Irish Heritage Vice Chair John MacIntyre has written this month’s report ion the May event (below), whilst Chair Mike Walsh has provided the pics and captions. If you think the evenings sound kind of interesting (and they are – very) go along to the Irish Centre this Wednesday 2nd June at 7pm. It’s free of charge and everyone’s welcome. This month is the Collins 22 Society Heritage & History Evening and Bill Martin, Society founder & Historian from Ireland, is also in attendance.
Irish Ballads, Manuscripts and Poetry
Section of crowd at Irish Heritage Event on first Wednesday in May
This was the very emotional and varied content provided on the evening of 6th of May 2010 by the Birmingham Irish Heritage Group. A wide variety of material is staged by the Heritage Group at 7pm on the first Wednesday of every month, upstairs at the Irish Centre, where admission and refreshments are free and the general public are welcome.
The Event commenced with Ann Cullen reciting The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde. Ann explained that Oscar wrote it in exile in Paris, following his release from 2 years Hard Labour in Reading prison in 1897. It told the true story of a man who was hanged for killing his girlfriend “Each man kills the thing he loves, the coward with an unkindly word, and the brave man with a sword”.
Ann told us that following his failed Libel Suit against Marquis of Queensbury, who accused him of seducing his 20 year old son Lord Alfred Douglas, Oscar was tried for male homosexuality (Queen Victoria refused to outlaw lesbianism) and on conviction spent two years in Berkshire County Gaol. This destroyed his health and he died in exile in France aged only 46. His last words were “either that wallpaper goes dear boy or I do.”
Two prominent members of the Irish Heritage Group and friends enjoying the May event.
The ballad Roddy McCorley was played by John McIntyre and sung by the Dubliners. John explained that there were 3 unsuccessful Irish Rebellions in 1798, 1st – an extremely bloodthirsty revolt in Wexford, 2nd- A French led invasion of Connacht, and thirdly the United Irishmen in Ulster. Roddy McCorley was a brave protestant, who led an attack on Antrim town, and was hanged on Toome Bridge on the Derry/Antrim Border.
Mike Walsh recited a poem about the Great 17th Century Savers of Irish Manuscripts, and explained that all empires try and destroy the Native Culture, in order to strengthen their foreign rule. The brave Irish priest Seathrun Ceitiin (Geoffrey Keating 1570-1644) left his native Tipperary and was ordained in Bordeaux, following the Flight of Earls 1607, and returned as a curate in the parish of Knockraffin near Cahir in Tipperary.
Later he had to spend 6 months in a cave in the Glen of Aherlow and a total of 6 years on the run elsewhere to evade capture. During his 6 years in hiding he composed “Foras Feasa Ar Eirinn” which was the complete Manuscript of Irish History and Gaelic Culture. He managed to smuggle this out to the Irish College in Louvain in Belgium, where he died aged 74.
John Costello wise choice of banner for May Event from the several held by Irish Heritage Group.
He was assisted by Red Hugh 0’ Donnell’s sister in law Rosa 0 ‘Doherty who later helped the Four Masters assemble the Annals of Ireland in 1618 at Lennox Bridge on the Bundrowes River which borders Leitrim in Connacht and Donegal in Ulster. Both Keating’s and the Four Master’s work survive to this day, but only 2% of the original ancient Irish manuscripts used as sources, escaped loss or destruction.
John McIntyre also played ‘The Holy Ground’ sung by the Dubliners, explaining that The Holy Ground was an area of Cobh County Cork where many hard drinking seafarers loved fine girls resided there in the 19th Century. Mike Walsh also played the Fields of Athenry sang melodiously by Paddy Reilly, saying that it was a 1840’s Famine ballad set in Athenry Galway, which had been colonised by the Norman, De Bermingham family, whose descendants transported young Michael to Australia for stealing corn in order to feed his family.
Vice Chairman John MacIntyre speaking on the history of his choice of Ballads.
Finally John Costello played the sad ballad Grace, explaining that Artist Grace Gifford married her doomed fiancé Joseph Plunkett in may 1916 at Kilmanim Jail Dublin. This was on the night before he was shot by the Crown Forces, for spearheading the Easter Rising. John’s talk included the information that she never remarried, but carried on her artistry dying in Dublin in 1954.
Birmingham Irish Heritage Group Events are held on the First Wednesday of every Month, upstairs in the sumptuously renovated Irish Club in Digbeth at 7pm. The general public are very welcome, admission and refreshments free.
Sean Mac An T-Saor
