My Jimdo Geocities Lifeboat
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By Courtney Mares
Vatican City, Nov 13, 2024 / 12:35 pm
The Vatican and Microsoft have created a 3D digital model of St. Peter’s Basilica using the latest in artificial intelligence to offer a new way to experience the nearly 2,000-year history of the tomb of St. Peter.
Accessible worldwide at virtual.basilicasanpietro.va, the free interactive platform allows anyone in the world to “visit” the virtual 3D model of St. Peter’s Basilica, generated using AI from more than 400,000 high-resolution images of the basilica taken by drones using advanced photogrammetry techniques.
Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith launched the 3D “digital twin” of the basilica at a press conference this week at the Vatican.
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STUDENTS: A new survey on campus free expression has found that 63% of Canadian undergraduate students fear professional consequences for expressing their honest thoughts and opinions during class.
Some of the formal sanctions students fear are being given lower grades by their instructor, having an instructor refuse to write them a letter of recommendation, or having a classmate file a complaint against them. But students also feared social consequences, such as being criticized by a peer on social media or being disliked by their professor.
https://tnc.news/2024/11/12/canadian-students-fear-expressing-opinions-class3/
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Imagine a mind that’s constantly buzzing, leaping from one thought to the next, struggling to filter out the noise of a world that feels perpetually turned up to 11.
That’s the experience of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a reality I know intimately. It has profoundly shaped my journey as a scientist, from the setbacks of my early years to the discoveries I’ve made in my laboratory.
My journey was like navigating a rushing stream in a rickety boat, constantly bumping against rocks and obstacles, getting sidetracked by every intriguing path that appears along the banks. School days often ended in exhaustion, not just from the mental exertion of trying to learn in a whirlwind of distractions, but from the sheer effort of trying to fit in. By second grade, I had collected a series of labels: “lazy,” “unmotivated,” “disruptive,” even “lost cause.” My teacher, exasperated by my inability to conform, even wanted to hold me back
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Virtual War Memorial Australia
https://vwma.org.au/research-links
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Kennelly Search
https://vwma.org.au/public/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Kennelly++&commit=Search
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McMahon search
https://vwma.org.au/public/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=mcmahon+&commit=Search
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Stack search
Virtual War Memorial Australia
https://vwma.org.au/public/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=stack&commit=Search
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Family History event
https://ifhs.ie/event/save-the-date-ifhs-annual-day-of-lectures/?instance_id=116
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Chairman of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association Post 2, Con ‘Rocky’ Roche, Castleisland (left) presenting his colleague John Wade, Listowel with the Frontline Emergency Security Services Eire Forum Medal at their AGM in The Kingdom House / Fountain Bar in Castleisland in January 2023. Mr. Wade is the first UN veteran in Kerry to be awarded the medal. The men will deliver a talk and demonstration of the involvement of locals in the various UN peacekeeping missions over the years at the museum next month on a date to be confirmed.
http://www.mainevalleypost.com/2024/08/17/heritage-week-plans-for-castleisland-community-museum/
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In the middle of the eighteenth century, the economies of the United Kingdom and France were booming. Mills across the region churned out flour, textiles, and lumber. Their machinery was powered by flowing water, harnessed by an old technology—the water wheel. As demand for power increased, Europe’s top scientists and engineers tried to create a better wheel.
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SCATTERY ISLAND TURAS organised by Kerry’s Cumann na Sagart
will take place on Wed 5th June.Pilgrims meet at Kilrush Pier at 12.30pm
sharp for the one hour guided island tour followed by Aifreann Dé in
honour of St. Senan .Booking with €30 fee by May 31st to Fr. Eoghan
O’Cadhla S.P. (087 6951318) or Fr. Tomás O’Luanaigh (087 2213799
N.B. The Tarbert to Killimer Ferry is on a half hourly schedule – Contact
065-9053124.
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Heaven: An Unexpected Journey
By Jim Woodford with Dr. Thom Gardner
A successful pilot, Jim was ambivalent about God until the day he lay clinically dead for hours in a hospital bed. In this moving book, he describes his experience of Heaven — and how being in the presence of Christ irrevocably changed his life.
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The Princes in the Tower
By Philippa Langley
Was King Richard III responsible for the disappearance of his nephews, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York? Fresh discoveries shed light on the Tower of London’s centuries-old cold case in this riveting historical investigation from the acclaimed coauthor of The King’s Grave.
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Some flowers from a variety of locations during April and May 2024
Video link
https://youtu.be/AxArK1yoenc
Filename
Flowers April May 2024.wmv
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Taxpayers on hook for “climate disinformation” rap
https://youtu.be/l4FKqw4HDLQ?si=f-O895y-s8IloLL2
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Notes Tom Aherne 6 March 2024
MARY MULLINS: The death has occurred of Mary (May) Mullins Drominbeesom Newcastle West and formerly of Glendiheen Ardagh. She passed away peacefully in her 104th year, in the wonderful care of the nurses and staff at the Camellia Unit, St Ita’s Community Hospital on Friday February 23. May is predeceased by her parents William (Bill) and Mary Jane, brothers Paddy and William James, sisters Margaret, Hannah and Kit and David Mc Enery. Her remains were removed on Saturday March 2, to the Church of the Assumption, Abbeyfeale to arrive for Requiem Mass at 11am. May was laid to rest afterwards in Reilig Íde Naofa, Abbeyfeale. Sympathy to Bridget Mc Enery ( Dromtrasna Collins Abbeyfeale ) her best friend, Mairéad, Siobhán, and John Mc Enery, other relatives and friends. The Mullins family lived about 2 miles away from where I grew up, on a farm where Ardagh and Kilcolman parish met. She lived her life working away in the Newcastle West area. Aged 103 years she may have been the oldest person that ever came from the Ardagh/Carrigkerry parish. May she rest in Peace.
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DANCING AWARD: The 2024 All Ireland Oireachtas Rince na hÉireann dancing championships were held in Killarney in mid-February. The official honouree for 2024 went to Margaret Dunleavy from Charlestown County Mayo and originally from Kilcolman in Limerick. Margaret was honoured on Tuesday February 13, for her lifetime of dedication to Irish dancing. The presentation was organised by Mona Roddy-Lennon who gave a beautiful speech covering all of Margaret’s achievements. Members of Comhairle Connacht held a lovely reception afterwards and joined Margaret on stage. Margaret received cards, gifts, text messages and all in attendance congratulated and chatted to her.
Margaret Hanley grew up in Kilcolman attending the local school and she learned Irish step dancing from the Dalton School of Dancing in Johnny Reidy’s Hall. She had two sisters Marie and Esther, and she won many awards, before moving away to Birmingham to work. She met and married Mick Dunleavy from Mayo. They settled in Charlestown, and she continued her love of dancing. There she kept in contact with the Kilcolman area through family and later school friends.
Margaret is widely respected in the Irish dancing world for dedicating her life to teaching and instilling the love of Irish dancing in so many people. She has served as Chairperson of the Connacht Council for 8 years, being available to meet and greet people, as she worked at the door as they attended provincial, Irish and World competitions. Continued good health and happiness to Margaret in the future.
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TRIPLET Calves; A dairy farmer in Co. Kerry has told Agriland how his uncle, who is a priest, has encouraged him to keep surprise Belgian Blue triplet calves that were recently born on his farm.
Pat Talbot who is farming in Aghadoe, close to Killarney, said the mother of the bull calves, a Friesian cow now in her seventh lactation, was expected to have twins.
“It’s a nice surprise, she was scanned in calf to twins alright but she had the third one.
“She calved herself, more or less. I was with her but she calved away herself,” he said.
The cow had been put in calf through artificial insemination (AI) using a Munster Bovine bull.
https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/priest-urges-kerry-farmer-to-keep-surprise-triplet-bull-calves/
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I thought you would be interested in this story from The Times:
Maureen Sweeney.
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February 14, 2023 at 3:37 am
Sean O’Grady in Guestbook
My brother posted in 2011 as we sought more family history. Thomas O’Grady (born in Moyvane in 1898) is my grandfather. It appears the Horan and Keane families have females who are siblings of my grandfather. We are coming to Ireland in May and seeking anyone who can tell us more about our grandfather’s organization of the Volunteers in Newtownsandes and his time fighting for the cause. Our family history says he fled for America in 1923 after time in Mt Joy and Tuam. Any information is appreciated!
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High Carbon products
https://www.campaignasia.com/article/should-advertising-of-high-carbon-products-be-banned/493315
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LISTOWEL EMMETS: Cathal Keane, Ciarán Pierse, Niall Collins (0-1), Eddie Healy (0-1), Cormac Mulvihill (0-2), Eddie Browne, Micheál Kennedy, Joe Joe Grimes, Darragh Leahy, Jack McElligott, Jamie McVeigh, Ger McCarthy, Bryan Sweeney, Seán Keane (0-2, 1f), David Keane (0-3f) Subs: Darragh Lynch for D Leahy, half-time, Sam Tarrant (0-1f) for D Keane, 49, Adam O’Rourke for B Sweeney, 55, Jake Moriarty for G McCarthy, 56, Cillian Holly for J McVeigh, 57 Black Card: Ger McCarthy, 45-56
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This desire for these "affordable luxuries" is common in difficult economic times. Some economists refer to the phenomenon as the "lipstick index": a small economic bump led by budget-conscious consumers seeking out relatively affordable splurges, like small cosmetics and perfumes.
Analysts at Deloitte say that the coming year will see consumers spending on little luxuries from the food and beverage sectors, like specialty coffees and snacks as well as premium spirits. Additionally, stressed-out shoppers are prioritising small splurge purchases in the wellness and personal-care sectors. They're buying small "glamour" items like they have in similar circumstances in the past, but they're also increasingly interested in self-care products, such as anti-ageing serums and "clean" skincare.
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One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington, D.C. is there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument. With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. On the aluminium cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., are displayed two words:
Laus Deo .
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less. Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, over looking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America. Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world. So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say:
'Praise be to God!'
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation,
Laus Deo - 'Praise be to God! '
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant, a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice. When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was
laid on July 4th, 1848, deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society.
Praise be to God!
Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy,
'One Nation, Under God!
I am awed by George Washington's prayer for America. Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!
'Almighty God. We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.'
Laus Deo!
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Recent uploads pictures
https://www.flickr.com/photos/20734873@N08/
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THE Cantillon Conference 2024 in its tenth yea, will be hosted by Grett O’Connor, and will take place on March 7 at Ballygarry Estate Hotel, Tralee.
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Kevin Wells Blogs- January 15, 2024
Today marks the 91st anniversary of an event that led to one of the greatest movements of rescue of the poor, humiliated and rejected in the history of the world. When the Blessed Mother visited a 13-year-old peasant girl in a tiny frozen-over Belgian village, the long-suffering fate of the universe of the forgotten ones began to shift.
As the Catholic Church calls to mind the poverty-stricken during Poverty Awareness Month, it is fitting to tell the story of the incomprehensible — but very true — events that unfolded when Our Lady visited a poor girl named Mariette Beco on a moonless winter night in 1933. Mary spoke just 91 words in her eight visits to the backwater of Banneux, Belgium. But it was those words — courteously spoken in a manner suited for a country girl — that spurred one of the greatest accounts in Church history of Our Lady’s intermediary work through a single man — Washington, D.C., native Venerable Aloysius Schwartz.
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Diagnosing What Ails Catholic Parishes!
Blog
Diagnosing What Ails Catholic Parishes!
by Marcel LeJeune
My toe was so painful, I could barely walk, much less continue training for a marathon. It was swollen to almost twice the normal size, and I knew something was wrong. So, I went to a podiatrist, who diagnosed overtraining as the issue. He gave me shots and a prescription (which helped in the short term). But, he misdiagnosed my underlying illness. It wasn’t overtraining, it was psoriatic arthritis (an autoimmune disease). Much later I was correctly diagnosed by a rheumatologist who helped me find an appropriate treatment plan, which took years to accomplish. It was a hard and painful time.
A misdiagnosis of an illness means treatments may not work and in some cases can even make the illness worse. In a similar way, this may happen in Catholic dioceses and parishes. The symptoms of our problems are obvious - decline in numbers, fewer young people, low priestly vocations, etc. But, many have misdiagnosed the underlying illness. We look at the symptoms and blame them on various issues (e.g., “we haven’t catechized well”, clericalism, loss of reverence, immorality, the sexual revolution, etc). While these are not unimportant issues, they aren’t the root cause of our illness.
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SOHO — This fall, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral has welcomed three special fleece-covered guests, who roam the cemetery behind the landmark church, offering a rare sight to onlookers walking along Mott St.
Sheep are symbolic in Christianity, as they are called to be the flock of God. (Photo: Alicia Venter)
The “SoHo Sheep” — named Patrick, Faustina, and Fleece Witherspoon by the top donors that have helped finance their stay at the basilica — are back there, for the first time since the start of the COVID pandemic. They’re restoring a tradition that dates back to 2014, in which the trio of lambs graze in the grass in the church’s North Cemetery, bringing a feeling of peace to the historic church grounds.
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Kerry pharmaceutical company Astellas has applied for planning for its production facility in Tralee.
Astellas invest more than €330million in a facility at Kerry Technology Park on lands owned by the IDA.
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(1704-1761), Possible Founder of part of West Cork Huguenot Community, Descendant Matthew Belsange/Belsaigne, Freeman of Cork Landlord, Dunmanway Union, Kilmurray East, 1847
durrushistory
Nov 3
Mathieu (also spelled Matthew) Belsaigne, buried Innishannon, (1704-1761), Possible Founder of part of West Cork Huguenot Community, Descendant Matthew Belsange/Belsaigne, Freeman of Cork Landlord, Dunmanway Union, Kilmurray East, 1847
Click here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SJ84t_biVTaFSFXfrP-l8sZaSEK_FLfVUMnddZuSz6o/edit
Durrus, Mizen, Caheragh, Bandon, Kinsale West Cork Huguenot Families
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qeKIlUN4YVRMp2z5ZqXBCOMlyDGWgQavWIhAyqCMt3k/edit
Mathew Belsange/Belsaigne
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By: Morgan Godvin
October 28, 2023
The icon indicates free access to the linked research on JSTOR.
Portland wasn’t always a hipster utopia; as recently as the 1960s it was little more than a “stodgy town with a beautiful landscape.” Yet as far back as 1962, something was afoot at Portland State University. Its yearbooks took on a distinctly artistic flavor, replacing the traditional format with large, captionless photographs of life in and around the city.
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ROME – As the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies on the Gaza Strip, so too does diplomatic activity intended to prevent a wider regional conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, for instance, currently is setting new records for frequent flyer miles in a single week, visiting virtually every Middle Eastern capital of note.
Amid this diplomatic frenzy, one interesting bit of subtext is the growing exchange between the Vatican and Iran, most recently expressed Sunday afternoon in a phone call between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Pope Francis. That conversation followed another a week before between Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Notably, both conversations were initiated at the Iranians’ request, according to statements afterwards from both sides.
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The firm, which provides water to the vast majority of people in London and the surrounding areas, released about 72bn litres of sewage discharge into the river since 2020, new figures reveal.
If you’re struggling to picture it, think of it this way: that’s roughly the same as 29,000 Olympic swimming pools full to the brim with effluent.
https://www.indy100.com/news/thames-water-sewage-discharge
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(JTA) — Israel is evacuating Kiryat Shemona, a town of more than 20,000 people near Israel’s border with Lebanon, following repeated exchanges of fire with the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and ahead of a planned ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The announcement early Friday comes after nearly two weeks of combat with Hamas on the Gaza border in Israel’s south, and after ongoing clashes with Hezbollah in which there have been casualties on both sides of Israel’s northern border. For days, Israel has been on the verge of an incursion into Gaza, and seeks to prevent the conflict from escalating on its other fronts.
Like Hamas, Hezbollah is backed by Iran, and has intensified its engagement with Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, but the exchange of rocket fire has not yet escalated into a full scale conflagration.
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Parliamentary speech on excess deaths
https://youtu.be/97qRUqYLNu0?si=OzOWP-wpHJxQ6vjN
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The Impossible Build- Aug 25, 2023
Energy mega projects like offshore wind power fields have been booming lately but for some reason America has stopped building them. Is offshore wind power really the future and what is the real reason America has stopped build these wind farms? Today we explore the insane engineering and problems behind offshore wind power.
https://youtu.be/CgjOp_1QsOo?si=-WtMXQvJoT-m3B10
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A warning about a potential dystopian future from Mr Philipp Kruse, international lawyer, based in Zurich, Switzerland.
https://youtu.be/_lyeO9IqJzc?si=nwG9U6YT-SCH7c9z
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Improve Memory by AVOIDING These Drugs
https://youtu.be/16n80OQCVSM?si=NRzZVLlYpotqqjjC
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anticholinergic drug
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Trump Speech Live: Donald Trump lashes out at Joe Biden in New Hampshire | US News Live | WION Live
https://www.youtube.com/live/3unYRRdg368?si=sIMxLunNQqOeTmtj
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"Today's sentencing demonstrates that those who attempted to undermine the workings of American democracy will be held criminally accountable," said FBI Director Christopher Wray yesterday. And U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said that those who used "force against their own government to prevent the peaceful transfer of power have now been held accountable."
In other words, both Wray and Graves are satisfied that Tarrio had been held adequately accountable despite the fact that he ended up with a sentence that was a decade less than what the DOJ had advocated for. Their goal was securing a maximum sentence for Tarrio and others, not a sentence just long enough to hold them accountable for his crimes.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGtwzkmhMVWdNZcNBvrvCRSjWZB
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As a True North supporter, I don’t need to tell you that the legacy media in Canada has lost the trust of Canadians.
But it’s interesting to think about exactly why that is.
And, in the same vein, why True North has been so successful.
The legacy media insists that the news media industry is in jeopardy.
But that’s not true – independent outlets like ours are flourishing.
The legacy media insists that news outlets can’t exist without massive government bailouts.
But that’s not true – we have succeeded without taking a penny of Trudeau’s bailout.
The legacy media would have you believe that independent outlets like ours are somehow less trustworthy than they are.
But that’s not true either. Canadians are flocking to True North in massive numbers precisely because we are trustworthy. And every week on our Fake News Friday podcast, we demonstrate how the biggest purveyor of disinformation is the legacy media itself!
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In the Name of Humanity
By Max Wallace
During World War II, a Jewish woman, a former Swiss president, and an osteopath negotiated to end the Holocaust. But how did they do it? “A riveting tale of the previously unknown and fascinating story of the unsung angels who strove to foil the Final Solution” (Kirkus Reviews starred review).
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In the Wars
By Dr. Waheed Arian
“This book is a gift” (Khaled Hosseini). Born in war-torn Afghanistan, Waheed Arian spent much of his childhood in refugee camps before immigrating to the UK and becoming an NHS doctor. He chronicles his story in this “thrilling and absorbing read… What a life and what an inspiration” (Stephen Fry).
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I Am a Bacha Posh
By Ukmina Manoori with Stephanie Lebrun
Following a widespread cultural tradition in Afghanistan, Ukmina Manoori was dressed and raised as a boy. In this gripping memoir, she reveals how this practice affected her childhood — and reflects on her decision to defy expectations and continue donning menswear as an adult.
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President Joe Biden is currently 79; he's the oldest person to have ever assumed the office of the presidency. His 2020 presidential opponent (and possible 2024 GOP nominee) Donald Trump is currently 75. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D–Calif.) is 82. At 71, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.) is practically a spring chicken. When the 117th Congress began last year, the average age of a House member was 58; the average senator was 64. Over time, the average age of a member of Congress has gotten older. America is being ruled by a gerontocracy.
https://reason.com/2022/04/15/dianne-feinstein-and-the-dangers-of-gerontocracy/?utm_medium=email
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History Dingle area from Kerryman Notes 30-3- 2022
Declan Malone & Joan Maguire- March 30 2022 12:00 AM
Meitheal erecting Sás Creek way signs are pointed toward blast from our WWII past
A fascinating glimpse into Ireland’s World War II history has been discovered near Sás Creek, where recent dry weather has revealed part of a sign spelling out ‘Eire’ on the isolated hillside.
The sign at Cnoc Duíléibhe, north east of Sás Creek was one of 83 placed on hillsides around the coast of Ireland. With white washed stones spelling out ‘ÉIRE’ in 30-foot high letters, the signs told military pilots they were entering neutral airspace and served as important wartime waymarkers.
The rediscovered sign on Mount Brandon is the sole remaining one of two that were placed on the mountain in 1942/3. The sign is almost entirely covered by heather but locals hope that the growth can be cleared and the sign restored, as has been done with similar signs at Malin Head and Howth.
The signs were put in place as part of an agreement between the Irish government and USA authorities, according to historian Philip O’Connor.
“The Americans were coming into Britain and bringing their planes in for the bombing of Germany, and they had a lot of planes coming this way. However, they couldn’t cross Ireland because of neutrality so they asked could the coastline be delineated because they were losing planes in crashes,” he told the Irish Times last April.
“At first in 1943 it was just the word ‘Éire’ and then the Americans asked would there be any chance they would put a number with each one to help them navigate.”
The Government agreed to the installation of the signs, which they said would indicate to all combatants they were flying over neutral territory.
On Saturday last a group who were part of a meitheal working to replace broken way marker poles on the Sás Creek Loop were shown the location of the sign by local farmers. The group had answered an appeal from Comharchumann Forbartha an Leith Triúigh to help replace the markers and reroute the popular walk to a drier section of the hill. The meitheal hauled new posts into position and put them in place, exceeding all expectations by completing the work in one day.
The Comharchumann hope that the new all-weather way mark posts will not need to be replaced and that the re-routing of the walk from sodden ground should make the walk a much better experience.
They expressed their gratitude to Murphy’s pub in Brandon who provided food after the day’s work. The route is now ready in good time for the Clochán Brandon Walking Festival, which is due to take place over the Easter weekend.
Ted honoured with Kerry Heritage Award
Forty five years of dedication to the exploration and preservation of the rich store of Kerry heritage was recognised by the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society when they announced retired broadcaster, Kerryman journalist and photographer Ted Creedon as the recipient of the 2021 ‘Kerry Heritage Award’.
Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society President Jimmy Deenihan, presented the award at an event at Kerry County Museum where he described Ted as a worthy recipient in light of his immense, continuing contribution to the study and preservation of the history and archaeology of our county.
From his home in Ballintaggart, Ted has been involved in the promotion of not only Kerry but Irish heritage for more than 45 years. On top of his work as a journalist and broadcaster he spent 18 years on the National Heritage Council, including nine years on the board and he also chaired the Archaeology Committee and the Marine and Coastal Committees during that period.
Ted was the first full time Heritage Development officer in West Kerry and was the secretary of the five-year Dingle Peninsula Archaeological Survey in the 1980s.
He initiated many heritage projects in West Kerry, some of which had far reaching effects. An example is the Dún and Óir Massacre memorial project in 1980, which esteemed Tarbert historian Dr. Declan Downey has described as the spark that ignited his lifelong interest in Ireland’s medieval links with Europe. Ted also initiated the Armada Memorial in 1988 and proposed the presentation of a model of the St Brendan Boat to Pope John Paul in 1984 to celebrate the 1,500th anniversary of the birth of St. Brendan the Navigator.
In 2019 he was conferred with an MA in Local History from the University of Limerick for his thesis ‘The Coastguard Service in Kerry 1821 – 1921’.
Ted says the most satisfying achievement of his years of heritage work was probably his part in the establishment of Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne. This led to the archaeological survey of the Dingle Peninsula, which Ted describes as “the single most comprehensive project of its kind undertaken in the area since the Ordnance Surveys of the 19th century”.
Other projects that Ted derives great satisfaction from include his role in the establishment of the Museum in Baile ‘n Fheirtéaraigh and the restoration of Garfinny Bridge, which is now a National Monument entrusted to State care.
A former President of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society, Ted has served on the National Monuments Advisory Council as well as on Kerry County Council’s Historic Monuments Committee. He has lectured on heritage matters in Kerry and in the USA and continues to write articles on subjects of historical interest in Kerry.
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TARBERT Notes; Sunday 3 April 2022, is Census Night when the 26th Census of Population to be held since 1841 takes place. The 1911 Census for Tarbert and Tarmons District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) returned 956 Males and 904 Females, total 1860. One hundred years forward to 2011 and the total population for the two DEDs was 1300, a decline of 560 in numbers. The Census for 2016 showed a total population of 1,240 made up of 638 Males and 602 Females. 2016 v 2011 showed a decline of 60 or 4.6% while Kerry as a whole showed an increase of 1.4%.
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The Rite of Confirmation.
Confirmation takes place within the celebration of the Eucharist. It consists of four elements:
1 Presentation of the Candidate
After the gospel the candidates stand and present themselves to the bishop. They stand independently, in mark contrast to baptism when they were presented by their parents. It signifies their desire to be followers of Jesus Christ and to witness to their faith.
2 Renewal of Baptismal Promises
For a Christian, there is no oath taken during one’s lifetime that is as solemn and important as the baptismal promises. The young people renew their baptismal promises. They now choose to publically profess their faith in God, as Father, as Son, and as Spirit. They declare themselves in public as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.
3 Laying on of Hands
The gesture of laying on of hands was an ancient practice which denoted that someone was set apart for a particular role. There was a sense of power being bestowed on someone through the laying on of hands. In the Rite of Confirmation, the laying on of hands is done by the bishop extending his hands over those being confirmed and praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the seven-fold gifts that accompany the Holy Spirit’s presence.
In Confirmation the laying on of hands on the young person confirms them as people set apart, as disciples, as young leaders in their church community. The Holy Spirit will continue to work through those young people who are open to the grace offered to them in the sacrament.
4 Anointing with Chrism
The name Christ means ‘the anointed one.’ Anointing was important as it set someone apart.
Anointing with the oil of Chrism in the form of a cross on the young person’s forehead reminds each of us that we are called to witness to our faith. When the young person is anointed with Chrism by the bishop, it is a sealing of their baptism, when they were given a share in Jesus’ family and given a share in his mission to live and spread the Good News. What they have done publically, they must continue to do publically.
The oil is blessed by the Bishop at the Chrism Mass. Chrism signifies strength and the balm signifies the sweetness which virtue must give to our lives. The bishop uses the Confirmation name when anointing the individual being confirmed. It is a reminder to the young person that they belong to God and are committing to God.
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DEATH on 31st August 2021, of Sr. M Angela O'Connell of Convent of Mercy Main St., Charleville, and late of Abbeyfeale, in her 95th. Year. Predeceased by her brothers Joseph (twin), Richard & Fr. Vincent CSSp. Deeply regretted by her sisters Nora Ringrose (Corofin) & Ann O'Connor (Dublin), nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, Mercy Community, extended family & friends.
Requiem Mass was celebrated for Sr. Angela in Holy Cross Church, Charleville. Funeral after to local cemetery.
DEATH of Sr. Sheila McAuliffe of Johnstown, Dublin / Knocknagoshel, Sister Sheila rscj (Society of the Sacred Heart) – August 28th 2021 in St. Vincent’s University Hospital. Survived by her sisters-in-law Betty and Gay, her nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, her extended family, her religious community, Associates, neighbours and friends. Her funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Johnstown on Thursday, 2nd September 2021.
HEALY-HARNETT CENTENARY COMMEMORATION: On Sunday, September 20 2020, relatives of Jeremiah Healy and Patrick Harnett assembled at Begley’s Forge, Bridge Street, Abbeyfeale for the Healy - Harnett Centenary Commemoration. James Harnett was the M.C. and welcomed all those attending. Maurice O’Connell, Chairperson of Abbeyfeale Community Council delivered an oration on the events leading up to the deaths of the two young men. As the Angelus Bells rang out, at 6.00 p.m., lone piper Gerard Baynham, led the group to the Memorial Monument that marks the spot where they died on the Killarney Road. A minute’s silence was then observed followed by the laying of wreaths by the nieces and nephew of the deceased, Kathleen Leahy, Birdie Collins, Ita Creedon and John O’Connor. Gerard Baynham then played a slow air which he had composed especially for the Centenary. The group, led by Piper Gerard Baynham then made their way to St. Mary’s Cemetery where the two men are laid to rest side by side. The graveside reflection, written by Kelley Ní Airtnéada, was delivered by Noreen Sexton FitzGerald. Jeremiah Healy and Billy Harnett laid wreaths on the graves. The National Anthem was followed by a decade of the Rosary which brought the ceremony to a close. A recording of the Healy-Harnett Centenary Commemoration will be available to view online, details to follow
Saved from the Sea, by dream.
They returned according to my directions by land, (thanks be to my Heavenly Father for his providential warning) and De Condre went to sea without them, and neither he nor any of his crew have ever been heard of since. The boys told me when they reached home that this man was the most horrid blasphemer they had ever heard, that they had trembled to hear him vomiting forth his imprecations even against heaven itself; and on one occasion when the weather was bad he had paced the deck like a madman calling upon the devil to do his work. Who knows but that God would at that moment have punished this impious blasphemer, precipitating his body to the bottom of the sea, and his soul to the gulf of hell, if it had not been for these two innocent children, in favor of whom he deferred his vengeance and warned me in a dream of what I should do.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XBm66v2Qo6oOyp6SXIySijiNXnlUgSogDUHaMTp5oH8/edit
Cork Shows
https://www.academia.edu/s/0c8e9e23e0
1953, Enormous Funeral, Skibbereen Closes Down, of Jasper Travers Wolfe, Solicitor, Crown Prosecutor West Cork, TD, 'He Had all of Munster as His Client', First Corkman to be President Incorporated Law Society.
Jasper Travers Wolfe Solicitor, Crown Solicitor, TD "Norton, Skibbereen, 1st place Law Society Final Exam, Director Skibbereen Eagle member Governing Body, UCC. subscriber Zenith Marine Disaster, Baltimore, 1895. Returning officer west Cork constituency election agent James Gilhooley MP. 1906 consortium Richard Wheeler Doherty, Solicitor, Bandon, John Walsh, businessman, director Allmans Distillery, Bandon, Hugo Flinn, Fish buyer, Cork, Jasper Travers Woulfe, solicitor, Skibbereen, took over Skibbereen Eagle on death of previous owner. 1914 RDC election nominated by Parish Priest Fr..Michael O'Callaghan. Married Minnie elder d of George George Levis Vickery 2 daughters, grandson wrote biography. Fled to England after IRA threats April 1922 returned months later. Later received £3,000 from a claim of £7,670 for injury to is business and loss of income from the loss of his office for IGC. Letter to Eoin O'Mahony from Jasper Travers Wolfe, solicitor, Skibbereen, Co. Cork, regarding the Dail motion to remove Judge Edward McElligott from office, 1941 May 5. "Jasper Travers Wolfe was born in 1872, the third of nine children of William John Wolfe, a Methodist shopkeeper and his wife Rachel Wood. He was educated at the Bishop’s School, Skibbereen and passed the Law Society preliminary exam in 1888. Indentured in the practice of Thomas Downes, he obtained first place in his final exams, was awarded a gold medal and the Findlater Scholarship and admitted as a solicitor in 1893. His father died in 1894 after a long illness and Jasper established J. Travers Wolfe & Co. shortly after, quickly establishing himself as an expert in land law. " 1915, attending funeral of Patrick J. Hurley, solicitor, Drimoleague.
His mother was a strict Methods and strongly disapproved of his card playing and moderate whiskey drinking
1953, Jasper Travers Wolfe
"The truth about mobile phone and wireless radiation: what we know, what we need to find out, and what you can do now"
Presented by Dr Devra Davis, Visiting Professor of Medicine at the Hebrew University Hadassah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwyDCHf5iCY
The Kerry Evening Post orientation was Protestant and Conservative. The Kerry Evening Post was the first rival newspaper to the Chute’s Western Journal from 1813 on. The paper was set up by two brothers, John and Charles Eagar and it was the conservative answer to Chute’s more liberal journal.
http://mykerryancestors.com/kerry-links-and-resources/emigrant-ships-port-tralee/
Irish Press 27Oct 1958 p6
Joe Lynch came along from Westminster Theatre to entertain his fellow Corkmen after their Annual Dinner. He sang "The Valley of Knockanure" and "The Banks of My Own Lovely Lea". The audience of more than 200 chorusing him nostalgically.
Other artists wee John Moore, who was trained In Milan, and Terry Cashman, Cork baritone, who sang "Oft to Philadelphia".
Members were surprised to find a bright boy of sixteen working the lift at the Monico Restaurant He declared that he had run away from home, and this was his third job in a month. He hailed from Montenotte. Cork city.
https://northkerry.wordpress.com/
TOILETS: New York City Has Taken 7.5 Years and $2 Million to Build a 400-Square-Foot Public Bathroom
In total, the project has taken seven and a half years so far, with each square foot costing around $5,000.
Crazy public bathroom prices aren’t uncommon in New York City. In February 2014, the New York Daily News reported on a 1,225 square-foot bathroom at a playground in Sheepshead Bay that cost $2.6 million. (From News report)
RING of Kerry; As part of our sponsorship, Kerry County Council has been offered space in the marquee for the day of the Ring of Kerry Cycle in Killarney on 1st July next.
BIRTHDAY: President Donald Trump was among the very first of the generation known as the Baby Boomers, who were born just after World War II. June 14 is his birthday. A native New Yorker, President Trump was born in Jamaica Bay Hospital in Queens.
WOMEN: International Women’s Day (8th March) originated from the trade union movement in America in the early 20th century, particularly in the activism of the women who worked in the clothing industry “sweatshops” of the time. In 1907 the women held a “Hunger March” in New York in protest at the dangerous working conditions and very long working periods, and calling for a ten-hour working day and improved wages. The police attacked the march, and the following year on March 8th 1908 a commemorative march was held, which became a milestone in women’s history. This date is what we now celebrate as International Women’s day, and by 1911 it had become international. International Women’s Day (IWD) is a time for women around the world to commemorate their struggles and celebrate their achievements. The United Nations formally proclaimed March 8 International Women’s Day in 1975. Their courage inspired the song “Bread and Roses” which has become associated with International Women’s Day. Bread symbolizes economic justice and roses represent quality of life.
Bread and Roses
As we go marching marching in the beauty of the day
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lots gray
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses
For the people hear us singing: bread & roses, bread & roses!
As we go marching, marching, we battle too for men
For they are women’s children & we mother them again
(For men can ne’er be free til our slavery’s at an end)
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses
As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying thru our singing their ancient call for bread
Small art & love & beauty their drudging spirits knew
Yes it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too
As we go marching, marching, we bring the greater days
The rising of the women means the rising of the race
No more the drudge & idler, ten that toil where one reposes
But a sharing of life’s glories – bread & roses, bread & roses!
(James Oppenheim)
Tom Aherne Notes 8 March 2017
Dr William O’Brien, professor of archaeology in UCC gave a talk on Ballylin Hillfort, Ardagh, to the Thomond Archaeology Society at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on Monday February 27. The 52 acre site is the largest prehistoric monument in Limerick and is the largest hill fort in Munster. A good number from the locality attended the very interesting talk.
Saint Kieran’s Heritage Association held their 15th meeting on Wednesday March 1 in Ardagh Community Centre. Chairperson JP O’Sullivan welcomed everybody and Secretary Mary Kory read the minutes, and matters arising were dealt with. The main item discussed was the Fenian re-enactment weekend and the weather prospects. A back up plan in case of very inclement weather was finalised. The old Devon Wood Joinery premises will be used to move a number of events indoors. The CE workers were thanked for putting up some bunting around the street. The five school’s art entries were on display and all present were delighted with the standard. The children and teachers put a lot of work into their creations, and the judge’s task to pick prize winners would be difficult. It would be nice to see all the entries put on display in Newcastle West library for a wider audience to admire their creativity. The next meeting which will review the weekend will take place on Wednesday March 8 at 8pm in Ardagh Hall and all are welcome.
To mark the 150th anniversary of the Fenian Rising of 1867 the Heritage Services section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) held a lecture in the Desmond Hall (castle) Newcastle West outlining County Limerick’s role in the rebellion last Thursday evening March 2. Historian Dr. Pádraig Óg Ruairc gave a brief talk outlining the history and legacy of the Fenian Movement. He was followed by local historian and author Tom Toomey M.A. who gave a brief overview of the rebellion in County Limerick which saw attacks by the Republican revolutionaries on police barracks in Kilmallock and Ardagh. There was a display of historical artefacts, in the medieval banqueting hall including a musket used in the rebellion, a copy of the Fenian Proclamation of 1867 and replica Fenian flags.
Newspapers
Tom Ahern.
The Late Late Show on RTE Television celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. It first aired on 6th July 1962 and love it or hate it the majority of people watch it on occasion. Last Friday night the three main presenters Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny, and Ryan Tubridy came together, with a select audience to mark the milestone. It has provided many memorable moments during that time, and kick started many musical careers .My late father had the honor of being a guest on The Late Late Show, on the 9th December 1972. It was presented by Gay Byrne and the topic was matchmaking. He was a panel member with John B Keane, Willie Finucane, and Michael McElligott, all from North Kerry. He also featured on Radharc, Newsbeat, and Halls Pictorial Weekly during 1969 and 1970 mainly on rural issues, and talking about old fashioned cures for warts, and blessed wells. It was always nice to see local people we knew appearing on Television, over the years, and the late Con Greaney made a number of appearances on traditional music programmes, in the nineties. Donie and Maura Nolan, Mattie Griffin, Frances O’Connor, Mike and Jerry Murphy and the O’Sullivan family also featured on Bring down the Lamp, and The Pure Drop. Mary Lawlor, Knocknagun, appeared on Cross Country Quiz, presented by Peter Murphy, in the seventies. Pat Barrett Glenastar, and John Hayes Knockfinisk, also appeared on Quiz Shows. The Radharc Programmes, from the sixties, and Halls Pictorial Weekly also featured West Limerick people and items of local interest. The Carrigkerry Wrenboys were featured on Ear to the Ground and many others appeared on Lottery and Money Game Shows. Television has provided great entertainment over the past 50 years, and no doubt life would have been a lot duller without the box in the corner of the room.
Eucharistic Congress Dublin 2012
http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee122/Knockanure/CHURCHES/Eucharistic%20Congress%201932/?action=view¤t=_DSC6642.jpg
Severa more clips on youtube knockanurelocal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOyKSqdB1b4&list=UUvu6UB8pWOY7MMn5MxCtj-w&index=1&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKR7olqpL80&feature=colike
A documentary film about the life of Father Gerry Roche, “A Mighty Man” is on sale for 10 Euro at Brouders shop in Athea. For more information, or to order it to be shipped directly to you, please contact:marycatherine.brouder@gmail.com or 085 177 5092.
What the Romans Used for Toilet Paper
By Caroline Lawrence
The ancient Romans were sophisticated in surprising ways. Take going to the bathroom, for example. In first century Rome, there were over one hundred public latrines, many of them with marble seats, scenes from Greek mythology on the walls, running water and ancient Roman toilet paper provided.
But what DID they use for toilet paper? Well, you could use a leaf, a handful of moss or your left hand! But what most Romans used was something called a spongia, a sea-sponge on a long stick. The stick was long because of the design of Roman toilets. Public facilities had a long marble bench with holes on top – for the obvious thing – and holes at the front: for the sponge-sticks. There were no doors or dividing walls. You sat right next to your friend and did what you had to do.
Most Romans wore tunics (a garment like a long tee-shirt) and probably nothing underneath. So you could just hike it up in back and sit on the cool marble seat, leaving the front of the tunic to cover your knees and your modesty. You would sit there, chatting with your friends, and when you finished your ‘task’ you would rinse the sponge in the channel of running water at your feet and – without standing up or revealing anything – you would push the spongia through the hole at the front, give your bottom a wipe, rinse off the spongia… and leave it in a basin for the next person to use!
For further reading:
As the Romans Did, by JoAnn Shelton
Pompeii, by Peter Connolly
Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, by Adkins & Adkins
Artefacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Western Wall and more than 500 relics from the pre-Byzantine period are to be displayed in New York.
Gardaí.
GPS features on smart phones can identify the location where the photograph is taken, which can be viewed once it is uploaded to sites , important that people in be aware of the dangers associated with posting up photographs online, that have been taken using smart phones”, said Sergeant Broderick.
He stressed that these dangers could easily be avoided by turning off the GPS function on the phone’s camera “Any person who is unsure how to do this should contact their phone provider for assistance”.
Andrew Carey
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
University of Limerick president, Professor Don Barry has expressed his sadness at the passing last week of the 29th Knight of Glin, Desmond John Villiers Fitzgerald.
“UL was privileged that the Knight presented the Glin Papers to the Special Collections Department of the Glucksman Library in 2001 and I know I speak for the UL community in expressing our sadness at his passing.
“I want to convey our condolences to his wife, Olda and family.”
Professor Barry said that the links between UL and the Knight go back a long way.
“We are proud to be the custodians of the Glin Papers which are a unique archive of one of Ireland’s great families that have been and will continue to be a source of great scholarship and learning.”
Ballydonoghue GAA Club
takes in the entire parish of Ballydonoghue. But this wasn't always the case. In the early decades of the 20th century, various townlands had their own teams taking part in County competitions and North Kerry competitions (after the formation of the North Kerry Board in 1926).
Ballyconry, Dromlough, Lisselton, Ballydonoghue, Gunsborough, Glouria, Guhard and Tullamore all had teams, not always at the same time, up to the 1930's.
After that there was only one club, taking in the whole parish, and in the 1940's it became a major in North Kerry Football. The club won its first North Kerry Championship in 1945 and two more before the end of the decade (1946 and 1949). Apart from threeof its players being regulars on the county team (Gus Cremin, Eddie Dowling and Mick Finucane), the club also provided the backbone of the successful Shannon Rangers side of the 1940's.
In the 1950's the men of Ballydonoghue continued in their role as kingpins of North Kerry Football winning the championship in 1952. This was also the golden age of Clounmacon and Duagh, and so Ballydonoghue were beaten at various stages of the championship from 1953 to 1958.
In 1959 they recaptured the crown.
Through the sixties and seventies the GAA continued to play an important part in the life of the parish, though success and silverware eluded the club. However the tradition of Ballydonoghue players representing their County continued (Jer D. O Connor, who captained the team in the 1965 All Ireland final and Johnny Bunyan).
MAHONY, Darby Rev; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-5-5;
dja
MAHONY, Honoria Miss; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL);
1866-2-22; dja
MAHONY, Johanna ( ); ; Cork City COR IRL; The Kerry Sentinel (KER IRL);
1897-1-6; dja
MAHONY, John; ; Cork City COR IRL; The Kerry Sentinel (KER IRL); 1897-1-6;
dja
MANGAN, Laurence Rev; ; Listowel KER>Queenstown COR IRL; Cork Examiner;
1863-8-6; dja
MARTIN, Austin M'Gillycuddy; ; Flemby KER IRL>Shanghai CHN; Cork Examiner
(COR IRL); 1864-5-27; dja
MARTIN, Malachi Brendan SJ; 78; KER IRL>New York NY; San Diego U-T (CA);
1999-8-3; laz
MAXEY, William; ; Tullamore KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-7-14; dja
MILLER, John; ; Tarbert KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1856-12-17; dja
MORAN, Sr Colm; ; KER IRL>Woodland Hills CA; Los Angeles T; 1999-3-25; awest
MORIARTY, Walter Rev; ; KER IRL>Charles County MD; Cork Examiner (COR IRL);
1847-4-21; dja
MORONY, Timothy John; 30; Ballylongford KER IRL>New York NY; Cork Examiner
(COR IRL); 1863-9-16; dja
MOYNIHAN, Catherine (O'CONNELL) "relict of Humphrey"; ; Rathbeg KER IRL;
Irish Catholic Chronicle (DUB IRL); 1867-10-19; djaMURPHY, John [BARRY, COX,
MOORE]; ; Tarbart KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1918-05-28; ajc
KELLY, Teresa "Rev Mother"; ; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL);
1864-10-21; dja
KEARNEY, William [BODKIN]; ; Tarbert KER>Omney Clifden GAL IRL; Cork
Examiner (COR IRL); 1847-6-28; dja
KANE, Cornelius; 58; Tarbert KER IRL>New Orleans LA; Daily Picayune;
1890-6-22; dja
KENNELLY, ? "Mrs James" ( ); ; Blennerville KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR
IRL); 1861-11-27; dja
KENNELLY, James "son of Michael"; 13; Blennerville KER IRL; Cork Examiner
(COR IRL); 1865-2-25; dja
KENNELLY, John Very Rev; 77; Athy KID IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL);
1843-1-4; dja
KENNELLY, Michael; ; Ballylangford KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune;
1913-07-08; ajc
KENNELLY, Michael; ; Tralee KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1864-1-4; dja
KENNELLY, Nora; 26; Foynes LIM IRL>New York City NY; Irish-American (NYC
NY); 1881-1-22; dja
DENNY, E M Rev; 70; Listowel KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1862-5-5; dja
DILLANE, John; ; Listowell KER IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1878-2-5; dja
DONOHUE, Bridget "relict of Patrick J" (AHERN); ; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago
IL; Chicago Tribune; 1909-4-28; dja
DOWLING, Patrick [FARLEY, FITZGERALD, DOWNS, RILEY, KIRWIN, NORTON]; ;
Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Tribune; 1913-08-03; ajc
GALVIN, Catherine (FITZMORRIS) [DOLAN]; ; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL;
Chicago Tribune; 1913-02-28; ajc
GRODRICK, Julia (AHERN); 46; Listowel KER IRL>Chicago IL; Chicago Daily
News; 1900-6-4; dja
GRIFFIN, Daniel Dr; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL);
1863-8-4; dja
GRIFFIN, Ellen Maria Miss "dau of late James"; ; Hip Hall LIM IRL; Cork
Examiner (COR IRL); 1865-2-9; dja
GRIFFIN, James; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Clare Journal (CLA IRL); 1836-2-18;
dja
GRIFFIN, Mary Anne Miss [WHITE]; ; Limerick City LIM IRL>New York NY; Cork
Examiner (COR IRL); 1863-4-29; dja
GRIFFIN, William; ; Askeaton LIM IRL; Cork Examiner (COR IRL); 1847-3-24;
dja
GRIFFIN, William; ; Limerick City LIM IRL; Irish-American (NYC NY);
1857-5-30; dja
17th 4th 1798
This morning, Timothy M'Carthy, otherwise Souney, was sent off
under an escort of the Royal Cork Volunteers, to be executed
To-morrow at Dunmanway, for attacking the house of John Gilman,
Esq. near that town. Any person now detected in breaking into a
house, can expect no mercy after this example.
1799
RAN-A-WAY,
On the 25th December inst., without any Cause whatever, HENRY MULHOLLAND, my indented Apprentice to the Blacksmith Business-had on when he absconded, a Blue Jacket, Black Waistcoat, and Corduroy
Smallclothes; is about five Feet seven inches high, well made, dark Complexion, short Hair, and smooth faced. -Any Person harbouring, or employing my said Apprentice, after this Notice, shall be
prosecuted as the Law directs in such Cases. HUGH MOUNTFORD. Belfast, Ann-street, Dec. 31, 1799.
N. B. By said Mulholland's immediate Return, without any more Trouble, to his Employ, he may expect as good Treatment as heretofore.
The Belfast News-Letter, 26 April 1800
Dublin, April 22.
Napper Tandy is to be tried on Monday fe'nnight.
Lloyd's List of the 11th says that the Inflexible, Wassenaar, Stately, and Alkmaar, men of war ; Romulas, Expedition, Pallas, Charon, Hebe, and Vestal frigates, and Serapis storeship, with troops
on board, are bound to Waterford.
In the county of Wicklow near the Glen of Imauel, Captain Dwyer's gang surprised and disarmed some soldiers, sending them not only empty but naked away.
In the county Kildare, a little beyond Ballytore, last Wednesday the Post-boy was stopped and robbed by three men armed with blunderbusses.
Yesterday morning, between six and seven o'clock, a Gentleman was robbed on the public road at Baggotrath, close to Dublin, by five armed men.
Lifford Assizes ended on Wednesday last, and proved a maiden one, there not having been a single conviction of any kind for and offence whatever, which proves the happy state of tranquillity and
industry of the county of Donegall. This circumstance intitles [sic] the Judge to a pair of gold fringe gloves from the Sheriff.
Henry Stokes and Patrick Sheehan, found guilty by a General Court Martial at Limerick, of the murder of Messrs. Boland, were on Monday morning last taken form the new Barrack, under an escort of
the Lancashire dragoons, to the hill of Fedamore, where they were hanged, after which their bodies were brought to Limerick and thrown into Croppies'-hole at the new gaol.
Sheehan, on the morning of his execution, informed a gentleman, that if he would give him his oath that his (Sheehan's) life would be saved, he would give the most useful information, not only of
nocturnal rebel-meetings, and of the vast number of arms in their possession, but of their intended robberies and assassination.
Same day Moriarty, for prevarication on the trial of the above convicts, received 100 lashes at the foot of the gallows, in part of his sentence.
Among the spectators who attended at the execution of the murderers at Fedamore, on Monday last, a man of the name of Patrick Haneen was recognized and brought to the county gaol, against whom we
are assured, there is positive proof of his being the first person who set fire to the murdered and much lamented Mr. J. Boland's house at Manister.
Saturday fe'nnight John Brien, lately tried by a Court-Martial for the murder of Nathaniel Brien, was hanged at Clonlawrence, near Beerhaven, county of Cork, pursuant to the sentence of the
Court.
ORANGE.
AT a Meeting of Lodge No. 673, held at Portaferry on Tuesday the 1st April, 1800.
Resolved-That we highly disapprove of the introduction of Political Subjects into Orange Lodges, considering such as foreign to the object of our Institution, as it must finally prove fatal to
the Institution itself.
Resolved-That our thanks be returned to the Grand Lodge, for their well timed instructions upon this subject, which, with any others they may favour us with, we are determined to abide by.
PAT. GALWAY, M.
JOHN ECHLIN, D. M.
EDW. T. SAVAGE, Sec.
[The foregoing advertisement was mislaid, otherwise it would have been inserted sooner.]
Belfast News-Letter, 9 September 1800
Convictions in the City
John Keating for forging bank notes, to be publicly whipped from gate to gate on Saturday next, and to be imprisoned twelve months. Bridget Nowlan, for conspiring with said John Keating and
others to cheat and defraud the bankers of Cork, to be imprisoned 12 months. Cath. Hinchy, for stealing a bundle of cloth, the property of John Reardon, burned in the hand and to be imprisoned
two calendar months. Catherine Ahern, for petty larceny, to be privately whipped in gaol. Mary Murphy, for feloniously stealing a cotton gown and several other articles of wearing apparel, the
property of Mary Roberts, to be transported for seven years. Thomas Crowley, for uttering seditious expressions, fined one mark. Mary Guess, for petty larceny, to be privately whipped in gaol.
During the summer of 2004 Michael Finucane was on holiday in Killarney with his family so I travelled there to meet him. Michael was born in Newtownsandes, later known as Moyvane, in May 1903. He
was taught in National School by John B. Keane's father and Bryan McMahon's father - a literary education indeed. News of the Rising in Dublin on Easter Monday 1916 took some time to trickle t h
rough to New t ownsandes. Not many people locally we re too interested in Republican matters, and felt that the Rising was a somewhat similar event to that organised by Jim Larkin in 1913. Later
in life Michael worked in the Civil Service with a man named Paddy Boland who had been imprisoned in Germany during the Great War. He recalled an occasion when Roger Casement visited the prison
camp in an attempt to get the Irish inmates interested in a potential Rising at home and he said that not one prisoner was prepared to become involved with him, as most people were loyalist, on
Home Rule terms, and had been fighting with the British during the war. After the Rising the mood of the people in Ireland swung towards the Volunteers and Michael's elder brother, Paddy began
"training' in a local field with his friends in an atmosphere more reminiscent of a football match. During June 1921, there was an air of quiet around the countryside but Michael recalls that
during that month, as he was retuning from holidays in Clare by boat to Tarbert, he was met in the village by a British soldier who demanded that his suitcase be opened, whereupon he searched
carefully among the contents with his bayonet before allowing Michael to proceed. He recalled that directly before the Black and Tans left Ireland he was walking through Listowel with IRA man Con
Brosnan when they spotted twelve Tans standing outside the Barracks in the town. He remembers Con crossing the road and introducing himself. The men were stupefied, saying that they had been
hunting for him for the previous two years without success. During his years in the Civil Service, Michael worked with many people who had been involved with the fight for freedom, and knew David
Neligan, who played a prominent part in the events of the Civil War. My day in Killarney with Michael Finucane was very well spent, and I was very glad to have had an opportunity to listen to his
fine reminiscences and recollections.
The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 14 June 1895
CIVIL BILL OFFICERS.
The following are the persons appointed for the service of Civil Bill Processes for the County:-
DIVISION OF RATHKEALE
Jeremiah Lenihan, Abbeyfeale, Abbeyfeale.
Patrick Fay, Adare, Adare.
John Madigan, Askeaton, Askeaton.
John Hartnett, Ballingarry, Ballingarry.
Daniel Sexton, Dromcollogher, Dromcollogher.
John M'Elligott, Glin, Glin.
Thomas Walker and James Iriwin, Newcastle, Newcastle.
Thomas Coyne, Pallaskenry, Pallaskenry.
James Hennessy, Rathkeale, Rathkeale.
Richard Martin, Shanagolden, Shanagolden.
John Martin, Ballyhahill, Foynes.
The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 14 May 1867
A MONSTER SALMON
An enormous salmon 47 lbs. in weight, was yesterday caught by a rod and line, by Mr. H. N. Seymour in the Shannon. It had to be borne on the shoulders of two men to be weighed! -The fish baffled
the exertions of several tried [sic] anglers before Mr. Seymour took it.
The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 28 September 1866
DEATHS
This morning at Peter's Cell House, in this city, after a truly Christian life, Anne, daughter of the late James Ahern, Esq.
At his residence near Ardagh, on the morning of the 25th inst. Mr. John Ambrose, aged 80 years-A good landlord, a kind neighbour, and a sincere friend. May he rest in peace.
On the 16th July last, at St. Louis, state of Missourie [sic], America, Marion, aged 15 months, daughter of Mr. Andrew Jemaison, and granddaughter of Mr Wm. Moloney, Petty Sessions Clerk,
Patrickswell. R.I.P.
The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 31 May 1864
DECOYING IRISH GIRLS FOR PURPOSES OF PROSTITUTION
---
The system which has been pursued of hiring girls in the old country, and consigning them to parties here is about to be stopped, it having come to the knowledge of the agent that this is only a
plan for decoying poor girls from their homes in Ireland for the worst of purposes. On Monday a person claiming to be a friend of two young girls who he said were consigned to him, was recognised
as a notorious keeper of a house of ill-fame, and the girls were not permitted to leave Castle Garden.-New York Sun.
The Limerick Reporter & Tipperary Vindicator, 29 January 1864
Mary Hurly, aged 23 years, a victim of leprosy, died in the County Infirmary Limerick, on Sunday last. This disease, it appears, she contracted by washing the clothes of some foreign sailors. The
malady was malignant. In Ireland formerly every corporate city had its regal grants for a Leper Hospital-and the lands of the Limerick Leper House were very extensive. In Waterford the annual
grants of land are still appropriated to the support of the medical institutions, even yet called "The Leper Hospital," and in that county, consequently, there is no county infirmary.
ADARE MANOR-The Earl and Countess of Dunraven have been entertaining at Adare Manor during the last ten days a large and distinguished party of visitors, amongst whom were :- The Earl and
Countess of Erne, Lady Louisa Chrichton, Marquis of Beaumont, Hon. C. Crichton, Lord and Lady Cloncurry, Hon. Emly Lawless, Hon. Valentine Lawless, Miss Cole, Miss Emily Cole, Lord Hastings, Hon.
Gerald Dillon, Hon. Vesey Dawson, Captain Saunderson, Mrs. Gore Booth, Mr. Edward Saunderson, Mr. Brinsley Nixon, Mr. Llewellyn Saunderson, Mr. Burke, of Thornfield ; Stephen De Vere, Esq.,
&c., &c.
The Limerick Chronicle
20 October 1849
The Rathkeale sessions concluded on Wednesday, the number of civil
bills tried having been 600 and 25 ejectments. The grand jury were
sworn on Monday, Edward Brown of Wilton, Esq., foreman. The
following are the convictions: Michael Hannigen, larceny of £5
from his employer, Archdeacon Warburton, to be transported
7 years; Daniel Mulvihane, larceny, 1 month; John Neill do.,
one year; James Ahern, John Hayes, Michl Dillane, John Lacey,
Thomas Flaherty, cow stealing, 15 years transportation; John
Carroll sheep stealing, 15 years; Ellen Dwyer, larceny, one
month; ...John Fraley, Michl Fraley and Edwd. Fraley, cow
stealing, 9 months; John Kiely, do. 1 year; ...Michl Ryan,
cow stealing, 15 years; ... The above prisoners were escorted
to the county gaol on Thursday evening by sub inspector Channer
and Constabulary Adare. Robert Tighe, Esq. Assistant-Barrister,
opened his sessions court at Bruff this day, for trial of civil
business.
THE FAITH OF GREY AND THE MASSACRE OF FORT-DEL-ORE
(Author Unknown)
1.
The evening sun had sunk to rest below the western sea.
The red October tintings lay on grass and gorse and sea;
Along the curves of Smerwick bay the ocean danced and played,
The sea-birds screamed their dismal notes as o'er the beach they strayed.
2.
The hoary mountains towered high above the quiet glen,
The gliding shadows wandered forth from vale and cave and fen-
No other sound disturbed the hush along the wave-washed shore,
Save the distant hum of Spanish tongue from rock-based Fort-del-Ore.
3.
Above the tide, its rugged sides by many a tempest scarred,
Rose up the goodly fortress tall, with sentinels on guard -
With ensigns floating proud and free from bastion wall on high,
And Spanish guns with good broad swords stood piled beneath the sky.
4.
The crescent moon crept up the east with timid quiv'ring light,
The quiet stars, from misty depths, grew fast upon the sight:
The fog unfurled its shadow flags o'er Brandon's hoary head,
And shroud-like wrapped the mountain crests as cerements wrap the dead.
5.
Within the fort, in careless mood, San Joseph and his men,
Talked proudly of their late onslaught on Ormond in the Glen -
Or Desmond's pledged but tardy aid, and marveled at his stay,
‘By good St. James' Pisano said ‘We'll brook no more delay.'
6.
The morning sun rose large and red, the fog veils rolled away,
Around the walls of Fort-del-Ore a large encampment lay -
There to the east were Ormond's troops, beside him Zouch and Grey,
And there the courtly Raleigh's men and Spencer's stopped the way.
7.
Outside the bay lay Winter's fleet - thus cutting of retreat,
‘Now, by my faith', Lord Grey exclaimed, ‘We'll rouse them to their feet:
Commence ye then and let them have a taste of English cannon,
I'll sweep the county of the serfs from Dingle to the Shannon'
8.
The cannon boomed, the trenches neared the isolated fort,
The answering echoes bore the roar of cannon from the port;
The Spaniards sallied, fought, retired; the English nearer drew
Till sixty paces from the fort their deep entrenchment grew.
9.
And then commenced the deadly fray; the air grew black with death,
From iron throats the balls sped fast, from dying lips the breath,
The jaded Spaniards fought and bled for God and King of Spain
And watched and prayed for Desmond's aid, their prayers, alas, were vain.
10.
The third sun sank upon the strife, when, lo! A banner small,
Like a snow-white bird kept flutt'ring from a flagstaff on the wall -
‘Surrender - ha!' Lord Grey exclaimed to Raleigh, ‘I'll be sure
To spare not man, nor maid, nor child - revenge for Glenmalure'.
11.
The quiet night dropped slowly down, the moon rose o'er the hill,
The echoes ceased their tumult strange, the fort and camp were still.
The waves with voices weird and sad, were moaning on the strand,
And veils of smoke crept low and close across the darkened land.
12.
The dawn blushed coyly in the east, the truce flag fluttered white,
The chain-bridge spanned the ravine ‘tween the mainland and the height;
With faltering steps the Spaniards filed, San Joseph at their head,
With ensigns trailed, and muskets dropped, their dark brows flushing red.
13.
‘Fair terms, Senor', San Joseph said, ‘For these my trusted men',
A mocking laugh from Grey's cold lips rang out o'er hill and glen.
‘Raleigh and Mackworth, haste you both to yon den above the sea,
And rid us of the carrion foul! Senor, you stay with me.'
14.
A hush! A murmur! Stifled cries! Then prayers for help arose,
‘Misericordia! Dios mios! Vain words to Saxon Foes;
And cries and prayers and dying wails and clash of swords went on,
‘Brave' Raleigh fleshed his maiden sword and slew till all were gone.
15.
Till all were gone - Oh God! Like leaves before the blast
The Spaniards fell in slaughtered heaps. Their dying forms were cast
Into the seething hungry waves to rot beneath the tide
And some were thrown in loathsome heaps on rock or green hillside.
16.
Beyond the sea in sunny Spain, dark legends to this day,
Repeat the wrongs of Fort-del-Ore and the broken faith of Grey.
The AIF Project |
Thomas Edmond CRONIN
Regimental number 4283
Place of birth Newtownsands, Co Kerry, Ireland
Religion Roman Catholic
Occupation Clerk
Address Police station, Mitcham, South Australia
Marital status Single
Age at embarkation 21
Height 5' 9.25"
Weight 160 lbs
Next of kin Mother, Mrs Margaret Cronin, Knockanure, Newtownsands, County Kerry, Ireland
Previous military service Nil
Enlistment date 19 April 1915
Place of enlistment Keswick, South Australia
Rank on enlistment Private
Unit name Australian Stationary Hospital 1, Reinforcement 8
AWM Embarkation Roll number 26/70/2
Embarkation details Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT RMS Morea on 26 August 1915
Miscellaneous details (Nominal Roll) Name does not appear on Nominal Roll
Age at death from cemetery records 24
Place of burial No known grave
Commemoration details Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France
Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km
north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.
The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.
On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.
After the war an appeal in Australia raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in
Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried
in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square a memorial to
the links between the two towns.
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
Australian War Memorial 58
Miscellaneous information from
cemetery records Parents: Thomas and Margaret CRONIN, Knockanure, Newtownsandes, Limerick, Ireland
Other details War service: Egypt, Gallipoli, Western Front
Embarked Adelaide, 26 August 1915.
Attached to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Mudros, for duty, 28 October 1915; transferred to Lowlands Casualty Clearing Station, 13 December 1915; transferred to South Pier for Hospital Ship, 17 December 1915; disembarked Alexandria, Egypt, 29 December 1915.
Admitted to 1st Australian Stationary Hospital, Ismailia, 18 July 1916 (sick); discharged to duty, 24 July 1916.
Marched in to Royal Army Medical Corps, Mustapha, 24 August 1916; proceeded from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 14 September 1916; marched in to Weymouth Command Depot, England, 28 September 1916; marched in to Convalescent Hospital, Dartford, 28 September 1916; marched in to Hurdcott Command Depot, and classified 'Class A', 28 October 1916; transferred to Convalescent Hospital, Dartford, 27 November 1917; transferred to 10th Bn Details, 24 February 1917; proceeded overseas to France, 25 February 1917; marched in to 1st Australian Division Base Depot, Etaples, France, 26 February 1917; marched out to unit, 2 March 1917; taken on strength of 10th Bn, 4 March 1917.
Killed in action, France, 7 May 1917.
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Sources NAA: B2455, CRONIN Thomas Edmond
KNOCKANURE
Old Church in Knockanure was a ruin according to Charles Smith in 1756.
O Donovan letters 1841 describes the old Knockanure church on the hill situated about three miles east of Listowel as a well preserved ruin.
The Dominicans had a Friary nearby in Barrett's land where there is a well called friars well. They Dominicans came to Knockanure after they were banished from Tralee c1652, they left Knockanure c 1804 to take up parish duties, among names mentioned were Fr Edmond Stack died 1781Fr Bartholomew Shine came to Knockanure 1791 and made PP of Brosna and died in 1827.
Knockanure was part of Listowel Parish from 1803 to 1829.
Lewis tells us that there was a thatched Chapel in Knockanure in 1837 it was replaced in 1865 by a stone and slate church. It was a plain church with a single chamber and three rows of seats and a small gallery at the back to accommodate abut 12 families.
The church was entered by a small side porch. Windows in stained glass at the back of the altar were erected by the young ladies of the parish c1908, the church was sold and demolished in 1968.
The building of the present flat roofed church with glass ends in Knockanure started in 1963, it was to cost £12,000 but soon ran to over £20,000.Michael Scott and Partners were the architects, who promised a maintenance free building, it has a litany of defects since it was built costing thousands. The Church was dedicated on the 21st of April 1964.
The woodcarving of the Last Supper coat £700 in 1964and was executed by Oisin Kelly. The Stations of the Cross in Tapestry were designed and executed by Leslie McWeeney
In 1824 Knockanure had two schools one attached to the Church and another run by Michael O Mahony. The National School opened in 1851 and another school now the Community Centre was built in 1874and closed in 1966 with the opening of the present flat roofed school
1710
[ca] Alexander Foster born in the north of Ireland, later emigrated to American from Londonderry (EFM 607)
1735
[ca] Alexander Foster emigrated from Londonderry, Ireland, to America, with his mother and other near relatives. Settled in Freehold, Monmouth County, NJ (EFM 607)
1728
[ca] Alexander Foster moves to Little Britain Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania (later part of Lancaster County, May 10, 1729) (EFM 607)
1730
[ca] Alexander Foster marries Polly Connor (EFM 607)
1744
Apr. 17 Alexander Foster took out warrant for 187 acres of land in northern part of Little Britain Township.
1759
nd John Struthers born.
1767
April Alexander Foster died, leaving half his estate to his son John (EFM 607)
1775
Apr. 28 John Foster sold entire estate of his father to Hugh Barkley (EFM 607)
1779
Sept. 7 William Barclay Foster (Stephen's father) born, Berkeley County, Virginia (EFM 616). Son of James Foster, Revolutionary war soldier in Virginia, present at Cornwallis's surrender at
Yorktown (Morrison Foster, "My Brother Stephen" 9) (JTH 4)
1782
nd James Foster and family with other Scotch-Irish moved to near Canonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Became an original trustee of Canonsburg Academy, 1791, later known as Jefferson
College (Morrison Foster, "My Brother Stephen" 9)
1788
Jan. 21 Eliza Clayland Tomlinson (Stephen's mother) born, Wilmington, Delaware (EFM 616)
1796
Apr. 20 William Barclay Foster rides into Pittsburgh from Canonsburg, age 16
by Jimmy Akin Tuesday, January 18, 2011 8:37 PM Comments (80)
That’s the sensationalistic headline of this story in the New York Times. As
usual, it’s by Laurie Goodstein, and as usual she makes significant errors
in her reporting that make the story more sensationalistic in a way that
(just coincidentally) paints the Holy See in an unfavorable light. (So . . .
what’s up with that, Laurie? You’ve been on the beat long enough that you
should be better informed on these matters.)
As with previous stories of the same nature, this one involves a document
from back in the 1990s that has now come to the attention of the press. It
was a letter written by the Apostolic Nuncio of Ireland (that’s basically
the Holy See’s ambassador to Ireland, though he also has a liaising role
with the local bishops). In the letter the Nuncio—then Luciano
Storero—communicated a message to the Irish bishops from the Congregation
for Clergy concerning a document that the Irish bishops had drafted on child
sexual abuse.
This letter was immediately hailed by groups like SNAP as the “smoking gun”
they’ve been waiting for, showing that the Holy See took part in the cover
up of sexual abuse, allowing it to be sued in court, humiliated, and have
money extracted from it.
You can read (a tiny, low resolution image of) the letter itself here.
Now let’s walk through it and see how the claims made about it stack up
against the document itself . . .
APOSTOLIC NUNCIATURE IN IRELAND
N. 808/97
Dublin, 31 January 1997
Strictly Confidential
To: the Members of the Irish Episcopal conference
—their Dioceses
Your Excellency,
The Congregation for the Clergy has attentively studied the complex question
of sexual abuse or minors by clerics and the document entitled “Child Sexual
Abuse: Framework for a Church Response”, published by the Irish Catholic
Bishops Advisory Committee.
So here is what has happened at the time the letter was written: Priests and
religious in Ireland abused children. This came to light and caused an
enormous scandal. (In fact, it brought down the Irish government.) In
response, the Irish bishops conference (in conjunction with the Conference
of Religious in Ireland) created an Advisory Committee to draft a document
proposing how to respond to cases of child sexual abuse. The result was the
document referenced above, which is online here in .pdf form. At least that’s
a version of the document. Whether it was the version referenced in the
letter is not 100% clear. In any event, this document came to the attention
of the Congregation for Clergy in Rome, and now the Congregation for Clergy
has asked the Irish nuncio to convey its impressions to the Irish bishops.
Note well: The Congregation for Clergy is not the same as the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict)
was the head of the doctrinal body, not the Congregation for Clergy. The
head of that in 1997 was Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos. More on him in a
bit. For now the important point—given the press’s invariable attempt to
read everything Vatican in terms of the pope himself—is that Cardinal
Ratzinger/Pope Benedict has no connection with this letter. It wasn’t his
department that was involved.
The congregation wishes to emphasize the need for this document to conform
to the canonical norms presently in force.
So: The Congregation for Clergy has concerns that provisions in the document
did not conform to canon law as it was in 1997. Fair enough. That’s not
anything sinister. To give a civil law analogy, it’s a little like warning
someone that parts of his proposed law appear to violate the U.S.
Constitution. Warning someone that parts of his law appear unconstitutional
is not a sinister thing. It’s a way of ensuring justice and avoiding a lot
of headaches for everybody.
One might be wrong, and provisions of the law in fact might be fully
constitutional (read: canonical), but saying, “Your policy needs to be legal
in terms of Church law” is not evidence of evil intent.
The text, however, contains “procedures and dispositions which appear
contrary to canonical discipline and which, if applied, could invalidate the
actions of the same Bishops who are attempting to put a stop to these
problems. If such procedures were to be followed by the Bishops and there
were cases of eventual hierarchical recourse lodged at the Holy See, the
results could be highly embarrassing and detrimental to those same Diocesan
authorities.
So the Congregation for Clergy (who is being quoted in this paragraph; note
the open quotation marks) is concerned that some proposals in the Irish
Advisory Committee document appear to be contrary to canon law. As a result,
bishops acting on those parts of the proposal might take canonical actions
against priests that are legally invalid. In other words, there could be
miscarriages of justice. So what happens if miscarriages of justice occur?
Well, the priests might appeal their case to Rome, and Rome might agree that
there was a miscarriage of justice because the law was not applied
correctly. In that case the bishop would be put in an embarrassing position.
And that’s quite true. A bishop would be put in an embarrassing and
detrimental position if he violated canon law and a miscarriage of justice
resulted and his actions had to be undone. There’s nothing sinister about
telling a bishop that. People in positions of power need to be reminded
regularly that their authority has limits and they must provide justice for
those whose cases they handle. The law needs to be followed closely so that
we (a) don’t have innocent priests being wrongly convicted and (b) we don’t
have predator priests escaping punishment because the law wasn’t followed.
The exact same concerns apply in civil courts: We need to follow the law to
avoid miscarriages of justice.
Now, you’ll notice something that hasn’t yet been mentioned in this letter:
the issue of reporting predators to the police. That hasn’t come up yet. All
the discussion so far has been about making sure the Church’s own internal
legal system is followed so that we don’t have miscarriages of justice.
How did Laurie Goodstein frame this in her article for the Times? She wrote:
“It [the letter] said that for both ‘moral and canonical’ reasons, the
bishops must handle all accusations through internal church channels.
Bishops who disobeyed, the letter said, may face repercussions when their
abuse cases were heard in Rome.”
WHOA! MAJOR MEDIA DISTORTION!
The only “repercussions” mentioned in the letter is the embarrassing
situation a bishop would find himself in if he failed to follow the law and
a miscarriage of justice resulted and Rome overturns it on appeal. Yet
Goodstein makes it sound as if the letter is threatening bishops with some
kind of retaliation if they don’t “obey” the letter. This is wrong on
several levels. First, the letter is not an ultimatum. It is not a set of
orders. It is an advisory statement cautioning the Irish bishops that they
need to make sure they follow canon law so that miscarriages of justice don’t
happen and then get overturned on appeal. There is no threat of retaliation
here.
Worse, Goodstein makes it appear that the Vatican is threatening bishops
with retaliation if they report predators to the police. The subject of
reporting pedophiles hasn’t even come up yet. And she is wrong when she says
that the letter states that “the bishops must handle all accusations through
internal church channels,” as opposed (presumably) to reporting predators to
the police. But the document says nothing of the kind. There is nothing in
the document saying that a bishop must keep information about predators
secret. What the Congregation objected to was mandatory reporting. One can
think what one likes about the wisdom of mandatory reporting, but there is a
big difference between saying, “You must keep all cases of this from the
eyes of the police on pain of Vatican retaliation” and saying, “Hey, maybe
there needs to be some discretion exercised and it shouldn’t be automatic
reporting.”
Goodstein thus implies that the letter suggests something it doesn’t. The
letter doesn’t state that the Congregation for Clergy is opposed to
reporting predators to the authorities. Instead, it says . . .
In particular, the situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ gives rise to serious
reservations of both a moral and canonical nature”.
This is the end of the quotation from the Congregation for Clergy. Note the
closing quotation marks.
So the Congregation for Clergy is saying, “We’ve got reservations about the
situation of ‘mandatory reporting’ on moral and canonical grounds.” That’s
an expression of concern. It’s a cautionary statement, but it is not an
order. It’s telling the Irish bishops about an issue that could come up down
the road. And how unreasonable is the concern expressed? An overzealous
application of a mandatory reporting policy could result in entirely
innocent people being put through the wringer and having their reputations
and livelihood destroyed.
Would that be moral? Would you like to be on the receiving end of a policy
like that? It is easy to see how one might have moral concerns about
automatic reporting policies and want to make sure that there are
appropriate safeguards to keep innocent people from having their lives
destroyed.
It also is easy to see how such a policy could fall afoul of canon law,
which contains provisions protecting an individual’s right to his good
reputation. An overzealous application of a mandatory reporting policy could
unjustly deprive innocent people of their reputation—and more.
And these moral and canonical concerns don’t just apply to priests. Think
about the repercussions of a mandatory reporting policy for the victims!
It has been a common experience in years past for people to come to Church
authorities to warn them about the behavior of a particular priest but only
on condition of confidentiality. They don’t want to get involved with the
authorities. They don’t want to be hauled into court and put on the witness
stand and forced to relive horrible things that were done to them under
cross examination. They don’t want to come to the attention of the media and
have their private sexual trauma exposed for the whole world to see.
But a mandatory reporting policy would prevent Church authorities from
giving these people the assurances of confidentiality that they seek. It
thus could deter them from reporting predators and result in more sexual
predation.
Before we get back to the nuncio’s letter, let’s detour for a moment and
look at what the proposed Irish policy actually says about reporting:
2.2. Recommended Reporting Policy
2.2.1 In all instances where it is known or suspected that a child has been,
or is being, sexually abused by a priest or religious the matter should be
reported to the civil authorities. Where the suspicion or knowledge results
from the complaint of an adult of abuse during his or her childhood, this
should also be reported to the civil authorities.
2.2.2 The report should be made without delay to the senior ranking police
officer for the area in which the abuse is alleged to have occurred. Where
the suspected victim is a child, or where a complaint by an adult gives rise
to child protection questions, the designated person within the appropriate
health board/health and social services board should also be informed. A
child protection question arises, in the case of a complaint by an adult,
where an accused priest or religious holds or has held a position which has
afforded him or her unsupervised access to children.
2.2.3 The Advisory Committee recognises that this recommended reporting
policy may cause difficulty in that some people who come to the Church with
complaints of current or past child sexual abuse by a priest or religious
seek undertakings of confidentiality. They are concerned to protect the
privacy of that abuse of which even their immediate family members may not
be aware. Their primary reason in coming forward may be to warn Church
authorities of a priest or religious who is a risk to children.
2.2.4 The recommended reporting policy may deter such people from coming
forward or may be perceived by those who do come forward as an insensitive
and heavy-handed response by Church authorities. This is particularly so
where the complaint relates to incidents of abuse many years earlier.
2.2.5 Nonetheless, undertakings of absolute confidentiality should not be
given but rather the information should be expressly received within the
terms of this reporting policy and on the basis that only those who need to
know will be told.
WOW!
If this policy means what it says then just on suspicion that abuse may be
taking place (suspicion being a subjective state that is very easy to come
by) you’ve got to report the priest or religious to the police. No provision
is made (at least in this section) for distinguishing between suspicions
that are credible or well-founded and those that aren’t. Similarly, no
provision is made for doing a preliminary investigation. Instead, Church
workers are to make the mandatory report “without delay.”
Furthermore, the Advisory Committee is aware that this policy will put
victims on the spot and force them to relive their traumas as the
authorities handle the case. It is further aware that the policy of
mandatory reporting may seem “insensitive and heavy-handed,” “particularly
so where the complaint relates to incidents of abuse many years earlier.”
Nevertheless, the policy says, if someone comes to you and says, “I want to
report a predator priest but I also want to do so confidentially so that I’m
not traumatized and humiliated in public or among my own family members”
then Irish Church authorities would be supposed to say, “I’m sorry, but our
reporting policy does not admit of exceptions, and I can receive your
information only under the terms of our reporting policy, so I cannot
promise you confidentiality.”
Can you imagine someone in the office of the Congregation for Clergy having
concerns of a moral and canonical nature about how such a policy might be
implemented?
I can!
In fact, the Advisory Committee itself can recognize why people would have
concerns about this exceptionless policy. Otherwise it wouldn’t have gone
out of its way to respond in advance and at length to the concerns victims
were sure to have.
HAS LAURIE GOODSTEIN EVEN READ THIS POLICY? DID SHE DO THE TEN SECONDS OF
GOOGLING IT TOOK ME TO FIND IT? IF SO, WHY DIDN’T SHE SHARE THE REPORT’S
CONCERNS ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE WITH HER AUDIENCE?
THESE ARE QUESTIONS HER BOSSES AS THE NEW YORK TIMES SHOULD ASK HER.
Now, back to the nuncio’s letter:
Since the policies on sexual abuse in the English speaking world exhibit
many o[f] the same characteristics and procedures, the Congregation is
involved in a global study of them. At the appropriate time, with the
collaboration of the interested Episcopal Conferences and in dialogue with
them, the Congregation will not be remiss in establishing some concrete
directives with regard to these Policies.
So . . . the Congregation for Clergy is hardly coming off as sinister here.
To try to find an effective way to deal with these situations, it’s doing a
study of how these things are handled in the English-speaking world. It
plans to involve the relevant bishops’ conferences in the discussion, so
they will have their say. And when this is all done it will issue concrete
directives.
This is not the language of coverup. It’s the language of, “We want to find
an effective solution to this problem, and we want to work with you to make
that happen.”
For these reasons and because the above mentioned text is not an official
document of the Episcopal Conference but merely a study document, I am
directed to inform the individual Bishops of Ireland of the preoccupations
of the Congregation in this regard, underlining that in the sad case of
accusations of sexual abuse by clerics, the procedures established by the
Code of Canon Law must be meticulously followed under pain of invalidity of
the acts involved if the priest so punished were to make hierarchical
recourse against his Bishop.
Asking you to kindly let me know of the safe receipt of this letter and with
the assurance of my cordial regard, I am
Yours sincerely in Christ,
+Luciano Storero
Apostolic Nuncio
And so the final part of the letter gently reminds the individual Irish
bishop that the Advisory Committee’s proposal is just that—a proposal, a
study document, not something that has been passed and approved and that the
bishop is obliged to follow. Further, it’s a problematic document and if the
bishop acts on some of its provisions it could lead to a miscarriage of
justice that might blow up in his face on appeal. But the Congregation for
Clergy is working on a solution for how to handle this kind of horrible
situation. Please don’t implement the flawed document; give us the time to
work with the relevant bishops’ conferences to find the needed solution.
That’s the takehome message of this letter.
Contrast that to Laurie Goodstein’s opening paragraph:
A newly disclosed document reveals that Vatican officials instructed the
bishops of Ireland in 1997 that they must not adopt a policy of reporting
priests suspected of child abuse to the police or civil authorities.
This is highly misleading. The document was of an advisory nature that
expressed cautions and concerns. It did not “instruct” the bishops that they
“must not adopt a policy of reporting priests suspected of child abuse to
the police or civil authorities.” It advised the bishops that there were
serious moral and canonical reservations about the specific reporting policy
that had been proposed to them.
And it expressed those concerns with good reason!
If I were a priest or a victim, or someone who just knew a priest or a
victim, or just a bystander (which is what I am), I’d have concerns about
that policy.
Now, please bear in mind that I am not saying that the Congregation for
Clergy’s concerns were all well founded. The letter is so brief and is
expressed in such general terms that we don’t know what their specific
concerns were, either regarding the reporting policy or other aspects of the
proposal. They allude in addition to multiple concerns of a canonical nature
(apparently concerning the Code of Canon Law’s penal provisions).
Whether they were correct in all their concerns I don’t know. I do know that
they were headed at this time by Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, who has a
particular history on this subject. And I also know that the letter does not
come off as the sinister, “under no circumstances tell the authorities”
document the press is representing it as.
Of course, that won’t stop the New York Times and other media outlets, and
lawyers, from trying to milk this for all it’s worth.
The Wall Street bombing occurred at 12:01 p.m. on September 16, 1920, in the Financial District of New York City. The blast killed 38 and seriously injured 143. Although the bombing was never solved, investigators and historians think it likely the Wall Street bombing was carried out by Galleanists (Italian anarchists), a group responsible for a series of bombings the previous year. The attack was related to postwar social unrest, labor struggles and anti-capitalist agitation in the United States.
The Wall Street bomb caused more fatalities than the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building in 1910, and was the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil up to that point.
Attack
At noon, a horse-drawn wagon passed by lunchtime crowds on Wall Street in New York City and stopped across the street from the headquarters of the J.P. Morgan bank at 23 Wall Street, on the Financial District's busiest corner. Inside, 100 pounds (45 kg) of dynamite with 500 pounds (230 kg) of heavy, cast-iron sash weights exploded in a timer-set detonation, sending the slugs tearing through the air. The horse and wagon were blasted into small fragments, but the driver was believed to have left the vehicle and escaped.
The 38 victims, most of whom died within moments of the blast, were mostly young people who worked as messengers, stenographers, clerks and brokers. Many of the wounded suffered severe injuries. The bomb caused more than $2 million in property damage and destroyed most of the interior spaces of the Morgan building.
Reaction
The September 16th Wall Street bomb killed 38 people, the city's worst disaster since the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
The Justice Department's Bureau of Investigation (BOI) did not immediately conclude that the bomb was an act of terrorism. Investigators were puzzled by the number of innocent people killed and the lack of a specific target, other than buildings that suffered relatively superficial, non-structural damage. Exploring the possibility of an accident, police contacted businesses that sold and transported explosives. By 3:30 p.m., the board of governors of the New York Stock Exchange had met and decided to open for business the next day. Crews cleaned up the area overnight to allow for normal business operations the next day, but in doing so they destroyed physical evidence that might have helped police investigators solve the crime. The New York assistant district attorney noted that the timing, location, and method of delivery all pointed to Wall Street and J.P. Morgan as the targets of the bomb, suggesting in turn that it was planted by radical opponents of capitalism such as Bolsheviks, anarchists, communists, or militant socialists. Investigators soon focused on radical groups opposed to U.S. financial and governmental institutions and known to use bombs as a means of violent reprisal. They observed that the Wall Street bomb was packed with heavy sash weights designed to act as shrapnel, then detonated on the street in order to increase casualties among financial workers and institutions during the busy lunch hour. Officials eventually blamed anarchists and communists. The Washington Post called the bombing an "act of war." Another interesting fact was that the Sons of the American Revolution had previously scheduled a patriotic rally for the day after (September 17) to celebrate Constitution Day at the exact same intersection. On September 17, thousands of people attended the Constitution Day rally in defiance of the previous day's attack.
Died 2011
The young Catholic man spirited his Jewish girlfriend out of Auschwitz in 1944, saving her life. Yet it took 39 years for them to see each other again.
Jerzy Bielecki, a German-speaking Polish inmate at the same Nazi death camp, lived to age 90 and died peacefully in his sleep Thursday at his home in Nowy Targ in southern Poland, his daughter, Alicja Januchowski said Saturday.
Januchowski, a New Yorker, spoke to The Associated Press from Nowy Targ, where she had been with her ailing father.
The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem awarded Bielecki the Righteous Among the Nations title in 1985 for saving the girlfriend, Cyla Cybulska. It all happened in July 1944, when the 23-year-old Bielecki used his relatively privileged position in Auschwitz to orchestrate a daring escape for both of them.
Bielecki was 19 when the Germans seized him on the false suspicion he was a resistance fighter, and brought him to Auschwitz in April 1940 in the first transport of inmates, all Poles. He was given number 243.
Queen Elizabeth
By Anoosh Chakelian
1. She speaks fluent French and often uses the language for audiences and state visits. She does not require an interpreter.
2. The Queen has received over 3.5 million items of correspondence during her reign.
3. Since 1952, she has conferred over 404,500 honors and awards.
4. Elizabeth has personally held 610 investitures. An investiture is the ceremony in which an honor is bestowed on someone for their good services; the recognitions are published twice a year, in the Queen's Birthday Honors and New Year's Honors lists.
5. Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned.
6. In 2002, at 76, Elizabeth became the oldest monarch to celebrate a Golden Jubilee. The youngest was James I (James VI of Scotland), at age 51.
7. About 1.5 million people have attended garden parties at Buckingham Palace or the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland since Elizabeth has been on the throne.
8. Over the course of her reign, she has given regular Tuesday-evening audiences to 12 British Prime Ministers: Winston Churchill, 1951–55; Sir Anthony Eden, 1955–57; Harold Macmillan, 1957–63; Sir Alec Douglas-Home, 1963–64; Harold Wilson, 1964–70 and 1974–76; Edward Heath, 1970–74; James Callaghan, 1976–79; Margaret Thatcher, 1979–90; John Major, 1990–97; Tony Blair, 1997–2007; Gordon Brown, 2007–2010; and David Cameron, 2010-present.
9. There have been 12 U.S. Presidents during her reign.
10. Tony Blair is the first Prime Minister to have been born during her reign. He was born in early May 1953, a month before her coronation.
11. The Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, introduced small, informal luncheon parties at Buckingham Palace to meet distinguished people from all professions, trades and vocations. The first was held on May 11, 1956, and the tradition continues to this day. There are usually six to eight guests and two members of the royal household in attendance.
12. Elizabeth is patron of more than 600 charities and organizations.
13. In the past 60 years, the Queen has undertaken 261 official overseas visits, including 96 state visits, to 116 different countries.
14. In 2005, she claimed ownership of 88 cygnets (young swans) on the River Thames. They are looked after by a swan marker. The first royal swan keeper was appointed around the 12th century.
15. Technically, the Queen still owns the sturgeons, whales and dolphins in the waters around the U.K. A statute from 1324, during the reign of King Edward II, states, "Also the King shall have ... whales and sturgeons taken in the sea or elsewhere within the realm." This statute is still valid today, and sturgeons, porpoises, whales and dolphins are recognized as "fishes royal": when they are captured within 3 miles (about 5 km) of U.K. shores or wash ashore, they may be claimed on behalf of the Crown. Generally, when brought into port, a sturgeon is sold in the usual way, and the purchaser, as a gesture of loyalty, requests the honor of its being accepted by Elizabeth.
16. In the summer of 2005, she opened the first children's trail in the Buckingham Palace garden for its seasonal opening.
17. The Queen joined Facebook in November 2010, with a page called the British Monarchy, which features royal news, photos, videos and speeches. However, it is not possible to poke the royal family. She joined Twitter in July 2009, with teams at Buckingham Palace tweeting daily updates. None of the royals themselves tweet. The page follows only one other Twitter account: Clarence House, the royal home of the Prince of Wales.
18. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's first televised festive address, a YouTube channel for the royal family, called the Royal Channel, was launched in December 2007. At the time, the palace hoped it would make her annual speech "more accessible to younger people and those in other countries."
19. Elizabeth was the first British monarch to celebrate her diamond wedding anniversary.
20. The Queen is the only person in Britain who can drive without a license or number plate on her state car.
21. Many of Elizabeth's official tours were undertaken on the royal yacht Britannia. It was launched by the Queen on April 16, 1953, and was commissioned for service on Jan. 7, 1954. It was decommissioned in December 1997. During that time, Britannia traveled more than 1 million miles (1.6 million km) on royal and official duties.
22. Britannia was first used by Elizabeth when she embarked from Tobruk, Libya, with the Duke of Edinburgh on May 1, 1954, for the final stage of their Commonwealth tour returning to the Pool of London. The last time Elizabeth was onboard for an official visit was on Aug. 9, 1997, for a visit to Arran, Scotland.
23. Elizabeth has visited Australia 16 times, Canada 22 times, Jamaica six times and New Zealand 10 times.
24. Since her accession to the throne in 1952, she has visited Edinburgh nearly every year, taking up residence in the Palace of Holyroodhouse during Holyrood Week, when the Queen and her husband undertake a variety of engagements in Scotland to celebrate the country's heritage.
25. During her reign, the Queen has received many unusual gifts, including a variety of live animals. The more unusual ones have been placed in the care of the London Zoo — among them jaguars and sloths from Brazil and two black beavers from Canada. There have also been gifts of pineapples, eggs, a box of snail shells, a grove of maple trees and 15 lb. (7 kg) of prawns.
26. Elizabeth has sent more than 175,000 telegrams to centenarians in the U.K. and the Commonwealth.
27. She has sent more than 540,000 telegrams to couples in the U.K. and the Commonwealth celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary.
28. Her real birthday is April 21, but it is celebrated officially in June.
29. She has attended 35 Royal Variety Performances.
30. In an average year, the Queen hosts more than 50,000 people at banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and garden parties at Buckingham Palace.
31. There have been six Roman Catholic Popes during the Queen's reign (Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II and Benedict XVI).
32. She has launched 23 ships in her lifetime. The first was the H.M.S. Vanguard, which she launched as Princess Elizabeth on Nov. 30, 1944, in Clydebank, Scotland. Her first launch as Queen was of the Britannia, also from Clydebank.
33. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have sent over 37,500 Christmas cards during her reign.
34. She has given out approximately 90,000 Christmas puddings to staff, continuing the custom of King George V and King George VI. In addition, the Queen gives her entire staff gifts at Christmastime.
35. Every year she sends Christmas trees to Westminster Abbey, Wellington Barracks, St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Crathie Kirk and local schools and churches in the Sandringham area of England.
36. Elizabeth learned to drive in 1945, when she joined the women's branch of the British army. Both she and Winston Churchill's daughter were members of the group, which was called the Auxiliary Territorial Service.
37. She was a Girl Guide (1937), a Scouting movement for girls and a Sea Ranger (1943), a section of the Girl Guides focused on sailing.
38. As Princess Elizabeth, she traveled in the London Underground subway system for the first time in May 1939, accompanied by her governess Marion Crawford and her sister Princess Margaret.
39. The Queen is a keen photographer and enjoys taking pictures of her family. The Duke of York is also a photography buff and has taken a number of photographs of Elizabeth, including an official photograph for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002.
40. The Queen was born in a private home at 17 Bruton St., London, on April 21, 1926. (The house was owned by the Queen's first cousins.) She was baptized on May 29, 1926, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace and was confirmed on March 28, 1942, in the private chapel at Windsor Castle.
41. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, Elizabeth became the first reigning sovereign to have a child since Queen Victoria, who had her youngest child, Princess Beatrice, in 1857.
42. Elizabeth has 30 godchildren.
43. The first soccer match the Queen attended was the 1953 FA Cup final.
44. She has taken the royal salute from her Household Cavalry — mounted troops known as horse guards — in every Trooping the Color ceremony since the start of her reign, with the exception of 1955, when a national rail strike forced the cancellation of the parade. Trooping the Color is a ceremony performed by British and Commonwealth regiments to celebrate the Queen's official birthday.
45. The Queen has sat for 129 official portraits during her reign, two of which were with the Duke of Edinburgh. The most recent portrait was by Isobel Peachey and was unveiled in September 2010. Elizabeth was just 7 years old when she sat for her first portrait in 1933, which was commissioned by her mother and painted by the Hungarian artist Philip Alexius de Laszlo.
46. In 2003, she sat for her first and only hologram portrait, which is made up of more than 10,000 images of the Queen layered over one another, giving it a 3-D effect.
47. The first royal walkabout took place during the Queen's visit with Prince Philip to Australia and New Zealand in 1970. The practice was introduced to allow them to meet a greater number of people, not just officials and dignitaries.
48. In 1969, the first television film about the family life of the royals was made; it was shown on the eve of the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales.
49. An important innovation during her reign was the opening in 1962 of a new gallery at Buckingham Palace to display items from the royal collection. The brainchild of the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen's Gallery occupied the palace's bomb-damaged private chapel. It was the first time that parts of the palace had been opened to the general public.
50. The only time the Queen has had to interrupt an overseas tour was in 1974, during a tour of Australia and Indonesia. She was called back from Australia when a general election was announced suddenly. The Duke of Edinburgh continued the program in Australia, and Elizabeth rejoined the tour in Indonesia.
51. She has opened Parliament every year except 1959 and 1963, when she was expecting her children Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively.
52. She went on her first state visit as Princess Elizabeth to South Africa with her mother and father, then King and Queen, from February to May 1947. The tour included Zimbabwe, Bechuanaland, Swaziland and Basutoland (now Lesotho). The Princess celebrated her 21st birthday in Cape Town. Her first state visit as Queen was to Kenya: her father King George VI died, and she acceded the throne during the tour, which had to be abandoned.
53. Her first Commonwealth tour began on Nov. 24, 1953, and included visits to Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, the Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar. The total distance covered was 43,618 miles (70,196 km).
54. In 1986, the Queen became the first British monarch to visit China.
55. She has made a Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth every year of her reign except 1969, when a repeat of the film Royal Family was shown and a written message from the Queen issued. In 1953, she made her first Christmas broadcast from overseas, broadcasting live from New Zealand. Her first televised broadcast was in 1957, made live. Her first prerecorded broadcast took place in 1960, allowing transmission around the world.
56. She sent a message of congratulations to Apollo 11 astronauts for the first moon landing on July 21, 1969. The message was microfilmed and deposited on the moon in a metal container.
57. The Queen has met at Buckingham Palace the first man in space, Russian major Yuri Gagarin; the first woman in space, Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova; and the first men on the moon, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, as well as their Apollo 11 colleague Michael Collins.
58. She sent her first e-mail in 1976, from a British army base.
59. There have been six Archbishops of Canterbury during her reign: Geoffrey Fisher, Michael Ramsey, Donald Coggan, Robert Runcie, George Carey and Rowan Williams.
60. History was made in 1982 when Pope John Paul II visited Britain; he was the first Pope to do so in 450 years. Elizabeth, titular head of the Church of England, received him at Buckingham Palace.
61. She visited a mosque in the U.K. for the first time in July 2002, in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. f
62. The Queen has attended 56 royal Maundy services (religious services on the day preceding Good Friday to honor the service of elderly people in their communities and the church) in 43 cathedrals during her reign. A total of 6,710 people have received Maundy money, coins minted especially for the occasion, in recognition of their service. Elizabeth has missed only four services — two for official tours and two for the births of Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
63. Elizabeth has owned more than 30 corgis during her reign, starting with Susan, who was a present for her 18th birthday in 1944. A good proportion of these have been direct descendants from Susan. Elizabeth currently has five corgis: Emma, Linnet, Monty, Holly and Willow.
64. Elizabeth introduced a new breed of dog known as the dorgi when one of her corgis was mated with a dachshund named Pipkin that belonged to Princess Margaret. Elizabeth currently has four dorgis: Cider, Berry, Candy and Vulcan. As well as corgis and dorgis, the Queen also breeds and trains Labradors and cocker spaniels at Sandringham House. A special Sandringham strain of black Labrador was founded in 1911.
65. She takes a keen interest in horses and racing. Her first pony, a Shetland called Peggy, was given to her by her grandfather King George V when she was 4 years old. Elizabeth continues to ride at Sandringham, Balmoral and Windsor. The Queen also takes interest in horse breeding. Horses bred at the royal studs over the past 200 years have won virtually every major race in Britain. Elizabeth has about 25 horses in training each season.
66. Her racing colors consist of a purple body with gold braiding, scarlet sleeves and a black velvet cap with gold fringe.
67. She continues the royals' long association with racing pigeons, which began in 1886 when King Leopold II of Belgium made a gift of racing pigeons to the British royal family. In 1990, one of Elizabeth's birds took part in the Pau race, coming first in the Section 5th Open of the important international pigeon race, and was subsequently named Sandringham Lightning. In recognition of her interest in the sport, the Queen was named a patron of a number of racing societies, including the Royal Pigeon Racing Association.
68. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married on Nov. 20, 1947, in Westminster Abbey. Her wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell and was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, with silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle.
69. Her dressmakers over the years have included Sir Hardy Amies, Sir Norman Hartnell, Karl-Ludwig Couture and Maureen Rose. Her milliners have been Frederick Fox, Philip Somerville and Marie O'Regan.
70. Her wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold that came from the Clogau St. David's mine near Dolgellau. Her official wedding cake was made by McVitie and Price Ltd., using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides.
71. The Queen has an extensive collection of jewelry, most of which are crown jewels, some inherited and some gifts, including the largest pink diamond in the world. Some of her well-known pieces include a brooch of diamonds forming a spray of wattle that was presented by the Australian government in 1954 and a necklace of large square-cut aquamarines and diamonds with earrings, given as a gift in her coronation year by the ambassador of Brazil, which Elizabeth wore on her French state visit in 2004.
72. Elizabeth has laid a wreath at the Cenotaph — Britain's iconic war memorial that commemorates the dead in both world wars — on Remembrance Sunday every year of her reign, except in 1959, 1961, 1963, 1968, 1983 and 1999, when she was either pregnant or overseas on an official visit.
73. She has visited the sets of a number of popular British soap operas, including Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale.
74. In 1997, Buckingham Palace's first official website was launched.
75. In 1998, Elizabeth introduced theme days to promote and celebrate aspects of British culture. The first theme day was City Day, focusing on financial institutions. Other themes have included Publishing, Broadcasting, Tourism, Emergency Services, Maritime, Music, Young Achievers, British Design and Pioneers.
76. In June 2002, to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, the Queen hosted the first public concerts in the garden of Buckingham Palace. She attended both the classical and pop concerts. The Party at the Palace show was one of the most-watched pop concerts in history, attracting about 200 million viewers from all over the world.
77. She is the first member of the royal family to be awarded a gold disc from the recording industry: 100,000 copies of the Party at the Palace CD, produced by EMI, were sold within its first week of release.
78. She hosted Buckingham Palace's first women-only event, "Women of Achievement," in March 2004.
79. In November 2004, Elizabeth invited the cast of Les Misérables in the West End to perform for then French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle. It was the first time the cast of a West End musical had performed at a royal residence.
80. As a young girl, Elizabeth acted in a number of pantomimes during World War II, including playing Prince Florizel in Cinderella in 1941. The productions took place every year in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor Castle.
81. She once demoted a footman for giving her corgis whiskey.
82. She is supposedly the only British monarch in history properly trained to change a spark plug, as she undertook a car-maintenance course during World War II.
83. She collected clothing coupons for her wedding dress, true to the spirit of postwar austerity.
84. The Queen issued a writ against the Sun newspaper after it published the full text of her 1992 broadcast two days before its transmission. She later accepted an apology and a £200,000 donation to charity.
85. Only three other world heads of state have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee during Elizabeth's reign: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand celebrated 60 years on the throne in 2006; the former Sultan of Johor (now part of Malaysia) celebrated his in 1955; and Emperor Hirohito of Japan celebrated his in 1986.
86. The last and only other British monarch to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897, at the age of 77. At 86, Queen Elizabeth will be the oldest monarch to celebrate this occasion.
For more on the royal family, visit:
http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/60-facts-about-queen
http://www.royal.gov.uk/LatestNewsandDiary/Factfiles/80factsaboutTheQueen.aspx