Time to ward off those evil spirits and welcome the good ones!
Halloween is generally linked to the festival of Samhain or Samuin (‘Sow-en’) which is derived from old Irish and means ‘summers end’ – or the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Partly a festival of the dead, the ancient Celts believed the border between this and the otherworld became thin on Samhain allowing spirits, good and evil, to pass through.
Family ancestors were to be welcomed and honoured whilst harmful spirits had to be warded off, and costumes and masks were used to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit, thereby avoiding danger.
In old English the word ‘Hallow’ meant ‘sanctify’, and All Hallows Day is intended to honour all Saints in heaven, known or unknown, and used to be one of the most significant days of the church year.
Jack o’Lanterns
Irish children used to light up carved out potatoes or turnips for Halloween. They remembered Jack, a shifty villain so wicked that neither God nor the Devil wanted him, and rejected by both he wandered the world seeking a place to rest – his only warmth a shining candle in an old turnip.
The Irish famine during the mid-1800s lead to mass immigration to the Americas, and these immigrants brought their traditions of Halloween and Jack o’Lanterns with them. Turnips were not as readily available and the American pumpkin became Jack’s new home!
Trick or Treat
Trick or treating has various origins. During Samhain the Druids believed that the dead would play tricks on mankind causing panic and destruction. The spirits had to be appeased and country people would give the Druids food as they visited their homes. Early Christian beggars would also walk from village to village on All Souls Day begging for ‘soul cakes’. The more cakes received the more prayers they would say on behalf of the dead relatives thereby expediting a soul’s passage to heaven.
Today it’s a bit different… eeks!
Halloween Masks
In early times people wore masks after disasters believing the demons who brought their misfortune would become frightened. Even after the festival of Samhain had merged with Halloween Europeans still felt uneasy, and food was stored in preparation for the winter and the house was kept snug and warm. The jealous ghosts were outside, and those who went out after dark often wore masks to avoid being recognised.
Superb Ireland, fantastic effort and great support from the fans, well done.
And what happens, Thierry Henry handballs a pass (would have gone out otherwise) that gives France a goal and takes them through to the world cup. No question, it may have been an instinctive reaction but he definitely pushes his arm forward to keep the ball in play – and he doesn’t really do himself any favours by insisting otherwise. (McShane’s taken a bit of stick, but i think the ball was going out as far as he was concerned and he’d done enough to cover it.)
The referee could have asked Henry if it was a handball, but presumably didn’t want to put the player in a difficult spot, the linesman could have called it but didn’t. The referee is supposed to enforce the laws of the game, only this time he didn’t stop to consider if a ‘crime’ had been committed in the first place.
Law 5 – Though shalt turn a blind eye if you feel it suits the interests of FIFA?
Hmmm?
I guess it’ll all calm down, but to me Ireland was the best team, out-played the opposition, totally professional, are true heroes, and deserved the opportunity for the result to go to penalties.
This was the French coach’s words after the match:
“It was hard, laborious and indeed miraculous,” he told French television. “I was sure we would make it though. My forecast was 1-1!”
Hand of god type miraculous i wonder?
Or maybe as FIFA describe it themselves -‘a stroke of luck’
(Didn’t take long to rewrite history!)
The French are going to the world cup, but in the back of their minds they should never forget how they got there – they have a technically incorrect decision and a ‘stroke’ to thank for it!
And latterly, FIFA President Blatter’s response to Ireland’s on 30/11/09…
Not sure what to make of that, sounds ok to start with but the laughter at the end seems to be dismissive or condescending? Personally I thought the idea of team 33 (despite the rejigging) was a good solution. Sent an email to the Jean-Pierre.Escalettes@fff.fr of the French Football Federation to that effect myself on 20.11.09…
Dear Sir,
I urge you to re-consider your stance regarding qualification for the World Cup.
As ambassadors of football surely the FFF also feel uncomfortable with the current situation.
If a replay is impossible, then maybe you could suggest to FIFA that Ireland should also qualify on the basis of a technically incorrect decision by the match officials.
Kind regards,
Michael Regan.
www.diaspora.ie
Needless to say no response, but thought it worth asking anyway.
And for anyone who says ‘get over it, it’s just a game’ – tell that to FIFA and their sponsors who pile in hundreds of millions of euros for product placement. Bet they don’t allow liberties when someone starts flogging copycat merchandise! Mon Dieu!
And delving deeper…
When the endemic cynicism of league football spills over so visibly on to the international stage then the people who look down from above (sponsors etc) will start to question if a line has been crossed. There’s a fine balance between allowing cheating (which in turn encourages tribal loyalties and a sort of warped competitiveness on the field and in the stands), and running the risk that fans themselves become cynical and move away from the game.
The question: Is there any threat to revenue?
Bear in mind that Adidas, for example, are investing 315 million Euros in the World Cup / FIFA in exchange for prominent product marketing etc, and they expect a good return on their investment. This is the 60th year since Adolf Dassler first registered Adidas in the Commercial Register, and they want their celebrations to be a success. “Football is the heart and soul of Adidas” and with their key market tainted by unsporting actions on the pitch it does little to complement the image they like to portray.
To put this into perspective, and according to Bloomberg, Adidas AG expects its 2010 World Cup-related merchandise sales to exceed $1.8 billion next year.
Have you heard of Adidas Fair Play Cologne – wonder if an ad for that will appear in South Africa! Then there’s the Adidas Thierry Henry World Cup Jerseys which retail at about $99 – i suspect the queue for those just got shorter as well.
The business of professional football is as much about building brands, selling celebrity, capitalising on controversy, and pumping up the excitement as it is about kicking a ball, and the complexities behind the scenes are often lost in the noise. The play-off seeding, and the associated change in the rules by FIFA to give the bigger countries a better chance of qualifying, indicate where the current priorities are. This was to ensure as many fans (wallets) as possible are interested in the World Cup, and on the planes to South Africa.
More money spent means bigger sponsorship in the coming years – and the relationship between FIFA and it’s sponsors is very symbiotic.
FIFA itself is also under scrutiny – here’s a couple of articles from ‘Play The Game’ that give you a sense of things…
Thierry Henry is a victim of the system he operates in, no sympathy it’s his choice, and Domenech may be sacrificed at some point soon too – what really counts though is whether those who run the football scene see financial value in keeping the game the way it is, or whether they decide it’s time to adopt a different strategy.
If players themselves want more honesty in the game they should be insisting FIFA implements either video arbitration, extra sideline officials, or stricter punishments (or a combination of all) before they go to the World Cup.
Furthermore someone needs to be reminded that teams should be able to qualify for competitions based on their abilities. Changing the rules to lock out ‘underdogs’ in favour of bigger profits is NOT fair play!
“It was just necessary to exploit what was exploitable”
(Think about those words, in the world of football do they go deeper than face value?)
A sad day for the game, and sorry to say not a proud one for the French either.
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Original pre-match posts:
We’re in the World Cup qualifier play-offs and it’s Ireland vs France before we can get to South Africa. The first tie is in Dublin on the 14th November, and the second in Paris on 18th November.
I believe we could trip up the French, but it isn’t an easy one. What we need is big Irish support both home and away. Support in Dublin is guaranteed, but the Paris stands could be looking very blue!
First we’ve got French coach, Monsieur Domenech, urging the French fans to grab all available tickets as quick as poss and keep the Irish down to the 10% allocation, and then Ooh-la-la O’Leary goes and ramps up Ryanair charges for the day! (300+ Euros return, but about 50 Euros a week later).
Whilst we might do the same if we were the French coach, i’m not so sure about an Irish airline making it harder for Irish fans to support the team. I can get it if from the business aspect, but how about a bit of Irish solidarity for a great event that only happens once in 4 years.
I like Ryanair, flew with them a couple of weeks ago and will again. I just think Micky boy looks better in green, and he should drop the fare and get as many Irish fans over there as possible!
Once every four years – come on Michael!
Feck it’ll be a party anyway! (Paris here we come…!)
Good luck Ireland
Ok, quick update 14th Nov: 1-0 to France in Dublin tonight – Ireland played well in the first half but France got the upper hand in the 2nd. The goal was deflected in so a bit lucky, but France had most of the possession in the final 45 so maybe justified. The lads showed great heart, good composure, and all’s not lost, but it’ll have to be a mighty effort on Wednesday to pull it off – it’d be a coup but we CAN still do it!!!
West Cork Arts Centre was established in 1985 in Skibbereen, Co. Cork, and supports a multi-disciplinary arts program with a strong focus on modern and contemporary visual art.
The centre is committed to the development of opportunities for artists, especially in rural communities, and because of it’s success and growing demand is planning to move from it’s rented premises to a new building nearby at the site of Wolfe’s Bakery. The new space will provide a quality arts facility for the community, vastly improved exhibition and studio spaces, and in their own words ‘will have a positive impact on the aesthetic, cultural, social, economic and educational fabric of the region’.
So far WCAC has secured €1.5 million from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, €1.4 million from Cork County Council, €375,000 from the Bollinger family, and has received huge support from the local community and other arts and cultural organisations in the region, and from artists and practitioners themselves.
They now have one final hurdle to jump – to raise €275,000 in the next 3 months. If the centre fails to raise this final 8% then the other funding pledged will lapse and the project will be cancelled.
I received a call for help from Alyn Fenn from the centre last week. They are trying to make contact with any organizations or associations in America, Canada and the UK that have connections to West Cork and whose members might like to ‘buy a brick’ to help them meet their target.
If you know of, or are associated with any organisations that would like to get involved then please contact the centre direct.
I really hope WCAC achieves it’s aim here. I’ve been to a couple of performances and exhibitions and what they accomplish is both exhilarating and exciting. Any assistance, no matter how big or small, that helps them get their new building I know will be greatly appreciated.
Congratulations to Judi, Tom, and Adam with the announcement that the HSE have approved their appeal. Common sense prevailed and hopefully Adam will be on the way to get his treatment soon.
It’s great news, and we whole-heartedly wish him well and all the best for the future.
I’ll leave the original article as below, and we’ve closed the email campaign so a big thank you on behalf of Judi to everyone who voiced their support. If Adam’s story is new to you…
Adam Costello-Doherty is a 14 year old boy who suffers from CVID (common variable immune deficiency), but due to medical expertise in the US he is one of the few who hasn’t needed a marrow transplant.
The treatment in the US was recommended 7 years ago by Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin, and initially he was travelling to New Jersey every 3 weeks to the Paediatric Centre for Rare and Complex Disorders. He has proven to be a fantastic medical success, so much so he is now a case study for PHD students in Sweden, and these days only needs follow-up injections (albeit life essential) every 6 months.
Now all the good work is in jeopardy. The HSE has ruled he is no longer eligible for treatment in the US, and that his mother Judi should seek alternative arrangements in Europe under the E112(IE) scheme. There is one major flaw however – nowhere in Europe can treat him!
The six monthly injections are relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of the earlier care, and it seems crazy that the HSE should put Adam at risk when he’s made such good progress. It also seems unjust that the HSE should suddenly close the door when they were willing to support Adams treatment in the US in the first place.
Judi is a brilliant mother who has done everything she can to ensure her son gets the best chance possible, and you have to admire her for that. On top of CVID Adam also suffers from Pandas syndrome, Tourette syndrome, obsessive–compulsive disorder, attention-deficit disorder, asthma and kidney issues, yet he is still managing to live life to the full.
It’s hard to see the HSE logic here whereby a success could be turned into a failure, and common sense tells you there’s only one way to deal with this…
The HSE agreed to treat Adam for the past eight years in the US under the E112 (IE) Scheme, and should continue to support his treatment in the US until a suitable alternative is available under the E112(IE) scheme.
Here’s Judi’s Facebook Group – if you’re on FB join the group and help her raise further awareness of her son’s case.
This isn’t meant to be scientific as such, more a snapshot of your thoughts. If you have a couple of minutes it’d be great if you could scan the questions and vote on any you feel relevant. (If you have any you think should be added let us know).
Irish and Irish Descent Abroad :
It’ll be interesting to see what feedback we get and your time is very much appreciated. If you’d like to add anything, or voice an opinion, you can also leave a comment below.
Grab your ticket and your suitcase, thunder’s rolling down this track
Don’t know where you’re goin’ now, but you know you won’t be back
Darlin’ if you’re weary, lay your head upon my chest
We’ll take what we can carry, y’and we’ll leave the rest
Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
Well here I will provide for you, and I’ll stand by your side
You’ll need a good companion now, for this part of the ride
Leave behind your sorrows, let this day be the last
Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine, and all this darkness past
Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams
Meet me in a land of hope and dreams
Well this train carries saints and sinners, this train carries losers and winners
This train carries whores and gamblers, this train carries lost souls
I said this train dreams will not be thwarted, this train faith will be rewarded
This train hear the steel wheels singin’, this train bells of freedom ringin’
Well this train carries saints and sinners, this train carries losers and winners
This train, carries whores and gamblers, this train carries lost souls
I said this train carries broken-hearted, thieves and sweet souls departed
This train carries fools and kings, this train, all aboard
I said now this train, dreams will not be thwarted
This train, faith will be rewarded,
This train, hear the steel wheels singin’
This train, bells of freedom ringin’
I said this train, I said this train, board this train
People get ready, there’s a train comin’
People get ready, there’s a train comin’
People get ready, people get ready
People get ready, people get ready
People get ready, there’s a train comin’
Don’t need no ticket just get on board.
Bruce Springsteen, paternal grandmother Martha O’Hagan, and great-great-grandmother Ann Garrity from County Westmeath who left Ireland in 1852.
Just think, if it wasn’t for An Gorta Mor we might not have Bruce!
Keep on rockin’ it’s a strange world but sometimes isn’t it great!
Right now you can send a letter to Michael Regan, Scrahanaleary, West Cork, Ireland, and it’ll drop in our letter box – fairly quickly too.
Ireland is the only country in Europe that doesn’t use a postcode system, and it isn’t really a problem. The only time you might run into difficulty is on websites that insist on a code as part of your address. Then it’s make one up time – I’ve used CO1, CO2 and WC1!
But change beckons and the Minister for Communications has announced the introduction of a national postcode system from 2011. So what format should it be?
Numbers, or numbers and letters unrelated to placenames in any language
Something new, possibly improving on systems in use in other countries
I tend to agree with Conradh na Gaeilge that we shouldn’t base the format on the english spelling of placenames, but not sure how well it would work for Irish placenames either. For example Ballydehob in Irish is Béal Átha Dá Chab (mouth of the two river fords) so would we go with BÁDC or BÁ or similar, and how complex would it be differentiating one area from another?
Personally I like the idea of IE followed by a numeric code (IE 10123), or possibly IE followed by a county prefix, followed by a numeric code, (IE CO123). Whichever way we go it would be good to have something with a national identity.
Update: 31st Jan 2010 – The Department of Communications has issued an invitation to tender for implementation of the system, due in by the end of 2011. An alphanumeric model to identify clusters of houses has been approved, and would read, for example, as D02 123 or ATH 123.
The press release also states the format will have a geo-coordinate at its centre, making it compatible with global positioning and navigation systems. What this means for individual houses, or the final format, waits to be seen – will be interesting to see how GPS coordinates are built in whilst keeping the postcode easy to remember.
Give us the news and we’ll pass it on…
If you have a story to tell, launched a new business, got an initiative off the ground, landed on a foreign shore and getting your foot on the first rung, or just have some good news with an inspirational nature let us know and we'll pass it on.
Halloween is generally linked to the festival of Samhain or Samuin (‘Sow-en’) which is derived from old Irish and means ‘summers end’ – or the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Partly a festival of the dead, the ancient Celts believed the border between this and the otherworld became thin on Samhain allowing spirits, good and evil, to pass through. 
The Irish famine during the mid-1800s lead to mass immigration to the Americas, and these immigrants brought their traditions of Halloween and Jack o’Lanterns with them. Turnips were not as readily available and the American pumpkin became Jack’s new home!
In early times people wore masks after disasters believing the demons who brought their misfortune would become frightened. Even after the festival of Samhain had merged with Halloween Europeans still felt uneasy, and food was stored in preparation for the winter and the house was kept snug and warm. The jealous ghosts were outside, and those who went out after dark often wore masks to avoid being recognised.
I like Ryanair, flew with them a couple of weeks ago and will again. I just think Micky boy looks better in green, and he should drop the fare and get as many Irish fans over there as possible!
Adam Costello-Doherty is a 14 year old boy who suffers from CVID (common variable immune deficiency), but due to medical expertise in the US he is one of the few who hasn’t needed a marrow transplant. 
But change beckons and the Minister for Communications has announced the introduction of a national postcode system from 2011. So what format should it be?
