Irish Seisiún Newsletter
This Week’s Session
Tom,
We had a fine session today, lots of players, lots of listeners, some great songs, a good time had by all. Bernie played a really sweet Air today.
Songs by Randy and Kevin, I know the audience appreciated them, thanks!
On fiddle were Art, Caroline, Bob and Rex (welcome back!), Randy on Bouzouki, Jeanie, Rosemarie, George, Polin, Bernie and two newcomers whose names I didn’t catch (bad reporter! ) were on whistles and flutes, Pat on Accordion, and Jack on Bodhran.
Some of the tunes were: Christmas Eve / King of the Fairies / Greenfields of Woodford, Hole in the Hedge / the New Copperplate, Old Copperplate / John Brennen’s, Knotted Cord, Tinkers Daughter / Donnybrook Fair, Kesh Jig, Rose in the Heather / Plains of Boyle, Home Ruler, Kitty’s Wedding / New Broom barndance, Lucy Farr’s, Bill Malley’s / Camaronion, Donegal reel, Miss Monaughan’s / Rambling Pitchfork, Lark in the Strand / Blackthorn Stick, My Darling Asleep / Charlie Harris Polka, Finnish Polka, Jessica’s / Banshee, Maid behind the Bar, Sligo Maid / Haunted House, My Darling Asleep, Old Favorite / Mossy Banks, Mountain Top / lakes of Sligo, Church Street, Port Lairge / Blarney Pilgrim, / Connaughtman’s Rambles, Frost is all over / Galway Hornpipe, Home Ruler, Honeysuckle Hornpipe / Dick Gossips, Silver Spear, Cup of Tea / Gallaugher’s Frolic, Lilting Fisherman, Willy Coleman’s / Galway Rambler, London Lasses / Apples in Winter, Old Man Dillon, and lastly, Lark in the Morning to finish off.
Bob M.
Finnegan;s Calender
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Travel in Ireland
Maynooth,
a town of saints and scholars
A jewel in the crown of County Kildare Maynooth’s university and seminary have fascinating histories and are a treat for any visitor.
Domhnall O’Donoghue @IrishCentral
May 14, 2023 The South Campus, Maynooth University, County Kildare. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Domhnall O’Donoghue discovers the fascinating and intertwined history of Maynooth University and Saint Patrick’s College – Ireland’s national seminary.
Kildare, one of Leinster’s most elegant counties, has many jewels on its proverbial crown – the Japanese Gardens, Irish National Stud, Donadea Forest Park, and Castletown House – but few shine as brightly as the bustling town of Maynooth. For those interested in etymology, the name Maynooth derives from the Irish ‘Maigh Nuad’ – the word ‘Maigh’ meaning planes while ‘Nuad’ or ‘Nuadhat’ was an ancient god.
Fittingly, the town, located some 25 kilometers west of Dublin City, will forever be linked to God and religion thanks to the presence of Ireland’s national seminary, Saint Patrick’s College – once the largest in the world. Strolling around the calm and picturesque St Joseph’s Square, currently bestrewn in creeping ivy, it’s hard to think that the seminary’s genesis was so hard-fought. In fact, like a passage from the Bible, its creation in 1795 required its founders to overcome numerous obstacles in an Ireland where Catholicism was effectively outlawed.
Revolution in the air
Owing to harsh penal laws, for 200 years beforehand, Ireland’s Catholic priests had been forced to flock to colleges in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands for their education and training.
However, the French Revolution in the latter years of the 18th Century shocked Europe to the core. Irish bishops feared that priests studying on the continent might be impressed by the ideals of the Revolution, so implored the British government – which was occupying Ireland at the time – to allow this education to take place in Ireland. At war with France, Britain was anxious to placate Irish Catholic dissatisfaction and agreed.
5 Tulips in the South Campus.
The ambitious project then extended beyond student priests to include Catholic laymen, and in 1795, Maynooth College was founded. Among its first staff were several French scholars who were refugees from the Revolution.
By the 1820s, Maynooth priests dominated the Irish clergy and proved to be the backbone of Daniel O’Connell’s campaign for Catholic Emancipation. By 1850, Saint Patrick’s had become the largest seminary in the world.
In 1871, following the Church of Ireland’s disestablishment in Ireland, St Patrick’s College achieved independence, and towards the end of that century, it had shape-shifted once again, becoming a Pontifical University.
School of thought
Another significant moment in its storied journey came in 1910, when St Patrick’s progressed into a recognized constituent college of the National University of Ireland, meaning clerical students pursuing seminary studies could also receive arts and science degrees. However, the Pontifical University continued to confer its own theology degrees.
The Swinging Sixties brought further, dramatic changes when students from all walks of life were welcomed, greatly expanding the college – by 1977, these lay students outnumbered the religious students.
In terms of staff and students, St Patrick’s College enjoys a celebrated alumni. Father Nicholas Joseph Callan from County Louth was a Professor of Natural Philosophy here from 1834 but is best known for his work on the induction coil – a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current supply. Between the 1880s to 1920s, it was widely used in x-ray machines, spark-gap radio transmitters and arc lighting.
The National Science Museum, also located on the campus, houses fascinating artifacts from Callan’s research. In addition, there are non-scientific items on display, including vestments presented by Empress Elizabeth of Austria and the death mask of Daniel O’Connell, a man long associated with Catholic emancipation.
5 South Campus of Maynooth University at night.
Previous college staff include renowned playwright Frank McGuinness who taught English, and Éamon de Valera, former President of Ireland, who lectured in Mathematics and Mathematical Physics in 1912 – and took refuge here following the Rising four years later. Past students include Nobel Prize winner John Hume as well as one of Ireland’s most important contemporary dramatists, Brian Friel.
Seminary life
Over its long history, the seminary has ordained more than 11,000 priests, many of whom have ministered outside of the Emerald Isle. My dear friend, Dr Conor Farnan, a fellow Meathman, was a seminarian here between 2001 to 2003.
“I was inspired by the person and message of Jesus as I had experienced Him in the Gospels and in the priests who I had met,”
Conor says of his motivations behind joining the seminary. He was one of twenty-two who joined in 2001; to his knowledge, about a dozen made it to ordination. Conor – now a secondary school teacher in Crumlin, Dublin and author of Faith Alive, a religious book for students – explains that the average day at the seminary consisted of three sets of prayers and a morning mass along with communal meals.
He adds: “Outside of these shared gatherings, a seminarian’s weekday was quite like any other undergraduate’s – lectures, coffee with friends, time in the library, study and essay-writing. “Where our lives were different was in the area of expectations: a seminarian is expected to live a chaste and fairly conservative life, so most evenings were spent chatting with classmates in the dorm-like corridors rather than pursuing love interests or drinking in the Students’ Union or The Roost.”
Conor eventually left the seminary for personal reasons but acknowledges how much he learned there.
5 Conor Farnan and his wife Anne-marie on their wedding day with Fathers John and Joe.
“Professionally, I’m now a teacher, which is its own kind of secular priesthood with dogmas, beliefs and rituals,” he explains. “So, in a way, I am still living echoes of the impulse that brought me to Maynooth.
“Personally, I think Maynooth taught me the value of kindness in day-to-day interactions. Large institutions can be brutalizing on the individual: it’s good to remember that every person – no matter how seemingly aloof – has feelings and deserves kindness.”
In 2016, two of his original classmates who went on to be ordained, Joe and John, married Conor and his wife, Anne-Marie. More recently, the two priests baptized the couple’s daughter, Aoife.
“Ours is a wonderful, life-giving and rich friendship that first took root all those years ago in Maynooth.”
When I discuss the institution’s future with Reverend Professor Michael Mullaney, President of St Patrick’s College, he tells me: “St Patrick’s College has navigated four very different centuries, adapting and adjusting to new developments and turbulent challenges in education, mirroring the changing socio-political and religious landscape in Ireland as well as the world around us.”
He believes the pandemic is another pivotal moment in their history, encouraging them to embrace new teaching and learning technologies and pedagogy. “
[The pandemic] has opened a window into the unique brand that is Maynooth, for a whole new constituency of remote learners around Ireland and the world. It has become an opportunity in which the college has refocused on its core missions, and plotted an exciting route for the coming decades.”
A saintly chapel
My own first memory of St Patrick’s College was as a young, not-always-in-tune chorister singing in their magnificent chapel. It was little wonder my 10-year-old self lost his way in the middle of Ave Maria, overwhelmed by the surrounding 454 carved stalls, which I now learn is the largest of its kind in the world.
5 Inside the Chapel at Maynooth.
The stunning 19th-century chapel was initiated by then-President Charles W. Russell, with architect J.J. McCarthy finding his inspiration in the 14th-century Gothic style popularised in France. The French also inspired the design of the breathtaking Rose Window – it was based on the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Reims, where their kings were once crowned.
Apart from floor mosaics, life-size Stations of the Cross, and a ceiling adorned with canvas medallions depicting saints and angels, another highlight here is the magnificent organ that looms over the entrance. The sweet-sounding instrument boasts a total number of 2,983 pipes, some of which politely lie horizontally, not wanting to interrupt our view of the Rose Window.
A Christmas Carol service is held here annually, open to staff, students and the general public. Such is its popularity; tickets are allocated by lottery.
The ghost room
With an institution that spans four centuries, there is bound to be some hair-raising ghosts skulking around the campus. In fact, any student here is quick to mention that Room Two of Rhetoric House has been associated with paranormal activity since the mid-19th Century. There, two young seminarians died by suicide, nineteen years apart.
If legend is to be believed, they were driven to their deaths by a ‘diabolic presence’ in the room. A third priest spent the night in the room and was terrified by whatever he saw; in fact, his hair turned bright white.
In 1860, the room was converted into an oratory, dedicated to St Joseph, the patron saint of peaceful deaths. Today, the space is a waiting area among academic offices, but the seminarians’ remains are buried in marked graves in unconsecrated grounds outside the college cemetery.
Irish Language
“Tá grá agam duit”
Which translates to “I Love You.”
Surprise your loved one this Valentines with plenty more ways to say “I Love You” in Irish!.
Free Irish Classes
The classes are over zoom and are held at 12:00 eastern time the 1 st Sunday of every month.
It is basic conversational Irish and open to learners of all ages, especially beginners.
All are invited either to participate privately or to meet at Tim Finnegans at 12:00 prior to the regular Sunday session.
Hope to see you there!
slan go foill. Le dea ghui,
Anita
click here to register
This Week's Irish Recipe
Tradition with a twist!
Corned beef and cabbage spring rolls recipe
Looking for some Irish finger food? This canapé is a brilliant twist on the traditional much-loved Irish American dinner recipe.
IrishCentral Staff @IrishCentral Jun 02, 2017
Traditional Irish fare but with a modern-day twist – corned beef and cabbage spring roll Getty Images
Who doesn’t love spring rolls?! This classic Irish flavor combo is just perfect for an Irish canape.
But first…why corned beef?
We’re here to help you add to your entertaining recipe arsenal. We’ve got a great canapé idea for you. Let’s call it the “new Irish” – a twist on the traditional much loved Irish recipe.
Back before the days of electricity and refrigeration, one of the few ways to preserve meat for the winter season was to salt-cure it. In fall, when temperatures were chilly and cold, cows were harvested, and the meat was packed into wooden barrels between alternating layers of coarse salt. This salt was roughly the size of kernels of corn; hence the term “corned” beef. Salting also gives the beef its pungent, piquant flavor and chewy fibrous texture as well.
So, why salt? Salt is excellent at removing moisture from cells via osmotic pressure. Too much salt can make us feel thirsty, as it naturally drives water from our cells. This is why salt “cures” animal flesh so effectively. It also creates an environment that is hostile to bacteria and fungus as well.
Boiling is essential in driving out salt, and tenderizing the meat. Cabbage is an excellent “wintering” vegetable because of its high density, and it keeps well in root cellars-artificial “caves” dug beneath the ground-hence the natural combination of corned beef and cabbage in winter. It’s of interest that corned beef is rarely prepared this way any longer, but is “wet cured” in a brine solution with spices.
New York City and corned beef
New York City is perhaps best known as the capital city of corned beef. St. Patrick’s Day often sees New York hosting the nation’s premier corned beef competitions, featuring the best of the corner deli best, including Blarney Stone, Casey’s, Fitzpatrick Hotel, Grandstand, The Kettle Black, and Langan’s, all prime purveyors of salty beef piled mile high with hearty pickle on rye.
Corned beef and cabbage, however, similar to that served at the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, may have originated in the United States and only recently found its way to Ireland. Some claim that corned beef and cabbage originated in New York City, and that is why New York City is known for the best-corned beef and cabbage in the world.
The argument can be made that corned beef is about as Irish as General Tso’s chicken is Chinese. Indeed, you’d have less difficulty tracking down the meat in a New York bar than in a Dublin pub. But don’t judge the dish too harshly. This briny brisket fed the folks that made America-just as our cities were built on carry-out Chinese, anchored by the inauthentic fried egg roll.
St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage spring rolls recipe
Ingredients:
10 spring roll wrappers
6 cups hot water for soaking wrappers
1lb cooked white cabbage or use a 16oz. package of Sauerkraut drained
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbs olive oil
½ lb thinly sliced corned beef, julienne
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese, chilled
1-quart peanut oil or other high heat oil
Thousand Island dressing
(Oh, and don’t forget the cool, frothy Guinness, not for the recipe but just to have while making the dish!)
Method:
Sauté the minced onion in olive oil over a medium flame until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Place cooked cabbage or sauerkraut in a lint-free dishcloth and wring out any remaining water or brine. Place cabbage or sauerkraut in a large mixing bowl. Add pepper, caraway seeds, onion, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Soak one spring roll wrapper in hot water. Use tongs to remove the wrapper. Place on prep area. The wrapper may stick so a lint-free cloth may be used under the wrapper.
Ingredients should be added 1 inch from the edge closest to the preparer.
Add 6 slices of corned beef and then cabbage from the left to right side of the spring roll wrapper. You may have to adjust amounts, less or more, depending on the size of the wrapper or desired fullness. Fold left and right sides of wrapper over edges of filling. Roll wrapper from bottom. Repeat with remaining spring roll wrappers.
Heat the oil to 375F. Fry spring rolls until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Cut in half. Serve hot with a side of Thousand Island dressing
Traditional Irish fare but with a modern-day twist, corned beef, and cabbage spring roll.
* Originally published in 2013, last updated in Feb 2025.
Enjoy
Poem of the Week
March
There’s a wind blowing
Cold through the corridors,
A ghost-wind,
The flapping of defeated wings,
A hell-fantasy
From meadows damned
To eternal April
And listening,
listening To the wind
I hear
The throat-rattle of dying men,
From whose ears oozes
Foamy blood, T
hrottled in a brothel.
I see brightly
In the wind vacancies
Saint Thomas Aquinas
And Poetry blossoms
Excitingly
As the first flower of truth.
———————————————————————————-
Analysis (ai):
The poem depicts a wind that evokes a sense of death and violence through imagery of defeated wings and the sound of dying breaths. However, within this bleakness, there is a glimmer of hope. The speaker finds solace in listening to the wind, finding both a connection to the suffering of the past and a glimpse of the beauty that can emerge from darkness.
Compared to the poet’s earlier works, “March” shows a shift towards a more subdued and introspective style. While still employing vivid imagery, the language is more concise and direct. This reflects the poet’s evolving perspective, moving away from the exuberance of youth towards a more somber and reflective tone.
The poem also captures the mood of the time period, a time marked by the horrors of war and the search for meaning in the face of destruction. Kavanagh’s use of haunting imagery and the juxtaposition of violence with the poetic imagination creates a powerful meditation on the human condition and the resilience of art in times of darkness.
Stories and Tales
"Cú Chulainn",
“Hound of Culann”
Hi Thomas,
Ireland has no shortage of great legends and heroes, but few are as well-known as “Cú Chulainn” (pronounced “Ku Kullen”). His strength, courage, and loyalty have made him one of the most enduring figures in Irish mythology, and his stories have been passed down for generations.
Before he became a warrior, Cú Chulainn was known as “Setanta”, son of Sualtaim and nephew of Conchobar Mac Nessa, the King of Ulster. Some sources even claim that he was a demigod and the son of Lugh, the Celtic god of light and the sun. Cú Chulainn
“Young Cú Chulainn”, by Stephen Reid border
As a boy, Setanta was a talented player in the game of hurling (an ancient celtic sport which is still very much played in Ireland today). One evening, he was invited to a feast by King Conchobar at the home of Culann the Smith. However, Setanta arrived late and was attacked by the Smith’s guard dog.
He managed to save himself by striking his sliotar (the leather ball used in hurling) into the dog’s mouth, killing him instantly. From his guilt, Setanta offered to take his place as the new guard dog and protector of Culann.
To fit his new role, he adopted the name of “Cú Chulainn”, meaning “Hound of Culann”. Cu Chulainn
“Setanta Slays the Hound of Culain”, by Stephen Reid border
In later years, Cú Chulainn became known as one of the fiercest warriors in all of Irish Mythology and is featured in many different legends, such as his training by “Scáthach” in Scotland, and in “Táin Bó Cúailnge/The Brown Bull of Cooley”.
His legacy is still woven into the fabric of Irish music and culture today, reminding us Ireland is an ancient land filled with stories.
You can hear two fabulous examples in this video of the Irish-inspired theme of The Boondock Saints by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, “The Blood of Cú Chulainn”, or this video of the gorgeous traditional tune “Caoineadh Cú Chulainn” with Davy Spillane.
Want to know more about Irish music and culture? Be sure to have a look at our fantastic blog to be kept up to date!
Slán go fóill,
Paraic
If you visit the store please let Paraic know you heard about it
from Tommy Mac and the Tír na mBláth. Tim Finnegan’s Pub, Irish Seisiún Newsletter
News From Ireland
People at boiling point
as they still have no power a week after Storm Éowyn
Approximately 86,000 customers remain without power supply in Ireland a week on since the record-breaking Storm Éowyn.
Helen Bruce @ Extra.ie Jan 31,
Broadband repair crews at work in The Glebe, Co Longford a week after Storm Éowyn. RollingNews.ie
There is continued anger in communities about the Government’s response to Storm Éowyn with a minister admitting that people are “at boiling point.”
A week on from the storm, retired ESB staff have been drafted in to help restore power, as well as workers from the UK, Austria, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Germany.
The ESB has now reconnected 682,000 customers, but around 86,000 homes, farms, and businesses remain without supply. It is expected the majority of people and schools will have power back by today, but it will take more time to reconnect more isolated areas.
Nicholas Tarrant, managing director of ESB Networks, said it is difficult to predict the exact dates when power will be restored to the customers who remain without it seven days on.
The Department of Social Protection has now paid a total of €225,345 in humanitarian assistance in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, with 1,150 payments issued since the weather event hit the country last week. T
he ESB said that in addition to the crews deployed, over 1,300 support staff were involved in overseeing damage assessment, emergency call management, logistics, and network operations.
January 31, 2025: Storm Éowyn damage in Co Longford. (RollingNews.ie)
Other outages
Meanwhile, Irish Water said approximately 2,800 premises remained without water as of lunchtime on Thursday.
Around 7.5% of mobile phone service users are experiencing some level of degradation of service, while 1.5% of fixed service users are without services.
The Central Applications Office (CAO) deadline has been extended by five days until February 6, for those students who have been impacted and need to complete their college applications.
Junior Minister Hildegarde Naughton said she accepted it took too long to set up the 333 community emergency response hubs in the wake of Storm Éowyn, and that people are “really angry, it is at boiling point.”
“There has been a huge community response right across the country… but we do need to plan better the next time,” she told RTÉ’s News at One. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said Ms. Naughton’s comments “amount to a tacit admission that the Government completely botched the handling of its response.”
She added: “Her [Ms. Naughton’s] damning admission will bring little comfort to the tens of thousands of people still waiting for their power supply to be restored.”
January 24, 2025: Storm Éowyn damage in Co Meath. (RollingNews.ie)
Generators
17 generators have been offered to Ireland by Poland and Denmark, with two due to arrive this week. More generators are arriving from Romania today and will be brought by the Defence Forces to the areas that need them.
The Civil Defence is helping to move generators and bring elderly people to hubs, as well as aiding the ESB.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said: “I want to thank those involved on the ground in what has been an enormous humanitarian effort in response to an unprecedented weather event.
“There is still much work to do but every effort is being made to restore power and water to the homes that need it as quickly as possible.”
The Programme for Government includes a pledge to develop an Extreme Weather Event Assistance Scheme, which the Government has indicated it will prioritise.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne said: “Nothing is being left off the table in terms of resources, personnel or commitment. The damage to the [electricity] network in some parts of the country was simply unprecedented, but the restoration efforts will not cease until everyone is reconnected.”
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Couples attend Dublin’s Shrine of Saint Valentine
for special blessing
After the blessing at the Shrine of Saint Valentine in Dublin, data was presented on the correlation between declining marriage rates and Ireland’s housing situation.
Kerry O’Shea @kerry_oshea Feb 13, 2025 February 12, 2025:
(L to R) Louise O’Reilly, David Lovett, Bishop Denis Nulty, Margaret Gleeson, and Jimmy Moynihan at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. RollingNews.ie
Ahead of the Feast of Saint Valentine, two couples from the Archdiocese of Dublin received a special blessing at the shrine of the holy relics of Saint Valentine in Dublin City on Wednesday, February 12.
Bishop of Kildare and Leighlinm Denis Nulty led the annual blessing of two engaged couples – Louise O’Reilly and David Lovett, and Margaret Gleeson and Jimmy Moynihan – on Wednesday afternoon.
O’Reilly and Lovett, who are celebrating 14 years together this month, plan to get married next year. Both from Dublin, the couple now lives in the Saint Brigid’s parish of Castleknock, where they recently welcomed their newborn daughter, Lexi.
February 12, 2025: David Lovett and Louise O’Reilly at Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. (RollingNews.ie)
Gleeson and Moynihan, both widowed, first connected as penpals through Ireland’s Own magazine. Hailing from Dublin, they are both members of the parish of Saint Alphonsus and Columba, Ballybrack, in the Archdiocese, and are planning to get married on May 22.
Febraury 12, 2025: Jimmy Moynihan and Margaret Gleeson at Whitefriar Street Church. (RollingNews.ie)
Marriage and housing in Ireland
As part of Wednesday’s events in Whitefriar Church, new Amárach research on couples and housing was presented, as was 2024 sacramental marriage data from Accord, the all-island Catholic marriage preparation and couples counselling services.
The Irish Catholic Bishops Conference said on Wednesday that the Amárach research was commissioned in the context of the continuing decline in “the crude marriage rate” reported by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO), and the ongoing housing crisis, to determine the level of correlation between couples deciding to marry and have children, and the availability of housing supply.
For the research, 1,000 adults aged 18 and over throughout the Republic of Ireland were surveyed in January 2025 online with the Amárach panel using the Amárach omnibus survey.
Tony Shanahan, Director of Accord CLG, said on Wednesday that the results showed that 84% of adults in Ireland (89% of women and 79% of men) said that the housing crisis is causing some couples to delay getting married and/or have children.
69% of people aged 25-34 in Ireland said the cost of owning a house (mortgage rates etc) is causing them to delay getting married and/or have children. The lack of housing where they live is causing a delay for 39% of affected couples, and the cost of renting for 37% of couples. Non-housing-related reasons are a cause of delays for 19% of couples.
The research also showed that 54% of those aged 25-34 years in Ireland plan to get married and/or have children.
48% of couples planning to get married would have married before now if it wasn’t for the housing situation, the research showed, Shanahan said, adding that 33% would have married in the past three years but didn’t.
60% of couples planning to have children would have done so before now if it wasn’t for the housing situation – 36% would have had a child in the past three years but didn’t.
Meanwhile, Accord shared its 2024 island-wide data for couples participating in its marriage preparation courses, which showed a decrease from 7,281 couples in 2023 to 5,194 couples in 2024.
“Vocation crisis?”
Bishop Nulty addressed the research in his homily: “In Ireland, the numbers celebrating sacramental weddings continue to slip according to the Central Statistics Office, with the figure of 34% as per the statistics relating to 2023.
“The very same year saw 32.2% civil ceremonies. “Perhaps sacramental marriage is going through a vocations crisis?
“We need to do much more to promote the sacrament.”
He continued: “It is incumbent on people of faith to do our best to promote all that is wholesome about sacramental marriage, inviting God into your union, what could be more beautiful?
“It is in many ways revolutionary to become sacramentally married today.”
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Ronan Keating and family “hugely disappointed” after man given suspended sentence over brother’s death
Ronan Keating and his family have vowed to appeal the suspended sentence handed down to the man who killed Ciaran Keating in a road accident.
Ronan Keating has said that his family are ‘hugely disappointed’ after a man was given a suspended sentence following a crash that killed his brother.
Ronan’s brother Ciaran was killed in a crash in Co Mayo while driving to Cork to watch his son Ruairi play a League of Ireland match for Cork City in July 2023.
Dean Harte, from Tyrellspass in Co Westmeath, was given a 17-month suspended sentence for careless driving, and was suspended from driving for two years following Mr. Keating’s death.
Mr. Keating’s family have expressed their frustrations and disappointment at the leniency of Harte’s sentencing, with Ronan taking to his Instagram to express the family’s surprise and disappointment with the sentencing — urging the DPP to appeal the leniency of it.
“The Keating family are surprised and hugely disappointed with the sentence [of Harte] and hope and expect the DPP to appeal the leniency of it,” Ronan’s statement said.
“We will be encouraging the DPP to appeal and rightfully fight for justice. Not only for Ciaran and our family, but for all of those killed on Irish roads and at the hands of someone else’s careless actions.
“The only way to stop reckless driving and encourage people (especially youth) to abide by the law, is to enforce consequences for not doing so.”
Ronan added in the statement’s caption: “No family should ever have to make an official statement of this nature, we thank you for your time and patience while we digested and composed ourselves after the upsetting events that transpired yesterday.”
According to RTÉ, the family and friends of Mr. Keating were present for the sentencing hearing, including his wife Annemarie and their three children.
On the night of the incident, Mr. Keating had been travelling with his wife to see their son Ruairi play football for Cork City in a Premier Division match against Sligo Rovers.
A victim impact statement was read out by Mr. Keating’s son Conall and stated that his mother had suffered sleepless nights, depression, physical scars as well and the scars of survival from the incident.
She was said to have described her late husband as “the love of my life, 41 years together, the beat of my heart.”
It was said that the family home was now a place of desolation.
On behalf of his sister Aisling, Conall stated that she had been struggling to get out of bed and would now never be walked down the aisle by her father.
It was said she believes her family has been dealt a life sentence while Mr. Harte has been given a slap on the wrist.
Mr. Lyons had no previous convictions and has additionally been disqualified from driving for two years.
*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.
Jokes
A man and a woman, who have never met before, find themselves assigned to the same sleeping room on a transcontinental train. Though initially embarrassed and uneasy over sharing a room, the two are tired and fall asleep quickly – he in the upper bunk and she in the lower. At 2:00 AM, he leans over and gently wakes the woman, saying,
“Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you, but would you be willing to reach into the cupboard to get me a second blanket? I’m awfully cold.”
“I have a better idea,” she replies. “Just for tonight, let’s pretend that we’re married.”
“That’s a great idea!” he exclaims.
“Good,” she replies.
“Get up and get your own blanket.”
Welcome to
Tír na mBláth
Tír na mBláth is one of hundreds of branches throughout the world of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCÉ) pronounced “kol-tus kyol-tori air-in“, the largest group involved in the preservation of Irish music, dance and song.
Our board and membership is made up of Irish, Irish descendants, and all those who support, celebrate and take pride in the preservation of Irish culture.
We also aim to promote good will and citizenship.
Interested in belonging to Tír na mBláth? Feel free to download our membership form
Facebook page is at Tír na mBláth
Our meetings and several events are held at Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub in Delray Beach Florida.
Well, that's it for this week.
