SCOTTISH COTTISH COTTISH MEDICAL EDICAL EDICAL JOURNAL OURNAL OURNAL - WWW WWW WWW. SMJ SMJ SMJ.RSMJOURNALS RSMJOURNALS RSMJOURNALS. COM COM COM/ WEARING EARING EARING KILTS ILTS ILTS PROMOTES ROMOTES ROMOTES MASCULINITY ASCULINITY ASCULINITY, P , P , PRIDE RIDE RIDE & S & S & SPERMATOGENESIS PERMATOGENESIS PERMATOGENESIS 20th Century Irish Nationalists, Scottish Clansmen, Irish and Scottish Pipe Bands, Celtic Dance groups and Celtic Musicians … have all given in to wearing … solid color Irish Kilts and tartan plaid Scottish Kilts. Now comes news for men from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Erwin JO Kompanje of the Erasmus MC University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, argues that “wearing a kilt in the regimental or commando fashion (without underwear) likely produces an ideal physiological environment, which in turn helps maintain normal temperature, which is known to be beneficial for robust spermatogenesis”. Kompanje laments the decrease in kilt wearing among Scottish lads in Scotland (and Irish lads in Ireland), saying that it is now relegated to ceremonial occasions and that there are only a few young men in Scotland who wear the kilt on a daily basis. (Note: it would seem that Kompanje has not been made aware of Irish-American and Scottish- American males who are today wearing the kilt in greater numbers.) Kompanje ventures into the psychological domain, writing that “research indicates that men wearing a kilt experience a strong sense of freedom and masculinity and that many women are attracted to men in kilts”. Irish nationalist Patrick Pearse who operated St. Edna’s School in the early 1900s prior to leading the Easter Rising of 1916 - had mandatory kilt wearing for boys at St. Edna’s, even in Gym class (see photos). Today, a St. Edna School kilt uniform is preserved in a Dublin museum. Kompanje does not stop there, he goes on to state: “because the kilt is a purely masculine garment, men need not be ashamed of or reticent about the therapeutic wearing of a kilt”. So for all you Ireland and Scotland born kilt-less males now living in America; perhaps Mr. Kompanje gives you good cause for wearing a kilt. As the saying goes, “a man in a kilt, is a man and a half ”.
20th Century Irish Nationalists, Scottish Clansmen, Irish and Scottish Pipe Bands, Celtic Dance groups and Celtic Musicians … have all given in to wearing … solid color Irish Kilts and tartan plaid Scottish Kilts. Now comes news for men from Rotterdam, Netherlands. Erwin JO Kompanje of the Erasmus MC University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, argues that “wearing a kilt in the regimental or commando fashion (without underwear) likely produces an ideal physiological environment, which in turn helps maintain normal temperature, which is known to be beneficial for robust spermatogenesis”.
Kompanje laments the decrease in kilt wearing among Scottish lads in Scotland (and Irish lads in Ireland), saying that it is now relegated to ceremonial occasions and that there are only a few young men in Scotland who wear the kilt on a daily basis. (Note: it would seem that Kompanje has not been made aware of Irish-American and Scottish-American males who are today wearing the kilt in greater numbers.) Kompanje ventures into the psychological domain, writing that “research indicates that men wearing a kilt experience a strong sense of freedom and masculinity and that many women are attracted to men in kilts”. Irish nationalist Patrick Pearse who operated St. Edna’s School in the early 1900s prior to leading the Easter Rising of 1916 - had mandatory kilt wearing for boys at St. Edna’s,
even in Gym class (see photos). Today, a St. Edna School kilt uniform is preserved in a Dublin museum. Kompanje does not stop there, he goes on to state: “because the kilt is a purely masculine garment, men need not be ashamed of or reticent about the therapeutic wearing of a kilt”. So for all you Ireland and Scotland born kilt-less males now living in America; perhaps Mr. Kompanje gives you good cause for wearing a kilt. As the saying goes, “a man in a kilt, is a man and a half ”.
With the snow behind them, IN-BOSTON settled into Spring with their first social of the season at Emmet’s Irish Pub on Beacon Hill (3 Beacon Street). A lively evening of networking reconnected familiar faces and new friends. Bringing old friends and colleagues together, replenishing their business cards, and making their way to Emmet’s for a pint of stout and complimentary appetizers; IN-BOSTON welcomed Ireland born ex-pats, Irish-Americans and Friends of Ireland along with non-members to their first Spring Social. As the often referred to “capitol” of the Irish-American Diaspora, Boston offers a wealth of cultural heritage to their Irish community.
Irish Network ChapterIrish Network Chapter
UPDATESUPDATES
Irish Network Chapters are based on the model established in New York in 2006 (IN-NYC). The Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC, Consulate General offices throughout the United States, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA support this initiative to strengthen the economic, social, heritage and cultural links between Ireland and the USA. This includes harnessing the energy and talents of the Irish Diaspora in the United States.
IN-Chicago is proud to support the Irish American Hall of Fame's 2013 Awards Gala recognizing outstanding achievements on the national stage by Irish Americans in the fields of Public Service, Arts & Humanities, Business, Science, Education, Sports and Religion. Inductees this year include US Ambassador Daniel M. Rooney, and General Eileen Collins (retired), both of whom will accept their inductions in person. Posthumous inductees: James Cagney, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Gene Tunney & Monsignor Ignatius McDermott. Master of Ceremonies Lawrence O'Donnell, host of MSNBC's The Last Word, will host this Black Tie Gala, which will feature many special guests and speakers along with a special musical performance.
Eileen Ivers will change the way you think about the violin. Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, Nine Time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, London Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony at The Kennedy Center, Boston Pops, original musical star of Riverdance, The Chieftains, Sting, Hall and Oates, Randy Brecker, Patti Smith, Paula Cole, Al Di Meola, Steve Gadd, founding member of Cherish the Ladies, Grammy awarded musician, movie soundtracks including "Gangs of New York", performed for Presidents and Royalty worldwide…this is a short list of accomplishments, headliners, tours, and affiliations. Fiddler Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.
BBBLACKLACKLACK 474747 SSSATURDAYATURDAYATURDAY JJJUNEUNEUNE 888THTHTH --- 9PM E9PM E9PM EMERALDMERALDMERALD SSSTAGETAGETAGE Led by Irish author, playwright, and songwriter Larry Kirwan, Black 47 espouses an unblinkingly political and thoroughly Irish form of rock ‘n’ roll, with raucous, heartfelt, and intelligent performances of songs covering topics from the Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and urban unrest in contemporary New York. Black 47 earned their chops playing the pub scene in Manhattan and self-producing their first indie record, Black 47, before converting The Cars’ Ric Ocasek to the cause and gaining mainstream attention with their second album, Fire Of Freedom. Years of relentless touring and nine albums later, the band has become a cornerstone of modern Celtic rock.
AAATLANTICTLANTICTLANTIC SSSTEPSTEPSTEPS SSSUNDAYUNDAYUNDAY JJJUNEUNEUNE 999THTHTH --- 2PM E2PM E2PM EMERALDMERALDMERALD SSSTAGETAGETAGE Atlantic Steps is an international touring adaptation of the phenomenally successful Irish show Fuaim Chonamara. It tells the inspiring epic story of Ireland’s oldest dance form, portrayed through the music, song, dance and energy of the Connemara region. Centered around the joyful dance and unbridled enthusiasm of Brian Cunningham, the show continues to move festival and theatre audiences to their feet, bringing Sean-Nós dance to its’ rightful place on the world stage.
Celtic (Main) Stage: Friday - July 12, 2013 6:00pm - 6:30pm: Welcome Ceremony 6:30pm - 7:45pm: Seven Nations 8:30pm - 9:45pm: The Elders Saturday - July 13, 2013 11:00am - 12:00pm: Opening/Dance Troupe 12:30pm - 1:45pm: The Stubby Shillelaghs 2:30pm - 3:45pm: Delilah's Revenge 4:30pm - 5:45pm: The Fighting Jamesons 6:30pm - 7:45pm: Seven Nations 8:30pm - 9:45pm: The Elders Sunday - July 14, 2013 11:00am - 11:30am: Dance 12:00pm - 1:00pm: The Commoners 1:30pm - 2:45pm: Angus Mohr 3:30pm - 4:45pm: The Elders 5:00pm - 6:45pm: Gaelic Storm
Pub Stage: Friday - July 12, 2013 5:15pm - 6:15pm: Sixty Six Days 6:45pm - 8:00pm: The Fighting Jamesons 8:30pm- 9:45pm: The Commoners Saturday - July 13, 2013 10:15am - 11:15am: TBA 11:45am - 1:00pm: Ceol Ceili 1:30pm - 2:45pm: Seven Nations 3:15pm - 4:30pm: Empty Pockets 5:00pm - 6:15pm: Sixty Six Days 6:45pm - 8:00pm: Ceol Ceili 8:30pm - 9:45pm: Angus Mohr Sunday - July 14, 2013 10:15am - 11:30am: Juice O' The Barley 12:00pm- 1:15pm: Delilah's Revenge 1:45pm - 3:00pm: Chancer's Hooley
Killian's Cultural Stage: Friday - July 12, 2013 6:00pm - 7:15pm: The Stubby Shillelaghs 7:45pm - 9:00pm: Session/Ceilli Saturday - July 13, 2013 11:00am - 12:00pm: Mulligan Stew 12:45pm - 2:00pm: Gobs O' Phun 2:30pm - 3:45pm: Deb & The Pariahs 4:15pm - 5:30pm: Session Ceili 6:00pm - 8:00pm: Lougheed Sunday - July 14, 2013 11:00am - 12:15pm: Lougheed 12:45pm - 2:00pm: Skean Dubh 2:30pm - 3:45pm: The Stubby Shillelaghs 4:15pm - 5:30pm: Empty Pockets
Presented By: Colorado United Irish Societies
Member organizations include:
AOH - Michael Collins Division
AOH - Fr. Joseph Carrigan Division Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians
McTeggart Irish Step Dancers Irish Step Dancers of Colorado
1798 P1798 P1798 PIKEIKEIKE by FFFINTANINTANINTAN O’TO’TO’TOOLEOOLEOOLE No Irish event of such consequence is more powerfully symbolized by a single object than the 1798 insurrection and the pike. Pikes were a standard weapon of mediaeval and early modern armies, but by the eighteenth century they were much more strongly associated with revolutionary violence. So symbolic of popular insurrection has the weapon become that it is generally forgotten that Crown forces in Ireland in 1798 also used Pikes. The first seizure of hidden pikes was in Dublin in 1793. Four years later the directory of the Society of
United Irishmen ordered all members who could not afford firearms to equip themselves with pikes. More than 70,000 were found in government searches in Leinster and Ulster in 1797 alone. When fighting finally began, charges by massed ranks of pike-wielding men were the main rebel tactic. Jonah Barrington, an independent observer, noted the extreme expertise with which the Irish handled the pike. Even this expertise was seldom sufficient for very long against trained troops. The United Irishmen, founded in Belfast in October 1791, aimed as one of its leaders, Theobald Wolfe Tone put it to comprehensively embrace Irishmen of all denominations in the cause of democratic reform and national government. Its initial methods were constitutional, but after Britain declared war on revolutionary France in 1793, demands for peaceful reform were increasingly met with frustration and repression, culminating in the banning of the United Irishmen. Campaigns for reform turned to dreams of revolution. Tone and other leaders went to Paris to lobby the revolutionary government for support. A French invasion fleet of 43 ships set sail for Bantry Bay in December 1796 but was driven back by gale force winds. Thereafter, the (British) government launched a ferocious campaign of repression, aimed at disarming the would-be rebels. Through house-burnings, floggings, executions and torture, it smashed the United Irish organization in Ulster, which had deep support among Presbyterians. While Tone waited for another French invasion, the United Irish at home planned to go ahead with a rebellion, which took hold mostly in counties Wexford and Wicklow. By the end of May 1798 the rebels had taken Wexford town and Enniscorthy. They were driven back from New Ross on 4 June, however, and crushed at Vinegar Hill above Enniscorthy on 21 June. A belated rising in Ulster, beginning in Antrim on 7 June and partly led by young Belfast cotton-maker Henry Joy McCracken, had also been defeated. By the time a small French force under General Jean-Joseph Humbert arrived at Killala Bay, in Mayo, on 22 August, it was no more than a bloody coda to one of the bloodiest episodes in Irish history. When Tone, captured on a French ship, took his own life, he was one of perhaps 30,000 who had died violently since May. The United Irishmen hope for a non-sectarian Irish democracy was drowned in this bloodshed; the conflict ultimately reinforced sectarian divisions by shattering Presbyterian radicalism. The idea of the pike in the thatch retained its romantic appeal, but the year 1798 changed Ireland’s immediate future: the revolutionaries ideal of unity between Presbyterians in the North with Catholics in the South became an ever more distant dream. The 1798 Pike, itself, would later become an Irish artifact. To be found later by modern archaeologists.
Massed Bands of Pipes and Drums (12 Noon both days)
Pipe Band Competitions: Solo Piping & Drumming Four Stages of non-stop Celtic Music | Irish Step Dancing
Saturday Night Celtic Rock Concert | Genealogy Tent Kirkin' of the Tartan | Vendors | Highland Dancing Competitions
Kilted Mile | Children's Games Parade of Clans (12 Noon both days)
Coming Soon! 50th Annual
Colorado Scottish Festival - Rocky Mountain Highland Games August 10th - 11th, 2013
Nessie
Lives! Ness
ie
Lives!
Loch Ness Facts - Legend of "Nessie" the Loch Ness Monster
1. There is more water in Loch (Lake) Ness than all the other lakes in England, Scotland and Wales put together. 2. It is around 22-1/2 miles long and between 1 and 1-1/2 miles wide, a depth of 754 feet with the bottom of the
loch being as flat as a bowling green. 3. It holds 263,000 cubic feet of water which is around 16,430,000 thousand gallons of water with a surface area
of 14,000 acres. 4. It is fed by 7 major rivers the Oich, Tarff, Enrich, Coiltie, Moriston, Foyers and Farigaig plus numerous burns,
with only one outlet the River Ness which flows 7 miles through Inverness into the Moray Firth 52 feet below the loch surface.
5. During a heavy rainfall the lochs level has been known to rise by as much as 7 feet and a rise of 2 feet is common place.
6. The rain catchment area for Loch Ness is so large that a rainfall of just quarter of an inch adds 11tons of water to the loch.
7. It is said that the loch never freezes and this is true. 8. Because of the great amount of water in the loch a thermocline lies at around 100 feet down in the loch. The
top 100 feet of water alters temperature depending on the weather conditions but below the thermocline the temperature never alters from 44 degrees Fahrenheit. So as the surface water cools in winter and nears freezing point it sinks and is replaced by the warmer water from below. This can cause the loch to steam on very cold days, in fact it has been estimated that the heat given off by the loch in a winter is the equivalent to burning 2 million tons of coal.
W ith the warm weather now upon us, I am sure most of you are considering visiting Irish, Scottish or Celtic festivals this summer. Most probably you will
come across a person who professes to have Genealogical knowledge that can help you find the Townland where your ancestors once resided (for a fee naturally), if you just tell him/her what your surname may be. I know this to be true since I am seeing a rise in advertising of such wild claims. Let me assure you that your surname alone cannot pinpoint a Townland in Ireland with accuracy 100% of the time. In other words, using only your 'surname' to pinpoint the ancestral townland of your ancestors who left Ireland or Scotland during the 17th to 19th centuries - will be a costly exercise in futility. You will need more than just your surname ... in your search.
Eleven years ago I was a founding charter member of the international Irish Clann Ó hAnnáin-O'Hannon. Today as Uachtarán (President) I represent Hannon/Hannans who reside in 17 countries on 5 separate continents. Some 7 years ago we started the "Hannon/Hannan Irish Surname DNA Project" as did many other Irish and Scottish clans around the same time. What became obvious to us and to the others very soon, was that Irish surnames cannot be counted on solely having just a celtic "R1b" DNA origin. Ireland is more diverse in its ancestry, with celtic males representing 81% of the island’s males. In 2008 as Cultural Director for the Colorado Irish Festival's 'Cultural Village', I created the Irish Surnames (Sloinnte Gael) Exhibit. It showed that year at the festival for the first time in Colorado. Ireland has 3,700 Irish Surnames spelled 11,500 different ways. Due to centuries of Penal Laws and the outlawing of the Irish language, the Irish were forced to anglicize their surnames. I have met many an Irish man and woman who thought I was daft when I explained that their particular surname variation - was just one of several. Most Irish surnames have between 2-6 anglicized variations. My favorite Irish surname example that shows just how convoluted surnames would become is: McGowan (Mac an Ghabhain). McGowans are of Gaelic stock and were originally found in Counties Cavan, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal. For the most part in the 1600s they were 'blacksmiths'. When the English ordered that Irish surnames be changed they suggested to the Irish the colors: white, black, brown and grey. Or a family could choose to call themselves by their trade (anything but the original Irish meaning or spelling). In the case of the Mac an Ghabhain of Co. Cavan they changed their name to "SMITH" since they were blacksmiths by trade. The Mac an Ghabhain of Cos. Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal anglicized their name to "McGOWAN". So if I were to ask you the question: Are all Smiths of Irish descent? The correct answer is "no". Smith is basically an English surname. If I were to ask you the question: A man named Smith says he is of Irish descent. Should I believe him? The correct answer is "yes". Some Smiths are of Irish descent, but most are not.
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Stay with me now. One more surname story before we enter the more confusing world of the male Y-DNA haplogroup, "R1b". A friend of mine a few years back believed he belonged to one of Ireland's Top 10 surnames. In fact he believed that by testing his Y-DNA he could find out if he had a direct line to one of Ireland's High Kings, Brian Boru. If all was true, he should have received Y-DNA results showing an "R1b" lineage, but instead FTDNA labs returned to him a Haplogroup (hg) of "I2a". The hg-I2a is actually a much older male Y-DNA haplogroup in Ireland than hg-R1b (Celts). The male hg-I2a belongs to Ireland's Mesolithic period (7,000-4,000 BC) - before the farmers of the Neolithic period arrived (who built the dolmens and portal tombs) - and several millenniums before the Celts came to Ireland. Today 1% of Ireland's male population has tested hg-I2a and therefore being descended from Ireland's Hunter-Gatherer mesolithic period. During their dominance in Ireland in the post-Glacial Maximum Ice Age period, hg-I2a were probably no more than a few thousand males. Unlike Hollywood movies, if we were to continue to believe that later Neolithic people or even the Celts wiped out the Mesolithic Hunter-Gatherer male Y-DNA lineage; we would be fooling ourselves. I congratulated my friend telling him his male Y-DNA is living proof that the first people who crossed the land bridge from Britain to Ireland becoming Ireland's first mesolithic people, are still today a living part of Ireland. That is of course great news to us all (only discovered by testing the male Y-DNA lineage). So how then did his ancestors inherit thousands of years later a celtic Irish surname Ó Briain? My independent research tells me that Ireland was the first country to create and use surnames, and that did not happen till after the death of Brian Boru in 1014 A.D. at the Battle of Clontarf. The only answer is that we will never know for sure, but his story does prove that you may not be who you think you are. A family can acquire any surname they so desire as often as they desire; but that does not make them someone they are not. The only real way to determine your ancient ancestral lineage is to have yourself tested for genetic genealogy. Paternal Y-DNA Lineage: The first question faced by everyone who tests their male Y-DNA (or female mitochondrial mt-DNA) is simply this - Do I really want to do this? Like my friend you could receive proof that you are not of celtic origin. Yet in the end we are who we are - and would it not be nice to know who we really are? Like I've stated several times already: you can change your surname anytime you wish, but males and females can never change their Y-DNA or mt-DNA lineages. Before we get too deep into the hg-R1b male lineage, lets first define the terms being used.
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Geneticists use the word 'mutation' when describing a change that takes place over time. I prefer the
word 'change' to mutation because the latter reminds me of a Grade-B Hollywood movie where some creature mutates into a giant insect that goes about wrecking havoc. So in this article out with ‘mutation’ ... in with the word 'change'. Changes in the Y-DNA lineage can take place when a group of males separate from the main group and go off in their own direction. The “parent” Haplogroup 'R' began in Central Asia some 28,000 years ago. Some 21,000 yrs. ago hg-R1a began in the forest steppes of southern Russia. It would eventually migrate into northern Europe and has been credited with the creation of the war chariot. Some 20,000 yrs. ago hg-R1b began east of the Caspian Sea and adopted the war chariots of hg-R1a. 18,000 years ago hg-R1b was on the move westerly and southerly into the Levant & Middle East; others headed eastward into the Tarim Basin of northern China where mummies were later found to be wearing tartan-style wool clothing. By 7,000 BC hg-R1b reached Anatolia (Turkey) and the Black Sea region with a branch breaking off and heading north into the vacated Pontic Steppes where hg-R1a had been earlier before their migration northward. After entering central and eastern Europe, hg-R1b underwent a major separation where it broke up into 2 “Proto” groups with multiple subclades. From here on we will refer to them as: R1b-P312 (proto-Italic/Celtic) and R1b-U106/S21 (proto-Germanic). (Colors show differences & close similarities in the Y-DNA “SNP” markers.) With the arrival of the Bronze Age, the proto-Germanic U106/S21 broke off in Austria and headed north into the low countries and western Germany, and later into Denmark, southern Sweden and southern Norway around 1,200 BC.
The Italic/Belgae U152/S28 group crossed the Alps around 1,300 BC and settled in northern and central Italy with some migrating to southern Italy. Meanwhile the L21/S145 Celts continued on through Gaul (France) and into Britain, Ireland and finally Scotland. Later Celts with SNP’s L2, L226 and M222 would arrive in central, western and northwest Ireland and Scotland. The Celts had finally arrived in western Europe where today they are the pre-dominant male haplogroup. So we can see now that the celtic Y-DNA includes the SNP’s (single nucleotide polymorphism) L2, L21, M222, and L226. In order to find out if you belong to one of these SNPs’ you would have to test for 67-markers and then the suggested SNP.
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Germanic: R1b1a2a1a1a - U106/S21 - Proto Germanic [15 SNP subclades] R1b1a2a1a1a1 - U198 - Anglo/Saxon Irish/Scottish/British/Belgae/Italian: R1b1a2a1a1b - P312 - Proto Italic/Celtic [23 SNP subclades] R1b1a2a1a1b3 - U152/S28 - Italic/Belgae R1b1a2a1a1b3c - L2 -Ireland/Belgium R1b1a2a1a1b3c1 - L20 - England/France/Italy R1b1a2a1a1b4 - L21/S145 - Celtic Ireland/Scotland/Britain R1b1a2a1a1b4b - M222 - NW Ireland & Scotland (Gaels) - Descendents of Niall of the Nine Hostages R1b1a2a1a1b4h - L226 - Central and Western Ireland
Germanic & Italic/Celtic: Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries based on Y-DNA tests is the close relationship that both Germans and Celts share. The Top “3” male haplogroups per country: Germany R1b (45%), R1a (16%), I1(16%); Ireland R1b (81%), I1 (6%), R1a(3%); Scotland R1b (73%), R1a (9%), I1 (9%); Wales R1b (*84%), I1 (7%), G2a (3%); England R1b (67%), I1 (14%), R1a (5%); Belgium R1b (61%), I1 (12%), R1a (4%); Italy R1b (49%), J2(18%), E1b1b (11%). (*combined Celtic & Germanic R1b) Hair Color: As a side note let us now discuss hair color; ‘blonde’ vs. ‘redhead’. The hg-R1a due to their northern latitude locations have over time developed "blonde colored hair" and fair skin to absorb more sunlight needed for the production of Vitamin D. The hg-R1b south of them have over time developed "red colored hair" and fair skin to absorb
slightly less sunlight needed for Vitamin D production. Geneticists believe that when you reach the 45th parallel north, the tendency for natural red hair ends. As shown Germanic hg-R1b and Celtic hg-R1b both share redheads and fair skin. Also do not forget Italic hg-R1b in northern and central Italy where redheads are also found. The frequency for natural red hair is highest in Ireland (10-30%) and Scotland (10-25%), followed by Wales (10-15%), Cornwall and western England, Brittany (France), the Franco-Belgian border, then western Switzerland, Jutland and southwest Norway. The southern and eastern boundaries, beyond which red hair occurs in less than 1% of the population are: northern Spain, northern and central Italy, Austria, western Bohemia, western Poland, the Baltic countries and Finland. So once again when you do meet with someone this summer who professes to be a “Genealogist” that claims they can pinpoint by surname your ancestors townland in Ireland, ask them this: My surname is ..., can you tell me in which of the 70,000 townlands in Ireland my ancestors once lived? Coming Soon: Female mitochondrial (mt-DNA) is in us all. That story needs to be told, and it will be.
(NOTE: Barry Fitzgerald was born in Lisburn, Co. Antrim in 1972. He is a world renown investigator of ancient Myths and Legends. He most recently was seen as the co-lead investigator on GHI. Ireland, however, has always been his first love and he now returns home to discover the truth behind Ireland’s Myths and Legends. He joins fellow Irishman, Cormac Strain, as they travel throughout Ireland seeking the truth behind the
legends. His newest publication is “Banshee” co-written with Cormac Strain & soon in paperback and on Kindle.) The Banshee The Banshee - is she to be feared, loathed or is she simply misunderstood? Barry Fitzgerald and Cormac Strain explore some of the history of this very famous entity of myth and legend to reveal things are not possibly what they seem. They speak to people from all over the island of Ireland who have come face to face with this messenger of death and share their encounters. These encounters are not from the dark regions of Irish history - but rather happened within the last 50 years. ‘The electric light killed the fairy’ was the old saying, but this is not exactly true. As they explore the nature and history of the Banshee within this publication it becomes apparent that she is not simply an element of our imagination, but rather an element of ancient Ireland which still walks among us today, right into our cities. ‘Banshee’ recounts these modern day encounters in the old style of Irish storytelling and delivers a book which will make you question your own beliefs ... and as the wind howls in the light of the full moon, pray, that’s all you hear. Legend Seekers As man’s involvement with Ireland dates back over 10,000 years it has filled the island with history, myth and magic which seemingly bleeds into the very landscape. A vacation to Ireland on face value will be a memorable experience; however the island hides much more. Join ‘Legend Seekers’ Barry Fitzgerald and Cormac Strain as they explore the islands ancient and not so ancient history exploring and examining its Myths & Legends. Using historical accounts they will venture to areas in Ireland not only above ground but below it in an attempt to discover the truth: a truth, which sometimes does not want to be discovered. Barry and Cormac along with ‘Max the Husky’ travelled the roads of County Roscommon to Tulsk to find out more about Queen Medbh (Maeve) the Warrior Princess and her connection with the Ó Connor Kings of Connacht - where they met up with local historian Gary Dempsey and Joe Fenwick of the Dept. of Archaeology NUI Galway. They then soon met up with author and celtic folklorist, Lora Ó Brien who they say is one of Ireland’s best known storytellers of Celtic Tales. Was Queen Maeve a real person, or does she simply represent the landscape of Connacht province?
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50 years ago this June, President John F. Kennedy visited Ireland, and presented this flag to the People of Ireland. "I once found an old flag, an Irish Brigade flag which had been made during the Civil War for the Irish Brigade here in this country. JFK liked that very much, and we got it to give to the President of Ireland. He and Mrs. Kennedy spent a great deal of time deciding how it should be presented; how it should be framed, encased in glass, what the plaque should say. The President, being such an historian, insisted that the plaque tell the whole story of the flag. He made me check and recheck (the history)."
- Letitia Baldrige Hollensteiner, White House Secretary to President John F. Kennedy This is how Ms. Hollensteiner remembered the preparations for JFK’s visit to Ireland in June 1963. It would be the first time a serving U.S. President would visit Ireland, and his address to the Irish Parliament in Dáil Éireann would be the first occasion on which television cameras would be allowed. The flag that Ms. Hollensteiner had sourced was the second green color of the 69th New York, the first Regiment of the Irish Brigade. By late 1862, the original colors which had been presented to the Irish Brigade in 1861 were in tatters, and badly needed replacement. The new flag became known as the ‘Tiffany’ colors and was officially presented to members of the Brigade in early December, but had not yet arrived at the front when the Irish Brigade made its famous charge against Marye’s Heights in Fredericksburg, 13th December 1862. President Kennedy would tell the Irish, their brethrens story. “Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister, Members of the Parliament: I am grateful for your welcome and for that of your countrymen. The 13th day of December, 1862, will be a day long remembered in American history. At Fredericksburg, Maryland, thousands of men fought and died on one of the bloodiest battlefields of the American Civil War. One of the most brilliant stories of that day was written by a band of 1,200 men who went into battle wearing a green sprig in their hats. They bore a proud heritage and a special courage, given to those who had long fought for the cause of freedom. I am referring, of course, to the Irish Brigade...of the 1,200 men who took part in that assault, 280 survived the battle. The Irish Brigade was led into battle on that occasion by Brigadier General Thomas F. Meagher, who participated in the unsuccessful Irish uprising of 1848, was captured by the British and sent in a prison ship to Australia, from whence he finally came to America. Their motto ‘The Union, our Country, and Ireland Forever.’ Today, in recognition of what these gallant Irishmen and what millions of other Irish have done for my country, I would like to present this flag to the people of Ireland. As you can see, the battle honors of the Brigade include Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Gaines Hill, Allen’s Farm, Savage’s Station, White Oak Bridge, Glendale, Malvern Hills, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Bristoe’s Station.” - U. S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, June 1963
