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  The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter 
                   May 2008
 
The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland 
 Now received by over 50,000 people worldwide 
      https://www.ireland-information.com 
          https://www.irishnation.com
              Copyright (C) 2008  

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		IN THIS ISSUE
=== Foreword
=== News Snaps from Ireland 
=== New free resources at the site
=== Tourist Tip #4: Using Taxis in Ireland
=== Whispers by Pat Watson
=== Isle of Mist by Carole Kenney
=== Brian Boru - the Last High King of Ireland
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
========

Hello again from Ireland where the new Government 
under Brian Cowen is still in its infancy. There 
were amazing scenes at Leinster House when the 
new Taoiseach left to receive his seal of office 
(see the news-snaps below).

If you have an article or story about Ireland then 
please do send it in,

Until next month,

Michael

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=======================
NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
=======================

BRIAN COWEN IS NEW TAOISEACH

The new leader of Ireland is Brain Cowen who hails 
from County Offaly. Amidst triumphant scenes 
outside Leinster House (where the Irish parliament 
is seated) the new Fianna Fail leader made his way 
to the Phoenix Park where he received his seal of 
office from President Mary McAleese at Aras an 
Uachtarain (residence of the Irish President)

His first order of business was a cabinet 
reshuffle where he took the opportunity to promote 
Mary Coughlan to Tanaiste. Brian Lenihan was 
appointed Minister for Finance. Reform of the 
Public Service and improvements in the Health 
Service were cited by Brian Cowen as his 
immediate priorities.

BERTIE AHERN ADDRESSES US CONGRESS

One of his last acts as Taoiseach of Ireland was 
for Bertie Ahern to address the US Joint Houses 
of Congress. The speech delivered by the 
long-serving Dubliner was very well received in 
both the US and in Ireland. Directing his words 
to Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of 
Representatives, Bertie Ahern remarked 
'I am so proud, Madam Speaker, to be the first 
Irish leader to inform the United States' 
Congress: Ireland is at peace.'

Senator Ted Kennedy  was among the first to 
congratulate:
'It was a magnificent speech. It was 
extraordinarily well received'.

View the full speech here:

https://www.ireland-information.com/articles/bertieahernspeechtouscongress.htm

POPULATION GROWTH TO CONTINUE

The rapid increase in the population of Ireland is 
set to increase over the coming decades. The 
Central Statistics Office has revealed that the 
population could top 7 M.illion people by 2050. 
Improvements in healthcare will prolong average 
longevity with the number of pensioners likely to 
triple in number by 2041, causing a major pensions 
payment headache. At this rate of increase the 
population of the country will exceed that during 
pre-famine times well before the end of the 
century.

The government is very concerned with the lack of 
response to its repeated warnings regarding 
pensions. 1 in every 4 worker in Ireland has no 
pension in place and will have to rely on the 
state pension as their only means of support. The 
prospect of compulsory pensions remains a 
possibility.

HOUSING DOWNTURN CONTINUES

Registrations for new houses to be built in 2009 
continue to lag way behind those for previous 
years and unless there is a sharp upturn in 
registrations in the second half of the year 
then the construction industry will continue to 
be depressed for some time yet. Registrations 
are down by 62% for the first third of 2008 
compared to 2007.

Predictions of the completion of 40,000 housing 
units in 2008 compared to 75,000 completed in 
2007 fully illustrates the decline in building 
activity. Economic growth for the Irish economy 
for 2008 and 2009 varies between 1% and 3%, 
depending on who you listen to. In the longer 
term though the outlook for the Irish construction 
industry continues to be bright, especially given 
the expected increase in population that is 
expected and the huge government infrastructure 
projects that are already underway.

16 IRISH SITES AMONG WORLDS MOST HISTORIC

A recent book that lists the 1001 most important 
historic sites worldwide has included 16 sites 
in Ireland. Among the 16 are:
The Guinness Brewery, Blarney Castle, Hill of Tara, 
Clonmacnoise, Derry town walls, Dublin Castle, 
The GPO, Kilmainham Gaol, Newgrange and The Rock 
of Cashel. 

Amazingly, Scellig Michael and The Giants Causeway 
did not make the list!
 
HISTORIC BAN ON CLUSTER BOMBS AGREED IN DUBLIN

Diplomats from 109 countries have signed up to 
a treaty that will ban the use of deadly 'cluster 
bombs'. The conference to thrash out the treaty 
was held in Dublin and promoted by outgoing 
Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern. British 
Premier Gordon Brown intervened late in the 
process to throw British support behind the 
treaty in what was seen as a major boost, despite 
the reservations of his own military advisers.

Amnesty International heaped broad praise on the 
Irish Government for its active involvement 
making the treaty a reality. The worlds largest 
users and manufacturers of these bombs all 
opposed the treaty (United States, India, China, 
Pakistan, Israel and Russia).

The treaty is expected to be ratified in December 
with the weapons being completely banned and  
remaining stockpiles destroyed within 8 years.


Voice your opinion on these news issues here:

https://www.ireland-information.com/newsletterboard/wwwboard.html

==============================
NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
==============================

NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 5 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:

K: Keller, Kilbane
M: Melton
S: Stonem, Stroud

View the Gallery here:

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

THE PERFECT WEDDING, ANNIVERSARY OR BIRTHDAY GIFT!
We now have over 100,000 worldwide names available.
Get the Coat of Arms Print, Claddagh Ring,
Screensaver, Watch, T-Shirt Transfer or Clock for
your name at:

https://www.irishnation.com/familycrestgifts.htm


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TOURIST TIP #4: USING TAXIS IN IRELAND
======================================

Different countries have different protocols when 
hailing a taxi. Some countries adopt a 'free for 
all' where punters nearly fight each other for 
their ride home. Some other countries are a bit 
more restrained! Ireland would be in the mid-range 
of these two experiences and with the recent 
de-regulation of the taxi industry it is a lot 
easier to get a taxi than it used to be.

ON THE STREET: Taxis can be hailed virtually 
anywhere and at any time simply by raising your 
hand, waving or otherwise getting the attention 
of the driver (if you can whistle then that will 
help).

When hailing a taxi in this fashion try to 
position yourself at a part of a road or street 
where any available taxi will have a certain 
amount of space to drive into and stop, without 
causing too much inconvenience to traffic behind. 
Bus stops are often good places to hail taxis 
from as there is often a lay-by cut into the 
pathways for busses to veer into when collecting 
passengers. Taxi-drivers are also well used to 
picking up passengers from near bus-stops.

You can hail a taxi going in the opposite 
direction that you want to go but unless the 
driver can make a U-turn then you will have to 
cross over to the other side of the road.

Taxis are supposed to have their yellow 
roof-signs lit brightly to indicate that they 
are available but this is not always done and 
it is common practice to hail a taxi even if 
the roof-light is off.

AT A TAXI-RANK: Most cities and towns have 
taxi-ranks that are well serviced by cars. 
Depending on the time of the day (or how late at 
night it is) there may be significant queues. At 
least by queueing you are guaranteed to get a 
car, the alternative being to wander around hoping 
to grab a taxi on the street (not an experience to 
be recommended in Dublin City in the small hours). 
At Dublin airport the only effective way to get 
a taxi is at the taxi rank so use it!

BY TELEPHONE: Taxis can be ordered by telephone 
and this can be very useful when planning your 
trip to the airport or other important 
destination. Often Hotels or B&Bs will order a 
car for you if requested. Bear in mind that this 
will be a bit more expensive than the other 
methods described of getting a car but when you 
absolutely have to have a taxi then this is the 
surest option. Ordering a car at peak times 
however can result in big delays and some 
taxi-services may even decline your order if they 
are too busy (ordering well in advance can prevent 
this).

When you order a taxi by telephone don't be 
surprised if you receive an unmarked car rather 
than an obvious taxi. Many operators use 'hackney 
cabs' for their telephone business and this is 
perfectly legal and in order. Hackney licences do 
not allow the driver to pick up fares from a taxi 
rank or from off the street.

DISABLED AND GROUP TAXIS: The quality of vehicles 
being used by taxi companies has improved greatly 
in recent years. Vehicles that are wheelchair 
friendly are readily available but you will need 
to book them in advance. Similarly it is possible 
to book a 10-seater taxi if you have a group of 
friends travelling to an event.

DECORUM: Most taxi-drivers are decent people 
simply trying to make a living and will be glad 
to offer you advice on where to go or stay. It 
helps though to have a very good idea of where 
your destination is (the exact address) as many 
of the newer drivers will not be overly familiar 
with all of the locations and will use their 
Sat-Nav to guide them. You are entitled to decide 
on the route you wish to take.

Tipping is commonplace - giving a driver a twenty 
euro note for a fare of 18 euro would be typical, 
for example.

The very first thing you do when you get into a 
taxi or cab is to note the drivers name and 
number (this is good advice for any country). 
If no I.D. is immediately obvious then do not 
take the ride as such a car may be manned by 
an uninsured driver.

Most taxis will only accept 4 passengers (unless 
their vehicle is otherwise capable), which is 1 
in the front and 3 in the back maximum.

If you have a complaint or have left property in 
the taxi then you can contact the taxi service 
you used or the Irish taxi regulator at 
www.taxiregulator.ie (you do have the driver name, 
I.D. or registration number don't you?)

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=============
WHISPERS 
by Pat Watson
=============
            
Having just qualified as a national teacher, Jimmy 
applied for a number of jobs, permanent and 
temporary. In the nineteen thirties jobs were 
scarce and all he got was a temporary post in a 
two-teacher country school. The Master, who was 
also the principle, had got a heart attack. The 
aging female assistant taught the infant classes 
so he took third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes, 
six to thirteen-year-olds. The mixed school 
worried him a bit as he had only ever attended 
all boys schools. 

The management board, which consisted of the 
Old Parish Priest, assured him that good digs 
had been booked for him adjacent to the school. 
On the Sunday evening, having taken himself, his 
luggage and his bicycle off the Dublin train at 
Athlone, he cycled the ten miles to Coolmore 
parochial house that was beside the school.

'Just a mile up the byroad there,' the Parish 
Priest said after he showed him the school. The 
Widow Malone's house is the one with the slated 
room. The poor woman's husband died last year 
and she needs the money and of course she has 
the slated room. At that time whenever a legacy 
came from America people who lived in thatched 
houses would build a two-story-slated room on 
to the end of the house.

Having cycled for a few miles he arrived for the 
evening meal. The widow, a buxom woman in her 
forties introduced him to her seven daughters, 
all striking redheads ranging in ages from nine 
to nineteen. Starting with the youngest she gave 
their names as, Mary, Third Class, Meabh, Fourth 
Class, Mina, Fifth Class, Maureen, Sixth Class, 
Nance, Delia and Lorna who worked in the local 
pub. She had auburn hair, huge brown eyes and 
the most dazzling smile he had ever seen.

Where were they all going to sleep? Not to worry, 
Upstairs in the slated room was his. It was en 
suite, that is, it had a wooden washstand, 
complete with basin, ewer full of water and 
waste bucket. The privy was out behind the 
cowshed. As well as underwear she would wash 
three shirts and seven collars weekly for him. 
Shirt collars were held on with studs in those 
days. Jimmy had grown up in Dublin with all 
modern conveniences, electricity, running water 
and proper bathroom. He and his younger brother 
had their own rooms. He had been thrown in at 
the deep end a week before his twenty-first 
birthday.

School went grand even though he had four children 
with whom he lived. As they sat down for the 
evening meal, Mary announced that the turkey was 
lying. From the glances that ran round the table 
he felt he should say something. 

'Is she sick?' Peels of laughter followed. He 
felt his face redden.
'Stud' said Delia from under the laughter.
'Did she swallow a stud'? 
This time the laughter went totally out of 
control.
'Is that how they do it in Dublin?' followed by 
more laughter.
'Leave the poor man alone,' said the widow.
'He's from Dublin and doesn't understand those 
things'
At this time every rural village had a strong 
farmers wife who held a turkey cock at stud.
  
Noticing his extreme embarrassment, Lorna tried 
to smother the laughter. For five years now she 
had been ogled by beer swilling, bar stool 
boors, none of whom enhanced her view of men. 
Now she had her very own tall, tame, tanned, 
teetotal teacher living in her house, she was 
not about to let him escape. She was sure she 
would have the support of her mother and sisters, 
except perhaps, Nance and Delia who might fancy 
their own chances. She would ask her mothers 
advice.

'Take him to the whispering arch at Seven 
Churches' her mother said but 'Don't tell him 
anything about it, just start a little whispering 
and take it from there.' Seven Churches was the 
local name for Clonmacnoise.

In the fifteenth century Dean Odo Malone of 
Clonmacnoise commissioned a great sculptor to 
carve and fit a new stone door surround on the 
north side of the cathedral. Into this surround 
he cut several half pipes going right over the 
top and down both sides. If words are whispered 
into one of those half pipes on one side, a 
listener with an ear to the other side can pick 
up the whisper clearly. However a voice will not 
carry in the pipes. The speaker has to face the 
wall but the listener has a rear view of the 
whisperer. A conversation between a young couple 
is much more romantic when whispered through 
ancient stone pipes even if one party didn't 
realise that the chat was meant to be romantic 
in the first place. 

They would cycle there after school. He always 
wanted to visit Saint Kieran's holy city.

The ruins of the cathedral that was burned down 
by the British hundreds of years ago stand in the 
middle of a walled graveyard. There are the 
various superstitions that have grown since. 
That's why the mother advised the special visit.

When he had climbed to the four steps to the top 
of the stile he turned and took her outstretched 
hand to help her up. As there was very little 
space on the top step and she was afraid of 
heights he had to hold on to her as he helped her 
down. She giggled and he blushed. As the ground 
was uneven across the graves they had to hold 
hands for balance. There was nobody about only 
old Mary Martin down in the new graveyard tending 
her husband's grave. By the time they reached the 
doorway Lorna thought she had a midge in her eye. 
While bending over her upturned face he thought 
he removed it with his handkerchief. Again she 
giggled and again he blushed.

Jimmy was enthralled by the complete round tower 
and even more so by the incomplete round tower. 
'Why is it incomplete' he asked.
'Put your ear to the wall and you'll hear what 
happened.'
 When he did he heard her whispered reply,
'A lovers tiff, when his lover jilted him for the 
builder he climbed up and started knocking the 
tower. All efforts to stop him failed until the 
lover promised to come back to him but then the 
builder refused to repair the damage and so it 
remains to this day.' 
'Is this true?' 
'Many people round Seven Churches think so.' 
'Do you believe it?' 
'It's a good romantic story and I love romance.'
'Have you much experience?'
'Very little, where would it come from in a 
place like this, but sure we live in hope, what 
about you?
'Totally lacking experience but now that I'm 
working I might make up for lost time.' Every 
time he turned his head to listen and watch, she 
became more desirable. Little did he know that 
her mind was made up since Sunday evening when 
first she set eyes on him? Then again, hadn't 
he been completely bowled over by her beauty 
from the start?

That was how their conversation continued over 
the next half hour, each whispering their piece 
to the wall then watching the back of the others 
head while listening to the reply.

They didn't notice old Mary approaching from 
behind.
'It's grand to see young lovers using the arch', 
she said, 
'Fifty seven years ago my Paddy whispered his 
proposal and I whispered my yes. Fifty seven 
years of love and contentment we've had, thank 
you Dean Odo' she said looking up at the arch. 
'How long is he dead now?'
'He went with the daffodils, he's making a straw 
sugan chair for me in heaven, he'll have it ready 
for me for Christmas.' She then turned to Jimmy, 
placed a bony hand on his arm and with the 
slanting September sun from Connaught shining on 
her face, she looked him straight in the eye and 
said, 
'This is the most important day in your life, 
don't let it slip away.' This time they both 
blushed. After she left Jimmy found himself saying 
to the stone, 'Give me a kiss!' as he turned to 
seek reaction instead of answering she was smiling 
up at him in gorgeous, glowing, glorious 
anticipation.

Before she rounded the corner of the cathedral 
old Mary looked back at the embracing couple, 
smiled a wrinkly smile, turned and shuffled off 
toward heaven.

~~~

'Whispers' is one of sixty lyrical yarns from 
'Original Irish Stories' by Pat Watson, 
Creagh, Bealnamulla, Athlone, Ireland. 
First published in March 2006.
Get your copy from here:
http://www.myirishstories.com

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================
ISLE OF MIST 
by Carole Kenney
================

Dear Michael,

I'm enclosing a poem I wrote about Ireland upon 
return from a trip there to visit my cousins near 
Bunratty Castle.  Hope you like it!


             Isle of Mist

All the shades of lavender and gray
Drift in water color - run
Down purple slopes, and offer up to day
Young maidens formed from mist,
Their veils afloat, their hair undone,
Rising ghostly and by heather kissed.
These virgins who have never seen the sun
Gather tufts of purple, sprigs of gold 
Within their gauzy robes-  do not delay
To gather so much more than they can hold,
They stumble, roll down hills and on the way,
Let fall some dabs of gold and purple flame,
And who could blame these wood nymphs 
       for their zeal
In hiding from the eye,  that we might feel.

Carole Kenney

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BRIAN BORU - THE LAST HIGH KING OF IRELAND
==========================================

The line between Irish Legend and Irish Myth 
have often been blurred, especially as the 
retelling of heroic deeds has been passed on 
through generations. 

Brian Boru was no legend although his life deeds 
were legendary. He was very much a real man and 
was in fact the last great High King of Ireland 
and perhaps the greatest military leader the 
country has ever known. 

Brian Boru was born Brian Mac Cennetig. He mother 
was sister to the mother of Conor, the King of 
Connaught. 

His brother, Mahon, had become King of Munster in 
951, upon the death of their father, Cennetig. 
Together they fought against the invading Norsemen, 
who had imposed taxes in Munster. This struggle 
eventually led to the murder of Mahon in 975 Mahon 
by the Ostermen (Norse). Brian avenged his 
brother's death by killing the King of the 
Ostermen of Limerick, King Imar. 

From this point onwards Brian held Munster as his 
own, including the pivotal trade-centre of 
Limerick. He marched into Connaught and Leinster 
and joined forces with Mael Sechnaill II in 997. 
Together they divided Ireland between them. 

The Norse settlers in Dublin especially ranged 
against Brian but were defeated at Glen Mama 
where the King of Leinster was captured. The 
King of Dublin, Sitric Silkenbeard, was soon 
defeated too. 

In 1002 Brian demanded of his comrade Mael 
Sechnaill that he recognize him as King of 
Ireland. Mael agreed, partially because many of 
his own people viewed Brian as a hero who had 
restored Ireland to greatness after the Viking 
invasions. The rule of the UiNeill's was thus 
at an end as a non-O'Neill was proclaimed as 
King. The O'Neill's had been rulers for over 
600 years. 

He earned his name as 'Brian of the Tributes' 
(Brian Boru) by collecting tributes from the 
minor rulers of Ireland and used the monies 
raised to restore monasteries and libraries 
that had been destroyed during the invasions. 

The Norsemen were not done yet however, and 
once more waged war on Brian Boru and his 
followers at Clontarf in Dublin in 1014. The 
King of Connaught, Tadhg O'Conor refused to 
ally with Brian against the Ostermen although 
Ui Fiachrach Aidne and Ui Maine did join with 
him. 

Despite the lack of backing from the men of 
Connaught, the Munstermen won the day but 
lost Brian Boru in the battle. This battle was 
a major turning point as it finally subjugated 
the Norse presence in Ireland who were 
henceforth considered subordinate to the 
Kingships of Ireland. Their military threat 
had been ended and they retreated to the urban 
centres of Dublin, Waterford, Limerick, Wexford, 
and Cork. They eventually became completely 
hibernicized and integrated into Gaelic culture. 

After his death and the death of one of his sons, 
his remaining sons, Tadg and Donnchad, were 
unable to assume the kingship which was assumed 
by Mael Sechnaill. He died in 1022 after which 
the role of High King of Ireland became more of 
a position in name only, rather than that of a 
powerful ruler. 

Perhaps the best that should be said of Brian 
Boru therefore, is that he was the last great 
High King of Ireland. 


You can get more Ireland Travel Information here:

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

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===========================
GAELIC PHRASES OF THE MONTH
===========================

PHRASE:		Ta athas/bron/fearg/ocras/tart orm 
PRONOUNCED:	taw aw-iss/broin/farg/ock-ros/tart urr-im
MEANING:		I am happy/sorry/angry/hungry/thirsty

PHRASE:		Ta tu mall/go luath/go halainn/ard/go tapaidh
PRONOUNCED:	taw two moll/guh loo-ah/guh hall-inn/ard/guh top-igg
MEANING:		You are late/early/beautful/tall/fast

PHRASE:		Ta se te/fuar/fliuch/tirim amach
PRONOUNCED:	taw shay teh/fuirr/fluch/tirrim amock
MEANING:		It is hot/cold/wet/dry outside

View the archive of phrases here:

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

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The winner was: a.j.hickey@ntlworld.com
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A Single Family Crest Print (decorative) 
(US$19.99 value)

Send us an email to claim your print, and well 
done! Remember that all subscribers to this 
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competition every time. 

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I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next time,

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com

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