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Sarah Ghriallais - Amhrán Pheter (MHICIL) Báille -Siar an Bóthar - 13-4-07 Mo chúig chéad slán le mo bháidín atá go fánach i Rosamhíl. Nár dheas í ag gabháil go hÁrainn lá breá nó gaoithe aniar! Ní bheadh deifir leis an am agam 's an ghrian ag teannadh siar, Bheadh airgead chuile lá agam, thabharfainn iasc go Rosamhíl. 's tá mo theachaín i lár an ghabháltais is bóithrín go tóin an tí. Shíl mé go mbainfinn sólás as ach ní mar sin féin a bhí, Mar bhuail an bás go hóg mé is bhain sé mo bhean phósta díom, 's d'fhág sin ar bheagán sóláis mé go deo nó go dté mé i gcill. Ó shil mo shúile deora le brón is le briseadh croí, ' lá ar dhún mé clár na cónra ar Mhary Rua is í ag gabháil i gcill; Bhí a gruaig ar dhath an óir bhuí is í 'na duala thar a básta síos; Sí d'fhág mo chroísa buartha go deo is ar feadh mo shaoil. 's nach iomaí sin contúirt mhór ó ariamh i m'óige a ndeachas tríd. Chuaigh mé i gcontúirt mo bháite i gContae an Chláir is in Inis Oírr; Thug Dia agus Muire slán mé as gach gábh dá ndeachas tríd; Níor theastaigh mé ón mbás is fuair mé spás nó go dtéinn in aois. Tá mise i bhfad as Éirinn 's mé in imní oíche agus ló, Go dtiocfadh an bás do m'éileamh is nach mbéinn réitithe faoina chóir. Chosnódh mo bháidín céad orm mé thabhairt go hÉirinn is go Leitir Móir; 's dá mairfinn go haimsir féile bheadh an céad agam gan stró. Is in aimsir Chrann na Páise a tharla an buaireamh seo i dtús an tsaoil; Nuair a thiomáin Iúdaigh táirní trí lámha is chosa Chríost; D'fhulaing Muire máthair na seacht ndólás le briseadh croí, Is fuair an Mhaighdean na seacht sólás in aghaidh gach dólás dár fhulaing sí. Is muide an ceathrú líne a shíolraigh ó Adhamh anuas. Is gearr go mbeidh ár dtéarma déanta is dáta an dá mhíle thuas; Tiocfaidh athrú ar an saol is beidh na cnoic is airde ag ísliú leo; Is dea-bhreith go dtuga an Tiarna do gach créatúr marbh is beo. I bid farewell five hundred times to my boat which is haphazardly in Rosamhíl. She was nice to sail to Árainn on a fine day or with a westerly. I would not be rushed as the sun went westward. I'd have money every day; I'd bring fish to Rosamhíl. My house is in the middle of the holding with a track to its side. I thought I'd get enjoyment from it but that was not to be. I was still young when death came and took my wife from me. That left me short of happiness forever until I should go to my grave. My eyes shed tears of sorrow and heartbreak on the day that I closed the coffin's lid over Mary Rua who was brought to the graveyard. Her hair was golden-coloured as it curled down past her waist. She left my heart saddened forever and for the rest of my life. I went through many dangers since my youth. I was in danger of drowning in County Clare and in Inis Oírr. God and Mary saved me from every peril. Death did not want me and I was spared until my old age. I am far from Ireland and I worry day and night that death will come for me when I am not ready for it. The boat would cost me a hundred, to bring me to Ireland and Leitir Móir and if I survived until the regatta, I'd easily have the hundred again. This grief started at life's beginning at the time of the crucifixion when Jews drove nails through the hands and feet of Christ. Mother Mary suffered the seven sorrows through heartbreak and the Virgin received the seven joys in respect of each sorrow she had suffered. We are the fourth line to descend from Adam. Our term will soon be over as the year two thousand is up. Life will change and the highest hills will become lower. An may the Lord pass a good judgement on everyone alive and dead.

The spirit that moved Eire to declare her independence moved two of her western isles to assert their own independence of Eire. For 40 years the 200 fisherfolk of Turn and Turbot have maintained an "untaxable republic," refusing to pay taxes to County Galway on the mainland.

Last week, as often before, Galway Council sent the bailiffs to Turn and Turbot to collect £12,000 ($48,000) in back taxes.

But the bailiffs were baffled again. Nobody was home. Every house was silent. The cattle had been turned out on the common where they could not be seized. The previous night, every Turner and Turboter had shoved off together to "visit relatives" in Aran, 25 miles away.

BERT ARCHER
SPECIAL TO THE TORONTO STAR

Dublin-The International Festival of Authors is nothing if not catholic. It's an ideal place to catch a glimpse of what's going on in dozens of literatures around the world that Chapters/Indigo don't bother stocking.

But this year's focus on Ireland - both the republic and the north - is the largest national focus the festival has ever had, thanks to guest curator Colm Toibin, who picked the 16 most interesting authors working in Hiberno-English today. They're coming to Toronto among the usual panoply of Argentines, Chileans, Danes, Iraqis, Israelis, Nigerians and Swedes, from Oct. 22 until Nov. 1, to read and panellize.

"It's a part of our ongoing commitment to bringing the best of world literature to Toronto," says the festival's director, Geoffrey Taylor, who brought on Toibin as an experiment this year, "and an awful lot of it is coming from Ireland."

It'll give us a glimpse of what's going on right now in this exceptionally rich literature culture, an island with a population about equal to the Greater Toronto Area, but which has given us four Nobel laureates (if you don't count Eugene O'Neill) and four Booker winners (if you don't count Thomas Keneally). What is it about Ireland? Is it something in the water?

I sit across a small table from John Banville - one of those Booker winners, in 2005 - in the bar of the O'Callaghan-Davenport hotel in Dublin. Read on

A protest was held today at InisMeain airport over a land ownership dispute with Udarás na Gaeltachta. Patrick Faherty of Lisheen Village, Inishmeain, Aran Islands, staged a peaceful protest at the airstrip.

He's claiming to be the legal owner of three plots of land at the airport and is seeking damages from Udarás na Gaeltachta for wrongful entry.

He claims he became the owner of the lands in 1994.

However Udarás na Gaeltachta claims IT is the benefical owner of the lands because it bought the lands off Sean Ó Conghaile in 1986.

Americans have been spared all 8 ½ hours of Druid's mammoth "DruidSynge" cycle of John Millington Synge plays. But in California they did get nearly three hours we do get.

Founded in Galway, Ireland in 1975 by fresh-faced theater graduates Garry Hynes, Marie Mullen and Mick Lally, Druid was the first professional theater company formed outside of Dublin (and its name hails from the "Asterix" comics).

In the more than 30 years of its existence, Druid has become a theatrical force in Ireland (along with The Abbey and The Gate), introducing the world to the work of Martin McDonagh and re-introducing the work of Synge in a 2005 cycle of all six Synge plays performed in one long stretch. "DruidSynge" traveled the world, and now, in a slightly reduced state, it makes its Bay Area debut as part of the Cal Performances series in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, who provides its Roda Theatre for the event.

Druid's traveling presentation comprises two plays: the short but potent "The Shadow of the Glen" and Synge's best known work, the beguiling "The Playboy of the Western World."

This mini-Synge fest, which opened Wednesday, Oct. 8, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 12, offers a unique opportunity to see Synge performed without the Irish cutesiness that so often accompanies American attempts at these dark, curious plays.

Directed by Hynes (the first woman to win a best director Tony for her work on McDonagh's "The Beauty Queen of Leenane" in 1998), these two plays are a fascinating double feature. Both feature men who are supposed to be dead but turn out not to be dead. Both plots are essentially fired up by protagonists striking out against the tyranny of deep country loneliness. And both feature Irish peasantry that seems as fantastical and poetic as something out of Shakespeare by way of Beckett by way of Gaelic mythology.

In "Shadow" we enter into a grim country home. The lady of the house (Catherine Walsh) is watching over the body of her recently deceased husband (Tom Hickey) when a tramp (Peter Gowen) drops in the hope of receiving some sustenance and getting out of the rain.

Within the half hour, the dead has arisen and lives are completely re-ordered amid much shouting and accusation hurling. No one is going gently into any good night here.

"Playboy" is, of course, the centerpiece of the evening, but the echoes of "Shadow" resonate. Hynes has set a tone of antic grimness, and that explodes in "Playboy," which is more of an outright comedy - a farce even, at some points.

Things must be pretty dull in the coastal region of Mayo because the arrival of a stranger named Christy Mahon (Simon Boyle) throws the whole area into a tizzy. Christy claims he has killed his father, and that badge of lawlessness makes him appealing to just about everyone, especially the fiery Pegeen Mike (Sarah-Jane Drummey), who will gladly dump her churchy fiancé (Marcus Lamb) for this hyperactive young murderer.

The whole town clamors for Christy - until his father shows up, very much not dead. Oh, how fickle the folk can be. You're a superstar celebrity one moment, the object of a lynching the next.

Hynes and her actors masterfully balance the darkness and the comedy, which makes for a strangely textured but highly enjoyable evening. The sadness, drinking and desperation that run through each play are tinged with manic comedy and laughter in the face of death.

Apparently there were riots at the opening of both these Synge plays back in the early part of the 20th century because of the way he portrayed Irish peasantry, and especially the way he portrayed women. But here in the 21st century, Synge seems a master of many levels - an ironic farceur laughing through the pub and the graveyard.

New Repertory Theatre, in Watertown Massachusetts is staging the Lieutenant of Inishmore, Martin McDonogh's blazingly funny and bitterly blood-curdling play about a terrorist and his cat.

"I am very excited that New Rep is producing another of Martin McDonagh's works." says Rick Lombardo, Producing Artistic Director.  "He is one of the theater world's most highly regarded contemporary authors, and I'm very pleased that New Rep has introduced more of his work than any other theater company to the Boston area."

"I am thrilled to be returning to New Rep." states David R. Gammons, the director of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, who directed last season's Downstage @ New Rep production of My Name is Rachel Corrie. "I share McDonagh's dark sense of humor, and I am looking forward to bringing this bloody comedy to life on stage."

Blazingly funny and bitterly blood-curdling. A brazen and unapologetic farce. This award-winning comedy tells of a ruthless Irish Republican Army enforcer, "Mad" Padraic, and the one thing he loves more than anything else in the world . . . his little black cat, Wee Thomas. But someone has killed Wee Thomas. Was it an accident or an execution? Whoever is responsible had better fess up, or Padraic's reign of terror will come crashing down on the small Irish island of Inishmore. What ensues is a hilariously bloody, choking farce, quintessential to McDonagh.

New Repertory Theatre presents provocative and intelligent works of both established and emerging playwrights in an intimate setting that involves and engages the audience.  New Rep has earned a reputation for dynamic productions that honor the writers and feature talented professional actors from the New England theatre community as well as guest artists from around the U.S.  New Rep has received Elliot Norton and IRNE Awards for outstanding acting, scenic design, direction, and production.  Programming at New Repertory Theatre is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The Artists

David R. Gammons (director) is a director, designer, theatre educator, and visual artist.  He is the recipient of the 2007 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Director for his production of Titus Andronicus with Actors' Shakespeare Project.  Recent directing projects include: the New England premiere of My Name is Rachel Corrie at New Rep; a revival of Arthur Kopit's Oh Dad, Poor Dad... as the inaugural production at Harvard University's New College Theatre; Romeo and Juliet at Boston Conservatory; and Eric Bogosian's subUrbia at MIT.  His work as a director, designer, and creator of original performance material includes collaborations with American Repertory Theatre, Headlong Dance Theater, Spencer/Colton Dance, Pig Iron Theatre Company, Theatre Offensive, and SpeakEasy Stage, to name a few.  David is a graduate of the Directing Program at The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.  He has been the Director of the Theatre Program at Concord Academy since 2000, where he directs a Company of young artists committed to creating original experimental work.  For more information, visit David R. Gammons.com.

Lynn R. Guerra (Mairead) has been busy with the Publick Theatre this year, performing in productions of The Seagull (Masha), Hay Fever (Sorrell), and Travesties (Gwendolen).  Last fall, she played Ophelia in Shakespeare Now's Hamlet, directed by David Wheeler. Lynn studied Theatre and Fine Arts at Hofstra University and Oxford University, where her favorite credits include The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (Beatrice), Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Suzanne), Agnes of God (Agnes), Miss Julie (Julie), and The Real Inspector Hound (Lady Cynthia).

Colin Hamell (Padraic) is Artistic Director of Tir Na Theatre. He recently appeared as Mickybo in their production of Mojo Mickybo in New York at the 59E59 Theater and as Charlie in their production of Stones in His Pockets in Brussels, Belgium. Tir Na will produce the American premiere of two plays by Irish writer Conor McDermottroe in Boston's BCA in February, 2009. Previously, he appeared: Off Broadway as Eamonn in Ronan Noone's The Blowin' of Baile Gall produced by Gabriel Byrne at the Irish Arts Centre, NYC; Smiler Becoming Yank at the Huntington Theatre, Boston; Mickybo in Mojo Mickybo by Owen McCafferty, Ladeen in The Lepers of Baile Baiste by Ronan Noone, and Coleman in The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh at the Súgàn Theatre, Boston; Ray Dooley in The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, starring Julie Harris and Stuart in the U.S. premiere of Cooking with Elvis by Lee Hall at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre; and Brendan in the IRNE Award-winning production of The Weir by Conor McPherson at New Rep.  Film Credits include 29 Forever and The Gates, starring Bob Wahlberg.

Rory James Kelly (Donny) recently played the title role in The Drawer Boy at The Shadowland Theatre in New York and appeared at The Public Theatre in Maine in the Irish play Moonshine, originally produced by the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.  He toured nationally in several productions of the Tony Award-winning play Equus with Anthony Perkins, Donald Madden, and George Maharis.  At the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, he was seen as Ralph in All the Way Home with Dana Ivey, and at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles as Malcolm in Macbeth with Vanessa Redgrave and Charlton Heston, directed by Peter Wood from the Royal Shakespeare Company.  As a company member with the Asolo Repertory Theatre, he played: Marco in A View from the Bridge; Happy in Death of a Salesman; Gunner in Shaw's Misalliance; Guildenstern in Hamlet; Saul in As Is; John in Winslow Boy; Burton in Burn This; and Marvin in Dark of the Moon, directed by Sheldon Epps.

 

Ross MacDonald (Brendan) recently made his Boston debut with the Publick Theatre in The Seagull and Hay Fever.  This also marks the anniversary of his return from serving with the British Army in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Before this military sojourn, he had performed in a wide variety of productions on "the other side of the pond."  His work includes numerous roles with the Oxford Shakespeare Company, most recently as Macbeth in Macbeth and as Pistol and Fenton in Merry Wives of Windsor (where he met his lovely American wife-to-be). Other roles include: Dr. Faustus (Dr Faustus); Garcin (Huis Clos); Spurio (Revengers Tragedy); Aston (The Caretaker); and Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet). Film roles include Lieutenant 119 in the Sundance Festival Best International film, Bloody Sunday.  Ross' theatrical training started at the University of Winchester and the London Academy of Performing Arts.

Karl Baker Olson (Davey) is happy to be back at New Rep after appearing in last season's production of The Misanthrope.  Since then, he has played Posner in Alan Bennett's The History Boys (SpeakEasy Stage), Mark in Melinda Lopez's Gary (Boston Playwrights' Theatre), Ben in Nitzan Halperin's Sow and Weep in NYC, and spent the summer serving as the assistant director for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of As You Like It. He received a BFA in acting from the Boston University School of Theatre in 2007 and has also trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. 

 Stephen Tolin (special effects design) is proud to be making his Boston debut with New Rep's The Lieutenant. of Inishmore. Steve owns and operates his Special FX shop, TolinFX, in Pittsburgh, PA. His work can be seen on screen in movies and television and on the stage. Some of Steve's favorite theatre credits include: The Lt. of Inishmore (Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA); The Lt. of Inishmore (Fusion Theatre, Albuquerque, NM); The Lt. of Inishmore (Teatro La Plaza ISIL, Lima, Peru); and The Lt. of Inishmore (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis, MI). You can see more of Steve's work at www.tolinfx.com.

 Martin McDonagh (playwright) Born and raised in South London of Irish-born parents, Mr. McDonagh became familiar with the Connemara region of County Galway, the setting for most of his plays, during annual visits to relatives.  His unsolicited script of The Beauty Queen of Leenane had its world premiere in the new Town Hall Theatre, Galway, Ireland in February of 1996 in a Druid Theatre/Royal Court Theatre co-production before playing the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in March of that year.  Reviews were exceptional across the board, and houses were full to capacity.  Beauty Queen was revived, amid a blaze of publicity, in October of the same year at the Royal Court's main house at the West End venue, The Duke of York's Theatre, following an Irish tour and reviewed again with enormous enthusiasm.  Beauty Queen, the first play in Mr. McDonagh's Leenane trilogy, was revived for a second time, together with the premieres of the second and third plays in the series, A Skull in Connemara and The Lonesome West, by Druid/Royal Court in Ireland and London in June to September 1997.  After Beauty Queen opened on Broadway, it received the 1998 Drama Desk Award, the 1998 Drama League Award, and six Tony Award nominations, including the nomination for Best Play.  In 2004, The Pillowman received London's Olivier Award for Best New Play and, after transferring to Broadway, was nominated for four Drama Desk and six Tony Awards, including Best Play.  In March of 2006, McDonagh received the Academy Award for his screenplay Six Shooter.  Most recently, McDonagh's play The Lieutenant of Inishmore received a 2006 Tony nomination for Best Play, along with five other nominations.  Mr.McDonagh's plays have been sold in 28 countries in 21 languages.

Joan Wendel

Joan Wendel shared a story about John McCain with Marlene Phillips, a Huffington Post blogger.  A retired lawyer who earned her law degree at 49 after raising five children, Wendel's been volunteering for the Obama campaign because she thinks he will make an excellent, informed president. But there's another reason she's active, and it has to do with Obama's opponent. In 1984, she recalled, the U.S. was considering entering into a treaty with England to return political refugees, mostly Irish, who had fled to this country. Wendel had just completed a term at Trinity College in Dublin, where her studies included international law. When she learned of the treaty under consideration, Wendel wrote Arizona representatives urging them to vote against it, based on her expertise as a lawyer as well as her recent experience living and studying in Ireland. In response to the letter she received a phone call from then Congressman John McCain.

At first, Wendel recalled, she was delighted, thinking she'd have an opportunity to share her expertise on treaties and international law with the congressman. But Wendel never got that opportunity. It soon became clear that the purpose of the call was not to discuss but to lecture; McCain had called to tell Joan Wendel why she was wrong. McCain, she said, kept telling her in a patronizing way, "You just don't understand the I.R.A." Wendel explained to McCain that having lived in Ireland she well understood the I.R.A.; she reiterated that she'd written to discuss the treaty under consideration and whether it violated international law. When it became clear to McCain that Wendel was not going to agree with him, McCain started getting angry. "He began to yell loudly at me but would not discuss treaties and international law, no matter how I tried to get him on that subject," Wendel recalled. "He became very angry. He was shouting at me." Wendell said McCain yelled so loudly he could be heard across the room by her elderly mother, who mouthed 'what's going on?' to her adult daughter. "At one point he asked if I didn't know he had just been elected by 80% of his constituents. I told him that was nice but I wanted to talk about treaties." Wendel finally came to the conclusion that McCain couldn't be reasoned with. "Eventually I told him if he was going to continue to yell there was no point in continuing our conversation. He shouted, 'You're absolutely right' and slammed the phone down on me. I've never forgotten this conversation and I have never had any respect for him since."

If you can get your hands on a ticket for Martin McDonagh's 'The Cripple of Inishmaan' take it and run. A brilliant night's entertainment awaits.

The opening night was a miserable Monday eve however seconds into the play, audiences were already rolling around the aisles, where they stayed for almost two hours fifteen minutes.

Oscar winner, Martin McDonagh's story is set on the Island of Inishmaan in 1934 and focuses on the cripple, Billy, his two 'aunties' and the locals who pass through their shop. News is thin on the ground until word spreads about a Hollywood film being made on the neighbouring island of Inishmore.

It's little wonder that McDonagh has been hailed as one of the modern luminaries of play- and screen writing. Even his earliest work, such as this 1996 piece which has and will continue to stand the test of time, exemplifies his talent. His signature combination of black humour, unpredictable twists, cultural references and sharp dialogue ensure audiences are consistently entertained. Whilst it's a lighter shade than 'In Bruges', the Olympia air is definitely blue by curtain close.

The casting is superb, featuring a number of renowned actors from stage, silver- and small screen. There are excellent turns from 'The Tudors' Aaron Monaghan, 'Rome's' Kerry Condon, 'No Reservations' Dearbhla Molloy, 'Pure Mule's' Marie Mullen and 'Veronica Guerin's' Laurence Kinlan. It's refreshing to see such a wide ranch of acting talents and ages performing side by side. Johnny Pateen Mike is played by David Pearse, who previously starred in McDonagh's Oscar winning short 'Six Shooter'. It's a larger than life role that Pearse tries, and almost succeeds, to make his own.

The production is pitch perfect in terms of direction, set and pace. The inclusion of clips from Robert J Flaherty's award-winning documentary 'Man of Aran' is a clever touch. Helmed by Tony award winner Garry Hynes, Druid know their McDonagh, with 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane', 'The Lonesome West' and 'A Skull in Connemara' successfully under their belt. Now that they've tackled the first of McDonagh's Aran Islands Trilogy here's hoping the remaining two ('The Lieutenant of Inishmore', 'The Banshees of Inisheer') will reappear soon.

The Cripple of Inishmaan

SF Weekly Blogs


WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS are celebrating a first for Ireland and Europe with the arrival of a little blue heron in Connemara reports the Irish Times, Western Correspondent LORNA SIGGINS

Hundreds of birders, twitchers and "listers" have been arriving in the west Galway village of Letterfrack to view the bird, which is native to parts of north America.

The juvenile egretta caerulea may have been blown off course. It is in good condition and "feeding remarkably well" in Barnaderg Bay near Letterfrack, says Aonghus Ó Dómhnaill, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conservation ranger who confirmed the rare landing.

"Equivalent to 10 Olympic gold medals in birdwatching terms," is how Mr Ó Dómhnaill describes the first sighting of this species in Ireland or the rest of Europe.

Mr Ó Dómhnaill was in Letterfrack on September 24th when he was approached by local man Tom McCrudden and told about "what may be a little egret in the bay", he said.

"We went to look at it, it was moving between 200 yards and 20 yards of us and we had a feeling there was something different about it."

"By lunchtime, most of the Irish birdwatchers had arrived, and some had travelled from England by evening. On Monday, a group from Britain even chartered a plane to travel west.

"Normally, the rare birds which weather brings us here are so exhausted when they arrive that they never survive long," Mr Ó Dómhnaill said yesterday.

   

US presidential candidate Barack Obama has backed calls for an inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane, campaigners said today.

Two Irish-American lobby groups said they had secured the senator's support for the campaign to compel the British government to allow an independent, international probe into the killing.

Mr Finucane was shot dead in front of his family by loyalist paramilitaries in 1989, but the security forces have repeatedly been implicated in the killing of the solicitor, who had represented republican suspects.

The British government has faced widespread criticism for its attempts to examine the case under new public inquiry legislation that critics say would allow ministers to intervene to obstruct the search for the truth.

Tonight the Irish-American Unity Conference said it had secured Mr Obama's support for a fully independent inquiry, as recommended in a report compiled for the British government by Canadian Judge Peter Cory.

"We are extremely grateful to senator Obama for lending us his support," said the murdered solicitor's son, Michael Finucane.

"As senator Obama points out, this was a recommendation of Judge Cory as a way to look at all the very serious circumstances arising out of the death of Pat Finucane.

"And it is a recommendation that has not been implemented by the British government."

In response to a questionnaire on establishing a truth process for Northern Ireland, Mr Obama's team said: "senator Obama would support a reconciliation process that seeks the comprehensive truth about past violence."

It added: "senator Obama believes there should be an independent, public inquiry as Judge Cory recommended."

Michael Finucane said the 20th anniversary of his father's death was to be marked next year and added that the campaign to uncover the truth of what happened would continue.

"As senator Obama himself points out, disclosure of information would increase community confidence in the security forces and ultimately the institutions responsible for shaping the new society," said Mr Finucane.

"In order to ensure that this society has the best chances of success, difficult issues such as the death of Pat Finucane must be completely and publicly addressed."

Last year Senator Obama was asked about the controversial Pentagon contract with LT Col Tim  Spicer, the former Scots Guards officer whose troops murdered Peter Mc Brideand calledfor the Aegis contract to be rescinded.
PFC July 08

"...As you know, the CEO of Aegis Defense Services Tim Spicer has been implicated in a variety of human rights abuses around the globe.  Given his history, I agree that the United States should consider rescinding its contract with his company." US Senator Barack Obama

(Read the full Cleveland Plain Dealer investigation here)

A supporter of Obama's presidential bid even before he knew of their family relationship, Kearney is delighted by his personal connection to the candidate.

But he certainly wasn't prepared for some of the "hateful" reactions he's received in response to the identity of this distant cousin. He said both overt and covert racist remarks have galvanized him to work even harder on Obama's behalf.

But we now know that the Democratic presidential candidate is a direct descendant of Fulmoth Kearney, who left Moneygall, Ireland, as a young man in 1850 to come to Ohio's Ross County.

The contemporary Kearney, who traces his family to the same Moneygall clan, estimates that Sen. Obama is his fourth cousin, three times removed.

"A lot of Kearneys lived here (in Ohio) in the mid-1800s," settling in Ross, Pickaway and Fayette counties, Kearney said on Sunday, Oct. 5, the day the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer published an extensive story tracing Obama's Ohio family tree.

The Kearney name eventually spread across the country, although many descendents remained in Ohio.

Obama's local relatives include the award-winning chef and restaurateur Anne Kearney, the proprietress of Rue Dumaine in Washington Twp.

"She's a cousin," Roger said.

"There are a number of other cousins in Dayton, and some in Washington Court House and Springfield," he added.

Being related to someone who grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia, the son of a Kenyan father and a Kansas-born mother, "shows you what a small world it is," Kearney said.

(Read more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer investigation here)

THIS IS a book that will perplex and infuriate some but appear quite humorous to others. The author, exiled from Russia, has chosen to observe Irish life and write about it. However, he never quite resolves whether he is writing a travel book or offering insight into the country, its people and way of life. writes Conor Lenihan

Book of the Day: Vitali's Ireland - Time Travels in the Celtic Tiger Vitali Vitaliev Gill Macmillan pp 280; €16.99

THIS IS a book that will perplex and infuriate some but appear quite humorous to others. The author, exiled from Russia, has chosen to observe Irish life and write about it. However, he never quite resolves whether he is writing a travel book or offering insight into the country, its people and way of life. writes Conor Lenihan

Though born in Ukraine, Vitali Vitaliev has spent much of his life in Britain and Australia. Like veteran Aussie journalist and commentator Clive James, his observations can be wry, hard-hitting and very witty.

The result of Vitaliev's 15-month stay with us here in Ireland, at the heights of our economic boom, is a rather eclectic mixture of farce, travel guide and personal observation.

He chooses, as a narrative device, to quote from earlier handbooks written in the Edwardian period to set up the reader for what is to come, namely Vitali's observations on the town, countryside or tourist experience being featured.

A consistent theme running throughout the book is the greed and tackiness of our tourism industry. He cites as a prime example the decision by those who operate Powerscourt waterfall to charge a €6 entry fee for those wishing to see this beautiful natural attraction.

He also expresses concern at the extent to which public signage proliferates at scenes of natural beauty and how this in many ways takes from the obvious enjoyment of the scenery itself.

He has a potshot at the phenomenon of coin-operated candles in churches - a feature which we share with Italy and other Catholic countries.

Vitaliev's most telling criticism of Ireland is the absence of a clear commitment here to the preservation of much of what should constitute our built heritage, physical environment and stock of buildings that should be open to conservation.

He points to the large supermarket imposed in the market square in Clifden, Co Galway, and the UFO-like similar retail outlet, brightly lit and modernistic, on Inis Mór.

Vitali's rather pessimistic early conclusion in this book is that "the spiritual alternative for Ireland's declining religious zeal has yet to be found".

He brings into his range finder other targets for his ire and certainly Mná na hÉireann will not be pleased by this particular description: "They drink more than men: they shout louder in pubs, they show more aggression, in business, politics and in family life . . . "

As a TD, I can only observe that women deputies, in my humble experience, are no less, nor no more, aggressive than their male counterparts in Leinster House where there are, statistically at least, far too few of them.

Dublin, as capital city, fares not much better and is looked upon as the most architecturally messed up city that he has witnessed since his visit to Dundee in Scotland.

Dublin, Vitali believes, is far less attractive than the painstaking image that it has built up around itself.

Despite these rather negative views he concludes that the city is compact and gives one the feeling of being at the centre of things.

Temple Bar is depicted as a night-time experience not too distant from Dante's Inferno, with dark streams of urine running across pavements, fights and sexual intercourse between young adults al fresco.

Vitaliev attributes the survival of some better known superstitions in Irish life to the fact that, like Russia, there has never been a shortage of either imagination or insecurity to feed some of the delusions that inhabit our national character or psyche.

"Modern Ireland," he writes, "reminds me of a confused sunflower, not entirely sure of where to look: at its gruesome past; its materially prosperous, yet spiritually vacuous, present; or its largely uncertain future. It is unsure of whether to turn towards Britain, Europe or further afield - to the USA."

Two places emerge triumphant from this book: the city of Cork and the tiny village of Ballinagare in Co Roscommon.

Overall the author has expressed reservations and a certain perplexity about us but thankfully concludes that we maintain a self-deprecatory view of ourselves.

He concludes: "One of the most delightful qualities of present-day Ireland is the all-permeating casual humour of its everyday life." This book should be required reading for those executives who run our tourist authorities North and South - the product, not the people, needs to be improved.

Conor Lenihan is Minister for Integration

Before he was the trailblazing Democratic nominee for president, Barack Obama was an ambitious young politician who learned a valuable lesson thanks to the Chicago Irish.

The year was 1999. Obama, a state senator, announced he was going to challenge Congressman Bobby L. Rush, a legend in the working-class African-American wards of Chicago's South Side. Decades earlier, the South Side was heavily Irish. It was the world that James T. Farrell recreated in his famous Studs Lonigan trilogy of novels from the 1930s.

In fact, for all the changes in Chicago, the same rules have always applied when it comes to politics: you have to pay your dues before you challenge a veteran.

Meanwhile, though it's true that the district that Obama hoped to win was 65 percent black, it also had "several relatively affluent Irish-American neighborhoods," as The New York Times noted recently.

Obama (himself Irish on his mother's side) was ultimately trounced in the South Side race, and learned that when it came to Windy City politics, he still had some dues to pay.

Obama's loss illustrates key facts about the Chicago Irish experience. First, the Irish have been playing a crucial political role in Chicago for over 150 years. Furthermore, the Irish have always had to build coalitions among other racial, ethnic and religious groups. Often, they did so successfully, though other times, the result was tension and violence.

Either way, from Studs Lonigan, Michael Flatley and Mrs. O'Leary's infamous cow to Comiskey Park and O'Hare International Airport, the Irish have left a deep impression upon Chicago. Read the rest of Chicago and the Irish  by Tom Deignan

If your memories of BBs feature nylon sheets and drab food, then it could be time for a rethink. Alanna Gallagher of The Irish Times asked half a dozen well-known bon vivants where they like to get away to and what makes the destination so special for them

Marian Keyes, Novelist

The writer loves Moy House, which sits above Cregg Beach in Co Clare, overlooking the wild Atlantic Ocean. The old summer home of landlord Sir Augustine Fitzgerald has been renovated sympathetically.

"It's small - there are only nine rooms - but classically restored. The decor throughout is very grown-up. The bathrooms are quite traditional, with big Victorian-style claw-foot baths and enormous Villeroy Boch sinks. The finish throughout is to a really high standard. The rooms are small, but each is different, and there's a lovely sitting room with squishy couches and an honesty bar.

"They do evening meals, but for residents only, which can leave you feeling a little sore if you're in Lahinch and dying to be let in. It's a great place to hole up for a winter weekend. The wind can be howling around the house, but you'll feel warm and cosy inside. It feels very romantic to be cosied up on the couch with the wind whistling around the building."

The house is architecturally fascinating, according to Keyes. "There's a quirky watchtower to explore, and in the dining room there's a wall of glass looking out to sea. Every detail is beautiful. It's the perfect escape."

• Moy House, Lahinch, Co Clare, 065-7082800, www.moyhouse.com. €112.50-€180 per person sharing

• Marian Keyes's latest novel, This Charming Man , is published by Michael Joseph

Robert Doggett, restaunteur

Robert Doggett, who has been maitre d' of the Trocadero, in Dublin, for more years than he cares to remember, is one of the most hospitable hosts in the capital. For him Kilgraney Country House Herb Garden, near Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, ticks all the hospitality boxes.

"I have many's the time hopped into the car and headed to Kilgraney House. It's a stunning place to stay, with a choice of six very unusual and unique bedrooms. Once settled in, a walk along the River Barrow really clears the head. Back at the house, stroll through the amazingly fragrant herb garden, which includes a medicinal herb courtyard and a medieval monastic herb garden."

The herb garden, says Doggett, is a perfect prelude to a massage: it leads to the aromatherapy massage rooms, which are in a restored apple store. "The de-stress mind massage is perfect after a hectic week at the restaurant. After a pleasant session I like to read a good book in the drawing room."

There are two dining options, says Doggett, but it is the breakfast that owners Martin Marley and Bryan Leech serve that is most memorable, particularly the orange raisin pancakes and baked eggs with spinach.

• Kilgraney House, near Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, 059-9775283, www.kilgraneyhouse.com. €65-€120pps

• Robert Doggett is maitre d of Trocadero (St Andrew Street, Dublin 2, 01-6775545, www.trocadero.ie)

Brendan Courtney, television presenter

Marlfield House, in Co Wexford, is not your everyday BB, but for a cheeky weekend away it's hard to beat, according to the television presenter.

"The rooms come with sumptuous bedding and Frette linen, deep-pile carpets and dramatic canopies over the beds. Some rooms also have open fires, an essential ingredient for winter romance," he says.

Marlfield House built its reputation on its food, which is modern Irish in style and features fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit, wild salmon, spring lamb, Bannow Bay oysters, Wexford mussels and beef.

"There is abundant use of rich butter and cream sauces, so I came home about a stone heavier than I had been."

When Courtney visited, Marlfield House was run by a mother-and-daughter combination of Mary and Margaret Bowe, but Mary has retired, and now the house is run by Margaret and her sister, Laura.

"I stayed there with my ex Les. We arrived in a dodgy white van, which we had to park on a hill and have the owners help us push-start, as the ignition was broken. It wouldn't have been their usual style of help request, but they obliged anyhow and got us on the road in no time."

• Marlfield House, Gorey, Co Wexford, 053-9421124, www.marlfieldhouse.com. €105- €382.50pps

• Brendan Courtney presents Off the Rails on RTÉ1

Dermot O'Neill gardener

Gardener and good-food fan Dermot O'Neill loves Danny Minnie's in the wilds of the west Donegal Gaeltacht, in the village of Annagry.

"The BB has eight or nine rooms, each decorated in a country style, but every room retains its own character. It's small and the only place I know where you get your porridge served with Drambuie on it in the morning," says O'Neill. "The rooms also have homely touches, like magazines and books in them. Best of all is the food."

The restaurant is renowned in its part of the world. It's only open at the weekends in the winter. At €65 per person sharing it's great value for money and ideal if you want to block-book it for a family occasion, according to O'Neill.

Annagry is good base if you want to explore Glenveagh Castle, Errigal Mountain and the late Derek Hill's home and art collection.

Danny Minnie's is a good four-hour drive from Dublin. Weekenders might consider flying with Aer Arann. The guest house is a five-minute drive from the airport, and Danny Minnie's will collect you.

• Danny Minnie's, Annagry, Co Donegal, 074-9548201 or 074- 9548809, www.dannyminnies.com. From €65pps

• Dermot O'Neill is a gardener and broadcaster

Johnnie Cooke

The chef says that Inis Meáin Restaurant Suites, on the middle of the three Aran Islands, off Galway, is a perfect spot for a romantic weekend break. Cooke heads west every September.

"Each suite offers uninterrupted views of the island. I love the fact that there are no televisions, allowing you to completely relax and get away from it all. The rooms are spacious, with a living area and outside sitting area. A breakfast tray is delivered to the room each morning, adding to the total relaxation."

The restaurant has similar panoramic views of the island and the bay, and its speciality is locally caught lobster and crab, served with produce grown on the island using seaweed as fertiliser, which gives the potatoes in particular a distinctive and floury taste, says Cooke.

"This is my idea of fantastic eating, spanking fresh seafood off the currachs, simply cooked and unadulterated."

Chef Ruairí de Blacam and his wife, Marie-Thérèse, who run the BB, are fantastic hosts and a mine of information on local culture and scenic walks.

"Whilst the island is well serviced by hopper planes and ferries from Galway, my real indulgence is catching a ride with a friend in his four-seater plane," says Cooke.

• Inis Meáin Restaurant Suites, Inis Meáin, Co Galway, 086- 8266026, www.inismeain.com. €100pps

• Johnnie Cooke owns Cookes Event Catering (www.cookesrestaurant.com)

Richard Corrigan, Chef

Chef Richard Corrigan likes a good breakfast. Hotels just can't get it right, he says.

"The result is too impersonal. Breakfast has to be cooked by the owner of the establishment. A bed and breakfast has to be more than about the bedroom."

Shelburne Lodge, in Kenmare, Co Kerry, is more than the sum of its parts, he says.

"The last time I stayed there the owner, Maura Foley, cooked me wild salmon, seared lightly and served with a lemon butter sauce for my breakfast. It was the finest start to the day I've ever had. The full Irish features high-quality bacon, beautiful sausages, fresh breads, traditional Irish cheeses and good leaf teas as well as fresh fish."

Maura Foley, one of the region's food heroes, has been cooking since 1961.

Her old stone house is set on the edge of the town, well back from the road in its own grounds. It has nine rooms, each with a mix of antiques and Irish paintings.

The gardens include a herb garden, and the location means you can walk into town for a pint. Kenmare has some terrific pubs. Crowley's is an old-school establishment with no organised sessions, but musicians tend to turn up and play.

• Shelburne Lodge, Cork Road, Kenmare, Co Kerry, 064-41013, www.shelburnelodge.com. €50-€80pps.

• Richard Corrigan recently opened Bentley's Oyster Bar Grill (22 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, 01-6383939, www.bentleysdublin.com)

Want ideas?

www.townandcountry.ie

www.familyhomes.ie

www.irelands-blue-book.ie

www.hiddenireland.com

www.bestofbridgestone.com

www.sawdays.co.uk

www.ireland-guide.com