Irish Scene March-April 2020

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SCENE

2020 • vol 22 ISSUE TWO

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Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Now she’s sucking diesel…

This little red tractor (pictured here at last year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Leederville) is typical of the many colourful ‘Irish’ sights and sounds parade goers can expect at this years parade and festival on Saturday March 14

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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 Canal Walk Media. The publisher and editor reserve the right to accept, reject, edit or amend submitted material in order to make it appropriate or suitable for publication. Irish Scene welcomes submissions, ideas and suggestions for articles and features as well as photographs of events happening around and within the Irish community in Western Australia.

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Air Corps New Planes Might Have to ‘Weight’ A While........................20 Ambassador of Ireland’s Message.........37 Around the Irish Scene.............................90 Australian Irish Dancing Assoc............... 76 Australian Irish Heritage Assoc..............65 BBQ Recipes...............................................64 Book Reviews............................................. 80 Bríd Na Namhrán.......................................85 Claddagh Report........................................52 Family History WA....................................68 Fred Rea & Friends.....................................47 GAA Junior Academy...............................95 GAAWA.......................................................93 Irish Choir Perth..........................................66 Irish Love, Actually!....................................18 Irish Seniors First Lunch of 2020............21 Limerick Man Becomes Cool Aussie........ 4 Matters of Pub-lic Interest!......................30 Minute with Synnott...................................74 Padres Who Charged The Gates of Hell!......................................40 Paula from Tasmania.................................86 Pipeline’s Forgotten Irish Champion............................................22 Race to Buy Perth Pile with Great Irish Pedigree...................................34 Remembering My Grandfather...............54 St Patrick’s Day Committee......................38 Samhradh....................................................72 Shamrock Rovers.......................................92 Sir Frederick Irwin’s Book – A Resurrection............................................78 The Aussie-Irish Gave Australia It’s Country.................................48 Two Irish Men Celebrated in South West.........................45 Ulster Rambles...........................................62 Wearing ‘the Ulster’..................................60 Wild Butterfly.............................................84

Limerick man becomes a

cool Aussie

BY LLOYD GORMAN Irish-born carpenter Michael Keating Kearney took his Australian Citizenship pledge at the nation’s remotest and coolest outpost – Antarctica!

On January 26, a short Australian Citizenship ceremony was staged for Limerick native Michael Keating Kearney at the Casey research station, 3500km south of Tasmania - one of three Australian Antarctic bases - where he is an ‘expeditioner’.

Everyone stationed there - tradies, scientists, mechanics, cooks etc - turned out for the ceremony.

Justin Ross, Deputy Station Leader, led the citizenship ceremony, his first, and was a tad anxious.

“I was understandably a little nervous, but I am immensely proud to have this opportunity to be the presiding officer for Michael’s special day. It was pretty surreal to bestow this honour against a backdrop of icebergs bobbing around in Newcomb Bay,” he added.

Michael, who came to Australia nine years ago, told the gathering, “It feels very privileged to have my ceremony down here in Antarctica, I’m very happy its turned out to be a wonderful day. I feel honoured to become an Australian citizen in such a unique and

beautiful place, with an inspiring and dedicated bunch of expeditioners.”

Macquarie Island with a traditional barbecue, game of cricket and for the brave, a very quick swim in the icy waters.

Michael left Limerick nine years ago and made Sydney his home, until he signed up for a stint on the scientific outpost.

Michael is the latest in a long line of adventurous Irish to take up the challenge of spending between six and eighteen months in one of the world’s most unusual workplaces.

“I came to Australia because Kirsten, my girlfriend at the time - now wife, had been living in Ireland with me, but she decided to return to Australia,” he added. “Ireland was still suffering from a recession, so I took the chance to follow her and move to a country with greater opportunities. What I like about Australia is the camaraderie of its people. When someone needs help, people just dig in and help out – no questions asked. Aussies always have each other’s backs.”

Australia Day is traditionally celebrated at all of Australia’s Antarctic stations – Casey, Davis, Mawson and on the sub-Antarctic Left: Michael Kearney with his brand new Australian Citizenship. Below: The camp at Casey

Ireland in the Ice Assuming he will be at camp Casey or one of Australia’s two other Antarctic outposts - Mawson or Davis - Michael will be able to return the joy he felt at becoming a citizen on Australia Day on March 17.

As the resident Irishman, it will fall to him to lead the celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day with his co-workers.

There is a long tradition of the camps going green for the feast day of Ireland’s patron, whether or not there is a son or daughter of Erin serving with them for the occasion! But most years there seems to be at least one Irish man or woman amongst the 100 or so people working in this frozen world, all of who are happy to join in the fun and festivities.

The 25 January 2019 weekly post for Mawson has a photo of a metal minion in the ice and snow. The minion is in fact new poles and bollards built by a chap called Seamus, to mark the boat ramp and wharf areas in time for the arrival of a supply ship, and to make them easier to find in a snowdrift. Seamus also painted the bollards – turning a normally utilitarian object into a bright and fun break with the stark reality of the surrounding environment.

We get a look inside life at Mawson from the March 23 2018 update. Survival training was on the cards for some of the crew, who did field travel training - which means heading out into the white wilderness and spending a night sleeping in a ‘chip packet’ [emergency thermal ‘foil’ survival blanket]. As the writer points out, the whole purpose of the exercise is to show that you really don’t want to be in the position that you have to ‘divvy out’ in the great outdoors. One of the special treats the open antarctic sky

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who want to be somewhere it leads to a good fang sway [Feng Shui]”.

He said there have been a lot of magic moments but: “I have enjoyed but one in particular was walking from the Antarctic Circle back to Casey station, in the middle of nowhere with no noise or sound, all ya could see was white, but actually there was nothing to see. So, one of my best experiences was seeing nothing!”.

Glaciologist Dr Mark ‘Irish’ Curran has dedicated the greater part of his life to studying. Mark is originally from Ireland but it is his academic work in Australia and Antarctica that has helped reveal some of the planet’s secrets and struggle with climate change. He is currently a research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division’s Climate Processes and Change program and the ACE CRC’s cryosphere program. “I obtained my PhD from James Cook University in North Queensland. My PhD was focused on measuring natural sulphur compounds from phytoplankton in seawater

Continued from page 5

offers are unparalleled views of auroras borealis, which here come in the form of phantom green.

But closer to the ground, Top left: The Minion bollard at Davis.

Mawson station leader Above: Resident Irishman, Cormac Cullen Esther captured some made March 17 a major social event at of how they celebrated Mawson. Right:St Patrick’s Day March 17. “As we have celebrated in style in the Antartic! a resident Irishman at Mawson, Cormac Cullen, St Patrick’s Day was a major event on our social calendar (and we learnt that one should never abbreviate it to St Pat’s Day – not the done thing in Ireland apparently!),” she wrote. “Chef Donna went all out with an Irish meal featuring soda bread, beef and Guinness pie and Irish stew, with dessert a sea of green coloured sweets including a fabulous themed cake. The green hairspray got a workout and it was the first foray into the costume store for many. Some shall, no doubt, become more familiar with the contents of that space than others as the year progresses.”

Meanwhile, over at Davis the team - or most of them anyway - were also getting ready for St. Patrick’s Day 2018. Three of the expeditioners there headed out to Brookes Hut for an “off station jolly” as part of their search and rescue training, while the rest of station celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day with a feast of Irish fare and music.

An educated guess on Irish Scene’s part believes that the Séamus who decorated a bollard as a minion is a veteran expeditioner. The weekly message from Davis on February 27 2015 got up close and personal with one Séamus L [the L appears to be for Liston] who was introduced as a metal fabricator, jeweller and ‘Sunday

Below: Dr Mark drills into the ice to produce an ice core sample night movie maestro’.

“This week it is my pleasure to talk to Séamus, our Irish tradie,” the piece said. “Conversation with Séamus is a skill that takes a little while to master, but once you get past the thick Irish brogue you are rewarded with absolute pearls. [Editor’s note: spelling is in alignment with the aforementioned thick Irish brogue]. This was Séamus’s fourth summer in Antarctica.

He was asked what is like being a metal fabricator and what he liked about Antarctica and his best experience there yet. “Great, always something to do and it’s up to yaself to make it happen. I like being a tradie. I have enjoyed all the jobs I’ve been on, some more than others,” he replied to the first question.

“Ninety nine percent of the people want to be here as opposed to most jobs where ninety five percent don’t want to be there,” he added. “When ya have people

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in the Great Barrier Reef and the Southern Ocean. This progressed to measuring sulphur in ice cores, which strangely led to a paper in the journal Science about reconstructing Antarctic sea ice extent over the past 150 years. In my current role, which I’ve held since 1996, I lead the Continued on page 8

Dr Mark “Irish” Cullen

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Green icebergs

Hobart ice core group and I have been involved in many research trips drilling ice cores in both Antarctica and Greenland. This Aurora Basin ice core project will produce some great science and is also a stepping stone for drilling for a 1 million year old ice core.”

Most of Antarctica's ice reflects light in a spectrum of whites and blues but there is a rare but not unknown phenomenon of emerald or jade green icebergs in the region. For more than a century sailors, explorers, scientists and writers have marvelled at these mysterious and curious looking oddities and struggled to understand and explain their origins and their other worldly illuminance. In February 2019 Dr Curran - as co-author of a research paper with a Professor Steve Warren from the University of Washington - helped crack the mystery. Their paper suggested the unique colour of the icebergs is the result of yellow-tinted iron oxide in seawater combining with the crystalline blue of the ice, to produce the distinctive jade green.

He has been directly involved in some amazing scientific discoveries - normally by drilling ice cores and studying the samples for tell tale traces of pollution laid down in sediment layers which like rings in a tree can reveal how it grew, its age and other otherwise unknowable information.

In August 2016, together with Associate Professor Nerillie Abram from Australian National University, their research found evidence that human induced global warming began about 180 years ago, much earlier than previously thought to be the case. In effect, the scientists were able to pinpoint the very beginning of the current global warming trend.

Further study of data from more than a dozen ice core samples across the frozen continent have produced some remarkable findings.

“I first saw one of these intriguing icebergs from the deck of the Aurora Australis in Prydz Bay in 1992, and no one could tell me what caused the colour,” Dr Curran said. “It's a question that has intrigued many seagoing Antarctic scientists and explorers over the years, and so it was a real honour to play a part in this fascinating piece of research.”

snow that falls on the Antarctic plateau and becomes compacted over thousands of years.

Green icebergs are formed under very different conditions, when mineral-rich seawater freezes to the underside of an ice shelf in layers, then eventually breaks off and floats away. These jade bergs contain layers of the pure blue-white ice from the glacier and greener ice below, formed from frozen seawater. Some icebergs of blue glacial ice contain green stripes of marine ice, formed by seawater freezing up into basal crevasses.

A number of theories have previously been put forward about why frozen seawater turns such a remarkable shade of green, including the presence of dead phytoplankton or dissolved organic carbon.

The researchers found that these materials were not present in large enough amounts to explain the colour.

The most commonly sighted Antarctic icebergs are made from glacial ice, which is fresh water from the

“We’ve found that pollution characteristics of lead mined at Broken Hill and smelted at Port Pirie reached Antarctica by 1889,” Dr Curran said in December last year.

“This ore was exported around the world and concentrations of lead pollution in Antarctica remained high until a temporary low during the Great Depression in about 1932 and again at the end of World War II. The concentrations then increased rapidly until lead was eliminated from petrol in many southern hemisphere countries in the late 1990s and through the Clean Air Act in the United States.”

Scientists have even been able to determine that about 660 tonnes of industrial lead have been deposited over Antarctica in the past 130 years. Efforts to reduce the amount of pollution falling on the ice sheets and landmass have had an effect, but haven’t been enough to stop it completely.

The research carried out by him and his colleagues has also revealed how the earliest signs of global warming and how sensitive the earth’s climate is to even small changes in greenhouse gas levels, vital information which can be used to help predict future climate conditions.

Irish navigator who discovered Antarctica finally finds his place in history Even more than a hundred years after the fact, some Antarctic Irish explorers such as Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean are household names in Ireland. But other equally daring and deserving figures who paved the way for these greats have fallen into a blind spot of our collective memory. By sheer happenstance, just one day before Michael Kearney officially become an Aussie, another ceremony back in Ireland was held for another historical Irish figure with a unique stake on Antarctic history.

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On January 25 2020, to mark the 200th anniversary of a historic achievement, a monument was unveiled in front of hundreds of people in the village of Ballincurra, Co. Cork by the Chief of Staff for the Irish Defence Forces, Vice Admiral Mark Mellet another Irishman with a naval background.

It is thought Edward Bransfield was born in Ballincurra around 1785 and learned about the sea on his father’s fishing boat. At the age of about 18 until he was basically snatched from the family vessel off the Cork coast by sailors from the Royal Navy and press ganged into service with the British navy. Despite being forced into the navy - a common practice at the time - Bransfield proved to be very capable and expert navigator and he rose through the ranks to become Ships Master. He fought with distinction in the Napoleanic Wars, which lasted from 1803 until 1815.

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A new memorial to Antartic explorer, Edward Bransfield Continued on page 10

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“Fate intervened in Bransfield’s life in 1819 when he was stationed in the port of Valparaiso in Chile,” the Vice Admiral said at the unveiling of the monument.

“Out of the blue, the merchant vessel Williams arrived with dramatic news of finding unmapped islands while sailing around Cape Horn from Buenos Aires to Valparaíso. In line with protocol, Captain William Smith of the Williams reported the discovery to the naval authorities. Initially, the Navy was not interested in the discovery. On a further voyage around the Horn, Smith made a brief landing on an island and finally persuaded the Navy to act. Bransfield was given command of the small 216-ton Williams and ordered to sail south to investigate. Sailing alone, without a support vessel, he left Valparaíso in December, 1819, and duly located Smith’s unmapped islands, which sit about 500 miles south of Cape Horn and were later named the South Shetland Islands. Buoyed by his discovery, an inquisitive Bransfield turned south into the unexplored icy seas that lay between the

South Shetlands and the coast of Antarctica. The 60-mile stretch of water is today called the Bransfield Strait and carries tourists on holidays of a lifetime to the frozen grandeur of Antarctica. On January 30, 1820, the haze and clouds lifted to reveal a stunning panorama of mountains, glaciers and ice. Bransfield had found the Antarctic Peninsula, which he named Trinity Land. A peak, which rises to 2,500ft, was later named Mount Bransfield. Midshipman Charles Poynter, who kept a diary of the voyage, recalled of the historic moment: “We were unexpectedly astonished by the discovery of land. It was the moment which changed our understanding of world geography, confirming the existence of a new continent.

Unfortunately, the rest of Bransfield’s life is shrouded in mystery and controversy, which helps explain why he has drifted to the margins of history.

Sadly, fame eluded him. Indeed, so obscure is he that there are no photographs or paintings of him.”

Perth's polar locals But of course it is the Australian Antarctica Division and the base's are manned by personnel from across Australia, including some from Perth. Local man Alan 'Al' Lee was there a few years ago as a concreter and for general trades. He spent a summer there working on Mawson's main multistorey living and sleeping quarters - affectionately called The Big Red Shed by the occupants, for obvious reasons. Al spent his time there making the place as comfortable and pleasant as possible to live in. Amongst other things this saw him doing fire proofing, plastering, bulk head work, painting, varnishing, carpet laying and skirting fixing! In his interview for the Mawson message, Al was asked what was

Perth men, Alan Lee (left) and Brian Edmund both spent time at the Australian Antartica Division base in the Big Red Shed (below) his favourite quote. He cited a line from 19th century Irish novelist George Moore: “The family can be one of nature’s masterpieces”.

Subiaco born Brian Edmund was there in September 2017. Why were you called Brian he was asked for his profile piece in the camps message.

"Mum named me after American actor Edmond O’Brien, hence Brian Edmund," he said. [O'Brien was born Eamon Joseph O'Brien in Brooklyn, New York, in September 1915, the seventh and youngest child of Agnes and James O'Brien who were from Tallow, Co. Waterford, Ireland].

There was no hesitation to who he would invite to a dinner party if he could choose three ideal guests.

He picked Irish born Tom Crean (Annascaul, Co. Kerry 1877-1938), Ernest Shackleton (Kilkea, Co. Kildare 1874-1922) and Robert Falcon Scott (Plymouth, Devon 1868-1912) - all of whom belonged to the period known as the Heroic Age Antarctic Exploration.

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of

Above left: Galway scientist Dr Jessamyn Fairfield. ABove right: Cape Adare

N-ice work if you can get it The Australian Antarctica Division is just one of many organisations operating in the region. The Antarctic Heritage Trust in Christchurch New Zealand is another.

The Trust was involved in a project that started a few years ago that has a few Irish connections. A team of scientists were charged with the job of conserving artefacts from Cape Adare, a historic site in the north-easternmost peninsula in Victoria Land, East Antarctica.

Cape Adare was discovered in at the start of 1841 by English Captain James Ross who named it after his friend Edwin WyndhamQuin, 3rd Earl of

Dunraven and Mount-Earl, the Viscount of Adare. His peerage in Ireland was the Viscount Adare in Co. Limerick and he acted as lord lieutenant of the county from 1864 until he died in 1871. Wyndham-Quin was educated at Eton in the UK and Trinity College Dublin and was also a knight of St. Patrick. He was an influential and important figure in the fields of Irish archaeology, architecture and geographical studies. Cape Adare was an important landing site and base during the early years of Antarctic exploration and was part of many historic expeditions. It is also the home of the largest Adelié penguin colony (population 750,000) in the world.

Artefacts from the site were frozen and transported to Christchurch where a team of four conservators would treat them. As it happens, three out of the four scientists had good Irish credentials.

Sue Bassett, lead conservator 'wintered' on the ice and had experience with many interesting conservation projects in Australia and elsewhere.

Her team was made up of Stefanie White, objects conservator, who also wintered in Antarctica, and worked on objects from Captain RF Scott’s Discovery hut and Terra Nova hut.

Ciarán Lavelle, objects conservator, and Josefin Jiménez, paper conservator were at the time (2014) newcomers to the Trust. White and Lavelle are both Irish and while she is Swedish, Jiménez spent the year in Dublin before she left for New Zealand.

Dr Jessamyn Fairfield from NUI Galway's School of Physics completed a research trip to Antarctica in November 2019. It was her second expedition. In 2017 she went on a two week programme with other scientists and artists to look at ways of highlighting the importance of the Arctic and how the changes there will affect humanity. During the trip she built a detector out of ice to capture energy from cosmic particles passing through. On her more recent trip she was there with the Australian Homeward Bound programme to Antarctica for women. The polar region was chosen because it offers an unparalleled opportunity to observe first hand the influence of human activities on the iconic environment and provide critical insights into the global-scale change required.

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in his birthplace of Ballinacurra, Cork.

More than one way to get on board the Polar Express!

Remarkably, Antarctica 2020 were not the only Irish show in town, so to speak. An Irish travel company organised a 'Bucket List' trip to the region - for a€10,000 ticket. They were due to fly out of Dublin for Santiago, Chile on February 16 from where they would set sail two days later first for Drake Passage and then around the Antarctic Peninsula for nine days close contact with the ice, water and local wildlife.

That group were due to land back in Dublin on March 1.

The best way to get to Antarctica seems to be if you are a scientist or tradie, but its not the only ticket. Tourists looking to get off the beaten track can also get in on the action.

As it happens there was very recently - on February 25 - a sales and marketing presentation in Subiaco about an upcoming tour to the 'awe inspiring' locations of South Georgia, Antarctica and the Falklands, and their wildlife (penguins, seals and birds) as well as old abandoned whaling stations, amongst others.

Interestingly, just as those folks were exploring the idea of going to these places, a group of Irish people were returning from the Antarctica 2020 swim (February 17-28) led by expedition leader Ger Kennedy from Dublin.

The 'Cruise, Swim, Inspire' voyage saw them land and swim at various locations along the Antarctic peninsula. Some people enjoy a cold dip but the experience of jumping into freezing waters was part of a bigger picture. Organisers challenged those who took the trip to make a difference and raise awareness for Lewis Pugh's Antarctica 2020 campaign to have two sea areas designated as Marine Protection Areas and against plastic pollution in oceans. Pugh is a well known climate activist who has swum in Antarctic - as well as Arctic, North Pole and Himalayas - waters to highlight how quickly the ice sheets are Top: Jumping into the freezing waters for a good cause! melting and that pristine world is being destroyed. As recently as January he became the first person to swim in a supra glacial Inset: Ger Kennedy Photo: Extremeswims. Above: Lewis Pugh is raising awareness with his Antartica 2020 campaign. lake - which is formed on top of a glacier from melting ice - in Photo: lewispugh.com/antarctica-2020-campaign/ a pair of speedos and swim hat.

The expedition also links into the Remembering Edward Bransfield project, which raised awareness of the Irish born navigator who is credited with making the first confirmed sighting and maps of PERTH CITY Twice Winner “WA Tyrepower Dealer Of The Year” the Antarctic coastline 200 years ago, and raising funds to have a memorial - the first anywhere Qualified Mechanics for in the world - dedicated to him light mechanical work

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Western Australian Museum’s The Antarctica Experience Photo: scoop.com.au

There was - until very recently - another way to 'see' the Antarctic and you didn't even have to leave WA. On February 9 the Western Australian Museum held the last showing in an eight week display of The Antarctica Experience in the Museum of the Great Southern in Albany. Before this, the sell-out exhibit was staged at Geraldton and before that in the museum's Fremantle base about a year earlier.

The Antarctica Experience offered visitors the chance

to experience a day in the life of Antarctic scientists researching the mysterious continent and a first hand look at the work that goes into understanding climate change, managing ecosystems, researching sustainability and conserving wildlife.

Through the technology of 360-degree camera work and 4k footage visitors got the chance to explore the region from the perspective of a helicopter cockpit, visit a penguin colony, meet researchers at Davis station and witness the spectacular Southern Lights.

Welcome to the Beautiful South Antarctica is unrivalled in many ways and a frontier of immense importance to mankind and the planet. It is the highest, driest, coldest, windiest and brightest of the seven continents and has the cleanest air in the world. At 14.0 million km2 (5.4 million square miles) it is the fifth-largest of all the continents but is almost twice the size of Australia and roughly the size of the United States and Mexico combined! It’s landmass is almost completely covered (about 98%) by a layer ice which is on average more than a mile thick but up to three miles deep in some parts. Temperatures as low as −89 °C (−129 °F) have been recorded there. Despite its massive size this continent has no permanent human population but between 1,000 to 5,000 people engaged in scientific and other work across approximately 50 year round stations and 30 summer bases.

The Brits might have been the first to explore Antarctica but other countries - including Australia - were quick to follow them in. Australia opened its

first station Mawson in 1954 but wasn’t the first to do so. The scramble south led to the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 which was signed by 12 powerful nations, with Northern Ireland getting into the mix by virtue of being a part of the United Kingdom. Signatories to that treaty - including Australia - agreed Antarctica must be used for peaceful purposes only and the good of humanity through freedom of scientific investigation and international co-operation. The treaty was almost never agreed too in the first place and it has faced many challenges over the years but in the last few years it has become more important - and more stressed - than ever as countries compete for natural resources while tourism is also a threat. Climate change is also a taking a toll.

Last month (February 8) Laura Millan Lombrana from WA Today published an article with the headline: ‘It’s T-shirt weather in Antarctica as temperature records break’.

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Left: Diagram of satellite above Antarctica. Photo: AAD

Argentine scientists at that country’s Esperanza base in Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula, recorded a record breaking 18.3 degrees on February 6, which was close to a full degree higher than the previous highest temperature documented five years earlier.

Thermometers at another Argentine site there recorded the highest February temperature since 1971.

Tasmania’s proximity to Antarctica gives it a geographical head start in terms of access over the rest of Australia but Perth also enjoys established connections to that part of the world.

At 3,880km, the distance between Perth and Casey is not that much greater than the width - as the crow flies - between WA’s capital city and Sydney (3,290km).

While it does not appear to have happened this year, in previous years on or around Australia Day, including last year, a 747 flight leaves Perth airport for a 12 hour return trip over and across Antarctica as a fundraiser for Telethon. About three hours south of Australia, passengers usually get their first glimpse of scattered ice followed by dozens of icebergs and ice floes. The airborne adventure then crosses the south magnetic pole with views of the rugged mountainous topography of the Antarctic mainland. By all accounts there is normally a great party vibe on board and there are also Antarctic expeditioners on board as well to offer commentary and answer questions. There are worse ways to spend about $1,000, with part proceeds going to the children’s charity.

While ‘rare’ at the moment such sight seeing flights across Antarctica could give way to regular routes over the region. According to an article by Nicholas Cummings from May 1, 2019 in Simpleflying.com Perth - which has seen a lot of attention over the last 18 months for developing its links into Europe - could also be ideally placed to link South America and Asia as it sits directly between these two parts of the world.

Travel times could be significantly reduced.

“Trans-antarctic, or South Pole flights, are direct routes from Australia or New Zealand to Africa or South America,” Cummings wrote. “The quickest way is directly south and up the other side. Currently, not a single airline operates a direct South Pole flight. Many airlines come close, such as South Africa to Australia which flies along the coastline of the Antarctica. But none have been scheduled to fly over the vast icy land.

Only scenic flights do the area justice.”

One of the main stumbling blocks to this route opening up is that the heart of the South Pole is the world’s only no-go ETOPS 330 no-fly area Cummings said. “This means it is over 330 minutes to the nearest airport.” Antarctica has about 40 air strips scattered across it, but nothing that a commercial airliner would be able to land on safely!

Esperanza Station, Hope Bay, Trinity Peninsula, on the northernmost tip of the Antarctic Peninsula

THE IRISH SCENE | 14

maintained with the other bases through a game of darts over a video link. Most importantly, the doctor can connect with specialised medical advice through the use of a state-of-the-art telemedicine suite – all made possible by the ANARESAT system. Technology certainly changes rapidly and revolutionises how we do things, one of the true joys of working in the telecommunications industry.”

Antarctic ‘golfball’ aimed at Perth Supply ships for Antarctic missions occasionally call into Fremantle but Perth is directly connected to the polar region in another vital way. The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions Satellite - ANARESAT for short - is a communication system using Intelsat Geostationary communication satellites to allow Australian Antarctic Division sites to communicate with each other and the outside world. The satellite communications system was installed at Davis, Mawson and Casey stations between March 1987 and March 1988 with Macquarie Island added in December 1988.

ANARESAT consists of a 7.3 m dish antenna housed inside a large dark dome that protects the parabolic dish that transmits radio waves to a satellite locked in ‘geosynchronous orbit’ (stationary orbit) 36,000km above the station from the tough weather conditions.

Nicknamed the Golfball by some, it is a 12 metre ‘geodesic’ designed and built to be self-supporting and strong, and capable of withstanding even the fiercest Antarctic blizzard (it is rated for forces up to 320km/h). The satellite re-transmits the signal to another earth station - called the ‘anchor’ - which happens to be in Perth, from where the data is then transmitted by cable across to Tasmania.

Continued on page 16

The 20 September 2019 message for Davis offers a fascinating insight into how the stations kept in contact with the outside world before the arrival of ANARESAT.

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Continued from page 15

For 99 days Hillary and his team drove their modified TE20 tractors to the South Pole in 1958, a vital life line which help the expedition arrive on January 4. A telegram he sent to the Harris-Ferguson Farming Company (by this time Ferguson had merged his companies with Massey-Harris of Toronto) reveals a happy customer.

How Massey Ferguson tractors helped conquer Antarctica New Zealand adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay - climbed their way into the history books when in 1953 they became the first people ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest - which in the local language Sagarmatha means ‘forehead of the sky’. But while scaling the world’s highest peak would prove to be his most famous achievement Hillary - who had Irish ancestry - would go on to break other boundaries. He was the first person to complete the ‘Three Poles Challenge’ in that he also got to the South Pole (1958) and the North Pole (1985), incredibly accompanied by astronaut Neil Armstrong who had looked on the North Pole from the moon but who wanted to see what it looked like close up.

“Despite unsuitable conditions of soft snow and high altitudes our Fergusons performed magnificently and it was their extreme reliability that made our trip to the pole possible,” Hillary said.

Hillary - whose grandmother Annie Clementia Fleming who was born in Dublin in 1856 - visited Ireland on at least two occasions. He was in Dublin in July 1990 for a three day visit as part of celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of modern New Zealand. On that trip the legendary

When he reached the South Pole in 1958 JFK’s presidential call for man to reach the moon was still have several years away from being imagined as a wild dream. The South Pole had first been explored in 1911 (by Norwegian Roald Amundsen) but even fifty years later it remained an intensely difficult, dangerous and remote part of the world to explore.

Little Grey Massey leads the record breaking Massey Ferguson Convoy explorer met a group of Irish mountaineers. He returned to Ireland - this time Tralee - to open an exhibition dedicated to his Antarctic predecessor Tom Crean who hailed from the village of Annascaul (about twenty five miles outside Tralee on the road to Dingle) where his pub The South Pole Inn makes a great pit stop and spot worth visiting.

Every Antarctic expedition before them had traversed the white wilderness through old fashioned gumption, determined manpower and the use of sledges and animals. But this time the race south would be driven by machines. The competing British led expedition were using experimental purpose built snow vehicles which should have given them the advantage.

Top: The South Pole Inn, outside Tralee. Above: Sir Edmund Hillary Hillary’s expedition party - which needed to carry 10 tons of supplies and fuel - went in a different direction for a mechanical solution to the gruelling 1,200 mile Ireland. The “Little Grey” has affectionately trek. He chose the Massey Ferguson TE20 (which stands for been called the Cadillac of Ireland. Massey Tractor, England 20 horsepower) as their workhorse.

Ferguson’s command a special place in the

Its hydraulic three point hitch system - which could be used to attach any number of attachments - was a technological breakthrough that became the global standard. The TE20 and its innovative hitch system was developed and designed

by Irish engineer, bike mechanic and aviation enthusiast Henry George “Harry” Ferguson who was born at Growell, near Dromore, Co. Down. Ferguson joined forces with Henry Ford - whose father was from Cork - to mass produce the TE20 and about 500,000 were produced between 1946 and 1956. It was popular and populous across Ireland, with more than 31,000 of them in the country by 1960 - many of which are still chugging away in the fields and farms of THE IRISH SCENE | 16

hearts of many Irish men and women. The 70th anniversary of its creation by Ferguson was celebrated by Irish farmers - and their counterparts around the world - in 2016. Two years earlier in December 2014 an expedition of specialists retraced Hillary’s tyre marks (so to speak) from 1958 in modern day Massey’s. In 2018 the Narraghmore Vintage Club set a new Guinness World Record for the longest parade of Massey Ferguson tractors.

The organisers needed at least 150 Massey Ferguson or Ferguson badged tractors to beat the record - 285 tractors of all shapes, sizes and ages, including a few TE20’s turned out for the occasion! Vintage Massey Ferguson’s are amongst 55 classic tractor makes and other farm vehicles from the Aidan Strain Collection in Newry, Northern Ireland that will be auctioned on June 13th this year.

For advertising in The Irish Scene

Contact Imelda Gorman 0450 884 247 THE IRISH SCENE | 17

IRISH THE

SCENE

It was not the first tractor ever made but this model - known as the Little Grey Fergie - would become one of the world’s best known and most reliable working farm vehicles. It was a vast improvement on any predecessor and was small, light weight, powerful, stable and versatile piece of equipment that could easily serve of agricultural roles. It was also affordable, another attractive quality.

www.irishscene.com.au

Irish love, actually!

and for his work with the poor and destitute in the city’s Liberties area. He was also responsible for the building of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Whitefriar Street.

Taking the leap for love A hotel in Iceland - yes more Arctic than Antarctic - ran a very smart marketing and sales leap year promotion very recently. The Hotel Rangá (right) offered a free night’s stay to women who proposed to their partners on Leap Day (February 29). The luxury hideaway lies about an hours drive outside Reykjavik in some pretty stunning landscape, which happens to be free from light pollution - so perfect for gazing at the stars and uninterrupted views of the northern lights. All in all a beautiful winter wonderland location for a bit of oneon-one romance. Indeed the hotel itself is built around the love market and offers wedding planners who can help you get married behind a waterfall, several hot tubs, an observatory for those night skies and readings of love stories from Greek mythology.

“Iceland in general is a big champion of women, and we love that leap year has this tradition where it’s good luck for ladies to propose marriage on this day,” Eyrún Aníta Gylfadóttir, the hotel’s marketing manager said. “We wanted to empower women to have the courage to take the lead not only on Leap Day, but every day, and celebrate them for it! Plus, we’re located in an especially beautiful location and are a romantic choice for couples looking to pop the question, celebrate a special occasion, and enjoy an adventurous getaway.”

The ancient Egyptians were the first to recognise that an extra 24 hours was needed every four years to keep the calendar in order but it was Julius Caesar in 45 BC who introduced the concept to Europe.

But the tradition of women being able to pop the question to men on the 29th of February is said to have originated in Ireland. Apparently it dates back to the fifth-century and two of Ireland’s patron saints - St Brigid and St Patrick. Legend puts it that St Brigid championed the need for women to have an opportunity to tie the knot with boyfriends and suitors who were painfully slow or shy to make the big move. She eventually persuaded St. Patrick to allow Irish women to propose every four years, on the leap day. The story has it that Brigid then went on one

knee and asked him if he would marry her. He refused with a kiss and offered a silk garment as a gift - which remains the response a man is traditionally meant to have if he says no!

Double the romance factor in Dublin!

Of course the second – and shortest – month of the year offers another well known and regular opportunity to celebrate love and affection.

While February 14 is generally called Valentine’s Day in many parts of the western world – including Australia – the Irish tend to give the occasion its full moniker and refer to it as St. Valentine’s Day. Its a subtle difference and while this may be a cultural hangover from our days as a devoutly Catholic country, the Irish do share more than a spiritual connection with the patron saint of love.

In fact there is a historic and physical link with the 5th century Italian martyr that is open to the Irish – and visiting – public alike.

Blink and you could easily walk past the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Whitefriar Street in Dublin, which appears sandwiched in between other city buildings. But inside the church on the right hand side there is a small shrine made up of a closed casket, alter with gates and statue. A small plaque on the casket explains: “This shrine contains the sacred body of Saint Valentinus the Martyr, together with a small vessel tinged with his blood.” This and other artefacts were found at the site of his grave – which has had multiple religious buildings built on it over time – in the early 1800’s. The relics have been at the church for the best part of two hundred years and came to Dublin courtesy of Irish Carmelite John Spratt.

According to the Carmelite Church website Spratt was well known for his skills a preacher across Ireland

THE IRISH SCENE | 18

In 1835 he travelled to Rome where he was asked to preach at a church. His sermon attracted a lot of attention and as word of the Irish cleric’s prowess as an orator spread the elite and powerful of Rome flocked to hear him speak. Members of the wealthy and powerful Catholic sect showered the charming Irishman with gifts and tokens of their appreciation – including then Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) who presented Spratt with some of the mortal remains of Saint Valentine. He took them back to Ireland with him in 1836. The relics remained there since but went into storage after Spratt died but were brought back out into public view – so to speak – in the 1950’s when the church was renovated. Ever since then untold numbers of couples have visited the relic hoping to get the blessing of St Valentine’s for their love match, and of course February 14 is a very special occasion and celebration at the Dublin church.

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THE IRISH SCENE | 19

Irish Seniors

first lunch of 2020

Air Corps new planes might have to ‘weight’ awhile to get into the sky

The numbers for February’s Irish Seniors lunch weren't as big as the previous event but the monthly get together was another great success enjoyed by everyone who took part.

Musical entertainment was provided

by Paul Spencer on guitar, followed by a new face and fresh talent. Samantha Melia - a stand up artist, poet and singer from Dublin (and with the proud accent to go with it) - belted out some powerful renditions of some favourite Irish and Dublin songs - The Auld Triangle and Raglan Road - as well as readings of several of her original poems. Thanks to John and Phylis Flood, Andy (chef), Adam (bar) and everyone else involved in putting the day together.

BY LLOYD GORMAN Seven new high flyers got their military pilot wings at a passing out ceremony in Baldonnel - Ireland’s main air installation - at the end of January. The six men and one woman pilots are the 35th Air Corps Class but they will be the first Irish defence forces personnel to fly the Air Corps first new planes in nearly 50 years. As we saw in the last issue of Irish Scene, the Irish government recently approved the purchase of three new aircraft to replace the service’s five Cessnas, which have been in active service since 1972.

About ten days before the new Irish pilots got their wings, the Air Corp took delivery of its first PC-12NG, but the new recruits - some of who may well train with the Royal Australian Air Force under a new agreement between Ireland and Australia - won’t be taking to the skies in them just yet. One of the fleet of three new turbo-prop Pilatus planes has been given a paint job to make it look like an Air Corps aircraft, complete with the force’s livery. But as well as the highly specialised paint job, each of the new planes will also need to go through a four month long ‘test campaign’ that puts them through their paces before they are finally signed off as airworthy for the Air Corps.

As it happens these new aircraft are exactly the same as the ones that make up the majority of the planes used by the Royal Flying Doctors Service in Western Australia, only they have more of them. The RFDS has 16 PC-12s at its disposal - as well as two PC-24 jets (which can travel farther and faster) with another one donated by Rio Tinto - in the pipeline.

So RFDS engineers know a lot about the PC-12. This article posted on their website on February 17 offers an insight into what it takes to get these planes into the air and what lies ahead for the newly delivered planes to Ireland.

“When our PC-12 aircraft arrive from the Pilatus factory in Switzerland, the plane undergoes an aeromedical fit-out, performed by our specialist engineers,” the RFDS said. “The 760 hour fit-out equips the aircraft to serve as an intensive care unit in the sky. Any significant modifications to an aircraft required the operator to

Top: This Pilatus PC-12 is on its way to the Irish air force.

Above: The 35th Air Corps Class reweigh the aircraft. Our aircraft are weighed by qualified and authorised personnel. To weigh the aircraft all three wheels are moved onto the weight pads carefully. Once weighed, our authorised aircraft weigher provides us with a report that is kept with the aircraft’s logbook. Our pilots also receive a copy which is loaded into our computer management systems. It is critical to know the weight of our aircraft for optimal flight performance and patient safety.

Our pilots must calculate the weight of everything on board the aircraft including; equipment, people and fuel, prior to flying to ensure they do not exceed the allocated weight capacity of the aircraft. RFDS pilots are responsible for the loading of our patients in our aircraft to ensure the weight is balanced in the aircraft in order to maintain the centre of gravity. The centre of gravity of an aircraft is the point where all weight is evenly distributed and balanced. If the weight is not evenly distributed or if there’s major change in balance, the aircraft is more difficult to control.

Our highly trained engineers and pilots ensure the weight and centre of gravity are measured correctly to ensure the best flight performance and safety of our patients.”

In the 2018/19 financial year the Flying Doctors in WA carried 8,682 patients around the state - about 24 people every day!

THE IRISH SCENE | 20

THE IRISH SCENE | 21

Pipeline’s forgotten

Irish champion

BY LLOYD GORMAN

Before the pipeline...

The pipeline is a West Australian and Irish story – linked by an incredible individual who belonged to both worlds. It seems it would not have been possible without the singular ingenuity of O’Connor and his ability to get things done.

Today the same projects would be carried out by corporations or consortiums of specialised firms.

Certainly the pipeline – which already faced almost insurmountable challenges - would have been truly impossible if O’Connor had not already transformed the colony and then fledgling state. O’Connor arrived in WA – with his family – in 1891 and wasted no time in starting work on the construction of Fremantle Harbour. Under his direction, a limestone bar and sand shoals at the mouth of the Swan River that blocked ships from being able to enter was removed, works that were finished in 1901. Prior to that, ships had to sail to Albany where their cargo and passengers would be offloaded and then transported overland to Perth. Fremantle Harbour opened in time for thousands of imported sections of pipe and other essential supplies to be shipped in directly. These components were then carried along the pipeline route by train. O’Connor was engineer in chief and acting general manger of WA’s railways. The rail system was on its knees when he took over but he was able to turn it around and expand the network. When Paddy Hannon and his party serendipitously struck gold in 1893, little did either Irish man know what the discovery would mean for both of them and their adopted home.

Main photo: Goldfields Pipeline - laying pipes across the Darling Ranges.

Credit: National Trust WA. Inset: Nathaniel White Harper

It would be impossible to write the history and story of the Goldfields Water Pipe Scheme without heavy reference to the genius, tenacity and ultimately sacrifice CY O’Connor gave to the project.

But the name of another Irish man who may have had a key role to do with the ambitious project - often described as a “scheme of madness” by its critics of the time - becoming a reality has been largely lost or overlooked.

Nathaniel White Harper was born on 18 March 1865 at Tullynewy, Antrim, Ireland to John Harper, a farmer, and his wife Margaret. As a child he spent six months working in the fields with his father and the other half of the year in school. At the age of 18, in 1883, Harper migrated to New Zealand where he worked on a gold mine and first learned about hydraulic sluicing, in which flows of water are directed through channels or groovers in order to separate gold from the sand/ gravel around it. After four years in New Zealand he moved to Broken Hill, NSW, where he became mines foreman with BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary Co), and in 1889 he went to Tasmania where he managed his first mine and also became a senior figure in the local miners’ union.

In 1891 he came to Western Australia, where he was manager of Fraser’s mine at Southern Cross before going to Kanowna - about 615km east of Perth and 22km north-east of Kalgoorlie - in 1895 where he managed the White Feather Main Reef. White Feather was the name of the original gold boom town site.

[According to Aussietowns.com.au: “the Western Australian Tourism Commission describes Kanowna

THE IRISH SCENE | 22

a reminder that everything is dependent on technology and the price of the precious metal.]

Does O'Connor's pipeline belong?

Across contemporary Europe and even well beyond its borders there are viaducts running across landscapes and valleys still doing the same job they were designed and built for by the Roman Empire more than a thousand years ago. Fresh clean water could be moved over large distances using gravity and architecture. Even today, to modern eyes they are impressive structures which have stood the test of time. It is hard to imagine that without a very real danger or risk to the public that these channels would be replaced or demolished.

The Water Corporation – the owners of Charles Yelverton O’Connor’s pipeline from Mundaring Weir to the Goldfields – are proposing to completely replace the pipeline over the next fifty years.

The more you learn about O'Connor's pipeline and the engineering and effort that went into making it happen, the more the mind marvels. If it holds a fascination and even inspiration more than a hundred years on to our generation, then imagine how future West Australian’s in another centenary or even 500 years would see it from their perspective. Like the viaducts, the Goldfields pipeline is a landmark. It literally marks the land and represents a sense of place. Without trying to speak for them, Aboriginal people have Songlines that trace the journeys and storeys of ancestral spirits as they created the ancient world and everything in it. These Songlines are real and vital to them on many levels. European and other settlers do not have the benefit of that wisdom or connection with country, but what they have done is build pipelines and mega infrastructure projects that leave the fingerprints of mankind on the terrain. The pipeline is there now, maybe it belongs there!

as: ‘Perhaps the most incredible of all ghost towns.

In 1905 there were 12,000 people living in this town 18 km north east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. There were 16 hotels, two breweries and an hourly train service to Kalgoorlie. Nothing now remains except rubble, tourist markers and memories.’ Today it stands as an enduring statement about the nature of mining. From 12,000 people to nobody and from vast gold riches to nothing and then, when you visit the Kanowna Belle Gold Mine lookout and look over the vast open cut mine,

A very capable figure, Harper became the owner-manager of the Hoh-INor in 1898 and manager of the Golden Pile in 1903-10. In 1900 he also built the Esplanade Hotel in Perth on the Swan River foreshore, which was considered the city’s finest hotel for almost fifty years.

Harper would go on to have many other accomplishments and build an impressive business empire, which included the Winterbottom Motor Co and great acts of philanthropy.

Obviously a formidable character, there was one credit in particular that eluded him, a gap in his reputation that he spent the second half of his life – and until the day he died (January 3, 1954) in West Perth – fighting to establish.

An Australian Dictionary of Biography profile written in 1983 said: “Harper’s strongest claim to fame arose from his persistent belief that he was responsible for convincing Sir John Forrest of the feasibility of the Coolgardie goldfields water pipeline scheme, which was constructed under C. Y. O’Connor between 1896 and 1903. From 1910 until his death he pressed his case with characteristic tenacity, in old age even commissioning the writing and production of a play setting out his account of events. It is unquestionable that when Forrest visited Kanowna on 24 November 1895 he was present at a dinner when Harper made a speech urging the pumping of water from the Avon River to the eastern goldfields, and later that night spent some time discussing Harper’s ideas with him.

At that date O’Connor was already collecting data in support of a long-distance pipeline, but he never claimed to have originated the scheme and there is no evidence that Forrest was then committed to supporting it. The debate centres around the extent to which he was convinced by the arguments of Harper, an expert on the water question, whom Forrest is known to have consulted on other occasions. The controversy preoccupied Harper’s old age and has overshadowed his other achievements.”

Certainly O’Connor never pretended the idea for the pipeline was his in the first place. Cyril Ayris explains more in his book C.Y. O’Connor The Man for the Time: “Precisely whose idea it was to pump water to Goldfields along a pipe from Darling Range is unclear.

The Premier Sir John Forrest claimed that he thought of it, but so to did one of his ministers, Harry Venn.”

Nathaniel White Harper’s grave is in Karrakatta Cemetery.

THE IRISH SCENE | 23

Continued on page 24

Continued from page 23

Water Corp CEO is a former Bord Gáis engineer Sometimes you just can’t predict how a short and transient thing can become a permanent fixture in your life. Pat Donovan and his wife Mary came to Australia in 2001 on a one year working holiday visa - with the possibility of a move down under sitting at the back of their minds.

“After several months of travel around Australia, starting in Darwin and coming down the east coast, we undertook a road trip to rival no other across the Nullabor and arrived in Perth on Christmas Eve 2001 after a stopover in Kalgoorlie,” Pat told Irish Scene. “I remember then being both curious and impressed by the significant contribution of Irishmen to the gold rush, including Paddy Hannon, and of course the engineering achievements of CY O’Connor.”

Kalgoorlie and its pipeline would come back into his life later in life. But at the time the couple spent a few months in Perth - where Pat got a job in natural gas distribution with Alinta - before they continued on their travels. “We were drawn to the climate and to the outdoor relaxed lifestyle, the fantastic coastline and the friendly people we met here,” Pat said.

They returned to Ireland for 18 months where they pursued their application for permanent residency.

They came back to Perth towards the end of 2003: “I recall we arrived back to Perth via the Melbourne Cup, one Thursday in November and I started back with Alinta the very next day”. Two years later they became Australian citizens.

Like most other Irish migrants Pat knuckled down, worked hard and was presented with opportunities.

“Following a number of changes in ownership of the gas distribution network in WA, I was fortunate to find myself leading ATCO Gas Australia from 2015 to 2018 when the opportunity to join the Water Corporation came along,” he said. “It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, to work with such a fantastic team who are committed to delivering the most essential resource required for life - water! Or as my kids put it “Gas pipes, water pipes... go on Dad, how different could it be?” To which the answer is - very!”

Pat joined Water Corp in May 2018 as General Manager Operations which meant he was in charge of the utility’s activities across more than 2.6 million square

kilometres of Western Australia. But it was not a position he was to hold for long. In November of that year the state owned company announced he was taking up the reins as CEO at the start of 2019. Pat is now little more than one year Water Corporation WA CEO, Pat Donovan into a contract that will see him run the organisation at least until 2024.

Pat had just turned 17 when he started engineering studies at Trinity College Dublin and he graduated in 1991 with a Mechanical Engineering Degree. “When I graduated from college in the early 90s the economy was suffering from high unemployment and low growth and, like many of my cohort at the time, I was faced with the prospect of emigrating to secure employment,” he said. “However, the opportunity to apply to Bord Gais as a graduate engineer arose and I was fortunate to be one of three selected to join the Dublin operations. I worked with Bord Gais until permanently migrating to Perth in 2003.

At the time I was Maintenance Manager for the greater Dublin area and east coast of Ireland. However, earlier in my time there I was a pipeline engineer and the very first “big” pipeline I managed was the construction of a 15km pipeline to Leixlip to supply gas to the newly constructed Intel factory. Not on the same scale as the Goldfields Pipeline I grant you, but it had its challenges nonetheless traversing urban, farmland, golf courses, crossed the River Liffey twice and the main Dublin - Galway rail line before arriving at Intel.

Quite the adventure for a 23 year old engineer!”.

As head honcho at Water Corp and at a personal level, Pat is mindful of the significance of the Goldfields water pipeline.

“The Goldfields Pipeline holds a special place in the hearts of most Western Australians, as it certainly does with the employees of the Water Corporation,” he said. “It is an iconic, heritage listed and still fully functioning engineering marvel that opened up the Goldfields at the turn of the last century and continues to support the economic and social development of the region to this day. The fact that it was the vision

THE IRISH SCENE | 24

and determination of an Irish Engineer CY O’Connor, who ultimately gave his life to turning the pipe dream into a reality, is not lost on me, another Irish Engineer, who, working alongside the incredibly talented people at Water Corporation remain committed to ensuring the pipeline will continue to be here for generations to come. It is such an important part of WA’s history and like so many other significant engineering and infrastructure projects that opened up new frontiers the world over, the Irish were found to be at the forefront of building those projects and putting down their roots in their newfound homeland. The Goldfields Pipeline remains to this day our largest single asset and is a critical asset supplying over 100,000 people in the Goldfields and surrounding agricultural farmlands areas. It gets a lot of attention at Water Corporation - from the Boardroom all the way to our pipeline operators who ensure it delivers safe reliable water to our customers 24/7. I have spent time with our maintenance crews as they performed repairs to the pipeline, and visited a workshop we still have in Northam with a team dedicated to fabricating repair fittings unique to the pipeline, which our welders install on the pipeline to take care of leaks when they occur. However, the most poignant moment for me was when I visited Mt Charlotte Reservoir in Kalgoorlie, the end of the Goldfields Pipeline, and read the historical information that is on display at the lookout, including photos of the official opening of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme on 23 January 1903 by then Premier Sir John Forrest. It really hit me that CY O’Connor never got to see the completion of his beloved pipeline, and also little did he know that some 120 years later it would still be supplying water to Kalgoorlie and beyond.”

The youngest of five boys Pat says he was born into a fifth generation farming family in Co. Offaly in 1970.

He went to Dunkerrin Primary School and then the Christian Brothers in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary before going on to Trinity College Dublin, aged 17. “I played hurling at underage level at Ballyskenach Hurling Club for a while. I, of course, lived through the glory days of Offaly hurling and enjoyed their successful run in the 80s and 90s. It seems a distant memory now but one memory I will always have is the ‘94 All Ireland win against Limerick (the five minute final!).

Pat had just started at Trinity when his mother died but he is thankful that his dad - who made sure he got a good education and start in life - lived to the ‘ripe old age’ of 94, passing away in 2012. “One of my brothers

continues to run the family farm and I have brothers living in Dublin and Kilkenny and one in upstate New York,” he said.

Pat and the clan have been back to Ireland several times, but not in the last five years. “I’ve been summoned home later this year to celebrate a significant birthday milestone! Not sure what they have planned for me, but it will be good to get together with my brother from the states as well as those at home. I will also catch up with friends in Dublin, including my old Bord Gais mates and perhaps get a round of golf in! The kids, all of whom were born here in Perth, will enjoy catching up with their cousins and also immersing themselves in Irish culture and heritage. One trip home we visited - I kid you not - a dozen castles! But most of all, they will enjoy time spent on the tractor with my brother on the farm.”

Pat and Mary have been married for nearly 25 years and are still going strong. “She’s my childhood sweetheart from next door,” he said. “We have three beautiful children (boy, girl, boy) who were born here in Perth.”

Pat doesn’t profess to be “very active” in the Irish community in Perth, but his family does maintain its Irish connections through their Irish friends and by attending events such as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. “Our daughter has been dancing with Celtic Academy Irish Dance for the past two years, and both she and we are loving the sense of connection with our Irish heritage that comes with that. A highlight last year was the inaugural St Patrick’s Day feis at the Irish Club, followed by a tour of Irish pubs – to watch her dance of course!”.

Like most Irish living and working in Australia, Pat has probably been keeping a close eye on the general election ‘at home’ and the political shenanigans and twists and turns since. As it happens, he used to work with Mary Lou McDonald in the past, but that’s another kettle of fish!

I asked Pat if there was something about him that most people didn’t know about him, if he was a twin, had saved someone’s live or was a gifted singer. “Not many people at Water Corporation, at least, would know that traditional music runs in my family with my grandparent’s cottage being the focal point for music sessions in the locality, and thankfully they have yet to hear me belting out Spancil Hill.... but it’s just a matter of time…!”

THE IRISH SCENE | 25

Continued on page 26

Continued from page 25

Future and past for Goldfields pipeline!

BY WATER CORPORATION Upgrades and modifications have been carried out to the pipeline since 1903 and while some original sections remain in operation, other parts are newer.

Given the historical importance of the pipeline, Water Corporation sought feedback in late 2018 from the community on how sections of older pipeline could be preserved. This consultation informed its recent heritage application to the Federal Department of Environment and Energy (DEE). As the pipeline is included on the National Heritage List, the removal of sections of the pipeline requires referral to the DEE for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Water Corporation is seeking long-term approval under this act to enable more efficient proactive preservation and maintenance of the Goldfields pipeline over the next 50 years. In accordance with the Water Corporation’s heritage plan, smaller sections of the original above ground pipeline will be retained for heritage purposes.

Water Corporation will continue to liaise with the

Welding pipes on the historic Goldfields pipeline Credit: National Trust WA. community to repurpose and rehabilitate sections of old pipeline, as and when they are replaced, so it can continue to celebrate this iconic, heritage listed landmark. Sections of the original pipeline removed at Meckering have already been provided for display to the National Trust and Cunderdin Museum.

The Goldfields Pipeline was originally located below ground and it was not until the 1930s that work began to raise the pipeline above ground as we see it today.

With modern technology and materials it is again better to bury the pipeline as we progressively replace sections. This has a number of advantages including less exposure to extreme temperatures that can cause leaks and breaks, cooler water which means less treatment and it is also less prone to potential damage from traffic and other accidents.

Forrest left office in the West while the goldfields pipeline was still very much under construction at the time – it was commissioned in 1896 and wouldn’t be completed until 1903 - but by then was established enough to survive its critics.

Sadly the same can not be said for its engineer CY O’Connor, whose life ended on March 10, 1902 in tragic circumstances, and

Again the proposal was widely mocked as a white elephant that would push household water bills up from $500 a year, to $2000.

A 2006 report estimated it would cost more than $14 billion to build a concrete canal – with at least 70 per cent of water being lost to evaporation – or more than $12 billion for a pipeline to cover the massive distances (about 3,700km/2,200miles) involved.

Mr Barnett likened it to the first telegraph or railway lines to cross Australia.

before the pipeline proved him correct and worked perfectly just a year later.

It is not so long ago since Western Australia had another Premier who was – and remains so – a big believer in pipelines as being critical for the growth and development of the state.

Colin Barnett became Premier in September 2008, and remained until St. Patrick’s Day 2017. Prior to his eventful premiership, Mr Barnett had in 2005 as leader of the opposition THE IRISH SCENE | 26

As it happens, Ireland is on the brink of undertaking the state’s biggest ever water pipeline project to date.

“Whether it be a pipeline, whether it be a canal... it’s not difficult for the simple reason that while it’s a long way away, it’s flat landscape,” he told reporters at the time. “The water will flow under the force of gravity for much of the distance.”

In February 2018 he was beating the drum for a “nation building” $5 billion pipeline connecting WA with the east coast. The West’s rich gas fields would be the answer to the worsening energy crisis on the country’s east coast, kick start a new resources boom and take just one year to build he said.

Emperor Colin Barnett using a hose using water from Water Corporation pipe to fill Elizabeth Quay, by Dean Alston Credit: westpix.com.au

New Shannon to Dublin pipeline underway

Indeed, during the driest July on record in 2012, he floated the idea again.

As a former premier there is a demand for his views and Mr Barnett is still talking about pipelines, but not ones carrying water.

Premiers and pipe dreams The unflinching support and determine vision of WA’s first Premier John Forrest was vital to the goldfields pipeline getting off the ground and surviving withering political objections and hostile commentary at the time – normally from forces with no knowledge or understanding of the project. Forrest had been Premier of WA for eleven years when Australia became a Federation of States on January 1 1901. He was obviously keen to play his part in the new nation building era and traded WA politics for the Commonwealth just one month later and he would go on to hold several high profile roles, including acting Prime Minister.

given a commitment to build a canal to carry water from the furthest reaches of the northern Kimberly to Perth. The idea was howled down and is said to have cost him the state election that year and nearly sunk his political career. Despite all this he seems to have harboured deep down the idea that the wetter Kimberley region could be tapped into in the future if things got bad enough.

“They were big nation-building projects and it’s my view there’s an energy crisis in south-eastern Australia and we have a capacity to do a bit of big thinking,” he was reported as saying at the time.

“Ninety-five per cent of the nation’s gas is here in WA and yet our big manufacturing centres are in south-east Australia.”

Say what you will about the track record of Mr Barnett’s government or his outlook as an individual, but he certainly can’t be accused of not thinking big!

After several years of debate about multiple options, consultation and controversy the unimaginatively named ‘Water Supply Project - Eastern and Midlands Region’ project was given the greenlight by the Irish Cabinet in December 2019 with new legislation put in place to allow it - and other similar if not smaller schemes - to happen.

Infrastructure for Dublin and the east coast of Ireland including water supply - is apparently struggling to keep up with the demands of its existing population 1.3 million which is expected to hit the two million mark by 2050. [One media observer predicted the number of people living in Ireland is going to be “scarily massive” in thirty years time]. The Irish capital and neighbouring counties are expected to create a demand for an extra 330 million litres of water per day over the next thirty years.

“It’s a national priority for us to bring a new major water supply to the greater Dublin area and to the midlands region, because we are frankly running out of water,” Irish Water Jerry Grant explained on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland in April 2018.

“We’ve seen a seven to eight per cent increase in demand in this region in the last four years that reflects clearly the recovery in the economy and the growing population. We are going to have 600,000 additional people in the greater Dublin area in the next 30 years according to the National Planning Framework… We have no water to supply those,” he said.

The proposed solution for how to keep the capital and greater Dublin area from drying out is a 170km underground pipeline that will be capable of carrying 4.1 million bathtubs of water a day from the River Shannon, that will cost an estimated €1.3billion to build.

This scheme will tap directly into what was probably the greatest infrastructure project in the history of Ireland but has not been without its critics and detractors, including those who are worried it will effectively drain parts of the Shannon river system.

In a nutshell, the plan is to take water from Parteen Lake just outside Limerick in the lower Shannon area in Co. Clare and pump it to a reservoir in Peamount, Co. Dublin.

THE IRISH SCENE | 27

Continued on page 28

Continued from page 27

­O’Connor’s last ride

Parteen is an artificial lake that was created as part of the Shannon Hydro Scheme in 1929, which at the time was one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the world. The Shannon Hydro Scheme cost a cash strapped Ireland more than £5.2m (£290m in todays terms) and took four years to create but more than anything else it transformed the country socially, economically and industrially by setting the foundations for the electrification of Ireland.

Much like the Goldfields scheme and O’Connor, the Shannon Hydro Scheme rested firmly on the shoulders of another brilliant Irish engineer, Thomas McLaughlin. A native of Drogheda, McLaughlin was born in 1896, the same year O’Connor submitted a detailed report to both houses of parliament in WA setting out the feasibility of pumping water from a reservoir outside Perth to the Goldfields. In 1922, the young Irish engineer got a job with Siemens-Schukert in Berlin, where he developed a brilliant and audacious project to use the 30m drop in the landscape between Killaloe and Limerick and harness the power of Ireland’s biggest river to generate power through a power station. The village of Ardnacruha was chosen as the location and the power station was built at the end of an eight mile ‘head-race canal’ through which water from the Shannon was diverted and then used to drive turbines. By 1935 some 80% of Ireland’s electricity was being produced there.

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) was set up in 1927 to run the scheme and provide an electricity supply from it, with McLaughlin as its first managing director.

According to Irish Water - Ireland’s national water utility which was established in 2013 - the proposal to pump water from the Shannon to Dublin will only require “a very small fraction” of the water in the lower Shannon which would be otherwise be discharged for power generation.

Water levels in the Parteen Weir and Lough Derg would be maintained and there would be no impacts downstream on the River Shannon and only an “insignificant impact” on the Shannons tidal estuary. And the method to be used to extract and pump the water was common place and standard practice in many other parts of the world Irish Water added.

The ‘Water Supply Project - Eastern and Midlands Region’ project is due to be finished by 2024.

Before the end of 2021 Irish Water expects to have completed a €5.5 billion investment in capital spending on drinking water and wastewater quality as well as capacity and new infrastructure.

BY MIKE LEFROY, GRANDSON OF BRIDGET, C Y O’CONNOR’S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER 6am, Monday 10 March, 1902 Beach Street, Fremantle. A powerful horse wheels onto the empty street. The rider sits comfortably. Straight back, shoulders square, relaxed hands. He’s done this before.

Arthur Lynch stands by the gate and watches him canter west. Arthur has been part of this routine ever since he joined the O’Connor family as their groom. He watches his boss until the West End buildings swallow him up.

Moonlight’s hooves play a drum solo down Cliff Street, then a flick of the reins from the rider and the horse lengthens stride onto the hard sand of South Beach. This is a familiar morning tradition for Charles O’Connor.

He’s been doing it since he was a young lad racing across the green hills of Ireland.

The human pipeline carried water from Sydney for drought relief

Human pipe line becomes ‘Mad Max’ life line

A pipeline might well be the most efficient way to move water between two locations but it isn’t always the solution or even an option. Sometimes the burden has been to be carried another way.

At the height of the recent bushfire crisis on the east coast of Australia the Irish community there responded to the desperate water needs of drought and bushfire distressed communities in an amazing way we should all be proud of.

On November 23 a convoy of nearly 96 trucks - of all shapes and sizes - carrying some 900,000 litres of water (worth about $100,00) set out from Sydney’s Rosehill Race Course for Armidale in north-eastern NSW [In a specifically Irish touch, boxes of Taytos were also donated to the cause and trucked over]. More than 100 Irish men and women volunteered their time to make the nine hour water run. Their convoy reminiscent of a Mad Max type cavalcade carving its way through a parched landscape - spanned 80km of road with the rear being taken up by a vehicle carrying a mechanic. All of this was organised in less than ten days because the Irish community wanted to do its bit. Irish tradie Peter McMahon felt compelled to do something when he saw a farmer who had to kill his livestock crying on television.

The precious cargo was initially to be used for drought relief but its need became even more urgent. When they reached Uralla (about 23 kilometres south west of Armidale) some 40 palates of water were taken by other trucks to use on the front line in the fight against the fires.

About a month later and just days before Christmas there was a second, similar mercy dash. On December 21 a group of Irish tradies from Brisbane sacrificed their Christmas holidays to deliver badly needed water and

THE IRISH SCENE | 28

animal feed to Stanthorpe, a bone dry QLD community which hadn’t seen proper rain for years. Inspired by the Sydney to northern NSW run, some mates talking about the problem over a few beers set up the ‘Brisbane Irish SEQLD Drought Run’ and easily exceeded their fundraising target of $10,000 (by another $35,000) in just three weeks.

The overwhelming response allowed them to cart at least 300,000 litres of stock water for animals and about 200,000L of potable water.

The situation in Stanthorpe continues to be dire and even now the town’s 5000 residents do not have a local water supply and depend totally on 1.3 million litres of water that have to be trucked in every day from a dam (Connolly dam, built in 1929) about 75km away, and locals are facing increasing water restrictions in their daily lives.

As much ground as this feature has covered there are still several other interesting historical and contemporary stories that we cannot fit into this edition, but hope to bring to you in the May/June issue.

Today something is missing. His youngest daughter Bridget, now his normal riding companion, is back in bed. It’s been a fiery weekend, the hottest spell on record for March, and today will be much the same. Too much for the 18-year-old. “See you at breakfast father,” was the muffled reply from behind the bedroom door.

The deserted beach is packed hard. This was the Swan River Colony’s first racecourse and Moonlight is flying. They reach Robb Jetty and O’Connor wheels Moonlight into the shallow water. He dismounts and lets the horse go free. O’Connor removes his dentures and places them in his pocket.

From another pocket he pulls out a revolver. When he realised he would be riding alone, he had crept into his son’s room and taken it from a bedside drawer.

The crack of gunfire sends Moonlight bolting up a sand hill.

Albert Cornwall, a young lad heading to work along Rockingham Road, sees the riderless horse silhouetted on the top of the dunes. He leads it along its own tracks back down to the beach. He sees the body of a man floating face up five metres from the jetty. Albert scrambles into the saddle and gallops into Fremantle. Moonlight knows the world has shifted.

8am, Monday 10 March, Russell Street Police station Constable Honner sees a big horse bursting into his yard. He knows it well - Moonlight the Chief’s horse. He doesn’t know the jockey. He will have some explaining to do.

Constable Honner rides out to Robb Jetty. Near the body he finds a loaded revolver with one chamber empty. He loads the body onto a cart and takes it to the mortuary where it is formerly identified by O’Connor’s son Roderick.

Around 7.30am, Tuesday 10 March 2020, C Y O’Connor Beach, south of Fremantle Small groups of people slither down the sand blown track onto C Y O’Connor Beach. They gather by the water’s edge with friendly words of greeting. Here again for another year.

Fifty metres out to sea their ancestor, a bronze statue of a man and his horse, is beginning to glow with the early morning sun. Most strip down to their bathers and swim out to the statue. Large plastic buckets overflowing with sunflowers and bougainvillea from their gardens and local hedgerows are towed out to sea and the flowers scattered. They float out past the statue towards the ships waiting to enter O’Connor’s harbour.

A large blossom and one giant sunflower are saved for the horse’s mouth.

Then it’s time for a coffee and a family catch up at the South Beach café.

THE IRISH SCENE | 29

Matters of

Galway Hooker sets sail

PUB-LICinterest!

After much anticipation Perth’s new Irish pub - the Galway Hooker in Scarborough - has finally opened its doors.

The place was jointed for its official opening which attracted members of the Irish community, but also other local business owners, friends and well-wishers. The Healy’s provided the musical entertainment while the rest of us chatted, queued up to get a drink or ate some of the great Irish pub grub from the menu. I had the Irish stew on the night and enjoyed it, it was a good as anything you’d get ‘at home’. Many of you might have seen or heard about a so-called food review of the Hooker in the West Australian. I wrote a letter to the editor about it the next day, but of course they didn’t publish it. Irish Scene hopes to be able to bring readers some news in the near future about that “review” but the less said about it for now the better. But the West Australian should know the Irish community is less than impressed and that the idea of ‘boycott’ started in Ireland.

Alienate us and we can easily stop buying the scrappy daily.

BY LLOYD GORMAN

Irish pub catches Coronavirus fever

Fitzgerald’s Irish Bar in Bunbury has been around for quite a while - about 19 years - but it recently got a lot of local and international media attention at the end of January with a marketing idea some felt was in poor taste while others thought it was harmless fun.

“There’s been a LOT of talk about Corona and to be honest its made us pretty thirsty…,” the bar’s social media said, as a promotion for “Corona Saturday”.

“We’ve heard Corona is pretty popular at the moment. We’re not sure why though, it’s just beer isn’t it? $6 CORONA’S ALL NIGHT THIS SATURDAY. We Dublin has about 800 dare you to find a better special. pubs but few are as We (sort of) promise they aren’t unique and intact as contaminated.” Perhaps the clincher was the fact they offered Grogans Castle Lounge. Grogans popped ‘free face masks’ as well, a commodity in short supply in up in the November/December Irish Scene coronavirus-hit parts of the world. If the intention was to as part of the feature about stained glass attract attention for the venue, it certainly worked. and Western Australia’s connections with Meanwhile, back in Ireland, as this edition of Irish Scene was some of Ireland’s greatest artists in this going to the printers, there was a chance that St Patrick’s Day specialised field. Owner Tommy Smith events in Ireland could be cancelled because of coronavirus! It (above) commissioned two stained glass has happened before, with Foot and Mouth Disease. panels to celebrate his customers, one was for the day trade and the other for the night folk. He came to love stained glass art when he saw a window by the Irish master Harry Clarke.

RIP Tommy Smith

Al Fresco bid for the Beldon

A popular watering hole with many Irish in that area, the Beldon Tavern is looking to expand - with a beer garden.

The locale already has an uncovered area which is a handy little spot for those who want to have a drink and a smoke at the same time. But the 104 sq.m beer garden would be a purpose built area built around a great palm tree that already exists outside the Beldon Shopping Centre. The development application is currently with Joondalup Council.

THE IRISH SCENE | 30

Smith and a friend, Paddy Kennedy, bought the pub back in 1973 when it was Joe Grogan’s public house. They kept the original 1960’s decor and preserved it until this day. While one traditional Dublin pub after another transformed themselves during the Celtic Tiger years, Grogans remained authentic. No TV or piped music, no food - except for toasted sandwiches, and the promise of a good ambience. A student friend of mine used to drink there regularly and we spent many a good night in the place enjoying a drink, a chat and rollie cigarettes, when you could smoke in pubs. The clientele was always ecletic and diverse.

Behind a great pub stands a great publican.

Tommy Smith died February 10, 2020.

Above: Punters filling the Galway Hooker bar. Top left: Guinness ambassador Domhnall Marnell and his family were there for the opening, along with the Healys (top right) who provided the entertainment on the night.

Bottleshop staff fight back

Irregardless of what some twit thinks about the place, the Hooker has proved to be a popular haunt with locals and Irish alike. On St. Patrick’s Day itself Guinness ambassador Domhnall Marnell will be back at the new venue helping it to celebrate the occasion in style. Why not drop into your closest Irish pub on the 17th for a drink and a dish and to soak up some of the atmosphere and craic.

The Thirsty Camel in Bennett Springs found itself unexpectedly in the headlines in early February. The bottleshop - owned by Irishman Niall Burke - was hit by thieves a couple of times shortly after Christmas. Each time the gang walked out the door of the premises with up to $1,000 they didn’t pay for. They returned again on February 7 to try their luck once more - only to find that their run of strikes was about to end abruptly. Three men walked into the drive through battleshop and straight into the cool room where they planned to snatch as much chilled drink as they could manage.

What they weren’t expecting was that staff were ready and waiting for them and clocked the culprits as soon as they walked in. The moment the young men went into the coolroom, staff pounced and pushed a trolly full crates of beer up against the door, blocking the only way in or out. The workers rang police while the trio of trapped thiefs became increasingly frantic to escape. They eventually forced the cool room door of its hinges, smashed the glass and managed to make a hole big enough to climb through. All the while they were chucking cartoons of beer at the workers.

Above: Thirsty Camel owner, Irishman Niall Burke. Top: CCTV footage of the quick thinking staff foiling another robbery attempt

Mr Burke praised the actions and quick thinking of his employees. “Staff are all high fiving each other and saying well done,” he told Seven News. “They didn’t get away with anything. They ran out of here scared, while normally when they leave, staff are left scared.”

He finished with a message to the wrong doers. “Don’t come back, Independents will fight back,” he added.

THE IRISH SCENE | 31

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THE IRISH SCENE | 32

7PM -11PM

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Every Tuesday: Guinness $6 from 6pm

Woodbridge Hotel

50 EAST STREET, GUILDFORD 9377 1199

THE IRISH SCENE | 33

Race to buy Perth pile with

great Irish pedigree

Since 2009 the house was also home to the couple’s son David, his wife Catherine and their family. David and his brother Charles followed in their father’s footsteps and became racehorse trainers. David - who was born in Ireland - also owned a world class winery in France but they moved to Perth and the Dalkeith house when his father passed.

“We dearly love Perth but all five of our children now live overseas and we want to spend more time with them and our grandchildren,” Mrs O’Brien is quoted as saying in a sales brochure for the property.

BY LLOYD GORMAN The Perth home of Ireland’s greatest race horse trainer - the late Vincent O’Brien and his wife Jacqueline - is on the open market and up for grabs - but you’ll need to deep pockets to call it home!

As impressive and comfortable as the house is, the O’Brien family have outgrown it and it is now time for it to go to a new family.

Above: 140 Victoria Avenue, Dalkeith is for sale. Photo: rwcmp.com.au/ Right: This fascinating photo shows how close and comfortable some of Ireland and Australia’s best known faces were together. During his 987 state visit to Ireland Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke met with renowned horse trainer Vincent O’Brien, pictured standing between then Taoiseach Charles Haughey and Hawke and to the left of Mrs Maureen Haughey. Jacqueline O’Brien is seen here to the left of Haughey, holding camera rolls in one hand and a camera in the other. Hawke was born in South Australia but moved to Perth (West Leederville) at the age of ten with his family and spent his formative and schooling years living in the area until he graduated from UWA. Image source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Dalkeith is one of Perth’s most upmarket suburbs and any property there attracts a premium just for the location.

But throw in the fact that a house there is a thoroughbred in more ways than one and you are looking at something that touches another level again.

Fortune Bay House at 140 Victoria Avenue, Dalkeith was the Australian home of race horse legend Vincent and Jacqueline O’Brien. They met in 1951 when she was staying with a relative in Belfast and got married the same year. They had another home in the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare and divided their autumn years flitting between the two, visiting family (they had five children) and friends in both countries.

Mr O’Brien died in June 2009, aged 92, but Jacqueline - whose family are the Wittenooms, one of the original pioneer families of Western Australia - continued to live there until her passing in 2016. I was lucky enough to interview her at the house in about 2012. She was a graceful, elegant and impressive woman who made me feel welcome - maybe the fact I was Irish helped, but she was the kind of person who would give anyone a great reception.

She was also in her own right an accomplished photographer and writer.

She wrote or co-authored several books,

including the official biography of her husband and others dealing with his greatest horses, as well as the Irish Derby.

She also published stunning books about great Irish houses and castles and ancient monuments in Ireland. I was there to interview her about her then new book (which would be her last) Court & Camera The Life & Times of A.H Stone - A Pioneer Photographer in Perth.

During our conversation she told me that she had written her earlier book ‘On We Go - The Wittenoom Way’ about the origins and development of the Swan River Colony into a modern state so that her Irish family could understand and know their Australian heritage and roots.

But back to the house. I interviewed Jacqueline at her home, but only got to see a couple of rooms on the ground floor level.

What I saw was a beautifully presented, well decorated and tasteful home which were probably qualities the house got from her. I also seem to recall there being some stunning but not loud artworks that suited the ambience and feel of the place.

But the photographs from Ray White estate agents in Mosman Park reveal the full extent of this dream home. If the average person buys a new apartment off the plan, then this is the kind of place that someone who is wealthy would buy on the strength of the photographs alone. But for the rest of us, here are a few key specs. The house is 2281sqm, has six bedrooms and private dining and entertainment areas - which the agents like to call private oasis, including with a pool and million dollar views of Freshwater Bay. THE IRISH SCENE | 34

“Perth is famous for its wonderful outdoors lifestyle and this house is made for a sporty family as you can play tennis, swim, water-ski, jet-ski, go kayaking, fishing and wakeboarding plus we have a beautiful white sandy beach where you can walk your dog.

It truly is a beautiful place to live.”

Fortune Bay House is for sale at auction on Saturday March 21, 2020 at 10:30am unless sold prior. Get your cheque book out!

Meanwhile in Monkstown and Mayo!

A tidy little property in county Dublin with a West Australian connection went on the market Ballinafad House in Co. Mayo late last year but appears to be still looking for a new owner. Measuring 92sq.m. / 990sq. ft, Subiaco – 28c Stable Lane is a two bedroom mews - a former coach house - in a small gated development of five homes just off Monkstown Road and within walking distance of Monkstown, Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire, a DART station and the coast.

A two bed, two storey house with private parking and sea views the house is named after Perth’s inner city suburb of the same name, where one of the owners - we don’t know which one or have a name - is from.

The couple who bought it in the early noughts and renovated much of it - who are asking €625,000 - now want to move to a new home in Clew Bay, Co. Mayo.

Sticking with Co. Mayo, Irish Scene can update readers on the fortunes of Ballinafad House, which featured strongly in our September/October 2019 issue (Ballinafad House, To The Mayo Manor Reborn) and again in the November/December edition. The

Belcarra pile, near Castlebar, was built in 1827 and has had a long and colourful history, including a stint as an agricultural school and Catholic seminary for missionary priests, that later crumbled away slowly as the elements and time took their toll. Ballinafad House was falling down and in danger of real dereliction when its most recent and current owner Bede Tannock - from Fremantle - and partner discovered it in about 2012. The couple paid €80,000 for it and about 7 acres of grounds, a good price when you consider the 60,000 sq. ft buildings and 400 acres had been put on the market back in the year 2000 with a price tag of £2.5 million. They budgeted another €500,000 to bring the run down mansion back to life, a massive undertaking by any stretch, but they saw the potential in it to be a luxury wedding venue and for other uses.

Their ambitious project was picked by the new RTE programme Great House Revival and was the first renovation featured on the series. The programme - which proved to be a big hit in Ireland - was also picked up by SBS in Australia, which screened the whole series in mid 2019. But as a sign of how quickly things can change, no sooner had the September/ October edition come out when it emerged the house was up for sale, with a €2 million price tag. Curious to find out if it was still up for grabs or if it had changed hands, Irish Scene contacted the selling agent, Connaughton Auctioneers in mid February. A helpful lady by the name of Deirdre said there had been “good interest” in it, and a bit of a development.

Ballinafad House was under offer but they “were not there yet with the price”. The interested party were being encouraged to improve their offer. But it sounded like if somebody walked through the doors of Connaughton’s with a cheque for €2 million, a deal could be done very quickly. It turns out that Bede and his partner are still living and working away in the house, about three quarters of which has now been beautifully restored. So perhaps by the next Irish Scene (in May) there may be more news! Watch this space. [Talking of things to watch! In mid February RTE announced a second season of The Great House Revival with six new restoration projects. With any kind of luck, SBS will repeat their interest in this successful series and bring it into the sitting rooms and lounges of millions of Australian homes.]

THE IRISH SCENE | 35

St Patrick’s Day message from the Ambassador of Ireland A Chairde Gael is a Chairde uilig – tá Lá na Féile Pádraig buailte linn arís is cúis cheiliúrtha is mórtas cine inár gcroí is anam! Bainigí taitneamh as an bhFéile is bigí bródúil as an méid atá bainte amach ag Gaeil Iarthar na hAstráile thar na blianta fada atá caite againn san tír álainn seo.

St Patrick’s Day is one of the most enjoyable and celebrated of national days across the globe. We are a global family of some 70 million people of Irish heritage with some of our number found in virtually every region of the globe. This means there are few places in the world that will not join the global spraoi!

I know that the Irish community in Western Australia will bring its usual energy, joy and enthusiasm to the 2020 celebrations!

Sadly, this year’s celebration in Australia is tempered by the very tragic events caused by the bushfires that have ravaged so much of this vast and beautiful land.

Ireland and the Irish diaspora across the globe have stood in solidarity with Australia and our Australian friends through these very challenging times. I salute the Australian spirit that is determined to overcome

We get what matters to you.

these challenges and ask you all to find a practical way of expressing your solidarity with those affected.

Carmel and I were delighted to pay an official ‘State Visit’ to Western Australia in 2019 during which we were particularly honoured to have been received by the Governor, the Premier, President and Speaker of the Parliament and other political, business and cultural leaders. I thank them for their veritable Céad Míle Fáilte to your beautiful State which has so many close links to Ireland. I hope these links will continue to grow stronger and closer in 2020 and for all the years ahead.

Beannachtaí naFéile Pádraig Happy St Patrick’s Day! Breandán Ó Caollaí

Ambassador of Ireland

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St. Patrick’s Day Commitee Its that time of year folks...

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Big thank you to our race sponsors, Adenco, CLC Building Services, McDonald Surveys, Hensley Hitech, Benchmark Surveys, Crossland and Hardy and Body Map 3d, HL Geospatial, and McDonagh Racing. And a big thank you to all who helped on the night and bought horses.

St Patrick’s Day Parade 2020 – 14th March

Everything is on track this year for a bigger and better parade with new fun rides, more food stalls, new music acts and more family friendly facilities. We would like to welcome Events Perth and Greg Erskine and his team onboard to help out with management, and we also have the Guinness ambassador AP Parents, please Domhnall Marnell EVENT M supervise your kids paying us a visit Drink plenty of Toilets water, available on the day to make free on site Be sun smart sure the Guinness Slip, slop and slap! is flowing well. We encourage everyone TRY MAIN EN to bring their green, VIP white or orange MAIN STAGE clothes or their county colours and Toilets make this year’s parade as colourful Toilets BAR as possible. See map at right for event locations. We also met the Irish Embassy representative Harriet There’s a first aid tent Strickly no smoking should you get into Sexton Morel to at this event any strife discuss the parade and talk all things See our info tent for lost LEEDERVILLE Irish in WA.

AMILY 2020 F AY F UN D FIRST AID / LOST CHILD POINT

SAUSAGE SIZZLE + SPIT ROAST

DANCE STAGE

KIDS INFLATABLE ZONE

FOOD STALLS

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FOOD

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Race Night

property, raffle tickets & merchandise

The race night was a huge success for the Str Patrick’s Day Parade. We raised $6,000 overall with $1,000 of that going to the Bushfire Relief donation combining our efforts with District 32. We had great fun on the night with very exciting sell out races and great craic was had by all.

Below: Tom, Olan, Rachel, Niamh met the Irish Embassy representative Harriet.

Bottom left: Race Night attendees. Bottom right: Olan Healy and Dean Keating with the money raised on the night.

St Patrick’s Day WA and Laceys Fight night – 28th March

Parade Launch Night – 28th February The St Pats Committee had a launch party for the parade and festival on Friday the 28th of February in the Galway Hooker to welcome all new sponsors on board and thank our stalwart sponsors who continually sponsor the event every year.

Training for the St Patrick’s day WA fight night is well under way now in Laceys Innaloo and Currambine with fighters training hard for the big show on the 28th of March. All our fighters will be in the Parade and it promises to be a huge night. Tickets will be available shorty so keep and eye on Facebook and our new website website StPatricksFestivalWA.com

Update on St Patrick’s Festival WA Gala Ball Due to a few unforeseen issues with our venue we have had to post pone the St Patrick’s Day ball until later in the year, with rumors of a Halloween Ball in it’s place. Thank you to all those who had expressed interest in attending and we hope to see you all later in the year.

Major sponsors this year are once again, LotteryWest, the City of Vincent and the Irish Government.

We also have a new major addition in Pipeline Technics OVAL and would like to sincerely thank Gay Collins for coming on board and supporting the event. We have many more sponsors and we hope to see you all on the 28th to kick off parade season.

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If you would like to sponsor this year, there is still just enough time, please contact Olan on 0479061147.

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THE IRISH SCENE | 39

monotony, whilst all the morrows shall be as today,” is an extract from a letter of his which was published in The Record in December 1915, towards the end of the Australian campaign in the Dardanelles.

Padres who charged

the gates of hell!

“[Brennan] mentions Father Fahey, a wellknown and regarded priest who spent many years as parish priest of Cottesloe, twenty years of which was just prior to his death in 1959,” the authors of 100 Years on Bareney’s Hill tell us. “Brennan met Fahey first in Egypt before they both went to Gallipoli, and again in later missives, he talks of traversing gullies, hills and trenches to visit him, no doubt to share experiences and news from home.”

BY LLOYD GORMAN Regular Irish Scene readers will be familiar with the name of the late Father John Fahey. Born in Glenough, Co. Tipperary John Fahey came to Western Australia as a young cleric who was highly intelligent but also an excellent sportsman who enjoyed the outdoor, rugged life.

He can be seen in the front row of the famous photograph of the 11th Battalion at the Cheops pyramid taken not long before the volunteer West Australian infantry battalion were amongst the first to land at Gallipoli. Fahey - disregarding direct orders to disembark with the troops as they stormed the beaches - was the first chaplain onshore and despite half of the men around him being killed in the first moments of the attack he survived - with some lucky/miraculous escapes - and would become Australia’s longest serving front line chaplain.

But Irish Scene only recently learned of another Irish cleric who was at Gallipoli and happened to be a good friend of Fr. Fahey’s. We know a good deal about Reverend Dean Denis Brennan in no small way thanks to the book ‘100 Years on Barney’s Hill’ A History of St. Columba’s Parish, South Perth’, coauthored by Laurie O’Meara and Peter Lee - which is available to buy directly from the Church. St Columba’s church featured in the recent Irish Scene article about stained glass windows, and as well as having a fine collection of Irish stained glass panels, the church has also accumulated many parish priests of Irish extraction since its foundation. Fr Brennan, St Columba’s second parish priest was born in December 1875 in the village of Sooey, Co. Sligo. He was one of eight children several of who emigrated, including a brother Jack who came to Perth first but then relocated to Sydney.

Denis studied for the priesthood at Maynooth College and was ordained in June 1899 and arrived in Perth later that year. In 1901 he was sent to Boulder.

“It is difficult to to imagine how this young man, fresh from the green fields of Sligo, felt as he faced the harsh climate and bustling growth of the gold-obsessed town,” the books authors write. “The Eastern Goldfields were a thriving centre of activity when he arrived.

It was estimated that there were 13,000 Catholics in the area at that time. The accommodation started with canvas tents and progressed to timber and iron. The heat, flies and dust-storms would have made life extremely difficult.” Fr Brennan played an active role in the proliferation of schools and churches for the region. After ten years in Boulder Brennan was then posted to Narrogin in the southTHE IRISH SCENE | 40

When Fahey returned to Perth towards the end the war he helped set up the state branch of the Returned Service League, and was its first President. Brennan returned from the conflict with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel but suffered health issues from the experience, which took a toll and he needed some time in rehabilitation. He would return to Narrogin in 1921 and six years later went to South Perth, then Victoria Park and finally St. Brigid’s in West Perth from 1937. He died in September 1940, aged 65.

Above: Reverend Dean Dennis Brennan.

Left: Father John Fahey

eastern wheatbelt as its parish priest. A very different and more agriculturally based part of WA than Boulder, Fr. Brennan got stuck into the job at hand.

“He may have become a little homesick for Sligo when at times of the year he was surrounded by fields of green grain crops,” authors O’Meara and Lee write.

On March 17 1915 he answered the call from Perth’s Archbishop Patrick Clune - a native of Co. Clare - to serve with the 28th Battalion and did his military training alongside the enlisted men at Blackboy Hill, at the foot of the Darling Ranges, to the east of Perth. The new recruits - and their captain chaplain were deployed first to Egypt and then sent into action at Gallipoli.

“The same old daily and nightly round of shrieking shrapnel, bursting bombs and roaring rifles with infernal

Brennan’s eulogy was given by Monsignor Peter Hayes from Bunbury, a close friend of some forty years. “Hayes, born in Tipperary, came to Australia at about the same time as Denis Brennan and worked in the Goldfields in the same years,” O’Meara and Lee write.

“He was also a chaplain in the Armed services during the war. They obviously had much to talk about. Hayes told how on a school day it was Brennan’s custom to harness his horse to the old “Shandradan” and drive out to pick up children who lived far from the school.

He would bring them into Boulder and after school return them to their homes. Hayes spoke glowingly of Brennan’s ability as a preacher. He could fill the church both morning and evening. A congregation coming primarily to hear the sermon is indeed a rarity in modern times. Hayes relates a story of one of his renowned panegyrics (eulogies) after the death of Pope Leo XIII in 1903: “This panegyric had been heard by large numbers of the citizens of Kalgoorlie and Boulder. Catholic and non-Catholic, and it had been spoken of and discussed in towns long after the event [The Record, 12 September, 1940].” Sadly, in closing Hayes recounted how Denis Brennan’s nerves and health were shattered. Today he would have been invalided with a diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many men returning form that war disaster

would have been so diagnosed. Hayes observed that, unless you knew Denis Brennan before the war, you would never have really known him at all, for in his latter years, he had been but a mere shell of his former self.” The authors say it is gratifying that even after all these years that Denis Brennan is still remembered with such affection by relatives on both sides of the world. “And so, another son of Ireland who had left home and family to bring God’s word to the new world, gave his all for God, King and country, and had gone to enjoy his just reward. May he rest in the peace he so richly deserves.”

It is worth remembering that thousands of Irish men - serving in the British army - also landed, fought and died at Gallipoli from the start of that failed military campaign. They too were accompanied into the hell and fury of war by their chaplains.

William Finn was from Hull - but his parents Austin and Catherine were from Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo - and he was chaplain in the UK when he enlisted and was attached to the first battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who he joined on their return to England from deployment in India. As it happens they set sail from England on St. Above: William Finn Patrick’s Day 1915 to join the rest of the 29th Division who were to be part of the landing force at Gallipoli, specifically at Cape Helles.

On April 25th the Royal Dublin Fusiliers - some of who would be in Dublin almost exactly a year to day later and were involved in suppressing the 1916 Rising were on board an old steam collier pulling barges full of soldiers behind it that was run aground close to the beach. The ‘Dublins’ as they were called, poured off their barges and the crashed ship only to be met by a murderous hail of bullets and shell fire. On top of this, many of the barges did not get close to land and many soldiers who tried to make to shore were drowned because of the weight of their packs and equipment.

Witnessing the carnage happening all around him chaplain William Finn - like Fahey - disobeyed his orders to stay on board until it was safe to come ashore. He is reputed to have said, “The priest’s place is beside the dying soldier; I must go”. He jumped overboard to try and help drowning soldiers and to give the last rites and comfort to dying men. Unlike Fahey, who had bullet holes in his clothes but no

THE IRISH SCENE | 41

Continued on page 43

Continued from page 41

physical wounds, Finn was hit several times and badly injured. He must have been in terrible pain but did not retreat to seek medical aid for himself. Instead, he crawled and then pulled himself around the beach trying to get to fallen soldiers. He did this for some time, possibly several hours, before he was killed giving absolution to a dying soldier.

Fr Finn was awarded a Military Cross for his actions but he was denied a Victoria Cross - the highest possible decoration any soldier can win - on a technicality. The posthumous honour was not given to him because he had disobeyed his order to stay on the ship! Fr Finn was the first Catholic chaplain to be killed in World War 1. As bad and as bloody as Gallipoli proved to be, the loss of lives and damage inflicted there was just the start of a campaign that would be eclipsed as the war moved to the Western Front.

In was in that theatre of war that another Tipperary priest and veteran of Gallipoli lost his life.

Chaplain Michael Bergin, 51st Battalion from that county, was a 35 year old school teacher at the Holy Family College, Fagala, Cairo, Egypt when he was accepted into the 3rd Light

Horse Regiment as a Chaplain 4th Class on 13 May 1915. While serving with the 5th Light Horse Regiment at Gallipoli, he was taken ill in September and evacuated to England for medical treatment. On recovering, he returned to Egypt Above: Chaplain Michael Bergin in December 1915 and transferred to the 51st Battalion. He proceeded to France in June 1916 and although attached to the 51st Battalion, ministered to men of the whole 13th Brigade. He spent a lot of time with soldiers in the front line and was killed by a shell on 12 October 1917 near Broodseinde Ridge, Belgium. Chaplain Bergin is buried in the Reninghelst Churchyard Extension, Belgium and was posthumously awarded a Military Cross for distinguished service in the field.

Lest We Forget – Lest we get amnesia!

The Australian War Memorial website holds an incredible amount of information, archives, resources and images, including dozens taken in Ireland (North and South during the war years). It is worth dipping into sometime, you never know what you will find.

One of the many interesting things I just happened across was this framed photograph with a strong Irish connection. It is dated circa 1919 by the AWM. The museum describes it as: “a framed composite photograph presented to Lieutenant John Hamilton VC by His Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne and the Irish citizens of Victoria, on the occasion of the Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Melbourne, 17 March 1920.

The composite photograph (right) comprises portraits of fourteen Victoria Cross winners (ten Roman Catholics and four Protestants, all presumably with Irish backgrounds) with portraits of His Grace Dr Daniel THE IRISH SCENE | 42

Continued on page 44

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Two Irish men

Continued from page 43

Western Australia. O’Meara was the only Irish born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross in World War I. If anyone should have been included on this occasion it was him.

It is curious then why these men - who were members of the very small number of soliders to win a Victoria Cross - are absent. Could it because of the what happened to them when they came home? While they had proved themselves above and beyond in the line of duty during the war and were celebrated for their achievements, they were effectively shunned by the society and culture they fought to protect. Throssell claimed the war made him a socialist and pacifist and he became an anti-war campaigner who fell on hard times and suffered from depression and eventually took his own life in Perth in 1933 so that his wife and 11 year old son could collect his military pension.

Martin O’Meara did not fare much better. His situation seems to have deteriorated very quickly

upon his return to Western Australia. We know from a newspaper interview with him that was conducted during the time he and other returning service men from Europe were being quarantined because of the deadly Spanish Flu that he was looking forward to returning to WA. A very short time after that interview something seems to have drastically changed and the major mental health issues that emerged saw him spend the rest of his days in local mental aslyum’s - for 17 years in a straitjacket - and hospitals in Perth.

When he died in December 1935 O’Meara was buried with full military honours at Karrakatta Cemetery by Fr. John Fahey. His coffin was carried by three West Australian VC winners.

celebrated in south West Two Irish men who made a lasting impression on the Swan Valley Colony - Thomas Little in Dardanup, originally from Galway - and John Boyle O’Reilly, a native of Dowth, near Drogehda - were celebrated and remembered at two seperate events attended by members of the Irish and WA communities.

Martin O’Meara’s VC is on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks until July. It is the first time an Australian VC has been allowed to leave Australia. It is normally held by the Army Museum of Western Australia, in Fremantle.

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The Aussie-Irish

gave Australia its Country

BY TOM GILMORE AT THE TAMWORTH COUNTRY FESTIVAL

Above: Perth’s Country music stars The Sunny Cowgirls with former Perth resident Michael Collins from Wembley at Tamworth. Right: Bushwackers belt out an Irish tune at Tamworth Festival.

While the Irish didn’t discover Australia, many of the Aussie singing stars says they owe their Country (music) to the Irish – and the Scottish who came here as emigrants.

From multi-million selling Aussie Country stars such as Lee Kernaghan, The Bushwackers or Graeme Connors, to lesser known names such as the zany Hillbilly Goats or 19-year-old singing sensation Blake O’Connor, they are all proud of their Irish influences.

But despite all that, the numbers of Irish fans among the 50,000 plus at Australia’s biggest music festival in Tamworth, 400 kilometres inland from Sydney, were miniscule this year. It also seems that most of the 700 acts performing over ten days at the festival were mostly from Eastern and Southern Australia, with very few, except The Sunny Cowgirls, coming from Perth.

After 48 consecutive years, this festival has grown and grown in a city with a population of 60,000 which is usually doubled by the number of festival attendees each year, slightly down this time due to the horrendous bush fires in eastern Australia.

It’s a pity that more Irish living here in this land down under, or perhaps more visitors from Ireland, or indeed more of those of Australian-Irish ancestery don’t go to the Tamworth Festival. Most of the shows and the entertainers are as professional as you would find in Nashville and many of the concerts are free.

The televised Australian Golden Guitar Awards are as professional as the CMA Awards are in Nashville.

Indeed, Australia’s biggest Country star, the Garth Brooks styled Lee Kernaghan who says his roots are in Armagh, says he is in love with Ireland and Irish music, and he rates Galway and the West as nicer than Nashville.

“When visiting Ireland some years ago, firstly going to Armagh and later on when I stayed overnight in Sligo, I have great memories of visiting the land of my ancestors.

“On a morning when I woke up in Sligo, where Yates was from, I remember standing on the headland there and looking back at the town as the soft rain was

Lee Kernaghan throws T-shirts to the crowd at Tamworth Festival falling. I imagined the ships full of Irish emigrants heading out from there to America or maybe on to Liverpool or Southampton and then to Australia and it pulled on my heartstrings,” said Lee. Later that day he headed for Galway for a different experience.

“I had to get to Galway, as I so much wanted to watch the sun going down on Galway Bay. But as there was no motorway to Galway over a decade ago, I was hammering it along those small roads to get there in time.

“It will always remain a spiritual moment in my memory when I got to see the sun go down on Galway Bay,” added the singer, who had the number one best-selling Country album in Australia in 2019 with Backroad Nation.

Lee has sold over two million albums and almost as many DVDs and singles, as well as making an impact in Nashville with his Aussie number one hit Boys from the Bush.

When I put it to him that the next time he is going to Nashville he might stop off in Galway - as it’s only a step across the Atlantic from there - he laughed and replied that going to Galway would be the bigger of the two attractions.

“I think I would prefer to stay in Galway and just watch the sun going down on the bay there than go on to Nashville,” says Lee, who added that he is still tracing his Irish roots which go back to Armagh in the late 1700s.

THE IRISH SCENE | 48

Photo: David Pellon/Stockvault

“Sometimes when you start exploring your family roots you may be proud of what you find. But other things that emerge might explain a whole lot of stuff that you may not be proud of at all,” said Lee with a laugh.

“But we eventually gained acceptance with acts such as The Dubliners and our big start as support act for them was at The Embankment in Dublin. In all we toured Ireland, England and Scotland four times during that decade,” he added.

Apart from having the best-selling Country album in Australia last year, one of the tracks, Where I Wanna’ Be, a duet with his wife, has also been number one in the Australian singles charts for the past few weeks.

Dobe said that The Bushwackers “listened to The Dubliners for ever” and by doing so they learned so much about the links between Aussie Folk and Country music and the Trad songs of Ireland.

His Backroad Nation tour took him to every part of this country including West Australia.

“Fans of ours in Australia also realised that it was the music of The Dubliners, and other Irish bands that had gone somewhere else in the world, including America in the first instances, and then came down here later as Bluegrass.

“We travelled every state in Australia and certainly did a lot of shows over the past year. We visited every main road and backroad and every other place in between,” he said with a laugh.

At this year’s Tamworth Country Festival, Lee collected his 38th Golden Guitar award on the ABC TV-transmitted Golden Guitar Awards show, and he now equals the late great Australian music icon Slim Dusty for having the highest number of Golden Guitar awards.

Lee dedicated the award to Slim and described the Pub with No Beer hitmaker as his inspiration and mentor in the early days of his career.

Dobe Newton of the Bushwackers says they have been belting out an eclectic mix of Australian Folk songs and “foot-stomping Irish inspired instrumental pieces” since the early 1970s. He first toured Ireland with the band as support acts to The Dubliners in 1974 playing at many venues including in Dublin.

“We just decided to take off to Ireland in 1974 as the Folk revival was taking place there at that time with groups such as Planxty, Christy Moore, Fairport Convention.

“We didn’t really have anything lined up in advance and we lived on the smell of an oily rag for a while,” he said with a laugh.

“Who would have thought that songs would have gone from Ireland to America and then to Australia where some of the words were changed again. When we toured Ireland we hope we brought it all the way back to it’s original home again,” added Dobe, who co-wrote the iconic Australian song I Am Australian with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers back in 1987.

The same sentiments regarding Australian Country having its roots in Irish Folk music were expressed by zany Country band The Hillbilly Goats. They also cited the Irish songs going to the Appalachian Mountains in the US with the Irish emigrants where it later merged with Blues sounds and American mountain music.

Eventually the descendants of those Irish American emigrants took those tunes with them as “Celtic and Bluegrass-infused songs” to Australia.

One of Australia’s most prolific songwriters, Graeme Connors, recently visited Ennis in Clare and the home area of his ancestors on the coast of Waterford and he says that he can now understand how the wild landscapes of such places “would breed poets and deep thinkers”.

THE IRISH SCENE | 49

Continued on page 50

Continued from page 49

Perhaps as Australia’s top music festival in Tamworth edges ever closer to it’s 50th anniversary in 2022, more Irish people might sample it’s Celtic Country delights for 10 days from January 17 to 27 each year.

Sara Crowe, PR manager for the festival, and a lady who lived in Dublin for a few years, hopes so and that the bushfires won’t be a deterrent ever again.

“Nobody in Australia wants to experience the devastation caused by the bushfires in other areas this season. It impacted a bit on our attendances too. But our main sponsors Toyota partnered with Rural Aid to raise money via sales of thousands of festival cowboy straw, with all the money going to those hit by the bushfires and the drought,” she says.

“Despite the fires, all in other areas, we could still boast that we had, from our top A list, stars such as Lee Kernaghan, Kacey Chambers, Troy Casser Daly, John Williamson, plus up and coming artists, totalling over 700 performers. We had over 2,000 free shows plus some ticketed ones at 120 venues this year,” added Sara.

Australia’s 19-year-old Male Artist of the Year, Blake O’Connor performing at Tamworth “There is a bleakness to that landscape that must infiltrate the heart in the same way that we have sunshine to infiltrate ours in Australia.

“It was my first trip to Ireland, where my ancestors came from, but I immediately felt a kinship in some way. I think there is something in the genes that we overlook.

We can think of ourselves as Australian or Irish, but I feel that we have so much in common that we both inhabit a similar space in the artistic world,” he added.

From the most seasoned stars to the youngest hitmakers, such Blake O’Connor, most of those we spoke to were grateful to the Irish for helping bring Country to Australia and giving them their Irish roots as well.

“I’m sure with a name like O’Connor I must be Irish somewhere along the line – I think I’m fourth generation Irish. As I’m aware of Ed Sheeran starting off in Galway, I want to go there also to find my roots and play my music,” concluded Blake, Australia’s 19-year-old Male Artist of the Year.

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Perth’s Sunny Cowgirls, Sophie and Celest Clayburn, who were born and raised in Wembley, were the sole stars from West Australia wooing the fans at the Tamworth Festival.

In recent times, their new EP received three and a half stars in the Country Music People magazine in the UK, which is very good for an Australian Country act. They also recorded an excellent live video at the Subiaco Arts Centre, and recently did harmony vocals on one of their own songs recorded by young Scottish Country singer Brandon McPhee.

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CLADDAGH REPORT

Crisis Support: 0403 972 265

13/15 Bonner Drive Malaga 6090. Enquiries: 08 9249 9213

www.claddagh.org.au

2020 eventful so far

The Claddagh Association Committee and staff have been working hard since the New Year. Requests for Claddagh’s help more than doubled in the first two months of this year compared with the same period last year and we have responded to health, bereavement, unemployment, migration and domestic violence issues. As always, if you or anyone you know from the Irish community in WA needs support you can call Claddagh’s crisis line on 0403 972265.

As many of you will know The Claddagh Association receives funding from the Irish government’s Emigrant Support Programme (ESP) for employee and project costs. During January and February, we completed annual reporting for the ESP and made applications for ESP funding for various projects in the 2020/2021 year.

Claddagh Seniors events Claddagh’s Seniors group have participated in three events already this year. In January they took a day trip to Mandurah enjoying the views over the estuary and eating a fabulous lunch in Murphy’s Irish Pub. Irish poet, Tony Curtis, was a special guest at the lunch. He brought his guitar and there was great singing and poetry reading at Murphy’s. This was enjoyed immensely by the Seniors -as well as the normal patrons and management!

In February the group travelled to Carmel to spend some time at the beautiful Masonmill Gardens. As always, they received great hospitality. The lunch was delicious, and the gardens were blooming. That same month our friends at the Irish Theatre Players (ITP) offered the Seniors group reduced rate tickets to their most recent play, “Lizzie’s a Darlin’”. A large group attended this comedy which was declared a great success.

The funding from the Irish government cannot be used for crisis relief for members of the Irish community. The direct support that Claddagh offers to members of the Irish community is covered by our fundraising efforts and the generous financial and in-kind donations of our friends and supporters.

If you would like to support Claddagh’s work in 2020 you can make an online donation at: https://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.

If you are interested or know a Senior member of the Irish community who would like to attend our events, don’t hesitate to contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@ claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213 or seniors@claddagh.org.au/0417099801 for more details.

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Claddagh

Fundraising

St Patrick’s Mass and Festival

We truly appreciate the generosity of the community groups and individuals who host fundraisers on Claddagh’s behalf.

Irish Theatre Players In addition to hosting Claddagh’s Seniors group, at a reduced rate, at their February play “Lizzie’s a Darlin’”, ITP also donated the profits of that play’s opening night to Claddagh’s work.

Irish Club Golf Society of WA

Claddagh will be hosting an International Women’s Day event and would love to have you join us. Look out for more detail on social media or contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@ claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213 with any queries. All proceeds will go to the work of the Claddagh Association.

We can’t wait for Paddy’s Day! Claddagh will be participating in the St Patrick’s Day Mass on Tuesday 17th March at 10am in St Marys Cathedral, Perth. On the weekend before, we’ll be out in force at the St Patrick’s Festival, Leederville on Saturday the 14th March.

Cheer on Claddagh’s members, supporters and the Seniors group as we march in the parade. If you want to join us in the parade contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@ claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213 and don’t forget to stop by our stand on Leederville Oval. We’ll have a Marquee and seating area for Seniors and a stall to publicise our work. Come and say hello and join Claddagh. We’d love to have your membership in 2020.

Meeting with Second Secretary Ms Harriet Sexton Morel

The annual St Patrick’s Week Golf tournament will be held on the 17th March. This year the Irish Club Golf Society will again donate proceeds to The Claddagh Association and The Charlotte Foundation. Contact Claddagh’s Vice Chairperson, Peter McKenna on 0447 258 000 if you’d like to play.

In mid-February Harriet Sexton Morel, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Ireland, Canberra attended official events in Western Australia. We were delighted to catch up with her for a working morning tea while she was here. Harriet spoke about the Ambassador’s priorities for engagement with the Irish community in Australia and we shared our work over the last few months. Many of the individuals and families we support are referred by the Embassy to Claddagh. But anyone can make a referral. If you or someone you know from the Irish community is in difficult circumstances, you can contact Claddagh directly on our crisis line: 0403 972 265.

We are very grateful for the fundraising of the Irish Theatre Players and the Irish Club Golf Society of WA. It makes a real difference to the support we can offer members of the Irish community in difficult circumstances. If your organisation would also like to host a fundraiser for Claddagh do get in touch with our office on 9249 9213/admin@claddagh. org.au. We’d love to work with you.

THE IRISH SCENE | 52

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Remembering my Grandfather Tom Nicholson (1895 – 1975)

BY BILL DALY We will never see the likes of this great generation again.

In the sunshine of a late Autumn afternoon, an elderly man wearing a hat and contentedly puffing bluishwhite smoke from his pipe, was about to start the climb up Ballinaha Hill to his home in Tircullen, in the parish of Kilwatermoy in the West Waterford Deise.

The orange farm cart and donkey were laden down with bags of blue cross ration, recently procured from Mick Beecher in Barrack Street, Tallow. That man was my grandfather, Tom Nicholson, or Tom Nickley as he was known to everybody far and wide. I would like to recount and share some stories and anecdotes with you now in an effort to bring his memory back to life again, if only for a short while!

In the writing of this article I had to interrogate my ageing memory to go back over fifty years, and surprisingly I seem to remember a great deal, which means he was a very important man in the early stages of my life. Whenever my mind dwells on him, I see the orange cart and Neddy the donkey. There were a few donkeys, but he named them all Neddy - for pure convenience and typical of the man!

I can remember accompanying him down to Ned O’Connell’s forge in Janeville, and after Ned had retired to Paddy Russell in Sapperton and later in Tallow. The iron wheel bands needed replacing now and then, and it was fascinating for me, as a young boy, to watch Ned and Paddy at work as they heated, flattened and bent the iron to fit over the wooden wheels. It was a lovely place to be on a frosty morning as the mighty heat from the constantly bellowing fire permeated a great distance across the yard.

Tom worked for many years as a member of the outdoor staff on Waterford County Council, and now and then we would encounter his former friends and colleagues, men like Harry Willis, Joe Prendergast and Willie French. No matter how busy he was, he always had time for a chat and a laugh as they gathered around the small open fire they had constructed, and poured fine strong tea from the Billycan into the mugs.

People had a bit more time in those days to stop and stare.

I remember one night listening to Tom and my Dad discussing how they were going to get up during the night to listen to the fight on the radio. I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about, but I asked them to wake me up anyway – which they did. There we were on a dark night at about 3am, drinking tea and eating toast, and listening to the epic boxing match between Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) and Sonny Liston, which was coming to us live from the USA. They were both rooting for Cassius Clay, so I did the same, and it gave me a great love for boxing which I still have to this present day. I’m not sure if I went to school or not the next day, I probably did but yawned a great deal during proceedings!

He wasn’t a big man, but he was strong, tough and wiry, and worked very hard until his mid seventies. He took great pride in fattening and selling pigs, and he was a little miffed at John Parker, our local newspaper reporter, one time for mentioning in The Donavan Leader that he had achieved a record price for a batch of pigs at the mart. He was getting the pension at the time and wanted to keep his head below the radar in relation to extra streams of revenue!

He was also busy with the potatoes and vegetables and had a big selection on the go at any given time.

This is part of another era and conjures up images of, rising to the potato drills, the big barrel of bluestone mix to prevent the blight, which was replaced by the yellowish looking dithane in the latter years. Shaking the spuds out of the stalks and digging a trench in the ground, this was covered over with straw and clay to ward off the severe winter frosts. When he was setting the potatoes, he wore a canvas bag called a ‘máilin’, from which he took the seed potatoes. He also cut the seed potatoes in two and dipped the wet side in lime.

In days gone by, especially in country areas, the vegetable garden was a necessity. The wages were generally low and it helped the household budget along enormously. If the family provider happened to lose their job, at least the family could continue to eat in the interim. These gardens have rapidly disappeared over time as people became more affluent, had less time on their hands, and as the large stores and supermarkets started to spread their commercial web across the landscape. He used a scythe to cut the hay, and built up haystacks with plastic bags on top, held into position with rocks on a rope to keep the rainwater out.

He regularly brought me to Ballyhamlet wood with him to cut timber, and only manual tools were used including axes, wedges and a bow-saw. I was there to help him, but I was probably more of a hindrance to his progress, and asked too many questions. We would often take a break to eat the sandwiches my mother has prepared, and drank cold tea from a bottle that now had newspaper where once there was a cork. In

THE IRISH SCENE | 54

the outdoors, there was an almost copper taste from this cold tea and a wonderful taste that I have never experienced since. After the tea, he would cut the plug tobacco with his penknife and go through the long ritual of scraping, filling and smoking his pipe. A wondrous smell of pipe tobacco, tempered with the smell of the timber, would then fill the air and emanate around us as we relaxed in the beautiful sylvan surroundings.

Then there was the little matter of The First World War. As a nineteen year old, along with his brother Ned, Tom enlisted in The Munster Fusiliers in 1915 to fight the war to end all wars. Many went for adventure and also because of John Redmond’s promise that Home Rule would be granted in Ireland if they would give Britain a bit of a ‘dig out’ on this occasion.

The Munster Fusiliers became part of Kitchener’s 10th (Irish) Division, they were the first of the Irish divisions to see action, and were also the most travelled. They saw their first action in the Dardanelles where a huge amount of soldiers were slaughtered by machine gun fire from the Turkish Army. Those that survived, including Tom and Ned, saw more action in Salonika (Greece), Egypt, Palestine and finally to liberate Jerusalem.

They were eventually sent to France on The Western Front, where Tom was wounded and sent home on leave. While at home in Killenagh, he reflected on the events of 1916 and the execution of the leaders. He made a decision to desert and never went back. He had to go into hiding around the woods in Kilwatermoy and Headborough for over a year, gratefully assisted by the kindness of the local people. Like many of the

men who survived, he didn’t talk much about his time in the war.

What slaughter and horrors he must have witnessed on the battlefields of the Eastern Front. One day, while he was washing, he showed me the scars from the bullet entrance and exit wounds in his lower abdomen.

He also told me that he was made a corporal, but lost his stripes one night when his commanding officer observed that Tom had allowed his men to take off their boots in the trench. Even though the war toughened him up, he also had a soft side, and I saw him crying by the fire the night my younger brother Tom-Joe was rushed to Ardkeen Hospital with ruptured appendicitis.

After Vatican Two was sanctioned in 1965, Fr. Harry O’Brien continued with the 8am Mass in Tallow through Latin. In order to attend this, Tom would wake me up about 6am and we would go down to the shed in the darkness to harness Neddy to the trap. The trap was used instead of the orange cart for social occasions like this. To provide light for the journey, candles were inserted into two lamps on either side of the trap. I was yawning and hungry as we set off, but it was a really lovely experience to have the road all to ourselves at this time of the morning.

He always had a bar of dairy milk chocolate to give me for the journey and to keep me from complaining!

He was never a big drinker, and would hardly ever touch a drop from one end of the year to the other. However, there was a ritual that he strictly observed, and that was to walk to Tallow for a few drinks on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. He normally couldn’t take much drink and wouldn’t be gone for too long.

On this particular Christmas Eve that I have fond memories of, he met me on the road wearing his new suit and reminded me to make the feed for the pigs that evening.

Having only been gone for about three hours, he was driven back home in a car, staggering and the worst for wear. Against the better judgement of my parents, nothing would persuade him but to make the mixture and feed the pigs himself. He staggered out of the house into the piggery yard, still in the good suit. I was asked to go after him, just in case things would go pear shaped – which they did. I helped him to put the ration and the skimmed milk Continued on page 56

THE IRISH SCENE | 55

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.

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.

Continued from page 55

into the big container, and he insisted that he would now go and mix this up with the brush handle.

Happy

r t i ck’s a P t S

I could almost see the pigs looking out the piggery gate in amazement and horror at what was about to happen! He began to stir the mixture with the brush handle, then he went into a ferocious speed wobble, went around the container twice at full speed with the brush handle , and then was thrown about ten feet onto his back in the yard like a stone coming out of a catapult! As this was happening, the partially mixed blue cross ration and skimmed milk was heading towards the piggery over the hard ground like the Ganges delta. Dad then managed to put him to bed and he slept the sleep of sleeps all the way to Christmas morning!

EASTER RISING COMMEMORATION Presented by Cairde Sinn Fein

As you can see I spent an amount of time with him when I was young. He was a wonderful, generous man and he made a great impression on me. I wish we could do all these things again, and this time I would take more of an interest. But, unfortunately, we cannot roll the film of life for a second time. I will finish with a paraphrase from John Parker, who penned a lovely obituary tribute to him when he died on 5th January 1975 – ‘A strictly honest and upright man, who was held in high esteem by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance’.

Day!

153 Trappers Drive, Woodvale 6406 2336 avoka Shop 7, Belridge Shopping Centre 6406 2105 avokabelridge

Celebrating 7 years in Business Est. 2013.

Sunday 12th April Assemble 2pm @ Irish Famine Memorial Market Square, Subiaco 6008 Proceeding to Irish Club for commemoration and live entertainment Contact: Dean Keating M: 0415 534 204 E: cairde.sinnfein.wa@gmail.com

Competitive Fees at Fixed Prices.

No hidden costs or extras.

Partner Visa $2300 + gst Citizenship $500 + gst Employer Sponsored Visa $2300 + gst

Price: Free Tickets at:

Contact Patricia today to discuss your options

Email: patricia@visa4you.com.au Phone: 0420 907 109 Office: 5 Boag Road, Morley 6062 MARN 1383611 THE IRISH SCENE | 56

Event Name: 1916 Easter Commemoration

THE IRISH SCENE | 57

Western Australia

Organised

by The Irish Community of WA working

Upcoming EventS

International Women’s Day - March 2020 See our Facebook page for any upcoming events for International Womens Day.

with The Archdiocese of Perth

EIMEAR BEATTIE

Irish Families in Perth is a voluntary non profit organisation with over 15,000 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.

IFIP contributes to a cohesive Irish Community by working together with many of the wonderful groups in Perth that support Irish culture and heritage.

St Patrick’s Day Mass St Mary’s Cathedral at 10am on Tuesday 17th March For anyone or any group wishing to participate please email irishinperth@hotmail.com.

IFIP Padbury Playgroup Each Monday & Wednesday Irish Mams NOR playgroup sponsored by IFIP have places available for families with children aged 6 weeks - 5 years to come and join in the fun.

Sessions are held on Monday and Wednesday 9-11 am at Padbury Playgroup.

Contact Sorcha McAndrew with any enquiries. facebook.com/groups/ 774916025922214/?ref=share

IFIP aims to: · Coordinate Irish family events including twice weekly playgroup.

St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth Victoria Square, Perth

on St Patrick’s Day Tuesday 17th March 2020 at 10 am Principal Celebrant & Homilist:

Rev Fr Vincent Glynn

PARKING AND GETTING TO THE MASS: There is parking for a limited number of cars at the Cathedral.

Other parking is available at PCC Parking Stations in the vicinity.

The “Red Cat” Free Bus Service runs past the Cathedral regularly.

It stops at many convenient locations from West Perth particularly Perth Central Railway Station stopping at the door of the Cathedral Enquiries:

· Develop Irish Culture & heritage.

Eimear at irishinperth@hotmail.com

· Help Irish people with any problems that might arise and provide a link to Australian and Irish support services.

or Phone 0474 481 297

www.irishfamiliesinperth.com facebook.com/groups/irishfamiliesinperth THE IRISH SCENE | 58

THE IRISH SCENE | 59

WEARING

be completely buttoned up to the neck

‘THE ULSTER’

• front fastenings of either two vertical rows of four, or six, buttons • contrasting stitching along the lapels and cuffs; and

BY JOHN HAGAN

• a munificent cut with long pleats at the back.

It is perhaps axiomatic to assert that Northern Ireland is not readily identified as a source of sartorial elegance, or as a leading location for fashion design. While the names of the many famous couturiers of Milan and Paris might readily trip off the tongue, there is no such critical acclaim in the case of Northern Ireland. Few fashions have originated from this part of the world, but two do come to mind.

The Ulster became so popular that clamour arose for a ladies model and, in the mid 1870s’ an Ulster ‘for fashionable gentlewomen’ was released. Unlike its male counterpart, this ladies garment could be quite ornate, featuring a cape lined with blue and gold checked satin and a front ornamented with coloured buttons. The ensemble was described as follows:

Who can forget (or remember?) the ‘Ballykilbeg suit’.

This attire was designed, made and marketed by outfitter James McKee of Donegall Street, Belfast. The spanking apparel, which sold for the princely sum of three guineas, was named after William Johnston of Ballykilbeg, who rose to attention when he defied a Government ban by participating in an Orange Parade in Bangor on 12 July 1867. While details of the cut and style of the ‘Ballykilbeg’ are sketchy, alas, the ensemble has long since disappeared from the market.

Made to the ankles: lined with the softest woolen texture; trebly sewed; trebly stayed in every part; the innumerable pockets of wash leather; velvet collar; contracting sleeve inventions; and many other characteristics introduced by the original makers.

One garment boasting much greater longevity and fame than the ‘Ballykilbeg’ suit and also originating from the northern province is ‘The Ulster’. While the name may not conjure an immediate visualization of the item, the Ulster remains widely recognized. It’s the garment worn by all those jolly, redcheeked, Christmas card, coachmen, but arguably made most famous in the movies by actors such as Basil Rathbone, Robert Stevens, Michael Caine and countless others in their portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic, fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Originally made from heavy Donegal tweed in County Donegal (a province of Ulster), this daytime, long, double-breasted, overcoat allows unencumbered movement of the forearms, distinguishing it from the Inverness coat which is burdened by a much longer, heavier, cape.

While early editions of the Ulster were somewhat rustic, the original design was refined, popularised and sold worldwide

by McGee & Co, 30-34 High Street, Belfast. Antrim born tailor, John McGee, a stickler for sound craftsmanship and quality material, reworked the designs of the original coat, and, in 1866, produced a garment to his satisfaction. McGee’s Ulster was a typical Northern Ireland product, plain, commonsense and with few flippancies.

Initially, McGee saw the Ulster as a sideline to his other tailored items as his shop claimed to have the ‘largest stock of winter overcoats in the North of Ireland’, so he was somewhat surprised just how quickly the new product caught on. With fame spreading and sales increasing, McGee altered his promotional signage to claim the business was the ‘Inventor

Right: An Ulster coat c1910 which was auctioned by Christies. Image: christies.com

and sole maker of the Ulster coat’. Originally sold for about five guineas, the qualities of the coat were soon recognized in London with The Tatler declaring that, ‘No gentleman’s wardrobe is complete without an Ulster’. According to convention, the main characteristics of the Ulster were: • patch pockets to emphasise the informal country character of the garment • lapels cut in such a way as to allow the coat to

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Soon McGee received the ultimate accolade with the business being recognized as, ‘Tailors by appointment to the Queen, HRH Prince Albert’. Despite this tribute, McGee’s greatest source of pride was not in the compliments received or the fame arising from the eminent politicians and nobility who wore an Ulster, but from the fact that he had contributed a new word, ‘Ulster’, to the English lexicon. The Chambers Dictionary included the notation that an Ulster was, ‘A long loose overcoat’.

Unfortunately, John McGee did not live long enough to fully enjoy his success. Having been urged to take a sea voyage for the sake of his health, McGee fell ill, and died, on board the Cunard steamer ‘Servia’ in December 1883.

Son, James, took over the business and under his astute

guidance, the sales of Ulsters increased, forcing him to move to more spacious premises in Belfast’s Donegall Square West. Early in the 1900s, following James’ death, the McGee fortunes, and the popularity of the Ulster began to wane. The demise stemmed from McGee’s management becoming complacent plus increasing competition from other emerging overcoat designs. Eventually, in 1940, the McGee business folded, its reputation, fame and status now largely forgotten.

The Ulster however is A 1920 Eaton catalogue ad for Ulster coats. Image: putthison.com/ preserved in literature and film. In Conan Doyle’s book, ‘The Blue Carbuncle’, Dr Watson recounts, ‘It was a bitter night, so we [he and Sherlock Holmes] drew on our Ulsters and wrapped cravats about our throats’. While the Ulster may have attired the Victorian era’s most famous detective, ironically the coat was also favoured by the era’s most famous villain. In the 20th Century Fox film, ‘The Lodger’ (1944), Jack the Ripper, as portrayed by Laird Cregar, is resplendently attired in an Ulster, surely an apt garment with its large pockets and innumerable folds in which to conceal the instruments of his macabre practice. The coat is also mentioned in James Joyce’s ‘The Dubliners’. In the chapter on ‘Grace’, Mr Power, is described as, ‘a tall agile gentleman of fair complexion, wearing an Ulster’.

Unfortunately, few original Ulsters have been preserved in historic fashion collections. Even the Ulster Museum is unable to display one of McGee’s coats. However, I’m advised that it is still possible to obtain a made to order garment from a reputable tailor, an order which is likely to cost in the region of $4,000. Perusal of the net reveals that an Ulster, off the rack, might be bought for just over $1,000, although this attire is far removed from the initial McGee model. Hopefully, unlike the Ballykilbeg suit, the Ulster will not completely vanish.

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 | 61

ULSTER RAMBLES WITH DAVID The previous edition of THE IRSIH SCENE was the first one for 2020. As well as a new decade, it seemed like a new era. I mentioned how optimistic many of us were for the years ahead. I hope the decade has started off well for all the readers out there and of course for everyone else as well. By the time you are reading this edition, the great day will soon be upon us. Yes, St. Patrick’s Day will be celebrated all over the world again. It truly is a happy event on the calendar and one to look forward to.

Over the years I have been writing this column for this great little periodical, I have tried (reasonably successfully I might add) to avoid the subject of politics. I was concerned that if I approached the subject through humour, for some folks, it might not be that funny or I might get it wrong from the reader’s point of view. If I took a more serious note, I might very well make mistakes in my interpretation of events; after all I was educated as a scientist and not as a political observer. As well, I am no longer living in Ulster so I don’t know exactly what is going on there.

I might well ask here does anyone? The world has recently changed with Donald and Boris coming out on top with their sometimes bizarre, outlandish and eccentric remarks and decisions.

Lately, it seems that Boris (probably not him but one of his cronies) has had an idea to link Ulster to Scotland.

No, not politically but by means of a bridge. As I sit here at a desk in faraway Australia, I find it difficult to believe that he is actually serious; much as I doubted Trump’s Mexican wall especially the part where he would insure that the Mexicans would pay for it. One finds it difficult to tell these days what is actually in the minds of many of our so called leaders. It always seemed far more clear-cut in ‘Yes Prime Minister!’ I have to assume that Boris threw this little herring into the pan to disguise the more serious problem of what is to be done to that sore in his ear; to wit the northern part of that Island somewhere to the west of him.

His line down the middle of the Irish Sea has some merit. Who is going to dispute a line in the sea where it will be completely invisible? I can’t foresee two boats squirming in the stormy passage as to whether their cargo of cows is from the North or the South. Which

side is the Isle of Man going to be on? Maybe the line could go down the middle of it. What fun the Manx people could have; much like what has been going on in Ireland for the last hundred years.

But Ulster is making progress or so I am led to believe.

Perhaps because Stormont (explained later) was suspended and after a long campaign for reform in the Province, the controversial issue of same-sex marriage was legalised at Westminster by MPs during this absence of a government in Belfast. Does this actually count now that Stormont has returned? Well, who knows?

Here I will try to explain Stormont in a paragraph or two. Miss it out if you already know or if you don’t really care two figs to know.

The Northern Ireland Assembly (commonly referred to in the UK and Ireland simply as Stormont), is the devolved legislature of N. Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the U.K. It sits at Parliament Buildings at an area of Belfast called Stormont. The Assembly was in a period of suspension until January 2020, after it collapsed in January 2017 due to policy disagreements between its powersharing leadership. Well, I must confess that I don’t recall that they agreed on anything. That was the great thing about it. Nothing was agreed upon, so obviously nothing was done. For most of the populace, that seemed to work quite well or at least they didn’t have to worry about drastic changes to their lives.

In January 2020, the British and Irish governments agreed on a deal to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland.

This restoration was three painful years in the making.

Since the Stormont assembly and executive collapsed in January 2017 over the Democratic Unionist party’s handling of the renewable heat incentive scandal, (whatever that was) the country has effectively been run by civil servants facing down a health crisis, the impact of austerity and Brexit-related insecurity.

THE IRISH SCENE | 62

A resolution was finally found a few months ago, in the nick of time to avoid the fresh assembly elections that the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith, had threatened to call if parties failed to compromise. It was the experience of December’s General Election that focused the attention of the two largest parties.

Both the DUP and Sinn Féin lost vote share (down 5.4% and 6.7% respectively) – and both lost symbolically important constituencies. The DUP leaked votes to the middle-ground Alliance party, and Sinn Féin felt the heat of an unexpected boost to its rival nationalist SDLP (in part aided by anti-Brexit electoral pacts). The parties feared another hammering in assembly elections.

This forced Northern Ireland’s largest party to shift focus back to Stormont as a place to wield political power. Also, the general election in the Republic of Ireland gave extra incentive for Sinn Féin, who had performed very well in the election, to use Stormont to demonstrate its credentials as a respectable partner in government.

The actual agreement brokered by the British and Irish governments is a notable achievement. That said, this is a document that is not completely unfamiliar to those who have followed the tortuous stop-start progress of talks over the past few years.

A similar agreement was close to restoring Stormont in February 2018 until it was stopped by unionist cold feet.

Now the headline-grabbing features come in the form of cash; the magic money tree that the Province has enjoyed for a long time has blossomed again. Money for healthcare, money to ease school budgets, money to improve infrastructure and the extension of welfare mitigation are among a collection of promises. Whether this bonus will be spent in such a way that might lead to longer-term fixes depends a lot on the new executive’s programme for government. Best to grab this money quickly before it is ear-marked for “Boris’ Bridge”.

What happened three months ago is best understood as the beginning of a new chapter, rather than the end of a sorry saga.

Image: blogs.spectator.co.uk/

What has been agreed so far contains the bare minimum for the journey ahead. At that time Boris came out with another bunch of clever (to some) words. “Never mind the hand of history on my shoulder. I see the hand of the future beckoning us all forward,” So far this future is full of nods of acknowledgement rather than signed and sealed guarantees from the British government, especially when it comes to managing the fallout of Brexit.

At this stage, or for that matter any stage, no one seems able to predict what the future holds for the countries involved with Brexit; especially that little part of Europe to the west of the mainland. I am loath to predict anything here as I am sure to get up the nose of some of the old faithful. I really do not know if time has moved on in the Province. From what I hear, it certainly has but how much and in what way, I would not like to say never mind write.

I can only finish by quoting an old song. “Que sera, sera” which as you all know is Spanish for ‘What will be will be.”

I hope you are all managing well in 2020.

The new decade gives me a feeling of enthusiasm for a positive future despite climate change, political incompetence, bush fires, Trump and Johnston outbursts. Just stick to the Yoga and meditation. May your God go with you and have a great day of the 17th!

THE IRISH SCENE | 63

It’s a great time of year for barbecuing, I like to use a charcoal bbq over gas as the flavour has a lot more depth. Both recipes below are quick and easy and always great to share with friends.

bbq

RecipeS

Bbq Chicken skewers with spicy satay SAUCE

BY LEE BEHAN

INGREDIENTS

Bbq Lamb Cutlets with mustard and chives

6 skinless chicken thighs diced into 2cm chunks 1 tsp dried ground chilli 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander

INGREDIENTS 12 lamb cutlets 1 jar of Dijon mustard 1 bunch of chives 4 sprigs of rosemary

Salt & pepper 1 lemon Olive oil

METHOD 1. Place lamb cutlets in a tray and drizzle with olive oil. Remove rosemary from stalk and place over lamb cutlets. Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.

Spicy Satay Sauce: 1 tbsp peanut oil 2 garlic cloves 1 shallot 2 red chillis

125g smooth peanut butter 250ml light coconut milk 3 tbsp kecap manis 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce 1 lime, juiced 50gm unsalted roasted peanuts 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 bunch of coriander 1 lime

METHOD 1. Marinade chicken in ground chilli, turmeric and coriander for 30 minutes.

2. Place chicken onto skewers, ready to be barbecued.

5. Remove lamb from bbq and rest for 5 minutes.

3. To make the satay sauce, heat the peanut oil in a small saucepan over a medium high heat. Add garlic, shallot and chilli – cook for 4 minutes.

Add peanut butter, coconut milk, kecap manis, Worcestershire sauce and soy. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and leave for 10 minutes, gently whisking every couple of minutes so the ingredients combine well. Add crushed peanuts, lime juce and 100ml of water. Return to simmer and cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Brush one side of the cutlet with Dijon mustard and dip into the chives so they are coated fully.

5. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with lime wedges and satay dipping sauce.

2. Season lamb with a generous amount of salt & pepper.

3. Finely slice chives and set aside.

4. Ensure your bbq is piping hot. Place lamb cutlets on bbq and cook for 3 minutes on each side

4. Bbq chicken skewers on a hot bbq until cooked.

8. Serve with some fresh lemon wedges!

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING We are encouraging members and potential members to consider: • Nominating for committee. We have long-serving members retiring this year and we are looking for persons with book-keeping skills, computer skills, publicity skills, visionary people, good networkers and hands-on workers. We want to offer roles of Treasurer, Membership and Editor of our quarterly Journal.

• Volunteering to join our Tier 2 helpers. Have a look at our programme outline for 2020 attached and see where you might be interested in helping out.

Talk to us at any of our upcoming events before the AGM, or email us. We will provide full support and mentoring. This is a voluntary organisation and volunteers want to enjoy being involved. All that’s required are a few core key people and a supporting crew of volunteers.

The meeting should conclude within the hour. The meeting will be followed by an informal demonstration of our new AIHA website and Facebook to familiarize attendees with the features and allow Q&A over a drink or cup of tea.

Venue: Date: Time: Entry:

Irish Club Committee Room (upstairs) Sunday 8 March 2020 AGM at 3pm, followed by Website and Facebook interactive and informal presentation.

Free (AGM is members only.

Presentation is open to the public)

Australian-Irish Heritage Association SAINT PATRICK’S DAY EVENTS

Tuesday 17 March: Mass 10 am, St Mary’s Cathedral coordinated by Irish Families in Perth. AIHA committee will join community procession behind our banner.

AIHA will make presentation of special interest to Irish Australian community.

Saturday 14 March: Parade from 10.30 am through Leederville. Parade theme is “Irish Sporting Heroes”, followed by free community carnival in Medibank Stadium, sponsored by City of Vincent. Details stpatricksfestivalwa.com

EASTER MONDAY CATALPA DAY COMMEMORATION Annual commemoration of the escape of six Fenian convicts on 17-18 April, 1876.

With oration, verse, drama and song at the Catalpa Memorial. Special guests from Federal, State and Local Government and community leaders.

Venue: Catalpa Memorial, Rockingham Beach (walking distance south of Township).

Time: Monday 13 April 2020 Admission: Free. Seating available. Enquiries 9367 6026

ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATION At invitation of RSL City of Subiaco sub-branch, AIHA members carry flags and lay a wreath in remembrance of the Irish ANZACS. Assemble at Subiaco Post Office at 8.00am for short march to Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial at corner Rokeby and Hamersley Roads. Refreshments follow in Council Chambers at the Administration Centre (short walk).

Venue: Subiaco Post Office Date: Saturday 25th April at 8am Enquiries: Denis Bratton 9345 3530

THE GREAT RIDE - National Trust Heritage Event 1918, Australian mounted troops sweep through the middle east deserts and into Damascus led by the 10th light horse as the Ottoman army surrenders. A letter from trooper Ned Moriarity to his sister Alice was the inspiration for this folk musical devised and presented by singer, songwriter and musician Carmel Charlton whose husband Eric is Ned’s great grandson. Ned’s grandfather was from Brosna in Count Kerry. This illustrated stage presentation of music, song and story has toured venues in WA and Canberra. Check the reviews on the internet.

Venue: Irish Club Theatre, 61 Townshend Road, Subiaco Date: Sunday, 3 May at 3pm Admission: Tickets at the door $10, includes Irish afternoon tea. Enquiries 9367 6026

Congratulations to winners of Writer prizes 2019 The Joyce Parkes Women’s Writers Prize of $500 was awarded to Lynne Geary, Victoria, for her entry ‘My Mother’s Garden’. The Joe O’Sullivan Writers Prize of $1,000 was awarded to Kylie Worth, Victoria, for her entry ‘Edelweiss’. Both stories will be published in the March Journal and on AIHA website.

There was a high number of entries and fee proceeds were donated to The Claddagh Association.

Check out events on www.irishscene.com.au/calendar-of-events.html Australian-Irish Heritage Association Non Political - Non Sectarian - Emphatically Australian

For more recipes and treats, check out Lee on Instagram @lee.behan THE IRISH SCENE | 64

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

65

THE IRISH CLUB IS Proudly sponsored by

SuSANN Keating

Irish Choir Perth

Registered Psychologist

Welcomes New Conductor!

Child, Adolescent & Family Psychology Service

0414 251 967

Your Irish Psychologist in Perth

Exciting things can happen when you give change a chance, in small and big ways Change is no stranger to any Irish person living in Australia – at some point in our lives we have decided to make a change - to emigrate, change our jobs, our lifestyle (our tan lines – no, of course they remain stubbornly pale…). There is a spectrum of emotion accompanying this change, from trepidation to excitement.

The Irish Choir Perth decided to make a change for 2020 and bring on a new Conductor. The person filling this role has a huge influence over the choir. Ultimately they are responsible for the creative direction, song choice and arrangement, teaching, and in our case a bit of wrangling! For this reason, after a few fun and successful years with our previous conductor, we were curious to see what other directions we could take. This was a decision that definitely fell on the trepidation end of the spectrum. This fresh direction was a leap of faith, but one that has paid off enormously with the introduction of our new conductor, Eimear North.

www.generalpsychologyservices.com.au

ST patrick’s day events

Irish Choir Perth A Wexford native, Eimear has experience of working with choirs of all ages, and on her first night as conductor, she impressed the choir with her mix of talent, good humour and excellent direction.

14th & 15th

MARCH

LIVE MUSIC + Andy’s kitchen open FROM 2.00pm UNTIL EVENING

17th

MARCH

Andy’s kitchen open FROM 7.30am UNTIL EVENING + live music

What’s next then? Well, we’re not entirely sure – but that’s ok, that’s kind of the point of this exercise!

There will be weekly rehearsals of course where we will learn new music and work on some of our favourite songs from last year. We wait with excitement to see what grows organically from this change, and thus we haven’t scheduled any events as yet for the next few months, but of course you never know what might happen, so watch this space and keep up to date with all our news on the Irish Choir Perth facebook page… and if you want to be part of this, please come give the choir a try. We welcome new members all this time, there are no auditions and your first session is free. Why not!

Please give our sponsors your support as it is only through their generosity that the Irish Scene can be published for you, for free!

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WEEKLY EVENTS

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Sean Nós 5:30pm Ceilí and Set Dancing 6pm

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 | 67 The Irish Club is a members only club, and we welcome members. forms can be downloaded from the website.

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IRISH FAMILY HISTORY

A hunt for an elusive ancestor from Irish Special Interest Group member Elissa Livingstone, joint editor of the Irish SIG newsletter.

Looking for Patrick

The Newbridge barracks

Irish family history research has long been considered problematic at best and nigh on impossible at worst because the ‘’all the records were destroyed’’ during the Four Courts fire in 1922. This oft-stated reason for giving up - or not even engaging in tracing Irish family history - has gradually been debunked over the past decade or more.

The reality is that the records may not be in Ireland but elsewhere. Despite the initial difficulties and after many years spent cowering behind a genealogical brick wall I have been able to find all the milestones of my great-great-grandfather, Patrick Gurney’s life, but not in Ireland.

I had known about Patrick’s existence since my schooldays when my father related the bare facts to me; that his great-grandfather, Patrick Gurney was a soldier in the British Army who served in Quebec before coming to Western Australia as an Enrolled Pensioner Guard after his discharge from the army.

The only other information forthcoming was that they lived in the British Army barracks in Montreal. This was the sum of my knowledge for a long time. Every attempt to find out more about Patrick resulted in a dead end. Eventually I realised that the key to finding out more about Patrick lay with the British Army records.

Online records were almost non-existent then, and even the Internet was in its infancy, but through the auspices of online mailing lists and other research groups I found a British Army history classic called In Search of the Forlorn Hope: A Comprehensive Guide to Locating British Regiments and Their Records (1640WW1) by John M Kitzmiller II. Although I still didn’t know Patrick’s regiment I did know which regiments served in Quebec.

Over time I discovered online a former WA librarian who had researched all the Enrolled Pensioner Guards and she gave me the vital information that Patrick was in the 17th Regiment of Foot, one of the regiments that served in the Eastern provinces of North America, not known as Canada until 1867.

With further information from another online researcher on British Genealogy Forums I was prompted to send an email enquiry to the UK National Archives, which had begun to put many records online including those of the British army. This resulted in the hitherto unimagined possibility of receiving a copy by post of Patrick’s army service record for the

unbelievably small sum of £2. These records, some five A3 pages, told me that Patrick was born in 1819 in Newbridge in County Kildare; that he enlisted in Naas in County Kildare in1838 and served over 20 years out of a total of more than 22 years, in the Eastern provinces of North America, and detailed transfers to various other regiments; his physical description and conduct.

Regarding Patrick’s conduct there was a reference to a court martial in 1857 but no explanation was forthcoming except that the penalty was a fine of a penny a day for 60 days. This suggests a minor offence related to drunkenness, which was a common misdemeanour at the time. His discharge date was given as 1859 in County Limerick.

As more records became available online I looked for my great-grandfather, William John Gurney’s baptism records in Canada and those of his two older siblings, James and Susan, all born in the 1850s. This information was on the 1897 Western Australian death certificate of their mother Ann Gurney. But enquiries about baptism and marriage records made to the Canadian archives were unsuccessful. Eventually the Drouin Collection, a compilation of French-Canadian Catholic records became available on Ancestry and the very first record I saw was that of my great-grandfather, William John Gurney’s baptism on January 6th 1859 at St Patrice Catholic Church in Montreal.

This encouraged me to search for the marriage record of Patrick and his wife Ann, and the baptism records of the other children. But a search of all the Drouin Collection baptism records during the 1850s revealed nothing. I have yet to find the baptism records of his siblings who were possibly baptised in other provinces.

IAgain an online researcher with access to local records came to the rescue. Whereas I had been looking at Catholic records for Patrick Gurney and Ann Devine’s marriage, they were in fact married at the St James Street Methodist Church in Montreal on July 31st 1848. I suspect that they married in the Methodist church because Patrick was Protestant and Ann was Catholic. The baptism record for William John notes that Patrick was absent at the time. Did Ann take the opportunity to baptise William in the Catholic Church while Patrick was stationed away from Montreal?

Although I had discovered Patrick’s year of birth and birthplace from his army enlistment record, 1819 was prior to the consistent recording of baptisms and marriages in most parts of Ireland. So his

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Irish Special Interest Group

Above left: St James Methodist Church in Montreal parents remained unknown to me. Further online research revealed that the town of Newbridge in Co Kildare was the site of a large British Army garrison established between 1815 and 1819, after which time various British cavalry regiments were stationed there. I thought it highly likely that Patrick’s father was also a soldier based at the Newbridge barracks.

On the basis of this information and the fact that Gurney is an English name not an Irish one, I think it is possible that Patrick’s father was an English soldier stationed at the Newbridge Barracks, and possibly married to a local woman. Through further investigation of British Army records and a process of elimination, I believe I have found Patrick’s father, William’s baptism and the marriage of his paternal grandparents, James and Mary in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire in England.

After his discharge in 1859 Patrick and his family came to Western Australia on the Norwood in 1862. Patrick’s time in Western Australia was relatively short. His death certificate, describing him as a pensioner, aged 49, states that he died at 12 noon on the 14th October 1868 in Fremantle of heart disease. He left a widow, Ann and four surviving children, James 17, Susan 13, William 9 and Bridget 6. In the absence of any reliable financial support, their lives thereafter were difficult and impoverished.

According to his army service record Patrick was born in Ireland. But all the other records I’ve found about significant events in his life were discovered elsewhere - in England, Quebec and here in Western Australia. I learned over some 40 years of research not to make assumptions about where I might find the information I was looking for.

The Irish Special Interest Group (Irish SIG) of FamilyHistoryWA meets every three months on a Sunday at 2pm. The last meeting was on 19 January 2020. For the remainder of 2020 meetings will be on: 19 April, 19 July and 18 October. The theme for 2020 is Researching Our Irish Ancestors with 2020 Vision.

At the well-attended January meeting there was a great presentation by Christine Cavanagh, and yes her ancestors are Irish. She told us the unfinished story about her hunt for one of her Irish ancestors using DNA testing and traditional family history research. Christine is the Convenor of the DNA Special Interest Group at FamilyHistoryWA. She discovered that the majority of those attending had done a DNA test.

On 19 April Chris Timoney will talk about Ireland Reaching Out, a fantastic volunteer based non-profit organisation that she volunteers for when she visits Ireland. Their aim is to link the Irish diaspora across the world with their people and places of origin in Ireland. Have a look at their website then come along on and get inspired https://irelandxo. com/ 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 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 below.

Jenni Ibrahim, on behalf of the Irish Special Interest Group

MORE...

ROBYN O’BRIEN Convenor, Irish Special Interest Group E. irish.sig@fhwa.org.au

BOOK A (FREE) PLACE AT THE NEXT MEETING tinyurl.com/ISIG-TryBooking

FAMILYHISTORYWA (FHWA)

membership.wags.org.au T 9271 4311

IRISH SIG WEBPAGE AT FAMILYHISTORYWA tinyurl.com/irishsig

Join FAMILYHISTORYWA Facebook group Researching family worldwide, open to all

THE IRISH SCENE | 69

FRIDAY 13TH, SATURDAY 14TH & SUNDAY 15TH MARCH

th March 17 St Patricks Day

Our Yearbook will be published next month and will be available at our St Patrick's Corporate Lunch on 13th March. This year's edition features WA's own Sally Ann McDonald on the cover and reflects the amazing growth of our activities in Western Australia over the past year.

Live Music & Irish Dancers Breakfast Bookings: 7am-9.30am , 8AM - 11AM & 10am-11.30am Lunch Bookings: 12pm-2.30pm & 3pm-5.30pm Dinner Bookings 6pm to 9pm Food available at the bar from 12pm till late

@IrishChamber Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce @IrishChamber www.irishchamber.com.au THE IRISH SCENE | 70

THE IRISH SCENE | 71

Samhradh

BY CIARÁIN HOEY Over the last few years the summers generally haven’t been warmer and reaching the heights of the fierce forty-degree temperature days.

Nevertheless the summer spanning from December to February in Perth provides a greater period and duration of sunlight in the late afternoon and evening.

I chatted to my parents about the summers they experienced in Dublin, Ireland throughout May, June & July. In the height of Summer there, sunset doesn’t occur until after 10pm which allowed them to do a multitude of activities in the evening. Daylight Saving is the practice of advancing the clocks forward - to make better use of natural daylight.

I can’t see why the general public wouldn’t want Daylight Saving, with the additional hour of sunlight in the evening?

It enables a greater chance to get more time exercising in the evening: going for a swim at the beach, walk/ run at the park or spending time out the garden.

Providing a chance to socialise by firing up the barbie with friends and family or heading to a café, restaurant or shops - which directly boosts the local economy. During Daylight Saving, crime rates are reduced with most crimes committed after sunset.

One of the major negatives impacts of Daylight Saving is the impact on circadian rhythm (sleep patterns) sleep is imperative for health and wellbeing. Having

said that, there are several practices relating to sleep hygiene - reducing caffeine intake after midday, stretching, avoiding alcohol and reducing exposure to blue light late in the evening and close to bedtime.

One of the growing epidemics in Australia is the lack of exposure to sunlight and absorption and several illnesses, diseases and conditions result from the lack of Vitamin D, which in turn impacts your sleep.

Instead of the excessive use and consumption of artificial light; an additional hour of sunlight can contribute to exposure of natural sunlight. Often in winter it’s dark and cold by 6pm, which significantly reduces the opportunity and motivation to engage and explore activities and absorb the sun.

For three years from 2006-2009 Daylight Saving was in action across WA, with a “no” response after a referendum debate in 2009. Usually it’s the farmers that oppose Daylight Saving, however recently last year Spud Shed owner Tony Galati advocated for Daylight Saving to be effect in Western Australia. Right now without Daylight Saving, Perth is 3 hours behind the East Coast.

Musical Entertainer / Teacher

David MacConnell

0413 259 547 mdave2568@gmail.com www.maccdouble.com THE IRISH SCENE | 72

Daylight Saving was brought into effect in Ireland on 21st May 1916. My parents, who both originate from the South Side of Dublin, mentioned how they would go for a walk along Dun Laoghaire Pier and how this provided a chance to explore and use open spaces (e.g. Phoenix Park) over Summer. My parents are both in favour of Daylight Saving due to the opportunities it provides. Despite the recent reduced interest across Ireland and Europe, our natural environment, climate and lifestyle align with Daylight Saving Time in Perth, let’s bring it back!

Meet international bestselling Irish author Dervla McTiernan and hear about her enthralling new novel The Good Turn Intelligent and fast-paced The Good Turn explores police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy, and the mystery of a little girl’s silence – these unconnected events are all linked by a small Irish town on the edge of a sea.

Where: Irish Club of WA, 61 Townsend Rd, Subiaco When: 22 March, 2.30pm Price: FREE Places are limited, to secure your ticket go to www.trybooking.com/BIIES or call 08 9272 1718.

Book signings will be available after the event.

This event is in association with Rabble Books and books will be available to purchase

THE IRISH SCENE | 73

Meet...

Brendan Woods

WITH TONY SYNNOTT I am here at Brendan’s abode - having morning tea (Barry’s) and enjoying Irish soda bread which Brendan claims he baked - to ask him a few questions about his career.

T: Brendan, you are a talented musician, playwright and historian. When did you start playing musical instruments and writing music?

B: Tony, that’s a very flattering intro, I also have a Masters Degree in BS! I started playing accordion in the school band back in Dublin before graduating to guitar and then keyboards.

T: What part of Dublin do you come from and was there many in your family?

B: I was born near Stoneybatter before emigrating to Castleknock. Two boys (Alan and Ken) and a daughter (Gail).

T: Why did you think of emigrating to Australia and why Perth?

B: Being a psychiatric nurse at the time, a lot of my colleagues had come here to work. News filtered back there was an Irish pub scene starting to flourish so off we set, bringing everything including the cot!

T: When did you start looking into the history of the Irish people of WA and why?

B: My first gigs were in the Irish Club. Thanks to Tom Quinn and the Fenians Pub and there, hanging on the wall, was the story and photos of John Boyle O’Reilly and the Catalpa escape which I had never heard of, and twenty five years later I’m still learning more about it.

T: Apart from your wonderful CD on the Fenians, have you other recordings?

B: I have recorded four songs in the past few years.

The latest is called The Dragon Awaits. Tom Grace wrote the words. It was inspired by my good friend Mick Murray’s daughter Claire who died so tragically. It tells of the perils of drug addiction.

It’s on Google.

T: You have a lot of stories written about you, which of those stand out in your mind?

B: It was 8/11, one day before the New York attacks.

Sean Roche and I were in Boston, we were touring America when we met Jim Ryan, great grandson of Captain Anthony which forged his link with WA. The following morning when all hell broke loose in New York, all flights and communications were holed. We were due to fly home that afternoon. It was about two weeks later when we got home!

H a p p y St Patrick’s Day

from your WA Labor Irish-Australian team

T: What is your honest opinion of the Irish Scene?

B: It’s a great magazine. With Fred Rea retiring I wish to thank him for all he has done for me over the years. But with Lloyd and Imelda taking over at the helm they are doing a great job and long may it continue!

T: What’s your ambition now?

T: Will you ever get a band together again?

B: To get a video shot for The Dragon Awaits that portrays the horrible drug scene in Perth and if it helps someone I will be happy. I just want to give something back. It would be great to have a video as it could be used to help people struggling with addiction, but alas it costs money to make videos.

B: Only if you’re lead singer with your beautiful Mario Lanza voice. I’d need a step ladder to get up to your high range. Seriously, I’m 73 not out yet I’ve had a good innings. Both my sons who play in the band with me continue the legacy.

The official trailer for the film documentary about Claire Murray - Wild Butterfly - can also be found online (see page 84).

The Dragon Awaits can be easily found online (Google/You Tube and other platforms)

THE IRISH SCENE | 74

Jessica Stojkovski

Alanna Clohesy

Alannah MacTiernan

Stephen Dawson

MEMBER FOR KINGSLEY

MEMBER FOR EAST METRO

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 | 75

David Michael MEMBER FOR BALCATTA

AIDA WA EXECUTIVE 2020

President: Caroline McCarthy TCRG Vice Presidents: Melissa Kennedy TCRG and Samantha McAleer TCRG Secretary: Caitriona Slane 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 Mid America & Western Australia 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. Our dancers competing in Ireland

Good Luck to the following dancers competing at the All Ireland Championships in Killarney from 16th – 22nd February 2020 Sahara Donelan (The Academy MA & WA) Girls 9-10 Brittany Pymm (WA Academy) Ladies 20-21 Aimee Chanter (WA Academy) Ladies 21-23 Dakota Courtney (O’Brien Academy) Ladies 20-21

Good Luck to the following dancers competing at the 50th Anniversary of the World Championships at the Convention Centre in Dublin from 5th – 12th April 2020.

Zoe Cahoon (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 11-12 Eliza Beattie (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 11-12 Lene Brady (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 11-12 Tara Fox (Three Crowns) Girls 11-12 Saoirse Pearson (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 12-13 Isabella Campeotto (WA Academy) Girls 13-14 Cassandra Perkins (Three Crowns) Girls 13-14 Ceilidh McKeague (The Academy MA&WA) Girls 13-14 Natarsha Terrell - (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 13-14 Ashleigh Hugo (Kavanagh Studio) Ceili Team Matilda Dillon (O’Brien Academy) Girls 14-15 Terezina Pearson (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 14-15 Hayley Brooker (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 14-15 Sinead Daly (The Academy MA&WA) Girls 15-16 Caoimhe McGuigan (The Academy MA&WA) Girls 15-16 Vaughan Cooper (WA Academy) Boys 15-16 Joel Brooker (Kavanagh Studio) Boys 15-16 John Berry (Kavanagh Studio) Ceili Team Sinead Collins (WA Academy) Girls 16-17 Niamh Mathers (Kavanagh Studio) Girls 16-17 Molly Stenning-Alexander (Kavanagh Studio) Ceili Team Niamh Leahy (Three Crowns) Girls 17-18 Caoimhe McAleer (The Academy MA&WA) Girls 17-18 Adam Robinson (WA Academy) Men 17-18 Brittany Pymm (WA Academy) Ladies 20-21 Maeghan Oldfield (Kavanagh Studio) Ladies 20-21 Dakota Courtney (O’Brien Academy) Ladies 20-21 Ciara-Mae Crone (The Academy MA&WA) Ladies 20-21 Caitlin Bone (The Academy MA&WA) Ladies 20-21 Ruby Driscoll (The Academy MA&WA) Ladies 20-21 Dara McAleer (The Academy MA&WA) Ladies 21-23 Ciara Stobbie (The Academy MA&WA) Ladies 21-23 Shannon Kennedy (Kavanagh Studio) Senior Ladies Over 23

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 | 76

Ceili Events: Kavanagh Studio Over 19 Girls 8 Hand Ceili Kavanagh Studio Under 16 Girls 8 Hand Ceili Kavanagh Studio Under 16 Mixed 4 Hand Ceili

Keep an eye out for our dancers on St. Patrick’s Day. They will be performing all around the city.

Keep an eye out for an upcoming promo video featuring many of our WA dancers to promote the National Championships coming to Perth in October 2020! Our dancers performed at our local beauty hotspots including Elizabeth Quay, Kingspark and at our glorious beaches.

We will be welcoming families from all over Australia coming to compete at our National Championships.

Check out our brand new website SUPPORT IN THE WA G

IRISH COMMUNITY

www.aidawa.com.au Huge thanks to Stephen Rea at Digital Dorado for all his help!

THE IRISH SCENE | 77

Sir Frederick Irwin’s book –

a resurrection

BY PETER CONOLE

Irishman Frederick Chidley Irwin (1794-1860) spent a lot of time in Western Australia as a commandant of the soldiery, an administrator and a settler. Irwin was born at Drogheda in County Louth, the son of a clergyman. His wider family flourished in the townland of Derrygore, County Fermanagh until as late as the 1950s. Despite his long presence in Western Australia - marked by a short term as acting governor and later a full year as de facto governor - Irwin continues to be an obscure and maligned figure in our history. Much of the historical guff written about him in Western Australia (and Australia in general) is inaccurate and often negative, reflecting the political obsessions of our times rather than the historical realities of his times.

This writer had the pleasure of correcting various errors and omissions about Irwin’s life and career in a fairly recent book (Irish Governors of Western Australia, Gaelforce Promotions, 2018: pages 35-53). Even more recently, thanks to the foresight and clear judgement of Mr Peter Bridge of Hesperian Press, a truly great wrong has been righted. Hesperian Press, as is widely known, has for many years played a sterling role in publishing or republishing (in fine but inexpensive editions) a great variety of historical works about Western Australia. Many should have been given respect and attention decades ago - a classic case being the monumental and scholarly series of books containing the complete set of explorer’s diaries of Western Australia.

In late 2019 Hesperian Press did justice to Frederick Irwin by publishing a fine facsimile edition of Irwin’s major work The State and Position of Western Australia (first published in London by Simpkin, Marshall and Co, 1835). An image of the cover is attached.

A lengthy historical introduction by this writer is included, covering Irwin’s life and achievements. The resurrection of this shamefully neglected ‘foundation document’ of Western Australia is a big deal and a reproach to many publishing houses (including academic ones) which should have done the job decades ago. The book can be ordered online by contacting books@hesperianpress.com. It may also be obtained by telephone - calling 93625955 on Tuesday or Friday afternoons.

A few words about Irwin’s life and career are necessary. He was the son of a Church of Ireland minister and embarked on a military career at the age of fourteen. As a youth and young man he distinguished himself in the Peninsula War and later served in South Africa and Sri Lanka. Irwin was chosen to command the detachment of soldiers which arrived in Western Australia with James Stirling and the first settlers in 1829. He wrote his book about the new colony while on leave in Britain. Soon afterwards Irwin was knighted by King William IV in 1836. He eventually rose to the rank of full colonel in the army. After returning to Britain in the mid-1850s he took a keen interest in the study of Irish literature and folklore.

The State and Position of Western Australia is something of a tour de force: well written, frank in expression, colourful and loaded with insights on the future prospects of the colony. It is also argumentative at times. Irwin was no shrinking violet in tackling difficult issues, such as some murky lobbying about the possible THE IRISH SCENE | 78

introduction of convicts. Irwin’s aim was to be expansive within reason and scrupulously honest in providing clear, accurate information. The book is divided into nine chapters and a solid appendix covering issues which could not easily be integrated into the more descriptive aspects of his text. A brief summary of the contents is in order.

Chapter One: Irwin proclaims he is writing for potential emigrants, but somewhat reluctantly because fine writing was “foreign to his habits”. The remark is amusing and certainly tongue in cheek, because his writing (both in the book and in official reports and surviving letters) is clear and elegant. He deals with weather, topography, health matters and the suitability of the colony for both pastoral activity and agriculture.

Chapter Two: a frank, sympathetic discussion of Aborigines around the settled areas adjacent to the Swan, Port Augustus and King George’s Sound. Irwin states that their society was patriarchal and migratory and was marked by frequent feuding among themselves. Irwin had witnessed various indigenous ceremonies such as corroborees. He discusses strife with settlers and expresses regret for the Pinjarra episode, news of which reached him in Britain.

Chapter Three: corrects mistaken claims in another forgotten book about the ‘projected colony of South Australia’. The book in question focussed on the lack of a largish and dependent labouring class in Western Australia. Irwin defended the colony, pointed out that settlers had every right to better themselves and notes that they had never appealed for the introduction of convict labour.

Chapter Four: is this writer’s favourite. Irwin provides a really well-written, colourful account of the colony from the viewpoint of somebody arriving by sea and then moving around to observe each district. He mentions all key areas of settlement and scores of individuals and sometimes takes special note of major achievements, such as in horse breeding and practical agriculture.

Irwin ends by again expressing hostility to any plan to introduce convicts.

Chapter Five: Irwin once more jabs at critics of the colony and then covers social development: hospitality, musical activity, dining, family raising, social classes and so on, ending with another snarl at the idea of convictism. Merchants get a nod - he refers to the esteemed Samson brothers, whose descendants became very prominent in our State decades later.

Chapter Six: discusses in considerable detail crop farming and pastoral activity. Irwin praises the high quality of both activities in Western Australia and (yet again) dissects and criticises inaccurate information being circulated about the colony. In this case Colonel Charles Napier (later a famous general in India) was his target.

Chapter Seven: covers the Indian connection, including such matters as horse breeding for the various East India Company armies and the value of the Swan River colony as a place for both holidaying and rest and recovery from illness. Irwin surmised (correctly) that breeding high quality horses for India would in time become a highly profitable industry.

Chapter Eight: Irwin discusses some controversial issues on the settling of South Australia and praises Richard Whately, Archbishop of Dublin, who argued that well qualified folk should be enticed to go to new colonies rather than the poor or convicts.

Chapter Nine: gives “a few hints to emigrants”. Irwin explains what to bring in the way of food, clothing, household goods, farm implements and so on, an indication he was aiming to attract practical farmers and middle class folk. In regard to the latter, he states firmly that indentured servants should be well treated and paid and given land after their contracts expired.

Appendix: is divided into ten appendices on a great range of topics such as health, ports, anchorages and the work of the Swan River Mission.

Irwin’s descriptions, accounts and analysis of the settled areas are picturesque word painting of a high order. He gives a full outline of the pattern of settlement and, as previously noted, lists by name very large numbers of settlers. A genealogical treasure trove. In short, his book is the ‘go to’ work on the early years of Western Australia and far surpasses a handful of articles in journals or pamphlets in circulation during that era.

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BOOK REVIEWS

BY JOHN HAGAN

THATCHER’S SPY

WILLIE CARLIN | MERRION PRESS $34.75 For eleven years, during the height of the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’, Willie Carlin served as a British undercover agent amongst the upper echelons of Sinn Fein and the IRA. When his cover was blown in March, 1985, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sent her ministerial jet to Aldergrove Airport (Antrim) to whisk Carlin and his family to safety in England.

Apparently Carlin’s information was so valuable to the British Government that Thatcher often enquired ‘How’s 007 getting on in Londonderry?’

Born and raised in Londonderry and increasingly disillusioned by the city’s job prospects, Carlin enlisted in the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars in 1965, and, on the sudden death of his first daughter in 1974, he decided to return to civvy life in his home city.

On hearing this news, his army commanding officer persuaded Carlin to join Britain’s MI5. In Londonderry, his diligence and savvy soon came to the notice of eminent republicans, and eventually led to him working as an activist and organizer alongside IRA commander, Martin McGuinness. It was a position of trust which provided him with unprecedented access into the files, strategic thinking and future plans of both Sinn Fein and the IRA.

In this explosive, informative and lively memoir, Carlin reveals much about the inside workings of the republican movement; exposes how Sinn Fein rigged elections to have their own nominees returned; how and why Gerry Adams rose to be President of Sinn Fein; the machinations behind McGuinness’s election to the Northern Ireland Assembly; the widening rift and increasing distrust between Sinn Fein and the IRA; who was really responsible for ‘Bloody Sunday’; why the British Government protected McGuinness; and how ‘political guidance’ from the British security services impinged on the rule of law and order in Northern Ireland.

While Carlin admits that during his undercover work, ‘I had a ball ----the biggest high in the world’, he has had to pay a heavy price for his subterfuge. Despite his new identity, and many years later still in fear of his life, Carlin has been unable to attend the funerals of his son Mark, second daughter Maria, and also those of his mother and brother. ‘Mine is a war of nerves for the rest of my life; a war of survival and avoiding the traps that might allow someone to extract revenge’, he admits. Like most intelligence agents Carlin is condemned to be forever looking over his shoulder.

BEYOND THE SEA

PAUL LYNCH | ONEWORLD PUBLICATIONS $32.99 On 18 November, 2012, Jose Salvador Alvarenga embarked from the port of Chochuital (Mexico) with his inexperienced crewman, Ezequiel Cordoba, to catch fish. Later that night they were caught in a storm, their engine was damaged, and their boat driven awry by the seething ocean currents. They were lost at sea until 30 January, 2014, when the craft beached on the distant Marshall Islands. By then, only one was alive.

In his latest novel, ‘Beyond The Sea’, Irish author, Paul Lynch, offers us a fictionalized version of that eventful voyage. His heroes are Bolivar, a garrulous old fisherman with a questionable past, and Hector, a sensitive teenager, with no sailing experience, who has only joined Bolivar to earn extra cash. While drifting idly on a vast desolate ocean, the pair subsist on a diet of seabirds, fish and barnacles. During the

THE IRISH SCENE | 80

long days they attempt to shelter from the searing sun, while at night, huddled together for warmth. Long forgotten memories come flooding back, and dark repressed recollections surface, making for an uneasy alliance between the pair. Helpless and isolated, Bolivar and Hector, despite their social, age, and religious differences, are forced to cooperate in order to survive.

Lynch thoughtfully and skillfully, in his terse and economical prose, resists the temptation to romanticize the pair’s sometimes tenuous and fractious connection, but rather concentrates on evocative details of environment, seascape, salvation and redemption.

Like his previous novel, ‘Grace’ (reviewed in January/ February 2018 edition of Irish Scene), ‘Beyond The Sea’ is also brief, brutal and poetic, but unlike all Lynch’s previous three books, it does not feature any aspect of his native Ireland. However, it does continue his universal themes of past misdeeds, repressed memories, fateful decisions and dependence on others.

This is a confronting tale of remarkable endurance and a celebration of the human spirit which leaves the reader wrung out by the last page - but rejoicing to be alive.

VEGETARIAN MEALS IN 30 MINUTES

ANITA BEAN | BLOOMSBURY $32.99

I must declare at the outset, I am not a vegetarian. I’m very partial to BBQ snags, steaks and hamburgers, and on most weekends during the warmer months I fire up the barbie to cook meat. I can well remember (ah, the good old days) when I first landed in Australia (1976), just how cheap beef, mutton and pork were to buy. Sadly, not any longer. I suspect that current high prices for BBQ fare have given impetus to the increasing popularity of vegetarian dishes, including, amongst carnivores like myself. So, I’m always on the lookout for tasty plant based meals which don’t take too long to prepare. In this book, UK based nutritionalist, Anita Bean, offers those (like me) who wish to make the lifestyle choice of cutting down on their meat consumption, an easy and healthy way of doing so.

Bean’s book is divided into two sections; part one explains the benefits of vegetarian nutrition, while

part two displays her cookbook recipes. In part one, amongst other topics, Bean clearly dispels nutritional myths about vegetarian diets; explains how eating the right foods will fuel energy to ensure full performance; assesses beneficial oils; tackles macronutrients; gut health; and the place of carbohydrates in eating habits.

Part two contains over 100 of Bean’s top vegetarian recipes which generally can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Unfortunately, as I don’t possess the skill and culinary panache of Jamie or Nigella, meal preparation and cooking took me, in most cases, much longer that Bean’s specified 30 minutes. My time overruns were especially marked amongst dishes in the ‘Salads’ and ‘Burgers/Falafels’ chapters. However, in most cases the outcome proved well worth the extra effort. In addition to the chapters previously mentioned, part two also illustrates a wide range of recipes for breakfasts, soups, curries/stews (yes, indeed), desserts and snacks. All recipes come with ingredient lists, clear instructions, information on nutrition per serving, useful tips on freezing, how to make the meal vegan, together with ingredient variations. While the cover of Bean’s book emphasizes that her recipes are ‘for fitness’, she might have been better to claim them as being ‘for wellness’.

Nonetheless, this is a useful edition to the cooking library for anyone wishing to experiment with, and sample, a vegetarian diet.

DEATH IN THE LADIES’ GODDESS CLUB

JULIAN LEATHERDALE | ALLEN & UNWIN $29.99 When perusing the front covers of books, I’m always interested to note the interplay between book title and author. Does the author’s name appear above the book title or beneath it? How prominently is the author’s name displayed in relation to the script size of the title? The names of novelists like Ian Rankin, Maeve Binchy, Peter FitzSimonds etc are boldly and prominently emblazoned, with the titles beneath in smaller script. This generally signifies authors who have ‘made it’, whose name alone is enough to sell the publication. Numerous books flaunt a superscript title with the author’s moniker cowering beneath in much smaller print. Does this signify new writer - a novelist Continued on page 82

THE IRISH SCENE | 81

BOOK REVIEW

Continued from page 81

‘yet to be discovered’? And then there are those books where the author’s name precedes the title, but the title is in larger and in more exuberant script. Such is the case with Julian Leatherdale and ‘Death in the Ladies’ Goddess Club’.

Set in Sydney in 1932, Leatherdale introduces us to Joan Linderman, a lowly employee of the Mirror magazine where she edits the ‘Between Ourselves’ section. In her spare time, Joan is also a struggling crime writer, so, when Ellie, who lives in the same tenement in King’s Cross, is murdered, Joan sets out to discover ’who dunnit’. Those who come under suspicion include her socialite aunt, Olympia (who runs the infamous Ladies Bacchus Club), Olympia’s lawyer husband Gordon, Joan’s bohemian friend and flat mate Bernie, gang boss Jeffs, or hit man Frankie.

Whether in the shady, surprising underworld of King’s Cross or amongst the elegant mansions of Valcluse, everyone apparently has something to hide.

In pursuit of the killer, who can Joan trust in this world of drug peddling, blackmail, crooked cops and illicit drinking clubs? Even her devoted boyfriend, Hugh, may not be above suspicion.

With meticulous research, Leatherdale has perfectly and lovingly recreated 1930s Sydney. This is sumptuous, sophisticated, rollicking crime fiction peopled by many real life historical figures of the day together with the political and social movements of the time. I was enthralled by Leatherdale’s masterful, carefully plotted story-telling. On the basis of this novel, it will not be long before the author’s name takes pride of place across future book covers.

BY BRIAN CORR it were not for the harassing duty of escorting provision, the troops would have little to do.”

Ireland 18451850: The Perfect Holocaust and Who Kept it Perfect

The London Times famously said: “A Celt will soon be as rare on the banks of the Shannon as the red man on the banks of Manhattan.”

The 67 troop regiments were ably assisted by over 12,000 constables, resident magistrates and judges, 37 landlord-commanded militias, British warships, coast guard vessels, excise vessels, some marines, revenue police, Dublin Castle police, tithe supervisors, drivers, house-demolition teams – all British or British controlled.

CHRIS FOGARTY FOGARTY PUBLISHING

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William Dalrymple is one such person. His book “Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire”, which details the ruthless and methodical plunder of India, is a fine example.

In his 2014 book “The Last Man: A British Genocide in Tasmania”, Professor Tom Lawson makes a compelling case for the use of the word “genocide” in the context of Tasmania’s colonial war in the 1820’s and early 1830’s.

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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.

History is easily, and often, fabricated. Many historians have perpetuated the lies, but a new wave of history writers has emerged in recent years, cutting through to the real story.

25 Y EXPEREARS IENCE

And so it is with Irish history, in particular the terrible tragedy of the mid-1800’s. In primary school, we passed over ‘The Great Famine’, An Gorta Mór, very quickly, as something embarrassing, our own fault, something to be ashamed of, to be put aside. Words like ‘genocide’, or ‘holocaust’, were never used in history classes.

Tim Pat Coogan has been critical of many Irish historians for their failure to do justice to the Holocaust.

In “The Famine Plot: England’s Role in Ireland’s Greatest Tragedy”, he concludes that the ‘famine’ was a deliberate act of genocide.

This was deliberate, large-scale, systematic food removal, while people starved to death in huge numbers – that’s genocide.

Chris Fogarty also looks at the centuries before the holocaust, and the decades after, to show the pattern of British behaviour, and that of the churches, the press, the rebellions, the land issues. His book might be uncomfortable to some, but the evidence is there.

It’s in the book. A fold-out map shows the locations of mass-graves all over Ireland, the locations of the British regiments, the many ports from which the food was removed, and details of the amounts of food exported.

Extensive appendices give more details.

The London Times said (30th October 1846): “whole fleets of provisions were continually arriving from the land of starvation.”

Chris Fogarty’s “Ireland 1845-1850: The Perfect Holocaust and Who Kept it Perfect” shows the incredible suffering and resilience of Irish people.

Those who died deserve nothing less than to be remembered with respect and truth. By providing such a huge amount of archival detail, Chris Fogarty’s book provides that respect and truth. A must-read.

Mobile: 0411 081 311 | Email: jarrad@exportair.com.au

A more recent book, Chris Fogarty’s “Ireland 18451850: The Perfect Holocaust and Who Kept it Perfect”, presents copious evidence of genocide. It takes away the embarrassment and shame, and shows that it wasn’t our fault. There was no shortage of food. The potatoes were bad; We can help you with the move! other produce was plentiful. More than half of British troops in the world - 67 of 130 regiments – were in Ireland to help Quick, Efficient & Reliable remove, at gunpoint, all livestock, meats, flour, oatmeal, and other food crops, Contact our enough to feed the Irish with plenty to Sales Team spare.

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Sir Edward Blakeney (commanding General of the 67 regiments) said that: “if

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Wild Butterfly

Bríd na nAmhrán

The Story of Claire Murray WILD BUTTERFLY is a true crime and heartbreaking documentary that uncovers the tragic story behind 24-year-old Claire Murray from Perth and her desperate search for a life-saving liver transplant that became a trial by national media. Depicted as an ungrateful junkie who recklessly destroyed her first transplant, WILD BUTTERFLY investigates the true story behind the events that lead to Claire’s death in 2010 including new criminal evidence ignored by the media.

Catholic institutional cover-up, medical negligence, missing police records and trial by mainstream and social media are all at play in this heartbreaking and gripping documentary. This is not just the tragic story of one young woman and her (Irish) family - this story opens our eyes to the impacts of universal social injustices, mental health and prejudices that could befall any family and anyone’s daughter.

Ach bhí sé imithe sula raibh na focail as a béal. Bhí sé ag rith ar nós na gaoithe. Don dara huair an lá sin baineadh preab as Paloma. Cad chuige a raibh sé ag rith? Níor gá dó rith. Ní raibh rud ar bith déanta as cosán aige. Nó an raibh? Bhuail an smaoineamh í mar a bheadh splanc tintrí ann. Bhí drugaí ina sheilbh aige. Bhí sé ag iompar drugaí. Sin an fáth ar rith sé. Bhí eagla ar Mhac Giolla go ngabhfadh sí é.

Lig Paloma mionn mór agus thosaigh sí féin a rith.

Bhí aon seans caol amháin aici nach gcaillfeadh sí a post mar bhleachtaire. Aon seans caol amháin – é a ghabháil agus a raibh de dhrugaí aige a fháil.

Shásódh an méid sin féin a ceannairí – b’fhéidir.

BY BRÍD Wild Butterfly’s Australian premier screenings at Luna Cinema, Leederville was on February 16 and 20 (hosted by Lesa J Hinchliffe). Both were sold out events. Another screening - this time hosted

by Palmerston, Cyrenian House and Holyoake - is planned for May 20, 6.30pm, at Windsor Theatre, Perth. See Fan-force.com for further details, to become part of the movement to achieve justice for Claire Murray by attending a screening. Wild Butterfly (150 mins) was directed and written by Shireen Naranyanan, produced by Shireen Naranyanan and Celia Tait with Ashleigh Zinko, Rose McKenna, Daniel Luxton and features members of Claire’s family.

HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY FROM YOUR

LEGALHQ

I bPonc Le Pól Ó Muirí

Bhí Mac Giolla ag amharc uirthi. Stad sé go tobann.

Thiontaigh sé thart agus bhí sé anois ag stánadh uirthi. Stad Paloma. Bhí a fhios aici láithreach go raibh sí i bponc. Cad é a dhéanfadh sí? Cad é a dhéanfadh seisean? Bhí a shúile sáite inti. D’oscail sé a bhéal agus labhair sé léi: ‘Cad chuige a bhfuil tusa do mo leanúint?’ D’amharc Paloma air agus cuma bhómánta uirthi. Labhair sé arís agus chuir sé an cheist chéanna: ‘Cad chuige a bhfuil tusa do mo leanúint?’ Bhí scaoll ar Phaloma. Bhí sí i bponc.

Abair rud éigin ciallmhar leis, a dúirt sí léi féin.

Labhair sí os ard: ‘Tá dul amú ort. Ní fhaca mé riamh thú. Tá mé amuigh ag siopadóireacht. Sin uilig.’

Tháinig sé chuici agus d’amharc uirthi go géar. Bhí Paloma an-mhíchompordach agus é ag amharc uirthi mar seo. ‘Is garda tú’, a dúirt sé agus iontas ina ghlór.

‘Is garda tú.’ ‘Amaidí’, a dúirt sí. ‘Is siopadóir mé. Tá mé amuigh ag siopadóireacht don lá. Imigh leat anois nó cuirfidh mé fios ar na gardaí’.

Thóg sí raidió beag as a póca agus scairt isteach ann: ‘Chonaic sé mé agus tá sé ar siúl leis síos Bóthar an Rí.

Tá mé sa tóir air. Tá cuidiú de dhíth orm láithreach.’

Sháigh sí an raidió ar ais ina póca. Shamhlaigh sí cad é a déarfadh na ceannairí nuair a chluinfeadh siad an mhír nuachta seo. Bheadh siad ar buile. Bheadh siad ar buile glan. Thiocfadh léi iad a chluinstin ag stealladh míonna móra. ‘Damnú ar an chailín sin. Níl sí ábalta an jab a dhéanamh.’

‘Cailín’ a thug siad i gcónaí uirthi. In ainneoin gur bean fhásta aibí í. Ní fhaca siad gur dhuine í. D’amharc siad uirthi agus chonaic siad bean óg, gruaig dhubh, súile liatha, colainn thanaí. Cailín. Ní bleachtaire. Bhuel, ní raibh an cath seo caillte go fóill ag an chailín. (....... ar lean) (An Bealach Cóir, Pól Ó Muirí 2012, LeabhairComhar)

BEANNACHTAÍ NA FÉILE PÁDRAIG ORAIBH GO LÉIR.

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Níl aon mhaith le gnóthú riamh ó ainghníomh.

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PAULA XIBERRAS FROM TASMANIA Rocketman’s Tassie Take off Elton John tribute artist Greg Andrews is returning to Tasmania after four years. This time he tells me he has got a bigger touring show with ‘all the bells and whistles’, including wearing replicas of Elton’s authentic stage attire and a six piece band.

The theme of his newest show will be the recent Elton John biopic ‘Rocket Man’. The show will be divided into two parts. One part will showcase the songs from the movie soundtrack and the second, all of Elton’s hit songs. The show was recently launched at Melbourne’s Crown Casino and is the type of show Greg performs at sit down theatres.

Greg had been a regular performer, playing the piano at resorts, bars and casinos for many years when one night someone asked if he might sing another Elton John song. Greg already had a voice and looks reminiscent of Elton, so this remark sowed the seeds for his decision to create a tribute show. He began researching, listening to albums and watching DVDs to study Elton’s nuances. He would fly around the country, including to Tasmania, to see Elton perform.

Greg has toured thirty countries with his show and says never assume that songs which are popular in the familiar charts automatically transfer to popularity in each country. For example, he says that he has toured India three times and that ‘Bennie

You can see Greg’s tribute to Elton John, ‘Rocketman Live in Concert’ at the following dates and venues:

and Jets’ is a very popular song there, while not so much in other countries. ‘Sacrifice’ trumps the charts in Scandinavia.

While ‘Your Song’, one of Elton’s oldest, being written in 1970, was always Greg’s favourite, it assumed greater significance when he sang it in Norway and found the audience all joining in. A video of the event led to him being invited to Yorkshire in 2017 to perform as Elton, the first and only Elton John tribute artist at the greatest festival for tribute artists - the Tribfest, UK. Even though Elton is retiring from touring, Greg will have another chance to gain some more detail for his tribute act when he sees Elton perform at the Sunshine Coast in March.

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Cosmic Comedy Irish comedian Dylan Moran was in Tasmania with his new show ‘Dr Cosmos’ last November and I caught up with him for a chat.

Dylan thinks Tasmania is a fantastic place and he tells me he enjoys driving in the Tasmanian countryside.

He says ‘it’s exceedingly beautiful’, even ‘mystical’.

Ever the comedian, his comment on Tasmanian cuisine is ‘it is good food if you eat’ and also ‘it’s a good place for drinking if you can drink’!

original ambition to be a cartoonist. He says one day he says he will go back to painting but for now he’s too busy.

Dylan’s toured widely with his comedy, including Kazakhstan, Ukraine and the US and he’s done some acting including in the movie Notting Hill, but something you may not know about the comedian is his love for art and his

The art Dylan is most admired for is of course his comedy, and he offers some tips for would be comedians. Stand-up comedy, says Dylan, is very organized but it shouldn’t seem so and the more you work for laughs, the more you get.

The trick is get people to stop thinking and just laugh! One of real skills he says is to ‘yoke things together that may not be connected and see them in a different way’. To make his material and delivery a little different, he will turn things ‘upside down or change the order’. Not always an easy task, but a little easier for someone with Dylan’s flexibility with words.

The art of Australian artist Sidney Nolan is a particular favourite of Dylan.

His interest began when he discovered publications on the ‘great artists’ and ‘great composers’, one of which featured Nolan. He particularly favours the natural colours that capture the mood, especially the wonderful azure, and materials used by Nolan in all his art, not just his Ned Kelly series.

Journalism’s ultimate question Mike Willesee came close to losing his life several times. Once was soon after he was born, when an obstructed valve in his stomach prevented him from feeding, which led to Mike’s father making a desperate plea to God that if his son could be cured he would give him to God, he hoped through the priesthood. Mike was subsequently cleared of the obstruction by an English doctor. Mike had further close calls when he encountered scarlet fever and a damaged skull from being hit by a car.

While none of these events, nor a future one, made Mike choose the priesthood, it was another brush with losing his life in a Kenyan plane crash that led Mike to reconnect with his abandoned faith. Mike had a premonition before the crash and spoke of making his first prayer in thirty-five years.

Mike wrote ‘A Sceptic’s Search for Meaning’ about his return to his Catholic faith, which set him out on the greatest investigation of his journalistic career in attempting to discover the ultimate meaning of life.

Last year, I spoke to Mike’s friend and companion on his investigations, Ron Tesoriero. It was when Mike purchased a weekend house and met his neighbour Ron Tesoriero in the late 1970’s that a friendship formed between the two.

Continued on page 88

THE IRISH SCENE | 87

Continued from page 87

Ron had an interest in mystical phenomena and seeing the manifestation of God in the world. In the early days of their friendship, Ron talked to Mike about the 1917 Fatima apparitions, the appearance of the Virgin Mary to three children in Portugal. Ron was surprised that this amazing series of events included a miracle predicted by the Virgin, of the sun spinning in the sky, which duly happened in front of thousands of people. Ron couldn’t believe such an amazing event was not still talked about and making news. Ron encouraged Mike to obtain an interview with the remaining child visionary, now Sister Lucia.

Interestingly Hilary Clinton was also seeking to obtain an interview with the sister.

The time however was not yet right. The time was right when one day Ron mentioned to Mike a woman in South American called Katya Rivas, who had been experiencing the stigmata. The stigmata are the wounds Christ experienced 2000 years ago on the cross, which have on occasion in history been experienced by saintly people. St Francis and St Pedro Pio are notable people who experienced the stigmata. What makes Mike and Ron’s investigation a little different is that Mike was true to his journalistic principles. He and Ron were intent on getting scientific evidence to back-up their findings, which they did, engaging doctors and scientists to test the phenomena they were presented with.

In their South American journeys, Mike and Ron investigated three major miracles which were later documented in the program ‘Signs from God: Science Tests Faith’.

The first miracle was located in Buenos Aires and is known as the ‘Blood of Christ Eucharistic miracle’. It was preceded by a similar event in Luciano Italy in the eighteenth century and investigated in 1970 by Professor Linoli. The miracle was however revisited in the new example which Professor Linoli again was involved in studying. In 1996 in Buenos Aires, Padre Alejandro Pezet discovered a communion host on the floor after mass. It had fallen or been dropped by a parishioner. As in keeping with procedure in the case of a consecrated host, the discarded communion host was collected and placed in a vessel of water in the tabernacle and left to dissolve naturally. Eight days later when its progress was checked, it was observed that blood was appearing from the host. The host was then placed in a different location and locked away, but another eleven days on and when it was checked once again, the host had dissolved but blood remained in the water.

The local archbishop Jorge Bergoglio (who we now know as Pope Francis) was asked if the sample could be tested. In April 2004 Mike and Ron took

a pathology slide to heart specialist and forensic pathologist Dr Frederick Zugibe in New York. The doctor was not informed of what Mike and Ron already knew of the origin of the sample. His conclusion was that the sample came from the left ventricle of the heart muscle which provides the heart with its beat, giving life to the body. He further concluded that there were white blood cells present in the sample, meaning the person, although severely injured in the heart, was living when the sample was taken.

In Catholic teaching the bread and wine in the Eucharist are changed through transubstantiation into the body and blood of Christ. This communion host of Buenos Aires attested to this fact, that it was literally blood from Christ’s heart. Three other laboratories examined the sample and none could discover a genetic profile or DNA, created by the genetic information from the father and mother. Could this extraordinary fact be proof that Jesus Christ with no physical father would not have a genetic profile? Mike saw Dr Zugibe’s findings ‘among the most spectacular in history’.

The second phenomenon that Mike and Ron investigated was the bleeding plaster statue of Christ in Cochabamba, Bolivia. On the 9th of March 1995, the statue started bleeding and crying tears. Again DNA samples were collected and once again were found to be human in nature but with no genetic human profile. Angelo Fiori of Gemellis Hospital in Rome could not find an answer to the negative DNA in the human blood.

The third investigation was also in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Katya Rivas was displaying the stigmata, the appearance of the wounds of Christ on the cross, on her hands feet and forehead. Katya was also able to write many pages of sound theology with no background in biblical studies. Mike and Ron filmed Katya in front of nine witnesses as she experienced the stigmata, which arrived first as red dots in the palms of her hand and feet, gradually deepening symmetrically. The next morning these wounds, which would usually take four to six weeks to heal naturally, were healed overnight.

Mike saw this investigation above all the stories he had drafted through his journalistic career as the only one that really mattered. While many of us might deny it, the biggest question is why we are here and what is our purpose. Mike and Ron uncovered some amazing life changing evidence during their investigation and they hope it encourages people to consider that science does not always have the answers and this might lead people back to God.

Australia’s greatest soul voice Doug Parkinson pays homage to the legendary Van Morrison songbook with his new production.

Astor Theatre Saturday 4 April Rooftop, 306 Riverside Drive, East Perth thepointbarandgrill.com.au | 9218 8088

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A Sceptic’s Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee is out now, published by Pan Macmillan.

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Outstanding achievement

Left: Dublin woman Joan Kavanagh takes a stroll on Bunbury’s back beach after receiving her Australia Day medal award for her outstanding contributions to the City of Bunbury and its community

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Happy birthday

Below: Big Happy Birthday to Ang & Naz

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SAVE THE DATE Saturday 9 May th

R.I.P. larry

Left: Congrats to Caroline Costelloe who recently became an Australian Citizen

The Irish Club Golf Society of WA

BIG CONGRATS

to Mick & Bernie (left) who recently celebrated their 50th Wedding anniversary surrounded by family & friends.

Tuesday 17 March 20 20 St Patrick’s Week

LF AMENT GO OURN T

Maylands Golf Course Swan Bank Road Maylands.

Registration from 7.00 am

Bookings, Contact: Peter McKenna 0447258000.

Jack Ebbs 0450675167.

Tom Quinn 0412236498.

Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth

Well done!

The late Larry Gogan with Longford aussie DJ Oliver McNerney, taken in 1977.

Irish Club Golf Society Bank account details: BSB 306044 Acc: 0518027

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HOLE SPONSOR: $500.00 (includes two teams of two players, banners displayed on the day.

Raffle on the day, plus lots of novelties.

Supporting: The Claddagh Association and the Charlotte Foundation THE IRISH SCENE | 90

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Irish Scene Report MARCH/APRIL 2020

With the season fast approaching it’s all hands to the pump. Pre-season training has gone very well, the lads are training very hard and looking forward to the 2020 season. We had a reasonable Night Series, losing one game and winning two. We were beaten on our first outing by a very good Fremantle side 5-0. We then beat Morley Windmills 3-1 and went on to beat Quinns FC 1-0. We finished on 6 points but missed out on the quarter finals through goal difference. All in all head coach Gerry was happy with the team’s performance.

2020 Australasian GAA Convention

We are looking forward to a new adventure for Shamrock Rovers, but a little bit sad to be leaving Harold Rossiter Reserve in Vic Park after 30+ years of making history there. Thanks for the memories, and a special thanks to Tim Cronin and all the staff at the Town of Victoria Park for looking after us down the years.

“Publishing our reports and discussing them with delegates is an important part of our accountability,” he said. “There were some definite bright spots, such as youth development, and some other areas where we need to focus our resources and do better.”

Our 2020 season starts on Saturday 4th April with a home game against Dianella in our new ground of Grandis Park, Banksia Grove, at the rear of Joseph Banks School. So come along and give the lads your support, especially all our friends in the northern corridor, and help us make more history.

Patrick’s Day parade 14th March:

To all our old friends and members, please come along and join us on what will be our last march under the old Shamrock Rovers banner. It would be good to see you there – and next year too when we will march proudly under our new Carramar Shamrock Rovers banner.

Over a day and a half reports were presented, ideas discussed and motions debated. Australasian President Ned Sheehy said he was delighted with a good turnout and lots of positive networking at the Convention.

Do you need PROPERTY Maintenance?

IPS provide property maintenance services to residential and commercial properties in the Perth Metro area.

Our services include:

Come on the Hoops!

Once again a big thank you to our sponsors: Pipeline Technics • Integrity Property Solutions Killarney Autos • McLoughlin Butchers Bendigo Bank • Express Bins

• Carpentry work • Electrical • General repairs • Landscaping • Locksmithing • Painting • Plumbing • Waterproofing renovations • Bathroom Kitchen renovations • Gutters & Roof Maintenance •

Also to Nicky Edwards for his continued support.

Consideration was also given to how to best accommodate isolated groups who are interested in developing GAA but are too far from existing metropolitan based leagues.

A number of motions were passed to do with cleaning up and clarifying parts of the rule book.

Among other motions passed: • States must adopt GFHAA Member Protection Policy & Code of Behaviour Policy • Underage clubs/boards can affiliate to states (and hence GFHAA) • Clubs (other than underage) must take part in competitions or lose representation on state and other committees

• Dual referees acceptable at @australasiangames

President Secretary

There was much discussion about how to revamp the Australasian Championships. A proposal will be sent out to affiliates for comment.

• Nomination time before State Conventions reduced from 6 weeks to 4

Contacts:

Marty Burke 0410 081 386 Paul Doyle 0430 080 019 Shamrock Rovers Perth Football Club Inc

New Vice-Presidents were elected, with the Council welcoming Bronagh McKenna (Victoria), David Rynne (Wellington) and Alan Burke (WA). Ned Sheehy himself was confirmed as President-elect for the next 3-year term.

Call IPS MAINTENANCE 0423 618 506

service@ipsmaintenance.com.au www.perthpropertymaintenance.net.au THE IRISH SCENE | 92

• Videoconferencing can be used for Australasian Council meetings New men’s football playing rules – as adopted by the @officialGAA – were approved for use in Australasia.

They do not apply to any competitions currently in THE IRISH SCENE | 93

GAAWA CLUB DETAILS progress. The rules include such things as the advanced mark, sin bin and kick-outs. GFHA Australia will be be sending out an updated rule book and explanatory notes to assist with introduction of the new playing rules.

GAAWA Clubs

All clubs are back in training for the 2020 season, with introductory events been such as BBQ’s, wine tours and general meet and greets been held by most clubs over the last few weeks. Anyone interested in taking up Hurling or Football or getting back into the games feel free to get in contact with any of the clubs through their emails or social media. All players of any level and experience are welcome. Joining a club is a fantastic way to not only get fit but also met lots of new people.

Congratulations

We would also like to congratulate a long time member of the GAAWA Orla Murray (Fullerton) on her recent marriage Conor Murray (below).

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

Contact us

Email: ggjunioracademy@gmail.com or Facebook: The Gaelic Games Junior Academy of WA

Roll up! Roll up! It’s that time of year again where us parents are making a plan of action for our kids actions! If your children have been with us before we will be delighted to be welcoming them back, if your child will be a new participant they will be given a Cead Mile Failte.

The Gaelic Games Junior Academy will be taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day festival on Saturday 14th March in Leederville at 10.30am, so come along and cheer us (and everyone else) on! We will have a float and plenty of kids and if you would like to join in send us a message through our facebook page as the more the merrier in the day of celebrating all things Irish!

We might also get a chance for demonstrations and an opportunity to participate in the Medibank Stadium Oval afterwards, come and say hello, and have a go!

A couple of dates to put in your diary/phone: Official come and try day on March 29th at HBF Arena, Joondalup 2-4pm – this is free and no equipment needed as it is all provided, just bring a water bottle and sun cream!

Official start of the season is Sunday May 3rd and will run until Sept 20th. Our venue again for 2020 thankfully is the brilliant venue that is HBF Arena Joondalup, we will be on the rugby pitches, left of the main swimming pool building. We start the children

from 4 years old up to 14, and have equipment to suit all ages and sizes! We endeavor to make it fun as well as a learning experience, while increasing the fitness and skill levels of all the ages and abilities. During the year we partake in events at Tom Bateman at the seniors Gaelic Football and at RA Cooke Reserve in Morley at the Senior Hurling events. Alongside our own training, we have a ‘Jim Stynes’ memorial cup to play for in our compromise rules Blitz day that happens towards the end of the season. We won last year, which was a superb effort from players and coaches, so off we go to defend the title in 2020!

Our membership fees for the season and the 2020 kit details will be available through the ‘Team App’ and it will prompt you to ‘search your team or club name’, type in the ‘Gaelic Games Junior Academy’, and you will see the GGJA of WA logo come up, click on that and you’re in! It’s another way to contact us and you can see upcoming events, make payments, see photos, check out our sponsor page, (which, incidentally if you would like to become a sponsor, let us know!) and feel part of our community. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

The GGJA 2020 Committee and Coaches

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

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SPONSORED BY

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Tom Bateman Reserve Cnr Bannister & Nicholson Rds, Canning Vale (entrance off Wilfred Rd)

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Proud Supporters of the IRISH COMMUNITY of Western Australia Products available at our Malaga address and selected IGA and Coles OUR RANGE: • Bratwurst Sausages • Irish Pork Sausages • Lamb & Rosemary Sausages • Mild Italian Sausages • BBQ Sausages • Bacon Hock • Champagne Leg Ham • Gammon Ham • Pork & Fennel Sausages

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