Flight of the Earls commemorated
Friday, January 12th, 2007
The four-hundredth anniversary of the Flight of the Earls, one of the seminal events in the early history of emigration from Ireland is being commemorated this year. The Flight of the Earls, of course, marked the end of the old Gaelic aristocracy. Hugh O’Neill and Rory O’Donnell, fearing arrest by the new Lord Deputy of Ireland, fled to the Continent along with ninety of their followers. They set sail from Rathmullen, Co Donegal, and their departure cleared the way for the Plantation of Ulster.
The men intended to go to Spain, where they hoped to gain support from the King and then return to liberate Ireland. They never returned. Many of the men became officers in the Spanish Army, while Rory O’Donnell and Hugh O’Neill both died in Rome – O’Donnell in 1608 and O’Neill in 1616.
The Flight of the Earls is enormously important for those interested in emigration history. Dr John McCavitt says in his Flight of the Earls website:
Perhaps the most important aspect of the Flight of the Earls for people of Irish descent, and for countries that the Irish migrated to, is that the Flight effectively inaugurated the Irish diaspora. The early seventeenth century witnessed Irish men and women dispersed as far afield as the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Newfoundland, even the Amazon (O’Briens). As a direct result of the Flight, Irish soldiers, the original ‘wild geese’, saw service in Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Russia.
The official website for the commemoration was launched in Donegal last night. Events will include a conference in February; the production of “Making History”, Brian Friel’s play about the flight; a history conference in May; a summer school and more.
See the Flight of the Earls Commemoration website.
Broadcasting Bill would require provision for emigrants
Thursday, January 11th, 2007The Oireachtas Communications Committee has been holding public hearings over the last two days over the proposed Broadcasting Bill. Of interest to emigrants is the section of the bill that would require RTÉ to provide TV to Irish communities abroad; the legislation allows for the use of license funding for this purpose.
The programming would have to be reflective of RTE One and Two, as well as Irish-language channel TG4.
In announcing the publication of the bill last month, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey Dempsey said:
It is intended that RTÉ will produce a service that reflects and represents the content of the channels currently available in Ireland – RTÉ1, RTÉ2 and TG4 will contribute to this service. This service will now be a fundamental part of RTÉ’s remit. The 2002 Report of the Task Force on policy regarding emigrants noted that the issue of contact with Ireland and the desire for information about contemporary Ireland is very important to Irish communities abroad, particularly the elderly. The Task Force recommend that consideration be given to developing the role of television as a contact point for the Irish abroad and that funding be made available for the provision of such a service.
The webcast meeting archive is online at econsultation.ie.
More information and a link to the public discussion forum are also online at econsultation.ie. The discussion forum will run until January 24.
See the broadcasting bill at Oireachtas.ie. (Section 3 is the one relating to broadcasting to emigrants.)
Hopes for reform rise as Congress resumes
Thursday, January 4th, 2007As US Congress resumes its work this week, New York’s Irish Echo says that expectations are rising that that the Senate will pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill by spring. Ray O’Hanlon says a Senate bill on the issue, written by Senator Edward Kennedy and Senator John McCain, is slated for unveiling in January; a two to three month period of deliberation is likely. This bill will be similar to last year’s McCain/Kennedy reform bill, but it may not require undocumented immigrants to first leave the US before undergoing the process of earning legal US residence. This would be a significant improvement, as current legislation would ban undocumented immigrants from returning to the US for periods as long as ten years.
The report says the House of Representatives is likely to take longer to pass its own immigration measure, although it is now being written by Democratic Representative Luis Gutierez and Republican Representative Jeff Flake. The battle over immigration reform is likely to be more contentious in the House; some of the incoming Democratic senators had campaigned against measures that would legalise the undocumented.
Meanwhile, the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform is planning to rally in Washington on March 7.
Read more on the Irish Echo website.
Golf tournament to benefit Irish in Britain
Thursday, January 4th, 2007A major golf tournament in Ireland next year will benefit elderly Irish in Britain. The Safe Start Agency is joining with the Union of Irish Golf Societies and the Irish Post newspaper for a tournament that will involve 250 teams playing a championship course in each of the four provinces. Monies raised will go toward an expansion of services designed to prevent isolation of the elderly Irish in Britain. The Safe Start Foundation is an employment, training and accommodation charity. Based in Cricklewood, it was started in 1988 by Irish emigrants and is funded by Dion.
More information in the Carlow Nationalist.
Taoiseach speaks on Irish in Britain
Thursday, January 4th, 2007The Taoiseach has spoken about such issues as free travel for pensioners, RTE broadcasting abroad, and support for returning emigrants in an interview with Britain’s Irish Post.
On free travel, Mr Ahern said that extending free travel to Irish pensioners resident in Britain “remains a priority of this government”, but he did not give a timeline. He did note that from early 2007, an all-island free travel scheme would be in place for pensioners North and South. He added that extension of the free travel was “about recognising the debt of gratititude we owe to the Irish in Britain who helped to build the successful country we now have”.
He also said that EU laws prevent extending the entitlement to free travel only to Irish-born people living abroad as it would be contrary to legislation prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of nationality; it would also be against EU law to extend the scheme to people receiving Irish pensions outside the state.
On the issue of supporting older Irish people who are interested in returning to Ireland, Mr Ahern highlighted the role of member agency Emigrant Advice. He noted the updated information guide “Returning to Ireland” which is available through Irish immigrant centres abroad, embassies and consulates, as well as information providers in Ireland such as Citizens Information Centres, FÃ?S offices, and Social Welfare offices.
Regarding the potential for RTE broadcasting into British homes, Mr Ahern noted that the new Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006 will be enacted early this year. He said the Bill intends for RTE to produce a service that will reflect the content of the channels currently available in Ireland; TG4 will contribute. The means of transmission (terrestrial, cable, or satellite) are not specified in the bill “and RTE will have to explore these possibilities”.
When asked about the most important issues facing the Irish government in relation to Irish people in Britain, Mr Ahern said the biggest issue is “how we cherish our senior citizens”. He noted that “many of our people were forced to leave Ireland for economic reasons and endured particular hardship and difficulties as a result.
Of course so many members of our community in Britain have done so well and there are Irish people at the top of every walk of life in Britain but we must also remember those for whom life has not been so fortunate.”
He noted that the Irish government had provided £7 million to assist the Irish community in Britain, “and the vast bulk of this funding goes to help the elderly members of our community, helping to provide advice centres, social functions, health and housing support and a plethora of other services.”
He named interaction with second and third-generation Irish in Britain as another important issue, and stressed the importance of a continuing connection with Ireland.
Mr Ahern also noted the importance of the Irish in Britain in contributing to Ireland and Anglo-Irish relations.
The Taoiseach concluded the interview by saying that the Irish in Britain are not forgotten: “There can be few houses in Ireland where a candle is not lit to remind them of loved ones abroad and it is this link between home and our community abroad which is ever enduring.”
Read the entire interview at the Irish Post newspaper site.
Irish Diaspora site showcases academic work
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007Anyone interested in the Irish world abroad from an academic standpoint should be aware of the Irish Diaspora Studies scholarly network’s website at irishdiaspora.net. It’s run by Patrick O’Sullivan of the Irish Diaspora Research Unit at the University of Bradford.
It’s a valuable resources, with book reviews, academic notices, and links to other resources – as well as papers on topics such as “Teaching the Irish Diaspora”, “The Irish in South America”, “Literature of the Irish Diaspora”, “Irish Military History”, and much more.
Visit irishdiaspora.net
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