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			IN THIS ISSUE
~~~~~ Foreword
~~~~~ Keep us Free!
~~~~~ New Free resources at the site
~~~~~ News Snaps from Ireland
~~~~~ The Southern Irish during the Civil War by David Donehoo
~~~~~ Return to Gola 		by Anne Phelan
~~~~~ Irish Quotations of the Month
~~~~~ Irish Film Review: The Field	by Dawn Hayden
~~~~~ Gaelic Phrases of the Month 
~~~~~ Searcher Site of the Month: Genealogy Forum
~~~~~ Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
~~~~~~~~

A belated happy new year from Ireland where the worst of the 
Winter seems to have passed and the mood is one of 
anticipation of a slower year to follow. The Irish economy 
has been booming in recent years but there are signs that 
the growth rate is starting to slow down. 

These last 5 years in Ireland have been unprecedented.

Emigrants are returning home to work. For the first time in 
our history we have an influx of refugees from other 
countries seeking work and a better life. Unemployment and 
the national debt are at all-time lows.

Of course there are the usual problems associated with a 
modern society but there is also the real sense that 
Ireland has, in the last few years, finally become a 'real' 
modern country. 

We seem to have finally shaken off our 'inferiority complex'.

On a different note we are glad to include a couple of new 
regular features in this months edition: Irish Quotations 
and Irish Movie reviews - hope you enjoy.

If you have an article, poem or review about Ireland then 
let us know. If you would like to see something offered at 
our websites or in this newsletter then please don't keep 
it a secret.

Your opinion is like gold to us. 

Until the next time, BEST WISHES FROM IRELAND!

Michael.


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KEEP US FREE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can help us to continue supplying free resources and
information from Ireland and it won't cost you a penny!

Simply sign up to receive more great free information:

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NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HUNDREDS OF NEW CLUES ADDED TO IRISH HANGMAN GAME:

Can you save 'Myles the Slasher' from the dreaded noose?

Play our interactive hangman game online at the address 
below. Plenty of fun for those aged 8 to 88!

https://www.ireland-information.com/cgi-bin/hangman.pl

NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 17 coats of arms images and family history
details have been added to the Gallery:

B: Bryson 
C: McCallion, Copeland
D: Driscoll, Downing, O'Daniel
F: Fennelly 
H: Houlihan, Harvey
P: Parker, Phillips, Pigott
L: Lanigan, O'Lanigan 
R: Rimmer
S: Studdert
V: Vanner

View the Gallery here:

http://www.irishsurnames.com/coatsofarms/gm.htm

We now have over 20,000 worldwide names available.
Get the Coat of Arms Print, Screensaver, Watch, T-Shirt
Transfer, Clock or Claddagh Ring for your name at:

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NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IRISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SENT TO JAIL

The independent Fianna Fail T.D. Liam Lawlor has been sent 
to Mountjoy prison for 1 week and fined IR£10,000 for 
refusing to co-operate with the investigative tribunal that 
is dealing with corruption in the planning process in 
Dublin. The volatile T.D. had angry exchanges with Justice 
Flood of the tribunal who concluded that he had not 
complied sufficiently with a court order compelling him to 
provide details about his financial affairs.

The T.D. will now have to fully comply with the court order 
or else face a further 3 months in jail as well as further 
hefty fines. Whilst Liam Lawlor has resigned from Fianna 
Fail in the wake of the affair the matter does not reflect 
well on Bertie Ahearn's party and makes the possibility of a 
2001 general election even less likely. All the indications 
are that the current Government will see outs its term of 
office before 'going to the polls' in 2002.

TEACHERS STRIKE CONTINUES

The strike by a teachers union that has threatened to 
cripple the state held examinations has escalated in recent 
weeks with further 1-day stoppages and the withdrawal of 
supervisory duties by teachers being their main weapon. The 
Department of Education responded by docking the Teachers pay 
at Christmas in a response that only worsened the crisis.

The ASTI union is outside of the recently agreed wage 
agreement whilst 2 other teacher unions are within in's 
ambit. This makes it very difficult for the government to 
agree to the ASTIs 30% pay claim without wrecking their 
agreement with the other unions as well as comparable unions 
outside the teaching profession.

Talks have resumed but no end to the bitter dispute is 
in sight.

RYANAIR TO FACE COMPETITION IN THE 'NO-FRILLS' AIRLINE STAKES

Ryanair is to have some competition at the cheaper end of the 
Irish airline market. It has been announced that Aer Rianta, 
who control Dublin Airport, are in talks with Easy Jet and 
Go, the British Airways airline. The Dutch airline Buzz, 
is also thought to be considering a move into the Irish 
market.

At Aer Lingus cabin crew look certain to strike again 
following what there union officials described as a miserly 
offer from management. Previous strike action by cabin crew 
staff resulted in the complete cancellation of all Aer 
Lingus flights.

IRISH SOCCER STADIUM MAY GO AHEAD

The plans for an Irish soccer stadium have taken a lot of 
criticism in recent months especially as the estimated costs 
have spiraled to over IR£120 Million. The project may be 
saved however as it appears that there are new investors 
waiting in the wings. 

Apart from Croke Park, which is owned by the Gaelic Athletic 
Association and Landsdowne Road, which is the home of the 
Irish Rugby fraternity, there are no other stadia capable of 
holding crowds in excess of 35,000 in the Irish Republic. 
The Government is pressing ahead with its plans to build its 
own multi-purpose stadium despite the FAI having announced 
similar plans for its soccer only venue.

These new stadia will be good news if any serious attempt to 
host a major international sporting championship is to be 
launched. The possibility of Ireland hosting the 2008 
European soccer championships in conjunction with Holland, 
Wales and Scotland has already been mooted.

RTE TO AXE 'GLENROE'
 
The longest running TV drama on Irish television is to be 
axed. 'Glenroe' is a rural drama set in the Wicklow 
countryside and is a descendant of both 'Bracken' (which 
starred Gabriel Byrne) and 'The Riordans'. The cast were 
informed that the show is to be wound up because of the 
falling numbers of viewers. 

One possible reason for its demise is the fact that it only 
aired once weekly whereas 'Fair City', RTE's Dublin drama is 
now to be shown 4 times weekly in an attempt to wrestle 
Irish viewers away from English soaps such as 'Coronation 
Street', 'Eastenders' and 'Brookside'.

RTE is under serious pressure in the ratings war from 
independent station TV3, which survives without the aid of 
the licence fee that RTE enjoys.

INFLATION RATE DROPS BUT IS THE BOOM OVER?

Inflation has fallen back from a recent high of 7% to 5.9% 
and will continue to fall, experts say. The recent reduction 
of VAT (sales tax) as well as the fall in oil prices have 
helped Bertie Ahearn's government to stabilise what was 
looking like an increasingly difficult situation.

Some financial experts are predicting that the Irish economy 
will slow down and achieve growth rates in excess of 5% over 
each of the next 2 years. Inflation is expected to drop 
below 3% by the end of the year. Unemployment is at 4% 
whilst nearly two thirds of women now work outside the home. 
The slowdown in the US economy will also result in a drying 
up of the heavy investment by American companies in Ireland.
The US dollar has also lost much of its recent strength 
against the Irish pound. It is now worth approximately 81 
Irish pence.

IRISH INTERNET COMPANY GOES BUST

Irish internet technology company Ebeon became the first 
high profile Irish casualty of the realignment of 
expectations for Internet startups. 170 jobs were lost at 
the Dublin office with 40 more in London and 20 in America 
also axed. Ebeon is 51% owned by Eircom who had refused to 
bail the company out.

EASTER RISING DECLARATION SELLS FOR IR£56,000

Padraig Pearse read out the famous words at the foot of 
the GPO in Dublin's O'Connell Street in 1916 that signalled 
the start of the Easter Rising. The War of Independence, 
the Free State, The Civil War and Independence were to 
follow but each can be traced back to the original 
declaration made by Pearse.

It is estimated that only about 20 of the original 
declaration documents survived as it was an offence to own 
the document in 1916. The most recently found specimen was 
mud-stained and had pinholes in it but still fetched the 
remarkable auction price of IR£56,000.

SOCCER: GRANDMOTHER RULE IS AN OPTION FOR MORRISON 

Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison may decide to play 
for the Irish international soccer team despite being also 
eligible for England, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The 
21 year old centre-forward had been in excellent form this 
season and is a target for a number of top-flight clubs. 
Irish fans are hopeful that he will ally himself with his 
grandmother's country and form a goalscoring partnership 
with Robbie Keane, now of Leeds United.

SNOOKER: IRELAND BEATEN BY SCOTLAND IN NATIONS CUP

The Irish snooker team of Ken Doherty, Michael Judge and 
Fergal O'Brien were soundly beaten 6-2 in the final of the 
Nations cup but not before there was controversy in the 
frame between Fergal O'Brien and John Higgins. With the 
overall score standing at 4-1 the Dubliner was well 
poised to clinch the frame but was warned by the referee 
to speed up his play. O'Brien was clearly flustered at 
this most unusual turn of events and missed a relatively 
easy shot and ultimately the frame. A disgusted O'Brien 
refused to shake hands with the referee who had played a 
big part in handing the title to the Scots.

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THE SOUTHERN IRISH DURING THE CIVIL WAR     by David Donehoo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although it is quite well known there were several Irish 
brigades who fought for the North, little has been said 
about the contribution the Irish made to the Southern cause.

This of course seems odd to us who are of Irish heritage 
with deep roots in the South, since a large percentage of 
the people around us were also of Irish descent. Names like 
Coleman, Farrell, Adams, Campbell, Reed, Thompson, Sullivan, 
Early, so on and so on, made up a majority of the people in 
our little north Georgia town. 

The fact is that probably over 90% of the Southern 
population were of Scot/Irish/English descent. Because of 
this, and because these individuals groups were so well 
assimilated into the culture, there was little call or 
desire for brigades made up of particular nationalities.

It has been noted that the South was the only region in the 
United States that ever developed a unique and homogeneous 
culture. That of course, is because of the common heritage 
that was shared by those who originally settled in this 
area. Attributes like chivalry, honor, loyalty and civility 
were simply considered a part of life. Those of Irish 
descent, as a result, were not thought of as an individual 
group to be looked down on or separated. On the contrary, 
they were thought of as the backbone of the South, it is no 
mistake that the heroin of Gone With The Wind was Scarlett 
O'Hara.

The Irish of the North and South, although similar in many 
ways, did have some major differences. Most of the Irish in 
the South were descendants of the 'dispossessed Ulster 
Presbyterians of the Eighteenth Century'. Thus, they were 
among the early settlers in the Southern States. By the 
1780s my particular family 'Donehoo' had settled in South 
Carolina. Later on, before the Civil War began, they packed 
up and moved into North Georgia. The Irish in the South were 
extremely patriotic toward their newfound home. According to 
John Mitchel, a Protestant Irish nationalist of the time, 
they viewed the Confederacy as 'a surrogate Ireland, an 
agricultural society fighting for its way of life for self 
rule, against an Anglo-Protestant industrial state, much 
like England'.

Most of the Irish in the North, unlike their brothers of 
the South, migrated to their newfound home in the nineteenth 
century, just prior to the War, and were Catholic. Being a 
minority at the time, many doors were closed to them and 
they experienced quite a bit of discrimination. When the war 
came along they saw an opportunity not only to distinguish 
themselves as Irish Americans, but also to carve out a place 
in Northern society. Several Irish brigades were established 
as a result, and were honored for their bravery and loyalty. 
No one can deny the great contribution these men made to 
their country, but the Irish of the South were fighting for 
different reasons. 

They were fighting for their way for life, for their homes, 
and for their families and neighbors. I know that there are 
those who place a special emphasis on the fact that the 
North had several Irish Brigades made up of individuals who 
were actually born in Ireland. However, we in the South who 
are of Irish blood, also take great pride in the fact that 
our forefathers had the courage to fight an enemy who 
overwhelmed them in numbers and were better armed. In spite 
of the odds, these brave Irishmen fought and won many 
battles until they could simply go no further. My Grandfather 
described for me in detail what his Grandfather had told him 
about the terrifying sound of the 'rebel yell' as it would 
grow to a deafening crescendo across the battlefield. In my 
mind's eye I can see those ancient Irish warriors charging 
across a vast open field, swords and lances in hand, to do 
battle with a great Roman army. We Southern Protestant Irish 
are very proud of our ancestors who were so willing to give 
their all for their homeland.

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RETURN TO GOLA				by Anne Phelan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The craggy-faced fishermen return to visit 
their former island home
Where ten generations of their families had 
eked out an existence.

The Island of Gola lies a mile from the Donegal coast.
Their little boat beats its way through the choppy sea
Heading towards the lonely shore,
Where waves cream and foam over grey rocks.

A school of porpoises rolls around the boat.
The travellers land at the deserted pier
Where lobster pots still line the little quay.
The visitors stroll sadly along the empty streets and 
sheep lanes
Towards the crumbling cottages with their empty hearths
Where turf fires used to glow
Warming the islanders gathered to hear the tales of the 
local storyteller.

In the schoolhouse desks still stand in forlorn rows.
The last lesson is still clearly chalked on the blackboard.
The rollbook lists in copperplate handwriting
The names of former pupils -
Owen Roarty
Denis O'Donnell
Hugh Sweeney
Michael O'Donnell.
Where are these lads now ?
Do the next generation know of their long family history?

A storm lantern stands on a sturdy table.
A cartwheel leans against a dry stone wall
Where fishing nets still hang forever drying
An anchor and chain lie in the little yard
Where hens used to scratch.

Bartley steps reluctantly into his old home.
A picture-less frame still hangs on the wall.
He sits in the chair where his grandfather used to sit,
Smoking his dudeen.
Outside again, weeds flourish in the garden,
Once so carefully cultivated and fertilised
With seaweed laboriously drawn from the beach.
A stackeen of turf, footed by his father still stands 
by the gable.
The thatched roof is falling in.

Bartley and Donal recall how the island once teemed 
with life.
On Summer Sundays children paddled on the beaches
Mothers knitted and chatted and watched the boys and girls
Who roamed the island fearless and free.
The menfolk talked of the weather and the fishing
The way island fishermen do.

Wearily the men return to the pier.
As their wee boat cuts through the waves
They stand and watch
As the island seems to get smaller and smaller.
A silent tear courses down Bartley's weather-beaten cheek.
Then they take a deep breath
And in unison, as though rehearsed,
They turn to face the mainland,
Looking forward to arriving home to their new cottages
On the coast of Donegal
Where a warm fire and a kettle on the hob will greet them.

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IRISH QUOTATIONS OF THE MONTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Let schoolmasters puzzle their brain,
	With grammar, and nonsense, and learning,
	Good liquor, I stoutly maintain,
	Gives genius a better discerning

Oliver Goldsmith, 1728-74 'She Stoops to Conquer'

	'There are two kinds of priests', he declared. 
	'There are priests who made themselves and the 
	kind who are made by their mothers'.

John B. Keane, 1928- 'Letters of an Irish Parish Priest'

	No longer shall our children, like our cattle, 
	be brought up for export.

Eamon de Valera, 1882-1975 speech in Dail Eireann, 1934

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IRISH MOVIE REVIEW: THE FIELD		     by Dawn Hayden
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virtually everyone loves the movie 'The Quiet Man'. The sad
thing is that there are probably millions of people who 
think that this film starring John Wayne really is the way 
Ireland exists today. There is nothing wrong with that at 
all. A bit of sentimentality towards the land of our 
ancestors is not such a bad thing. But when the sentiment 
starts replacing reality then something has to be done!

A much more realistic impression of Ireland can be found by 
viewing 'The Field'. Richard Harris plays 'Bull McCabe', a 
rugged, tough countryman who lives with his wife (Brenda 
Fricker) who he has not spoken to for years and with his son 
(Sean Bean) who is confused regarding his place in the world 
especially since his older brother killed himself when he 
was just a young lad. It is the 1930's.

Together they toil over a small plot of land (the field) 
which they nourish with seaweed in the time-honored 
tradition. But they do not own the field. They rent it from 
a widow who is clearly an outsider in the community.

Trouble brews when an American (Tom Berenger) returns to the 
village to seek out his roots. Suspicion of outsiders is 
strong and the visitor causes a problem when he makes it 
clear that he wants to buy the field to allow access to a 
stone quarry he wants to build.

The 'Bull' is enraged and a plot ensues to ensure that the 
rightful owner, the man who 'made a living thing out of it', 
retains his ownership of the precious field.

This is a tremendous and powerful film and is based on an 
actual character that the author, John B. Keane, knew in 
County Kerry earlier in the century. It explores the lengths 
to which Irish people will go to secure their home and thus 
resonates with tones from the land war of the late 1800's, 
the famine earlier in that century, emigration, the fight 
for independence and the brutal existence that many Irish 
country people have endured for centuries.

In many ways this film is the reverse of 'The Quiet Man'.
It shows what Irish people can really be like.

It is brutal, fantastically acted and completely brilliant.

Dawn Hayden.

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GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PHRASE:		Cé as tú?
PRONOUNCED:	K/oss/tu
MEANING:		Where are you from?


PHRASE:		As America, is tú féin?
PRONOUNCED:	oss/America/iss/tu/feign
MEANING:		From America, and yourself?


PHRASE:		As Australia
PRONOUNCED:	oss/Australia
MEANING:		From Australia

View the archive of phrases here:

https://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.htm

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SEARCHER SITE OF THE MONTH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Irsh Genealogy Forum:

Visit at:
https://www.ireland-information.com/board/wwwboard.html

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SUPPORT THE INFORMATION ABOUT IRELAND SITE
HELP US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FREE RESOURCES

Visit our Online Store at:

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JANUARY ONLY: All orders receive our genealogy guide:

    'How to Start the Search for your Irish Roots'

...as well as 7 premium screensavers...free with your order!

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JANUARY COMPETITION RESULT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The winner was: ciaraokelly@hotmail.com

who will receive the following:

A Single Family Crest Print (decorative) (US$19.99 value)

Send us an email to claim your prize, and well done! 
Remember that all subscribers to this newsletter are 
automatically entered into the competition every time. 

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I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.
Please keep the feedback coming!

Until the next time,

STAY WARM!

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com
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