Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

As reported by Celtic News Mannin - Yn Commmeeys Celtiagh:

Shell pull out of Mayo

“It tore the heart out of a community. There was heavy handed policing and brutality towards protesters. Men who had never put a foot wrong in their life were jailed. The military were deployed to obstruct protest. Fishermen’s livelihoods and in some instances their boats were destroyed. There were hunger strikes.

No it wasn’t in some despotic Middle East State or some South American ‘banana republic’ it was Ireland over the last decade.

A commemoration was held on Saturday at Lissadell House, Sligo in Ireland to mark the 90th anniversary of the death of Constance Markievicz (February 1868 – 15 July 1927). Known as Countess Markievicz she took part in the 1916 Rising. In the Rising she fought in Dublin's St Stephen's Green where the fighters held out for six days, only stopping when the British brought them a copy of Patrick Pearse's surrender order. She was taken to Dublin Castle and then transported to Kilmainham Gaol.

Whales are visiting Irish waters more frequently, with the number of minke whales in particular being seen described as "exceptional". This is a recent report from the Mannin Branch of the Celtic League which highlights an article in the Irish Times: 

TIME OF THE WHALES

Whales are arriving earlier, staying longer and being seen in greater numbers of the South and East of Ireland according to this article from Irish Times Marine correspondent Lorna Siggins:

The ill-fated ship passenger liner RMS Titanic was built in the city of Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste) in the northeast of Ireland (Irish: Éire). Titanic sank during her maiden voyage in 1912. At the time, news of the terrible sinking of the Titanic spread around the world and its horror has held a fascination for people every since. Titanic, whose name was derived from Greek mythology and meant gigantic, set out on its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic from Southampton on 10 April 1912.

Grace O'Malley (c. 1530 – c. 1603; Irish: Gráinne Ní Mháille) was chieftain of the Ó Máille clan in the west of Ireland. The only child of Owen Dubhdara Uí Máille, the O’Malley of Umhall Uachtarach, and Margaret Ní Máille. She was commonly known as Gráinne Mhaol (anglicised as Granuaile). A proud and courageous woman, she is a well-known historical figure in 16th-century Irish history. Sometimes known as "The Sea Queen of Connacht" or even “The Pirate Queen” after she inherited her father’s significant shipping and trading business, which was sometimes described as a form of piracy.

Today, Wednesday 21st June, celebrations are taking place in the Celtic nations to welcome the summer solstice. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and in the northern hemisphere it can fall on different dates from year to year between 20 and 22 June. In the southern hemisphere it is between December 20 and December 23. The winter solstice which is the shortest day of the year falls between 20 and 23 December in the north.  In the Celtic homelands in 2017, this will be on 21st December.

There have been calls for the Hill of Tara zone to be declared a National Park in addition to a National Monument. The Hill of Tara (Irish: Teamhair na Rí) in County Meath is an important archaeological complex that contains a number of ancient monuments and was according to tradition, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. There has been an ongoing campaign to save the prehistoric site from continued damage sustained over many years and prevent further destruction. It has been included in the 15 must-see endangered cultural treasures in the world by the Smithsonian Institution.

'Ireland 2023 will capture the imagination of the world. We promise to stage a Rugby World Cup full of Irish spirit and commercial success, that will help drive rugby's global momentum.'  This is the promise on the official site for Ireland's 2023 Rugby World Cup Bid, which also has information on the Bid Team, Venues and the Bid itself.

News from Irish Branch of the Celtic League:

Saturday’s Lá Dearg in Belfast was an historic day by all accounts.  Irish language speakers and supporters marched for their rights, for equality and for justice through the streets of Belfast with the demand that an Irish Language Act be introduced in the Six Counties.  An estimated 12,000 people attended, mainly from the Six Counties, but with strong contingents of support from Irish speakers from Gaeltacht regions and the Twenty Six Counties.

The President and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland have both condemned the terrorist attack that deliberately targeted children and teenagers attending a concert in the English city of Manchester last night (22 May 2017). At the time of writing twenty-two people have been killed and at least 59 people injured in a terrorist bombing during an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Some of those in hospital have life threatening injuries.