Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

Tourism Ireland have reported that Ireland’s tourism sector enjoyed a record year in 2016. Latest estimates show that 10.5 million people will have visited Ireland by the end of 2016, an increase of 11% on 2015. It takes annual tourism-related revenues to a total of €5.4 billion. Projections suggest the figure is likely to increase further in 2017. Tourism Ireland has stated its intention to target audiences in North America and mainland Europe with marketing campaigns next year. 

Ireland remains a partitioned country which is still partly under foreign rule. It has long been the objective of those who support a united Ireland to build support for achieving Irish reunification by peaceful and democratic means. Now a discussion document titled 'Towards a United Ireland' has been launched. Stressing the economic advantage Northern Ireland Minister for Finance Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said reunification would mean a benefit of £35bn between now and 2025.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will visit Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) on Monday. She is seeking to expand business, cultural and political links between Scotland and Ireland. During the trip to Dublin the First Minister will visit the Scottish Government's Investment and Innovation Hub which was established to build on collaborative work between Scottish and Irish companies. Nicola Sturgeon said: "Scottish exports to Ireland are worth £1.125 billion and Irish investment into Scotland currently supports more than 6,000 jobs".

News from the Celtic League:

This review from ‘The Bookseller’:

Irish novelist, playwright and short story writer Sir William Trevor has died, aged 88.
Trevor passed away on Sunday night (20th November). He is survived by his wife Jane and their two sons, Patrick and Dominic.

Bloody Sunday is a date that many associate with the events in Derry on January 30, 1972. On that day the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association called a protest in Derry. At that peaceful demonstration British soldiers shot 26 unarmed civilians killing fourteen people. This was not the only ‘Bloody Sunday’ in 20th century Irish History. Today, 21 November, marks the anniversary of British forces opening fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football match in Dublin.

Lough Foyle (Irish: Loch Feabhail) is the estuary of the River Foyle (Irish: an Feabhal) that lies between County Derry (Irish: Contae Dhoire) which is currently located in the part of north east Ireland that remains under British colonial rule and County Donegal (Irish: Contae Dhún na nGalland) in the Republic of Ireland. Since the partition of Ireland in 1922 ownership of Lough Foyle, has been claimed by both Ireland and the UK.

News from the Celtic League:

Not often we delve into the world of sport or soccer in particular but I came across this interesting item about an Irishman who was the first (Irishman) to captain Manchester United and who also and more significantly saved Barcelona football club from the attention of the fascist General Franco in 1936/37.

You could say Patrick O’Connell left his mark on the world of International football and up to now has been almost forgotten.

News from the Celtic League:

The death of an Egyptian fishermen working on an Irish trawler highlights “continuing issues that need to be addressed by the fishing industry and Ireland’s statutory agencies” according to the International Transport Workers Federation representative for Britain and Ireland, Ken Fleming.

The death occurred earlier this week on the MFV Endurance off SW Ireland.

An Garda Síochána (the Irish Police) and the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) have launched investigations into the death.

The search is on to find a song to represent Ireland at the Pan Celtic International Song Contest 2017. Entries on Cd with completed entry form have to be submitted by 5pm on Friday, 20th January, 2017. Details can be obtained from the Pan Celtic Festival website. The winning song receives the National Trophy and €1,000. It will also represent Ireland at the Pan Celtic International Festival to be held in the Irish town of Carlow (Irish: Ceatharlach), on 18th-22nd April 2017.

There is a ruined building known as the Hellfire Club which stands on the summit of Montpelier Hill (Irish: Cnoc Montpelier) in County Dublin, Ireland. The building is a hunting lodge built around 1725 by William Conolly (9 April 1662 – 30 October 1729). Between 1735 to 1741 members of the Irish Hellfire Club, used the lodge as a meeting place. It is said that occult practices, black masses, sacrifices and devil worship took place there. There are many stories associated with the Hellfire Club. One is that a stranger came to the building on a stormy night and was invited in.