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		IN THIS ISSUE
=== Foreword
=== News Snaps from Ireland 
=== New free resources at the site
=== Clohine Winds	        by Bree T. Donovan
=== Diaspora			     by Bill Maher
=== November in Northern Ireland by Christine Bode
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Site of the Month:	www.2studyabroad.com
=== Monthly free competition result

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FOREWORD
========

Hello again from Ireland where the sun has finally 
broken through for two weeks of sunshine (hopefully 
that is not the end of the Summer but who knows!)

Many thanks to our contributors this month who 
have again provided us with a short story, a poem 
and an account of touring Ireland.

Why don't YOU submit an article, story or poem 
for the next edition?

Until next time,

STAY SAFE!

Michael


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

10 NEW COUNTRIES JOIN DURING IRISH EU PRESIDENCY

Ireland currently holds the presidency of the EU 
and was able to host the celebration to mark the 
addition to the European Community of Poland, 
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, 
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Economic development is already well in train in 
many of the new EU states with GDP averaging at 
over 5%. Of course many of these countries were 
severely run-down as a result of their former 
political situation. Divisions in Europe in recent 
years have focused on Iraq with several countries 
being notably opposed to the US and British led 
action in that country. Of the new additions 
however, 7 supported the allied action and even 
contributed troops, most notably Poland.

Irish leader Bertie Ahearn will continue to try 
to get agreement on an EU Constitution during 
the Irish Presidency.

PUB-OWNERS CLAIM SMOKING BAN HURTS BUSINESS

Owners of public houses have claimed that revenue 
is down by 20% in the wake of the newly 
introduced ban on smoking in the workplace. 
Vintners have taken to advertising with slogans 
such as 'the atmosphere is now even better' 
appearing on posters around the country. The most
high profile victim of the smoking ban has been 
a Fine Gael member of parliament who was thrown 
out of the pub in Government buildings for 
refusing to extinguish a cigarette. He 
subsequently lost his job.

HUGE BOOST TO IRISH ECONOMY BY INTEL

Computer giants INTEL have hugely boosted the 
Irish economy by announcing a EURO 1.6 Billion 
investment at its Leixlip plant. The US 
multi-national already will provide an extra 400 
jobs, bringing its overall workforce in Ireland 
to over 5000. Israel, China and Singapore are 
among the countries who competed for this 
investment and the fact that Ireland won the bid, 
despite having a relatively high wage bill, is 
being seen as confirmation that Ireland is one of 
the countries of choice for hi-tech manufacturing.

IRISH PEACE-KEEPERS PRAISED BY UN

A senior UN official who addressed a conference 
in Dublin recently has praised Ireland's 
peace-keeping role. Jean-Marie Guehenno, the 
UN's Under Secretary General at the Department 
of Peacekeeping, has praised Ireland for being 
the first country to send peace-keeping troops 
into Liberia. He also pointed out that Ireland, 
per capita, contributes more troops to UN 
peace-keeping missions than any other country.
 
MORE SCANDALS IN IRISH BANKING

There have been revelations of overcharging at 
Ireland's largest bank, AIB. Foreign Exchange 
customers have been overcharged on their accounts 
over a number of years and will now have to issue 
refunds amounting to EURO 14 Million. In the 
wake of the John Rusnak affair and the bogus 
off-shore accounts debacle these are revelations 
that AIB can scarcely afford. In a further blow 
to the reputation of Irish banking The CEO of 
Bank of Ireland has resigned after it was 
revealed that he accessed adult web sites on his 
workplace computer. 

DUBLIN HOUSE PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE

The cost of second-hand housing in Dublin has 
risen by 4% in the first 4 months of 2004 with 
the average price being EURO 505,000. There is 
some disparity across the city of course with 
prices in Dublin 6 and Dublin 6 averaging at 
EURO 800,000. Dublin 10 pricing is much more 
modest with pricing in the EURO 240,000 range. 
Dublin 5 on the Northside has seen a big increase 
and houses in this are, which includes Raheny and 
Artane, now average at EURO 400,000. Despite 
predictions of an imminent down-turn in the 
housing market in Ireland prices continue to 
grow, most likely due to the continued shortage 
of supply compared to demand. Add that to 
historically low interest rates and a relatively 
healthy economy and it seems that house price 
increases are set to continue for some time.
 
ELECTRONIC VOTING POSTPONED

Electronic voting was to be introduced nationwide 
for the forthcoming local and European elections. 
The replacement of the old style ballot box was 
announced amid a fanfare of publicity which soon 
descended into farce when a Government sponsored 
independent evaluation of the electronic system 
provided negative feedback. The plans have now 
been postponed while further research is done.

The old ballot boxes will thus have to be replaced 
at an estimated cost of EURO 80,000. The Office of 
Public Works sold off 1000 of the old ballot boxes 
when the electronic voting scheme was announced. 
An auctioneer bought all 1000 for only EURO 45 
and is now selling them for EURO 2 each. 

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https://www.ireland-information.com/cgi-bin/newsletterboardindex.cgi

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NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
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NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:

The following 7 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:

B: Banahan
D: Dillon
H: Hackett
K: Kilbane
S: Shean
Y: Yates, York

View the Gallery here:

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

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CLOHINNE WINDS			By Bree T. Donovan
==============

The shadows fell across the room as I lay down to rest
A storm was raging deep inside my head
I fell into a restless sleep
Of crazy changing dreams
But woke to find you standing by my bed

Clohinne winds were blowing when you called me
First you spoke my name
Your voice was still the same
You beckoned me and I arose
To follow where you led
Out among the wild Clohinne hills.

Briege Murphy


The bed - her enemy. It had been for the past 
year, ever since his death. What was once a 
welcoming respite from the world- a place where 
Sunday afternoons were spent snuggled together 
with hot tea and buttery scones, and an ambitious 
book-Joyce or Tolstoy-was now the bitterest 
reminder of her aloneness. As she turned down the 
covers her hand lightly brushed against his 
pillow, Fionn's pillow. Stands of his dark hair 
could still be found. She gently extracted one 
from the flannel it had imbedded itself in. 
Running her fingers the length of it, she 
remembered a haunting Irish folk song about an 
innocent maiden killed by her jealous sister. The 
murdered girl's hair was fashioned into the 
strings of a harp by fishermen who found her 
drowned body. The magical harp told the story of 
the girl's untimely death. This single strand of 
Fionn's hair filled the isolated bedroom with the 
sound of his voice like the notes of the 
otherworldly harp. 

'Come on then, Derry! Will ya come to bed!' he was
 laughing. She invariably found some last minute, 
unnecessary task that had to be completed before 
she could join him in their warm cocoon of 
blankets. 'Get-in-bed!' he would grab for her, 
putting an immediate stop to whatever she was 
doing. She would fall into their queen-sized 
refuge tickling him and playfully cursing his 
impatience. Their laughter, like the song faded 
away.

She held her glass of whiskey, shaking it, the 
ice cubes clanged together in a disquieting 
manner, making her feel all the more anxious at 
the prospect of simply lying down. The wooden 
shutters, (that Fionn had so proudly crafted) 
to cover the window behind the bed, were still 
open. She always kept them that way so that 
whatever natural light, be it sun or moon would 
find it easy to enter, and take its time when 
leaving, lingering for a long visit with an old 
friend. Tonight there was no moon. She looked to 
the sky speckled with stars like the tiny freckles 
that dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. The 
moon, it seemed had decided that the hunks of 
white clouds, planetary constellations and the 
occasional aircraft making its way to somewhere 
other than Castlebar were ample visual aid for 
this particular March evening. She felt herself 
becoming angry. Something like a fist, clenched 
inside her stomach. She had not seen the moon for 
five nights in a row. The sky was either, barren 
and black or, like tonight, offered a meager array 
of stars. She wanted to see the moon - in fact, 
was desperate for it, like a junkie needing a fix.  
Nights when she could peer out the small window of 
her cottage and see even a silver crescent gave 
her some comfort.  It meant he was with her. He 
had told her as much before he died. 'When you 
need me, just look to the night sky and I will be 
there. I will be the moon shining down on you in 
all my radiance!' She thought his promise overly 
sentimental, but she also knew it was his way of 
assuaging not only her fear of his impending 
death, but his own.

'Oh yeah? You think you can just commandeer the 
moon, do ya, like some kind of nocturnal pirate?' 
She teased him as he lay in a hospital bed, the 
sick smelling room illuminated with inhospitable 
fluorescent lights. 

His smile was weak, but his emotive eyes still 
bright. He answered; 'The moon won't have a 
chance against me! If whatever 'powers that be' 
see fit to take me from this life - from you - 
they are gonna have a lot to answer for. The moon 
is the least concession they can grant me!' She 
began to cry. He was so small and pale against 
the stark, bleached white sheets, tubes painfully 
inserted into his arms. He was only thirty years 
old, and he was dying. 'No...no...' She gripped 
his hand. 'I don't want the God-damned moon! 
I want you!'
 
She took a deep drink of whisky. It was like 
swallowing a lit match. 'Where the hell are you 
then?' she shouted at the window with her 
new- found liquid courage. 'Come on ya bastard! 
Come-to-bed!' She fell back against the pillows 
just barely setting the glass on the floor before 
it slipped from her hand. She was sobbing, mucus 
blocking her throat and nose, but as she was 
falling into yet another alcohol induced slumber 
an indescribable scent slipped its way in from a 
crack between the closed window and the sill. It 
washed over her in a brilliant wave. The smell of 
burning peat and crisp night air, the salty brine 
of the sea and the scent of her lover, as if he 
had just come off of a troller's boat after a 
long stint at sea and tiredly lay down next to 
her. She desperately clutched at the air, 
sniffing tears and sweet memories. 
Then, all was black. 

===

It was going on 2am as the men stumbled out of 
the pub. They leaned against one another for 
support. Their scruffy faces ruddy from the heat 
of the bar, and when they spoke, their breath 
came in short puffs riding on the air. With the 
overly accentuated movements of intoxication, 
each attempted to navigate his way down the 
narrow street towards their neighboring homes.  
No one else was about, only the occasional 
barking of a dog, presumably unhappy at being 
left out on such a cold night. The two walked 
and fell about, anxious to get home and stagger 
into their houses and respective beds. They soon 
came upon the intersection of Marion Row and St. 
Bridget's Crossing and looked to each other in 
surprise finding a man standing alone on the 
corner. It appeared to their drunken eyes that 
mist encircled him, or was that just the frosty 
night air? He was wearing a dark colored tweed 
coat, and thick corduroy trousers. A woolen cap 
partially obscured his face.
'What the hell?' the one man turned to his 
friend. 'Who would be out here at this hour?'
The silent, unmoving man was a sobering vision 
indeed. 'I don't know, Hugh, but I don't have 
a good feelin' about this.'
 
'Ah! Come on, Stephen. He don't look like much. 
Maybe he's just as knackered as us two, and 
needs a hand?'

They came closer to the stranger and the mist 
that swirled around his feet rose up in a great 
white vapor encircling his whole body like a 
pallid shroud. Effulgent green light emanated 
from his eyes, as the apparition turned his face 
towards them. 'Jaysus!' Hugh clutched at his 
friend. 'What is that?'

'I don't know, and I don't want to find out 
either!' But even as Stephen spoke, neither 
man, despite their great desire to leave, could 
muster the strength to do so. They merely watched 
as the spirit-man approached them. As he did, 
both men were filled with an incredible sense of 
sadness and longing. It both came from and clung 
to the strange creature like the mist that 
enfolded to him.
 
'What do ya want?' Hugh called out in fear, not 
so much of the strange apparition, but of the way 
it made him feel. His heart ached, and he felt a 
sob forming at the back of his throat. Whatever 
this creature was, he was in indescribable pain. 
He reached out to Hugh, placing a hand on his 
chest. While his friend looked on in shock, Hugh 
placed his own hand over the man's and closed 
his eyes. Flashes of a life, not his, but like 
that of a movie projected through Hugh's mind. 
He saw images of a man and woman. It was as if 
in that brief instant of contact, the man was 
able to illustrate his life in a way that Hugh 
could experience all the emotions connected to 
it. Hugh had no doubt the man in the images he 
was seeing, was the same one who stood before him 
now, and the red-headed woman must be his wife or 
lover. Hugh could see, feel, hear, taste all the 
things this man had. Suddenly he was lying on a 
cold metal table. He was naked, only a thin sheet 
covered him. He could not see anything- the sheet 
covering his eyes. The only sound was of crying - 
the mournful sobs of a woman. He knew it was the 
crimson-haired woman weeping. The grief in her 
voice was unbearable. He wanted to rise up from 
the table, but he was paralyzed. The ache in his 
heart was so great he felt as if it would burst. 
He thought he was dying. 

Hugh found himself on the ground then. He was on 
his knees retching into the street while Stephen 
held his head. 'Steady now, lad. You'll be 
alright. Last time I let you drink away half 
yer pay!' his friend was saying. 

Hugh slowly lifted his head and looked out across
 the empty street. He and Stephen were once again 
alone. 'What happened? Where did he go?' Hugh 
spit out the last of the bile and wiped at his 
mouth with his sleeve. 
'Who?' Stephen asked looking about. 
'That... the... spirit! That man who was standin' 
on the corner!' 
'The what? Lad, you better get yerself home. 
Your talking daft!'
Hugh struggled to his feet with Stephen's 
assistance. 'You mean to tell me you didn't see 
a man come up and put his hand on me?' the look 
of distress on his face gave Stephen some cause 
for concern. 'Hugh, I'm being straight with ya. 
There was no man on any corner. We were just 
walking along and suddenly ya fell down and 
began to puke. End of story.' 
 
Stephen's face showed no recognition of anything 
Hugh had mentioned. He quickly looked down at 
his shirt to see if there was any kind of 
indication that the man had touched him. There 
were only a few specks of vomit and beer stains, 
nothing more. He rubbed at his eyes and reached 
for his friend. 'Yeah, yeah, you're right, ya sod! 
Don't let me drink so much next time. My wife's 
gonna kill me as it is!' He tried to shake the 
recent, disturbing event from his now aching head. 
'Come on then. We best get home before ya see any 
more fairies!' Stephen pulled his friend onward. 
The next morning Hugh would wake with a pounding 
head, dry mouth, but no memory of the spirit-man 
and the picture show of his life and death. Hugh 
did, however, possess the tremendous urge to 
spend the entire day with his wife.

===

'I can't believe ya did it! Fionn, are ya sure 
ya understand the repercussions?' Rory walked a
long the beach with his companion. The sun was 
still sleeping, nestled in the great depths of 
the sea. 'Of course I don't understand it all. 
Whoever it is that keeps us here makes sure of 
that! We know just enough, which translates into, 
we know what we are not supposed to do, and 
that's all.' Fionn's disgust was obvious.
'Then you know making contact with that man was 
definitely ill-advised.' Rory was a soft-spoken 
man who had lived well into his seventies. In 
life he had been a world-renown player of the 
Uilleann pipes.

'I know it was the step I needed to take.' 
Fionn lowered his head. Rory stopped walking and 
reached out to his young friend. 'Fionn, don't 
think I can't sympathize with what you're feelin', 
but ya can't go runnin' about doin' things that 
may have ever-lasting ramifications, especially 
when you don't have all the information.' 
'I have all the information I need. I had to 
establish contact with a living human being, and 
show him my heart - get him to feel me! That is 
my gateway to Derry. Now I can go to her.'
 
'And do what? You can't be with her Fionn, you're 
dead, and she is part of the living world...'
'She is part of me!'
'Yes, and that is what you must be content with 
now - the part of her that will always be with 
you. It can't be any other way.' Rory's voice was 
animate, but not without compassion.
'Who says? By whose authority am I bound?'
'We don't have all the answers yet, this I will 
grant you, but at least we know what we must not 
do. There has to be a very important reason for 
that.'
'And maybe there is none, Rory. Maybe we are all 
just part of some magnificent universal blunder.'
Rory was silent. He had considered the obvious, 
and it made him most uneasy. It was far simpler 
to work with the rudimentary knowledge they had, 
and hope for the best. The alternative - that 
there was some dark force behind their present 
state of existence - or worse, there was no reason 
for their after-life banishment was unthinkable.
Fionn grabbed for the man, 'Look, for all we 
know we are being tested.'
'Tested? For what purpose?'
'I don't know, maybe to prove our courage, to 
demonstrate that we are not afraid to go after 
what we want. Maybe we did not do enough of that 
in life, and now we are being given one more go 
around at it now?' Fionn watched as the waves 
reached great heights before rolling in and 
crashing onto the shore. He considered the actions 
of the sea much like the cycle of human life.
'Do you feel you did not possess courage in life, 
Fionn?'
 
Fionn thought again of Derry, and how she had 
wanted to start a family long before they received 
news of his terminal illness. He told her he wasn't
ready. He kept from her his fears of not measuring 
up as a good father, and also his uncertainty of 
how children may change their lives. He so 
treasured what they had then. They had been 
together eight years. He wanted nothing to change. 
He wanted her all to himself, the freedom to write 
and to tend their small farm. He wanted not to be 
challenged. Fionn knew he had disappointed Derry, 
for as much as he knew she loved him, and he 
never once doubted that, he knew she welcomed the 
challenge that he shied away from. 
'Did you?' he asked of Rory.
Rory snorted and took hold of the small man's arm, 
resuming their walk. 'Touché, my friend. I am 
certain I should be found lacking in that virtue 
were I put to the test.'
'All I know is, I am not waitin' around here 
anymore like some kind of spiritual hostage. If I 
have the power to be with her, you can bet that 
is just what I am gonna do!' Fionn seemed to be 
throwing his challenge to the wind and waves.
'But how do you know you have that power?'
'I don't. Until I try.'

===

Derry twisted and turned in restless sleep. Her 
body covered every inch of the bed as she thrashed 
about, kicking the covers and knocking pillows to 
the floor. She was dreaming, walking through Inis 
Oirr - the smallest of the islands in her County, 
Mayo. She and Fionn had spent many afternoons 
strolling the length of the isolated beach between 
the quay and the airfield. A maze of footpaths ran 
between the high stone walls that divided the 
fields, which were overrun with wildflowers, red 
clover, daises and harebells. It was a perfect 
summer's afternoon-the kind that she and Fionn 
would cherish the opportunity to languish in. She 
wore a long, light dress of silk. The tepid sun 
cheered her, but as she took a few more steps 
towards the Church of St. Kevin, the moon began 
to slide its way across the sky - stealth and 
silent as a highwayman - overtaking the powerful 
orange ball with its pearly light.
                                          
'Fionn!' she called out in her sleep. 
'I'm here, my love' he whispered. 

She could not be sure, but she thought she heard 
his voice drifting through the tall grass. Moving 
towards the small church she could make out the 
figures of several people. They were enshrouded 
in darkness, hidden by shadows, and bent over 
digging around the church in an effort to free it 
from the sand that buries it every year during the 
winter storms. It was such an odd juxtaposition 
- the diggers materialized like mourners making 
ready to bury a body, but the more they worked, 
the more the embedded church emerged from the 
womb of the sandy earth. The lofty clouds that 
danced around the moon separated like reluctant 
lovers, allowing the top of the church's primeval 
steeple to shimmer in the rich moonlight. She 
could even see beyond the church to the ruins of 
O'Brien's castle on top of a rocky hill. It was 
there that she saw him - Fionn. He was standing 
amidst the rubble of the ancient tower. A gust 
of air kicked up the soil around her feet, 
coiling the bottom of her dress about her legs. 
She kicked in her sleep as the sheets curled a
round her body. She was in that mysterious state 
between slumber and wakefulness. Her breathing 
became shallow, her heart like an over-inflated 
balloon. There was an ache even stronger than the 
constant pain she carried inside since his death. 
His voice traveled to her on the wind, wispy as 
the wing of a fay, but clear as the stars 
entrenched in the sky. 

'Come to me, my love!' he called to her reaching 
out his hand. Her brain was transmitting the 
message, ' No! Wake up!' but she struggled against 
the interference. She opened her eyes, seeing the 
recognizable blue ceiling of her bedroom, but when 
she blinked again, she was back on Inis Oirr, the 
vision of Fionn more lucid than any dream. 

'Yes, Derry! Yes! Come to me!' he called again. 
She did not know that he was unable to move any 
closer to her. She had to go to him of her own 
volition if their union was to be, and the 
boundaries of life and death forever blurred.  
She moved closer, coming upon the cloaked diggers. 
They each turned to her, five in all, as if to see 
what action she would take. She understood they 
were aware of her, and of Fionn. She could see 
their faces the nearer she came. They were just 
like any other human men and women. They did not 
seem dead, but very much alive, like Fionn. 
Derry, Fionn, the diggers, they all appeared to 
inhabit the same world. They were not merely some 
sleep-induced apparition. The five were not 
frightening, but appeared to be afraid, of what 
she was not certain. Among them stood a kindly 
older gentleman, and when Fionn called out one 
final time, 'Derry, please, take my hand, girl!' 
the elder man smiled at her, a cautiously, 
encouraging grin. The pounding in her chest was 
so great it echoed in her ears. She could feel 
her heart constrict. The wind that now stirred 
freed her legs from the diaphanous garment, the 
blankets fell away from her body as she writhed 
one last time in her bed, their bed. She ran to 
him breathless and laughing. When she was only 
inches from her lover he grabbed her hand, 
pulling her to him with extraordinary strength. 
She felt herself being lifted off the ground. 
He spun her about laughing and shouting, 
'I have you! I have you now!' Once again the 
sweet scent of sea and earth, night and fire 
permeated the air around her. She and Fionn were 
swept up in great joy. He buried his face in her 
hair, and she held on to him certain that nothing 
would ever separate them again. They had been 
victims once-torn apart, but their great love had 
allowed them to cheat death itself and neither 
cared what price would have to be paid. 

===

'Derry? Hello? Derry!' Angela pounded on the 
cottage door. She pulled her hand away, rubbing 
her sore fist, and taking a step back.  She was 
worried when her best friend failed to meet her 
at the cafe for their prearranged morning coffee 
before work. That was most unlike Derry. Angela 
knew that if something had come up, and Derry 
needed to change their plans, she would have 
called. When Derry was three hours late to the 
office, missing two appointments with 
case-workers, Angela officially allowed herself 
to panic. After no answer to several phone calls 
and pages, she decided to make the trip out to 
the house. Angela had been uneasy about her dear 
friend for the past few months. Most people who 
knew and worked with Derry felt she was dealing 
with her loss remarkably well, but Angela knew 
otherwise. Derry and Fionn lead a very private 
life. They were familiar to all in Castlebar. It 
was a close-knit community, but Fionn, being a 
writer and farmer, happily spent most of his time 
at home, and when Derry was not working in the 
office or out on a case, she was with him. 
Everyone who knew the couple, knew of their 
devotion to one another. It was obvious enough 
to Angela, being Derry's closest confidant and 
self-appointed sister, that Derry's attempt at 
normalcy was all an act. Angela detected the dark 
circles under her friend's eyes that she tried to 
conceal with make-up. In fact, Angela noticed all 
the mental and physical complications that 
plagued Derry since she lost Fionn. Most of all, 
Angela feared the deep depression Derry was 
succumbing to. It was like a disease or an 
addiction. Derry allowed her grief total access: 
body, mind and spirit. 

Walking around to the back door that she knew to 
be always left unlocked, Angela resolved that 
when she did find her friend, she would sit her 
down for a cup of tea and reach out to her. She 
would insist that Derry check into a facility 
equipped in helping her to truly recover, so that 
she could piece back together a life without 
Fionn. Angela felt her confidence wane as she 
entered the house, passing through the simple 
kitchen. Everything was neat and in its place 
- same as the living room and dinning area. All 
was clean and orderly. She came to Fionn's study, 
a pang of sadness fluttered in her chest, 
surprising her. She spent time here in the house 
since Fionn had died, but something about the 
door to his study being semi-closed made her 
imagine how desolate Derry must feel seeing the 
same thing day after day. She peeked in, his 
computer, and well used reference books, (his 
'bibles' as he referred to them) were in their 
rightful places on the antique desk. Angela
smiled, remembering Derry's request for assistance 
in finding the perfect twenty-fifth birthday gift 
for Fionn. When they discovered the old wooden 
desk in the oddity shop on the outskirts of town, 
they knew they had accomplished their mission. 
Fionn was truly delighted with his present. He 
kept a picture of the three of them on the desk. 
Once they had installed his most precious piece 
of furniture, he insisted on the photograph, 
setting up his tripod as Angela and Derry looked 
on in amusement. Angela recalled how he stood in 
the middle of the two women and, being shorter 
than both reached up on tiptoe and with a grand 
gesture threw his arms around them, hugging them 
close. The photograph captured the genuine 
happiness each felt that day their wide toothy 
grins forever a testament to that gem of a moment 
in time. 											 
 
She called out one last time as she came to the 
bedroom. The door was open. The honey colored 
noontime sun spilled over the bed. The room 
contained an unexplainable presence, as if it 
recorded within its very walls all the echoes of 
the occupants - their sighs of passion, cries of 
pain, and wild laughter. Judging from the bed's 
state of disarray, either a passionate tryst had 
taken place, (Angela highly doubted such an idea) 
or more than likely, Derry had experienced another 
night of unrest. The half-full glass of liquor on 
the floor baring evidence to that. The radio was 
playing - the alarm set to go off at 6am. Angela 
turned the switch and the room was eerily quiet. 
She quickly did a sweep of the bathroom; all the
 usual toiletries, towels and beauty supplies were 
tidily stocked on the freestanding shelves and in 
the closet. She checked the bedroom closet, and 
chest of drawers. It didn't seem as if Derry had 
prepared to go anywhere, if she did, she was 
traveling light. Taking one more walk-through of 
the house and finding nothing out of the ordinary, 
save that Derry was missing. Angela left by the 
back door coming round to the front of the house 
once again. Derry's car was in the driveway, but 
no sign of her. It was as if she had simply 
vanished, or been taken off by the fairies as 
would have been the more common supposition in 
this provincial town.

===

The seven people who might never have met in 
life, now sat on the beach, watching the sun 
making its triumphant return over the horizon, 
sharing confidences not even their closest of 
friends were privy to. Fionn sat behind Derry, 
his arms encircling her. She tried to listen as 
the older man, Rory spoke about his thoughts 
regarding their present situation, but she found 
it none to easy to concentrate. She still could 
not believe she was here with Fionn. It was as 
if the last year of her life, and his death simply 
took to the wind with the ease of ashes from a 
turf fire. They were together. She could not 
fathom how or why, but she did not care at the 
moment. She leaned back against him. He hugged 
her close, whispering affections in her ear. It 
was difficult to digest all that Rory shared, but 
at least she knew the identity of the others she 
saw digging at the church. 
'There are only a few of our kind.' Owen, a man 
to be a few years younger than Rory continued. 
'Although we're not sure what our kind is!' 
Roisin, Owen's wife added. 'We were University 
professors, living a decent enough life, but 
after the car accident we found ourselves here.' 
She looked to the others. They nodded their 
support and mutual confusion.
'After I died', Cain, a Catholic priest with 
striking blue eyes explained, 'I could not believe 
that I was not dispensed to any of the after-life 
destinations I expected. I had not gone to Heaven, 
or, to Hell.' 
'And you can bet he is now seriously questioning 
the validity of his priestly vows!' Fionn joked. 
'Especially that one about celibacy!' He reached 
over and jabbed at the Holy man making everyone 
laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. 
'Well I at least expected to be reborn into yet 
another incarnation with the opportunity to make 
right the mistakes of my previous life!' A woman 
with hair the color of winter spoke in a quiet 
voice. She was the most timid of the group.
'Clara, how could you have anything to pay for? 
You died homeless on the dirty streets of Dublin! 
To hell with whoever would see fit to punish you!' 
Fionn could not hide his outrage. Derry, being a 
social worker, empathized with Fionn's anger. She 
had seen far too many people die on the streets, 
and children at the hands of their own parents. 
It was all so senseless to her.
'Is this like a purgatory, a place of waiting 
then?' Derry asked.
'Father, any thoughts on that?' Fionn turned to 
Cian. The man shook his head. 'I've lost all logic 
as far as this is concerned. And now with you here, 
Derry, please pardon my language, but how the hell 
did that happen?'
'Because it was meant to.' Rory answered as the 
group turned to him in surprise. 
'You sound pretty sure about that, Rory. Why did 
you give me such a fight about it before?' Fionn 
challenged. 
Rory stood over the young couple regarding them 
with a mixture of pride and piety. 'You were meant 
to swim against the tide, Fionn. You did so all 
your life, am I right?'
Derry smiled at the astute man, 'That he did, but 
please tell me that my presence here is not a bad 
thing for Fionn - for any of you.'
'The power and eternity of love can never be a bad 
thing, me girl, it is simply yours and Fionn's 
destiny.' 
'What are ya talkin' about, Rory? Why is it you 
seem to have all the answers now?' Fionn took 
his hands from Derry, and they both stood to face 
the man whose appearance began to alter slightly, 
as did the others. 'What's goin' on here? What 
haven't you told me? What have you all kept 
from me?' he demanded. 
'Fionn...'Derry tried in vein to calm him.
'We have kept nothing from you, Fionn. On the 
contrary, we have supported you in your quest.' 
Rory explained in a soothing voice, 'It's not 
that I have all the answers, but that you have 
asked the correct questions. You fearlessly sought 
the answers for yourself. Now it is our time to 
leave you.' He motioned for the others to stand 
and join him.
'Leave me? You don't mean to...' Fionn struggled 
with his words as he whirled around to confront 
each of his fellow travelers, 'And Derry?'
'There is still time for her if she so chooses.' 
Rory and the others began to take on a darker 
color, a chestnut glow. They seemed to fold into 
one another. 
'Am I not one of you - a spirit of your world?' 
she asked.
'No, my dear, you have not died, nor will you 
ever if you choose to stay with Fionn, but if 
you stay with him, then you two will be like the 
winsome gannets of Skellig Michael.' 
'You mean we are to become birds?' she grabbed 
for Fionn. 
Rory chuckled. He grew larger, and a soft down 
- like coating covered his body - the figures of 
the others were now obscured by him. 
'Not literally, but you will be mated for life. 
I must tell you, you do have one last opportunity 
to return to your world, Derry, and live out the 
natural course of your life. I honestly don't 
know what will become of you then.' He turned to 
Fionn reaching out a long, talon-like arm. 
'You see, Fionn, we all have our purpose. I was 
simply instructed to help you. Your spirit burns 
so exquisitely. You are one of the rare ones 
- a keeper of the light. You can still help 
others out of darkness, just as you did that 
young man on the street.'
'How?' Fionn was incredulous to all that was 
happening. 
'With Derry, lad. If she stays with you…'
'I won't leave him! There is nothing any of you 
can do to make that happen!' She clung to Fionn.
'Derry, are ya sure? You don't even know what is 
to become of us.' Fionn brushed back her hair 
with his hands searching her eyes.
'Whatever is to be for us, Fionn, already is. 
You loved me enough to come back for me, and I 
loved you enough to go with you. Isn't that 
the way of it?' she questioned Rory.
'It is your path. Didn't you once direct Derry to 
look to the moon for you?' Rory asked of Fionn. 
'Yes. How did you...'
'And so it will be then, for the both of you. You 
will move about this land, unrecognizable to most, 
but to the ones who have the heart to see you - 
the ones who also search the moon and stars for 
answers - you and your love will guide them.'
'But what is it we are to do? How are we to help 
these people? Derry asked stepping closer to the 
man who was now much more like a night bird than 
a human - his face multi-colored, like the 
speckled birds of the island. 
'You will learn. Your love will lead you.' With 
that Rory drew the couple to him, enfolding them 
in his vast feathered wings. 'We must go now, but 
we will be lookin' after you, and we will all 
meet again on the other side of the sea.' As he 
let go of them, he and the others rose up in a 
frenzied flapping of wings and joyful birdsong. 
Fionn and Derry held close to one another 
watching the breathtaking vision of their flight. 
The five creatures circled once over head then 
flew towards the direction of the horizon, where 
the land kisses the sea, and continues on into 
eternity. 

Fionn turned to Derry. Both were frightened by 
the uncertainty of it all, but exhilarated at 
the prospect of facing the challenge together. 

===

That very night as the moon hung low and fat in 
the silent sky, the red lights of the inspectors' 
vehicles flashed outside of the home that Fionn 
and Derry once shared, slashing at the empty 
cottage with their sinister light. A tearful 
Angela stood outside giving her statement to a 
member of the Garda. The man took her hand and 
reassured her he would do all that he could to 
locate her missing friend. Before he walked 
back to his car he said, 'Don't worry now, these 
things have a way of working out in a manner you 
could never imagine. It doesn't always mean the 
worst in this type of situation. You keep 
thinkin' good thoughts, okay?' Angela shook her 
head not really hearing what he said. She was 
still in shock. 

As the officers drove away, the night once again 
took on the stillness of sleep. She thought she 
heard the sound of familiar voices. She became 
disoriented and frightened. Considering the 
benefits of a stiff drink, she hugged her arms 
against herself. A cool, eventide breeze moved in 
and brushed her cheek, soft as a daffodil. 
Approaching her car, she saw them, Derry in a 
delicate dress of white, reflecting each unique 
ray of the moon's light. Her arms were entwined 
with Fionn's, in his cap and tweeds. They stood 
in front of their cottage smiling at her and 
laughing, just like the day he had taken their 
picture. Angela rubbed her tired eyes, sure the 
stress of recent events was causing her to 
hallucinate, but when she opened them again, her 
friends were still there. They did not speak, but 
somehow imparted the understanding that all was 
as it should be. She felt great relief wash over 
her. She smiled back at her beloved friends. 
Yes, all was as it should be. 

===

It has been said that the residents of not only 
Castlebar, but of the many other small counties, 
and even large cities in Ireland have reported 
seeing young lovers walking through their streets 
in the moonlight. They bring a sense of hope to 
those fortunate enough to catch a glimpse. And 
always, just overhead, the two are accompanied 
by the most beautiful night birds in all of Eire. 


The years have passed
And I am growing weary of this earth
The magic of the dream is with me still
I've lain beneath the fairy tree
I've shouted to the moon
I am the haunted woman of the hill...


Bree T. Donovan
Moorestown, NJ, USA

=================================================

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where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
claddagh jewellery, engraved glassware and 
much more.

Timothy Meade got some family crest watches as 
gifts for his wedding groomsmen:

 Michael,

 The watches are amazing.  They arrived at just the 
 right time.  I really appreciate that you didn't 
 bill me for the extra shipping. It warms the 
 cockles of me heart.

 Thanks for making my wedding day just that much 
 more beautiful.

 Tim

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=================================================

DIASPORA			by Bill Maher
========

From the green hills and glens of a proud, ancient, land
Came a torrent of people who had made their last stand
From the hunger and fever and oppression they fled
For to stay in old Erin was a sentence of death 

We don't know these people they're a shadow in green
We don't know their roads or the sights they have seen
We've heard of their glory and we've heard of their pain
And although they are family we don't know their name 

Have we heard of the coffin ships that took them away
Have we heard of their leaders who led them to the fray
Do we know of their poets who condemned England's laws
Do we know of their language, their heroes, their cause 

We must learn of Trevelyan, of evictions, of corn
Of Skibbereen, the workhouse, of the mothers who mourned
Of Soyer whose soup was but poison not food
Of the crown whose indifference was true to her code 

Do we know of the Fenian, of Boru, and of Tone
Of Pearse, de Valera, O'Connell, Monroe
And the fate that befell them in their glorious fight
Of the places of triumph and the places of fright               

We are the Diaspora and we cover the earth
From the land of the Saxons, to the hills around Perth          
In the heart of America, and on Canada's plains 
Each Continent echoes the sound of our names

But deep in our soul is a glimmer of green
That shines in our hearts, in our minds, in our dreams
Be our roots deep in Ulster or on Connaught's bold coast
In Leinster or Munster we can all proudly boast

For its Ireland we came from and never forget
There is work there unfinished, to repay an old debt
To support the Republic. To find peace at last
And help unite dear old Ireland as our gift to the past              

Bil Maher
Westfield, NJ, USA

==================================================

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where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
claddagh jewellery, engraved glassware and 
much more.

Anne MacDonald ordered a family crest plaque:

 Hello, Michael,

 Received my plaque, carefully wrapped, 
 in good order.  It is splendid!  I am 
 thrilled, and I know that my dad, for whose 
 81st birthday this was ordered, will love 
 it.  I would like to order another one! 

 Everyone who has seen the plaque has been 
 really impressed, even those who, as my 
 daughter says are 'not into ancestor 
 worship!'

 Again, my hearty thanks for this 
 first-class product.

 Best wishes for happy holiday season.

 Sincerely, Anne MacDonald

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

=================================================

NOVEMBER IN NORTHERN IRELAND    by Christine Bode
============================

November in Northern Ireland
by Christine Bode
My third vacation in Ireland occurred from 
October 27 to November 17 in 2003. It wasn't the 
best time I ever had on the Emerald Isle as I 
had my purse stolen out of an Internet Cafe in 
Dublin, losing a week's cash and activities.  

I also had my heart broken by a Kildare man I 
met and fell for in Dublin, but I survived to 
recount an interesting part of my travels in 
Northern Ireland for you.

On Friday, November 14th I joined a Shamrocker 
tour bus, lead by our tour guide Mick and driver 
Catherine, from Dublin through Counties Louth, 
Antrim, Tyrone, Fermanagh, Meath and back again.  
There was an assortment of Aussies and Americans 
on the bus, plus one other Canadian girl from 
Halifax. Everyone was younger than me and most 
of the passengers were students.

Our first stop was the Boyne Valley. The handsome, 
thirty-something Mick told us all about the Battle 
of the Boyne between James II and William of 
Orange and we walked up a small hill to the site 
itself (in Louth) and stood in the wind and rain 
for a few minutes. I took a couple of photos of 
cows in the field by the river. From there, we 
drove to Monasterboice, a monastic ruin that dates 
back to the 9th century. The monastery, which was 
founded by Saint Buite, who died in 521 AD, 
contains two of the finest sandstone High Crosses 
in Ireland, the primary one being the Cross of 
Muiredach. The site also has a round tower, which 
is in excellent condition. The photo opportunities 
were fantastic.

From Monasterboice we travelled to Dundalk, Co. 
Louth, home of The Corrs. I had a late breakfast 
at The Windsor bar, a slightly burnt omelette 
special with brown toast for €7.55 and listened to 
a local radio station. After my Irish repast, I got 
back on the bus and we drove straight to Belfast 
City in Co. Antrim. We were dropped off at a cheap 
hostel (£8.50) in Kent St. where I had to share a 
room with ten other people and one bathroom 
between us. Not recommended! Don't try to travel 
economically in Ireland when you're 40 or over!

Mick had arranged for us to take the Black Cab 
tour (£7.00), which lasted just under two hours, 
with six of us crammed into a cab and taken to the 
Shankill Road (Protestant/UVF dominated land) area 
first. The row houses were painted with political 
murals and the curbs were marked with red, white 
and blue bars to identify the dangerous Protestant 
neighbourhood. We saw the equally mural-laden 
Peace Wall that divides Protestants from Catholics 
and then we drove to the Falls Road, which is the 
Catholic/IRA-Sinn Fein region. We were given a 
brief history of each side's story of The 
Troubles. It was interesting, but quite 
depressing. I saw the offices of Sinn Fein and 
was told that Gerry Adams was likely there that 
morning as he stops in regularly during the week.

When we returned to the hostel I arranged to meet 
the nephew of my mother's friend, Clive, and he 
was pleased to meet me for coffee and a short 
walking tour around the City Centre. Belfast City 
is modern and attractive, particularly City Hall 
which was lit up beautifully, like a postcard in 
the dark. Clive also showed me the Europa Hotel 
(the most bombed hotel in history), the Lagan 
River walk, Albert Clock and the gorgeous Belfast
Cathedral.

That evening our tour group went to a really 
posh, trendy restaurant/club called The Northern 
Whig for dinner. We had a reservation so we all 
sat together between two tables and it was quite 
enjoyable. I had chicken fajitas for £7.55 and 
they were tasty but lacked cheese, an essential 
ingredient in any fajitas recipe! I had a pint 
of Guinness as well and was totally stuffed 
afterwards. Despite indigestion, I trundled off 
with a large part of the group to a beautiful old 
pub called The Crown where Gerry Adams worked as 
a bartender in his younger days. I had one 
tequila & 7-Up and chatted with a Belfast man 
named John who was a fiddler. He was very nice to 
talk to, as are most of the locals in Ireland.

Saturday on The Shamrocker saw Mick give us a 
very good history lesson about everything from 
the beginnings of the Irish Republican Brotherhood 
all the way through to the 1916 Easter Rising and 
the good fight of Michael Collins. Catherine 
talked about how the IRA is funded today, which 
is mostly by Americans, but also by IRA 
kidnappings, bank robberies, drug dealings, etc.

Catherine drove us through Larne, the Glens of 
Antrim and finally to The Giant's Causeway which 
I had been dying to see for years. The Antrim 
Coast route is spectacular and the towns of 
Ballygally and Glenarm are especially picturesque. 
I saw several vibrant rainbows that filled me 
with a sense of spiritual renewal. The landscape 
is mountainous and craggy at times but it 
overlooks the Irish Sea in all its glory. 
Ballymena, where Liam Neeson hails from, wasn't 
far from where we were. We travelled through 
Glencoy, past the Londonderry Arms Hotel that was 
once owned by Winston Churchill. He inherited it 
from an aunt but apparently never went there.

We stopped in the village of Cushendun for a much 
needed bathroom break (there should be a bathroom 
on those tour buses!) before moving on through 
Ballypatrick Forest which is full of coniferous 
evergreens not indigenous to this country. Scots 
pine, oak and ash are and as ancient settlers cut 
most of them down up to 9,000 years ago to clear 
the land for agriculture, new indigenous trees are 
in desperate need of being replanted. Mick said 
that the pine needles have actually poisoned the 
land and created a natural ecological disaster.

Spending a mere 90 minutes at the majestic Giant's 
Causeway, one of the natural wonders of the world, 
was a big tease. I was absolutely thrilled to 
stand in the wind on the Causeway's basalt 
hexagonal columns and have my picture taken by 
another tourist. It is one of the most 
breathtaking landscapes I have ever had the 
privilege of seeing. The Giant's Causeway is a 
major tourist attraction and boasts a restaurant, 
theatre where you can watch a short film about 
the scientific theory, myth and legend of the 
place, a couple of excellent gift shops and a
stunningly beautiful walkway along the cliffs. 
I could have spent an entire day there.

Sun showers pelted us on and off all day and I 
got drenched again at Dunluce Castle. Dunluce is 
said to be seriously haunted by the ghost of Peter 
Kerry who was hung there hundreds of years ago. 
It is a gorgeous fortress jutting out of the 
cliffs over the sea. It was chillingly cold when 
the pouring rain turned into hail, but it didn't 
last too long.

We stopped at the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery 
just to look in the gift shop on our drive to 
Derry, where we stayed in a slightly nicer cheap 
hostel called Steve's Backpackers (£9.00 
including breakfast).

When we arrived in Derry we left almost 
immediately after dumping our bags in our rooms 
for a guided walking tour of the medieval walls 
of the original city and into the Bogside area 
for tales of Bloody Sunday. I'd seen the 2002 
movie of the same name starring James Nesbitt so 
it was really incredible to relive the history. 
Our professional guide was very knowledgeable so 
it was extremely interesting. However, after 
walking around a very hilly, steep city in the 
rain (at times it was almost torrential) for 90 
minutes, with a chest cold and cough, I was 
completely done in.

We came back to the hostel where £2.50 bought us 
either an Irish or Bailey's coffee. I opted for 
the latter. It was heavenly. We watched a bit of 
a soccer match between Russia and Wales and then 
went out to dinner to The Ice Wharf where the 
food was great and the prices reasonable. I had 
to pass on going out to any pubs afterwards, as 
I was feeling too ill.

On Sunday, November 16th, after a free breakfast 
at Steve's Backpackers of toast and jam with 
coffee, we loaded onto the bus for 8:30 a.m. 
leaving Derry behind. We drove through County 
Tyrone where the countryside is lush farmland 
traipsing through hills and valleys that are 
largely vacant with several rivers running through 
it. The sun shone brightly (finally!) as we drove 
through the City of Omagh and the sight of the 
1998 bombing by the Real IRA (a splinter group 
that were against the peace process), which 
claimed the lives of 29 people. It was the most 
devastating act of terrorism of all the years of 
The Troubles. A 60-year-old woman, her daughter 
who was nine months pregnant with twins and her 
two year old granddaughter were all killed in the 
bombing, which originated in a car that was meant 
for the Court House. Some Spanish students were 
killed as well and they had the distinction of 
being the first foreigners who lost their lives 
in the IRA's campaign. This was a disturbing 
memory for Catherine and Mick as the images from 
the news reports of Omagh's city centre were still 
relatively fresh in their minds. Everything has 
been rebuilt so it's hard to imagine the damage 
that was done, but I also remember when it 
happened and the horrifying newspaper images, 
so I felt a bit sick with sorrow.

We headed to Enniskillen in County Fermanagh where 
we stopped for a drink and bathroom break at 
Charlie's Pub, primarily because Mick wanted to 
catch the soccer scores. It was very quiet in 
Enniskillen on Sunday and many of us went to the 
Spar to buy food for lunch because we had limited 
Euro dollars on us and were soon leaving Sterling 
country. From Enniskillen we drove to Meath where 
we were to visit the Loughcrew Passage Tombs.

Climbing the mountain to the Loughcrew Passage 
Tombs is one of the achievements in my life that 
I can be truly proud of considering I was almost 
40, a size 18/20 and terribly out of shape! I 
thought I might have a heart attack before I 
reached the summit, but I made it, the last 
person on the tour to arrive, huffing, puffing 
and beet red in the face. The view was 
absolutely magnificent and well worth the effort, 
but I missed Mick's history lesson. I went inside 
the tomb very briefly to say I did and Mick shone 
his flashlight on the stone wall carvings so I 
could see. I retreated to leave the spirits of 
the dead in peace. Walking down the mountain 
amidst the sheep excrement, I employed my best 
nanny goat footing and managed to make it to the 
bottom without falling.

From there we went to Trim Castle, the Anglo-Norman 
fortress made world famous because Mel Gibson 
filmed parts of 'Braveheart' there. It was used as 
Robert the Bruce's castle and the scene at the end 
of the movie where William Wallace is drawn and 
quartered was filmed outside the entrance to the 
Keep. Our tour guide Karlos led us through the most 
significant rooms inside the castle and seemed very 
informed about what life would have been like there 
in the 12th century. Cold and smelly, I'd say! We 
walked slowly up to the roof for another fabulous 
view of Trim and then descended 90 very narrow 
stone steps down to the first floor again. 
It was very cool indeed.

The weary passengers of the Shamrocker tour were 
dropped off near Kinlay House in Dublin at around 
5:45 p.m. that evening. With little adieu we said 
goodbye and happy travels to the people we'd spent 
the last three days with. Bus tours are an 
excellent and economical way of seeing Ireland, 
but I would recommend that you don't travel in 
November as the weather will not be in your 
favour.

Christine Bode

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where you can get great Irish gifts, prints, 
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Claire Latevola ordered an engraved ring:

 Dear Michael,

 I did want to let you know the watch I ordered 
 for my Sister's birthday, with the Nugent crest,
 was lovely.  

 She received it in short order and was delighted.  
 I recently saw it and was very happy with it.  
 Sometimes you feel you are taking a chance placing 
 such an order, but I would not hesitate to place an 
 order again thru your system.

 Again, thank you.

 Claire Latevola

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=================================================

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

PHRASE:		An féidir liom cabhru leat?
PRONOUNCED:	on fay-durr lum cow-roo lat?
MEANING:		May I help you? 

PHRASE:		An bhfuil tu ag lorg duine eigin?
PRONOUNCED:	on will two egg lurg dinn-eh aig-ginn 
MEANING:		Are you looking for someone? 

PHRASE:		An gno pearsanta no oifigiuil e?
PRONOUNCED:	on gih-no parr-sann-tah no iff-igg-ool ae 
MEANING:		Is it personal or official? 

View the archive of phrases here:

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

=================================================

SHAMROCK SITE OF THE MONTH:	CELTICATTIC.COM

Shop online for everything you need to decorate 
your home and life with a Celtic Twist: Art, 
Crafts, Irish & Scottish Baskets, Suncatchers,
Wind-Chimes, Music and Celtic Gifts. We offer a 
delightful variety of Celtic Jewelry: Pendants, 
Crosses, Rings, Hair Ties & more. All your 
Irish Bath, Beauty and Herbal needs are in one 
convenient location! The Majority of our products 
are Irish, Scottish, Welsh made.

http://www.celticattic.com

Phone orders 360-765-0186

=================================================

MAY COMPETITION RESULT
========================

The winner was: iregan317@comcast.net
who will receive the following: 

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

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

=================================================

I hope that you have enjoyed this issue.

Until next time,

STAY SAFE!

Michael Green,
Editor,
The Information about Ireland Site.

https://www.ireland-information.com
Click here to contact us