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borderroamerhttps://fisherbelfast.wordpress.comThe Northern Standard, Monaghan. Reporter.

DERRY: BACK ON TRACK

24/03/2013 by borderroamer

Waterside station, L’Derry

I wrote a blog recently (or started it) while travelling back from Coleraine on the train to Belfast. It was about the Setanta Cup match at the Showgrounds, which Shamrock Rovers won. Now I am writing on the move again, on the same stretch of track. But the difference this time is that I am returning from a day out in Derry.

Single Track replaced alongside Lough Foyle (viewed from Peace Bridge)

Derry station

Northern Ireland Railways (Translink) has just re-opened the line from Coleraine in County Londonderry to Derry City. The new timetable began this morning with the 09:20 service from Great Victoria Street station in Belfast, arriving at the Waterside station in Londonderry at 11:33am, one minute ahead of schedule. But even with the new track, the train takes nearly half an hour longer than the Goldliner express bus, which terminates at Foyle Street bus station, near the Guildhall.

This important rail infrastructure project has been timed to coincide with Derry being the UK Capital of Culture for 2013. It marks the completion of the first phase of the track renewal and improvement project at a cost of over £30m. Translink say it will secure the long-term future and sustainability of the Northern corridor rail link which provides vital connections to jobs, colleges, universities, shops, businesses and local attractions.

Mussenden Temple, Benone Strand

Peace Bridge from train

The GAA Congress was held in Derry for the first time this weekend and brought several hundred delegates from clubs throughout the island and further beyond to this rejuvenated city.

View from near Castlerock across towards Shrove, Moville, Inishowen

This blog was originally published as the train back to Belfast arrived at Yorkgate staion. I updated it later with a link to the new timetable. All in all, a very enjoyable day out, including a nice lunch at a popular bistro close to the station. So at this stage I think thanks are due to the Into the West rail link campaigners such as Eamonn McCann and the local politicians such as rail enthusiast John Dallat for putting the pressure on Translink to deliver what I hope will be a very successful improved service linking the two main cities in the North.

THE LIFE OF INEZ

23/03/2013 by borderroamer

Inez McCormack celebration

This was a special afternoon in South Belfast. The President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins along with one of his predecessors Mary Robinson joined trade unionists, community and human rights activists to say thanks for the life of a good friend. Few people could have imagined such a gathering anywhere in Northern Ireland 25 years ago or more during the troubles.

Mary Robinson

Some of Mary Robinson’s visits to Belfast in the past were very controversial, especially the one in 1993 when she shook hands with Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin. The person who worked behind the scenes to organise the meeting was Inez McCormack, who died in January aged 69. It was a mark of the woman and her achievements over 69 years of life that such a group assembled at the Elmwood Hall.

In 2006 Inez had founded “Participation and the Practice of Rights”, a group to put human rights at the service of the most disadvantaged members of society. So it was PPR who organised this celebration of the life and work of Inez, reflecting the various stages of her work from the days of her involvement in the civil rights campaign, her trade union activity in particular her concern for the low-paid and in latter years, her dedicated work as a human rights activist.

The theme of the two and a half hour event was “Out of the Ballrooms: peace, participation and equality”. Compered skilfully by the writer Susan McKay, it opened with the launch of the Inez McCormack Fund, set up to support the continuation of her work and to build on her unique legacy.

Vinny McCormack

Her husband Vinny McCormack from Derry said the number and variety of causes Inez gave herself to were remarkable. Irrespective of whether the issue involved an individual, a family or prorecting an institution like the NHS, she gave herself to it body and soul. She reached across all barriers in search of common ground, based upon equality and justice. Vinny’s note in the programme for the event singled out a number of characteristics of Inez:-

“Friendship was her forte; laughter her default; generosity and loyalty were her nature; belief in the best of human nature the ground she stood on“.

President Higgins said he had thought about Inez when he and his wife Sabina had hosted a reception earlier this month at Áras an Uachtaráin to mark International Women’s Day. He told the guests on that occasion that Inez was a passionate and committed human rights activist who fought relentlessly for the creation of a fairer society for workers, for minorities and for women. In her pursuit of a better and more equal world she was never afraid to push against the boundaries of injustice and intolerance, he said.

At the Belfast commemoration he again paid tribute to her dedication and courage. He said: “Her ability to constantly question the status quo demonstrated not only the strength of mind which was such an integral part of Inez’ personality but also the emancipatory thinking that marks out the true progressive; the person prepared to challenge false inevitabilities and question the taken for granted assumptions of the world we inhabit and the future we wish to craft together.” He added: “It takes great courage and moral strength to stand up to the perceived norms within society and to question the bureaucratic controls that can so often stifle progress. It takes enormous determination and persistence to constantly challenge the rigid mindsets that obstruct creative thinking and to refuse to give in to the easier alternative of remaining silent.”

Vinny McCormack, President Higgins & Sabina Higgins

Mary Robinson who said she wore a red jacket in memory of Inez described her as a remarkable and an extraordinary organiser. “Inez was many things to many people, and to me her defining characteristic was her innate sense and belief in the dignity and value of every human being,” she said. “She always challenged what was wrong and worked to secure the rights of people; on many occasions this was without any public recognition as Inez was a very private person.”

The guests were shown a short video by the group “Right to work: right to welfare” which has been holding workshops on the jobs and benefits issues in association with PPR and the Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, where it will launch a report and an art exhibition based on the experiences of unemployed people at the DHSS office in Great Patrick Street on Monday (25th) at 12 noon.

Barra McGrory QC, DPP, reads a Yeats poem

OLYMPIC HAMMERS

22/03/2013 by borderroamer

Olympic Stadium (2012)

So the deal is done and West Ham FC have got the keys for the London Olympic Stadium at Stratford. But beware the Ides of March! (well I am only a week out!). As I wrote recently in my article on the Price of Football, I heard in Dagenham that the Hammers had got the contract they wanted and will be the new anchor tenants. The deal was unwrapped at a news conference at what is being developed as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Starting next Friday 29th March you can get a preview of progress at the Park, which is due to open to the public in the summer. Tours are £7 and can be booked here. But the first three days are already booked out so you will have to wait until at least Easter Monday 1st April to get the chance to see round.

Artist’s impressions of the transformed stadium have been published by the London Legacy Development Corporation LLDC. When converted from an athletics arena, the ground will be able to hold 54,000 spectators (UEFA Catgory 4) and the Hammers are due to move in at the start of the 2016/17 season. The first match will be a Bobby Moore Cup friendly fixture, ensuring a link with the Club’s most famous player, who captained England in the 1966 World Cup at Wembley.

New Stadium: © LLDC

Wembley Stadium has undergone a complete transformation since then, making it a stadium that can seat 90,000. West Ham are promising that no seat will be further away from the pitch than at Wembley. One of the questions still to be resolved is what happens to Leyton Orient, a League One side which is the closest to the Olympic site. The club’s owner Barry Hearn has said he will press on with his attempt to get a judicial review of the process, claiming it will “crush” his club if it is not allowed to share the stadium with West Ham.

The future of the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park which has been the home of the Hammers since 1904 will be decided later. There’s speculation it could be sold off to a developer to provide badly-needed social housing in the Borough of Newham. The ground can accommodate 35,000 fans but has limited room for expansion and this is one of the reasons the Hammers have been searching for a new stadium.

West Ham FC Entrance Alpari Stand

I was only in Upton Park once (and that’s the name it has always been for people of my generation) on August 7th 2011 for the opening match of the Championship season when the Hammers, just relegated from the Premiership, lost 0-1 to Cardiff City. I had no trouble booking a seat in the East Stand. This retained some of the atmosphere of previous years, with old-fashioned turnstiles which had also been modernised with a digital reader to record the entrance of supporters. I was impressed with the view from the stand and I enjoyed the atmosphere at the ground.

View from East Stand

Trevor Brooking Stand with away fans

My worry would be that a lot of this atmosphere and the sense of a glorious history linked with players such as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking will be lost in the vast spaces of the Olympic Park. This is what happens when commercialism reigns, but ultimately the move will succeed only if West Ham maintain their regained Premiership status.

I wish the Hammers and their supporters well, in what will be a time of transition. Some are not too happy that £25m of taxpayers’ money has been earmarked for installing a new roof, retractable seats along with permanent toilets and catering facilities for a Premiership football club.

The Champions sculpture: Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore (all West Ham) & Ray Wilson (Huddersfield): England 1966

A BRIDGE TOO FAR?

21/03/2013 by borderroamer

Proposed Narrow Water Bridge

First things first. If you came here looking for a commentary on the Allied advance in the Second World War and battles such as the bridge at Arnhem, then you will be disappointed. I am sorry if I misled you. But the title seemed appropriate for the ongoing controversy over the proposed bridge at Narrow Water at the head of Carlingford Lough. They have been talking about the project since 1976 when the East Border Region committee was formed by ten councils on both sides of the border, years before the Anglo-Irish agreement or the Good Friday agreement.

The proposed structure would link County Down just beyond Narrow Water Castle with the opposite side of the shore near Omeath in County Louth. The project eventually received planning permission and the prospect of EU funding of €17.4m last year. This green light was welcomed by the East Border Region Committee Chair, Councillor Jackie Crowe, a Sinn Féin member from Monaghan.

Proposed Bridge

The approved scheme is for a single carriageway cable-stayed bridge across Carlingford Lough, which will be able to open to enable tall ships, leisure craft and other marine vessels access to Victoria Lock and the Albert Basin in Newry. The total length of the scheme is 620m while the towers have a height of 90m and 37m respectively. The design is by Roughan O’Donovan Consulting Engineers, who were also responsible for the new Boyne Bridge on the M1 near Drogheda.In his statement welcoming the project on 24th October 2012, Councillor Crowe is quoted as saying that the proposed bridge was:-

“a genuinely symbolic cross border project providing the first bridge linking Ireland and Northern Ireland and will provide a momentous tourism and economic catalyst for the whole of the region. The Bridge development will provide much needed jobs in the construction sector in the short term and will undoubtedly enhance the tourism potential of the region as it acts as a gateway to the Mournes and Cooley Mountains”.

And I thought Sinn Féin always referred to the island of “Ireland” as a 32-county entity……but perhaps this was a statement drawn up by someone else. It also seems to contain an error often repeated by others that this is the first such cross-border bridge. Surely Councillor Crowe has heard of the projects successfully pursued with the Irish government by his party colleagues in Monaghan to get two small cross-border bridges rebuilt which the British Army had blocked in the early 1970s? Annaghroe and Knockaginny bridges across the River Blackwater connected Glaslough in County Monaghan and Caledon in County Tyrone and were re-opened in October 2010 by the then Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, whose colleague in government Dermot Ahern was very supportive of the Narrow Water project as a Louth TD and Minister for Justice.

It seems the progress of the Narrow Water project, described by its promoters as “iconic” and “histooric”, is not going to be as smooth as they hoped. Is it a bridge too far for unionists? Last November the First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson requested an investigation into the decision to grant EU funding. He rejected a claim by the SDLP MP for South Down Margaret Ritchie that he wanted money channelled away from North-South infrastructure schemes towards community projects involving former loyalist paramilitaries. The following month, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson told the Assembly there was a “political smell” about the application for funding. He questioned the speed with which the Stormont Environment Minister, Alex Attwood of the SDLP, had granted planning permission for the bridge.

Margaret Ritchie MP

Now Margaret Ritchie has accused Sammy Wilson of dragging his feet and hiding behind other government departments when it comes to approving funding for the project. She quoted Mr Wilson’s argument that he could not approve the outstanding £2m for the Narrow Water Bridge until the Department of Regional Development had prepared a Roads Order. Ms Ritchie said she had now received confirmation from the Department for Regional Development that it is currently preparing the draft Roads Order, which is expected to published next month. But according to the Minister Danny Kennedy, she said, the formal making of the Order will not happen until the Department for Finance approves the business case.

Ms Ritchie said this response clearly states that the Minister for Finance can make the decision to approve the Narrow Water Bridge funding now and that this decision is not held back by the work of the Department of Regional Development, despite claims to the contrary. She said if it remained the case that Sammy Wilson is not prepared to approve the funding then the First and Deputy First Ministers must ensure a decision is taken without further delay, in the interests of the wider community and the tourism industry in the Mourne area and throughout the island. Furthermore as this is an important North-South economic development project there is now a clear need for the direct intervention of the British and Irish Governments to ensure that this project faces no more unnecessary delay, she added.

The MP has taken a keen interest in the project since her involvement with the East Border Region Committee as a Councillor in 1985. She paid tribute to people such as her predecessor Eddie McGrady, Jim McCart, Donal O’Tierney and Barney Carr, who she said had never faltered from their belief in the bridge and who had shaped the economic debate for it and kept the project alive during very difficult political times in the North.

Narrow Water project

SPIRIT OF ENNISKILLEN

20/03/2013 by borderroamer

Taoiseach at Remembrance Sunday, Enniskillen 2012

Enniskillen has come a long way since the terrible attack at the war memorial in 1987 as people gathered for a Remembrance Sunday commemoration. The peace process has helped society to move on, to the extent that the Taoiseach Enda Kenny was able to paticipate in last year’s service on the 25th anniversary of the IRA bomb, in which 11 people were killed and over 60 were injured. Mr Kenny laid a green laurel wreath at the war memorial on behalf of the people of Ireland.

One of the outstanding memories after that horrific day on November 8th 1987 was the compassion and public expression of forgiveness to those who planted the bomb shown by Gordon Wilson. His daughter Marie was among the dead and he himself was injured in the blast. A local businessman, he went on to become a peace campaigner and served for a time as a member of Seanad Éreann.

Gordon & Joan Wilson

Inspired by Gordon’s words and his great desire for reconciliation following the Poppy Day bomb, a Trust was established in 1989. Its aim was to encourage young people from Northern Ireland aged from 16 to 19 to travel outside the island and to use their experience to help build community bridges at home. The Spirit Of Enniskillen Trust worked to encourage young people from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds to come together and work towards a shared society and to learn from their experiences of visiting other areas of conflict. It supported a number of inter-linked projects working with young people in their schools, communities and other divided regions internationally. The Trust facilitated background leadership training, mentoring and resource support for school pupils, young volunteer facilitators, parents and teachers.

Wendy Austin

I remember attending the news conference when the Trust was launched and Wendy Austin was appointed as Chair. She proved to be an excellent mentor for the young ambassadors and any time I heard her speak, she always had words of encouragement for the teenage participants. She went on to become a life President of the group. When she launched the group’s millenium programme in 1998, she said its good work which had taken participants to countries such as Cyprus, Israel and the USA, was only just beginning. She said it was a very exciting time to be involved in this kind of work. At this stage in the peace process there is almost more need for it now than ever before, she added.

The Spirit of Enniskillen Trust supported groupings of young people from differing cultural traditions both locally and overseas into discussion of their own contentious and contemporary issues, finding areas of commonality and cooperation, as well as learning to ‘agree to disagree’. Alongside this process, it provided personal feedback, training and support to nurture the critical understanding, awareness and skills that enable positive dialogue. Most of the Trust’s learning projects and workshops were facilitated and run by young people who had themselves been trained through Trust programmes. During its 23 years, over 16,000 young people participated in the various programmes, such as Future Voices and Building Citizenship and Diversity, working in 100 destinations abroad and fifty schools.

Now all the achievements of the project have sadly been brought to an end. The news emerged in The Detail (Kathryn Torney) following a decision by the trustees a week ago. Financial problems caused by a fall in property values and a deficiency of £250,000 in the Trust’s pension commitments led to the closure, according to its solicitor. Even when the Trust’s only property in the Malone Road area of Belfast is sold, there will still be a deficit, but this is expected to be met by the Pensions Trust. It is not the only charity in Northern Ireland in this situation.

The umbrella body NICVA said it had engaged expert pensions advice and it does not face closure. Its deputy chief executive said the SoE situation should act as a wake-up call to other charities to pay sharp attention to their finances.

The Spirit of Enniskillen website containing details of all its activities has already been closed down. So one of the only places to find out more information about the work done by Chuck Richardson (director until May 2011) and the team of five is on the CredNI website. The ‘Spirit of Enniskillen Alumni’, a group of former participants in the scheme, has set up a facebook page, with over 320 likes so far and has published a statement endorsed by all:-

“At a time of limited prospects for young people, [the Trust] offered a rare opportunity for participants to lead change in their communities. It engaged the energy, idealism and commitment of young people to make a difference. The programmes provided a safe space for young people to address their own prejudices and confront sectarian attitudes, fears and misconceptions within our society…..The 375 individuals who endorse this statement wish to see Northern Ireland continue to progress. It is a tragedy that an organisation which was making a tangible contribution to this has not been saved. They wish to commemorate the legacy of the Trust and celebrate what it achieved. However as an organisation with much more to give, its premature and sudden closure is a great loss for Northern Ireland.”

Fourteen secondary school principals also expressed their concern at the closure of the Trust. To get some idea of just how successful the work of the charity was, this article last October by Brian Donaldson in the Impartial Reporter gives a good idea. As the 25th anniversary of the Enniskillen bomb approached, the widow of Gordon Wilson said she was thrilled that the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust was still flourishing. Joan Wilson, who attended a special presentation by young people who had been on the international exchange programme last summer, said Gordon would have been delighted at how the Trust had developed over the years.

Four young people from Fermanagh were among the forty who took part in last year’s Explore programme for international exchange and leadership: Michael Richmond and Jillian Ellis, who travelled to Berlin, Ashley Robinson, who travelled to the South of France and Donnchadh Tierney, who was in Sweden. Now the curtain has come down on these opportunities for young people to travel and broaden their horizons.

BALMORAL AT THE MAZE

19/03/2013 by borderroamer

Irish Moiled Breed back at Balmoral Show

Getting ready for Balmoral Show 2013. The launch was at the King’s Hall complex, where it has been held since 1896. But this year the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s premier event is moving to a new 65 acre complex at the former high security Maze prison site near Lisburn. The space is more than double the size of the Balmoral showgrounds in South Belfast. The move which Society members approved last June is quite historic and it’s going to be a phenomenal success, according to the RUAS President, John Bamber.

RUAS President John Bamber

It’s Ireland’s largest agri-food show and attracts exhibitors and visitors from throughout the island. The organisers are hoping to surpass the 70,000 crowd they had last year. The new showgrounds is called Balmoral Park and will have most of the usual attractions as well as a funfair for the first time. They say it will be bigger and better than previous shows.

Balmoral Park, designed by the London architects Studio Egret West, with its well laid out walkways and paths (many bearing street names with a respectful nod to the past), green spaces and landscaped areas, allows a greater space for trade exhibitors, larger facilities and warm up/practice areas for competitors. The arena increases in size by 25%. Adjacent to this is an area of tiered seating and landscaped banks allowing spectators to view show jumping, pony club games, the inter hunt chase as well as the headline attraction – The Kangaroo Kid. The cattle lawn, sheep, horse and pig & goat rings also boast larger exhibiting areas.

Balmoral Park, The Maze

The Show (map here) can now accommodate further livestock, making room for a number of other breeds including cattle with European Angus, Beef Shorthorns, Dexters and Irish Moiled, horses with Coloured Horses and Connemara Working Hunter and sheep with the addition of Swaledale and Lanark Type Blackface.

Greater acreage has led to a greater number, size and range of exhibits, as RUAS Chief Executive, Colin McDonald explained, “We are very excited about the new Showgrounds and the amazing opportunities it presents to expand and enhance the Show. The move has allowed us not only to safeguard the future of this event and the Society but also to build upon our century long track record of showcasing food and farming excellence.” There will now be room to bring back plant machinery exhibits. Two of the most popular attractions – the Garden Village and the NI Food Pavilion have both expanded.

Food, a key component of the Balmoral Show, will be available in abundance throughout the Showgrounds and in the NI Food Pavilion which will offer more local variety than ever before. The Garden village will be the location of the Womens’ Institute tea rooms, where you can enjoy a relaxing break while enjoying their new home industries section. The new feature show garden will be a combination of contemporary gardens, an elegant classical garden, a Japanese garden and an open countryside.

Plenty of Parking at Maze Showgrounds

There will be four official car parks around the Showgrounds, in addition to dedicated exhibitor car parks and disabled facilities. Provision has been made for up to 10,000 cars. Public transport will be available and more details will be released later by Translink. Balmoral Show will take place at Balmoral Park at the Maze near Lisburn on Wednesday 15^th to Friday 17^th May 2013. The Show runs from 9.30am to 8.30pm on the first two days and until 8pm on the final day. Further details can be found here.

The question now is what will happen to the King’s Hall complex, where some of the older pavilions used by the RUAS and the grandstand have been demolished. There was planning permission a few years ago for around 140 houses on a section of the site. The Hall itself which was opened in 1934 is a grade B1 listed building. It remains the largest exhibition area in Northern Ireland. It was also a famous boxing venue. Rinty Monaghan boxed several times in the hall. A blue plaque was unveiled in his memory at the hall in 2007. In 1985 the Clones Cyclone Barry McGuigan made his first title defence against Bernard Taylor at the Hall, having fought there on six previous occasions.

King’s Hall, Belfast

CLOGHER CELEBRATES

18/03/2013 by borderroamer

St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher

Saint Patrick might be known widely for the foundation of his see in Armagh, of which he was the first Bishop. But it is predated by his legacy in Clogher. To mark Saint Patrick’s Day, archivist Jack Johnston gave a talk on the history of Saint Macartan’s Anglican Cathedral. He pointed out that Saint Patrick came to Clogher and established a church there under Macartan before he went to Armagh, which is now the seat of the all-Ireland Primate in both the Church of Ireland and Catholic churches. The see of Clogher was founded by Saint Patrick, who appointed one of his household, Macartan, as first bishop in 454. Macartan was the ‘strong man’ of Patrick, who established the church in Clogher and spread the gospel in Tyrone and Fermanagh. It is said that Saint Brigid, Macartan’s niece, was present at the founding of the see.

Jack Johnston talk

Jack Johnston’s talk

The Precentor of Saint Macartan’s Cathedral Chapter, Reverend Noel Regan, who is originally from Sligo, organised a series of events to mark Saint Patrick’s Day, starting with the weekly Sunday morning Holy Communion service. There was a Lenten lunch to raise funds for the Us missionary organisation. It was followed by some musicians playing in the Cathedral, including a chance to hear the wonderful organ played by Glenn Moore, Director of Music at the other (later) diocesan Cathedral, St Macartin’s in Enniskillen.

The day was rounded off with an ecumenical evensong, featuring the choir of the Cathedral group of parishes and members of the choir from St Patrick’s Catholic church in Clogher, to a setting by Thomas Tallis. Canon Regan said, “As members of the Church of Ireland we have the great privilege of worshipping in some of the most significant and important sites in the Christian history of this land. In Clogher we have a fine Cathedral which stands on one of the most important Christian sites in the area. We are delighted to open our doors that others might come and together with us learn something of our common heritage and enjoy the surroundings of this holy and special place”.

St Macartan’s Cathedral, Clogher

IN PATRICK’S PATHS

17/03/2013 by borderroamer

Fr Denis Hartnett MHM

Imagine the surprise of the congregation at Mass this morning when instead of the usual (retired) priest or the parish priest, they saw someone who looked a bit like St Patrick himself! Long grey-white hair and a plentiful beard. The usual celebrant had been temporarily replaced by someone who, appropriately for the feast day of the patron saint, turned out to be a missionary priest.

Massgoers in Tydavnet, County Monaghan in the Clogher diocese, listened with interest as Fr Denis Hartnett MHM introduced himself. He was there to promote the St Joseph’s Advocate magazine of the Mill Hill Missionaries, who took that name from the location of their motherhouse in North London and were founded by Cardinal Vaughan in the late 19thC. But it wasn’t a hard sell.

Instead, Fr Hartnett shared with the congregation his story of being a missionary in Sudan for over twenty years. His order came there in the 1930s. It was a fascinating story of life in this African country. He explained in a very vivid way how the peaceful existence of village life was suddenly shattered by war. Clapping his hands once to produce a startling “bang!” that would have awoken anyone not paying attention, he explained how one day he was startled by the sound of gunfire and came out to discover that all the surrounding huts had been set on fire.

At this stage, he said all he could do was run for his life as men armed with AK47 rifles descended on the village. The local women were rounded up, taken to a stockade and were raped. Plunder, rape and pillage: a very different story than usual for Saint Patrick’s Day!

Fr John Skinnader & Tommy Bowe

After the Mass, I asked Fr Hartnett if he had come across Fr John Skinnader CSSp, a missionary priest who comes from the neighbouring parish of Donagh (Emyvale) and who returned last October to Southern Sudan. During his time back in County Monaghan he attended the celebrations for the centenary of Edenmore national school, of which rugby international Tommy Bowe is also a past pupil. Fr Hartnett knows him but his work was in a different area. Fr Hartnett has been going around the country telling his story on behalf of his missionary order. After saying Mass in Tydavnet, he immediately went to another chapel in the parish to say Mass, at Urbleshanny in Scotstown. So if you did not get a chance to hear him, you can find out more about St Joseph’s Missionary Society here.

GRAND CANAL QUAY DUBLIN

16/03/2013 by borderroamer

Grand Canal Theatre: Photo: Arup/Ros Cavanagh

Just as the old dockside at Bristol has been rejuvenated through projects such as the M-Shed and the SS Great Britain, so too in Dublin. The Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship and Famine Museum is located at Custom House Quay. Through the Docklands Development Authority (DDA), a number of regeneration projects were initiated during the boom time of the Celtic Tiger economy. The Convention Centre was built at Spencer Dock. On the southern side of the River Liffey, the area around Grand Canal Dock has been transformed, with the building of an iconic theatre, seating over 2,000.

It was designed by the internationally renowned architect from New York, Daniel Liebeskind and was his first such project. Last year he was awarded the contract for designing a conflict resolution centre on part of the site of the former high security Maze prison outside Lisburn. His other projects have included the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the redevelopment of the World Trade Centre site in Manhattan.

The consultants for the Grand Canal Theatre were Arup, for whom my daughter works in London. Arup were appointed to provide acoustic design and technical theatre systems, as well as civil, structural, building services and traffic engineering. Ove Arup, a Danish engineer, began his connection with Dublin in the late 1940s when he was invited by the architect Michael Scott to join him in the construction of Donnybrook bus garage for CIÉ. It was the first building in the world to have a concrete shell roof, lit by natural light from one end to the other. Arup’s Dublin office, its first overseas one, was set up in 1946 to work on the project.

BGE Grand Canal Theatre

The Grand Canal Theatre opened in March 2010 with a performance of Swan Lake by the Russian State Ballet. It has been designed to take large shows including operas, concerts and musicals. Now following a commercial deal for the naming rights, it is referred to as the Bord Gáis Energy (BGE) Theatre. My first visit there was last night to watch a performance of Bizet’s opera Carmen by the Moscow State Opera, with a guest performance in the role of Micaëla by leading Irish soprano Celine Byrne from Naas.

Celine Byrne

Carmen programme

I look forward to returning to the theatre at some stage in the future. For a list of forthcoming shows and information about ticket prices, check the BGE Theatre website.

ADRIAN: ADVENTUROUS ARTIST

15/03/2013 by borderroamer

Adrian Margey

Adrian Margey is a young artist who comes from Kilrea in County Derry. This is also the home village of the former Northern Ireland soccer international and now Sunderland manager, Martin O’Neill, as well as the well-known journalist and writer Paddy Agnew, the Irish Times Rome correspondent (thanks to Seamus Martin for pointing this out!).

I first met Adrian when he was a student of Communications, Advertising and Marketing at the University of Ulster, where my daughter was also studying. He graduated with a BSc Honours in 2007 (see Class Notes). In 2005 he was awarded a scholarship under the Washington Ireland programme and spent two months as an intern in the USA.

He juggled his studies with a burgeoning career as a visual artist. Since graduating, he has exhibited widely. His pictures include contemporary depictions of familiar Ulster landmarks and Irish traditional musicians and dancers. He received funding in 2010 from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to run a series of high profile solo exhibitions, which have been well received.

In 2011 he developed two new bodies of work which went on show at the Radisson Hotel, Limavady at the end of August and at the Culloden Hotel, Cultra. For St Patrick’s weekend 2013, he is holding his first exhibition in the Republic of Ireland, at the Radisson Blu Hotel at St Helen’s on the Stillorgan Road in South Dublin, close to where I am wrote this article. Admission is free and around seventy works are on sale, some of which were purchased on the opening evening.

I notice from Adrian’s website that he has painted some Dublin scenes specially for the exhibition, some of them featuring the Ha’penny Bridge across the River Liffey, Trinity College Dublin and others of the Bray area in County Wicklow, including Bray Head and the Sugar Loaf mountain.

It all adds up to a very colourful exhibition, which remains open until Monday afternoon (18th). One of the largest pictures (and therefore more expensive) is entitled “Time Stands Still at Trinity College”. It might appeal to a TCD graduate or someone connected with the College, or perhaps a collector who likes pictures of famous buildings in Dublin. The price tag is €895. When Adrian exhibited his work last year at my local parish hall, St Brigid’s in South Belfast, I did not get an opportunity to visit the display. So I am pleased to have been able to catch up with him on my original “home” ground at the bottom of Foster Avenue in Mount Merrion parish.