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St Brendan’s Feast Day May 16th
Ancient Order of Hibernians St Brendan the Navigator Division Mecklenburg County
Division # 2 ISSUE #5 MONTHLY NEWSLETTER VOLUME #4
May 2012 Our next business meeting is on Thursday, May 10th at
7:30 PM
St Mark’s Catholic Church Room 200
2012 Officers
Chaplain Father David Miller President Ray FitzGerald Vice President Shane Lis Secretary Tom Vaccaro Treasurer Chris O’Keefe Financial Secretary Ron Haley Standing Committee Ted Leahy Marshall Brian Bourque
Sentinel Scott Stephan Chaplain Emeritus Father Pat Hoare Past President Joseph Dougherty
www.aohmeck2.org
Tis A Blessing to be Irish
During the Dark Ages, Irish monks kept the light of
learning alive. Recording oral tradition and copying the
written knowledge of the time, they produced illuminated
manuscripts that preserved the wisdom of Western
civilization. Be thankful for the painstaking labors of
these Irish scribes.
The Presidents Report for May Most people associate April 15th with filing our tax returns, however, for our Division it is a more memorable occasion.
On April 15, 2009 the Ancient Order of Hibernians of America granted a charter for the establishment of the St. Brendan
the Navigator Division in the Lake Norman area. We started with 17 members and over the past three years we have
doubled that number. I want to thank all our members for their time and efforts in making us a viable and growing
organization. We’ve been busy promoting the Irish culture in the Lake Norman area, but on a more personal note we
have forged some lasting friendship among our members. Our socials (held on the fourth Thursday of the month) often
have more members in attendance than our business meetings (maybe that’s because our spouses are pushing us to get out
of the house). Like any organization we need to grow and increase our membership. I’d be interested in hearing any
ideas you may have in this regard.
After our April business meeting the members went down to the kitchen area of St. Mark where we enjoyed some snacks,
refreshments and fellowship. It was well attended and we plan to do this after each of our meetings.
Ron Haley had successful knee replacement (déjà vu, all over again) on April 17th
. He is recuperating at home and is
undergoing some physical therapy (ouch!).
At our April Social we celebrated the Division’s third anniversary at the Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson. We had close
to 30 brothers, along with their families and guests, in attendance. After the dinner we named the recipient of the 2011-
2012 Hibernian of the Year Award. The award is presented to a Brother Hibernian who actions have demonstrated a
commitment to the principles of the Order, i.e., Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity. By a vote of our membership this
year’s recipient was brother, Chris O’Keefe. As our Treasurer, Chris keeps close watch and control over our funds. He
also manages our website, and continually promotes and supports activities of our Division. He recently planned the
Installation of Officers Dinner. Well deserved, Chris!
All members should be receiving the Hibernian Digest. I found the March-April edition very enlightening. There are
articles on the E3 Visas Bill (which specifically addresses the paltry number of visas issued to Irish immigrants), the
Eucharistic Congress to be held in Dublin, American’s Civil War Irish, the Barry Gate Project, various AOH Scholarships
as well as mention of our Officer Installation Dinner. I encourage all of you to take some time to read this newspaper.
We are in the midst of our annual raffle for a trip for two to Ireland. Frank Fay has volunteered to chair this year’s raffle.
He’ll be contacting you soon regarding the distribution and sale of these tickets. This is our Division’s major fundraiser
and we need your support in buying and selling the tickets.
At our last meeting we discussed having a family summer picnic, in conjunction with the LAOH. It would likely be held
in a local park (unless someone has a large backyard). I would be interested in hearing your views on this. We’ll also be
discussing this at future meetings.
If there is something appropriate that you would like to have discussed at a future meeting, let me know and we can add it
to the agenda.
St. Brendan the Navigator, Pray for us.
Ray FitzGerald
Chaplain’s Message
I would encourage all of you to reflect upon this point: that our Lord, in performing incredible miracles
from giving sight to those born blind to healing the lame or even raising the dead did not redeem one
human soul by such amazing and powerful works. Neither did he redeem a single person through any of
his great sermons and talks by which he taught the truth. The sole act by which Christ Jesus our Savior
and model of holiness won for us all the grace of redemption was his patient endurance of suffering and
death. In like manner the greatest act of love that we can do for anyone, whether for our spouses or
children or friends is to patiently endure the sufferings that come to us either from their own hands or
things outside of our control. None of our words or powerful actions can bring about more grace than
this. These “crosses” that our Lord permits us to share with him are opportunities of grace for ourselves
and for others, if we but patiently endure them and unite them with his Cross.
Fr. Miller
May Birthdays
Rose Murphy Daughter of Brother Bob May 1st
Kathleen Ann Haley Wife of Brother Ron May 2nd
Elle Gilmore Daughter of Brother Shawn May 4th
Bob O’Brian Division Brother May 7th
Charles Murphy Son of Brother Bob May 9th
Laurie Mann Daughter of Brother Gene May 14th
Nathan Killoren Son of Brother James May 18th
Ryan Swengros Son of Brother Charlie May 20th
Tom Battle Division Brother Mat 20th
May Anniversaries
Tom & Michele Battle May 12th
Martin and Laura Fisher May 26th
Brian & Naomi Bourque May 28th
Division Calendar of Events for
May
Thursday, May 10th - Next meeting at St. Mark, Room 200 at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 12th - Adopt a Stream Cleaning Torrence Creek 10am at St. Mark parking lot Sunday, May 13st - Bagel Sunday (recruiting drive) at St. Mark Parish Center after Sunday
morning Masses, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM. Thursday, May 24th - Social at Alton's Kitchen & Cocktails, 19918 North Cove Rd., Cornelius,
6:30pm
Every Day of the Month – Be Proud of your Irish Heritage!
IRISH PROVERB
"Meallan muilte dé go mall ach meallan siad go mion."
God's mill may grind slowly, but it grinds finely.
RAFFLE TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
Ireland of Your Dreams Raffle
Sponsored by Mecklenburg County Board of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Winner to receive 7 day trip for two to Ireland, including airfare from
Charlotte, NC to Ireland, Car Rental & 6 nights in B & B’s *
All proceeds to benefit Hibernian charities A donation of $25 is requested
Drawing to be held on Sept. 22, 2012 at Killington’s Pub in Huntersville, NC
*Instead of Grand Prize, winner can accept $3,000.00 cash
See Brother Frank Fay for tickets, your help is needed
Irish Myths
Changelings
It appears that fairy women all over Ireland find birth a difficult experience. Many fairy children die before birth and those that do survive are often stunted or deformed creatures.
The adult fairies, who are aesthetic beings, are repelled by these infants and have no wish to keep them. They will
try to swap them with healthy children who they steal from the mortal world. The wizened, ill tempered creature
left in place of the human child is generally known as a changeling and possesses the power to work evil in a household. Any child who is not baptised or who is overly admired is especially at risk of being exchanged.
It is their temperament, however, which most marks the changeling. Babies are generally joyful and pleasant, but
the fairy substitute is never happy, except when some calamity befalls the household. For the most part, it howls
and screeches throughout the waking hours and the sound and frequency of its yells often transcend the bounds of mortal endurance.
A changeling can be one of three types: actual fairy children; senile fairies who are disguised as children or,
inanimate objects, such as pieces of wood which take on the appearance of a child through fairy magic. This latter type is known as a stock.
Puckered and wizened features coupled with yellow, parchment-like skin are all generic changeling attributes. This
fairy will also exhibit very dark eyes, which betray a wisdom far older than its apparent years. Changelings display
other characteristics, usually physical deformities, among which a crooked back or lame hand are common. About
two weeks after their arrival in the human household, changelings will also exhibit a full set of teeth, legs as thin as
chicken bones, and hands which are curved and crooked as birds' talons and covered with a light, downy hair.
No luck will come to a family in which there is a changeling because the creature drains away all the good fortune
which would normally attend the household. Thus, those who are cursed with it tend to be very poor and struggle desperately to maintain the ravenous monster in their midst.
One positive feature which this fairy may demonstrate is an aptitude for music. As it begins to grow, the changeling
may take up an instrument, often the fiddle or the Irish pipes, and plays with such skill that all who hear it will be
entranced. This report is from near Boho in County Fermanagh.
"I saw a changeling one time. He lived with two oul' brothers away beyond the Dog's Well and looked like a wee
wizened monkey. He was about ten or eleven but he couldn't really walk, just bobbed about. But he could play the
whistle the best that you ever heard. Old tunes that the people has long forgotten, that was all he played. Then one day, he was gone and I don't know what happened to him at all."
A Bit of Irish History
Patrick H Pearse
Patrick Pearse was born in Dublin, Ireland on November 10, 1879 to an English sculptor and an Irish
woman. The couple had three children: two sons and a daughter. Patrick became interested in Ireland
and its Irish history early in life. He joined the Gaelic League, a group founded to preserve the Irish
language, at age 21. In order to promote the League's cause, Patrick changed his anglicized name to the
Irish version, Pádraic. Pearse quickly became known as a leader and spokesman for the Gaelic League.
His beginnings in this small group would lead to his rise to power in more militant Irish republican
groups.
Pádraic Pearse entered the Gaelic League a young boy looking to explore his Irish history. Within three
years of joining, he was the editor of the League's weekly newspaper: An Claidheamh Soluis ("The
Sword of Light"). Pearse served as editor of the paper for six years (Britannica On Line). The title of the
paper seemed to symbolize Pearse as a man in his early years of battling the British. He tried numerous
ways to defeat the British intellectually. He used knowledge, not force, in attempts to liberate Ireland.
Some of Pearse's tactics included publishing old Irish tales from ancient manuscripts and also publishing
his own works in Irish rather than English. In 1908, Pearse founded St. Edna's College near Dublin. St
Edna's structured its curriculum around Irish traditions and culture. Moreover, the college taught both
the Irish and English languages.
Although Pearse started out as a literary warrior, he soon found that intellect alone would not rid Ireland
of the English. Pearse became involved in militant groups as both a poet and a warrior and benefited
Ireland immensely in both ways.
Pearse is known best for his part in planning and executing the Easter Rising of 1916. However, he also
played an important role in the advancement of Irish literature. In the late 19th century The Gaelic
Revival took place in Ireland. This was a literary movement that focused on the "rich vocabulary and
idiomatic expressions in the Irish language and folklore" (BOL). However, the members of this
movement were challenged by the diverse dialects of the language. Moreover, there were very few
modern works in the genre at the time. Most of the literature being published in Irish was the myths and
legends of historical Ireland. Nothing produced early in the revival could compete internationally. It was
not until the middle of the 20th century that the language was standardized. At this time, Patrick Pearse
was one of the pioneer Irish writers. His poems, essays, and articles were exactly what the Irish needed.
Although they were written for the sole purpose of freeing Ireland, his works gave inspiration to a
younger generation of poets. He and several of his contemporaries began to write with pure emotion and
passion. This was the stepping stone for Irish literature and its launch into the international realm. When
the name Patrick Pearse is mentioned, most do not think of his literary contribution to Ireland. This
contribution was significant, but it is not what Pearse died for. His name is not carved in history forever
because of his essays or articles. When his name is mentioned, almost all who hear it will think of the
Easter Rising of 1916. This is the battle which catapulted Ireland towards freedom. It is also the battle
that Pearse and the rebels lost. The battle that, shortly after it ended, Pearse and his friends were
executed by firing squad. To understand the rising and why it took place, one must look at the events
leading to the rising.
In 1912, thousands of protestant Ulstermen (those Irish residing in the Northeasern province of Ulster)
signed the Ulster Covenant of Resistance to Home Rule (BOL). Rather than submit to Home Rule, their
leaders decided that a provisional government would be established in Ulster. As tension and
controversy over the issue heightened, a paramilitary group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) was
formed. The UVF was backed by the British military. At one point, an entire cavalry brigade of the
Royal Army threatened to resign if ordered to move against the Ulster protestants (DeRosa p. 31) As the
Catholics in Ulster became more organized, the protestant paramilitary groups began to attack them.
Whenever Catholics would march for religious or economic equality, a riot would usually follow. These
were brought on by attacks from the Ulster Volunteer Force.
As a rival to this force, the Irish Volunteers were formed in November 1913, with Pearse a member of
their committee. Again, Pearse contributed poems, articles, and essays to the group's newspaper, The
Irish Volunteer. In July 1914, Pearse was made a member of the Supreme Council of the Irish
Republican Brotherhood (IRB), a separate militant group that believed in using force to throw the
British out of Ireland. The Irish Volunteers, Ulster Volunteer Force, and the IRB began to stockpile
weapons. Ireland was very near a civil war when World War I erupted in Europe. At this point, the Irish
Volunteers split. One group supported British efforts in the war with Germany. The other group, along
with the IRB, was totally against any support for British troops. It was with this group that Pearse
aligned himself.
John Redmond, a member of Parliament fighting for Home Rule, took a pro British stance during the
war. This alienated many Irish citizens and support for the Brotherhood grew. Shortly before 1915, the
Irish Republican Brotherhood had plans for a full military revolution in Ireland. Pearse was a believer in
a revolution while the British were occupied fighting a war in Europe. He felt that the only way to
liberate Ireland was for people to die. He expressed these feelings in his famous oration at the funeral of
Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa in August 1915. Rossa was a member of the Sinn Féin party, which
supported the use of force to free Ireland. In this oration, Pearse stated the following:
"We stand at Rossa's grave not in sadness, but in exultation of spirit... This is a place of peace sacred to
the dead, where men should speak with all charity and all restraint; but I hold it a Christian thing... to
hate evil, to hate untruth, to hate oppression, and hating them to strive to overthrow them... while Ireland
holds these graves, Ireland unfree, shall never be at peace."
The actual planning for the Easter Rising of 1916 began almost two years before the actual rebellion.
The planning was a very complicated process headed by Pearse and a select group of men on the
military council of the IRB. Sir Roger Casement, an Englishman who believed in the Irish cause, was
sent to Germany in an attempt to obtain arms. Casement convinced the Germans to send some rifles but
the ship arrived early and was sunk by the British Navy. One of the most difficult aspects in the planning
of the rising was its secrecy. Pearse and his comrades kept the rising secret from the highest leaders in
the IRB, including Eoin MacNeill, the Chief of Staff of the IRB. The leaders on the Supreme Council
opposed an insurrection while the military council was secretly planning one. Pearse noted that so many
Irish risings had been defeated due to informants and resistance within the Irish themselves. For this
reason, only about 30 people knew about the rising until a few days before it was to take place. As it
drew near, the Supreme Council and the English government found out about the planned action. The
British had sunk a German ship in Irish waters and arrested Sir Roger Casement upon his return to
Ireland. The Supreme Council issued a statement in the Irish papers that all manoeuvres scheduled for
Easter Sunday were cancelled. Upon this notification, the British officials were confident that there
would be no conflict. Down, but not defeated, Pearse and the military council met to figure out what
should be done.
It was decided that the rising would be put off one day, until Easter Monday. Pearse spread word to all
of the forces around the country that manoeuvres would go the next day. Although many of the
volunteers were happy, several were fed up with the inconsistency and opted not to participate in the
rising. It was also at this meeting that Pearse and six others signed the "Proclamation of the Republic of
Ireland" written mostly by Pearse. Shortly before the signing, the six members elected Pádraic H. Pearse
president of Ireland. It truly was an emotional moment for the seven men for they knew that what they
were signing was also their death warrant
On Monday, April 24, 1916, the revolution began. Pearse and his army took control of the General Post
Office in Dublin along with several other buildings in Dublin. Above the Post Office, the Union Jack of
England was hauled down, and the tricolor of Ireland raised. Shortly afterwards, Pearse accompanied by
his brother, Willie, read the proclamation on the front steps of the Post Office. Ireland was free.
Although the British were caught completely off guard, it did not take long for them to raise a force
equal to that of the ill-equipped volunteers. The rebels surprised many by holding out for an entire week.
However, under heavy artillery and out of ammunition, Pearse surrendered to the British on April 30.
The battle was over, but Pearse had carved his name in history forever. Moreover, the Easter Rising is
seen by many as the beginning of the end of English rule in Ireland.
On May 3, 1916 Pádraic H. Pearse and fourteen others are executed by firing squad without trial for
leading the insurrection in Dublin. Eamon de Valera was the only leader spared because he was half
American; the English government did not want sympathy for the Irish to grow in the United States
(Foster p.198) The executions created a feeling of revulsion against the British and turned the leaders,
especially Pearse, into martyrs. De Valera re-established the provisional government of Ireland in 1917
(Foster pp.200-202). This government was elected by Irish members of Parliament at a meeting in
Dublin called the Dáil Éireann, meaning the "Irish Assembly." Michael Collins formed the Irish
Republican Army to carry out guerilla tactics against the British army and officials (BOL). Pearse's
poetic oration at Rossa's funeral and the reading of the proclamation became symbols for Ireland's new
government. Attempts by Britain to rule Ireland with any authority were futile until the establishment of
the Irish Free State in December 1921.
Although Patrick Pearse was executed and the rising was an immediate failure, it was an overall victory.
Pearse accomplished what no other Irishmen in history had done. He led a rising that was a total surprise
to the British military. He permanently unnerved the British presence in most of Ireland. His actions and
subsequent execution was the turning point in Irish history. Patrick Pearse did exactly what he set out to
do, he gave his life for the freedom of Ireland. Pearse's words at Rossa's funeral still ring true to this
very day, "Ireland unfree, will never be at peace" (DeRosa p. 74). The fighting and bombings continue
in Northern Ireland and there is no doubt that Patrick Pearse is still in the Irish Republican Army in
spirit and soul.
Patrick Pearse (1879 - 1916) RIP - Gravesite
I Hear an Army Charging Upon the Land
by James Joyce I hear an army charging upon the land,
And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees: Arrogant, in black armour, behind them stand,
Disdaining the reins, with fluttering whips, the charioteers.
They cry unto the night their battle-name: I moan in sleep when I hear afar their whirling laughter.
They cleave the gloom of dreams, a blinding flame, Clanging, clanging upon the heart as upon an anvil.
They come shaking in triumph their long, green hair:
They come out of the sea and run shouting by the shore. My heart, have you no wisdom thus to despair?
My love, my love, my love, why have you left me alone?
The Grave Of Shelley
by Oscar Wilde Like burnt-out torches by a sick man's bed
Gaunt cypress-trees stand round the sun-bleached stone; Here doth the little night-owl make her throne, And the slight lizard show his jewelled head.
And, where the chaliced poppies flame to red, In the still chamber of yon pyramid
Surely some Old-World Sphinx lurks darkly hid, Grim warder of this pleasaunce of the dead.
Ah! sweet indeed to rest within the womb Of Earth, great mother of eternal sleep, But sweeter far for thee a restless tomb In the blue cavern of an echoing deep,
Or where the tall ships founder in the gloom Against the rocks of some wave-shattered steep.
Planned Hibernian Ireland Trip June 2013
Contact Joe Dougherty or Chris O’Keefe if interested
12 Day Irish Classic Tour Itinerary Day 1: Dublin Sightseeing
Start in Dublin Airport with a group transfer to your hotel between 7:00 am and 12:00 noon. If your flight arrives later,
transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 2:00 pm tour Dublin to see elegant Georgian townhouses, pass St.
Stephen's Green and cross the River Liffey to view the Famine N4emorial and drive along O'Connell Street. Tour Dublin
Castle's State Apartments where major events from Irish history and modern politics take place in the gracious chambers. In the evening meet your tour director over a welcome drink to discuss your trip and he will help you choose
a restaurant to dine independently.
Day 2: St. Patrick's Grave & Castle Ward
Drive north to visit Down Cathedral to see St. Patrick's reputed burial site, marked by a huge boulder. Learn about his life and times in the nearby St. Patrick Centre. Visit the stately mansion of Castle Ward. This mid-Georgian mansion is
an architectural curiosity of jts time, built in two distinct architectural styles: Classical and Gothic. The house together
with Victorian laundry, playroom and saw-mill show you how the estate worked. Drive to Belfast and relax before
dinner. (B, D)
Day 3: Titanic Belfast & Tour
This morning a Belfast guide will show you Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegal Square, the Shankill
and Falls Road areas and the shipyards where RN4S Titanic was built in 1912. Visit the newly-opened Titanic Belfast to
learn about this ill fated famous liner through state-of-the-art displays. Then the rest of the day is free. City Hall is
centrally located and is near your hotel while the ornate Victorian pub, Crown Liquor Saloon, is just across the street. (B, D)
Day 4: Giant's Causeway & Derry
Drive north along the scenic route of the "Nine Glens of Antrim," for lovely views of mountains/ valleys and coastljne. Stop at the Giant's Causeway/ enormous hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity 60 milljon years ago which
have spawned legends about the mythical giant, Finn Mccool. Continue to Derry and join a local guide for a short
walking tour around the defensive walls that encircle the compact old city. (B, D)
Day 5: Atlantic Donegal & Westpoft
Travel through the rugged countryside of Donegal, renowned for heathery hills, sheep and the many tweeds produced
from their wool. In Ardara visit Triona Design to sample freshly-baked scones with tea and see demonstrations of
spinning and weaving. Stop in Donegal town to browse around and pause at W. B. Yeats' Grave in Sligo, a region that
he loved to write about. Drive to Westport and enjoy free time before dinner. (B, D)
Day 6: Achill Island & Westport House
Travel around Clew Bay to Achill Island, joined to the mainland by bridge. Follow the Atlantic Drive to capture
wonderful views of steeply-sloped mountains plunging into the shimmering Atlantic Ocean. See the Deserted Village,
ruins of cottages abandoned during the 1840's Famine. Visit the stately Westport House, designed by Richard Cassels
in 1731. The mansion overlooks Clew Bay and contains a wealth of interesting portraits, furniture, silver and porcelain. (B, D)
Day 7: Cliffs Of Moher & Bunratty Banquet
Travel through Maam Cross in the heart of Connemara and visit the Connemara marble Factory. Stop in Galway and drive through the Barren to view the huge boulders of the Poulnabrone Dolmen. Walk along the majestic Cliffs of
Moher, which rise 700 feet above the foaming Atlantic Ocean. At Bunratty check in to your hotel, right beside 15th
century Bunratty Castle, the Bunratty Folk Park and Durty Nelly's Pub. Head to Bunratty Castle for a jolly medieval-
style dinner where the lords and ladies serenade you. (B, D)
Day 8: Flying Boat Museum & Dingle Peninsula
Drive through the outskirts of Limerick and alongside the River Shannon to visit Foynes Flying Boat Museum. During the 1930's and early 1940's, aircraft landed on the River Shannon and the museum's memorabilia recreates this era.
journey into County Kerry and along the Dingle Peninsula for glorious scenic views, Stop in the town of Dingle before
going up the Connor Pass for more panoramas. Then head to your hotel in Killarney. (B, D)
Day 9: Killarney & Jaunting Car Ride
Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle for views of Lough Leane. Killarney's largest lake. Drive
to the delightful town of Kenmare where brightly-painted buildings are enhanced with flowers. Enjoy spectacular
mountain scenery at Moll's Gap and continue along part of the Ring of Kerry, pausing at Ladies' View. Return to
Killarney and relax or go shopping before dinner. (B, D)
Day 1O: Cobh Heritage Centre
Travel through the mountains of Kerry and make a brief stop at the Blarney Woolen Mills. Next visit Cobh Heritage
Centre, located in the old train station through which all emigrants passed. Displays show the many hardships that
people endured in the search for a better Iife. Drive to Dungarvan to the Marine Bar for a creamy Irish coffee and an
informal traditional music session. Continue to Waterford, check in to your hotel and join a local guide for a stroll around the historic city. (B, D)
Day 11: Waterford Crystal & Taylor's Three Rock Pub
Visit the House of Waterford Crystal to see how molten glass is blown into shapes before being cut by hand by experts and view priceless trophies. Stop in Kilkenny for a look around the prosperous medieval trading city and visit the Irish
National Stud to learn about the valuable horse breeding industry. In Dublin, this evening's destination is Taylor's
Three Rock Pub for dinner with traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 12: Tour Ends Dublin Airport
Take a group transfer to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 AM, 9:00 AM or 12:00 Noon. ( B )
B= Breakfast
D= Dinner
Congratulations to Brother Chris O’Keefe the 2011-2012 Hibernian of the Year