Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

News from the Celtic League:

Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness has called for a referendum on Irish reunification stressing the implications for the Brexit vote on new border controls.

Although Arlene Foster Stormont's First Minister has insisted Northern Ireland's place in the Brexiting UK is safe.

Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Fein leader and Deputy First Minister believes Irish people should be given a chance to vote on their future, saying there was a 'democratic imperative' to allow people to vote on reunification.

Congratulations to Republic of Ireland, who beat Italy 1 - 0 at the Euro Championship in France last night. Robbie Brady guided a perfect Wes Hoolahan ball into the back of the net with only six mintes of the game remaining. Previous results also mean, that despite last nights loss, Italy are also through to the last 16 teams. Ireland will take on hosts France in Lyon next as we move on to the knock-out phase of this competition. Wales have also qualified into the next round.

The Round Ireland Yacht Race began yesterday. The 63 yachts taking part set out on the 1,130 km 704 nautical mile journey from Wicklow (Irish: Cill Mhantáin) harbour. The Round Ireland Race is held every two years. The first boats are due back at Wicklow Head early on Moday morning. Progress of the race can be followed at: http://yb.tl/wicklowroundireland2016

News from the Celtic League:

‘Your life is turned upside down in minutes’

A moving expression of sympathy from the widower of murdered campaigning Irish journalist Veronica Guerin to the husband of British MP Jo Cox.

Speaking on RTE Radio Graham Turley described father-of-two Brendan Cox as being in the same position he found himself in 20 years ago.

Protests have taken place around the world to stop the exportation of Irish Greyhounds to countries which do not have sufficient animal welfare protection, in particular Macau, China. Mick Barry TD (Member of the Irish Parliament), who was elected for the People Before Profit–Anti-Austerity Alliance group for the Cork North–Central constituency in the 2016 Irish general election has raised the issue in Dáil Éireann (Assembly of Ireland).

Loughinisland (Irish: Loch an Oileáin) is a small village in County Down in the north of Ireland. It was the location on 18 June 1994 where members of a loyalist terrorist group (Ulster Volunteer Force UVF) burst into the Heights Bar and opened fire with assault rifles. They murdered six people and wounded five others. The pub was targeted because it was frequented mainly by Catholics, and was crowded with people watching the Republic of Ireland team playing Italy in the 1994 FIFA World Cup being held in the USA.

The prehistoric monument of Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) in County Meath, Ireland, was built during the Neolithic period around 3000 BC to 2500 BC. Making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Regarded as a place of great ceremonial and religious significance, it is aligned in a way that allows the light from the rising sun to shine directly into the chamber on the winter solstice.

The US Festival of Arts and Culture Celebration Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising continues at the John F Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The festival which is part of the global celebration of the Easter Rising is running from May 17–June 5, 2016. Under the title IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture, the event highlights Irish culture and its relationship to America.

News From The Celtic League:

We can report that one year after what was described as a historic International ruling to curb the activities of the so called monster trawlers from devastating fish stocks and displacing the livelihood of indigenous communities the EU has still not acted to implant the judgements.

News From he Celtic League:

Even as the fishing community were sitting down yesterday evening in Burtonport, Donegal, to see a premiere showing of the film ‘Atlantic’ made by Irish documentary film maker Risteard Ó Domhnaill the problem the film highlights was being exacerbated.

In the film, which focuses on not just Ireland but also Norway and Newfoundland, Irish fishermen speak about the dearth of fishing stocks caused by the rapacious activities of factory trawlers of their coast.