Blogs

‘ALDERDI EGUNA - ONE FOR THE NATIONALIST TO DO LIST?

On Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September the basque nationalist party (Eaj-Gnp) organizes each year the ‘alderdi eguna’ or day of the party during which it regularly invites political parties from other colonized nations in struggle for their self-determination.

The ‘alderdi eguna’ takes place on Saturday in the northern basque country and on Sunday in the south basque country This year the party of the occitane nationalists (P.N.O.) which spans France and Italy was one of the guests.

I may embrace poppy day this year if not by wearing the emblem at least in spirit.

No! I don’t mean ‘that poppy day’ sometime in November but the one being organised throughout France for October 5th and aimed at highlighting the damage that pesticides are doing to the planet.

Here’s some links to a couple of sites in Brittany at Nantes and Morlaix (the latter town I know well) which are promoting the event. The objective is to focus attention more adequately on the damage that pesticides are doing to wildlife, plant life and insects not least the humble but vital bee:

The plan for gold mining in The Sperrins has ‘resurfaced’ with an Australian company mooting project to establish the mine near Magherafelt in Co Tyrone. A TV personality is lending his support to opponents of the plan (link):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-45730901

As a man walked along the seashore at Cluais Mhór, in west Kerry Ireland in 2016, he found an object glistening amongst the stones. It turned out to be an 800 year old gold brooch, with a small semi-precious blue tourmaline stone, a dagger-like pin and inscribed with Gothic lettering. He subsequently reported the find to the National Museum of Ireland.

Founded in 1989 the Celtomania festival is a celebration dedicated to Celtic music, culture and heritage. It is on from Friday, October 5 to Sunday, November 11 2018. Events will be taking place in a number of towns in Brittany's  Loire-Atlantique: Nantes (Naoned), Bouvron, Haute-Goulaine, Héric, La Chapelle-Launay, La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Lavau-sur -Loire, Orvault (Orvez), Pornic (Pornizh) , Saint-Aignan de Grandlieu, Saint-Etienne de Montluc, Saint-Herblain (Sant-Ervlan), Saint-Jean de Boiseau, Sucé-sur-Erdre (Sulieg), Treillières and Le Pellerin. 

The Firth of Tay (Scottish Gaelic: Linne Tatha) is a firth in the east of Scotland into which the River Tay (Tatha) empties. The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and originates in western Scotland at the mountain of Ben Lui (Beinn Laoigh).  Then flows easterly, eventually reaching the city of Perth (Peairt) where it becomes tidal, and travels on to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee (Dùn Dè). 

Construction work is continuing to go well on the Kresen Kernow site. The historic Brewhouse and the new archive store and staff areas have now been linked internally and across the roof, so the huge temporary cover over the central section of the building has come down. Much of the external scaffolding has also been removed, finally revealing how the finished building will look. It’s a mix of repaired and repointed original granite and stonework, and modern concrete cladding (on the strongrooms), all under a roof that echoes that of the Brewery when it was last in use.

The Welsh market town of Brecon (Welsh: Aberhonddu) is having building work undertaken on the 177 year old Brecknock Museum and Art Gallery. It is all part of a £13m project to create a new community facility known as Y Gaer, that will include a library, cafe, community space and function rooms. Work started in 2016, but as reported by BBC Wales, it has had to be delayed because of breeding Puffins. This is because stone needed for the project could not be quarried as it was close to a Puffin sanctuary. 

Postal Workers Union Official Terry Pullinger has issued a fairly caustic denunciation of the Post Office Board - here’s a clip the full interview apparently is on Mandate:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/post-office-boards-crede...

He asks if ‘they are up to the task’ it's a question that could have a wider airing as the Island lurches from crisis to crisis.

The Manx Treasury Minister Alf Cannan MHK seems intent on spoiling my day. This photo of him at the Conservative conference induced a bout of laughter in me which was most unpleasant as I have an irritated throat at present.

Alf is ‘hanging out’ with former Minister Nicky Morgan MP. Morgan is a somewhat controversial figure as the attached Wiki entry shows. She seems to have downers on more groups than your average Manx Radio talk show host.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Morgan