Volume
1; Issue 4 - May 2002
THIS MONTH'S
NEWSLETTER CONTENTS:
* Editor's Comments
* What's
Happening in Ireland
* Updates
to Irish Shop
* Updates
to Ancestry & Genealogy Site
* Celtic
Women International
* Circle
of Prayer
EDITOR'S
COMMENTS
Well, it's all over bar the shouting
- the general election I mean!. More on that below. Our festivals season
kicked off here in Galway with a blistering and beautiful weekend in Kinvarra,
on the Galway/Clare border. The May bank holiday weekend sees the start
of our summer madness with the Cuckoo Fleadh. There'll be no stopping us
now until the Oyster Festival sees the close of them all in October.
You're all very welcome, by the way,
as we discuss some of the interesting stuff going on here in Ireland.
God Bless and enjoy the snippets for
this month.
Mary (Mullins) here in Galway.
Moytura's
Journeys
Ancestry
& Genealogy
Prayerful
Thoughts & Thoughtful Prayers
Reflections
for Lent
*******************************************************
WHAT'S
HAPPENING IN IRELAND
This weekend just gone provided some
of the best spectator sport we've seen in a long time - our general election.
Our political system's a bit hard to understand, even for us who vote in
it. We have a PR System - Proportional Representation instead of the one-man-one-vote
first-past-the-post system. We also still exist in manual count land. At
least we did up until this election's over.
Now picture this - a thronged count
centre where anything up to 18 or 20 candidates await the outcome of the
votes - number 1's, 2's, 3's - all the way down to number 18. We select
by order of preference and surpluses and eliminated candidates' votes are
redistributed amongst the remaining candidates. It's a tallyman's dream,
as they calculate how the transfers are going and who's likely to hold,
gain or lose the three, four of five seats in the various constituencies.
Here in Galway it went to the wire
as usual and proved to be a cliff-hanger for a local chap near us here
and a new city candidate for the largest party. The neighbour won the 5th
seat after a gruelling count lasting almost 36 hours over Saturday and
Sunday. The celebrations are still going on and the smoke's still rising
from the bonfires.
What made this election all the more
interesting was the total annihilation of the main opposition party, Fine
Gael, which lost over 20 of their 54 seats; the emergence of Sinn Fein
with 4 new seats bringing their total now to 5; the success of 14 Independent
candidates running on local issues like hospital waiting lists and refuse
disposal issues like a national incinerator and landfill dumping; and the
6 new seats for the Progressive Democrats, the junior partners in the previous
government with support from some independents.
Bertie (Ahern) and Fianna Fail almost
made an overall majority - anathema to most Irish people these days. We
seem to like and do well with coalition governments. So he had to be satisfied
with just 80-81 seats instead of 84-5. He gained 5 though with another
one possibly after another gruelling recount - the 3rd in this particular
constituency. Coalition keeps the main party anchored to reality!
So folks, looks like it's more of
the same for the next five years, unless some scandal or disastrous faux
pas knocks 'em off their perch. Having said that Bertie could hitch his
wagon to a handful of Independents with a FF background. One way or another
there'll be an awful lot of negotiating and you scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours
going on behind the scenes before early June when we know the final outcome.
This election was an historical one
too - it's the last time we will vote with pen and paper and see manual
counts. Three of the constituencies ran trial electronic voting and the
results were in within a few short hours. My hubby'll go into withdrawal
next time round as he virtually lives in the count centre for the duration
soaking up all the excitement.
No sooner is that bit of diversion
over then we step right back into more - the world cup. Opening ceremony
takes place in Japan on May 31st and we play our first soccer match against
the African Champions, Cameroon, on June 1st.
The economy'll never stick the pressure,
especially if we get through the first round. Because of the time difference
all the matches are being played before noonish. Now, the canny multi-national
employers are being cute and installing large screen TVs in staff canteens.
Wonder if they'll try to simulate the pub too, coz no decent soccer match
worth its salt can be watched without a pint or 12 to keep the throat well-oiled
fer all the shoutin' and singin'!
Watch this space folks as the next
newsletter will be out before mid-June. I'm off to the UK for 10 days and
will get something in the 'post' before I travel. At the very least we'll
know whether the boys in green are set for an invasion of Korea or packin'
their bags fer home!
On a closing note here there was a
great story surrounding the Ras Tealtain this week - Ireland's mini-equivalent
of the Tour de France bike race. A group of Nigerian lads landed in Ireland
with their bikes to 'take part'. They were soon put back on their bikes
again and shipped back across the puddle. They were no more going to ride
in the race then I was. They thought they'd con our boys in blue by slipping
in as illegals then seek asylum!
Now there's an issue that's changing
the face of Europe and European politics, but more on that another day!
Well - 'nuff guff from here. Time to let you know what's changing in the
Shops!
*******************************************************
UPDATES
TO THE IRISH SHOP
We've made many additions to the Irish
Shop this month. (Phunnie how we say 'we', like the royal we - when there's
only me!)
The Gifts section has been stocked
up, the foodhall is bursting at the seams, and there's a bulk-buy option
for those who just can't get enough of the Irish stuff from home. The foodhall
is just like yer average shop-local supermarket now, it even has a news
stand
with all the national and local Irish
newspapers, and a great music shelf with beautiful bodhrans to beat the
band! Enjoy yer stroll down each of the 'aisles'.
*******************************************************
UPDATES
TO THE GENEALOGY SITE
We started the Ancestry section within
the Irish Shop, but such was the keen interest in tracing Irish and European
heritage that it has gone on to become a website all of its own. The information
is duplicated in both though.
This month we've added more databases
from the UK & Ireland and for several US States. All can be found at
the New Additions link in the Ancestry & Genealogy Website. Check out
this week's offers here or from the links at Ancestry
& Genealogy.
*******************************************************
CELTIC
WOMEN INTERNATIONAL
Preparations are underway for the
5th annual conference in New Orleans this coming October. Galway is pegged
for the 2005 conference and, coincidently, our city is nominated as the
European City of Culture that year too. So if we win the title, what better
place to hold an International Celtic Conference eh?
I'm on a big membership drive these
days as this fledgling organisation starts to go truly international. It's
young, it's vibrant and it's all things Celtic to all Celtic people, young
and old, male and female, Irish and Welsh, Scots and Manx, Cornish, Breton
and Galician. Give me a shout for details of how you can be a part of this
little group destined to become a global Celtic force!
Celtic
Women International
*******************************************************
CIRCLE
OF PRAYER
The Circle of Prayer is growing nicely
and we now have 60 people joined together in prayer from all over the world.
The prayer book continues to grow, with heartfelt prayer requests.
Pop in and see what it's all about
and maybe even decide to set aside just 10 minutes a day to join us all
in a wee bit of time with the Father. You can learn more about the Circle
of Prayer at the link.
Well folks, that's all for this time.
Thanks for your patience in staying this far.
God Bless, hope to 'see you all' next
month.
Mary Mullins
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