The life and times of a Portland Irishman
THE HIBERNIAN INDEPENDENT
Volume One. Number Twenty One. February 15, 2024.
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.
REMINDER - No meeting tonight. It’s been rescheduled for NEXT Thursday - Feb. 22 - Six P.M. Kells Restaurant. SW 12th.
THE AMAZING MISTER MC CORMICK - Next Thursday’s meeting will feature an exploration of the life and times of the first foreign immigrant elected mayor of Portland: Stephen J. McCormick from Dublin. Yesterday was the 165th anniversary of Oregon’s statehood. Later that same year - 1859 - McCormick was elected Mayor. David O’Longaigh has long been intrigued by the story of Stephen McCormick. We’ll team up to tell that story of the Celtic community activist in the context of Portland being born.
For a preview of the presentation Click Here.
There will be the usual no-host dinner at six followed by The Portland Hibernian Society meeting and presentation at seven. All are welcome. Kells Restaurant - 112 SW Second Ave. Portland.
OUR 25TH ANNUAL BANQUET - Please plan to join us upstairs at Kells on the evening of March 9 for a Saint Patrick’s Day Banquet. Six P.M. Final plans will be announced at next Thursday’s meeting. We’ve already booked a good number of diners. If you’d like to join us, make your reservation at the meeting or send me an emal. Cost - $55 per person.
OPENING NIGHT - Corrib Theater, Portland’s Irish acting ensemble, presents SPEAR by Co. Louth playwright CN Smith tomorrow night. The play, which was part of the respected Dublin Fringe Festival, runs Thursday through Sunday until March 10. 21TenTheater - 2110 SE Tenth, Portland.
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY - IT CAN’T COME SOON ENOUGH - The HI will have a listing of places to go and things to do on Saint Patrick’s Day in the next edition on March 7. If you’re ready to make plans now, here’s the info for Kells Irish Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, and the Kells locations on SW Second and NW 21st. Note - It’s probably best to get tickets in advance for the Ireland vs USA Boxing Event set for Friday night March 15.
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY TRAVELLERS - We realized that Ireland’s top of mind for the feast day of its Patron Saint on March 17, but were not aware of the major effort to send Irish government officials to all corners of the globe, like missionaries 200 year ago. From the Irish Post:. “St. Patrick’s Day is an unparalleled opportunity to promote Ireland as a great place to visit, work, study, trade with, and invest in,” they state. “This year, in all, 38 representatives of the State will bring Ireland’s message to 86 cities in 48 countries.”
INVESTIGATION - WHY IRELAND IS HAVING ITS MOMENT - There’s a famous line from the movie THE THIRD MAN. “In Italy for 30 years they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed. But they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love. They had 500 years of democracy and peace. And what did they produce? The CUCKOO CLOCK.” I thought of that when I read this article passed long by Hibernian Manus O’Donnell.
KILLING IRELAND’S CALL - The highest compliment you can pay a performer is to say they “Killed it.” 8-year-old Stevie Mulroney, a first grader from Kilkenny, killed it Sunday when he sang the anthem IRELAND’S CALL at Aviva Stadium before an Ireland v. Italy rugby match. Ireland won 36-0. A star was born. This is worth a couple of minutes.
FOR THE RECORD - Ireland’s Call is not the national anthem of the Republic. That would be Amran na bhFlann - The Soldier’s Song. But because 20% of the Irish Rugby squad comes from Northern Ireland, a “neutral” song was needed. Ireland’s Call became that song in 1995. Amran na bhFlann was sung before the match, as was the Italian national anthem. Just not with Stevie’s style.
Remember - NO MEETING TONIGHT - we’ve moved the proceedings to February 22 - NEXT THURSDAY. Hope to see you there. Don’t forget to sign up for the banquet.
Mise le meas.
Bill Gallagher
503-939-8732