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The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Our greatest export has always been our people – Irish abroad can play valuable role in nation's future & global links
IRELAND this week launched an online consultation for the Irish diaspora: The Global Irish Survey. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, made the announcement on a visit to 2 Minister Neale Richmond said the Irish abroad can play a huge role in the nation's future on the global stage Credit: Getty 2 Minister Richmond has said he wants to hear from Irish expats around the world Credit: PA The survey is the latest in a series of consultations he is having with Irish communities around the world as part of the To date, he has met with representatives of the Irish community in Nairobi, In the weeks and months ahead, he will host sessions in the Writing in the Irish Sun today, Minister Richmond says he has heard first hand from many remarkable members of our diaspora on the challenges and opportunities of being Irish overseas. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS IRELAND has come a long way since some of the darkest days in our Emigration has always been a constant for the people of this country. Indeed, the Great Hunger and various periods of our past, where poverty and unemployment were extremely high, were times of significant migration from our island. Many of the people who left these shores in the 1980s, for example, would barely recognise the country which they left all those years ago. Most read in The Irish Sun There isn't a family anywhere in Ireland that doesn't have a relation abroad, be it the uncle in The experience of many Irish people who left these shores has been mixed. Victoria Smurfit leads Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade Plenty of the Irish diaspora have made incredibly successful careers and livelihoods for themselves all across the world — the Irish American story is one significant pillar of the fabled 'American Dream' — but equally the Irish have also experienced significant discrimination. One need only think of the 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish' signs which were commonplace in London in the 1950s. The story of the Irish abroad is one of opportunity and hard work. Our greatest export has always been our people. GREATEST EXPORT They have always enriched the different places which they call their new home, despite the reasons for leaving. But who or what is the Irish diaspora in 2025? How do we define that; and do we have a catch all representation of this diaspora? In line with commitments in the Programme for Government, work is underway on preparing the development of the next Diaspora Strategy. Central to this is a series of consultations, which I am in the process of conducting, with diaspora communities and key stakeholders overseas and in Ireland. Since my appointment as Minister with responsibility for the Diaspora, this process of con-sultation has taken me to Brussels, Nairobi, Boston, Philadelphia, Glasgow, and Manchester. INCLUSIVE APPROACH In the weeks and months ahead, I will host sessions in the Middle East, across the US and Canada and at home to name but a few. This week, I launched the first ever global online consultation of the Irish Diaspora - the Irish Abroad: The Global Irish Survey. This survey will build on the in-person consultations and ensure we hear from as many voices as possible in order to reflect the diversity and values of our contemporary diaspora. The findings of the survey will feed into our consideration of the new strategy. LISTENING EAR It will also form the baseline for future surveys with the intention to roll others out on a regular basis, and to build up a picture over time of interests and issues that Irish communities overseas feel are important. The world, Ireland and immigration has changed since our last strategy was launched in 2020. To understand the issues affecting both long-standing emigrants and newer arrivals, I am keen to hear from a range of voices and experiences in order to ensure the new strategy meets the needs of global Irish communities and can adapt to evolving circumstances. As I'm finding out as I meet people all over the world, 'Ireland' and 'the Irish' are terms that mean a lot of different things to different sections of our diaspora. It is important that we continue to take a broad and inclusive definition of our diaspora that reflects our modern and diverse Ireland. REAL WORLD BENEFIT We are a community that encompasses Irish born citizens; and those with parents or grandparents born on the island; others with ancestral ties, as well as an affinity diaspora who may have once lived, studied or worked here; and those who hold a deep appreciation for our people and culture. Getting to hear the views of Ireland's diaspora has allowed me to delve into and reflect on some of the key issues facing our diaspora, but also some of the opportunities that the Irish abroad community presents for us as a nation. Our new diaspora strategy is not just about staying in touch with our Irish abroad, but provides very real benefits during these uncertain economic times. Our diaspora and affinity diaspora who live in the US provide us with very real and tangible benefits through their connections to state legislators and the business community. These relationships, in the US and elsewhere, are crucial to copper-fastening our current trading relationships, but also in forging new ones. FUTURE ROLE During my most recent trip to the US, I launched the Ireland-Massachusetts Trade Forum. This forum consists of Massachusetts state legislators, business leaders, educators and academics. These people, with their profound connections to Ireland, provide us with the expertise and links to opportunities. As the world becomes an ever more uncertain place, our Irish abroad can play a growing role. We need a truly representative diaspora strategy. To achieve this, we need to hear from you.
Irish Examiner
08-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Michael Flatley tells court security for costs application is an attempt to embarrass him
Lord of the Dance star Michael Flatley has claimed that a court application to require him to put up €2.8million security for costs in advance of his upcoming action over works carried out at his Cork mansion, Castlehyde is 'a final effort to derail my claim'. And the entertainer in an affidavit opened to the Commercial Court said it was also an attempt to embarrass him. Michael Flatley's counsel, Ronnie Hudson BL instructed by Maxwell Mooney solicitor, told the court that the dancing star is an Irish citizen and has assets in this jurisdiction and he contended it could be 'a form of discrimination' if the court were to make an order for security of costs against him. Ms Justice Eileen Roberts has been asked by the parties being sued over work carried out on Castlehyde in Fermoy after a 2016 fire, to order that as much as €2.8m be lodged in court by the entertainer in advance of the hearing of the action. A security for costs application is usually made when the defendants in the case apply to the court seeking to have their costs covered if they end up successfully defending the main proceedings. The application in the Flatley case is expected to last two days. Michael Flatley's Statement of Affairs In an affidavit opened to the court, Mr Flatley said Lord of the Dance is continuing to sell out venues worldwide and he had spent the last 30 years of his life travelling the world promoting Ireland and Irish culture globally. He said Lord of the Dance has sold over €1bn worth of tickets. Lord of the Dance, which he said had received 'a lifetime of standing ovations' has been valued 'at a conservative minimum of €200 million". Mr Flatley also said a section of New York's 42nd St was renamed Flatley Way in recognition of his Irish American cultural work. Mr Flatley said his Statement of Affairs which valued Lord of the Dance at €200m, his whiskey business at €10m and his Castlehyde mansion at €20m is accurate. He said he owns all of the rights and intellectual property for Lord of the Dance and the valuation could be double the €200m figure. He said his liability is a €7.9m mortgage on Castlehyde which will be repaid from his business activities over the next two years. He said he agreed with the €20m valuation on Castlehyde and he regarded the suggestion that a €10.5m valuation by the defendants for the mansion is in any way credible as 'complete nonsense'. Mr Flatley in the affidavit which was sworn last month also said he 'intends to return to live in Ireland permanently as soon as possible'. Andrew Fitzpatrick SC for the underwriting and insurance defendants submitted Mr Flatley lives in Monaco, outside the EU. He said Mr Flatley's suggestion that Lord of the Dance could be worth €400m was a "wild assertion." The entertainer, he said, has repeatedly averred in court documents that he is a man of means and has means to pay costs and the court could take comfort in the fact that if it makes the order for security for costs it won't stop Mr Flatley's access to the courts. Michael Flatley told the court he regarded the suggestion that a €10.5m valuation by the defendants for his Castlehyde mansion is in any way credible as 'complete nonsense'. File picture: Denis Minihane The question to be answered, counsel said, is whether Mr Flatley has sufficient or ample assets in this jurisdiction against which an order for costs can be forced. He said his clients were concerned there are not sufficient assets in this jurisdiction and he contended the €20m value Mr Flatley puts on his Castlehyde mansion should be discounted. Counsel for Austin Newport, Stephen Dowling SC, said his side say that Mr Flatley used Castlehyde as a holiday home and as 'an ad hoc temporary residence from time to time'. In the main proceedings, the Riverdance performer claims he and his family had to vacate the Castlehyde period property in October 2023 after alleged toxic chemical residue was detected during routine maintenance. Mr Flatley is suing Austin Newport Group Ltd, the main contractor and insurance underwriters — MS Amlin Underwriting Ltd, AXA XL Underwriting Agencies LTD and Hamilton Managing Agency Limited along with Lloyds Insurance Company. All of the allegations are denied. The application for security for costs continues on Wednesday. Read More Michael Flatley challenges demand to lodge €2.8m as security for costs in Cork mansion case
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power - parenting ideals challenged by real-life experience
Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power Author : Augustine Sedgewick ISBN-13 : 9781035035748 Publisher : Picador Guideline Price : £20 The Irish - American politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan knew all too well how painful it is to have a bad father. As a 10-year-old boy during the Great Depression, he watched his alcoholic and unemployed dad leave home for good. In between tearful nightmares and therapy sessions, the future New York senator recalled feeling 'literally overwhelmed by simple, tender, childish emotions' if he ever saw men and their offspring together. When Moynihan began lobbying three successive US presidents (John F Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon) for policies that promoted responsible fatherhood, however, he got a mixed reception. His claim that poverty in African American communities was largely caused by deadbeat dads saw him accused of racial stereotyping. He also attracted criticism for suggesting a link between firm parenting and masculine self-respect. 'The very essence of the male animal,' he wrote, 'from the bantam rooster to the four-star general, is to strut.' As the Harvard-educated historian Augustine Sedgewick shows in this erudite, stimulating but overly earnest book, fatherhood has always been a divisive issue. One of the world's oldest texts, The Instructions of Shuruppag, describes a Sumerian king giving his son such useful tips as: 'You should not make a well in your field ... you should not place your house next to a public square ... you should not have sex with your slave girl.' Few modern-day readers will be surprised that Shuruppag often finds himself pleading for the boy's attention and obedience. Like many men, Sedgewick's own ideals about parenthood have been challenged by real-life experience. Shortly before the author's first child was born around a decade ago, his dad suffered a stroke and required round-the-clock care. The resulting upheaval left him with an age-old question: what's the correct balance a father should strike between being a friend, teacher, disciplinarian and (ultimately) dependent? READ MORE Sedgewick's investigation takes the form of 10 potted biographies (some stand-alone, others intermingled), profiling gifted or powerful individuals who expressed strong views on the matter. He begins with Plato's radical plan to eliminate traditional parenthood in ancient Greece, organising 'public festivals of polygamous sex' and taking the resulting babies away to be raised by nurses. Aristotle spent 20 years studying at Plato's Academy but reached the opposite conclusion, arguing that strong ties between individual fathers and children were key to a healthy society. In lucid but solemn prose, Sedgewick explains how fatherhood has constantly been redefined by political, economic and religious changes. Patria potestas (power of the father) was the fundamental principle of Ancient Roman law, giving men extraordinary privileges such as the right to kill a daughter and her suitor if they were caught 'in the act' on family premises. The author's namesake, St Augustine, pushed back against this with his doctrine of Original Sin that maintained 'God the Father' deserved far more reverence than any earthly one. While England's King Henry VIII was no great philosopher, his search for a male heir eventually led to a huge expansion of fathers' legal powers. He found an unwitting ally in Martin Luther, the Protestant theologian who supposedly once declared, 'I would rather have a dead son than a disobedient one'. By signing the 1540 Statute of Wills that gave fathers the freedom to choose who would inherit their property, Henry ushered in a new age of 'paternal absolutism'. [ John Boyne on Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie: Toxic masculinity steals the show Opens in new window ] Even the wisest of men, Sedgewick ruefully notes, find it hard to put their parenting theories into practice. President Thomas Jefferson, widely revered as one of the 'Founding Fathers' of the United States, publicly preached that a man must not try to dominate his offspring but instead prepare them for independence. In private, sadly, he blotted his historical reputation by fathering six children with an enslaved woman and refusing to acknowledge them. Sedgewick sees the Industrial Revolution as a watershed moment for fatherhood, forcing most men to abandon the land for cities and become permanently insecure 'breadwinners'. Many of his case studies here, however, had loftier intellectual ambitions. Charles Darwin lovingly studied the 10 children he fathered for evidence to support his theory of evolution. Sigmund Freud formulated the Oedipus complex, insisting it was perfectly healthy for a child to hate or even fantasise about murdering their dad. Bob Dylan might well have agreed, since the rebellious young beatnik called strait-laced Abe Zimmerman 'a miserly tyrant' and cut off all contact with him. (For his part, Abe regarded the future Nobel Prize winner as 'a shiftless bum'.) But when Dylan had kids of his own, he became fiercely paternal and wrote the heartfelt 'sung prayer' Forever Young about wanting the best for them. Filled with vivid character sketches and clever connections, Fatherhood still feels like less than the sum of its parts. At 267 pages, it can only offer an overview of this vast subject and a summing-up chapter on being a 21st-century dad is frustratingly vague. Sedgewick's worthy but flawed book does, however, reach one firm conclusion: no father has ever managed to do the job perfectly – which for some of us comes as a deeply comforting thought.
The Journal
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Tánaiste tells US ambassador 'we want the bombs to stop' in 4th of July celebration speech
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has told the new US ambassador to Ireland that 'we want the bombs to stop' falling in Gaza and that a ceasefire agreement must be reached between Hamas and Israel, in a speech he gave at a Fourth of July celebration in the Phoenix Park this evening. Ambassador Ed Walsh, an Irish American from New Jersey, had already given his speech from a podium on a small stage set up on the lawn of his new residence. 'I have been told that this is the best job in the entire world — and judging by this past week, and especially tonight, I already believe it,' Walsh said. Harris addressed ambassador Walsh throughout his speech at the Independence Day event and began by highlighting the deep cultural, political and economic ties that link the United States and Ireland. Then he shifted to a topic on which the two countries are not aligned, Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, where more than 57,000 people have been killed since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023. 'As friends, Ireland and the United States have long shared a deep commitment to democratic values, human rights, and international cooperation,' Harris told the gathering of diplomats, family members and a few famous faces from the world of entertainment. US ambassador Ed Walsh delivers his speech Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov He said that 'true friendship is not measured by constant agreement but by the ability to engage honestly and respectfully, even when perspectives differ. 'It is in the spirit of that enduring friendship that Ireland has spoken openly and sincerely about the ongoing situation in Gaza.' The United States is Israel's closest ally and its largest arms supplier. Both the administrations of Donald Trump and his predecessor Joe Biden have supported Israel throughout the war. Harris said that Ireland has always condemned Hamas as a 'terrorist organisation' and supported 'Israel's right to live in peace'. He reiterated Ireland's position that all hostages in Gaza must be released. Advertisement 'But we also want the bombs to stop, the killing to stop, and I know we, as I know you do, want to see a ceasefire, where humanitarian aid can get to the people suffering horrific injuries, starvation and disease. 'Because the cry of a child is the same in any language. It compels us to provide comfort and protection from harm. 'As human beings in positions of power, we can no longer bear the heartbreaking cries of the children of the Middle East. 'And I join, I know, with everyone here in urging everybody involved to support and engage in efforts underway to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement, to redouble those efforts and to end the violence once and for all.' That last line was met with tepid applause from the crowd, but not by the host. Ed Walsh moved as if to clap, then decided not to join in the applause. Harris then recalled the US involvement in reaching the Good Friday Agreement, when it put its 'reputation on the line'. 'We must honour our history by putting our own reputation on the line in the search for peace,' Harris said. He rounded off the speech with a couple of sports-related jokes. Walsh has ancestry from Clare and Cork and Harris told him his choice of allegiance when it comes to hurling 'will be closely watched'. The ambassador is also a keen golfer and the Tánaiste quipped that he's probably looking forward to trying out some of the country's many courses. Outside the garden party, lining the road, were about 50 people demonstrating against the US involvement in Israel's war against Gaza, which Harris himself has called 'genocidal'. Back inside, there was some entertainment lined up with Riverdance creator Michael Flatley playing the flute and singer Una Healy performing. With reporting from Niall O'Connor and Eimer McAuley 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
RTÉ News
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Mary Lavin, J.D. Salinger and her path to The New Yorker's pages
We present an extract from Gratefully & Affectionately: Mary Lavin & The New Yorker, the new book by Gráinne Hurley. Between 1958 and 1976, the Irish American writer Mary Lavin had sixteen stories published in The New Yorker, after J. D. Salinger introduced her to the magazine. It was a prolific time for Lavin, helped in no small part by her close working relationship with her chief editor there, Rachel MacKenzie. Gráinne Hurley's debut, draws extensively from Lavin and MacKenzie's letters, offers a fascinating insight into the lives of two brilliant 20th-century literary women. When The New Yorker first made overtures to Mary Lavin in November of 1957, she was a 45-year-old widow tasked with the sole responsibility of raising her three young daughters (the youngest of whom was aged four), caring for her elderly mother and managing the family farm in Bective, County Meath. At this stage, Lavin was an internationally established writer, with six volumes of short stories, two novels and a children's book under her belt, but she had only resumed writing the previous year, following her husband's untimely death in May 1954. Lavin's creative hiatus was not due to writer's block but because, as she later explained to The New Yorker, she 'didn't think life itself worth living'. Her Atlantic editor, Edward 'Ted' Weeks, visited Lavin two weeks before her husband, William Walsh, died and witnessed first-hand the devastating effect his illness had upon her. He was doubtful 'that she would have either the time or the energy to write after her husband's death. Certainly, she did not have either now, but the difficulty ran deeper than that. She had lost faith in her ability to write.' As the family's breadwinner, Lavin relied heavily on writing for her livelihood. There was some income from the farm but the bills were beginning to rack up. In the spring of 1956 she had written to her literary mentor, the Anglo-Irish writer Lord Dunsany, about lecturing opportunities in England but he recommended that Lavin consider reading in the US instead as it was more profitable and would be a better fit for her. Dunsany gave Lavin the address for his lecture agents in New York and let her know that Curtis Brown in London could put her in touch with lecture agents in London. That summer Lavin consulted her friend Eudora Welty, the celebrated American writer from Jackson, Mississippi, about the possibility of giving readings in America. Welty advised Lavin to contact Elizabeth Bowen ('you know how she esteems you') about potential opportunities, given that she had embarked on a series of lucrative literary lectures and readings in universities and colleges across the United States. She also thought that Jean Stafford and the Anglo-Irish writer and critic James Stern would be able to give her good advice and she offered to write to the Poetry Center in New York. Lavin was a great admirer of Bowen's work and Bowen was very pleased to have finally made Lavin's acquaintance and grateful to Welty for opening up the lines of communication between them. Bowen informed Lavin that the National Concert and Artists Corporation in New York managed her readings in the US and she had 'no doubt, knowing how your work is admired "over there", that you would have an enthusiastic reception'. Bowen suggested that Lavin contact the firm directly or get Edward Weeks, Eudora Welty, Jean Stafford or James Stern to do so on her behalf. She sympathised with Lavin on the death of William, having lost her own husband, Alan, four years earlier. Bowen invited Lavin to meet her for lunch upstairs in Jammet's, the famous Dublin restaurant, on 13 September: 'I could then tell you far more about America, besides the pleasure of seeing you and being able to talk.' The two women evidently met on this occasion because on 10 October Welty wrote to see how their meeting went and expressed how much she wished she could have been present also. Lavin also reached out to the American novelist and New Yorker contributor Nancy Wilson Ross, who likewise advised her to get in touch with Stern. She raised the possibility of Lavin reading, à la Dylan Thomas, at the Poetry Center where John Malcolm Brinnin was the director. Welty duly contacted the National Concert and Artists Corporation for Lavin but the agency was non-committal about the prospect of taking on Lavin on as a client because it felt that she was not very well known in the US, having had only one book published there. In fact, the Boston publisher Little, Brown and Company had published two collections of Lavin's short stories: Tales from Bective Bridge in 1942, which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1943, and At Sallygap and Other Stories in 1947. It also reprinted her first novel, The House in Clewe Street, in 1945, which had been serialised in The Atlantic Monthly under the title 'Gabriel Galloway', and published her second novel, Mary O'Grady, in 1950. In 1957 Lavin began corresponding with the renowned American writer J. D. Salinger, best known for his 1951 literary classic The Catcher in the Rye, about potential American markets and publishing opportunities. Salinger and Lavin had never met but they had mutual friends in Eudora Welty, Jean Stafford and the theatre director and playwright John Beary, who likely initiated their communication. Although Salinger revealed to Lavin that he only faintly knew Welty, he passed word to her through friends they had in common that he and Lavin were now acquainted. Lavin was on much more familiar terms with Welty. The two women greatly admired each other's work over the years and they finally met on Welty's first trip to Ireland in 1950, while she was extending her Guggenheim-funded tour of Europe. Welty visited Lavin at her farm and the pair became lifelong friends, sending each other copies of their latest publications. Stafford was also a fan of Lavin's writing and in a letter expressed a desire to meet her on a planned visit to Dublin 'because I admire your work enormously'. She subsequently stayed with Lavin and William in Meath in 1949. Incidentally, Salinger had also been hoping to visit Ireland, but he explained to Lavin that it was no longer possible due to illness in his wife's family and also because he had returned to work that he had begun a few years earlier. Salinger sympathised with Lavin on the precariousness of a literary career and her financial situation and encouraged her to contact The New Yorker, with which he had strong ties, because it paid well. Welty and Stafford were among the many female authors, including Maeve Brennan, Mavis Gallant, Elizabeth Hardwick and Dorothy Parker, who were contributing fiction to The New Yorker at this time. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, made his debut appearance in Salinger's first New Yorker short story, 'Slight Rebellion off Madison', published on 21 December 1946. However, in 1951 The New Yorker had declined to publish an extract from the novel because 'the precocity of the four Caulfield children was not believable, and that the writing was showoffy – that it seemed designed to display the author's cleverness rather than to present the story'. The rejection did not colour Salinger's opinion of the magazine and he continued to submit stories and encouraged Lavin to do likewise. Lavin subscribed to The New Yorker and Salinger was grateful for her praise of his recent story 'Zooey', which featured in its 4 May 1957 issue.
