Potato Famine Documents from 1840s Find Online Home

Quinnipiac University has digitally scanned a treasure trove of historic Irish Potato Famine documents from the Kerry County Library in Ireland and posted them at www.thegreathunger.org.

The documents are the "Board of Guardian Minute Books," a handwritten ledger kept at an Irish workhouse in the 1840s. Irish workhouses were hospice-type facilities where the able poor were housed and fed in exchange for menial labor and the infirm lived. Workhouse conditions, already prison-like, worsened when the potato blight struck in 1845. The minute books show a dramatic increase in the workhouse’s requests for government provisions, such as sugar and flour.

"Life at the workhouse went from a fairly routine existence to a desperate crisis," said Terry Ballard, automation librarian at Quinnipiac.

David Donnelly, dean of Quinnipiac’s School of Communications, purchased a sophisticated digital scanner, which resembles an overhead projector, and shipped it to the Kerry County Library to scan the documents. This large scanner photographs the pages without ruining the bindings. 

Ballard spent two weeks in Co. Kerry last year scanning the documents. Christie Ward, a Quinnipiac e-Media graduate student from New Britain, went to Kerry in January and scanned an additional 400 to 500 pages of minute books. Ballard also trained the Kerry County Library staff to use the scanner.

The documents, often requested by Quinnipiac students studying in Ireland, are priceless learning tools and records of the famine years. "These documents not only fit our local curriculum, but we can add them to the famine area of our library," said Robert Smart, director of Quinnipiac’s Irish studies program. 

An Gorta Mor — The Great Hunger, believed to be America's most extensive collection of art and literature from Ireland's Great Famine, is on display in the Lender Family Special Collection Room of the Arnold Bernhard Library at Quinnipiac.

The collection features three oil paintings and a monoprint by Padraic Reaney and the sculpture of John Behan of the Royal Hibernian Academy, whose work representing the hope of the emigrant has been displayed in the United Nations; and a moving piece called "The Leave Taking" by Margaret Lyster Chamberlain of Massachusetts, among others. An original version of Rowan Gillespie's "The Victim" is also on display.

From 1845 to 1850, 1.5 million Irish men, women and children either starved to death or died from complications caused by the Great Hunger. More than two million others left Ireland between 1845 to 1855 to avoid death, disease and destitution.

An Gorta Mor also has an extensive group of books, some extremely rare, bearing accounts of The Great Hunger, and descriptive panels portraying impressions of that tragic time.

Other Quinnipiac University News:

Man of the Year Award to Lahey

The Irish Heritage & Culture Committee of the New York City Department of Education presented its "Man of the Year" Award to Quinnipiac University President John L. Lahey of Cheshire at City Council Chambers in New York City. 

Doris Meyer, chairwoman of The Irish Heritage & Culture Committee, said, "The committee is delighted to present the "Man of the Year Award" to Dr. John Lahey for all that he has done to educate the public about Irish culture and history. Under his leadership, the Lender Family Special Collection Room at Quinnipiac University became home to An Gorta Mor — The Great Hunger, which is believed to be America's most extensive collection of art and literature from Ireland's Great Famine." 

In addition, Quinnipiac recently digitally scanned a treasure trove of historic Irish Potato Famine documents from the Kerry County Library in Ireland and posted them at www.thegreathunger.org. 

Meyer also said that Lahey has been an active member of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee for more than 20 years. The Quinnipiac president served as grand marshal of the parade in 1997. 

"It’s a great honor to receive the "Man of the Year Award" from the Irish Heritage and Culture Committee and to live up to the example set by its past recipients," Lahey said. "I have always strived to create a strong sense of enthusiasm for Irish heritage among children and adults. It’s important to recall the significant contributions Irish Americans have made to world history." 

In addition to Lahey, Dr. Geraldine C. Chapey, regent of the State of New York, will be named "Woman of the Year;" Donald Kelly, senior vice president of Emigrant Savings Bank, will receive the Thomas J. Cuite Award for Public Service; and Glucksman Ireland House of New York University will receive the Organization of the Year Award. 

Lahey received both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in philosophy from the University of Dayton; his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Miami; and a second master’s degree in higher education administration from Columbia University. 

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls nearly 5,200 full-time undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students in more than 50 undergraduate and 17 graduate programs of study in Business, Health Sciences, Law, Liberal Arts, Education and Communications. Quinnipiac consistently ranks among the top universities with master’s programs in the Northern region in U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges. Quinnipiac also is recognized in Princeton Review’s The Best 357 Colleges. 

For more information, visit www.quinnipiac.edu.

Report on Juvenile Reconviction Published 

The Northern Ireland Office has just released Research and Statistical Bulletin 6/2005, entitled Juvenile Reconviction in Northern Ireland 2001. 
The Bulletin is based on an analysis of two detests, consisting of records on juvenile (aged 10-16 years) offenders as shown on the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS).

The first data set consists of offenders who received a non-custodial disposal (e.g. probation order, community service order, combination order, fine, etc.) during 2001. The second consists of offenders discharged from custody into the community in 2001.

Key Findings

• The one-year reconviction rate for those discharged from the juvenile justice center into the community during 2001 is 36%.
  
  
• The one-year reconviction rate for those who received a non-custodial disposal (all court disposals that did not result in immediate custody) during 2001 was 22%.
  
  
• The one-year reconviction rate for those who received community supervision (probation order, community service order, combination order, and attendance center order) in 2001 was 27%. 
  
  
• The one-year reconviction rate for those who received a conditional discharge in 2001 was 18%.
  
  
• The one-year reconviction rate for those given a fine in 2001 was 16%.
  
  
• The two-year reconviction rates for juveniles disposed of in 2001 are on average double the one-year reconviction rates for the same juveniles disposed of the same period. 
  
  
•  Three months following release from the juvenile justice center in 2001, 7% of those discharged had been reconvicted. 
• After six months from release from the juvenile justice center in 2001, 21% of those discharged were reconvicted. 
  
  
• Within three months of their non-custodial disposal in 2001, 2% of those who received a community supervision disposal (probation order, combination order, community service order, and attendance center order) were reconvicted.
  
  
• Within six months of their non-custodial disposal in 2001, 6% of those who received a community supervision disposal (probation order, combination order, community service order, and attendance center order) were reconvicted.

Data-Based Launched of Ads

This past St. Patrick's Day, Boston College began offering a technological twist on the story of early Irish immigration to the U.S. with the launch of an extraordinary database of advertisements placed by Irish seeking others who were "lost" following their trek to America.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the only hope many Irish had of finding these friends and relatives rested in The Boston Pilot, the city's Catholic newspaper, which from October, 1831, to October, 1921, printed a "Missing Friends" column featuring such ads.

Now, nearly 175 years after the first "Missing Friends" column appeared in print, Boston College will make this collection of some 31,438 records available as a searchable on-line database — an electronic rendition of an eight-volume set of books titled The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in The Boston Pilot (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, 1989-1993), of which BC Irish history professor Ruth-Ann Harris was a researcher and editor.

The "Information Wanted" database is sponsored by Boston College's Irish Studies Program — a component of the University's Center for Irish Programs — and Office of Marketing Communications. 

Kumpf Book Wins Art Award

Tom Quinn Kumpf’s Ireland: Standing Stones to Stormont (Devenish Press) has won the 2005 art award from Writers Notes Magazine, which celebrated its initial year in print

The Writers Notes Book Awards defines 11 categories of independent publishing excellence. Entries come from independent and small presses, self-published authors, and highly unique and short print runs. "We expected established presses to submit quality work," said senior editor Christopher Klim. "But many self-published entries were impressive in content and presentation and often rivaled large press books," he pointed out. 

Michael Cudahy Receives Milwaukee Press Club's Headliner Award

Michael Cudahy received the 2005 Headliner Award at the Milwaukee Press Club's 88th annual Gridiron and Awards Dinner on May 7. The award is given annually to a person who is making a positive impact on the community. 

"We're pleased to recognize Mr. Cudahy for his many years of service to the community," said Roger Stafford, president of the Milwaukee Press Club. "Few individuals have given the financial and leadership support he has given to the cultural life of Milwaukee."

Cudahy is the current president of The Endeavors Group. He is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Marquette Medical Systems, a Milwaukee company he founded in 1965 that has since become a division of GE Healthcare.

In recent years, Cudahy redeveloped the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and is currently leading the development of the Pier Wisconsin Center on the city's lakefront.

He has been involved in many charitable causes, including the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Greater Milwaukee Committee for Community Development, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He has won a variety awards for civic service.

The Gridiron and Awards Dinner took place at the Wyndham Milwaukee Center Hotel and also honored the winners of the 75th annual Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism and Competition.

The Press Club's annual Sacred Cat Award for outstanding achievement in journalism was presented at the dinner to William L. Allen, recently retired editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine. At the dinner, Allen shared his experiences and viewpoints cultivated from a 25-year career of traveling around the world.
 

The following April news shorts are courtesy of the Northern Ireland Bureau

Unemployment at Lowest Level on Record

The latest labor market figures show that the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland has fallen to the lowest level on record and is now below the United Kingdom average.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 4.5% for the period October – December 2004 has fallen from 5.1% in the previous quarter and from 6.3% for the same period last year. 

Over the last three months, the number of people claiming benefits has fallen by 900. The latest seasonally adjusted claimant count figure stands at 28,900, down 4,600 over the year. 

Seasonally adjusted figures also estimate that there were 744,000 people in employment in the period October – December 2004, an increase of 3.3% from the previous quarter.

Commenting on the figures, Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, said: "It is certainly good news to see the continuing trend of rising employment levels and falling unemployment. The current unemployment rate for Northern Ireland is the lowest on record and is below the UK average for the first time."

As it stands, the Northern Ireland unemployment rate (4.5%) is lower than six other UK regions and is below the UK average of 4.7%.

Gardiner continued: "Increasing employment levels is a key element in the strategy to build a successful economy and raise the standard of living. The figures released today show that the Northern Ireland economy is getting stronger, however, there is still much potential for further improvement. If we can continue to create jobs and increase business competitiveness we will have a winning formula."

New Technology Incubation and Resource Center for Omagh

Enterprise Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, officially opened a new £1.2 million Technology Incubation and Resource Center in Omagh, which will increase the number of hi-tech, innovative businesses operating in the region. 

The 10,000 square foot center will provide 19 technology incubation units. In addition a 2,000 square foot Technology Resource Center, funded by Omagh District Council, will provide support to local businesses and facilitate technology transfer from local colleges and the university.

Gardiner said: "Earlier today, I announced that Northern Ireland’s unemployment level has reached 4.5% - the lowest level on record, and that it has fallen below the UK average for the first time ever.

"Job losses have been witnessed in traditional sectors in Omagh as in other parts of Northern Ireland. However, the developing, knowledge-based sectors are driving our economic growth. The development of these sectors will ensure that low unemployment rates are maintained and that Northern Ireland becomes a high value-added economy, able to compete globally.

"This center encompasses the keys to creating a more competitive Northern Ireland - knowledge, skills, innovation and enterprise. The accommodation will encourage new and developing technology-based businesses that will contribute not just to Omagh, but to Northern Ireland as a whole. I congratulate all the organizations who worked together to make the project happen."

The project is the initiative of Omagh Enterprise Company (OEC) and has been supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI), Invest Northern Ireland, International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and Omagh District Council.

Maze Consultation Panel Report

Exciting and ambitious proposals to transform an area of Northern Ireland synonymous with conflict into a major symbol of regeneration for the whole region were unveiled.

The cross-party Maze Consultation Panel has published its report A new future for the Maze/Long Kesh, setting out its recommendations for the future of the former Maze Prison and Long Kesh site. The panel believes that the regeneration of the 360-acre site will bring significant and long-term social and economic benefits to the whole community.

The panel’s Report, agreed by the four main political parties, recommends the following key components of their vision for the new Maze/Long Kesh:
 

• Sports Zone should be established which will include a multi-purpose sports stadium to accommodate Gaelic sports, association football and rugby; ancillary grass and all-weather pitches to accommodate sports including hockey; offices and indoor and outdoor training facilities;
  
  
• Government should establish a new International Centre for Conflict Transformation which will embrace a number of former prison buildings on the site and World War II aircraft hangars;
  
  
• That, subject to favorable economic appraisal of business plans, the government should endorse the development of a rural excellence and equestrian zone that would encompass an international exhibition center and associated showground’s;
  
  
• Development at the site should include an office, hotel and leisure village and that government should invite commercial development proposals as a matter of priority;
  
  
• In view of the objective of the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative to promote social and economic regeneration, a portion of the site should be set aside for light industrial development in the short to medium term; 
  
  
• A small Community Zone should be created to provide local facilities; and
  
  
• There should be a comprehensive transport strategy for the site, including motorway access and integrated transport links.

Speaking at the launch of the Panel Report at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, panel chairman David Campbell said: "We strongly recommend that the government gives a firm commitment to the early development of all of the elements of our agreed proposals through a coherent master plan.

"And given the risk of losing momentum because of the considerable time it could take to set up, we urge the minister to ensure an appropriate means of delivery is created as soon as possible with the involvement of the SIB and other relevant professional expertise to deliver the regeneration of the Maze/Long Kesh site.

"We cannot overemphasize the need to maintain momentum and we see the SIB as a prime mover in making our recommendations a reality."

Vice Chairman Michael McKernan said there were two reasons why this should be the approach: "First, in order to provide an inclusive range of projects that commands the broadest possible support from all sections of society. Secondly, to provide the "critical mass" of development that would justify the necessary public/private sector investment in transport infrastructure and enhance the site’s potential to attract further investment partners."

The report recommends that the development of major projects such as the multi-sports stadium and the International Centre for Conflict Transformation should proceed simultaneously and with all possible speed.
 

Northern Ireland on Track to Achieve 100% Broadband Access

Enterprise Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, welcomed the announcement that all 191 BT telephone exchanges in Northern Ireland have been upgraded to provide broadband services. Northern Ireland is on track to providing broadband access to every household and business by the end of 2005.
As a result of the announcement, Northern Ireland is the first region of the UK outside London to have all its exchanges upgraded, and 98.5% of the population can now access broadband.

Gardiner said: "Northern Ireland now has a first-class telecommunications infrastructure, allowing our businesses to compete in the global marketplace and enabling all citizens to make full use of the possibilities of the internet.

"Our goal now is to become the first region in Europe with 100% broadband access. Therefore, over coming months, BT will focus on providing wireless broadband infrastructure to the remaining 1.5% of the population that cannot access broadband via the existing BT exchanges.

"Demand for broadband in Northern Ireland has also increased dramatically. In just 12 months, Northern Ireland has moved from having one of the lowest levels of broadband uptake in the UK to becoming the fastest growing area. The latest industry figures show 150,000 broadband users, and demand is still growing." 

The infrastructure is being developed by BT under the DETI contract to deliver broadband services to 100% of Northern Ireland by the end of 2005, funded by the EU Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme. Over 200 internet service providers and other companies will be able to use the upgraded BT infrastructure to deliver broadband services to customers in Northern Ireland.

Gardiner concluded: "This investment makes Northern Ireland a European leader in terms of telecommunications provision and is key to ensuring we have the infrastructure necessary to compete successfully in the global marketplace."
 

Program to Stimulate $936m Investment in Renewable Energy.

Enterprise Minister, Barry Gardiner MP, announced the introduction of the Renewables Obligation for Northern Ireland (NIRO). The Obligation is expected to stimulate private sector investment of around $936 million in projects to generate electricity from renewable sources over the next five years.

The NIRO, which is being introduced with effect from 1 April 2005, will place a requirement on electricity suppliers in Northern Ireland to provide evidence that a specified proportion of the electricity supplied to final consumers in Northern Ireland has been generated from environmentally friendly renewable sources or alternatively to buy-out their obligations under the scheme.

Gardiner said: "The plan of action which DETI has developed in partnership with the energy industry will encourage everyone to rise to the challenge of mainstreaming renewable energy generation. We are beginning to see real enthusiasm right across the technology spectrum – not just wind but also geothermal, tidal stream and biomass. My department has developed a mechanism to develop the deployment of all technologies at acceptable cost.

"The commencement of the NIRO represents a watershed for the development of renewables in Northern Ireland and paves the way for around $936 million of private sector capital investment in Northern Ireland’s energy system over the next five years. Local communities will gain further benefit through diversification into energy crops, energy from waste and more stable energy prices. This potentially increases the overall economic benefit of investing in renewables in Northern Ireland to over $1.87 billion up to 2010.

"I have been acutely aware of the need to protect energy costs from unsustainable increases. Developing the NIRO involved over three years of detailed analysis, consultation and modeling which has resulted in a support mechanism which has been independently judged to be the most cost effective form of renewables support in operation anywhere in Europe."

The NIRO will operate in tandem with the existing Obligations in Great Britain and Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) that are used to demonstrate compliance will be mutually recognized within the UK. This aspect of the implementation arrangements was negotiated to protect Northern Ireland electricity tariffs. Cost modeling carried out for the Department indicates that the impact of the NIRO could increase electricity costs by less than 1% per annum until 2010.

World Window for WebCam Wizards

A cutting-edge UU spin-out software company has scored a major coup by being chosen to take part in a ‘Best of British’ showcase stand at CeBIT 2005, the world’s biggest ICT exhibition.

EyeSpyFX, which is based at Magee campus, has won a place at the official UK Trade and Investment stand which will shop-window leading innovative information and telecommunications firms at the massive March 10 – 16 event in Hannover, Germany.

The software company has its eyes on sales and expansion and CeBIT participation will see it rubbing shoulders with international market decision-makers at the show to be held in Hannover.

The company, run by Anthony Hutton, a senior lecturer at the School of Art and Design at the Magee campus, develops high-end webcam software for static and movable "pan tilt cameras". It enables images to be viewed on web or mobile phone. Applications range from home-security, keeping an eye on the children, or pets or holiday-site mobile home, to monitoring business premises 

"This is a huge boost for us," said Hutton, a specialist in industrial design. "Taking part in CeBIT means we will have the opportunity of meeting face-to-face with world leader companies. ‘Best of British’ at CeBIT provides us with a world-class profiling opportunity and a chance to expand our customer base by meeting potential customers from around the globe, all under one roof."

CeBIT is the international shop-window for the information computer technology sector. It will have 27 exhibition halls for more than 6,400 exhibitors. Last year’s event attracted 510,000 visitors. Some 10,000 journalists will attend.

Gerry Dawe Named Burns Scholar at Boston College

Each academic year, Boston College’s Burns Library welcomes a distinguished scholar, writer or artist who has made significant contributions to Irish cultural and intellectual life. The Burns Library Visiting Scholar in Irish Studies uses the library’s Irish collection for his or her own research and teaches one Irish Studies course and delivers two public lectures per semester. The presence of a Burns scholar at Boston College over the past five years, has enhanced the intellectual life of the university and proved a tremendous asset to the Irish Studies. 

Gerry Dawe has been named as the Burns Scholar for Spring 2005. The Belfast born poet Gerald Dawe was among ten scholars elected Fellow of Trinity College Dublin in spring, 2004. A pupil of Orangefield Boys’ School in Belfast during the 1960’s, Dawe studied at the University of Ulster before moving to National University of Ireland, Galway, in 1974 where he researched the work of the 19th century Irish novelist and short story writer, William Carleton. He will be working on an anthology of Irish war poetry during his time at Boston College.

UU Links with Harvard to Design City Future 

Some of America’s brightest young urban designers are devising plans to give Newry a new look

Twelve top graduate students from the prestigious Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design have been brought to the border city by the University of Ulster in association with Newry and Mourne Council to bring their skills to bear on the future of Newry’s urban environment

The UU link comes through its School of the Built Environment, and is part of a transatlantic partnership program developed in association with Newry businessman Dr Gerard O’Hare, who has endowed a Chair in Property Development and Design at the University.

The students came as part of their graduate education to participate in a program called the Newry Studio. During their visit, the students looked at development options for the Albert Basin site in the city, and over the next two months they will be working up detailed proposals for the site.

The visit consolidates the University of Ulster’s links with the USA’s leading design school and builds its international reputation.

A prestige reception for the students at Stormont was hosted by DETINI Permanent Secretary Bruce Robinson, who said: "We’re looking forward to some interesting work coming out of this visit. We hope that this is just the start of an interesting and exciting partnership that will continue for many years. 

"It’s important for us all to continually look around the world for best practice, and look to fresh perspectives that will continually challenge us to look anew at how we do things in Northern Ireland - and I think there is no better way than to link up with Harvard in such an imaginative initiative."

Richard Barnett, Acting Vice-Chancellor of UU said: "At the University we are very excited about the prospects and opportunities for this partnership with Harvard, and are very much looking forward to seeing the ideas and proposals the students develop."

Prof. Rick Peiser, of Harvard University Graduate School of Design, said: "This is a truly unique study. It combines the academic, public sector and private sectors in a way unique in my experience. It’s also a great opportunity for our students to meet key stakeholders and mingle with students from Northern Ireland. It’s that interaction that is the key to making this pioneering project work.

UU Experts Brief Iraqi Delegation to Northern Ireland

Newly-elected Iraqi politicians facing the task of building democracy in their southern city of Basrah are to be briefed about post-conflict Northern Ireland by University of Ulster experts.

The politicians, accompanied by senior regional officials and liaison staff, are on a fact-finding visit to Northern Ireland, which includes a meeting with academics from INCORE, the university’s international conflict research center, based at the University’s Magee campus.

The municipal representatives were elected to the Basrah Provincial Council in January during national and provincial polls that marked an important step on the road to democracy following the fall of the previous regime.

The 22-member delegation is in Northern Ireland on an education study trip organized by Basrah Provincial Council to give newly-elected representatives a first-hand look at democratic processes functioning in a range of different political environments.

The delegation, which includes nine newly elected councillors, is headed by the BPC Second Deputy Chairman Mrs Israa Abd Al Ali Abdul Wahab; Deputy Gov. Mr Lu’ai Abd Al Amir Abbas Al-Batat.

INCORE Associates Prof. Tom Fraser, who is Magee Provost, professors Paul Arthur and Stephen Ryan will brief the delegation about Northern Ireland’s political history, its conflict and peace process and how political factions and communities deal with challenges and rival pressures.

Mrs. Israa Abd Wahab said: "We have a lot to learn before we can build the new Iraq we want to see, and coming to Northern Ireland will be a great help to us. I know that the time we spend here will help us develop our knowledge and understanding of how to build strong local government in a post conflict and power sharing environment." 

An INCORE spokesman said: "INCORE is anxious to share its expertise with the visiting delegation. Although the conflicts in our two regions are vastly different in scale and nature, we believe there are aspects of practice and procedures here which must be relevant to the task of establishing a non-violent and truly democratic society in Iraq."

UK Accolade for UU Diabetes Researcher 

A University of Ulster academic has been selected for a prestigious UK scientific prize for his ground-breaking research in the field of diabetes.

Dr Neville McClenaghan is the recipient of the Physiological Society’s Sharpey-Schafer Prize Lecture – an award recognizing research achievements in physiology.

Commenting on the award, McClenaghan, a senior lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences at UU’s Coleraine Campus, said: "I am thrilled to have been chosen as the recipient of the 2005 Sharpey-Schafer Prize Lecture in recognition of my personal contributions to the understanding of pancreatic beta-cell physiology and diabetes".

He has built up a strong profile of discoveries in pancreatic-beta cell physiology through his on-going research in cellular bioengineering, the mechanisms underlying desensitization to anti-diabetic drugs and novel metabolic and insulin-secretory pathways which could lead to future innovative therapies of diabetes.

The Sharpey-Schafer Prize is awarded every three years to a research physiologist, by the Society’s international awards committee, as an endorsement of "scientific standing" and on the basis of "sustained and notable contributions to physiology". The Physiological Society, based in London, is a learned society with members drawn from more than 50 countries. The last recipient of the Sharpey-Schafer Prize in 2002 was German physiologist, Professor Erwin Neher, who was awarded The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1991.

McClenaghan added: "Given the diverse range of disciplines in physiology, covering a very broad spectrum of research in life sciences, my receipt of this prestigious award is obviously a great personal honour. Also, for this reason, this prize represents a very significant and visible mark of the quality of diabetes research at the University of Ulster."

(For more information, contact The Northern Ireland Bureau, 601 13th Street NW, Suite 570 South, Washington, DC 20005; 202-367-0464).
 

Dublin City Ramblers Open for Bookings

Ireland's No. 1 Ballad and Folk Group ( eight gold albums), "The Dublin City Ramblers," are now accepting booking for its annual "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Tour" of the USA and Canada. The tour will begin on Thursday Sept. 29, 2005, and end on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005. Anyone interested in booking the group may John Ryan, band manager
at 407-366-1605 or 407-252-6403 (cell) or at NYorkers@aol.com. 

New Jersey Labor Legacy Celebrated at Rutgers

In celebration of New Jersey's key role in the labor movement, the New 
Jersey May Day Committee, in conjunction with the Spirit of the Arts 
Foundation, dedicated its second annual May Day event to the 
Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), its long history and 
organizing legacy.

"One Big Union": The Dream, the Reality, the History; the IWW and a 
Century of Radical Labor Activism, 1905-2005, was held Saturday, 
May 7, at Rutgers University - Newark.

A century ago the IWW (or "Wobblies") dared to dream of uniting 
all workers everywhere, whatever their race or sex or language or 
industry or level of skill, into "One Big Union" worldwide. One of 
their most crucial labor actions—the Great Silk Strike—occurred in 
Paterson, New Jersey, in 1913.

The May 7 conference brought together leading historical authorities from all over the country to tell the IWW story in two consecutive interactive morning sessions, first in broad terms and then specifically in Paterson. 

Against the backdrop of left and radical politics over the course of the century, they will reflect on the forces that inspired and fueled this amazing global workers movement as well as those that opposed and repressed it. As Smith College Prof. Jennifer Guglielmo, herself a scholar of radical movements, pointed out, "The presence of a number of distinguished 
Italian American historians like Nunzio Pernicone and Sal Salerno will 
also guarantee attention to the 'lost' contributions of Americans of 
Italian descent to this history, not just within the IWW, but in social 
justice movements throughout New Jersey and the U.S."

A key aim was also to mark the centennial as part of an ongoing struggle 
for workers within today's increasingly global labor environment. 
Jeannette Gabriel, a union organizer and student of worker history, 
underscored this: "We think it’s vital for a conference like this to 
ask: What can people organizing for social justice now learn from the 
past?" 

Following a series of workshops on the tactical history of the 
IWW, the conference climaxed in a roundtable of working northeast 
and Metro area organizers and activists who will detail their 
experiences and dialog with other conference participants and each 
other about the legacies and traditions of the IWW that matter for 
working people today.

"Celebration" interludes included performance artist Phyllis 
Capello as well as the Solidarity Singers. IWW-related art was on 
exhibit, and books, T-shirts and other mementos

"One Big Union" was cosponsored by the History Department of Rutgers 
University - Newark and the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, 
and the Modern Experience (among others), and was made possible by a 
grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. 

A complete downloadable conference program is available at the 
following website: www.maliacollective.org/brochure.pdf

This program was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council 
for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. 

For more information, contact Dr. Flavia Alaya, NJ May Day Committee
flavia@bigplanet.com (973-278-6372).
 

Carr Comedy Presented by Milwaukee Irish Arts

Milwaukee Irish Arts will stage the newest comedy by Hugh Carr, O Parnassus, at the 12th Annual Acting Irish International Theatre Festival, May 18-21, at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th Street, Chicago.

The O Parnassus world premiere was performed in Irish pub theater format at Milwaukee’s Irish Cultural and Heritage Center in April.

Parnassus is a mountain in Greece, sacred to Apollo and the Muses of poets and poetry.

Carr was born in Dunkineely and grew up in the Donegal Gaelteacht. His plays have been presented at the Abbey, the Gate and Focus Theatres in Dublin. He is father to Marina Carr, one of Ireland's exciting new playwrights whose play The Mai was presented by Milwaukee Rep some years ago.

In the play, young Conor goes to Dublin to study music with "The 
Maestro" in a quest to become a "Great Composer." He imagines himself 
standing at the foot of Parnassus. He discovers his own muse in the 
halls of the school, but she may be unattainable. At his rooming house 
run by two old Dublin characters, he becomes more than just the newest 
"PG" (paying guest) and learns some family secrets. His enthusiasm is 
dampened by the realities of the creative process and the distractions 
of personal commitments with delightfully hilarious results.

This production features the talents of Eamonn O’Neill and other 
Milwaukee Irish Arts regulars and is directed by Milwaukee actor and 
director James Gallagher.

For more information on O Parnassus, call 229-6208. For more 
information regarding AIITF check the websites for festival info and 
history: www.gpplayers.org or the official 
Acing Irish site: www.actingirish.com. 
 

UWM Celtic Studies Celebrates With Music, Talk

Dr. Aidan O'Sullivan, an archaeologist from Ireland, talked about "Life in 
the Iron Age" to kickoff an end-of-year celebration for the University of Wisconsin Celtic Studies department on May 5. The program, held at the Hefter Center, included a reception with music provided by the center’s Celtic Session Band, the Amadans, made up of the talented students in the program. The Celtic Studies Certificate was also presented to this year's recipients. 

His discussion focused on recent archaeological discoveries in Ireland that have transformed knowledge of the landscapes, places and people living on the island from AD 400-1100. Through aerial photography, archaeological survey, excavation, computer imaging and other means, he showed how insights have been gained into the daily lives, work practices, ritual and social life of the people of the era.

O'Sullivan's lecture, illustrated with images of recent discoveries, 
discussed the ways that people organized their houses, dwellings, 
fields and routeways. He will describe the types of objects that people 
used in daily life, to prepare food, to work the land or to display 
their wealth and social status. He will show how Irish landscape and 
society was transformed during this period.

O’Sullivan, who teaches at University College Dublin is a native of Co. Wicklow .

For more information, please contact the Center for Celtic Studies at 414-
229-2608.

Congressional Support Grows for Mitchell Scholarship Program 

A record 50 members of the US Congress have urged the leaders of their appropriations committees to provide $500,000 for the George J. Mitchell Scholarship program, which is the flagship project of the US Ireland
Alliance. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Congress has supported the program. 

In the House, Congressmen Peter King (R-NY) and Joe Crowley (D-NY) once again initiated a letter of support last week to Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA), chairman of the subcommittee responsible for State Department appropriations. Wolf has a strong history of supporting the program. The record 36 House Members who supported the successful initiative were: Neil Abercrombie (D-HI),Thomas H. Allen (D-ME), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), William Delahunt (D-MA), John J. Duncan, Jr. (RTN), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Brian Higgins (D-NY). Steve Israel (D-NY), Sander Levin (D-MI), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Michael Michaud (D-ME), George Miller (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Richard Neal (D-MA), Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Frank Pallone (DNJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Ted Strickland (D-OH), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Jim Walsh (R-NY), and Albert Wynn (D-MD).

In the Senate, a change in committee structure means Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) chairs the relevant subcommittee and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is the Ranking Member. Sen. Leahy signed previously
letters in support and is expected to continue that support in this new role. Sen. Edward Kennedy (DMA) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) annually lead the Senate effort. They are joined this year by Democratic senators Patrick Leahy (VT), Chris Dodd (CT), Jack Reed (RI), Hilary Rodham Clinton (NY), Maria Cantwell (WA), Max Baucus (MT), Jon Corzine (NJ), John F. Kerry (MA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Charles Schumer (NY), Joe Biden (D-DE), and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD).

The Mitchell Scholarship program was created in 1998 with an endowment from the Irish Government at the initiative of Prime Minister Bertie Ahern. Other significant financial support is provided by the
Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, Automsoft, BD (Becton Dickinson & Company), Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, The Crucible Corporation, and the McDonnell Charitable Foundation. USIT, Ireland’s premier student travel
organization, provides a travel stipend to each Scholar. 

Universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland contribute housing and tuition to the Mitchell Scholars. In just five years, the Mitchell Scholarship
program has become one of the most sought after scholarships for young Americans. Over 200 people apply annually for the 12 scholarships. Applicants have often dropped out of the Rhodes and Marshall
competitions to pursue the Mitchell.

Trina Vargo, president to of the US-Ireland Alliance noted that the Mitchell Scholar alums will gather in Dublin next year for a five-year reunion and that "an equivalent number of their peers from Ireland and Northern Ireland will be included as part of our continuing effort to build ties between the next generation’s leaders."

Corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include: CRH, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo Ireland, IONA Technologies, and the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.

Trinity Irish Dance Founder Takes Center Stage at Conference 

Irish dance expert Mark Howard, founder and artistic director of Milwaukee's Trinity Irish Dance Company and Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, spoke at the inaugural "Close to the Floor: a Conference on Percussive Irish Dance," Friday and Saturday, April 29 – 30, at New York University (NYU), New York. Presented by the Glucksman Ireland House and the Music Department of NYU, the conference was the first to explore the topic of percussive dance. 

"I’m honored to represent Milwaukee and Trinity at this historic conference," said Howard. "The importance of percussive dance has been long overlooked, and this is an opportunity to finally bring to light its significance in the artistic arena." 

Howard joined "Riverdance" stars Jean Butler and Colin Dunne in a panel chaired by Mick Moloney, professor at New York University. Panelists discussed the impact that the progressive styles of Trinity and productions like Riverdance have had on Irish dance and other world dance traditions over the past decade. 

"For Irish dancers especially, this conference provides a wonderful chance to come together and make sense of the phenomenon that our cultural art form has become in the last few decades," said Howard. "Trinity’s grassroots effort to craft a progressive yet authentic style of Irish dancing in the 1980s, followed by the commercial success that Riverdance experienced in the ’90s, has sparked a fast evolution in Irish dance. Now it’s time to step back and explore that past." 

The conference also discussed and reflected on a variety of other topics in the world of percussive dance. Panels exploref varieties of Irish step dance, flamenco, tap dance, African American stepping, English clog dancing, Appalachian clogging, North Indian Kathak and Canadian step dance traditions from Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Quebec and the Ottawa Valley. 

A dance historians and ethno-choreologists convened with renowned dancers, dance teachers and choreographers. Howard joinrf distinguished participants such as: 
New York dancers and teachers Donny Golden and Niall O’Leary; 
Lynn Dally, director of the Jazz Tap ensemble in California; 
Jean Butler and Colin Dunne of "Riverdance" 
Catherine Foley, Mary Nunan and Orflaith Ni Bhriain of the University of Limerick in Ireland; 
Colin Quigley of UCLA; 
Jaime Morrison of the University of California at Northridge; 
Darrah Carr of Hofstra University; 
Gary Larsen of Brigham Young University; 
Miriam Phillips of Mill Valley College; 
and Helen Brennan, author of "The Story of Irish Dance." 

One featured panel include five distinguished Irish dance figures from the New York area, representing more than 50 years in Irish dance, who discussrf continuities and changes in Irish step dance as witnessed over the course of their lifetimes. 

The findings of the conference are expected to be published in a book later this year. 

Howard’s Trinity Irish Dance Company first laid down its lighting-fast footwork in the mid-1980s in Chicago. "Trinity was the first to revolutionize Irish step dancing by taking it beyond contest and competitions," said Howard. "Riverdance was the commercial reaction to that movement." 

Born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago, Howard began his own dancing career at age nine at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance. A North American champion Irish dancer himself, he launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance at age 17, with a dozen students and a church basement for practice space. 

Since that inception almost 25 years ago, the Trinity Academy has grown more than 1,200 students across Illinois and Wisconsin. Under Howard’s leadership, the school has achieved an unprecedented 24 World Championship titles for the United States. 

At age 29, Howard formed the Trinity Irish Dance Company to provide a much-needed creative outlet and professional livelihood for Irish dancers at the peak of their abilities, and at the same time, preserve the legacy of Irish dance. Before that time there were no Irish step dancers performing collectively outside the competitive realm. 

In 1994 and 2001, Howard was named one of Irish American Magazine’s "Top 100 Irish-Americans" for his ground-breaking work in Irish dance. Howard’s early work found a common rhythm and movement between African and Celtic dance, which was an integral part of the 1993 Emmy Award-winning PBS special "World Stage." 

Howard’s extensive film work for Disney, Touchstone, Universal and Dream Works has allowed him the pleasure of working with celebrities like Lara Flynn Boyle (The Practice), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous) and Tom Hanks (Road to Perdition). Howard’s national television credits include "The Johnny Carson Show," "Late Night with Conan O’Brien," "Live with Regis," "Good Morning America" and "CBS This Morning," among others. 

Howard has been credited with significantly changing the direction and scope of Irish dance and helping to re-introduce the form as the phenomenon that it is today. 

For more information about Mark Howard or Trinity, contact Sarah Stavros at (773) 774-5961 or visit www.trinityirishdancers.com. For more information about "Close to the Floor: a Conference on Percussive Irish Dance," visit the Ireland House web site at www.nyu.edu/pages/irelandhouse or e-mail Ireland.house@nyu.edu. 

70th Anniversary to be Marked in Castlebar

In 1935, the first residents moved into the new housing estate at McHale Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo. To mark the 70th anniversary, a weekend of celebration is planned for Saturday and Sunday, Aug 6-7, 2005.

To commence the festivities, a buffet is being held in the Travellers Friend Hotel and Theatre on the Aug. 6. Music for the night will be provided by former Road resident, Bob Madden and his band. A display of Irish dancing will be showcased. Tickets are priced at Euro 20, and are on sale until July 1, and can be purchased from any of the committee. 

On Sunday, a party will be held on McHale Road where Mass will be celebrated by Very Reverend Michael Neary, the Archbishop of Tuam, . After Mass, a plaque will be unveiled to commemorate the event. The party will kick-off with live music with local artistes volunteering their services . The weekend will wind down on Sunday night with a free dance in An Sportlann. Popular ‘60s band Mayo will provide the music. 

Spearheading the organizing committee is former McHale Road resident, Bridie O’Connor (née Griffin). 

Said Bridie: "There has been tremendous interest both locally and overseas ˜ especially England. We are anxious that people traveling, who are not staying with relatives, book accommodation well in advance as it is the height of the holiday season. 

"If people log on to the Castlebar web site at www.castlebar.ie and click on the link THE ROAD, a list of accommodation is available, or people can e-mail the organizers at theroad@eircom.net. There are also other details and photographs on the site." 

Continued O’Connor: "The demand for tickets so far has exceeded our expectations and to get an idea of numbers for the caterers the committee have decided that no tickets will be sold after Friday, July 1. So we are asking people to book accommodation and tickets early from any of the committee members." 

Committee members are:

Chairperson, Bridie O'Connor, 14, Rathbawn Avenue, 094-9024396; 

Virginia Hegarty, 3 St. Bridget’s Crescent, 087-2166043; 

Chris Kilcourse, 100 Mc. Hale Rd., 087-2920247; 

Marie Brinklow, 48 McHale Road, 094-9025571; 

Margaret Deasy, 46 Mc. Hale Rd., 

Kevin Guthrie, 15 McHale Road 

Marie Burke, 17 Harmony Heights, Castlebar, 094-9026918. 

To commemorate the 70th anniversary, a commemorate magazine is now being compiled and will be distributed free to those attending the buffet on Saturday. Anyone wishing to have pictures or articles published can furnished same to any of the committee. All photographs and articles will be returned after publication.

Bomb Alert Disrupts Belfast Marathon
05/02/05 13:20 EST

By the Irish-American Information Service

The Chief Constable of the PSNI, Hugh Orde, was the apparent target of a bomb which was defused on the route of the Belfast City Marathon this afternoon. Dissident republicans are suspected of planting the device which was discovered following a telephoned warning. 

Some of the main competitors had already passed the part of the route where British army explosives experts were brought in to defuse the live device. 

Author and journalist Eamonn Mallie received the bomb warning in a telephone call after the race started. He said an anonymous male caller told him "volunteers under command have abandoned a device." 

"He told me the Belfast Marathon was just a frill on the six county state. And then in the last line he said: 'Tell Hugh Orde we will get him the next time'." 

Orde, who has completed several marathons, was in the field for today's race. It is understood he pulled up early, however, due to a leg injury. 

Organizers directed runners onto an alternative path clear of any danger. The bomb was discovered at Gideon's Corner, Newtownabbey on the outskirts of the city, a changeover point in the relay race. 

Duncan McCausland, the Assistant Chief Constable for Belfast, was outraged at an attack that put so many lives at risk. He said: "This reckless act could have led to serious injury or worse for the sportsmen and women enjoying the Belfast Marathon, a well organized and attended cross-community event. Those responsible have shown their disregard for the lives of Belfast residents and visitors alike. Police would stress that communities can defeat terrorism and would urge anyone with information to come forward." 

Marathon director David Seton insisted it was better to disrupt the route than stop the race altogether. "We had to make a decision very, very quickly what to do," he said. "We decided to re-route them. That's added a few hundred meters on to the race. But we thought it better to do that than anything else. The majority of people will run slightly more than the 26 miles, 385 yards, but there was no alternative. It was either that or abandon the race which we obviously didn't want to do, with people having trained for this length." 

The race was won by Kenyan athlete Erick Kiplagat in a time of two hours, 22 minutes and 20 seconds. Alan McCullough, a brother of former boxing world champion Wayne McCullough, was the first finisher from the North, in fourth place.