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Below Mike
Murphy
brings you the latest news of Irish interest and gives his assessment of the
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Remembering A Manchester Irish Great
 Bill Hennessey has been in touch: "Thanks for your fine article on the Manchester Irish. I was particularly pleased to see reference to Terry Dowling and the Fianna Phadraig Pipe Band. I was 'tip' (ie lead) drummer in the band for many years and we recently held our 60th anniversary party in St Anthony's Wythenshawe. Bill Lisgoe, the current Pipe Major is steward there. Sadly only a handful are left but we still turn out when we can. Jim O'Connor was one of the founders of the band and has only now stopped playing at 76 as illness prevents him, but 60 years a piper with one band is some achievement. I think he was a piper in the Irish Guards during National servce. Terry was a major force in creating a community in south Manchester, as well as the pipe band, he ran St Anthony's youth club throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. He saw many hundreds, if not thousands, of young people through the 'risky' years of adolescence, safe within the club which ran weekly live Sunday night music sessions. Along with the generations he saw through the pipe band he was a bridge to adulthood for many, sadly there are too few 'Terrys' around now to help the young of Manchester and other big cities. From the point of view of your website you might be interested that we played in Dublin in 1966 during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of 1916. De Valera was visiting Kilmainham Jail, I think for the first time since he was incarcerated there. We played outside the jail as he arrived and as he left. He wrote to Terry to thank him and the band for being there. Of course we played all over Europe at festivals and in the great and sadly missed Whit Walks in Manchester. Terry became a full time community worker and the community centre in Wythenshawe is named after him. He died in the early 90s aged 56 after a lifetime of service to the Manchester Irish community and the wider community of Wythenshawe. Typical of families brought up in St Pats his other family members also 'served' others. His brother Fr Tim was a priest working for the poor in India before returning home and his other brother Frank was a senior Trade Union figure in ASTMS. His sister Kath Grainger brought up her family of 3 boys ( all joined the band) and 5 girls ( all Irish dancers) Kath taught dancing to many in South Manchester. Another important figure in Irish culture in South Manchester was Mrs Margaret O'Niel who taught dancing to generations of dancers in the days befor Riverdance made it fashionable. Her husband was a Headmaster amd her son Eamon is now a senior TV figure and also broadcaster on Radio Manchester and does and Irish show on Sunday mornings. Best regards to you and thanks again for your work, Bill Hennessy, (Manchester Irish 'diaspora' now living in Cambridgeshire! Still keeping the flag flying whenever I can!) "
Fr John's February Blog
 Happy New YearAnother year, another chance to start our lives anew; This time we'll leap old barriers to have a real break through. We'll take one little step and then we'll take one more. Our unlimited potential We'll totally explore. We'll show off all our talents everyone will be inspired; (Hmm...while I'm writing this, I'm getting very tired.) We'll give up all bad habits; We'll read and learn a lot, All our goals will be accomplished, Sigh...or maybe not. Oh well, Happy New Year anyway! More than half of the first month of 2009 has raced by, there is still time to wish you 'Bhliain ur fe mhaise' a Happy New Year as the rhyme says: 'Another year, another chance to start our lives anew.' I hope you have kept your resolutions and can distinguish between what is a wish and a resolution 'I wish I was fit', where I want to be and 'I'll walk three miles a day'; how with God's help I will get there, that is a resolution. The old adage no gain without pain can be applied universally. New PresidentThis is a New Year that just may usher in a new world order! As I write we await the inauguration of Barak Obama as 44th President of the USA. He comes with great expectations resting on his shoulders and enters a world torn by conflict, hunger and disease. High expectation has to be tempered by the knowledge that the three most powerful lobbies in the Pentagon are Oil, Arms and Israel; so I am fearful that Barak, like his predecessors, will have to bow to the wishes of the multinationals. The golden rule is: 'he with the gold makes all the rules', and they have all the gold. I for one shed no tears for the man who is leaving, not since Moses met the burning bush has one with that name caused so much havoc. As we pray for the new president we have got to believe that things can change. Prophets of Doom
The national news has been taken over by statements and analysis of the 'economic downturn'. All kinds of ideas and solutions fly about. Surely a very simple solution for nations, establishments and individuals is 'live within your means.' If I earn 5 pounds a day and spend 5 pounds 50p a day, sooner or later my pocket will feel the blister. If, on the other hand, I earn 5 pounds a day and save 50p a day, sooner or later I'll need reinforcement for my pocket lining. We overstretched, went after luxuries as if they were necessities and allowed our banks play the market game and eventually market forces turned on the market itself. A few years of tightening the belt will do no harm. Maybe it might lead us to appreciate the values that have no price in the market e.g. Truth, Justice, Love and Peace. The Scandal of Gaza
The following figures put the magnitude of this latest scar on the world's face in relief. 1,013 Palestinians dead, of whom 322 are children and 76 are women. 4,500 Palestinians injured of whom 1,600 are children and 678 are women. 9 Israeli soldiers, 4 Israel civilians, 58 injured by Palestinian rockets since December 27th. 500,000 people in Gaza do not have access to running water and sewage continues to flow in the streets of Beit Hanouv and Beit Lahiya. 20,000 people reportedly left their homes in the Rafah area on January 8th. Children compromise 56% of the population of Gaza; they are bearing the brunt of the violence. The parties to this conflict clearly do not respect the norms of international humanitarian law. Flimsy ceasefires are a disgrace and yet again undermine the credibility and integrity of the U.S. and EU in their actions over many years in response to this Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Hopefully the advent of the new president of the U.S. will usher in a real effort to find a lasting solution that does not lean on the principle 'might is right'. The Grim Reaper Already at Work in 2009The past month has seen the deaths of some leading people in civic and religious life, among them were Brendan Mac Lua, a gentle noble son of County Clare. Brendan co-founded the Irish Post newspaper in London in 1970. He edited it for the first 18 years. His editorials were a joy to read, his vision and steadfastness to his principles were a beacon of light through the darkness of the 1970s and 80s when relations between the Irish community and the Establishment were to say the least frayed. Brendan never hid behind a platitude and to use a quote of a now prominent Manchester 'Irishman' he was never afraid to 'come out' as an Irishman. He began his career in Dublin where he worked for a number of national newspapers. In paying tribute to him Irish Ambassador David Cooney said, "Brendan Mac Lua was a massive presence among the Irish in Britain over several decades." Those of us who know him can reiterate those sentiments. Go ndeana Dia trocaire air a anam dilis. Tony Gregory T.D. now there was a politician who truly worked for his constituents in inner city Dublin. A man of heart and vision; he was independent of parties and with the Jesuit priest Tony McVerry championed those forgotten by the Celtic Tiger, the inhabitants of Ballybough, Sean McDermott St. and areas where no tourist bus would be taken. True to the last he gave orders that no seats should be reserved for dignitaries at his funeral, but of course they were all there. (Surprise, Surprise!) Cardinal Pio Laghi, close friend and confidant to the late Pope John Paul II erstwhile Papal Nuncio to Argentina where his friendship to military general such as Videla, Viola and Galtieri (of happy memory) did not go down well with the vast majority of Argentineans. When high ranking general, who abused human rights, were freed from prison by an amnesty, the late Cardinal put on a party in their honour in the Nunciature in Buenos Aires. I found it difficult to identify with the political allegiances he made, but as the Good Lord said "in my Father's House there are many mansions." Paddy Keane of Abbeyknockmoy and Stretford. Paddy's funeral at St. John's, Chorlton was surely one of the biggest that we have seen in Manchester. It was a fitting tribute to a man that had the 'milk of human kindness going through his veins'; a true gentleman. May he Rest in Peace. Sporting Scene
The talk was of Kaka; the deeds were of Manchester United. I would be surprised had Kaka come to Eastlands on two counts, first he seems to be a man of principle that money matters would not be his only consideration. Secondly, as a man of ambition it would be hard to see him leave a club like A.C. Milan and tie himself to a relegation battle. I am sorry he did not come as the Premiership could do with a superstar whose off the field exploits would have been an example for Manchester youth to follow. Little danger that he would be hauled by police from a late night drinking den or be the organizer of all night orgies. Manchester United beat the winners of the Copa de Libertadores LDU Quito of Ecuador (South American club champions) in the final of Fifa world club championship, another feather in Sir Alex's cap. As I write they have consolidated top spot in the premiership making Rafa's Rant earn him the title of 'Ruffled Beneath Us'. It is early yet but they look to be on course to equal Liverpool's haul of 18 championships. As Rafa might say - 'entre el dicho y el hecho hay mucho trecho' - there is many a slip between cup and lip. Gaelic GamesWell done to John Mitchell's Liverpool, Lancashire Champions on winning against Moynalvey Co. Meath in the All Ireland Club Junior Quarter Final. It augurs well for us over here. This is the 125th year of the G.A.A. a very good ten part series on the history of the association on TG4, hopefully it will come out on DVD form. Pat Kenny's 'Late, Late Show' tribute left much to be desired. Why did he have to bring on a dreadfully offensive comedian; he was an insult to the Association and to our country. But then Pat Kenny is Pat Kenny and as my father used to say 'you don't expect blood from a turnip'. I watched Tyrone beat Monaghan last Sunday; I was impressed they looked lean and hungry. My early season fancy to win Sam again. If anyone beats Kilkenny in their quest for 'four- in- a- row' I'll be as surprised as I would be if City challenged for premiership honours this season. Mass in GaelicHope to see you at the Mass in St. Mary's at 3pm on Sunday February 22nd. 'Idir an dha linn'(between now and then) I'll be in Peru armed with 20,000 pounds provided by your generosity; it will mean a lot to people working in health and education project in Lima and Chimbote. Go dti an cead uair eile, go dte tu slan Fr. John Ahern February 2009
'You Don't Have To Carry A Gun To Be A Hero'
On Saturday 9th May there will be a fundraising dance at St Kentigern's in Fallowfield for Fr Pat Clarke's work with the street children of Sao Paulo, Brazil  Here we talk to Fr Pat Clarke about his life and work in Sao Paulo, Brazil
For a man who has spent 32 years in the shanty towns of Brazil, Fr Pat Clarke still speaks with remarkable passion, "I can never condone injustice," he says. "If I see a man pulling a cart load of rubbish, I'm still moved by it and I'll never get used to the sight of kids sleeping on the pavement."
Fr Pat's story begins in Ireland. He was born in the Liberties in Dublin beside St Patrick's Cathedral and was christened at the church of St Nicholas. The eldest of six children, five boys and one girl, he was raised in County Kildare on the banks of the Liffey. At the age of 16 he began training for the priesthood. "Nobody expected it," he recalls, "My mother and father were stunned."
So what was it that attracted him to the priesthood? "The idea came to me at the age of 14 and kept coming back. Initially there was a lot of fantasy there. I dreamed of changing the world. But more realistically, the idea of serving the world really appealed to me." Fr Pat believes the idea of service often comes more easily to someone from a poor family. His father, a Meath man, delivered bread in County Kildare for Boland's; his mother, from Carlow, worked as a domestic in a big house. Fr Pat has clearly been inspired by her, "She was very intelligent, very competent and a self-made person. She could turn her hand to anything - she could mend shoes, cut hair and paint the house..."
Fr Pat is well known for his annual fundraiser for Brazil here in Manchester. How did it start? "I asked my brother Dermot (who by the way is a scout for Manchester United) if there was any way we could raise funds for Brazil. We decided to run a ceili at St Brendan's Irish Centre on City Road. To be honest, it wasn't the best of starts. The band was so expensive that we made very little money. The following year we went to the Sacred Heart in Gorton where Fr John Ahern was the parish priest. Rita Tarrant did an annual play and the fundraiser revolved around it."
After that, the annual event, co-organised by Pat's brother Dermot and Dominic Mulcahy (currently Head teacher at St John's Chorlton), went from strength to strength. "The network of the Irish community here in Manchester is the backbone of it," explained Fr Pat. "There is something very admirable in the capacity of the people to give and to have joy in giving. People donate out of a sense of commitment, solidarity and faith. Networking happens, one person touches another. It's a phenomenal thing to come in to."
So how important is the Manchester fundraiser to the work of Fr Pat in Brazil? "The money itself is significant," says Fr Pat. "We get no money from CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development). It is becoming an increasingly bureaucratic organisation. They determine the priorities for support - currently it's level of national debt, women and Aids. If you don't fit those three, don't bother applying. So the money we raise is really important to us. I have a deep and enduring gratitude to the people of Manchester." Fr Pat goes on, "However, I like to think that it's not just a begging trip and that I bring as well as I take. I bring connections with the wider world and with deprived children. Hopefully, awareness is raised about a variety of themes and social questions." This idea of 'reverse mission' is one that is very significant for Fr Pat. This year will be his twenty-first fundraiser in the city, "I find it increasingly rewarding. It's a joy - in receiving and giving."
Fr Pat works with the poorest people in Sao Paulo, Brazil - a city of 20 million people and 2,500 shanty towns. There is massive poverty and no welfare state. Housing is totally inadequate. Children are just there on the street - no schooling, no place to play, nowhere to be children. Many youths are disaffected and alienated with violence, crime, gun law and drugs much in evidence. For adults there is very little work, with 51% operating in what is euphemistically termed the 'informal sector'.
"Our motto is 'faith life synthesis'," explains Fr Pat. "Our work addresses people's material and spiritual needs. We must do both. We must look after the whole person. Our job is to identify the wounds of society and provide relief. People need charity with dignity. They don't need patronising approaches, where you promote yourself as a saviour. You should aim to make yourself redundant."
Fr Pat's projects reflect the philosophy in the old adage, 'Give a person a fish and you feed them for one day; teach a person to fish and you feed them for life'. "We provide adult literacy classes. We have an 80-year old on dialysis learning ABC. We have creches for small children. We provide two meals a day for the street children who come to us hungry."
Two projects of special importance concern young people. The Centre for Art and Culture caters for people aged 8 to 18. "The arts are a very powerful way of accessing the dreams of young people very quickly - whether it's creative, visual or martial arts. Our message is: 'you don't have to carry a gun to be a hero'. You can be an artist, an actor, a sculptor or a musician."
The second project is the 'City of the Angels', a refuge for children situated one hour from the city of Sao Paulo. In this four-acre site, children and adolescents, who have been wounded by society, are given the opportunity to find their way to emotional and spiritual integrity.
Fr Pat's work in Latin America has attracted a lot of attention. He's been the subject of a number of documentaries including RTE's Two Plus Two Makes Four and the BBC's The Alternative Priest. Whilst his heroic work is the subject of great praise, there are criticisms too. His incremental approach is not radical enough for some. Fr Pat recalls, "On one occasion I was laying a sewage pipe with some parishioners and a BBC interviewer challenged me saying, "What's the point in laying just one pipe - don't we need a sewage system for the whole of Sao Paulo?"
Fr Pat's response is very clear, "I really believe in the cosmic dimension of the small gesture. Some say it's only the big gesture that matters - that the small gesture has no point. I refute that totally. No way of life could be sustained without small gestures. It's not true to say nothing will change and it doesn't matter."
Fr Pat thinks there are dangers in looking for fundamentalist solutions. He believes the people are prey to fundamentalist sects. "They move in and offer simplistic solutions saying, 'if you want a way out, this is the recipe'. The people are vulnerable because they are torn up from their roots in the countryside. They are in a crisis and want a solution right now."
Similarly the charismatic renewal movement adopts a fundamentalist approach, "I have to be generous enough," says Fr Pat, "to allow them that stage of their development. However if it is permanent, there is something wrong. It's never mature - emotionally or spiritually."
So what approach does he recommend? "The methodology that works is essentially about journeying with the people. We need a sustainable philosophy that preserves humanity in the context of faith. I'm not saying we shouldn't have a macro dimension. There are moments when all the small things build up to that big event - for example, liberation theology from the late 60s to the early 90s. The whole church in Brazil was facing the Goliath of capitalism. But these moments come and go."
Fr Pat's reference to liberation theology prompted me to ask him whether he was disappointed by Pope John Paul's reaction against it. "There were many negatives associated with the undermining of liberation theology. The change came from the concept that we had to be less politically involved. But in reality it was a desire for us to adopt another set of policies - don't speak out, be silent - which is no less political. There were also clear double standards. Politics in Latin America is bad because it's Marxist; politics in Europe is necessary to undermine communism. However, in reality you don't cease to be political - you can't be neutral. You are a person with an opinion and a point of view and you have a dialogue."
Interestingly, Fr Pat sees positives in the approach adopted by Pope John Paul in relation to liberation theology. "It was in danger of becoming ideological. It was above criticism. It had developed a superiority complex. It was too intellectual and was not grounded. There wasn't a great deal of empathy towards the poor. They were objects been worked upon, not really people. There was distortion and oversight in liberation theology. In effect the Vatican moved us on."
Fr Pat believes with the Pope's visit to Brazil in May 2007, liberation theology and basic Christian communities have been rehabilitated and are now back in the fold.
I asked Fr Pat how he feels about the politics of contemporary Brazil and in particular the work of President Lula. "On paper there's a lot of positive dynamic and the President and the Workers' Party are making good progress. However, there's a problem. How does politics deliver a Utopia that is surrounded by hostile capitalist interests? You have to compromise with them to survive but this can involve a betrayal of basic ideals. Some changes are happening for the better. There has been an economic upturn with more money to go around. Many are no longer on the basic level of deprivation. However, at the same time, there's the kick-in of the capitalist capacity to exclude. There's increased wealth but lots of marginalised groups."
Talking to Fr Pat you realise that you are in the presence of a very special person. He has a spirituality and mysticism about him which is hugely compelling. In the early 90s he published a book, Bread and Poetry, about his experiences with the people of the shanty towns. He explained that the title is metaphorical with bread representing justice and poetry a way of living. He has another book of stories and poems about to be published.
So after 32 years in Brazil what are his final reflections? "I've learned a lot over time. I have a sense of joy about being there and being involved with the very hospitable people of Brazil. The culture offers you so much. The people are very engaging and very welcoming to you. It's as if welcome is a sacrament. They have a tremendous humanity. Compared to a culture where this doesn't exist, I'd find it more stressful and less worthwhile."
And after 21 years association with the people of Manchester? "A huge thanks to my brother Dermot and to Dominic Mulcahy for their constant, unsolicited burrowing away at the coal face establishing networks. Thanks too to my great friend Fr John who's been a stalwart. Any place he's gone, he's been a key mover in all that we've been able to achieve. But above all my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has collaborated and been part of this marvellous network of solidarity, of faith, and ultimately, of joy. It's been a joyful pilgrimage and journey."
Finally, Fr Pat told me he has a deep appreciation for the work of Irish poet Partrick Kavanagh with the final two lines of the Canal Bank Walk particularly dear to him.
Canal Bank Walk
Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal
Pouring redemption for me, that I do The will of God, wallow in the habitual, the banal, Grow with nature again as before I grew. The bright stick trapped, the breeze adding a third Party to the couple kissing on an old seat, And a bird gathering materials for the nest for the Word Eloquently new and abandoned to its delirious beat. O unworn world enrapture me, encapture me in a web Of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech, Feed the gaping need of my senses, give me ad lib To pray unselfconsciously with overflowing speech For this soul needs to be honoured with a new dress woven From green and blue things and arguments that cannot be proven.
Fr John's Corner
"Gui go mbeidh siad fen ar ndion anocht agus an domhan 'na chodladh go suan."
Pray they'll rest with us tonight when all the world's asleep.
The above are the last lines of the poet Sigerson Clifford's celebrated poem the 'Kerry Christmas Carol' (printed in full below). On the threshold of another Christmas the question is how should we celebrate it? There are voices that say 'move on' the world is now a different place to the one Sigerson wrote about. Now we have strobe lighting and neon lighting, Ipods and DVDs.
Christmas, though we are in recession, is all about going out, even on Christmas night. There is no such thing as all the world asleep - we have had our tinsel and Father Christmas, our turkey dinners and mince pies, we have been eating them since November 1st. Now is the time to really enjoy ourselves, more alcohol, and more enjoyment, let's get smashed; where is the party tonight?
Enjoyment!?
The Kerry Christmas Carol
The poem is an evocation of an old Irish custom in which each household would leave a lighted candle in their window on Christmas night. There was a pious belief that Joseph and Mary and the Child still wandered the roads of the world, looking for a place to rest from the persecution of Herod. That they should show a preference for the roads of rural Ireland was accepted as a given.
Brush the floor and clean the hearth,
And set the fire to keep.
For they might visit us tonight
When all the world's asleep!
Don't blow the tall white candle out
But leave it burning bright
So that they'll know they're welcome here
This holy Christmas night!
Leave out the bread and meat for them,
And sweet milk for the Child,
And they will bless the fire, that baked
And, too, the hands that toiled.
For Joseph will be travel-tired,
And Mary pale and wan,
And they can sleep a little while
Before they journey on.
They will be weary of the roads,
And rest will comfort them,
For it must be many a lonely mile
From here to Bethlehem.
O long the road they have to go,
The bad mile with the good,
Till the journey ends on Calvary
Beneath a cross of wood.
Leave the door upon the latch,
And set the fire to keep,
And pray they'll rest with us tonight
When all the world's asleep.
May the Peace and Joy of Christmas be real for you and all your dear ones.
Nolaig shona ath bhliaian fe mhaise dhiobh go leir.
Fr. John Ahern
December 2008
Hunting for the Wren
 On St. Stephen's Day, December 26th, crowds of people take to the roads in various parts of Ireland, dressed in motley clothing, wearing masks or straw suits and accompanied by musicians, remembering a festival with antecedents that long predate Christmas. The Wren, sometimes pronounced and written, wran, was once common all over Ireland. In some areas, the Wrenboys are called Mummers.
Birds have great prominence in Irish mythology. They were seen as intermediaries, in pre Christian times, between this world and the next. The flight patterns of birds, like the wren, were used as auguries by the Druids. Indeed, some believe, the Gaelic word for wren, dreoilin, derives from two words, draoi ean, or Druid bird.
When, according to legend, the birds held a parliament, it was decided that whichever of them flew the highest would rule over all the others. The eagle soared higher than any, until it tired and the tiny wren emerged from its tail feathers and climbed far above it. Mysteriously, the wren has a reputation for treachery. A wren is said to have betrayed Irish soldiers fighting the Norsemen by beating its wings on their shields. The wren, too, is blamed for betraying St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. This is the usual explanation why the wren is the hunted bird on St. Stephen's day. It has also been argued that the antipathy shown towards the bird dates from early Christian opposition to the Druidic rites that surrounded it. Today, the wren, as a feature of the event, survives only in the rhyme and in the name of the day, although, in former times, it was hunted and nailed to a pole at the head of the procession.
In West Kerry, the focal point of the Wrenboys parade is a hobby horse. A pantomime type horse with a wooden head, snapping jaws and a body made from cloth stretched across a timber frame, it is worn on the shoulders of one of the members of the Wren, who whirls and capers at the head of the parade. The horse, for social and military reasons, was of great importance in ancient Ireland. Horses could be both lucky and unlucky, and they had strong associations with the rights to kingship and with fertility. The horse was so important that its introduction to Ireland was credited to the god Lugh. The greatest of the Celtic gods, his name occurs across the continent in placenames like Lyon and Leiden. The cult of the horse was also opposed by the early Christians. The straw suits worn by the Wrenboys also have historical resonances, though more recent ones. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were worn as disguises by the Whiteboys during Ireland's prolonged agrarian wars. The suit is woven in three parts: head, chest, and skirt. The straw of choice for the suits is that which comes from oats and, since there is little demand for oats, good straw is becoming increasingly difficult to find. In many cases, oats are grown specifically for the Wren.
The Wren, in common with many customs in rural Ireland, came close to extinction. From the twenties and thirties onward emigration took a great toll among those who would have taken part. There was strong clerical opposition, the money raised in the collections the Wrenboys took up went towards holding a ball in a local hotel or public house and naturally there was alcohol involved. The Church saw the Wren, as it saw the house dances that kept traditional music alive in those times, as an "occasion of sin."
That the Wren survived at all was due to the efforts of a few individuals and small groups of people working in isolation. Nowadays, the Wren is enjoying a revival. Listowel, County Kerry, holds an annual competition. The legendary Wrens of the Dingle Peninsula are the focus of intense local competition. Dublin, too, has a festival, held on Sandymount Green. Whatever its provenance (there is a similar festival in Lerwick on Shetland, and its form finds echoes across Europe in the hobby horse, and the hunting of a small bird on one day of the year) the Wren in Ireland is not fixed in time. Like much else in Irish culture, the Wrenboys have adapted and changed. Their masks and costumes reflect change, and reflect too, perhaps, the current demonology of Irish society : long after her fall from power, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher still figures prominently in the masks worn in many a Wren.
Fundamentally though, the Wren is a local event, reflecting the communities it springs from, whether in the North of the country, or Wexford, Woodford in Galway or the west of Kerry. The Kerry writer and dramatist, Sigerson Clifford, was all his life a kind of exile in his own country from the town he loved, Cahirciveen. He's best remembered for his great ballad, The Boys of Barr na Straide, two lines of which formed his epitaph.
I'll take my sleep in those green fields,the place my life began,
Where the boys of Barr na Straide went hunting for the wren.
For many people in more distant exile, the 26th of December holds a special resonance : the day the whistles, fifes and drums thunder like waves, rising in crescendos to drive the dark of winter away. Pagans and Christians forgotten, all the one now. "Up Sraid Eoin! We never died a winter yet," as they say on at least one street in Dingle town.
Irish Language
Conradh na Gaelige runs classes every Wednesday night at the Irish centre in Cheetham Hill during term time. This is for people at all levels, whether wishing to start learning or to improve their Irish Language skills. The first hour of the session is devoted to learning in small groups, then after a short break there are presentations and talks on different aspects of Irish Culture. Full details are available at http://hubpages.com/hub/cnagmanc by emailing the secretary Niall Murphy at ngwmurphy@gmail.com.
Austin Currie to Speak in Liverpool
 Austin Currie, one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the North is to give a talk at Liverpool University on 26th November 2008. The title of his presentation is 'The Civil Rights Revolution' and will be delivered in the Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool L69 7ZA at 6.00pm.
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