Recognise Oasis’s Irish links, says Mayo county councillor
Monday, January 5th, 2009A Mayo county councillor intends to rectify the “long-standing injustice” done to Manchester-born Noel and Liam Gallagher – also known as Oasis. Michelle Mulherin of Fine Gael is tabling a motion at this month’s meeting of Mayo County Council to honour the brothers, whose mother came from Charlestown. They are frequent visitors to the town, and often visited their maternal grandmother before her death in 2000.
Cllr Mulherin told the Evening Herald:
“The story of Liam and Noel Gallagher is that of so many of the Irish diaspora, it’s the Irish dream fulfilled. They stayed close to their mother’s homeplace and to Irish culture. Mayo is not just in their blood, it’s etched in their hearts.
“When they came to visit the home-place as children, they came to a place with no running water, which wasn’t uncommon in that era. They always talk fondly about their memories of going fishing and berry-picking, and going into the local shop for Silvermints or a Brunch. Those are memories so many Irish people identify with.”
The question of awards for members of the Irish diaspora is one that has been raised before. The 2002 Task Force report on Irish emigrants  called for an award to recognise the achievements of the Irish abroad.
Read the entire article on the Evening Herald website.
Friday, December 19th, 2008
Where can job seekers go now? asks Indo
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008As talk of emigration rises, the question of where Irish people can go to find work is of increasing relevance. An article in this weekend’s Irish Independent suggests any move should be made with caution. The newspaper notes that economic forecasts for traditional emigrant destinations are bleak, and with increasing mobility of other nationalities, Irish job-seekers may find increasing competition abroad.
The newspaper takes an international rundown:
Australia – the number of Irish people seeking to emigrate to Australia has increased dramatically, but the labour shortages of a year ago appear to be ending, and redundancies are increasing. The unemployment rate is currently 4.4%, but rising.
Canada – Canada’s economy has been strong, but its November job losses totaled 71,000, the highest number of layoffs in a single month in 25 years. The west of the country remains in better shape.
US – Even those who are legally entitled to emigrate may find the US tough going right now – more than a half-million people lost their jobs last month, the highest number since December 1974.
The Middle East – Dubai looks like its economy is faltering due to overspeculation, but there remain openings in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi for such professionals as engineers, architects and accountants.
Eastern Europe – One report says that there will be strong growth in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Slovak Republic. While many Polish expats are returning home to take up new opportunities in its growing economy, there are good jobs available even for those who don’t speak Polish. While wages are low, so is the cost of living.
Related article:
Irish Independent: Emigration once again – but where can our young job-seekers go now?
Midlands-Argentine project launches GAA programme
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008Hundreds of Argentine children will learn Gaelic games this February in a seven-day programme at the Hurling Club in Buenos Aires, thanks to an initiative originating out the Midlands. The move is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at refreshing Ireland’s links with its fifth-largest diaspora community.
The inaugural GAA hurling and Gaelic football coaching week is a joint effort supported by Capital Securities Corporation, the Midlands Gateway Chamber and the Longford-Westmeath Argentina Society, reports the Westmeath Examiner. The GAA is supplying hurls, helmets and footballs to the 240 children aged six to 16 who will participate.
The week will take place at Buenos Aires’ Hurling Club, which was established in 1922. GAA games were popular among the Irish community in the early part of the twentieth century, but were eventually replaced by hockey and rugby; this move is partially explained by the fact that during World War II it became impossible to get hurleys in Argentina.
Organisers of the project have wider ambitions than encouraging children to play the games of their ancestors. The article notes:
President of AIT and President of the Midlands Gateway Chamber, Prof Ciarán Ó Catháin said the launching of the coaching programme in Argentina was not only a significant sporting event, but had resonance for business, education, cultural and diplomatic relations between Ireland and Latin America.
“At a time of great economic uncertainty, it is heartening that this initiative encourages us to look beyond our own boundaries to explore global possibilities,� he said.
“For us, the GAA coaching programme signifies the potential of the Midlands, the creative spirit, the drive to innovate and the desire to succeed that is the bedrock of this region,� said Prof Ó Catháin.
The project was launched by Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan, who reinforced the project’s wider ambitions when she said:
Though in its origin independent of it, this project fits in perfectly with the intention behind the joint scheme between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the GAA decided earlier this year to support the promotion of Gaelic games abroad.
I am delighted to be present at the launch here in Athlone of this exciting initiative and congratulate all involved in seeing it through from the initial concept to actuality. A winning combination between enterprise and culture, which hopefully will lead to many other fruitful connections between Ireland and Argentina and between The Midlands Gateway Chamber area and Buenos Aires, and between individual Irish and Argentines.
Related sites:
- Westmeath Examiner: Tánaiste launches Argentine GAA coaching week
- The Longford-Westmeath Argentina Society
- Hurling Club of Argentina
No escape from recession, says college student
Monday, December 15th, 2008There’s no escape from the recession, writes a Dublin City University student in “The College View”, a campus publication. Sabrina Ryan notes that, “Emigration has been a dominant factor in Irish society over the past four centuries for many reasons including famine, job opportunity and more recently for the experience.“
That may be changing, she notes, as the traditional emigrant destinations of the US, Britain and Australia are also threatened by recession.
Ryan interviews three emigrants:
- a man who left from Mayo in 1971 to head for Cleveland, and who returned after a brief stay to take advantage of the improving conditions after Ireland joined the EU.
- An undocumented immigrant living in the Bronx, who left for adventure and appreciates the life experience New York has given him.
- A recently unemployed cabinet-maker who is planning to emigrate to Australia. His brother left for Dubai earlier this year.
It’s an interesting insight into the emigrant experience of three different eras – made poignant by the fact that it’s written by a member of a generation that few would have believed would need to consider emigration as a matter of economic necessity.
Related link:
The College View: Au Revoir to Fair Ireland?
Car hire hikes affect emigrants home for holidays
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008Car rental companies have once again come under criticism for doubling and trebling their rates over the Christmas holidays, in a move that disproportionately affects emigrants returning home to visit relations.
The Irish Independent reports that most firms are at least doubling their early December rates for Christmas week. The largest hikes are for small economy-class cars. The worst examples cited by the newspaper were the prices of renting a Ford Fiesta from Budget Car Rental, which costs €69 a week in early December, up to €216 for Christmas week – a 213% increase.
The Labour spokesperson on consumer affairs, Senator Brendan Ryan, said
At a time when we should be doing everything we can to attract visitors to Ireland, we have car-hire companies engaging in this kind of gouging. This is profiteering plain and simple. Not only do these practices make it more expensive for tourists to visit Ireland, they also make it expensive for family members who may be returning to Ireland from abroad.
Senator Ryan suggested that customers could save money by booking though the internet using American branches of international hire firms.
Related articles:
Irish Independent: “Car-hire firms accused of festive rip-off as prices soar”.