Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

Ireland's President, Michael D Higgins, has said his thoughts are with the family of Captain Dara Fitzpatrick who died after an Irish Coast Guard helicopter crashed in the early hours of this morning. Three crew members of Rescue 116, named as Mark Duffy, Ciarán Smith and Paul Ormsby, are still missing. The Dublin based helicopter had gone to provide cover for another Coast Guard helicopter which had been helping an injured crewman on a fishing boat 150 nautical miles west of Eagle Island in Co Mayo.

At 64.8% turnout. the highest since the first election to the northern assembly in 1998, after its establishment under the Good Friday Agreement. The results of the ninety seats being contested were as follows:

28 - Democratic Unionist Party

27 - Sinn Féin

12 - Social Democratic and Labour Party

10 - Ulster Unionist Party

8 - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

2 - Green Party

1 - People Before Profit Alliance

1 - Traditional Unionist Voice

1 - Independent unionist

News from the Celtic League:

“The Stormont Executive has failed in its legal duty to adopt an Irish language strategy, a High Court judge ruled on Friday.

Mr Justice Maguire held the administration to be in breach of a requirement imposed under decade-old legislation.

The challenge was mounted by Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge.
The body issued judicial review proceedings over a failure to comply with a St Andrews Agreement pledge.

News from the Celtic League:

“The formal recognition of Irish Travellers as an indigenous ethnic minority by the Republic of Ireland has been hailed as a "historic" day.

Members cheered and applauded in the Dáil (Irish parliament) on Wednesday as Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny made the announcement.

There was a standing ovation as he gave status to the "distinct ethnic group".
He said the statement of recognition would go some way to ensuring they have a "better future with less negativity".

'Momentous'

News from the Celtic League:

A conference in Ireland this week has been considering the alarming decline in Atlantic Wild Salmon.

Despite a decade long conservation measure the decline has continued and factors thought to be involved in this include climate change and salmon fish farming which has lead to an increase in parasitic disease in both the salmon and sea trout.

There are few people in politics as disagreeable as Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster. Scowling her way through the very negative launch of her party's election campaign for the Northern Ireland Assembly election she said she would not be supporting the introduction of an Irish Language Act. No surprise there as hostility to Ireland’s indigenous ethnicity including the Gaelic language is deeply entrenched in her brand of political unionism. 

Recently an Angus cow, known as Jenny, believed to be the oldest in Ireland, passed away at the age of 33. Her owner was Finbarr Deasy who has a farm in Clonakilty, west Cork and Jenny had been with the Deasy family since she was a calf. 

News from Irish Branch of the Celtic League:

Members of Misneach Wicklow and Misneach Dublin have assisted in the ongoing occupation of Apollo House ( a NAMA vacant office block)  which has been underway by housing activists for over a fortnight now.

There are up to 40 residents housed in the building, who would otherwise be sleeping rough on the streets.

Between 1845 and 1852 the Great Famine (Irish: an Gorta Mór) or the Great Hunger was a period of mass starvation, disease, and emigration in Ireland. Following the failure of the potato crop one million people perished, and one million were forced to emigrate. It devastated communities throughout Ireland and left an indelible mark on the country. 

News from the Celtic League:

No Xmas break for the many Irish peacekeeping forces serving in a variety of roles as part of the wider UN global peacekeeping effort.

There are currently 605 Military Personnel serving in fourteen different countries around the world. The biggest troop missions are the 377 personnel serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the 136 personnel with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights in Syria.

They took a brief moment out to compile this montage of Xmas photos (link):