Around the Irish Scene

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irishsceneperth@gmail.com Around the irish scene

A Car-ona celebration Drive-by birthdays have become a sign of the times and social distancing, particularly in Ireland. The new custom of friends and family forming a cavalcade that hoots and toots its way past the birthday boy or girl was rolled out to celebrate a very special woman. Galway girl Lena Costello turned a big roundy 90 in late April, but a big party wasn’t on the cards so loved ones, friends, well wishers and neighbours formed a noisy mini-traffic jam on St Joseph’s Street, West Leederville. Paddy, 93, and Lena (right) are the street’s longest resident residents. The couple - both from Galway but who met in Dublin - were married on St. Patrick’s Day 1956 and moved to Australia soon after. They bought their home a few months after they got here and have lived there ever since. They were also instrumental in finding and buying the Irish Club’s premises in Townshend Road, Subiaco in the late 1970s and are both past presidents of the Club. Many happy returns Lena and Paddy!

Roses hopes nipped in the bud The International Rose of Tralee Festival is one of the many casualties of COVID-19. Towards the end of April, the organisers said the event would be called off for this year, the first time this has happened in its 61 year history. “Our immediate priority is to support the health and civic authorities in doing whatever we can to keep each other safe and well, and ultimately to protect lives,” Anthony O’Gara, Executive Chair, Rose of Tralee International Festival said in a statement. Everyone involved would have a role to play in restoring communities and local economies following this pandemic, yet “we look forward to coming together in celebration in August 2021”, he said. In the meantime, he saluted the leadership and selfless efforts of frontline and support staff… including the 2019 Rose of Tralee, Dr Sinéad Flanagan. A change to the competition’s rules meant some cities - such as Perth - would only be eligible to take part every second year. 2020 was meant to be Perth’s chance to shine. The last time Perth sent a Rose to Ireland was in 2018 in the form of Donegal native Laura Cannon (right). At the time (and probably still now) Laura was an ICU nurse at St. John of God Hospital Subiaco.

A lasting legacy The main section of the trial for the man accused of the Claremont serial killings of the mid 1990’s was wrapped up in the Supreme Court in late April, with the concluding part expected to open later this year. Ciara Eilish Glennon’s parents Denis and Una - from Mayo and Monaghan - have lived with the anguish of their daughter’s death. She was just 27 at the time and had been out celebrating with work colleagues for St. Patrick’s Day. Ciara’s memory is honoured every year through the scholarship that bears her name. On April 17 UWA announced Ciara’s scholarship for 2020 was going to Isabel Philip, 23, of Subiaco (above). “I can think of no better way to honour Ciara Glennon’s memory than using the proceeds of this scholarship to take the opportunity to step back from paid work and put more energy into helping people who are in a less fortunate position than I am,” Isabel said. The Ciara Glennon Memorial Scholarship was established in 1998 with the support of the Glennon family and is sponsored by Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson), the law firm where Ciara worked as a solicitor. It is awarded annually to a full-time student from UWA’s Law School who needs financial help to continue studying, makes a recognisable contribution to the community, demonstrates an active interest in an area outside the practice of law and shows a balanced approach to life and concern for others. The winner also receives an offer to undertake a paid seasonal clerkship with the law firm in Perth.

Its a matter of life and death Most of us will have family or friends who work in the healthcare or associated sectors and we wish them all well and give them our thanks. Personally speaking I’d like to mention three cousins back in Ireland who are on the front line and working to protect the community and serve the vulnerable. They are Ashling Farrell, a hospital nurse, and Lois Farrell (who used to live in Perth) and Veronica Balfe who both work in aged care homes, a sector which has seen many lives taken and devastated by the virus. On May 4th my youngest brother Philip and his wife Jacqueline had a baby, Isabella Alice Gorman (above), their third daughter after Madison and Lilly Rose. The delivery was carried out under very strict isolation conditions. Philip and Jacqueline wanted to thank the two midwives - one Irish and the other Italian - at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin who they said were excellent and made the whole experience a really positive one. As a pharmacist in Northern Ireland Eilish Horn (left) - sister of Irish Scene’s Imelda Gorman - has been working crazy hours under difficult and demanding conditions. To our friends Clinton and his wife Chris who are medicos here in Perth and have a young family to think about. To all of you and their colleagues who help people and serve their community we say thank you!

R.I.P. Oliver Synnott Tony Synnott lost his brother Oliver (right) shortly before Christmas last year. As soon as Irish Scene was printed, Tony would post the latest edition to his brother back in Ireland. In fact for 12 years Tony said Oliver waited for it to drop through the letter box. “He said he learned more about Ireland and Irish history than he ever did at school,” said Tony. RIP Oliver.

Goodbye Old Friend, by Noel O’Neill “I’d like to say a few words about my friend John Spurling (above left), who I often referred to as “My Pillar”. I really can’t remember how we first met, but I think what’s more important is the friendship we shared for over fifteen years and so many productions. He had a discipline about him that I lacked and I somehow had a creativity that he liked, so between the lacking and the liking the two of us we got along very well. He was a quiet man with a dry sense of humour who loved a good joke. We had many adventures and misadventures in the theatre, but what really took place off stage is what mattered between us. I have always been so grateful for not only what he’s done for me but what he meant to me as a person. He was someone I looked up to and respected. He was a decent man who loved his family and they in return loved him back. He loved the sea and he often spoke of where his family originated from. It was a place in England called Hull, and he often said he would look it all up. I wrote a few one-act plays and we kicked it around whether to go to Edinburgh and Galway with them. He said “if we don’t go we’ll never know”. So myself, John and Rex Grey headed for Ireland and Scotland with some success. We had a little credo between us, “Don’t lose your temper, don’t lose your passion and don’t lose your sense of humour”. I hold onto those words as I hold onto every memory of a friend I loved and miss, John Spurling”. John, 74, who was a cornerstone of the Irish Theatre Players, was tragically killed on March 12 visiting Yorkshire, where he had family roots. Vale John.

Spot the odd one out! One of the people in this cuddle of Corkonians is not from the alternative capital of Ireland. Lily Rea (front) is Italian, but of course she is married to Fred who is very much a Corkman, so there’s no escape and she knows the score.

Happy March 17 and other causes for celebration St Patrick’s Day isn’t just St. Patrick’s Day for some people. Lynda O’Leary (below left) has two things to celebrate on Irish patron saints feast day. Lynda works closely with Marty Kavanagh in the Irish Consulate office in Perth and has her birthday on the same day. Other recent birthday celebrants include Paddy French (below centre), who turned 94 and Tony Cahill, 70, pictured here with wife Deirdre (below right), getting ready to tuck into a hearty Irish breakfast.

Get your beef - and other meats - on the hoof! McLoughlin’s Butchers has mobilised in keeping with the times and now offers a home delivery service for customers who can’t venture out to the shop in Malaga. Paul McLoughlin and his team did a trial run in April and found there was great demand for the service. “In light of the times, never has it been more important to offer quality and convenience to you all,” Paul said. “We have over 70 products online and we’re hoping the more who use this will mean we can continue to offer home deliveries to our customers in the future.”