The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter
November 2007
The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland
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Copyright (C) 2007
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The Information about Ireland Site Newsletter
November 2007
The Newsletter for people interested in Ireland
Now received by over 50,000 people worldwide
https://www.ireland-information.com
https://www.irishnation.com
Copyright (C) 2007
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IN THIS ISSUE
=== Foreword
=== News Snaps from Ireland
=== New free resources at the site
=== 10 Little Bits of Dublin
=== Bonagee - My Donegal Home by Kay Duckworth
=== Death of an Exile by Tom O'Hara
=== Ireland - a Place to Visit Again and Again
=== Eamon DeValera: An Irish Leader
=== Gaelic Phrases of the Month
=== Shamrock Site of the Month: Celticattic.com
=== Monthly free competition result
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FOREWORD
========
Hello again from Ireland where the Christmas rush
has started in earnest (it seems to start earlier
every year). Be sure to check out our website for
some great new Christmas gift ideas including:
* Family Crest Flags
* Irish Music C.D.s
* Posters of Ireland
* Family Crest Cufflinks
and dozens of other great Christmas gift ideas.
Help keep this newsletter alive at
www.irishnation.com
Please DO send us in your stories, poems or
articles about Ireland for the next edition
- we love including reader contributions,
until next month,
Michael
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
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NEWS SNAPS FROM IRELAND
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LOW TAX REGIME HELPED FOUND THE CELTIC TIGER
Forecasts of a slowdown in the Irish economy have
prompted lots of speculation that the 'Celtic
Tiger' is dead. It has also initiated a lot of
retrospection about how exactly Ireland emerged
from the economic wasteland that was the 1980s to
eventually take its place among the prosperous
countries of this world.
There is no doubt that the 'social partnership'
model initiated by, among others, Charles
Haughey, was a good start. In return for set pay
increases the various trade unions basically
agreed not to strike. It is easy looking back now
to forget just how much industrial strife there
had been during the 1970s and 1980s in Ireland.
This new deal between employers and unions
provided much needed stability in the labour
market just as economic growth was about to
happen.
The rate of corporation tax in Ireland in 1987
was a staggering 50%! The decision to gradually
reduce the rate at which companies were taxed to
12.5% over the course of the following decade was
to have a huge impact on the attractiveness of
Ireland as a base for multinationals. This low-tax
model is being copied by several of the new EU
countries in eastern Europe.
A relatively well educated workforce and a
government that was increasingly reducing income
tax (which also had the effect of making it more
attractive for emigrants to return to their
homeland), meant that the foundations for
economic prosperity were all in place.
Unemployment plummeted, mass immigration became
a reality, the property market soared and all of
the excesses of a successful capitalist society
became evident. It is certainly true that
something of the past (the 'soul') has been lost,
but given the huge progress in the standards of
living in this country it is easy to see why so
many Irish citizens do not lament that price
being paid.
NO APPARENT PROBLEMS IN IRISH BANKING SECTOR
Despite the stock-market jitters and concerns
over the stability of banks around the world
the Irish banking system looks to be in good
shape. It is true that the stock prices of the
main banks in Ireland have taken a hammering in
recent months (most are down approximately 40%
since the start of the year), but the underlying
fundamentals of the banks continue to be touted
by bank officials and economists alike.
The main casualty here of the US sub-prime debacle
that has spread throughout world markets has been
Northern Rock who, although a British bank, has
seen tens of millions of Euros held in its Irish
branch withdrawn in a period of frenzied activity.
The British Government intervened to effectively
guarantee the deposits of the bank to bring that
particular crisis to an end.
Recent statements by the Irish Central Bank
confirm the good health of the countries biggest
financial institutions. Irish banks appear to
have little exposure to the sub-prime debts
that have rocked so many other banks worldwide
and are also well-capitalized, relatively
speaking.
It is not all good news though with the impact of
any possible recession in the US likely to have a
major impact on Irish economic activity, given the
huge importance that the likes of Intel, Goggle and
other multi-nationals play in the Irish economy.
The high cost of energy, the low value of the
dollar and stubborn inflation of nearly 5% in
Ireland are all genuine risks to future growth.
INFLATION ON THE MARCH AGAIN
Inflation in Ireland has jumped to 4.8% with the
cost of oil and food being the main culprits.
Employers fear that labour unions will be
seeking big pay increases to keep ahead of
inflation. They fear that this will greatly reduce
competitiveness and increase unemployment.
Inflation is up by 3% since the start of 2007,
compared with a European average of 2.2%
NUMBER OF OLD AGE PENSIONERS TO NEARLY DOUBLE
The number of people aged over 65 years of age is
expected to increase by 80% by the year 2025. This
huge shift in age demographic will place a big
demand on the government pension fund that was
established recently. Added to this is the fact
that life expectancy has increased in Ireland to
80 years for women and 75 years for men. A
reduction in the rate of heart disease deaths (by
a massive 38% in the last decade) is at least
partly responsible for the improved longevity.
Advocates of the recently introduced smoking ban
are quick to quote this statistic.
SUICIDE RATE CONTINUES TO INCREASE
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office
have revealed that suicide has overtaken road
deaths as a principal cause of death in Ireland.
Alcohol consumption has no doubt played a part in
that sad statistic with Irish consumption of
alcohol still putting the country at or near the
top of the European drinking league in various
categories. Overall alcohol consumption in Ireland
is the third highest in Europe, trailing only
Luxembourg and Hungary.
Voice your opinion on these news issues here:
https://www.ireland-information.com/newsletterboard/wwwboard.html
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NEW FREE RESOURCES AT THE SITE
==============================
NEW COATS OF ARMS ADDED TO THE GALLERY:
The following 5 coats of arms images and family
history details have been added to the Gallery:
D: Doby
I: McIlwee, Ireland
M: Mangan
S: Shank
View the Gallery here:
http://www.irishsurnames.com/coatsofarms/gm.htm
THE PERFECT WEDDING, ANNIVERSARY OR BIRTHDAY GIFT!
We now have over 100,000 worldwide names available.
Get the Coat of Arms Print, Claddagh Ring,
Screensaver, Watch, T-Shirt Transfer or Clock for
your name at:
https://www.irishnation.com/familycrestgifts.htm
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10 LITTLE BITS OF DUBLIN
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HOW DID DUBLIN GET ITS NAME?
The Gaelic name for Dublin is 'Baile Atha Cliath'
which translates literally as 'town of the hurdle
ford', a description of the bank of wooden hurdles
built up across the river Liffey by the Vikings.
The word 'Dublin' is actually a composition of
two Gaelic words: 'dubh' meaning 'black' and
'linn' means 'pool' (or 'mire'). Thus the
literal translation of the words from which
Dublin gets its name is Black pool!
Crossing the 'hurdle ford' was not without its
dangers. In 770 AD a band of Bon Valley raiders
were drowned crossing the Liffey at the hurdle
ford.
ORIGIN OF THE PHRASE 'CHANCE YOUR ARM'
The sixteenth century saw a fierce rivalry develop
between the Butlers and Fitzgeralds. Violent
clashes between the two groups were commonplace with
once such melee occurring in 1512. Butler, the
Earl of Ormond retreated and was forced to take
refuge in Saint Patrick's Cathedral. He barricaded
himself behind a stout wooden door and refused to
leave until he got assurances for his safety. After
some negotiation a deal was struck. In order to
seal the deal a hole was hacked through the wooden
door so that the two leaders could shake hands. It
is thought that the modern expression 'chancing
your arm' originated from this event. From that
time on a 'chancer' was someone who took a risk
or a gamble. The hole in the door can still be
seen to this day.
KILMAINHAM JAIL
Kilmainham Jail near Inchicore in Dublin was
originally built on a site known as 'Gallows
Hill'. A jail had existed on the site since the
year 1210 but was in such neglect that it was
demolished and rebuilt in 1796. By the time of
the 1798 rebellion the jail was overcrowded but
further development did not take place until 1863.
Many famous Irish famous historical figures were
imprisoned there including Robert Emmett, Charles
Stewart Parnell, Padraig Pearse, Countess
Markievicz and Eamon DeValera. The prison was
closed down in 1924 and is now a museum heritage
site, a national monument.
O'CONNELL STREET
In 1924 the main street in Dublin City had its
name changed from Sackville Street to O'Connell
Street, in honour of 'The Liberator'. This change
had for long been resisted by the English
Vice-Chancellor, Chatterton, who prevented Dublin
Corporation from granting the wish of the vast
majority of Dubliners. Not to be outdone, the
local citizenry opted to use the new name in
spite of the lack of official recognition.
Dublin Corporation joined into the spirit of
things by allowing the 'Sackville' street signs to
deteriorate and even threatened to rename a street
where prostitutes were known to frequent as
'Chatterton Street'.
The creation of the Free State in 1922 finally
allowed for the official transformation of
Sackville Street into O'Connell Street.
FAMOUS DUBLIN WRITERS
The early part of the twentieth century was a
magical time for Irish literature. Yeats, O'Casey
and Synge were prominent in the famous Abbey
Theatre while Dublin provided no less than three
Nobel prizewinners. James Joyce was born in
Rathgar although there are twenty houses in
Dublin city that claim him as an occupant, owing
to his family constantly moving about during his
early years. His most famous work is Ulysses.
Dubliners still celebrate 'Bloomsday' every year,
named after his most famous fictional character
Leopold Bloom.
George Bernard Shaw was another Dubliner who won
the famous Novel prize, renowned for 'Pygmalion'
on which the movie 'My Fair Lady' is based.
Dubliner Samuel Beckett also won a Nobel, and is
perhaps most remembered for writing 'Waiting for
Godot'.
THE THEFT OF THE IRISH CROWN JEWELS
The 1907 theft of the 'Irish Crown Jewels' still
remains a mystery nearly a century later. The
famous regalia of the 'Order of Saint Patrick'
were to be placed in a safe in a strongroom in
Dublin Castle but, when it was found that the new
safe was too large to fit into the strongroom the
safe was located in the Library instead.
An inspection of the safe in July revealed that
the treasure had disappeared. The haul was valued
at 30,000 pounds, a huge sum at the time and has
never been recovered.
THE VIKINGS BECOME IRISH
The famous victory by Brian Boru over the Vikings
at Clontarf in the year 1014 marked the end of
the Viking raids on Ireland. By this time however,
the Vikings had already begun to assimilate into,
and make their mark on Gaelic society.
One such Viking was Sitric Silkenbeard, the King
of Dublin. Despite the reputation of the Vikings
Silkenbeard was a devout Christian and was
responsible for the founding of the famous
Christchurch Cathedral at the top of Dame Street
in Dublin City Centre. His reign saw the first
coins ever minted in Ireland. They bore his
image on one side and a cross on the other. He
remained in power until 1036 and spent the last
of his days on the island of Iona, Scotland.
THE ATMOSPHERIC RAILWAY
The famous Atmospheric Railway was opened in 1844.
The line ran from Dalkey to nearby Kingstown (now
Dun Laoghaire) on the southside of the city. This
unique system relied on atmospheric pressure to
force the railway carriage up the hill to Dalkey
and then relied on gravity for the return to
Kingstown.
A 483 yard pipe ran the length of the track from
which air was extracted by a steam-driven pump at
the Dalkey end. The resulting vacuum caused a
piston to move along the pipe, to which was
connected the train. Wax-covered flaps in the pipe
opened and closed allowing the piston to move
along its length. As the train moved along, a wheel
pressed down on the pipe sealing in the vacuum as
progress was made. Problems with this system meant
a man had to follow the train to manually seal
the flaps.
Momentum from the initial journey would allow
the train to travel the final part of its trip
when the pump had been stopped. The piston was
then hooked onto the train for the return journey
back to Kingstown.
If the train stopped short of the station the
third-class passengers were required to push the
carriage the final part home. Occasionally the
train would fly past the Dalkey station and off
the tracks at the far end.
The system worked well for a decade but was
eventually abandoned because of the problems with
sealing the vacuum flaps and because of
developments with steam-driven engines. The grease
and wax that was used on the flaps was also a great
attraction for rats who caused repeated damage to
the line. The tunnel that was constructed along the
line only offered 3 inches of head clearance making
it a tricky proposition for passengers sticking
their heads out of the windows!
THE BLACKPITS
The part of Dublin city just off Clanbrasil
Street has for centuries been known as 'The
Blackpits'. The origin of this name is unclear.
One theory suggests it is so named because of the
large number of dead who were placed there during
the 'Black Death'. Another suggestion alludes to
the black vats used by tanners during the
eighteenth century.
THE GPO
The famous General Post Office in Dublin was
first opened in 1818. A suggestion that the
building be used as a Catholic Cathedral was
rejected by the authorities as they did not want
a religious institution in such a prominent place
in the city.
The building was to gain international prominence
however, when it was seized during the 'Easter
Rising' of 1916. The rebellion, which was led by
Padraig Pearse, was very much centered at the GPO
which was gutted during the battle that ensued.
It was rebuilt during the 1920's but several of
the original bullet-holes from the Rising were
left untouched, as a reminder of the turbulent
history of perhaps the worlds most famous post
office.
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YOU CAN HELP TO KEEP THIS FREE NEWSLETTER ALIVE!
Visit:
https://www.irishnation.com
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
THE PERFECT WEDDING OR ANNIVERSARY GIFT!
View family crest plaques here:
https://www.irishnation.com/familycrestplaques.htm
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BONAGEE - MY DONEGAL HOME by Kay Duckworth
=========================
I was born in dear old Donegal
in a lovely house of dreams.
Bonagee a place of winds,
all around were cherry trees.
Home of my Fathers I lived in
it was like heaven to me.
I left it many years ago
my home in Bonagee.
The walls were built with Irish stone
they stood tall through the years.
The floors had felt my tiny feet
and soaked up my baby tears.
I pressed my little snub nose against
the window pane to see,
the lush green grass, the tall green trees
of my home in Bonagee.
I've seen many homes in many lands
and no matter where I'll be,
I know that they can't compare with
my lovely Bonagee.
The Taj Mahal in India,
the Vatican in Rome.
Will never have the riches
of my lovely Irish home.
A far off look comes in my eye and
people wonder why,
the cause of all this wondering,
my thoughts and fancies fly,
back to dear old Donegal
the house that I was born in,
to live and die in
Bonagee is the cause of all this longing.
~~~
K Duckworth Sept,30th 2007
(Seventy two years I was born in this !
house. I now live in San Diego CA, USA)
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KEEP THIS NEWSLETTER ALIVE!
Visit:
https://www.irishnation.com
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DEATH OF AN EXILE by TOM D O'HARA
=================
As I read the local paper
I see a man died at Ninety Four
Way out in New York City
Far away from his native shore
He was my father's best friend
Over seventy years ago
As they ploughed the fields together
Around Aclare in Co Sligo
Well time and tide them parted
As it did with many more
Way back in the twenties
When people emigrated by the score
Many tales my father told me
Of their exploits in the glen
Of salmon fishing on The Inagh
When the season was in swing
But then times were a changing
And help was there once more
So he said goodbye in twenty nine
Leaving hearts both sad and sore
The other day just after dinner
I passed by the old house standing there
And I prayed for John who has gone on
Far away from old Aclare
And after Church next Sunday
To the Priest I'll go along
And I'll give him a Mass Offering
For Dad and his good friend John
TOM D O'HARA
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IRELAND - A PLACE TO VISIT AGAIN AND AGAIN
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by Karen Martin
My Husband was born in Belfast, Ireland and came
out to Australia in 1965. It took another 40
years before my husband decided to return to
Ireland after much pressure from our daughter
who was living and working in London at the
time, and myself, as my ancestors came from
the Roscommon area in the 1800's. It was always
a place I wanted to see and experience.
We finally got to see your wonderful Ireland in
2005 and again in July this year. I have so
many wonderful, funny, crazy memories of the
time we spent during our holidays. Our first
trip was a self drive one, starting in London
so we could spend some time with our daughter
before her return to Australia after spending
5 years living and working in London. The plan
was to stay in B & B's when ever we could. We
drove up thru the midlands staying a few days
in Nottingham, Liverpool & Glasgow. Seeing
everything in between like the wonderful
Winderemere Lakes district & Gretna Green etc.
We enjoyed driving to Edinburgh, St Andrews and
the wonderful scenery around the lochs. We drove
down to Stranraer to get the ferry over to
Belfast where we caught up with family that
hubby had not seen in forty years!
~~~
This article is continued in the online
edition of this newsletter:
https://www.ireland-information.com/nov07.htm#article
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