Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

News from the Celtic League:

There will be a large military parade in Donegal Town on Monday, October 24 to mark the deployment of the 109th Infantry Battalion as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) who will commence a six month deployment in November.

This unit, comprising of troops have completed their pre-deployment training in Finner Camp, will parade at the Quay car park and will march through the town afterwards.

The parade will be reviewed by the Minister with responsibility for Defence, Mr Paul Kehoe TD.

News from the Celtic League:

We have had initial reply from Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs to say they are looking at our request for IMO action over the regulation of submarine activity.

Ireland sponsored the initial resolution in 1987 after a series of Irish Sea incidents and the International Maritime Organisation adopted resolution IMO A599 (15).

Subsequently the resolutions was revisited as incidents continued in 1991 and beefed up to its current status IMO A709 (17).

News from the Celtic League:

As always a interesting article here by Lorna Siggins of the Irish Times a mound site in the West of Ireland to match the well publicised site at Tara but in the case of Rathcroghan Mound its not so well known of:

{Researching Rathcroghan, the Tara of the west

Archaeological technology is uncovering new information about one of Ireland’s most significant but least appreciated sites, in Co Roscommon
about 12 hours ago

By Lorna Siggins

News from the Celtic League:

TIME GOVERNMENTS TACKLED THIS SUBMARINE MENACE

The Marine Accident Investigation Report into the collision between a Royal Navy submarine and the Co Down MFV Karen a year ago has finally been released (link):

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/…/MAIBInvReport20_…

News from the Celtic League:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has responded to our further query about the fate of the Chagos Islanders who were forcibly removed from their homeland sixty years ago so that the United Kingdom could allow the United States to construct a military base there to dominate the Indian Ocean, East Africa and the Middle East.

In 2000 the Celtic League joined a wave of protest internationally about the treatment of the Chagossians and at our AGM held that year in Mann (Isle of Man) the following resolution was adopted:

“This AGM:

News from the Celtic League:

'There were massacres, villages were burned by French troops and in one horrendous incident live people were thrown from a French military plane'.

Earlier this year a further claim was brought in the United Kingdom High Court for victims of violence perpetrated by the UK military and security police in Kenya in the 1950s during the so called Mau May emergency. An earlier case was settled in 2013 with the UK ordered to pay just under £20 million to over 5000 victims. The new case is expected to take a year to complete.

Irish nationalist politician Charles Stewart Parnell (June 27, 1846 – October 6, 1891) died on 6 October 1891. When his funeral took place at Glasnevin Cemetery on 11th October it was one of the largest seen in Ireland. In his memory Ivy Day (Irish: Lá an Eidhneáin) is observed on October 6 in Ireland. On the Sunday closest to that date a ceremony takes place at Parnell's graveside in Glasnevin Cemetery and an oration delivered in his honour 

Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) is a national charity dedicated to helping persons who are blind or vision impaired and families of children with autism to achieve improved mobility and independence. It is celebrating its 40th anniversary and Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins has praised the work of the organisation. He talked of the many people who have benefited from the important work of the IGDB:

Recently 'Transceltic' reported on an Irish-speaking employee who was reported to have been forced from his job after the management of the business demanded that he use the English language. This news item was widely reported and generated a wide range of responses.

The annual National Famine Commemoration took place today at Glasnevin Cemetery, in Ireland's capital Dublin. Irish President Michael D Higgins unveiled a Celtic cross memorial to Ireland's one million Famine dead following the failure of the potato crop. At the height of the Famine more than 60 funerals a day were taking place at the cemetery. Glasnevin was one of Ireland's largest Famine burial sites.