logo
See pictures from Easter commemorations in New Ross

See pictures from Easter commemorations in New Ross

There was a large crowd in attendance for the mass in St Mary and Michael's Church, and the parade thereafter which assembled in the Irishtown, and both the mass and parade were in memory of the men and women of the old IRA, to honour their sacrifices. When the parade arrived at St Stephen's Cemetery, MC Larry Shannon introduced the event and Monsignor Joe McGrath recited a decade of the rosary, followed by a reading of the 1916 Proclamation by Pipe Major, Paschal Bolger.
Former FCA Officer, Jim Sutton, performed the laying of the wreath, at which point, the FCA Pipe Band played the lament, Wrap the Green Flag Around Me, which was introduced for the centenary anniversary. A minute's silence then took place. Two members of the Confraternity band, Jane Connolly and George Delany played The Last Post and Reveille on bugles, accompanied by Derek Bolger, followed by a heart-rending performance of the national anthem by the FCA Pipe Band.
On behalf of the organising committee, John Bennett said he's grateful to Derek Furness and District Manager, Alan Fitzhenry, 'they have the place immaculate.' He thanked New Ross Municipal District and politicians for attending, and Joanne Cooney for use of her PA system.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Arklow RNLI hosts vice admiral ahead of 200th anniversary and boat naming ceremony
Arklow RNLI hosts vice admiral ahead of 200th anniversary and boat naming ceremony

Irish Independent

time11-06-2025

  • Irish Independent

Arklow RNLI hosts vice admiral ahead of 200th anniversary and boat naming ceremony

No stranger to Ireland, having served as a chair of the RNLI's Operations Committee and visited several Irish lifeboat stations during his tenure, this was Sir Tim's first time visiting Arklow lifeboat station – the oldest established RNLI lifeboat station on the island of Ireland. Receiving a warm welcome from all present, the vice admiral was introduced to the assembled lifeboat crew, station management, fundraisers, and their families by lifeboat operations manager John Bermingham, with guest in attendance including Arklow Harbour master, captain Paul Ivory, Arklow MD cathaoirleach, Cllr Pat Kennedy and Arklow Sailing Club commodore Seamus Cramer. Coxswain Eddie McElheron and mechanic Craig O'Reilly gave Sir Tim a tour of the new €3.1m Shannon class lifeboat, and there was also a visit to the boathouse and shop, before the visit concluded with a stop at the town's maritime museum, which recently hosted an RNLI 200 exhibition. Former Lifeboat operations manager Jimmy Tyrrell and coxswain Brendan Dillon were on hand for a tour and some station history. Jimmy was responsible for the RNLI naming the Shannon class after an Irish river, in recognition of the service of Irish volunteers to the charity over two centuries, a fact that was shared with their visitor. Commenting on the special visit, John Bermingham said: 'We were delighted to host Sir Tim Laurence for a special visit to our station. Arklow is a lifeboat station steeped in RNLI history, and the town has a hugely important maritime background. 'We are very proud to be the first RNLI lifeboat station on the island of Ireland and to be naming our new Shannon class lifeboat soon, following its arrival last October. It was Sir Tim's first time visiting the station, and we hope to welcome him again in the future.'

Tributes paid after death of former NI Civil Service chief Kenneth Bloomfield
Tributes paid after death of former NI Civil Service chief Kenneth Bloomfield

Irish Times

time31-05-2025

  • Irish Times

Tributes paid after death of former NI Civil Service chief Kenneth Bloomfield

Tributes have been paid to the former head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, who has died at the age of 94. Stormont's Minister for Health Mike Nesbitt described Sir Kenneth as a 'great intellect' and 'one of our finest'. His career in public service began in the 1950s and he was cabinet secretary to the 1974 Stormont powersharing executive, and head of the NI Civil Service from 1984 to 1991. The IRA tried to kill Sir Kenneth at his home in Co Down in 1988 but his family survived the bomb attack. READ MORE Later, he took on a number of other roles including victims' commissioner and co-commissioner of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains. He was knighted in 1987. Alliance Party leader and Minister for Justice Naomi Long said: 'Sir Kenneth had a distinguished career in public service over many years and in many roles. 'He and his wife were personally targeted in the Troubles, when their home was attacked by an IRA bomb, but he did not allow it to deter him from his enduring commitment to public service. 'In the decades since his formal retirement, he continued that commitment, offering his skills and experience in the service of the community, most particularly in his work as victims' commissioner in the early days of the Assembly, a role which he notably described as being a 'painful privilege'.' Ms Long added: 'I know that he kept in touch with political developments and was especially supportive of efforts to ensure the devolved administration was put on a firm and stable footing. 'On behalf of myself and Alliance, I would wish to extend our deepest sympathies to Lady Elizabeth and the family circle on their very personal loss.' In a statement on X, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: 'Sorry to hear of the passing of Sir Kenneth Bloomfield. 'A great intellect, public servant and one of our finest. 'Among many other things he paved the way for the setting up of the Commission for Victims and Survivors where I served before politics.' Belfast Lord Lieutenant Dame Fionnuala Jay-O'Boyle wrote: 'Ken brought dignity, gravitas and humanity to public life. 'To his wife Elizabeth, daughter and son, my sincere condolences.' A post from the Belfast office of the US consulate said: 'We offer our condolences to the family of Sir Kenneth Bloomfield KCB, a distinguished public servant who dedicated his life to others, including those injured and bereaved during NI's troubled past.' Sir Nigel Hamilton, another former head of the NI Civil Service, told the BBC he would remember Sir Kenneth as the 'most important, the pre-eminent public servant of his time and of his generation'. He added: 'From the 1960s right up to 1991 he was the leader, he was the public servant extraordinaire.'

‘Tháinig ár lá': Lawyers agree €100,000 damages award is undeniable win for Gerry Adams and republicanism generally
‘Tháinig ár lá': Lawyers agree €100,000 damages award is undeniable win for Gerry Adams and republicanism generally

Irish Times

time31-05-2025

  • Irish Times

‘Tháinig ár lá': Lawyers agree €100,000 damages award is undeniable win for Gerry Adams and republicanism generally

The €100,000 in damages awarded to lifelong republican leader Gerry Adams is in the 'medium range' for awards for defamation. Very moderate defamations, Mr Justice Alexander Owens had told the jury, should get awards of up to €50,000, medium range defamations €50,000 to €125,000, serious defamations €125,000 to €200,000, and 'truly exceptional' defamations, €200,000 to €300,000. Given that Adams was alleged to have given the go-ahead for a man to be murdered, the award could be seen as a low one, two experienced lawyers, speaking off the record, observed in the wake of the verdict. Nevertheless, it is an undeniable win for Adams and republicanism generally. 'Tháinig ár lá' [our day has come], muttered one legal figure as the court was emptying, referring to the republican catchphrase 'Tiocfaidh ár lá'. READ MORE The jury found the BBC Northern Ireland programme, Spotlight, defamed Adams in 2016 when it quoted an anonymous man saying Adams would have given the go-ahead for the 2006 murder of self-confessed republican informer, Denis Donaldson, and that Donaldson was killed by the IRA . The programme included a statement from Adams refuting the allegation. In the witness box Adams pointed out that the IRA issued a statement in 2005 saying it had 'formally ordered an end to the armed campaign' and that all members were told to restrict themselves to 'exclusively peaceful' activities. The Spotlight allegation, he said, meant that the IRA statement was all 'a cod'. As someone who had worked hard to bring about peace, this had damaged his name in the 'broad republican family'. The jury found that the BBC was not entitled to a defence that the defamatory material was published in good faith or constituted fair and reasonable journalism. The cost of the lengthy High Court trial, to be borne by the BBC, is likely to exceed €3 million. The decision by Adams to take proceedings before a jury in Dublin rather than in Belfast was one of the many interesting features of the case. (It was open to Adams to take proceedings on both sides of the border). It is too late now for proceedings in Northern Ireland. The programme had just 15,800 views on terrestrial TV in this jurisdiction, which may be a factor in the size of the award. The jury was told only to compensate damage to reputation in this jurisdiction. Adams, in the witness box, accepted that politicians, journalists and others have repeatedly alleged he was a senior figure in the IRA and associated with overseeing many of its most heinous crimes. His evidence was that he joined Sinn Féin as a young man and not the IRA. 'It wasn't a path I took, that was a decision by me, not to join the IRA, to join Sinn Féin,' he told the jury. The BBC were arguing he had 'no reputation, that my reputation is useless,' he complained. Spotlight believed it could 'say whatever they like about me, and I can have no redress'. The lawyers who spoke to The Irish Times were critical of the Spotlight programme. Just because a person had a sullied reputation should not mean anything can be said about them. Under US law wild allegations can be published there about public figures without fear of being sued if the person's reaction to the allegation is also published, one observed. 'That's unfair.' Mr Justice Owens, who made many observations during the five-week trial, at one stage remarked that reputations change and instanced that Ireland had a civil war after which the reputations of the participants changed over time. Adams, presumably, would have welcomed the analogy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store