Friends of Irish Freedom Marched in Manhattan

Many supporters of the Friends of Irish Freedom marched up Fifth Ave. in Manhattan in the 249th St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 17.
The warm sun was at their backs as they strode up the avenue passing thousands of onlookers sporting their green. Cheers rang out as the Pat Mullin chapter passed. Seeing the FOIF green banner struck a chord with some who were far from home.
There were a few shouts of “England out of Ireland” heard.
Before the parade stepped off, members had a chance to share their varied experiences of Ireland and to discuss the situation in the north. Because what happens on the ground in the north of Ireland is barely reported in the New York press, chatting one-on-one can be very enlightening.
Even better, next time you go to Ireland, pass up the nights in Temple Bar and take a trip up to the six northern counties. Go to Derry or Tyrone. If you aren’t up to driving on the left side of the road, it is very simple to get on a train at Connolly Station in Dublin and travel two hours up to Belfast. Chat with your fellow travelers on the journey and then take the time to walk around the city, talk with locals in a pub or cross over the Motorway and walk around West Belfast. Go see things for yourself. Pick up a local newspaper.
If you can’t make it to Ireland this year, come to the Friends of Irish Freedom annual Easter Mass & Commemoration on Easter Sunday at the Green Tree Restaurant at the corner of Riverdale Ave. and W. 259th St. in Riverdale in the West Bronx, north of Gaelic Park.

Ireland Looking at Obama

The tables are turned today and instead of me eavesdropping on the Irish, I hear the RTE afternoon drivetime chat show discussing President Obama (they pronounce O'bama like Alabama) on the first anniversary of his inauguration. Since my first trip to Ireland in 2003 I have always been taken aback by how much more the Irish know about our government than we know about theirs. Very few Americans would know who the Irish Taoiseach is (Brian Cowen). We don't get the news from there and many people here think there are leprechauns on the roadsides looking for their pots of gold. Few Americans know that Ireland is very multicultural. Just walk around Cork City and hear all European languages and meet a woman from Mongolia working in a toy shop. Few Americans know that what was a few years ago the Celtic Tiger is now an economy on its knees. This morning, Pat Kenny was hosting a discussion about a proposed "banking inquiry commission" to find out who is to blame for the banking collapse. Laughter greeted Minister John Gormley's projecting the inquiry into 2011 and beyond. In the meantime, air traffic controllers have called an industrial action and closed airport traffic this afternoon...just when the icy roads had melted and flood waters subsided.

Trad Irish Music Across the Sea

I can so easily forget that I am in Brooklyn listening to Ceili House, RTE's Saturday evening program of traditional Irish music. Fiddle music, uilleann pipes, flutes, concertinas and harps, toes tapping. I could very easily be in the upstairs room of An Spailpin Fanach on S. Main Street in Cork City, across from the Beamish Brewery. A few Septembers ago, I was very fortunately there during the Cork Folk Festival. On one rainy Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed a "box concert" there in that tight little space...pure natural joy. Am listening to Ceili House now...fingers are flying across fiddles and I am there again. Much of the commentary is in Irish. I have to go pick up my dusty copy of Irish for Beginners and make another try at that.