Ever wonder what life was like in Belfast during The Troubles?
PDX HIBERNIAN INDEPENDENT Volume Two Number Forty-Three 16 January 2025
More than an email. Less than a newspaper. In your email box the first and third Thursday morning of every month. Published by The Portland Hibernian Society.
TONIGHT AT KELLS ON SW SECOND
The Troubles, or Na Trioblóidí as the violent conflict in the North of Ireland is known in the Gaeltacht, “officially” ended with the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. But the legacy endures, sustained by Say Nothing, the book published in 2015 and now the nine-episode series streaming on Hulu. Whether you’re familiar with The Troubles won’t really matter at our meeting tonight (Thursday, Jan. 16). Gerard McAleese, owner of Kells with his wife Lucille, grew up in Belfast during the events depicted in Say Nothing. It was a car bomb too close to his family home for comfort that led to the McAleese emigration to the Pacific Northwest. Gerard will share his stories from the 1970s TONIGHT at Kells Restaurant (112 SW Second Ave.) The Portland Hibernian Society monthly meeting begins at Six PM with a no host dinner. Gerard will speak at Seven PM. Questions and answers will follow. Click here for the HI’s coverage of Say Nothing. We hope you can join us at Kells Restaurant. Failte.
Kells owners Gerard and Lucille McAleese and Brian Doherty at Catholic Charities.
NOTRE DAME AND THE ‘NATTY’: BRIAN DOHERTY’S BEEN THERE BEFORE
The man on the right in the above photo is Brian Doherty. Most of you know Brian for his steady and selfless efforts on behalf of the Ireland-loving community in Greater Portland. But did you know that Brian (Jesuit High School – Class of 1970) played football for Notre Dame? That he held a number of Notre Dame records as a punter? That he played a key role in Notre Dame’s win over Alabama for the National Championship in Dec. 1973? (“I was lucky enough as holder to get the ball on the ground just right for the kick,” he tells the HI re: the ND FG that won the game.) Or that as the sixth ranked college punter in the country, he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills? So, guess who Brian’s rooting for Monday (Jan.20) when the Fighting Irish take on the Ohio State Buckeyes for all the marbles? Brian played for legendary Coach Ara Parseghian and thinks the current head coach Marcus Freeman is made of the same stuff, able to convince his players they can beat anyone. Parseghian was a special person for Brian, as this story from ESPN.com illustrates. NOTRE DAME SUPPORTERS WILL BE GATHERING AT KELLS BREWERY on nw 21st TO WATCH THE GAME. KICK OFF IN ATLANTA SCHEDULED FOR 4:30PM MON. JAN. 20.
NO ONE WAS INJURED
Call it a pre-Christmas miracle. 50 mph winds got the better of a pilot trying to land an Aer Lingus jet at George Best Airport in Belfast on Dec. 22. The airplane slammed nose first onto the tarmac as the nose gear collapsed, prompting emergency services to rush to the scene, reports the Belfast Telegraph. There were no passengers on board. But, “Four crew members were on board but no-one was seriously hurt.” The crash disrupted holiday air travel to and from Belfast. “The runway was closed for the rest of Sunday, throwing Christmas travel plans into chaos.” LATEST: Almost a month later, the plane, operated by Emerald Airlines, is still parked at the flight hub in Northern Ireland - with no information on when it is expected to re-enter service, Belfast Live reports. A spokesperson for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said: "The aircraft has not been moved because it is due to undergo further examination work as part of the ongoing investigation."
DUBLIN BUSKER RECEIVES HIGHEST US CIVILIAN HONOR
On January 4 in Washington D.C. Bono of U2, Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2005, became the second citizen of Ireland ever awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And the second single-name celebrity* (full name: Paul David Hewson) so honored. President Biden chose Bono as one of 19 “great leaders who have made America and the world a better place.” The only other native Irish person awarded the Medal is President Mary Robinson. President Barack Obama chose her in 2009. There have been 652 PMOF recipients since President Kennedy created the honor. Bono is also the first to ever busk in a New York subway station. Or perform with fellow Medal recipient BB King (Chosen by President George W. Bush in 2005.) * Elvis, the first recipient known by one name, was President Trump’s choice for the honor posthumously during Trump's first term.
The Healthy Workplace Framework was launched in 2021 and outlines the government’s strategy to enhance the health and wellbeing of Ireland’s workers.
CITIZENS OF IRELAND ARE GETTING OLDER, HEALTHIER. AND THERE’S MORE OF THEM.
The Department of Health in Ireland just released a report showing that the population in the Republic is undergoing a continuing growth spurt and inching closer to the all-time population high of 8.2 million living on the island in 1841. "Assuming moderate changes in migration and fertility rates, the total population is projected to reach 5.77 million by 2042," according to The Health in Ireland: Key Trends in 2022. So, if you add in the estimated population of 1.9 million in the Six Counties, you’re at 7.67 million (est.), ALMOST the pre-Famine population 200 years after An Gorta Mor. Population growth is driven mostly by old people living longer. “The population aged 65 and over has increased by 35% since 2013, which is considerably higher than the EU average increase of 17.3%". As for how people are feeling, “According to the report, Ireland has the highest self-perceived health status in the EU, with 82.1% of people rating their health as good or very good”. Sláinte mhaith.
Public health advocates are still trying to ban television advertising for non-alcohol products that promote certain bands.
IRELAND BANS BOOZE ADS ON TV 3AM TO 9PM
It happens every January. A ton of stories pop up with the news about the negative effects of alcohol. Ireland, no surprise, is no exception. Nor is the PDX HI. Here’s what’s being done about it in Ireland. Last Friday (Jan. 10) a sweeping ad ban went into effect: “...a daytime broadcasting ban on alcohol advertising, with no advertisements for alcohol products on television from 3am to 9pm, and on radio on weekdays from 3pm to 10am the following morning.” The measure is aimed at reducing the exposure of children and young people to alcohol adverts. The law banning those ads on television was passed seven years ago. There’s been a major effort by the booze industry to stop the ban. In a statement, a spokesperson for alcohol colossus Diageo (which owns Guinness) said it never targets its advertising towards children. ''We take our responsibility as a producer of adult products very seriously. We are subject to some of the strictest regulations of advertising in the world.” Alcohol Action Ireland estimates 50,000 kids in Ireland start to drink each year.
RYANAIR CRUSADES FOR TWO DRINK LIMIT
Enough alcohol before boarding is two drinks as far as Ryanair is concerned. The biggest airline in Ireland (you read that correctly*) is pleading with European Union officials to cap at two the number of drinks a passenger can consume at the airport while waiting for a flight. "It is time that European Union authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports. Airlines like Ryanair already restrict and limit the sale of alcohol on board our aircraft, particularly in disruptive passenger cases. This would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe," said a Ryanair spokesperson. *Ryanair has a fleet of 500 planes (mostly Boeing 737s) serving 40 countries from its Dublin headquarters. It is known for “ultra-low cost” fares.
QUOTE(S) OF THE DAY
From a learning aid used at AOHU, our Irish History Initiative.
Bill Gallagher
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