Alastair Kneale's blog

Ireland's Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is undertaking his customary visit to the United States this week ahead of the St Patrick's day celebrations. Today he will be visiting the Choctaw Native Americans in Durant, Oklahoma. He will thank the Native American community for a remarkable act of kindness, when, in 1847, at the height of the Great Famine, the Choctaw community sent $170 to Ireland to help the poor and the starving. This at a time when the native American people's own position was very precarious.

Scotland has been experiencing some difficult weather conditions in recent weeks. Snow, ice and blizzard conditions has caused major disruption and often brought things to a standstill. All credit therefore goes to those that work for the National Health Service and have made every possible effort to reach vulnerable patients in their homes and those requiring treatment in hospital. One such case has recently been highlighted in the Scottish media. High risk weather condition had resulted in a red alert for snow being issued and a warning not to travel in Scotland.

News from the Celtic League:

Defiant Islanders Reject Obsolete Ferry 

The beleaguered Islanders of Tory Island off Donegal have expressed their determination not to have a 40 years old vessel that seemed fit only for the scrapheap become the replacement ferry imposed on them by the Department of the Gaeltacht.

The Islanders are supported in their fight by the Celtic League and Irish language groups. The League, in a campaign led by its Irish branch, has said any ferry service must meet IMO SOLAS standards.

Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin draws attention to an article in the Irish Times on Irelands Deep Atlantic:

‘Dive Ireland’ Docu Preview And Talk On ‘Ambassadors Of The Deep'

Lorna Siggins marine correspondent on the Irish Times has a feature on a new documentary to be shown on RTE in April. Its entitles ‘Ireland’s Deep Atlantic’ and it was previewed at a meeting of Ireland’s diving fraternity at there ‘Dive Ireland’ conference at the weekend.

There were a range of other presentations and a photographic competition.

Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin draw attention to an article in the newspaper Irish World that reports on a study of dead whales, dolphins and porpoises in Ireland, which found that nearly one in 10 were found with marine debris in their systems:

MARINE WASTE MAY BE CAUSE OF UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF CETACEAN STRANDINGS

Marine waste and microplastics could be the cause of a record number of whale and dolphin strandings. This report in the Irish World newspaper speculates:

Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin have consistently raised the issue of over fishing, dangers to marine mammals by current fishing practices and the enormous damage caused by the use of Super trawlers. In this latest article they point out that fish stocks in the sea are not inexhaustible. The time for international action on the issues raised is long past:

MANY TRACES SIMPLY SAY ‘FISHING’ THE FISHING MAFIA OF EUROPE ARE GETTING ‘CUTE’

The “Europe’s Lost Frontiers” research team, along with the Institute of Technology Sligo, University College Cork,  researchers from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the Irish Marine Institute, are at present undertaking a survey, using the Irish Marine Institute RV Celtic Explorer, to explore the extensive prehistoric submerged landscapes of the Irish Sea.

Congratulations to Scotland's Rugby Union team who have defeated England 25 - 13 in the Six Nations Championship today. In a thoroughly deserved victory Scotland outplayed and outfought England. As always it's a pleasure to see England defeated by any of the Celtic nations.

Picture courtesy of Scottish Rugby facebook page

Article from Yn Commeeys Celtiagh - Celtic League Mannin highlights concerns about munitions that have been dumped around the Celtic coasts. The article points out that Beaufort Dyke, a deep sea trench between the north-east coast of Ireland, south-west of Scotland and north from the Isle of Man, contains a staggering one million tonnes of discarded munitions: 

SOMETHING NASTY IN THE WATER

News from the Irish Branch of the Celtic League:

The Irish Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA) and the People’s Movement organised an excellent conference “The EU – Talking Peace and Preparing for War” on PESCO on Sat 17th Feb. It was held in the historic Oak room in Dublin’s Mansion House at the invitation of Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Mícheál Mac Donncha (Sinn Féin), who opened and closed the conference.