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Volume 1; Issue 3 - March/April 2002

THIS MONTH'S NEWSLETTER CONTENTS:

* Editor's Comments
* What's Happening in Ireland
* Updates to Irish Shop
* Updates to Genealogy Site
* Circle the World With Prayer

EDITOR'S COMMENTS

Hi to everyone and a big cead míle failte from Galway on the west coast of Ireland. On Easter Saturday the world lost a very great and gracious lady - Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and I mourn her passing. She lived to the fine old age of 101 and her death was as beautiful and peaceful as she was herself. She joins her beloved daughter Princess Margaret, who died very recently and my sympathies go to her full family.

For me she epitomised what motherhood is all about - dignity and respect. Her courage during the war years of the 40's was a shining example to all in Britain. Her joy in life, fun-loving nature, love of horses and horse racing made her a real favourite here in
Ireland, especially at the Cheltenham Festival, where this year for the first time, she was absent due to illness.

She was, I think, the quintessential 'cuddly granny, evident in the love her daughters, her grand and great grandchildren had for her. May she rest in peace and may she, as a great earthly mother, rest with our heavenly mother, as I am sure she is doing. 

So now ..... on to the business at hand.

Moytura's Journeys
Ancestry & Genealogy
Prayerful Thoughts & Thoughtful Prayers
Reflections for Lent
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WHAT'S HAPPENING IN IRELAND

The main topics of discussion these days is the resignation today of Dr. Cummisky, Bishop of Ferns in Wexford. The questions over his handling of the cases of sexually abused youngsters by priests of the diocese led to his decision to resign. The Church is experiencing it's period of purging and hopefully, when all is out in the open, the healings  will take place, and we will experience a 'new renewal'.

My heart goes out to many people in this situation - to those who were abused and their families, to the really good priests who feel the hurt and the shame of the actions of their 'brothers', to the faithful who are left like sheep wandering in a wilderness, and perhaps most of all to Pope John Paul 11, who struggles with it all.

There is never any excuse for actions of this nature, whether they are carried out by Priests or lay people, but the serious repercussions following the actions of a Priest are like ripples on a pond when a stone hits the still surface. Let justice prevail, let peace reign in hearts, let healings take place and let forgiveness begin.

The Paddy's Day Bashes all around the country were really great. But the one that will stand out as the most poignant has to be the NY Parade. Our own President, Mary McAleece visited Ground Zero during the week leading into Paddy's Day and her abiding memory is the wonderful respect everyone working in the area has for the dead buried there.

She tells one story told her by a fireman. A grieving spouse told him 'You will know him when you find him, he's wearing a Claddagh Ring.' Little did she know that at that stage almost 180 Claddagh rings had been found and now over 300 to date.

I sit and watch the various news and TV coverage of the area and each time I get this feeling coming stronger and stronger - what will become of the area when all the rescue and clean-up work is completed?

Wouldn't it be just wonderful if the whole area could be dedicated as a Garden of Remembrance and within it an International Ecumenical Centre of Peace? I even have a kind of a plan in me noodle - the centre should be round or hexagonal with a large entrance hall and reception area and off the hall there should be a temple, a mosque, a chapel, a meditation room, in fact as many different rooms as there are major religions. So that  people of all races and religions can come together to pray in their own traditions but side by side.

The upper floors should house a conference centre and small conference rooms to accommodate peace conferences of all kinds. This place should be a beacon of light to the whole world, that out of the ashes can rise forgiveness and peace. That those souls who perished on this spot did not die in vain! That just as in death many cultures and religious denominations lie together, so too in life can they look heavenward and say: "Peace is the only way forward, the only real solution. Revenge, anger and hatred destroy the spirit of man."

Ah well, we can but dream eh?

Well - 'nuff guff from here. Onto the more mundane things in life!
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UPDATES TO THE IRISH SHOP

The Irish Bookstore and Irish Video Shop have been up for some time now in association with Amazon and I noticed many of those who shopped from our site links went on to purchase other items from Amazon. So I've added a complete Amazon Shops section
to the Irish Shop incorporating all kinds of products from both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. I've been using Amazon for most of my books and music purchases and have not been disappointed  to date. Included also in both shops is a Bargain Basement, and if you're anything like me there's great satisfaction in the thought of a real good bargain, almost as much fun as hagglin'.
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UPDATES TO THE GENEALOGY SITE

Each week Ancestry is offering some great deals on a selection of their products. All are there to help you to start good record keeping and to organise the records you have already. Check out this week's offers here or from the links on the Ancestry & Genealogy website:

 

Irish Books

Irish Music

Irish Videos