Blogs

News from the Celtic League:

The Irish government has announced two enquiries into An Garda Síochána however bizarrely at the same time it has reaffirmed its confidence in the Garda Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan.

However this political ‘state of grace’ for Commissioner O’Sullivan it seems is only subscribed to by the Kenny government.

An independent TD meanwhile (Clare Daly) as described the Commissioner as having a ‘brass neck’.

The proposal for a second independence referendum has been backed by the Scottish Parliament. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) saw the referendum motion passed by 69 votes against 59. SNP and Green MSPs voted in favour. Predictably the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems voted against the motion. Nicola Sturgeon now has the mandate of parliament to start discussions with the UK Government on the timing of such a referendum.

Brendan O’Carroll has pledged £10,000 to Rhyl Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). The Irish actor and comedian announced he was starting a collection off with the donation at the end of the Good Morning Mrs Brown show at Rhyl Pavilion on Saturday night. Brendan O’Carroll is best known for playing Agnes Brown in the BBC comedy series Mrs Brown’s Boys. Brendan O’Carroll was asked to tell the audience after the show that a collection would be taking place for the Rhyl RNLI to help fund their new lifeboat.

Oil exploration firm, Hurricane Energy, has made a large undeveloped discovery of oil in Scottish waters. Its is estimated that one billion barrels of recoverable oil could be contained in an area located 60 miles (97km) west of Shetland. It is thought that up to 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent remains under the North Sea and in the wider basin.

News from Kernow Matters To Us:

Cornwall Council issues damning criticism of UK Government

Following the Council of Europe's recent highly critical report detailing the Westminster Government's poor treatment of the Cornish National Minority which made headlines not only in Britain but further afield including amongst the overseas Cornish diaspora, Cornwall's unitary government, Cornwall Council has now written an open letter to Westminster Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Right Honourable Sajid Javid MP.

A sheepdog belonging to a local crofter that went missing 12 days ago has been rescued from a gorge. Nel the collie is an older dog and retired from working. She was spotted by someone passing on a train on the nearby West Highland Line. Members of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team used ropes to get down into Monessie Gorge, at Roybridge near Fort William, where the the cold and hungry dog was stuck. Nel was returned to the crofter who was delighted to have his dog safely returned.

The Enchanting Island of Cushag is the most recent publication to be launched under the auspices of Peel Heritage Trust with the Peel City Guardian, appropriately on World Book Day, at the Peel Clothworkers School.

Cushag was the pen-name of Ramsey born Josephine Kermode, one of fourteen children of the Reverend William Kermode and sister of the celebrated naturalist and archaeologist P. M. C. Kermode.

News from the Celtic League:

‘UK a major supplier to ruthless regimes including Saudi Arabia complicit in war crimes in Yemen’

A so called Defence Research Fair which promotes the UK arms industry is being targeted in Wales today (see link):

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/…/protesters-planning-demonstr…

The event is one a number throughout the year art different venues which supports the UK global arms trade.

More news of the victims is being revealed after the major terrorist act which took place outside the British Parliament yesterday. So far it is known that four people have died, including a policeman and the attacker. The police officer was identified as 48-year-old PC Keith Palmer. Another victim was named as Aysha Frade, 43, a mother-of-two who had family in Betanzos, Galicia, in north-west Spain and who worked as a teacher in London.

The 10 year Cornish Language Strategy, approved in 2013, targets the promotion of the Celtic tongue of Cornwall and sets out the broad direction for the development of the language in the next ten years.  The plan is intended to increase opportunities to use the Cornish language (Kernewek).