IN THIS ISSUE
- News Snaps from Ireland
- Aife: The Fierce Warrior Woman of Irish Mythology
- 'My Days with Rosy Harley' by Brian DeVon
- Gaelic Phrases of the Month
- Monthly Free Competition Result
Popular Articles from Recent Newsletters:
FOREWORD
Hello again from Ireland where there is still no sign of a Government being formed several months after the General Election. Some observers have noticed just how well things have been going lately in the absence of a Government, although we are not sure if one thing is the consequence of the other!
This month's issue includes a great tale from Irish mythology - Aife - the ferocious warrior woman who dared to battle Cuchulainn! And another great reminisce of old Ireland from Brian DeVon.
Until next time,
Michael
P.S.
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NEWS FROM IRELAND
FROM 1916 TO 2016: A CENTURY OF CHANGE
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) in Dublin has released a fascinating report comparing the lives of Irish people in 1916 and today.
Of course 1916 is most remembered in Ireland as the time of the Easter Rising and while the exploits of Pearse and Connolly get most of the attention it is easy to forget the context within which people lived their lives at that time.
Ireland of 1916 was very much part of the British Empire with more of the population concerned with making a living and supporting their family than lamenting the political landscape. It was against this backdrop that the rebels of 1916 were initially jeered and mocked as they were led away to prison after the surrender near O'Connell Street.
Had the leaders been imprisoned for life then it is possible that it may have been another generation before a similar uprising occurred. The fact that they were executed changed everything in Ireland. The road to revolution and independence was set and history was made.
So what do the CSO numbers reveal?
Population: 3.14M ---> 4.59M
Emigration: 7302 (in 1911) ---> 80,900 (in 2015)
The population of Ireland had been as high as 8M in 1845, prior to the Famine. Ever since that catastrophe emigration has remained a constant blight on the Irish experience.
Death Rate (per thousand): 16.1 (in 1916) ---> 6.3 (in 2014)
Infant Mortality (per thousand): 81 ---> 3.7
Causes of death:
TB: 6471 ---> 25
Diabetes: 239 ---> 474
Influenza: 712 ---> 27
Heart Disease: 5373 ---> 5779
Suicide: 68 ---> 459
Some of these figures are startling. The fact that diabetes has actually increased as a cause of death is a reflection of the way Irish lifestyles have changed over the last century. And not always for the better.
The massive increase in the rate of suicide is also very concerning although the likelihood is that the 1916 number is artificially low due to a lack of reporting. Suicide was considered a mortal sin and it was shameful in 1916 to have a family member who killed themselves. In 2016 suicide remains the number one cause of death among young Irish men.
Life Expectancy Men: 53.6 years ---> 78.3
Life Expectancy Women: 54.1 years ---> 82.7
It is incredible to think that advances in healthcare and diet have increased life expectancy by 50%, or over 25 years.
Marriage Ceremonies:
Catholic: 92% ---> 60%
Church of Ireland: 7% ---> 2%
Civil: 1 % ---> 28%
Other: (including humanist and other religions): 0.5% ---> 10%
The shift in Ireland from a deeply devout and dominating Catholicism towards being a more secular society is clearly shown by these numbers.
The full report can be viewed at:
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-1916/1916irl/
NO DEAL, SO NO GOVERNMENT
Despite extensive talks between the main political parties there is still no Government in place in Ireland, more than two months after the General Election was held.
Fine Gael look set to head up a new coalition Government and will do so with support from Fianna Fail who will remain outside of the coalition, offering instead to keep any Government going on a temporary basis. Fine Gael will still need the support of Independents and likely the Labour Party (or what is left of it) as well.
Any such patchwork coalition would by its nature be very unstable so the possibility of there being another General Election within the next eighteen months is very high indeed.
RED-HEADS LIVE LONGER!
A new discovery by Dutch scientists has revealed that the same gene that promotes human youthfulness is also the gene that causes red hair.
Scientists at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam discovered that out of 2700 older Dutch people surveyed those that carried the MC1R gene looked at least 2 years younger than their compatriots.
But how can 2700 faces be evaluated? By computer of course! Front and side images of the faces were analysed by a 3D image assessment system, thus eliminating any human bias.
The MC1R gene is the gene that influences skin color and is also responsible for DNA damage repair, perhaps explaining why those carrying the gene look younger. This is the same gene that is also responsible for red hair.
Prof Dr Manfred Kayser:
'For the first time, a gene has been found that explains in part why some people look older and others younger for their age.'
The consequences of the study for red-heads are positive as the results suggest that the approx 2% of the world's population (up to 6% in peoples of European descent and over 10% in Ireland) who are classified as having red hair may also be aging slower and are therefore healthier.
PROPERTY PRICES UP 7.4% IN LAST YEAR
Irish property prices continued their recovery with an increase of 7.4% being recorded nationally over the last twelve months. House prices in Dublin are 4.1% higher than a year ago. The overall decline from the very peak of the housing boom in 2007 now stands at 34.3% for Dublin and 33.6% nationally.
The housing market in Ireland is in a strange place at the moment with the Central Bank Regulations that restrict the capacity of buyers to borrow funds having a big impact. The result has been that although there is demand for new and used properties that affordability is a big issue, forcing people into rented accommodation. The knock-on effect is that rents are now sky-rocketing, especially in Dublin.
FALL IN IRISH UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES
A drop from 8.8% to 8.6% in unemployment in February alone has seen the overall rate of those without work continue its downward trajectory. It is only a few short years ago that unemployment stood at over 15% in Ireland!
A recovering economy and a huge increase in the rate of Emigration has seen the number of unemployed plummet, especially over the last 18 months.
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AIFE: THE FIERCE FIGHTING WOMAN OF IRISH MYTH
Aife was the great warrior woman of Irish mythology. She was the greatest foe of Scathach who lived on the Isle of Skye and who trained Cuchulainn, the greatest warrior of them all. So fiercely independent and fearless was Aife that she engaged the mighty Cuchulainn in battle!
The story of how Cuchulainn battled with Aife began when Cuchulainn arrived on Skye to train with Scathach. The 'shadowy one' was well versed in all of the skills necessary to teach Cuchulainn but also had to watch out for her great nemesis Aife.
Of course Aife tracked her down and a battle eventually broke out between these two powerful women!
Scathach feared for Cuchulainn's life and gave him a sleeping potion that would lay an ordinary mortal man low for at least a day. But there was nothing ordinary about Cuchulainn! The spell lasted only an hour enabling him to join with Scathach's two sons to fight Aife's champions: Ciri, Biri and Blaicne, the sons of Eis Enchenn the bird-headed.
The legendary Cuchulainn prevailed and the champions of Aife were despatched from the mortal world.
Aife was furious and challenged Scathach to single combat, a type of battle that meant that either both women could fight one-on-one, or they could nominate a champion. Cuchulainn insisted on fighting as Scathach's champion, but before the fight, he asked her what Aife held most dear in the world. The answer was plain to Scathach: her two horses, her chariots and her charioteer!
The fight began with Aife the warrior woman inflicting blow after blow on Cuchulainn, pummeling him mercilessly, leaving him only the stump of his swords to defend himself.
Desperate and nearing defeat Cuchulainn resorted to trickery. He shouted at Aife just as the final blow was to be despatched:
'Look Yonder! Your chariot, charioteer and horses are falling over the cliff!'
His gambit worked. Aife became distracted at the possible loss of her beloved chariot long enough for Cuchulainn to gain the upper hand in the battle. He overpowered Aife, held a sword to her neck and carried off the battlefield.
Aife begged for her life. Surprisingly, perhaps out of respect for the ferocity of the battle she had waged against him, Cuchulainn spared her.
But only if three conditions were met!
First, Aife must forever cease all hostilities against Scathach. Secondly hostages taken in the battle must be exchanged. Thirdly, Aife must bear Cuchulainn a son. And when the boy is aged seven years he is to be sent to Ireland, and that Cuchulainn is his father is to remain a secret. The boy was to wear a gold thumb-ring which Cuchulainn gave Aife so that Cuchulainn would know who he was.
Cuchulainn named their son Connla before he left her.
But alas this tale did not end well. When the boy Conla was older and arrived in Ireland such was the extent of his powers that he so alarmed the people of Ireland that Cuchulainn himself had to engage him in battle, eventually killing him.
It was too late when Cuchulainn saw the thumb-ring borne by Connla, his own son, that he had just slain.
The name Aife, and later Aoife, is likely derived from the old Gaelic word 'aoibh', meaning 'beauty' or 'radiance'. The Aife who fought Cuchulainn was indeed radiant, and fierce and powerful! Cuchulainn spared her life in battle, perhaps because he had to resort to trickery in order to overcome her.
And so it is that Aife is remembered as the magnificent fighting woman of Irish mythology.
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My Days with Rosy Harley
by Brian DeVon
When I was a young lad full of the joys of life, my parents decided I was in urgent need of education in the Irish language.
I was packed off to the 'Gaeltacht' for a period of full immersion in the Irish language.
In later years I realised that it may have been as much for the parental objects to escape to some peace and quiet of their own. I was a 'surprise' child as they say. My two brothers and one sister were well grown up when I arrived in the world. By the time I have much solid memory of my youth my siblings had left home and I was effectively a lone child. My spot as the lone apple of my parents eye was a pleasant position and I made full use of it.
On this occasion however my plans to spend the summer idling around the Dublin mountains, tormenting other children and illegally harvesting farmers orchards were thwarted by my being sent to the Rosses in Donegal for my 'education'.
I was blessed to be put in digs with a wonderful woman called Rosie Harley on the outskirts of the little town of Annagry.
Rosie supplemented her families meager income by taking in children attending the Irish College. Rosie and her husband scraped a living from a small holding, with chickens and a pig or two and her husbands hard slog cutting Donegal's ubiquitous turf to be carried home daily on baskets astride their donkey. Turf was the fuel for both heat and the cooking which was done on an open hearth.
Sunday roast chicken is a memory that lives with me today, I can almost smell and taste it. The wonderful smell of smoldering turf is a unique Irish aroma, the smoke lingers in the memory of generations of Irish folk who were brought up on farms and small holdings.
One peculiar memory of my days with Rosie was her fondness of giving Brian Og (little Brian), as she called me, a little nip of whisky before bed, a pleasant and quiet night was had by all!
I returned to Rosie the next year again and we became solid friends. Unfortunately when I had a chance to return as an adult Rosie had passed on.
I'll always remember her love of life, kindness to a lonely little boy and her smashing roast chicken.
~~~
Brian DeVon is author of the 'Flavour of Ireland' website at: http://www.flavorofireland.com
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GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
| PHRASE: |
Mo seanathair agus seanmathair |
| PRONOUNCED: |
muh sean-ah-hirr ogg-us shan-wah-hirr |
| MEANING: |
My Grandfather and Grandmother |
| PHRASE: |
Dearthair, deirfiur, aintín, uncail |
| PRONOUNCED: |
dre-harr, dre-furrh, on-teen, un-kol |
| MEANING: |
Brother, sister, auntie, uncle |
| PHRASE: |
Mathair, athair, mac, inin |
| PRONOUNCED: |
wah-hirr, ah-hirr, mack, ineen |
| MEANING: |
Mother, father, son, daughter |
View the Archive of Irish Phrases here:
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.htm
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The winner was: Tkml@zoominternet.net
who will receive the following:
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Remember that all subscribers to this newsletter are automatically entered into the competition every time.
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