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Irish Post
18-07-2025
- General
- Irish Post
Ireland's footprint on Scottish turf — the story of Hibs
THE problem with a name like Ballingarry is that there are several of them in Ireland, four of which lie in adjacent counties. One of them, in Co. Tipperary, was the site of the 1848 Young Ireland rebellion. Two others, in Tipperary and Limerick, have no claim to fame that I know of. However, a second Ballingarry in Co. Limerick, to the south of Rathkeale and on the road to Charleville, is home to the birthplace of a man who would accomplish great deeds in Scotland rather than in Ireland in the second half of the 19th century. Edward Joseph Hannan was born in 1836 at a farm in the Glen, Ballygrennan townland, to the south of the Famine memorial on the hill of Knockfeirna. It is hoped that later this year, a plaque will be unveiled on the gatepost of the farm, signposting his birthplace. A memorial to him can already be found at the premises of local soccer team Ballingarry AFC. The second son of 11 children born to parents John and Johanna, as an adolescent he would have witnessed the worst excesses of the Great Famine; an experience which may well have convinced him to dedicate his life to the championing of the poor. The parish priest in Ballingarry at the time, Archdeacon Michael Fitzgerald, a disciple of Daniel O'Connell and subsequently agitator for poor relief and land reform, was the main spiritual influence in young Hannan's life. After a basic primary school education close to Ballingarry town, there followed two years at St Munchin's junior seminary in Limerick; and then six years of study at All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin. Bishop Gillis of the Eastern District of Scotland, desperate for priests to administer to the huge Irish influx following the Famine, paid for his education there. Edward Hannan was ordained in 1860 and the following year moved to Edinburgh, where he was to stay till his death 30 years later. The Knockfeirna Famine memorial near Ballingarry quoting local parish priest Archdeacon Michael Fitzgerald (picture Mike Hennessy) He became a curate at St Pat's Church in the Cowgate, nicknamed 'Little Ireland' for good reason. A once thriving and prosperous area of the city, it had been allowed to degenerate as the nobility and gentry who had lived there moved north to more attractive lodgings in the New Town. The empty houses were filled initially by displaced Scottish Highlanders, victims of the Clearances, and then by the waves of Irish immigrants fleeing poverty and starvation at home. Unscrupulous landlords filled the tenements with as many families as possible, with scant regard for human decency, access to light or basic sanitation. Disease was everywhere, and Hannan himself caught typhoid in his first few years after visiting his sick parishioners. Many of his flock had had no education and could scarcely speak English, making them unemployable. And they also faced religious prejudice, given that they were entering the home city of John Knox, the father of the Reformation in Scotland. Ballingarry AFC Memorial Hannan embarked upon a mission to educate the poor and to encourage temperance, clean living and the adoption of family values. One vehicle was the Catholic Young Men's Society (CYMS), a branch of which he opened in 1865. It became the most successful in Scotland within a decade, providing a savings bank, funeral and benefits society, a library, reading rooms, a drama society, a ball court and a large hall for major events such as concerts and, later, political meetings. The more enlightened members of the Protestant establishment were supportive, and Lord Provost William Chambers laid the foundation stone for the new home for the CYMS in St Mary's Street in 1869. The building, known as the Catholic Institute, still stands today. The great hall on the first floor became known as St Mary's Street Hall. And it was there that Father Hannan announced, on 6th August 1875, the launch of a football (soccer) club by some young members of the Society, who had been excluded from playing for other local clubs on the basis of their nationality and their religion. That club was named Hibernian Football Club, its badge the harp and its motto Erin go Bragh (Ireland Forever). Hibernian FC celebrates 150 years since its birth this year. Canon Hannan is remembered each year with a commemorative Mass at St Pat's and a service at the Grange cemetery on or around his birthday (21st June) or his passing (24th June). He is also remembered in his only biography, Edinburgh's First Hibernian , published by Thirsty Books and due for release on 6th August. Despite some early resistance from the Scottish and Edinburgh football authorities, Hibs, as they became known, very quickly became the dominant club in the East of Scotland, and in 1887, the first club from there to win the Scottish Cup. Proceeds from matches were donated to charities of all religions. But storm clouds were gathering, and a combination of losing half their team to the newly formed Glasgow Celtic in 1888, and the loss of their ground when it became more valuable to developers than it was as a football ground, resulted in the club stopping playing for nearly 18 months just before Hannan's death in 1891. Hibs' temporary hibernation may also have resulted from its committee men, including to some extent Hannan himself, taking their eye off the ball and becoming more interested in supporting Charles Stuart Parnell's Home Rule movement than the fortunes of their football club. Many of these men were active members of the Irish National League until it split following the public outrage at Parnell's relationship with Kitty O'Shea. The club returned to its competitive best in the following decade and once again won the Scottish Cup in 1902 and the Scottish League for the first time in season 1902–03. By this time, it had secured a new ground some 200 yards further along Albion Road from the previous one, and that remains the home of the club to this day. There have, of course, been many improvements and redevelopments over the years, including the building of modern stands and the levelling of the pitch, which was once notorious for its slope. On the pitch, the club had a couple of purple patches. Between 1948 and 1952 they won the Scottish League three times with a forward line which can claim to be Scotland's best ever, the Famous Five. And in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a team which became known as Turnbull's Tornadoes after their manager Eddie Turnbull, was denied major honours only because it coincided with the emergence of Jock Stein's Celtic, at one point the best in Europe if not the world. It was during this period, on New Year's Day 1973, that Hibs won the derby match away to Edinburgh rivals Hearts, by 0–7. The Scottish Cup eluded them for more than a century; a 'curse' having been placed on the club when a harp was removed from the stands. It was replaced in 2016, and within months, Hibs had beaten Rangers 3–2 to bring the cup back to their home grounds at Easter Road. Hibs will celebrate these events and many more from its 150 years in the next 12 months. The programme will start with an exhibition for fans in St Mary's Street Hall on August 6th, showcasing the club's history with memorabilia and artefacts. There will be further exhibitions, celebratory dinners, presentations and dedications throughout the year. All of which you can keep up to date with via Despite the club's name (Latin for Ireland), Hibs' Irish credentials have sometimes been questioned. There have been periods when the club has sought to distance itself from its roots, but the club's badge—with its green and white colours, the harp beside Edinburgh Castle and emblem of the port of Leith—pays tribute to the blending of the best of Ireland and Scotland, as Canon Hannan would have wished all those years ago. Edinburgh's First Hibernian is available from August 6 from: The book is illustrated and contains over 500 of them footnotes, referencing to an extensive range of sources. It debunks a number of myths about the founding of the club, with supporting evidence. For more information on Hibs fixtures See More: Edinburgh, Hibs, Irish Community In Scotland, Scottish Football
RTÉ News
17-07-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Native American nations gift handwoven rug for 'kindness' during pandemic
Two Native American nations have gifted a handwoven rug to the people of Ireland to recognise the "kindness" shown to them during the Covid-19 pandemic. They presented Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy with the rug at Leinster House earlier "as a symbol of gratitude and friendship". In 2020, the death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly acute in the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Nation which include parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. People living in Ireland donated at least $3 million to an online fundraiser launched by the nations. The relief fund was established at the height of the pandemic to help community members access food, PPE and safely shelter at home. It became one of the top GoFundMe fundraisers of 2020 and raised US$18m, with the list of donors dominated by Irish surnames. Many Irish people said they were donating in remembrance of Native American aid to Ireland during the Great Famine, where the Choctaw tribe raised $170 in famine relief for Ireland. The rug depicts the Kindred Spirits sculpture that was commissioned by Cork County Council to commemorate the Choctaw donation. Deputy Murphy said it was a "great honour to accept this wonderful piece of art on behalf of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Irish people". "It's a tangible reminder that empathy with another's plight can cross a vast ocean and that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting impact," she said. A member of the Navajo Nation, Ethel Branch said: "The solidarity and compassion extended to the Navajo and Hopi nations, inspired by the historic gift of the Choctaw Nation to Ireland during the Great Famine, has left an indelible mark on our communities."
Extra.ie
08-07-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Barack is Back: Tracing Obama's Irish roots ahead of highly anticipated 3Arena show
As former U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his next visit to Ireland, the excitement is undeniably palpable. Beyond the fanfare and inevitable trips to Obama Plaza, lies a deep and meaningful connection, a family story that spans all the way from County Offaly to the heights of the White House. Obama's Irish ancestry has long been a point of pride and curiosity, so lets take a look back on his ties to the Emerald Isle. As former U.S. President Barack Obama prepares for his next visit to Ireland, the excitement is undeniably palpable. Pic: Maxwells/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Obama's Irish heritage centers around the tiny village of Moneygall, a quiet speck on the map that found itself thrust into the global spotlight during his presidency. It was here, in a stone cottage along Main Street, that Obama's great-great-great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, was born in 1831 before emigrating to the United States during the height of the Great Famine. In 2011, Obama famously sipped a pint of Guinness in a pub in Moneygall and since then, locals have affectionately claimed him as one of their own. Beyond the fanfare and inevitable trips to Obama Plaza, lies a deeply meaningful connection, a family story that spans all the way from County Offaly to the heights of the White House. Pic: Irish Government – Pool /Getty Images After landing in New York, Kearney made his way to Ohio, where he married an Ohio woman named Charlotte Holloway. They had children and resettled, eventually, in Indiana, where Kearney worked as a farmer. Little did he know, after such humble beginnings, that decades down the line his flesh and blood would become America's first African-American President. So honoured to be a part of this monumental moment in history, Moneygall pulled out all the stops, building a petrol station in his honour, directly en route to his ancestral town. Obama's Irish ancestry has long been a point of pride and curiosity, so lets take a look back on his ties to the Emerald Isle. Pic:Located just off Ireland's M7 motorway, this travel plaza is a mix of fuel pumps, fast food, and presidential pride, even featuring a mini museum dedicated to the former head of state. Obama Plaza opened in 2014, and features a visitor center that tells the story of Obama's Irish roots as well as a life-size statue of him and his wife Michelle. Do you think he'll pop in for a quick visit ahead of his next appearance? It was announced on Monday that Barack Obama is to be interviewed live on stage for two events in Dublin and London. The 63-year-old is to be interviewed by journalist Fintan O'Toole at Dublin's 3Arena on Friday 26 September. An Evening with President Barack Obama will see the former president speak about his time in the White House and what's next for the US of A. Tickets for the events go on sale at 10am on Thursday 10 July, with 100 tickets set aside in each city for charitable organisations.
The Journal
02-07-2025
- General
- The Journal
Ireland's population reaches 7 million for first time since the 19th century
THE POPULATION OF the island of Ireland has reached 7 million for the first time since the 19th century. A joint project between Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NIRSA) combined 2022 Census data from both sides of the border and found the total population to be 7.1 million. In 2022, the population south of the border was 5.15 million and the population north of the border was 1.91 million. The research also found that Northern Ireland is more densely populated than the Republic. The population density was 73 per square km south of the border and 141 per square km to the north. Advertisement CSO Ireland / YouTube People in Northern Ireland are slightly older, with a median age of 40, while the median age in the Republic was 38. Both of those median ages were lower than the EU's 44. Northern Ireland has a larger proportion of people aged 65 and over at 18%, compared to the Republic's 15%. There are also slightly more females on the island than males. The population of the island of Ireland was made up of 3,484,496 males and 3,575,186 females, a sex ratio of 97.5 males to every 100 females. The population on the island of Ireland was roughly 8.5 million before the Great Famine of 1844. By the end of the famine, the population had fallen down to about 6.6 million. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Almost 200,000 new historical records released to mark 103rd anniversary of Four Courts fire
The 175,000 records have been released to mark the 103rd anniversary of the fire at Dublin's Four Courts that destroyed the Public Record Office of Ireland, along with 700 years of Irish history. Available to view for the first time are more than 60,000 names from the 19th century census destroyed in the 1922 fire, which occurred during the Civil War. Compiled from transcriptions preserved in the National Archives of Ireland and the Record Office of Northern Ireland, the recovered transcripts contain details of the lives of ordinary people across Ireland in the decades around the time of the Famine. Started three years ago, the VRTI project is led by Trinity College Dublin and supported by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. 'We are excited to release our latest collections freely online for citizen researchers, students, and the academic community. The scale, scope, and significance of these materials is remarkable,' Trinity historian Dr Peter Crooks said. 'They will be of huge interest to anyone exploring Ireland's story as a global island. "Thousands of names of individuals from before and after the Great Famine; extensive intelligence reports from the Tudor era; and a host of medieval records presented in English alongside the original Latin parchment – these vast and varied collections are a testament to the power of collaboration.' In the three years since it was launched, the VRTI has put together more than 350,000 records and 250 million words of searchable Irish history. Other new additions to the VRTI include documents telling stories from the 1798 Rebellion and Irish links to the American Revolution, and five million words of Anglo-Norman Irish history from 1170 to 1500 translated into English. 'A stand-out for me is the extraordinary detective work by our research team and partners in Dublin and Belfast on the pre-Famine census returns. Millions of names were lost, tragically, in 1922 when those records went up in flames,' Dr Crooks said. 'But today, on the 103rd anniversary of the fire, we are releasing more than 60,000 names newly recovered from those very census returns. "It's a tremendous achievement. What we have uncovered after years of painstaking archival work will help families across the world trace their story deeper into the Irish past.'
