You can call Oliver for a request on 9297 1088. Oliver did a nice interview on his 28th September show with Irish singer/musican/keyboard player Dermot Hegarty, who hails from Longford Town. Dermot is 52 years in the music biz, he became a household name when his recording of the song “21 Years” topped the Irish charts in 1970 for 2 months. Oliver with Dermot in London radiovca88-5fm.org.au in 1970
THE IRISH SCENE | 62
SEÁN DOHERTY BRANCH
For more information, call the Club on 9381 5213 or 0488 149 382 For news updates visit: facebook.com/perthcomhaltas COMHALTAS CAMP We had our Comhaltas Camp on the 18th-20th October, and a big thank you to all the Teachers and helpers and all who attended the camp. We have had a good feedback about it and many are wanting to know when the next one will be! We will book for sometime next year and will keep you up to date on that. It’s the people that come that make the camp so successful.
upcoming events Some dates for your calendar:
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - 4TH NOVEMBER 2019
On the 4th of November we are having our AGM at 7.30 pm at the Irish Club. Hoping to see you all there.
WEEKLY SESSION EVERY MONDAY @ THE IRISH CLUB Comhaltas meets in the Irish Club every Monday night. Music lessons and Irish Language classes start at 7pm, and Irish Set Dancing at 8pm. Our session starts just after 8pm, so if you are interested in any of the above, please come along and meet us! Hope to see you all Monday.
It’s great fun, beginners welcome.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
We will also make a date for our end of year Christmas do, which all members, family and friends are welcome - we will keep you updated!
Yvonne
Thank you and Merry Christmas to all our Members!
Jordan Kitchens & Cabinetry Quality craftmanship at fantastic prices • • • •
Kitchens Wardrobes Laundries Door installation internal & exterior • Integrated Storage Solutions
Call Ian for a no obligation quote on 0405 182 730
THE IRISH SCENE | 63
Lee is from Dublin, and a couple of years ago he competed on Masterchef Australia. Now he manages a group of pubs for the Ark Group in Perth. Thanks Lee, for sharing your top Christmas recipes and tips with the Irish Scene!
CHRISTMAS
COOKING
For more recipes and treats, check out Lee on Instagram @lee.behan
WITH LEE BEHAN
Roast Potatoes
Christmas is coming and all that hits my mind is the perfect roast potatoes, here is a quick and simple recipe for the perfect roast spuds each and every time!
INGREDIENTS 1kg royal blue potatoes, peeled and rinsed 100g polenta 200g duck fat 200ml of olive oil
Brussels sprouts
Another Christmas dinner go to, some love them, many hate them! Here’s my recipe for a quick and easy version with a bit of a twist. These ones are shredded rather than the usual classic ways, but this way allows lots of flavour to be absorbed and the bitterness isnt’ there from a normal style.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD 1. Pre-heat oven to 200˚C. 2. Cut potatoes in half on an angle. Place potatoes in cold water and bring to the boil, once boiling place a timer on for 4 minutes. 3. In a large baking dish, pour in olive oil and duck fat, place in oven for 10 minutes. 4. Once potatoes are boiled for 4 minutes, strain immediately. Sprinkle in polenta to coat each potato then place a lid on the pot and shake to ensure each potato is coated fully and the edges are ruffled.
500g of Brussels Sprouts 1 brown onion 2 garlic cloves 100g of butter 80g toasted almonds 80ml dry cider Bunch of sage 1 lemon
METHOD 1. Wash the sprouts and trim off outer leaves, chop in half and then finely shred. 2. Finely dice garlic and onion and fry of on a gentle heat for 5 minutes until soft. 3. Add in the butter then follow by the sprouts and finely chopped sage.
5. Remove hot oil from the oven and carefully place each potato into the hot oil one by one. Be sure to spoon some hot oil over the top of them and move in the oil so they don’t stick.
4. Fry for ten minutes until soft and season with salt and pepper, add a dash of cider to the pan after 5 minutes and allow to cook off.
6. Put the potatoes in oven for 50 minutes, turning a couple of times throughout.
6. Add the zest of one lemon and juice of lemon to the sprouts, then top with flaked almonds.
7. Serve with some delicious Turkey, Ham and gravy!
7. Serve alongside your Turkey, Ham and the other trimmings!
5. Toast flaked almonds in dry pan until browned.
THE IRISH SCENE | 64
Stout Brown bread
A taste of home is always brown bread for me, this one has a bit of a twist with some Guinness in it that gives a darker colour and hint of sweetness.
INGREDIENTS 250g white flour 250g wholemeal flour 15g yeast
10g salt 200ml Guinness (room temp) 100ml warm water
METHOD
C M hr e is rr tm y a s
1. Preheat your oven to 180ËšC. Mix the two flours together. 2. Add water & yeast together then mix with Guinness, add salt to the flour and using a wooden spoon mix together until a ball is formed 3. Tip the dough on work top and knead for 5 minutes until a smooth ball is formed. 4. Place in a oiled bowl and cover with cling film and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes. 5. Turn out dough and gently press is down with your fingers into the shape of the bread tin. 6. Place into a oiled bread tin and allow to prove for another 30 minutes. 7. Make a small incision in the top of the bread, then bake in a pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes. 9. Serve warm with some real butter or even top with strawberry jam!
IRISH MUSIC
SESSION EVERY TUESDAY
7PM -11PM
PIE & PINT DEAL JUST $15
Every Tuesday: Guinness $6 from 6pm
Woodbridge Hotel
50 EAST STREET, GUILDFORD 9377 1199
Making Australian visa dreams come true!
Our team of dynamic migration professionals have assisted over 25,000 people to become Australian permanent residents and citizens. Consultations only $195. Now that’s magic!
Give us a call on (08) 9429 8860
email carol-ann@easivisa.com Carol-Ann P. Lynch (MARN 0320658) LLB MMIA Principal Registered Migration Agent
THE IRISH SCENE | 65
CLADDAGH REPORT
Crisis Support: 0403 972 265
13/15 Bonner Drive Malaga 6090. Enquiries: 08 9249 9213
www.claddagh.org.au
Remembrance Service Claddagh will once again be hosting a Remembrance Service for the Irish Community in WA. All are most warmly invited to join us at St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco at 3pm on Sunday the 3rd November. This was a beautiful service last year which allowed people space to remember their loved ones who had died, both in Australia and overseas. The Claddagh committee hope that this annual service will give the Irish community in WA the chance to reflect with joy on the lives of our loved ones. Afterwards we’ll gather in the Irish Club, Subiaco for refreshments.
Claddagh Seniors events A very enjoyable time was had by all at the Claddagh Seniors most recent outings. The group were delighted by the Spring flowers at Araluen Botanic Park in September. Then, in October they travelled through Perth with a whistle stop tour of Kings Park before heading on to Fremantle. On the beautiful waterfront at Fishing Boat Harbour the Seniors were treated to a hearty meal including fish and chips of course!
or if you know a Senior who would be interested, please contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on 08 9249 9213/admin@claddagh.org.au or seniors@claddagh.org.au/0417 099 801 for more details.
Grant writing workshop As a small charity founded in 1997 Claddagh know how important it is to work towards organisational sustainability. To this end we sponsored a workshop in September to learn more about how community organisations can make successful grant applications and recruit volunteers. We invited other Irish community organisations in WA to join us and had a very productive workshop. Thanks to Glynda Davies of Volunteering WA who facilitated the workshop and to the other Irish community organisations who attended. It was great to share the learning with you.
Visiting project
Any Senior member of the Irish community is We were delighted at the response from those most welcome to attend who answered our call-out to volunteer with Claddagh Seniors events. Claddagh’s new visiting scheme. Fourteen Above: Some of our seniors enjoying the Spring It’s a very friendly group of these volunteers attended Claddagh’s sun at Araluen Botanic Park with a different event training on Saturday the 19th October. It each month. On Tuesday was facilitated by Avril Eady-Rivers who is the 12th November the Seniors will be travelling to coordinator of the state Community Visitors Scheme Glen Irish for lunch and bingo. If you’d like to attend and just happens to be Irish! Avril conducted the THE IRISH SCENE | 66
training as a volunteer and Claddagh are very grateful to her for giving up her Saturday to share her knowledge with us. We will now begin work matching volunteers with Seniors in the Irish community who would like to receive a regular visit or phone call. If you or someone you know from the Irish community would like to receive visits or would like to volunteer with the scheme, please contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on 08 9249 9213 or admin@claddagh.org.au.
Fundraising Quiz night
Above: Thank you to all who attended our volunteer visitor training day
Thank you so much to all who volunteered, donated prizes and attended the Claddagh Quiz night at the Irish Club in October. It was a lovely social occasion and a great fundraiser for Claddagh. Special thanks must go to Claddagh committee member, Stephanie Upton who coordinated the event. She has also been posting shout outs on Facebook to the Irish businesses who supported the quiz night. There are too many to mention here but do check out Claddagh’s Facebook page and support these businesses who assist Claddagh so that we can continue our work with the Irish community.
Claddagh AGM Members of the Claddagh Association are invited to attend our AGM on Friday the 15th November. Details have been forwarded to all members and we would love to see each of you there. We’ll be reporting on the past year’s activities and sharing our future plans. If you would like more detail about the AGM, please contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on 08 9249 9213 or admin@claddagh.org.au
Happy Christmas The Claddagh Association Chairperson and Committee Members would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for your continued support, without which we could not survive.
Above: Quiz Master Derek with some of the attendees at our Quiz Night
Remember, if you or someone you know needs crisis assistance over the festive season you can contact Claddagh on our crisis line: 0403 972 265. If you would like to support Claddagh’s work at Christmas, you can make an online donation at: www.givenow.com.au/thecladdaghassociation. Claddagh is a not for profit organisation with gift recipient status. Donations over $2 can be claimed as a tax deduction.
Irish Theatre Players In September the Irish Theatre Players very generously donated the profits from the opening night of their One Act Season to the Claddagh Association. It was fantastic to receive this support from the Irish Theatre Players and their audience! Thank you to everyone who attended and to the Irish Theatre players for their sponsorship. We look forward to their next production in November. THE IRISH SCENE | 67
THANK YOU!
The Claddagh Association would like to thank the following associations and sponsors for helping make Association our recentwould quiz night success! The Claddagh like toathank the following associations and sponsors for helping to make our recent quiz night a success.
THE IRISH SCENE | 68
Irish Choir Perth’s
Christmas concert
Irish Choir Perth
Christmas in Perth can be a battle between our traditions and the weather. The glare of the sun catching the Christmas decorations could blind you, the heat of the oven four hours into cooking the turkey makes you recoil on a 35˚ day, the jolly Christmas jumper reluctantly replaced by a tshirt of Santa on a surfboard. For most of us, we find the balance – we head to beach, embrace the seafood and make appropriate nods to home, such as McLoughlins ham, baked in honey, breadcrumbs and Magners cider, and eaten cold on Christmas day. One compromise we don’t have to make is with our music and the Irish Choir Perth’s Christmas concert is fast becoming a staple for many of the Irish here to get their fix of Christmas classics and other songs from home. For the Choir members themselves, it’s their favourite event to take in. It really brings the community together to celebrate Christmas and that’s one thing we all miss from home; the gathering of friends and family at this special time of year. Keeping with the casual air of Perth carols, the choir host a beautiful but informal event, with sociable tables and the bar open for a beverage, and of course an excellent raffle full of goodies to keep your house stocked over the holiday season.
The evening concert this year takes place on the 30th of November, at the Irish Club of WA. Tickets always sell out quickly and the booking link will be available shortly on the Irish Choir Perth facebook page.
Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Duit Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You
Is your child’s future secured? For members of the Irish community in WA, we know a common worry is, how can we ensure our children are cared for if something happens to us? Did you know... in most cases appointing a guardian for your children is as simple as including it in your Will. The team at Vibe Legal are happy to assist you in preparing a comprehensive Will to address all your concerns regarding your children’s future. “The best way to predict the future is to create it” Abraham Lincoln
Contact Leo on (08) 6111 4890 or email leo.barry@vibelegal.com.au for further advice. THE IRISH SCENE | 69
IRISH FAMILY HISTORY
Another personal family history story from CHRISTINE TIMONEY whose family history research uncovered surprising coincidences. Christine is a committee member of the Irish Special Interest Group. She also volunteers for local history projects in Ireland on her regular visits to meet family and friends.
HOW FAST THE WORLD IS SHRINKING SURPRISING FAMILY CONNECTIONS IN IRELAND AND AUSTRALIA “Like a pair of twelve-year-olds eloping …” Even today as I stare down at our fresh young smiles in the faded wedding photo the words still bring a warm glow of fond memory. Mike and I met at a Saturday evening barbecue during the sweltering February of 1972 in the gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. We were both 22 years old and falling in love already. Part of the magnetism was our shared Irish roots. Though we were born on opposite sides of Australia, we each harboured a fascination with our respective grandparents who had emigrated from Co Tipperary between 1882 and 1906. My own fascination with Ireland blossomed over the years into a lifelong passion for genealogy, a hobby that finds me eagerly mining my heritage, shining a probing light into hidden corners for glimpses of the ancestors whose stories have woven a rich tapestry around my life and my identity. Discovering my ancestors has always been about discovering myself. It has also been about passing on the inherited stories and knowledge to my children and grandchildren, which of course means discovering my husband’s ancestors too. Little did I know when Mike and I married in 1973 in Brisbane that, back in Ireland, fate was conspiring to forge some surprising future connections between our hitherto unconnected families. I could never have foreseen how much richer this intricately interwoven tapestry was soon to become, and the catalyst for those new connections would be the Irish passion for hillwalking. What does one do for recreation in rural heartland Tipperary? Ól, coel agus craic in the local public houses, cheering on your county at a GAA match, set-dancing at festivals, local history preservation projects, community education and conservation campaigns to save local rivers … plus, of course, the hill-walking.
While Tipperary is known for the rich and fertile plain of the Golden Vale, it also boasts the Slieve Blooms in the north, the Galtees to the south and in the centre of the county some rugged hills around Upperchurch. Every week hardy bands of nature lovers kit themselves out in all-weather attire and hiking boots and take to the hills, many with sturdy branch or hiking poles in hand, for a long ramble. I was bitten by the walking bug, too. My first visit to Ireland in 2012 was a month of sight-seeing and uniquely Irish experiences, all scheduled around walking opportunities: hill-walking, river tow paths, coastal cliffs and dunes, historic trails in both country and city. When I returned to Ireland in 2014 I spent several months in Tipperary walking in the footsteps of our ancestors, Mike’s family and mine, and meeting relatives still living in the homeplaces that our grandparents had left more than a century earlier. A special highlight was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition to walk up Devil’s Bit Mountain. Since childhood I had been told that my grandfather’s home had been in the shadow of this mountain. Its name and my fantasy image of the strange rock with the missing chunk were seared into the deepest recesses of my memory. When I first stood in that mountainside carpark in 2012 I felt I could reach out and touch the summit. When I followed the path to the summit in 2014 I knew I had finally come home. But other high places in Ireland beckoned, too. I undertook the rugged path to Queen
THE IRISH SCENE | 70
Maeve’s cairn on the summit of Knocknarea in the days before the boardwalk was constructed, and I nearly got lost searching for the passage tombs at Carrowkeel. Then on a balmy summer evening in 2016 I joined the Mid-Tipp Hillwalkers for a group walk as Gaeilge on the Inch Loop Trail. My late husband’s second cousin John G. O’Dwyer led the walk. John G, born in Tipperary South but now living and working in Thurles, is a highly respected walk leader and author of comprehensive walk guides to Tipperary, Waterford and the Caminolike phenomenon known as Pilgrim Paths of Ireland. He is also chairperson of the official Pilgrim Paths organisation. In his spare time John G is also one of the key organisers of the annual Kerry Challenge, a threeday hill-walking extravaganza in the rugged and scenic mountains of Co Kerry. His friend, colleague and organising partner in this venture is Michael Sutton whose roots are in my family’s home parish of Bournea in Tipperary North. Together they raise funds for special needs people and the visually impaired. The Sutton family happened to be on my genealogy radar. In the course of my family history searching, several Bournea locals had told me that my great-grandmother Margaret Maher and the Suttons’ great-grandmother Ellen Maher were sisters, though to date we have found a baptism record for Ellen but not for Margaret. Enter DNA matching as a genealogy tool. Skimming through my DNA matches online one day recently, I found that I had a DNA match to a Michael Sutton. Could this Michael Sutton be
MORE... ROBYN O’BRIEN Convenor, Irish Special Interest Group
E. irish.sig@fhwa.org.au
FAMILYHISTORYWA (FHWA) membership.wags.org.au T 9271 4311
IRISH SIG WEBPAGE AT FAMILYHISTORYWA tinyurl.com/irishsig
BOOK A (FREE) PLACE AT THE 19 JAN 2020 MEETING ON GENETIC GENEALOGY
trybooking.com/book/event?eid=546400 Join FAMILYHISTORYWA Facebook group Researching family worldwide, open to all
from that family of Ellen’s descendants? In a flurry of email messages we confirmed that, yes, Michael was indeed Ellen’s great-grandson. I was already friendly with his brother, who since 2014 had asserted that we were related. We still haven’t found my great-grandmother Margaret’s baptism record, but our shared DNA suggests a third-cousin match, which would be correct if Ellen and Margaret really were sisters. There is still a whole arsenal of genealogy and DNA tools that we can yet use to test and likely verify our belief. What are the odds? – my late husband and I, two random individuals from opposite sides of Australia, met on a warm Saturday evening in Kalgoorlie, WA, and four decades later I learn that his second cousin and my third cousin, born at opposite ends of County Tipperary, are friends and collaborators in the hill-walking community in Ireland. And what about YOUR family story? Have you ever thought about exploring your family heritage? What surprising connections might you discover in your local community, here in Perth or back home in Ireland?
MORE...
www.pilgrimpath.ie/ www.midtipphillwalkers.ie/ debraireland.org/debraevent/kerry-challenge-2020/
The Irish Special Interest Group The Irish Special Interest Group (Irish SIG) of FamilyHistoryWA meets quarterly and the most recent meeting was on Sunday 20 October, Research Day 2019. There was a live research session using the Family History Resource Centre facilities including subscription access to RootsIreland, FindMyPast and Ancestry, with experienced members available to help new researchers. A concurrent brick wall session was held for those not quite ready to look things up in the databases. The theme for next year’s Irish SIG meetings is Researching Our Irish Ancestors with 2020 Vision, kicking off at 2pm on Sunday 19 January with stories about using DNA testing and genetic genealogy techniques to uncover Irish family history, with presenter Christine Cavanagh, who convenes the DNA Special Interest Group. New members and visitors are always welcome. Gold coin donation is appreciated. If you’d like to come along -and are not yet a member of FamilyHistoryWA (the business name of WA Genealogical Society) do drop a line to the convenor Robyn O’Brien. Please book a free place using the online booking site TryBooking, details left. The Irish SIG would like to wish readers a joyful Christmas surrounded by living family and friends, and a productive 2020 in your search for your Irish ancestors.
JENNI IBRAHIM, ON BEHALF OF THE IRISH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP THE IRISH SCENE | 71
A great time for horseplay
Irish Day Ascot Racecourse - Saturday October 26
THE IRISH SCENE | 72
Returning to Ireland? We can help you with the move!
Air, Sea & Road Transport Quick, Efficient & Reliable Contact our Sales Team
(08) 9243 0808
sales@aiexpress.com.au
www.aiexpress.com.au THE IRISH SCENE | 73
AIDA WA EXECUTIVE 2019
President: Caroline McCarthy TCRG Vice Presidents: Melissa Kennedy TCRG and Samantha McAleer TCRG Secretary: Katherine Travers TCRG Treasurer: Martina O’Brien TCRG Registrar: Jenny O’Hare TCRG National Delegate: Eileen Ashley
SCHOOL CONTACTS:
Celtic Academy East Victoria Park & Karragullen www.celticacademyperth.com Siobhan Collis TCRG 0403 211 941 Kavanagh Studio of Irish Dance Maylands www.kavanaghirishdance.com.au Teresa Fenton TCRG 0412 155 318 Deirdre McGorry TCRG Caroline McCarthy TCRG Melissa Kennedy TCRG Avril Grealish TCRG The Academy/Keady Upton Subiaco, Wangara & Pearsall Samantha McAleer TCRG Dhana Pitman TCRG Kalamunda Lara Upton ADCRG 0409 474 557 O’Brien Academy Butler, Mindarie/Quinn’s Rock, Ocean Reef, Connolly, Duncraig www.obrienacademy.com Rose O’Brien ADCRG 0437 002 355 Martina O’Brien TCRG 0423 932 866 O’Hare School of Irish Dancing Doubleview, Wembley Downs & Craigie Jenny O’Hare TCRG 0422 273 596 Scoil Rince na hEireann Rockingham irishdance@iinet.net.au Megan Cousins TCRG 0411 452 370 Scoil Rince Ni Bhaird Fremantle & Lynwood Tony Ward TCRG 0427 273 596 Three Crowns School of Irish Dance Wangara & Padbury www.threecrownsirishdancing.com Eleanor Rooney TCRG 0449 961 669 Trinity Studio of Irish Dancing Morley, Midland, Bayswater & Singleton trinitystudiowa@gmail.com Eileen Ashley ADCRG 0413 511 595 Katherine Travers TCRG Nell Taylor TCRG WA Academy of Irish Dancing, Malaga Glenalee Bromilow ADCRG 0410 584 051 Sue Hayes TMRF 0412 040 719
Australian Irish Dancing Association Inc. Huge Congratulations to all our Western Australian dancers who competed at the 2019 Australian National Championships in Canberra! Fantastic results all round. We Are Especially excited for all who qualified for the 2020 World Championships in Dublin! Sub Minor Girls 7 Years & Under 4th Charlotte Langford - The Academy/Keady Upton 5th Hannah Lonergan-Smith - The Academy/Keady Upton 7th Martina Orensu-Preiata - The Academy/Keady Upton 11th Sephora Donelan - The Academy/Keady Upton 12th Cassie Lin - WA Academy 13th Faye Conway - O’Brien Studio 19th Chloe Earley - WA Academy Sub Minor Boys 7 Years & Under CHAMPION Diesel Donelan - The Academy/ Keady Upton 6th Tane Young - The Academy/Keady Upton
đ&#x;?†
Sub Minor Girls 8 Years CHAMPION Sahara Donelan - The Academy/ Keady Upton 8th Kelsey McFadden - WA Academy 14th Aislinn Healy - O’Hare School 15th Sasha Brown - Kavanagh Studio 20th Emma Banwell - O’Hare School
đ&#x;?†
Sub Minor Boys 8 Years 3rd Ronan O’Reilly - The Academy/ Keady Upton Minor Girls 9 Years CHAMPION Georgia Western - Trinity Studio 6th Sinead Lydon - The Academy/Keady Upton 17th Mika Barnes - The Academy/Keady Upton 30th Blythe Garry - Kavanagh Studio
đ&#x;?†
Minor Girls 10 Years 10th Mairead Van Osch - The Academy/Keady Upton 16th Charli Bond - The Academy/Keady Upton 18th Hannah Egan - The Academy/Keady Upton @ Exhibition Park in Canberra Junior Girls 11 Years 10th Zoe O’Connor - The Academy/Keady Upton 11th Zoe Cahoon - Kavanagh Studio 13th Lene Brady - Kavanagh Studio 17th Layla Barnes - The Academy/Keady Upton 29th Eliza Beattie - Kavanagh Studio
Sr Brendan is Minister for Environment; Disability Services congratulated Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council by the Italian PO Box 2440, SOUTH HEDLAND WA 6722 members of the stephen.dawsonmp@mp.wa.gov.au community (08) 9172 2648 • 1800 199 344 (toll free)
THE IRISH SCENE | 74
SUPPORT IN THE WA G
IRISH COMMUNITY
32nd Lia Young - The Academy/Keady Upton 39th Rebecca De Smet - Celtic Academy Intermediate Girls 13 Years 22nd Phoebe Hogue - O’Hare School 29th Shannon Rogerson - The Academy/Keady Upton @ Exhibition Park in Canberra Junior Girls 12 Years 6th Isabella Campeotto - WA Academy 17th Ceilidh McKeague - The Academy/Keady Upton 24th Eliza Jansen - The Academy/Keady Upton 26th Ashleigh Hugo - Kavanagh Studio 29th Natasha Terrell - Kavanagh Studio 31st Laoise McAleer - The Academy/Keady Upton 34th Maeve Roberts - The Academy/Keady Upton 38th Fiona Lin - WA Academy Intermediate Girls 14 Years 2nd Caoimhe McGuigan - The Academy/Keady Upton 4th Sinead Daly - The Academy/Keady Upton 10th Heather Burke - O’Hare School 14th Stella Ashley - Trinity Studio 19th Maeve O’Reilly - The Academy/Keady Upton 24th Lauren De Smet - Celtic Academy Intermediate Boys 14 Years CHAMPION Vaughan Cooper - WA Academy 5th Joel Brooker - Kavanagh Studio @ Exhibition Park in Canberra
đ&#x;?†
Ladies 19 Years CHAMPIONÂ Ciara-Mae Crone - The Academy/Keady Upton 2nd Ruby Driscoll - The Academy/Keady Upton 4th Caitlin Bone - The Academy/Keady Upton 6th Brittany Pymm - WA Academy 9th Maeghan Oldfield - Kavanagh Studio 10th Louise McAskill - The Academy/Keady Upton
đ&#x;?†
Senior Ladies 20 & 21 Years CHAMPION Dara McAleer - The Academy/Keady Upton 2nd Dakota Courtney - O’Brien Academy 4th Ciara Stobbie - The Academy/Keady Upton 8th Brittany Tyson - WA Academy 10th Aimee Chanter - WA Academy 11th Taylor Pymm - WA Academy 14th Brigid Lydon - Kavanagh Studio
đ&#x;?†
our 2019 Ceili and Premiership Championships
Senior Ladies 22 & Over 8th Shannon Kennedy - Kavanagh Studio 15th Sian Fitzgerald - Trinity Studio @ Exhibition Park in Canberra Senior Girls 15 Years 15th Medbh Flanagan - The Academy/Keady Upton 27th Niamh Mathers - Kavanagh Studio Senior Girls 16 Years 4th Caoimhe McAleer - The Academy/Keady Upton 5th Isobel Ashley - Trinity Studio 13th Tara Collis - Celtic Academy 24th Keely McGuigan - The Academy/Keady Upton Senior Boys 16 Years 4th Adam Robinson - WA Academy Junior Ladies 17 Years 2nd Caoimhe Van Osch - The Academy/Keady Upton 7th Trinity Ryan - WA Academy 12th Koral Smith - The Academy/Keady Upton Junior Ladies 18 Years 11th Emily Rooney - Kavanagh Studio @ Exhibition Park in Canberra
THE IRISH SCENE | 75
A Very Special Interview with
MICHAEL MURRAY “65th Christmas Day”
WITH TONY SYNNOTT
Michael is a very well-known man about town, a raconteur in music, painting, football and helping anyone in trouble and a great friend. Thank you Michael!
1. You are a celebrity in your own right, what’s left for me to ask you about ? Tell me something we don’t know.
I used to be a Teacher’s pet, he used to keep me in the corner in a cage.
8. You were always ready to travel anywhere at the drop of a hat, have you stopped and if so why ?
9. What is your vision workwise for Western Australia or has the best to come for us all ?
2. Sixty five is a good age, how long will you go on for ?
Just longer than you Tony.
3. The Irish Club is or was a big part of your life, is it possible to help them ?
I believe the Irish Club is best left in the hands of the younger generation, the older folk have stayed round way too long.
I like to get away as often as I can for different reasons, it’s always easier to just get up and go when you travel alone.
Western Australis has been very good to me and my family for over 40 years. I have seen the good and bad economy wise and for now not so good but I am confident it will bounce back.
10. Shops, pubs, cafes closing around Christmas, what will happen, what is the answer ?
Modern technology , online shopping, Perth needs another million people.
4. Do you think that Subiaco will be out of reach of Seniors in terms of parking round there ?
11. Singing was a big part of Irish life, you and friends have the Mighty Quinn singers club going full bore. Great nights, a lot of people showing interest. Will it last? (I hope so!)
It will get worse when they build new hotels, shops and units.
5. If it were not for you and the old players where would football and soccer be ?
I was fortunate enough to have been part of Greenwood and St Finbarr’s GAA clubs and then went on to become a founder member of Shamrock Rovers soccer club in 1984.
I, like most Irish people, love a good get together and a singsong and feel blessed to be surrounded by lots of talented people which allows me to do this.
12. when i turned 65, nothing changed that I noticed, what about you as a man about town ?
Well I am not 65 yet Mr Synnott, so ask me next year. I’m a bit sensitive about my age like yourself!
6. The Irish have always been a family affair at anything, is this joy coming to an end and why ?
13. Do you find you can interact with your own grandchildren on the same basis like we used to?
I believe Irish people will always be a closely knit community as long as we roam this earth.
7. How did you find home this time round as you are older ?
I returned recently to Ireland for my nephew’s wedding and to see my family. It was a fantastic time as usual, they would teach us all a lesson on how to enjoy ourselves. The weather was beautiful and when the sun is shining it’s the best country in the world.
I feel I have a good relationship with my kids and grandkids which are my life and I love them dearly. Do I understand them, no, do they understand me, no, but we can learn so much from each other!
14. What do you think of your life as whole, do you wish that you could have changed any parts of it?
I accepted the cards I was dealt and did the best I could with what I was given. I would like to change many things but unfortunately that’s not possible. All the more reason we should treasure every day.
THE IRISH SCENE | 76
As most of you will know, it’s been a turbulent year here at Irish Theatre Players.
to the dozens of nomad theatre groups in Perth, in the hope of creating some new interest and energy in the venue as a whole. Already we’ve managed to secure over 30 performances for the Subiaco leg of the Perth Fringe Festival, which puts Townshend Theatre in the same arena as The Regal and the Subiaco Arts Centre.
Whilst struggling to find a new home for our shows at the beginning of the year, our dedicated and hardworking committee were determined that the show would go on, and we succeeded in producing one of our most successful shows to date – “Da” by Hugh Leonard – in the unconventional venue of the Leederville Sporting Club.
We feel this is an ideal opportunity for the Irish Club building to play to its strengths and utilise the under-appreciated theatre space on the ground floor level of the club. With the help of some generous volunteers, the Irish Club Committee have promised to paint the space in muted tones to add to the theatre vibe, and the ITP have installed lighting and sound equipment to make the space more attractive to hire. All regular groups who use the space, such as Torc Ceilí, Keady Upton, Northern Soul, Irish Choir etc, have all been contacted and will of course be accommodated in the new set up.
One thing we learned from being “homeless” is that there is a severe lack of performance spaces for hire in the Perth area. When we embarked on talks with the Irish Club President, Alan O’Meara, about returning to the Irish Club of WA, we brought this fact to his attention. As a result, we’ve decided to combine strengths and promote the downstairs space at the Subiaco venue as a fully-fledged theatre for hire! Irish Theatre Players will use our experience and contacts in the wider theatre community to promote the newly-named “Townshend Theatre” as a performance venue
Enquiries for hire of the Townshend Theatre should contact 0404 006 005 or townshendtheatre@gmail.com. We also invite you to “like” the new facebook page “Townshend Theatre”.
NEED A NEW HOBBY? Get Involved with Irish Theatre Players!
We ALWAYS need new people to help in in a wide variety of roles. You don’t even need to have specific skills or experience - just a willingness to get involved and help out. We promise you’ll meet new people and have a bit of fun at the same time! We have 3 levels of involvement;
VOLUNTEER
When there’s a show on
Jobs include things like; • • •
making tea selling raffle tickets helping set up etc
Commitment Level; Do just 1 night, or every night – it’s entirely up to you!
PRODUCTION TEAM
SUB-COMMITTEES
When we are preparing for a show
We need people to • • • • •
Build stage Paint set Buy Props Source Costumes Stage Manage
Commitment Level; Depends on the role, but in general; Attend a Production Meeting, liaise with director & ITP, figure out what needs to be and go do it in your own time!
All year round
We always need people to help with ongoing jobs like; • • • •
Reading Plays Applying for Grants Advertising & Social Media Graphic Design
Commitment Level; 1 meeting per month and rest of work own time or as a project demands.
For more information or to get involved, contact; Itp@irishtheatreplayers.com.au or visit our facebook page or website
THE IRISH SCENE | 77
BOOK REVIEWS
BY JOHN HAGAN
THE MEANING OF PAIN
REWIND
We all experience, and perhaps fear, pain during the course of our lives, with many of us coping by popping pills, taking to our beds or even resorting to sometimes expensive and problematical surgery. But pain, which Potter defines as, ‘An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage’, is our greatest guardian, helping to protect us from harm in so many different ways.
Irish Instagram influencer, Natalie O’Connor, seems to have the perfect marriage, until she suspects husband Mike of having an affair. She leaves Dublin and heads off to the small, remote, Irish, west coast village of Shanamore, convinced that Mike spent time there with the other woman.
BY CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD CORVUS, $29.99
BY NICK POTTER FABER, $29.99
With over 25 years as an eminent osteopath, Potter sees pain as an experience resulting from the interrelation of biology, psychology and sociology. When the balance between these three domains is lost, pain and suffering occur. An extensive European study involving 46,000 participants revealed that one in five adults experienced persistent pain, and one in three households had someone in chronic pain, predominantly back pain. In this lucid and enlightening book, illustrated by numerous patient case studies, Potter demonstrates just how we might address the problem of pain, and suggests the development of a roadmap for health and wellbeing before permanent damage ensues. He tackles the spectre of back pain in some detail, and also addresses predicaments such as chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as migraine and hypermobility. I was especially interested his chapter on breathing and how ‘proper’ inhalation might assist in alleviating intrusive pain. One of his clients, Sir Elton John, credits Potter as being ‘The man who taught me how to breathe’. Renowned show-biz comedian, Michael McIntyre, recognises Potter as ‘an exceptional osteopath -- with an extraordinary ability’.
On her first night as a guest in Shanamore Cottages she is brutally murdered – and it’s all caught on a camera hidden in the room. Andrew, the resort’s creepy, and unpredictable manager likes to watch his guests, but is stunned when the shadowy assassin destroys the camera. Who is the killer? Why did they execute Natalie? How did they know about the camera? As a witness to the crime, what now should Andrew do? How will he react when an intrepid reporter, Audrey, arrives in Shanamore to investigate Natalie’s disappearance? This intriguing, gritty and totally addictive tale is recounted in chapters which move forward and backward in time, like rewinding and fast forwarding a DVD machine. Rewind is one of those books which capture the reader’s attention from the very start. Howard’s entrancing thriller is replete with strong characterizations including; Richard, the English odd-job man with a shady past; local policeman, Seanie, who has covert links to the area; Natalie, the Instagram star unable to deal with her demons, and the dogged, Audrey, hell-bent on proving her worth as a real journalist. This psychological thriller is deliciously creepy and cleverly crafted, with twists and turns aplenty – the perfect read for any crime fiction fan. Born in Cork, Howard’s first novel, Distress Signals, was written in 2016 while she was studying English at Trinity College Dublin It was recognised as being the best mystery at the Independent Press Awards (USA) later that year. Her second book, The Liar’s Girl, was a finalist for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Novel, an honour previously bestowed on Ian Rankin, Stephen King and Raymond Chandler. The Liar’s Girl was also named as a Best Book of 2018 by the ‘Irish Independent’. Howard has recently signed a six book publication deal. Can’t wait for her new novel to be released next year.
THE IRISH SCENE | 78
BREAKFAST WITH THE CENTENARIANS BY DANIELA MARI ATLANTIC, $24.99
The sub-title of this slim, informative, easy-to-read, book is ‘The Art of Ageing Well’ – and don’t we all want to do that! Italian gerontologist and university professor, Daniela Mari, who cares for some of the oldest people on the planet, spells out how we might achieve a fruitful, satisfying and fulfilling ageing process.
BACKPACKERS • TOURISTS WINDSURFERS • SURFBOARDS
With the world’s centenarian population expected to grow eightfold over the next 35 years (including Northern Ireland with an 80% increase) as a result of declining infant mortality, improved hygiene, better diet, vaccination programmes and antibiotics, Mari addresses, and demystifies, some of the illusions associated with growing old. She examines the notion that lifestyle choices can substantially affect ageing, discusses the impacts of diet, exercise and artistic pursuits on ageing, highlights developments in current gerontological research and delves into the new and innovative technologies that can assist in the process of successfully ‘growing old’. In her opinion, one of the important factors is to maintain a positive self-image; rather than worrying about wrinkles and grey hair, positive ageing includes maintaining independence, fostering good hearing, maintaining balance and preserving mobility. Whatever the age, ‘feeling young’, helps keep the brain young. Those who embrace a diet including fish, white meat, olive oil, fibrerich fruit, vegetables, wholewheat grains and water are, in Mari’s view, better placed to cope with growing old. The author draws liberally on her own extensive experience, and from academic studies, in discussing factors leading to cognitive decline and how those, cast adrift in murky waters of Alzheimer’s, might still ‘age well’. Genetic make-up and biological good fortune aside, we ourselves are largely responsible for our fate; it’s dependent on the choices we wish to make. Faced with adversity, the successful individual needs to be resilient, possessing the ability to bounce back from negative emotional experiences and adapt successfully to the changing demands of stressful events. For some, says Mari, ‘ageing does not start when we see our first wrinkles; it’s when we give up on our dreams --- when we lose interest in others and in everything new’.
If YOU would like your BAGGAGE, suitcase, backpacks, windsurfers and surfboards SENT BACK to your home country/city while you tour AUSTRALIA
We are the people to contact! We have been in the Perth International Airport for over 20 years and offer a money back guarantee service. Please be aware the airlines will not accept any check-in baggage that weighs more than 32kgs in one item nor can you carry more than 7kgs on the aircraft.
25 Y EXPEREARS IENCE
UNACCOMPANIED BAGGAGE AND CARGO
Phone: +61 8 9477 1080 Fax: +61 8 9477 1191 Phone Jarrad Lewis
Mobile: 0411 081 311 | Email: jarrad@exportair.com.au
www.exportair.com.au
THE IRISH SCENE | 79
PAULA XIBERRAS FROM TASMANIA Celtic Collaboration
On Thursday I had the chance to catch up with Neil Byrne, one half of Irish musical duo Byrne and Kelly. The boys are performing around Australia in selected venues. Neil tells me the guys had a great time on their last tour. What began as ‘acoustic by candlelight’ and transformed into Byrne and Kelly, says Neil, was an unexpected bonus to the guys already enjoying successful careers in Celtic Thunder. It was while on the promotional trail for Celtic Thunder that Neil and Ryan sang a few Celtic Thunder songs together. While it was never envisaged, the promotion took a different turn when people started saying how the guys complimented each other and encouraged them to perform together as a duo.
Byrne & Kelly
Always eager to listen to what fans want, the guys did some gigs in a bar where about 50 people turned up. Since then the guys have moved on to record albums and garner awards. Neil calls it ‘the best thing’ they have done professionally. Neil says he and Ryan have been able to demonstrate their love for their homeland, the story of Ireland’s struggles and the richness of its folklore and history in their performances. The songs, some based on their
childhood - including one about Neil’s grandparents ‘seem to write themselves’ and it is never forced, with Neil saying the guys simply ‘add the colour’. While the guys still love performing with Celtic Thunder, Byrne and Kelly’s more intimate concerts allow the boys to relax and be spontaneous and in the moment, responding to the audience of the night. Neil tells me that while Celtic Thunder has taken a little break, Australian audiences should keep our eyes open regarding Celtic Thunder and ‘please God’ there might be a future tour. He also tells Tasmanian fans that even though the guys wanted to do more dates on this coming tour, this didn’t happen and with the news of him soon to be a dad the tour is a little shorter than initially desired. Next time he says he really hopes they get to Hobart, a place they had a great time and really enjoyed it. They are also excited to be visiting Perth, usually the last date on the tour date. The last time there being so memorable, it was a place they couldn’t leave out of the schedule.
Byrne and Kelly PLayed in Hovea, WA on October 20, 2019.
Meg the Mermaid I recently spoke to author Meg Keneally about her latest novel, the historical fiction ‘Fled’, which is the story of Cornish convict Jenny Trawney, and based on the true story of Mary Bryant. Meg chose to write Jenny’s story instead of Mary’s because she didn’t want to write a biography of Mary, and need to ficitionalise a true story, so instead she included some of the remarkable events of Mary’s life in in the fictional story of Jenny. Jenny’s journey to Australia happened after she arrived at difficult times in her life, which led her to becoming a highway woman. After capture and trial, Jenny was transported to Australia, giving birth to a daughter on the journey out, named Charlotte after the ship she was born on. Jenny spent seven years in Sydney Cove before a later attempt to escape. The story is full of the tragedy of life, where spirits are broken down,
living as a convict in a harsh and unforgiving time. Meg, a student of colonial history, is a regular visitor to Tasmania, and is familiar with places like Cygnet, Maria Isand and the Cascade Interpretive Centre, and for many years she and her dad, Tom have had a cottage at Eagle Hawk Neck. They enjoy bushwalking and generally ‘pottering around’. Meg is also a keen scuba diver and considers the underwater landscapes as the last unexplored part of the world and jokes it is her way of getting some vitamin ‘sea’.
‘Fled’ is out now. published by Allen and Unwin.
THE IRISH SCENE | 80
Modern Ms Comet Hunter Astro-physicist Lisa Harvey- Smith is a regular visitor to Tasmania and recently she had a chat with me about her new book. ‘Under The Stars’. Lisa tells me that her interest in astrophysics began in childhood after watching Haley’s Comet as a six year old. Soon after Lisa joined an astronomy club. Lisa was always a sporty outdoorsy person, climbing trees and athletics, so it seemed a natural progression then that she eventually chose a career in the greatest outdoors of all, ‘space’. Lisa’s book is aimed at young women but its style brings out the curiosity in all readers. Questions such as ‘What is a qasar?’, and why do two people standing side by side looking at a rainbow see two different representations of the said rainbow, are answered in a clear and cleverly (‘short and snappy’) quirky, illustrated way. Lisa hopes the book offers a non-intimidating introduction to astrophysics that demystifies science and technology as scary and inaccessible all while engaging readers.
Harrison will be bringing his ‘Harrison Craig sings Elton John Love Songs – The Piano Sessions’ to Tasmania this month. Harrison says he is a big fan of Elton John’s music and that ‘Candle In The Wind’ is his favourite Elton song. Harrison says this tour allows him to really focus and interpret what the song words mean to him and for audiences to consider what the songs meant to everyone at pivotal moments in their life, and the difference at age 12 and then age 21. As well as canvassing Elton’s love songs, Harrison will also include some of his own songs. He tells me that his inspiration comes from a variety of sources, from expressing feelings of a particular time to telling stories. If there was only one source, he as a songwriter would feel entrapped. For him song writing can never be forced. As well as music, Harrison has already written one book, with maybe more in the future. The first book was an inspirational one for children reminding Harrison Craig them whatever the problem, issue or hurdle you face, you can do whatever you dream about. Harrison has visited schools reading his book. He tells me he always stays true to himself, as the kids can see through any insincerity. Harrison’s book has the honour of being chosen for Dolly Parton’s library of the imagination.
You can see Harrison Craig sings Elton John Love Songs –The Piano Sessions in Tasmania at the following dates and venues Friday 08 November 2019 - Wrest Point Showroom Saturday 09 November 2019 - Launceston Country Club
Paula and the Irish Scene are giving away two copies of Karen Swan’s new novel ‘The Christmas Party’, “a delicious, page-turning story of romance, family and secrets” set in Ireland.
!
‘Under the Stars’ by Lisa HarveySmith and Mel Matthews is out now. published by University Press.
Singer Harrison Craig tells me, when we caught up this week, that he really enjoyed his last visit to Tasmania, which he said comes across as a wholesome relaxing place with a sense of community and laid back atmosphere. He says he’d really like to see more of the state and experience some of the local produce.
N WI
Some of the interesting facts include that Uranus is the most Shakespearean planet with moons named after Shakespearean characters including Miranda, Ariel, Titania and Oberon; and two women who were instrumental in astrophysics were Jocelyn Bell, who in 1967 discovered the pulsar, and Caroline Herschell, who was called “the comet hunter”.
Craig Croons Classics
For your chance to win, email your name and contact phone number before Dec 31, 2019 to irishscene@gmail.com The winner will be contacted in January 2020.
THE IRISH SCENE | 81
Around the
irish scene
Have you heard some news lately? Let us know and you might be seen in the next issue! Email irishsceneperth@gmail.com
new york’s famine memorial
Right: When in New York, Bob and Jean Rogers checked out the Yankees effort in recognising An Gorta Mor... and here it is! Prime position in lower Manhattan and about 500 square metres in area - but no flashy signage to say what it is! It is a lovely piece of real estate set to resemble an old cottage that is ruined... typical I imagine of reality in the day. Shame it is not so well signed as others who visit just use it as recreational space, not the sombre Memorial it is.
Congratulations!
Above right: Ray Stynes on 30 years service to WA Police.
Happy Birthday, Heathridge style
Left: In other ‘Ridge’ news, Selena Boyle co-celebrated a birthday recently with Hugh Gorman who turned 12, surrounded by family and friends.
GOOD sport Right: Congratulations to the winner from Seaview, Antony Gannon with 36 pts
WEDDING BELLS! Big congratulations to Tom & Diane, who were married Saturday 5th October, in Cratloe, Co Clare
Fright night in ‘The Ridge’
Left: A part of Heathridge is a well known hot spot for its residents spooky shennanigans on October 31 but the McCarthy Family (originally from Lucan, Dublin) went above and beyond to celebrate Halloween this year (it is an ancient Irish tradition after all). Together with their neighbour Fiona Clancy (whose dad originally hailed from Sligo) and some friends they all dressed up in fantastic costumes and even used an actual coffin to help give trick or treaters a fun fright.
Above: Brendan and Zoe Preston dressed as the Joker & Harley Quinn
THE IRISH SCENE | 82
THE AUSTRALIA IRISH HERITAGE ASSOCIATION PRESENTS
Classic Walt Disney movie – 60th anniversary
Darby O’Gill and the Little People
With an introductory illustrated talk on Leprechauns by Germaine Foley. A tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. Darby O’Gill is the aging caretaker of Lord Fitzpatrick’s estate in the small Irish town of Rathcullen, where he lives in the gatehouse with his lovely, almost grown, daughter Katie. Starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O’Dea, and a cast of Irish actors In the opening credits: My thanks to King Brian of Knocknasheega and his Leprechauns, whose gracious cooperation made this picture possible. - Walt Disney Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin in his book The Disney Films, states, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People is not only one of Disney’s best films, but is certainly one of the best fantasies ever put on film.” Maltin rates the movie so highly that in a later article he included it among a list of lesser known outstanding Disney films. Comedian Dave Allen was once asked, “Do Leprechauns exist and do you believe in them?” He replied “no and yes”!
Irish Club Theatre, Subiaco, Sunday 17 November at 3pm
Musical Entertainer / Teacher
• Illustrated talk on Leprechauns • Irish Afternoon tea • Movie on big screen
David MacConnell
0413 259 547 0doublexx7@gmail.com www.maccdouble.com
For advertising in The Irish Scene
Contact Imelda Gorman 0450 884 247 THE IRISH SCENE | 83
IRISH THE
SCENE
Admission $10 at the door (to cover catering and hire)
www.irishscene.com.au
Irish
Stage Screen Sound A Gallie gig is great Kidogo Arthouse in Bathers Beach Fremantle is a fantastic building in a remarkable location. Amongst other things it has been home to plays, art exhibitions and weddings. It is a place of joy, creativity and beauty and on the evening of October 10 it was the venue for the one Perth gig of Melbourne based Dublin born singer songwriter Gallie who brought his own brand of exuberance, artistry and magnificence to the place. Having heard Gallie on the radio (Songs for Ireland on Radio Fremantle) it was obvious that here was a musician worth listening to but even still I wasn’t quite prepared for how good he would be in person on stage. Fellow Dub - Brian Dalton - a brilliant singer songwriter in his own right, ably supported on stage by Fiona Rea (on keyboards) and Collete (on fiddle), performed such a strong set of his own songs that it was easy to forget that he wasn’t the main act. Brian is easily worth an evening of your time if you get a chance to watch him (or you could buy his album).
Top: Gallie and fellow musicians played an excellent show at Kidogo Arthouse. Above: A few of the attendees, including Blanaid who was celebrating her birthday
From the moment he stepped onto the stage until the end of the show, Gallie breezed through the evening with the ease of a refreshing wind on a hot summers day. Being Irish is a big part of who he is and his act, but it does not define or limit him in any way. His sound hints at the influence of other great singers (Bruce Springsteen came to my mind) but with a voice that is unmistakably his own. As well as being a talented singer and songwriter able to produce his own original material Gallie is a charming and funny entertainer who could probably step into the world of stand up comedy without a second thought (ask him about cups of tea). While he is able to command the stage effortlessly Gallie openly shares it with his fellow performers who bring something different and their own qualities to the show. Tristan Courtney was his main accompaniment on the double bass while Richard (Skydaddy) Slater offered a bizarre but brilliant break with his Gorilla song (and painting) His uncle Dessie got up for a song and by the end of the night – which ended with everyone in the joint singing The Auld Triangle – and all the museos up on stage together. Indeed throughout the performance the audience were invited to take part and some even scored a special mention, including Blanaid whose birthday was that day. Gallie himself was turning 50 the week after.
One of his many great lines was “I’ve said it a million times, country music gets less annoying the older you get”. Irish Scene happened to be sitting beside Vince Evans who drove up from Donnybrook to watch him play. Vince – whose grandparents came to Australia from Ireland – knew what he was coming up too. “We have concerts (33 so far) on our property, Gallie came and played and stayed with us. There was about 75 people at the event, a bit like tonight, we loved him,” Vince said. And after a really great concert then it was around to Kidogo’s Kelp bar for a few drinks, cups of tea and even some freshly baked brown bread and chat!
The Gathering was a mighty collective effort The Irish Club witnessed a very big night on Sunday September 29th, the likes of which it will hopefully see again. If you were lucky enough to be there you’ll know exactly how great the atmosphere, craic and display of Irish culture was, and if you weren’t you should try to make sure you are one of those who gets through the doors for the next one (whenever that might be).
THE IRISH SCENE | 84
A large number of local museos, singers and dancers came together to volunteer their talents for the live concert. They performed 23 great songs and tunes – traditional and some original – that moved the packed house to either sing along or get up and dance. Each of them deserves applause. The singers Above: Some of the acts and performers at The Gathering in September. and musicians included Ciaran O’Sullivan, Fiona Rea, Fiona Doyle, Tommy O’Brien, Phil Waldron, Brian Finnemore, Brendan Doherty, Rob Zielinski, Ciara Sudlow, Kevin Giang, Catherine Higgins and Annabelle Robinson. Perth Irish Choir members Monica McManus, Tadhg O’Laoghaire, Jo McNally, Audree Grennan, Eugene McNamara, Jean McNamara and Veronica Byrnes did their bit while Caroline McCarthy, Sinead Hussey, Kate-Lynn Vaughan and Amy Lawlor from Torc Ceili Dancers helped get the dancing off to a flying stat. MC was Hilary McKenna. The programme for the event also paid special thanks to Ann-Marie O’Brien, Gillian Forde, Martin Montgomoery, The Irish Club Committee, Irish Club staff, John Spurling and Trevor Jalla.
Black Rose A Thin Lizzy Tribute (Irish Club, August 19) REVIEW BY KYLIE STORM “Black Rose” A Thin Lizzy Tribute was originally formed in 2012 with a mission to bring the music, spirit and energy of this mighty 70’s rock band to the people of Perth. With emphasis on Lizzy’s twin lead guitar harmonies and the incredible songs and lyrics of the inimitable Phil Lynott, a Black Rose show is not to be missed!
The raffle – which raised $1,000 for Cancer Council WA – was supported by Fresh Frontiers, Shannon Arten Makeup Artist, Badlands Bar, Mason Mill Gardens, Avoka, Mooney’s Kitchen, Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub and EasiVisa. The night was also supported by a lot of people who paid $20 (great value) for a ticket. As well as raising a donation for the cancer charity, the night generated about $3,000 for the Irish Club itself. A great effort by everyone involved with the event, which hopefully won’t be a one off!
Above: Black Rose in action on stage at the Irish Club. Photo: Kylie Storm THE IRISH SCENE | 85
Continued on page 86
Continued from page 85
Colin Davidson started out playing in original bands in the 80’s in Aberdeen, Scotland. His early influences were U2, Simple Minds, and The Cars, and into the 90’s he played songs by rock bands such as Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin etc. Colin migrated to Australia in 2002, and played with many corporate bands between 2009-2016. He joined Black Rose in 2014. John Boor was born in Scotland. He is a die hard classic rock fan, influenced by Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, AC/DC, Scorpions, Rainbow, Deep Purple and many bands of the 70’s and 80’s. His favourite guitarists are Brian Robertson, Michael Schenker, Steve Lukather, and John Sykes. Neville Carrington, from Victoria, Australia. Neville began playing guitar at 15, and he has been a lover of Thin Lizzy since buying “Live & Dangerous” in 1978. Neville has played in many bands and played many genres, and his career highlights include being a winner of the 3TR Gippsland/ Latrobe Valley Battle of the Bands in 1982. He joined Black Rose in 2018, rekindling his love of twin guitar harmonies. Neville complements John’s guitar work perfectly, as he is right handed.
This page: Brothers Nigel, Al and Gavin Healy, aka The Healys, had a ball in Ireland for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Drogheda, as well as visiting the Gary Kelly Cancer Centre.
Perth groups trad-ing places in Ireland Perth’s quota of traditional and Irish music dipped significantly in August. Two of WA’s top trad outfits had a home run back to Ireland for a full on Irish summer and cultural experience. The Healys flew back to take part in the biggest musical event in Ireland, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Drogheda, from August 11-18. Organised by Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Eireann in conjunction with Louth County Council the Fleadh Cheoil is one of Irelands most important and biggest annual celebrations of Irish music, dancing, story telling, language and all round old fashioned fun. For brothers Nigel, Al and Gavin Healy the location of the Fleadh was perhaps even more significant than the scale of the event itself. They were back in their native town on the banks of the Boyne and took up residency for the Fleadh in McHughs Venue where they admit to “having an absolute ball” and played four big nights and packed out the joint.
When they weren’t performing themselves they also got the chance to walk around Drogheda, taking in the sights and sounds of the town, but also of the Fleadh itself, a treat for any museo or lover of trad. This year’s Fleadh - which were launched by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina - pulled in an estimated 500,000 people to Drogheda over eight days. During their visit the lads were also interviewed and played on LMFM by Gerry Kelly and they also visited the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre in Drogheda. Before they knew it their time in Ireland was up but they managed
THE IRISH SCENE | 86
to squeeze in a quick trip to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin in late August before they found themselves back in Perth gigging at JB O’Reilly’s and Durty Nelly’s a few days later. Around the same time all this was going on, another Perth based Irish outfit were also at large. The boys from The Broken Pokers (Irish born Derrick Buckley on guitar and Irish bouzouki, Ben Christiansen on banjo, mandolin and whistles and Tobias Anning on bodhran) had an eleven date tour of the midlands and West of Ireland regions. They started in The Stables @ Smiddys in Mullingar on Friday August 9, then Boggans in Rathcore the next day and Clarke’s, Mullingar on the Sunday night. On the Wednesday they gigged at Barr An Chaladh, Galway, Fiddlers Green in Streete, Co. Westmeath (Friday), Clarke’s in Mullingar (Saturday), Alfie’s in Athboy and a gap then until Wednesday at The Field in Kilkenny, Doyne’s in Glenidan, Westmeath, The Auld Shebeen in Moate (Saturday) and Canton Caseys in Mullingar on the Sunday. Venues and audiences at places like Fiddlers Green, Clarke’s, Alfie’s Bar, Boggans and The Stables will be familiar to the lads who played at these pubs last December on that tour of Ireland. The band have another local connection to the area. Derrick Buckley is originally from Mullingar, so he is on home turf. The hope is for the boys to return to Westmeath’s main town for the 2020 Fleadh in Mullingar. Before they knew it the lads were back as well ,and it wasn’t long before they were back playing their regular gigs at top pubs like Durty Nelly’s, JB O’Reilly’s, The Guildford Hotel and other spots around the metropolitan area and even wider afield across parts of WA. Below: The crowds filled the streets in Drogheda for the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
Above: The Broken Pokers enjoyed a large tour of Ireland recently
R.I.P.c
Ray M Gowan
Although Ray experienced a lot of highs and lows in one life time, he maintained a wonderfully kind nature and earned the infinite respect of a huge circle of friends. Ray shared his kindness and inspired others to appreciate the good things that happen throughout our own personal life’s journey. Ray is now without pain, resting in peace and his family and friends continue feeling proud of sharing Ray’s precious energy as he stays firmly in our hearts and memories.
Above: Some of Ray’s friends celebrating the life of a wonderful gentleman. From left: Carmel, Ron, Julie, Douglas, Teresa, Peter, Paddy, Jack & Ginny. THE IRISH SCENE | 87
On the road:
Australia level - Complete BY LLOYD GORMAN The last issue of Irish Scene carried a story about the remarkable trip Paddy Flynn from Rathgormack, Co. Waterford and Daithi Harrison from Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary were undertaking. The lads were cycling from Sydney to Dublin to raise money for the children’s hospitals in both city’s. The last leg of their Australian section saw them enter Western Australia across the Nullarbor Plain. On their very professionally done website - 2cycle28.com/ where you can make a donation - they are documenting the experience. Here is a slightly edited version of their account of their time in WA. It offers an insight into the challenge they have undertaken, the kind of people they are and says a little bit about Western Australia and its people too. The boys left Australia on the 30th September for Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam and an amazing journey ahead of them for an inspiring cause. Please support them if possible and keep an eye on their progress as they snail their way home to Ireland.
Crossing the Nullarbor Plain was an experience. Ceduna to Norseman…. 1200km with 10 roadhouses in between, the largest distance between them is 189km and the shortest 12km on the South Australia/Western Australia border. Nowadays the roadhouses are pretty well equipped. They offer showers, accommodation, restaurants/bar and a shop with the basic needs. The road is safe and a lot busier than you would expect. Lots of road trains and lots more of caravans.
Daithi and Paddy with their friends Chloe and Patrick who showed them “such warm hospitality. It made us feel right at home. Chloe’s cooking has set the bar for all hosts between here and Ireland, and Bailey has set the bar for housemates! Terry’s unique ultra coaching is one we will take with us going forward. Cans of Kilkenny, “plenty of iron lads, be grand!,” can’t thank you both enough”, the boys said on instagram. We met some lovely people along the way, people offering to pay for accommodation, gave us water and food for the road and just lovely conversations. This was the most isolated part of Australia but was the most social. Everyone you meet is coming from somewhere and heading somewhere. It is nice to hear others people future plans and their experiences on the road. Cycling the road, it can get monotonous. The landscape stays the same for hundreds of kilometres. After you leave a roadhouse and had interactions with people it keeps the mind occupied thinking of the conversation for a short while but that doesn’t last long. Then it is just you and your mind, not much to see but always having to keep a close eye on the road. The shoulder Products include: McLoughlin’s Irish Pork Sausages Black and White Pudding Irish Bacon and Gammon Joints Potato Bread and Soda Bread Barry’s Tea and Club Orange Odlums Brown and White Bread Mix Chef Brown and Red sauce
9309 9992
Woodvale Boulevard Shopping Centre Whitfords Ave, Woodvale THE IRISH SCENE | 88
Opening hours: Mon - Wed 8:00am to 6:00pm Thursday 8:00am to 7:30pm Friday 8:00am to 6:00pm Saturday 8:00am to 5:00pm Sunday 11:00am to 5:00pm
is loose gravel so you are cycling on the road. We cycle one behind the other and constantly looking behind for traffic coming. Cars and caravans can overtake us easily once there is no oncoming traffic so we can stay on the road and keep cycling. For road trains, it is not as easy. Some of these trucks can be up to 50 metres long and weigh up to 100 tonnes. Although the truckies were good and almost always went onto the other lane overtaking us, we always got off the bike and wheeled into the hard shoulder. After all, the road was build to transport materials across Australia, not for cyclists. We were also glad off the short break every now and then. Along the way we met 13 other cyclists and a guy walking from Sydney to Perth. It was a pleasure meeting them and sharing stories of being on the road. There was one or two tough days, where the heat and headwinds were making us work for every pedal and exhaustion kicking in towards the end of the day but overall it was more mentally challenging than physically. We cycled across one of the straightest roads in the world, 90 miles. Our second day on the straight and our aim was to reach Baladonia Roadhouse, it is 35km once you come off the straight. This day was hot and very humid with strong headwinds. The headwinds were slowing us down and making us work, when the weather is in our favour 20km per hour is our average speed, when the winds are against us we are down to eight to twelve km per hour and working hard for it. The air this day was dry, which meant you are constantly sipping water or your mouth gets so dry your throat starts to hurt. Eucalyptus trees with brown bark lined both sides of the road, they looked like someone has got a tin of varnish and painted every tree. This was the start of The Great Western Woodlands, 16 million hectares of woodland, the size of England, incredible but that was the last thing on our minds. Exhaustion was kicking in, we still had 35km to go, three hours! Water was starting to run low so we had to start rationing, we were also in a race with the sun going down. Your mind starts to play tricks, looking for a way out of the discomfort. Even though we had all the camping gear and can stop anywhere and set up camp,
Above left: Resting at the Great Australian Bight. Left: The beginning of their trip across the Nullabor. Above right: Some of the Aussie wildlife to be seen on the way! because we had no water, stopping wasn’t an option. You’ve got to keep pushing, self talk is important, you’ve got to flip it on it’s head. Instead of focusing on how tough it is, how tired I am, I remind myself this is what I am doing it for, discomfort is where the growth happens…. each pedal is building resilience, each pedal is building strength, getting more comfortable in the discomfort. I keep repeating this in my head, grind the teeth together and an inner strength I believe we all have comes out. We reached the roadhouse just after dark, sitting there with a cold bottle of water and an ice cream, contentment, appreciating just sitting there. We stopped in many small towns, some had stories of how the town came to be and the first inhabitants, some only two or three generations ago. Our grandparents! Men and women doing back breaking work to clear the land, women giving birth with no medical care, if they were lucky a neighbour was there to help. These people clearing land to grow crops to feed the ever expanding population. No sanitation, no electricity, no medical care. These are our ancestors, unsung heroes, what we have today is thanks to them. On the 20th September at 5pm we cycled over a small hill and in front of us was the Indian Ocean. We had cycled across the continent of Australia! When we left on 4th August there were many questions hanging over us. We had answered a few of them by cycling across, but one big one still loomed over our heads. The ultramarathons! Are we being too ambitious, can we do it? The cycling left little to no time for running. In the seven weeks since leaving Sydney we had managed two 5km runs. We had seven days to prepare to run 83km. The last seven weeks… our average amount of daily steps was 2,000 - 3,000. We were going to be doing 90,000 steps in seven days time. Our approach was, don’t worry about the running but to up our step count each day to over 20,000. Continued on page 90
THE IRISH SCENE | 89
Continued from page 89
We stayed in Perth with our two childhood friends Chloe and Patrick who we can’t thank enough. They opened their house for us and made for a great week. They live about 7km from Perth City, so we walked in and out of the city most days, with a few short runs mixed in. A few big days walking and by Wednesday we were both stiff and the muscles were sore. Even more questions were asked about Saturday. Mentally we were preparing for the hardest day of our lives. Saturday 28th September arrived. At 6am we were at the start line of the WTF 50 miler. Our hydration packs full, our minds ready. What ever it takes! We have learned that when you put yourself at the point if no return you can do things that you didn’t know possible. You keep moving, one foot in front of the other, encouraging each other and everyone else you meet. Our friend Nicci at the aid stations helping us refuel, the first 50km was a dream, we moved well and had even surprised ourselves. A few blisters started to slow us down but we kept plodding away, one foot in front of the other and before we knew it the finish line was in sight. We crossed the line. Another big question had been answered. We still have a lot of work to do to achieve the goals we have set out to do, but belief is at an all time high.
Dreams may seem crazy at first but once you start doing them they are not that crazy at all. I encourage everyone to go for it, go all in with everything you got. “You were born with all that the great have Top: Relaxing at the beach in Perth. had, with your Above: Running the ultramarathon equipment they began. Get hold of yourself and say I can” - Edgar Guest.
FROM EVERYONE AT AVOKA
Merry Christmas BELRIDGE 153 Trappers Drive, Woodvale 6406 2336 avoka
Belridge Shopping Centre, Shop 7 6406 2105 avokabelridge
THE IRISH SCENE | 90
SPONSORED AND SUPPORTED BY INTEGRITY PROPERTY SOLUTIONS Here we go again. Just finished the 2019 season and back planning for the 2020 season. We held our AGM at the Irish Club in 17th October and it was great to see some of our life members in attendance – Mick Manning, Mick Murray, and Andy Roche accompanied by his brother Sean. We had a great catch up when the business end was done.
Once again a big thank you to our sponsors:
Pipeline Technics Integrity Property Solutions We managed to get Mick Manning out of retirement and back serving on Killarney Autos the committee – welcome back Mick! We also have managed to get some McLoughlin Butchers new young(er) blood on the committee: Adam Walsh, Peter Smith, Gary Delaney, as well as Gerry McEwan, our head coach, as Vice President. Bendigo Bank Tom Hoey - Treasurer, Paul Doyle (Scorcher) - secretary and myself (Marty Express Bins Burke) re-elected as president for my sins.
I would like to thank the outgoing committee members for all of their hard work on behalf of Shamrock Rovers: Ciaran Launders, Paul McLoughlin, Dean Keating and Amita Clarke. Many thanks to you all. Gerry and his coaching team are already in the swing of things recruiting new players. Trial dates will be advised shortly for 18s, Reserves and First team squads – all players welcome, old and new. Keep your eye on our Facebook page. The committee is looking forward to the challenges of the 2020 season. We will be starting fundraising efforts soon. Top of the list will be our famous Golf Classic, planned for early 2020.
And special thanks to Nicky Edwards for his continued support.
Do you need PROPERTY Maintenance?
IPS provide property maintenance services to residential and commercial properties in the Perth Metro area. Our services include:
• Carpentry • Electrical work • General repairs • Landscaping • Locksmithing • Painting • Plumbing • Waterproofing renovations • Bathroom Kitchen renovations • Gutters & Roof Maintenance •
Contacts: President
Marty Burke 0410 081 386
Call IPS MAINTENANCE 0423 618 506
Secretary
Paul Doyle 0430 080 019 Shamrock Rovers Perth Football Club Inc
service@ipsmaintenance.com.au www.perthpropertymaintenance.net.au THE IRISH SCENE | 91
Help Liam
rule at pool! Chalk is something most Australian kids play with from time to time, but eight year old Perth boy Liam Nolan uses it every day to make magic happen. Liam was born in Ireland and came to Australia in 2013 with his parents John, from Wicklow and Sharon, from Leitrim, and his older sibling Sean. Like most children of his age and upbringing Liam was an otherwise normal boy who enjoyed the ordinary things in life. Then one day he discovered an unknown talent and passion!
John brought Liam to the West Australia Eight Ball Federation in Queens Park to help him develop his ability. At the age of seven, Liam qualified for the under 12’s state team that travelled to Tasmania for a shot at the national junior titles.The remarkable seven year old took on junior players from across the country and climbed his way to a place in the finals - making him the youngest player in the history of the sport in Australia to achieve the distinction. He didn’t quite make the final cut but enjoyed the experience and is super keen to have another go.
Dad John explains that it came about quite by Top: Liam in full competition mode. accident. “We had a large Above: He has won a few competitions so far! Right: The Nolan family need house in Kinross and a your support friend of mine, Ciaran McCrory, a pool state champion, was rebuilding his house and needed Liam, now eight, has already qualified for the 2020 somewhere to store some stuff, including a pool table. Australian Eight Ball Junior Nations which will be held We had a big room in our house where we could put it in January 2020 at the Commercial Club Albury, in and that was was how it started.” New South Wales. John would play the odd game in the house and Because the competition is over east and Liam needs it wasn’t long before Liam - aged just five - started to be accompanied by an adult - dad John gets that displaying a strong interest in what his dad was doing job - they need to fundraise for the event and the and wanted to join in. He started playing with his opportunity for Liam to shine. Any support you could father for fun and before long was beating him. Then offer would be welcome. Alternatively if there is any he started winning against other his parents friends business or company out there willing to sponsor who visited the house. Liam for the National Championships, John and Mum Sharon said: “John saw that his six year old son Sharon would be more than happy to have a chat had a talent and entered him in some competitions, about it. This is only the beginning of what is sure to which he won!” be an amazing career and a wonderful opportunity for The sound of balls being potted became an everyday a sponsor to be there right from the beginning! Any occurrence around the house and Liam would support they get from the Irish community would be regularly wake up at 6am just so he could play before most appreciated. going to school. THE IRISH SCENE | 92
GAA GAELIC GAMES CAMP October 2019 GAAWA CLUB DETAILS Football Clubs GREENWOOD Mens Senior Football greenwoodgfc@hotmail.com MORLEY GAELS Mens & Ladies Senior Football morleygaelsgfc@hotmail.com SOUTHERN DISTRICTS Mens & Ladies Senior Football southerndistrictsgaa@gmail.com ST. FINBARR’S Mens & Ladies Senior Football stfinbarrsgfc@outlook.com WESTERN SHAMROCKS Mens & Ladies Senior Football westernshamrocks@hotmail.com
Hurling Clubs ST. GABRIEL’S Mens & Ladies Senior Hurling & Camogie stgabrielsperth@gmail.com WESTERN SWANS Mens & Ladies Senior Hurling & Camogie westernswansgaa@gmail.com PERTH SHAMROCKS Mens Senior Hurling perthshamrocks@gmail.com SARSFIELDS Mens Senior Hurling sarshurlingperth@gmail.com
Football: BGC Grounds, Tom Bateman Reserve Cnr Bannister & Nicholson Rds, Canning Vale Hurling: RA Cook Reserve, Coode St. Morley HR
GAA GROUNDS
NICHOLS ON RD
HIG
D
AY IGHW
H ROE WY
RD
RD
ER
T NIS
D
DR
RE
LF WI
SON
HOL
NIC
H ACH
LE < TO
Tom Bateman Reserve Cnr Bannister & Nicholson Rds, Canning Vale (entrance off Wilfred Rd)
N BA
THE IRISH SCENE | 93
Congratulations to all the 2019 committee for pulling off a fantastic conclusion to the season by having our lads win the Jim Stynes Memorial Cup at the compromised rules blitz! The blitz itself was spearheaded by Edel and Alan Gibson 2 years ago and the mammoth effort they, and the then members of the committee pulled off, has left a legacy for us to enjoy the competition for ‘our’ Academy kids, competing with peers playing a version of Gaelic Football here in Perth! It’s a lovely sight to see many games and many kids kicking many O’Neill’s footballs on a perfect Perth day, around a top class venue that is HBF arena in Joondalup - a far cry from the soggy boggy pitches many readers will recall playing GAA in their youth! Plus to top it off with a win! With the AFL clubs not been known for their soft approach to playing, it was always going to be a tough day at the office for our lads, but with the encouragement and dedication of the coaches willing to put in extra hours, effort and energy into bringing this together, the massive trophy was well earned! Our own season had come to a close just a few weeks prior, and there was no rest for the wicked (coaches Tony and Emmot!) in between, the 2019 season marked the Junior Academy’s 8th season, so a massive thank you to all the families who have been (and many still are) part of the journey with us, some of the children who started with us when they were only little year 4 old kindy kids are now 12 year old’s heading to high school soon!
THE IRISH SCENE | 94
Contact us
Email: ggjunioracademy@gmail.com or Facebook: The Gaelic Games Junior Academy of WA
We spent this year in HBF arena Joondalup and it proved a great location with a clubhouse onsite (which on one or two stormy days provide great shelter!) it has a little café area where you can get a coffee or facilitate the delivery of the bribed ice cream after training! We hope to continue using this wonderful facility into the future. This year we are, as always, thankful to the GAAWA which provided helper player coaches throughout the season and invited us to the big finals days for Football in Thornlie and Hurling in Morley, on those days you can really see we are all part of the one association. A few sincere thank you’s have to be put out there so here goes: to our committee members: Gerry Crowley and wife Lois, Sarah Foster, Andy Brennan, Brendan Petson, Derek and Liz Lalor, Tony Ward, Lloyd and Imelda Gorman, Kieran O’Rourke, coaches Eric McSweeney, Connor McKiernan, Emmot Donaghy, and David Dillion. Plus all who helped us at the blitz between Refs, pitch managers, score keepers, thanks again to John Broderick, Paula O’Rourke, Tony Synnott our MC, Emmot Scullion, and many more, none of our achievements as a club are remotely possible without all of your help. Gur Raibh Míle Maith Agat! Looking ahead as we always do, our AGM is on November 13th at 7pm in the Irish Club for anyone wanting to help out or contribute positively as many hands make (a lot of mess in my house...) light work! ‘Til next time, Go n eirí an t-ádh leat.
SPONSORED BY
THE IRISH SCENE | 95
Merry Christmas AND
HAPPY NEW YEAR Thank your for your continued support
ges See pa r our fo 48 & 49 tmas s i Chr st Priceli
58 Westchester Rd, Malaga, WA 6090 McLoughlinButchers.com.au | Phone: 08 9249 8039