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Claddagh Report
CLADDAGH SENIORS
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The Claddagh Seniors Group finished the year in style with three fantastic events. In November they took a day trip to Moore River. Gorgeous weather, beautiful scenery and a yummy picnic added up to a very enjoyable day. The group met again in December for their traditional Christmas lunch at the Mighty Quinn Tavern. More than 90 members of the Seniors Group had a ball, enjoying the music from the Broken Pokers, a visit from Santa and the fabulous prizes in the raffle. By the time you read this the group will have finished the year by attending The Irish Theatre Players panto ‘Cinderella (The Slightly Deviated Version)’. It promises to be a very enjoyable show. All senior members of the Irish Community in WA are welcome to join the group. If you, or a senior you know from the Irish community, would like to attend events in 2022 you can register by calling Patricia Bratton of the Seniors Subcommittee on 0417 099 801/08 9345 3530 or by contacting Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@ claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213.
Above: Our Seniors at their traditional Christmas lunch at the Mighty Quinn Tavern. Left: Phil Leonard at Moore River
Above: Claddagh Committee Darren King, Stephanie Upton, Tom Quinn, Heather McKeegan, Peter McKenna and Patricia Bratton
CLADDAGH AGM
Claddagh’s 2020-2021 AGM was held on the 29th of October 2021 at the Irish Club. For the third year in a row Claddagh Chairperson, Heather McKeegan, reported that Claddagh experienced a heightened demand for services, organised more events, interacted with higher numbers of people from our community and increased spending on emergency relief. As always, Claddagh dealt with clients facing a wide variety of difficult circumstances, including migration, health, bereavement, housing, financial, criminal, domestic violence and relationship breakdown issues. It is not unusual for Claddagh to work with clients for an extended period due to their complex needs. Although we had an average of 9.4 new cases per month during the 2020-2021 year, we commonly work with an active case load of up to 20 cases per month. In the past year Claddagh also organised three new projects: The Claddagh Oral History Project; Online Training for Seniors; and Claddagh Visa Clinics. These were so successful that we will run them again in 2022. The AGM voted to keep the current committee in place for another year. Heather McKeegan remains as chairperson, Peter McKenna is Vice Chairperson, Stephanie Upton is Secretary, Patricia Bratton is Treasurer and Darren King and Tom Quinn are ordinary Committee Members.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS
During the 2020-2021 year the Claddagh Committee worked in partnership with full time Coordinator, Anne Wayne and our hardworking volunteers to carry out our casework and programmes. We are very appreciative of our diverse, loyal group of volunteers who donate their skills and time to Claddagh helping us organise events for Seniors, staff our fundraising ventures, work on our special projects and offer their expertise in matters ranging from migration to legal to medical. We could not carry out our work without them. We were also supported last year, as always, by our principal funder, the Government of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme, by our many generous donors and all those who participate in our fundraising events, by the Honorary Consul of Ireland in Perth, the Embassy of Ireland in Canberra and the other Irish community groups in Perth. We are so grateful for the help of all our supporters.
13/15 Bonner Drive Malaga. Enquiries: 08 9249 9213 / admin@claddagh.org.au THE IRISH SCENE | 69 Crisis Support: 0403 972 265
In the last issue of the Irish Scene, we shared with you the words of the O'Riordan family whose hearts were broken when they lost their little angel Eireann in February 2021: “On the 4th of February 2021 we lost our newborn baby girl Eireann. Life went to a standstill while we as a family tried to come to terms with what was happening and what was ahead of us. That’s where we were introduced to the Claddagh Association. They provided so much financial assistance and emotional support for our family. They assisted with everything and anything that would help lift some burden from us. They also went above and beyond to get our family over from Ireland, in the midst of the pandemic so that we could be together for 6 months. We are now in a position to try and say thank you in raising as much funds and awareness as we can, to support their wonderful association so other families like ours continue to get the same support.”
In memory of Eireann, her mum, Grainne, and her dad, Darren (top), organised a quiz night, a GoFundMe appeal for Grainne's workmate, Vivian (left), who shaved her head on stage at the Quiz night, and a Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings, Malaga. All three events were a wonderful success raising a combined total of $14,352. Many volunteers gave generously of their time and skills to help with these fundraisers. Thanks go to Conor Brennan, our fabulous quizmaster, Vivian, who shaved her head in memory of Eireann, The Sweet Woodbines, who performed for free, entertaining the quiz night audience till late into the night, The Irish Club who hosted the quiz night, Claddagh’s many wonderful volunteers who worked at the Quiz night as well as the Sausage Sizzle and Paul McLoughlin, who donated the sausages for the sausage sizzle. Finally, a big, big thanks to Darren and Grainne Conlon O'Riordan who went above and beyond to pay forward the support they received from Claddagh after they lost their beautiful baby girl Eireann. They worked so hard, brought together their lovely community of friends and created a wonderful tribute to Eireann.
CLADDAGH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
CLADDAGH REMEMBRANCE SERVICE
On Sunday the 7th of November, at Claddagh’s annual Remembrance Service, Fr Tim Corcoran led the Irish community in remembering our loved ones who died here in Australia, in Ireland or elsewhere in the past year. Members of many of the Irish Australian community groups in Perth played roles in the service which led to a wonderful sense of unity and support despite grief. Thanks to the Irish Club who hosted us afterwards for a delicious Irish afternoon tea catered by Hetty’s Scullery.
Above: St Joseph’s Church Claddagh Remembrance service. Left: Eimear Beattie and Mariea Crabbe at the Irish Club after the Remembrance Service
This month we share the migration story of John Flood from the Claddagh Oral History Project 2020. Readers of the Irish Scene will enjoy John’s recollections of migrating to Perth in the late 1980s. John is from Co Meath and was interviewed by Claddagh volunteer Dee O’Callaghan. Dee is from Blackrock, Cork City and migrated to Australia in 2017. All the interviews from Claddagh’s Oral History Project 2020 were edited and collated as a book, From Home to Home: Oral Histories of Irish Seniors in Western Australia. The full book is available as a free digital download at the Claddagh website here: claddagh. org.au/claddagh-oral-history-project/. Claddagh are delighted that we have been awarded funding from the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Programme to carry out another larger oral history project in 2022. In this expanded oral history project, we’d like to interview a wider group of people to explore the diversity of migration experiences in the Irish community here. As well as interviewing more Seniors we’re also interested in the migration stories of people who arrived after 2008, the journeys of people who migrated when young– perhaps as children in a family group, and the migration experiences of people with mixed ancestry, people from the LGBTQI community, and people from the Traveller community. If you're interested in sharing your story or volunteering as an interviewer with Claddagh's 2022 oral history project, contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@claddagh.org. au/08 9249 9213.
CLADDAGH AT WORK THROUGH THE SUMMER
We hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing summer. Don’t forget, if you or someone you know needs Claddagh’s support, please contact the Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne via admin@claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213. If your need is urgent, you can call Claddagh’s crisis line on 0403 972 265. If you would like to give to Claddagh to support our work in 2022, you can make a donation at our website: claddagh.org.au/support-our-work/make-a-donation/. ☘
