Claddagh Report

Claddagh seniors at Parkerville Tavern, where they enjoyed lunch and the resident animals (inset)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

The Claddagh Committee and Coordinator wish all members of the Irish community in WA a very happy and safe Christmas and a wonderful New Year. Thank you for all your support of Claddagh’s work throughout 2021. We could not have achieved our aims without our principal funder, the Emigrant Support Programme of the Government of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and without the generous donations, volunteer hours, expert advice, fundraisers and more from our supporters here in WA. We look forward to meeting up with you over the festive season and into 2022.

CLADDAGH SENIORS

The Claddagh Seniors Group have been making the most of the fine weather to get out and about in WA. In September they took a trip to Parkerville, where they enjoyed the beautiful scenery, a delicious lunch at the Parkerville Tavern and the resident animals. In October the Seniors subcommittee hosted a wonderful picnic at the Wildflower Pavilion in Kings Park. The group had a great time wandering amongst the magnificent floral displays. Any seniors from the Irish community in WA are very welcome to attend the last Claddagh Seniors Group events for 2021. On Monday the 22nd November they will be taking a bus trip to Moore River and on Monday the 13th December they will celebrate Christmas with their annual lunch at the Mighty Quinn Tavern. If you, or a senior you know from the Irish community, would like to attend the group’s events you can register by calling Patricia Bratton of the Seniors Subcommittee on 0417 099 801/08 9345 3530 or by contacting Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213.

CLADDAGH REMEMBRANCE SERVICE

Claddagh’s annual Remembrance Service for members of the Irish community in WA will be held at St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco on Sunday the 7th November at 3pm. The Claddagh Association invite everyone from the Irish Community in WA to attend. Fr Tim Corcoran will lead the community in remembering our loved ones who have died here in Australia, in Ireland or elsewhere in the past year. Representatives from Irish community organisations will share prayers, reflections and music. All those present will be invited to record the names of their loved ones and add a lighted candle to the memory table in their honour. The Claddagh Remembrance Service gives the Irish community in WA the space and time to honour the memory of those who have died in the past year. This has always been important but is unfortunately even more significant in these COVID times when so many of us have lost loved ones and been unable to attend their funerals or grieve with our families and friends. All are welcome to attend this free, ticketed event. We ask that you please register your attendance at the following link:

claddaghremembranceservice2021. eventbrite.com

Claddagh are privileged to have worked with the O’Riordan family whose hearts were broken when they lost their little angel Eireann in February 2021. They have recently spoken about the family’s experience saying:

On the 4th of February 2021 we lost our newborn baby girl Eireann. Life went to a standstill while we as a family tried to come to terms with what was happening and what was ahead of us. That’s where we were introduced to the Claddagh Association. They provided so much financial assistance and emotional support for our family. They assisted with everything and anything that would help lift some burden from us. They also went above and beyond to get our family over from Ireland, in the midst of the pandemic so that we could be together for 6 months. We are now in a position to try and say thank you in raising as much funds and awareness as we can, to support their wonderful association so other families like ours continue to get the same support.

In memory of Eireann, her mum, Grainne, and her dad, Darren, are organising three fundraisers for Claddagh between now and the end of the year. We are in awe of the O’Riordan’s commitment and so grateful to them for their kindness in paying it forward so that Claddagh can support other members of the Irish community in WA when they face their darkest hour. The first fundraiser is a GoFundMe appeal by Grainne’s workmate, Vivian, who will shave her head in memory of Eireann. If you’d like to make it worth Vivian’s while to go bald you can donate here:

au.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-eireann

On Saturday the 20th of November the O’Riordan’s will host a quiz night at the Irish Club in Subiaco. They have sourced great prizes as well as organizing a raffle. After the table quiz, special guests, The Sweet Woodbines, will play and the night promises to be great craic. You can book a table or an individual ticket for the quiz night here:

inmemoryofeireann.eventbrite.com.au

And lastly, on Sunday the 28th of Nov the O’Riordan’s will be hosting a Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings, Malaga in memory of Eireann. Come on over and buy a hot dog! If you’d like to help out as a volunteer on the day, get in touch with Claddagh Coordinator, Anne Wayne via admin@claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213.

13/15 Bonner Drive Malaga Enquiries: 08 9249 9213 / admin@claddagh.org.au THE IRISH SCENECrisis Support: 0403 972 265 | 65

CLADDAGH AGM AND CASEWORK

By the time this magazine is published Claddagh will have hosted our AGM on Fri the 29th of October 2021. In the next issue of the Irish Scene we will share the highlights from our annual report and the results of the election for committee members. Claddagh’s 2020-2021 year was very busy with a wonderful calendar of social events for the Claddagh Seniors Group and more projects for the wider Irish community including visa clinics, digital training for seniors and the Claddagh oral history project. And, of course, we continued our support work with members of the Irish community in need. The numbers of people seeking our support each month have increased substantially in the last three years. In the 20202021 year we helped individuals and families with a wide variety of issues including bereavement, health, financial and migration issues. We anticipate that there will be heavy demand for Claddagh’s support work over the coming Christmas period. If you or someone you know needs Claddagh’s support, please contact the Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne via admin@claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213. If your need is urgent call Claddagh’s crisis line on 0403 972 265. Claddagh will launch an online Christmas donation campaign in late November. If you would like to give to Claddagh over Christmas to support our work, you can make a donation at our website: claddagh.

org.au/support-our-work/make-a-donation/.

CLADDAGH VISA CLINICS

Our next visa clinic is scheduled for Saturday the 27th of November. This is a free clinic for members of the Irish community in WA to get advice from a registered migration agent on any issues relating to visas, citizenship or travel exemptions. Patricia Halley, registered migration agent from Visa4You, will base herself in the Claddagh office, offering 30 minute in-person or phone consultations. If you or someone you know in the Irish community in WA needs advice on visas, travel exemptions or citizenship please contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne via admin@claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213 to book an appointment.

CLADDAGH DIGITAL TRAINING FOR SENIORS

These monthly workshops have been very well attended through 2021. Participants have enjoyed the chat and morning tea as much as the learning and the Claddagh volunteer teachers have been delighted to see their progress. Claddagh’s last digital training for seniors for 2021 will be held on Saturday the 27th November at the Claddagh office. This final class will be a question-and-answer session when participants can ask any IT related question. All senior members of the Irish community in WA are invited to attend. Contact Claddagh Coordinator Anne Wayne on admin@ claddagh.org.au/08 9249 9213 for more information and to register. ☘

Right: Claddagh Seniors and volunteers at our Digital Training workshop

CLADDAGH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Many of you will know the couple highlighted in the chapter we share from the Claddagh Oral History Project 2020, in this month’s issue of the Irish Scene. Tom and Kathleen Kearns, from Co Sligo, were interviewed by Claddagh volunteer Paul Callery, who is from Co. Dublin, and they shared the story of their journey from Sligo, via London to Perth. All the interviews from Claddagh’s Oral History Project were edited and collated as a book, From Home to Home: Oral Histories of Irish Seniors in Western Australia. The full book is available as a free digital download at the Claddagh website here: claddagh.org.au/

claddagh-oral-history-project/