Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

February 1st marks the traditional day of the Gaelic festival of Imbolc or Imbolg. It is also known as Saint Brigid’s Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Bríde, Scottish Gaelic: Là Fhèill Brìghde, Manx: Laa’l Breeshey). Most commonly it is held on 31 January–1 February. It is a Cross Quarter Day, midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Historically it widely observed throughout Ireland (Irish: Éire), Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Alba) and the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin).

Immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the First World War in 1918, a General Election was called in the United Kingdom. On 14 November it was announced that Parliament would dissolve on 25 November, with elections on 14 December. The Irish General Election of 1918 was that part of the 1918 general election which took place in Ireland. In 1918 the whole of Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and was represented in the British Parliament by 105 MPs. It was a significant moment in modern Irish history.

'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. This year marks the centenary of forces under British control opening fire on the crowd at a Gaelic football match in Dublin.

This image is shared courtesy of The Irish Wildlife Trust Facebook page - "Wildlife Sanctuary! No Shooting!". They state that: "The Irish Wildlife Trust ( IWT ) aims to conserve wildlife and the habitats they depend on throughout Ireland while encouraging a greater understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the need to protect it.  The Irish Wildlife Trust was founded in 1979 as a non-governmental organisation and charity (Charity no: CHY 6264).

Ireland's voters went to the polls in a general election in February 2020. No political party received a majority, although Sinn Féin the Irish republican political party made significant gains. As a means of excluding them from power, the two centre-right Irish political parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, eventually agreed to form a coalition government with the Irish Green Party. The Greens had gained some electoral support largely because of the growing concerns and awareness about climate change.

The fate of the Spanish Armada of 1588 is well known. A fleet of 130 ships with approximately 30,000 men on board had sailed from Corunna in Galicia in late May 1588, under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia. Their aim was to escort an army from the Spanish Netherlands to invade England. The invasion was defeated in a naval battle and the remaining ships of the Armada were forced to retreat north to attempt to round the northern coast of Scotland and so make it back to Spain.

There is no doubt that the big winners in the Irish general election, held on 8th February 2020 has been Sinn Féin. When all first preference votes are counted, the republican party has taken 24.5% of the vote, compared to 22% for Fianna Fáil and 21% for Fine Gael. The election was for Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland. At the election 159 of 160 Dáil Éireann seats were contested, with that of the Ceann Comhairle (speaker/chairperson) being re-elected automatically.

The 2020 Irish general election will be held on Saturday 8 February 2020. It will be held at a time when Ireland's electorate have become increasingly dissatisfied with the present Fine Gael administrations inability or even unwillingness to deal with a number of important issues including health care, housing and crime. The election was called following the dissolution of the of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas (legislature) of Ireland.

The Irish song Come Out Ye Black And Tans by the Wolfe Tones has topped the iTunes charts in the UK and Ireland, following the condemnation of a planned commemoration of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police. The present Irish Government deferred the event that was to take place to acknowledge the role of the RIC and DMP in Irish history. The event has been widely criticised by the public and politicians.

It was a shock to many people in Ireland when the Fine Gael government  in Ireland announced there was to be an official state ceremony in Dublin Castle on January the 17th to honour those Irish and British men who lost their lives while serving with the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police during the War of Independence. By seeking to have a state commemoration of the forces recruited by Britain to fight against Irish freedom, the present Fine Gael government have put themselves in a bizarre position.