NEWS

Watch Mary Bourke reciting the Humble Spud:

Emerald Lounge presents Young Wolfe Tones & Grada

Melbourne’ s premier Celtic concert venue, the Emerald Lounge at the Clifton Hill Hotel, proudly presents the Young Wolfe Tones and Grada.

On Sunday May 31, Derek Warfield & the Young Wolfe Tones from Ireland hit the Emerald Lounge stage at 9 pm. Tickets are are $35 prior and $40 on the night (if any left). One Melbourne show only. Book by phone, credit card welcome.

Then on Wednesday June 10, Grada (Ireland) hits the Emerald Lounge stage. Tickets are $25.

For bookings, call 03 9489 8705. You will find the Emerald Lounge in the Clifton Hill Hotel 89 Queens Parade Clifton Hill.

For more info go to: www.cliftonhillhotel.com

Talk About Amazing World Music

Richenda Bridge in Queensland sent in this inspirational video clip - a masterpiece of sound engineering that gives a whole new meaning to World Music.

The song itself is that classic standard Stand By Me originally released in 1955 by The Staple Singers, and released again in 1961 by the Drifters ... and later again by John Lennon. This version is a real toe tapper, so turn up the speaker volume, sit back and enjoy!

Save St Brigid’s - NOW

This appeal comes from Friend of St Brigid Theresa O’Brien:

It has just been announced that St Brigid’s Church and Hall, in Crossley will go up for sale by tender on June 6, 2009!!

These buildings that were built by and paid for by the Irish farmers that settled in South West Victoria, will move into private ownership unless we can raise the money to buy them back!! . This incredible church and the historic hall were built on land donated by members the local community in 1914 and will now be sold by the Parish of Koroit, contrary to the wishes of the local community.

In the Sermon by ArchBishop Mannix at the opening of St. Brigid’s Church on June 28, 1914 he said: “Congratulations to the Bishop, priests, and the people who have raised this temple. Congratulations to the people of Crossley for their generosity and self-sacrifice, and I pray that God’s blessing and the blessing of St. Brigid will rest upon them, their children and their children’s children.”

These buildings hold the story of our community, our weddings, baptisms, funerals, dances, and other gatherings. They are culturally significant, they are a testament to the passion and hard work of our Irish ancestors who came to this country with nothing and worked hard to develop a community and these community assets.

The Friends of St Brigid's have developed a plan, in consultation with the local community, to convert the church into the St Brigid’s Australian-Irish Cultural and Heritage Centre. This will keep the buildings in the community and hold true to the spirit of what these buildings were intended to be used for. With support from our State and Federal Members of Parliament, the Irish Ambassador to Australia and the Moyne Shire, this Centre will be the way forward for our community, creating a sustainable use for the precinct as well as tourism potential and therefore a benefit to nearby towns and communities as well ... and keep these buildings in the public domain!

The Friends of St Brigid’s will put in a bid as part of the Tender process, on behalf of the community, but how much we can offer for these buildings will depend on your generosity and support.

Contact our Secretary if you would like to discuss your donation or anything else regarding the Friends of St Brigid’s on 03 5568 7239 or email goanna@westvic.com.au

THE TIME HAS COME!!!
PLEASE HELP OUR COMMUNITY HOLD ONTO THEIR CULTURE, THEIR MEETING PLACE AND THEIR HISTORY.

St Nicholas @ The Bondi Pavilion

Big Eejit Productions Presents St Nicholas at The Bondi Pavilion on June 10-27.

St Nicholas is written by acclaimed Irish playwright Conor McPherson, directed by Maeliosa Stafford, and features Patrick Connolly. St Nicholas tells the story of an ageing, abusive, alcoholic Theatre Critic who, in falling for a young actress, ends up pimping for a coven of London-based Vampires in exchange for “room and board”. Is it real or an alcohol fuelled breakdown? His destruction or his redemption? Is his conscience wreaking a terrible vengeance, or guiding him back to salvation … as William says “Nature made us both” - the conscience that he lacks, which nature has bestowed on us must be acknowledged - you can deliberately do wrong, and enjoy it, but ultimately there is a responsibility that reason brings.

Maeliosa Stafford, recently returned from performing under McPherson’s direction in The Seafarer at the Abbey in Dublin is perfectly placed to provide a sure interpretation and direction, while Sydney-based Irish actor Patrick Connolly brings a depth of understanding to the role.

This highly engaging one man show is full of dark, vivid imagery and razor sharp wit, the hallmark of McPherson’s writing.

Season: June 10 - 27 (Preview June 9 at 8pm)
Performance Times: Tuesday - Saturday 8pm.
Tickets: $28; Concession: $23; Equity Members/Students: $12 (Preview $12)
Bookings: www.mca-tix.com.au or phone 1300 306 776.

Missing Irishman - Sean Walsh

This call for assistance comes from Eamon Eastwood at Taste Ireland:

Hi Kevin,

As part of the wider Irish Australian community we have joined the search for missing Irishman Sean Walsh. Sean has been missing from Randwick, Sydney since early Sunday morning. We ask you to be vigilant and help spread the word.

Sean's sister Brid, who has just arrived in Sydney from Waterford, Ireland with her sister Mairead, says it is “completely out of character” for her younger brother to go missing. The 26-year-old traveller, who arrived in Sydney last November on a year-long world trip, was last seen by his housemates at his home in Howard Street, Randwick on Sunday at 3am, Brid Walsh said.

She said Sean had not taken his mobile phone or any of his belongings with him. Sean had previously been travelling in Japan and New Zealand, but was considering staying in Sydney if he was successful in his application for a job as a biomedical engineer, Ms Walsh said. He was also about to go home to Ireland for a holiday on May 26, she said.

Sean, an avid sportsman had played Gaelic football and hurling at Michael Cusacks GAA Club in Sydney and has a lot of friends.

Sean Walsh is described as being of white or European appearance, 175 centimetres tall with a thin build, shaved brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. He was last seen wearing khaki boardshorts, khaki-hooded jumper and thongs.

Anyone with information is asked to phone Maroubra police on 02 9349 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Julian Harrison in Ireland

Julian sent in this clipping from the Roscommon People dated February 27, written by Seamus Duke:

Julian sent in this clipping from the Roscommon People dated February 27, written by Seamus Duke: The legacy of the late Dr. JJ Harrison and his contribution to life in Roscommon town in the late 1800’s was recalled recently when a great-great-nephew of the late doctor, who lived in Abbey Street, made a visit to the town from Australia.

Julian Harrison, who lives in Melbourne, was in Roscommon to visit the home town of the man who gave his name to The Harrison Hall, which is now the Bank of Ireland at The Square and is one of Roscomon town’s finest landmark buildings.

Dr. JJ Harrison was born in 1815 and lived in Abbey Street in a house now owned by the Neilan family. He was educated in Roscommon town before going to University in Edinburgh where he qualified as a doctor in 1841. Dr. Harrison served in the Roscommon Fever Hospital (which was in the Sacred Heart Home) and in the workhouse in Roscommon town. He also worked in Ballyleague Dispensary and built up a reputation for his kindness and dedication to the people of the area during one of the worst times in Ireland’s history, which covered the famine years in the 1840’s. He served in the Roscommon area for almost fifty years and remained unmarried.

He was very fond of horseracing and attended at Lenebane racecourse when he could. He also bred greyhounds. He died in 1890, on his 75th birthday, and was buried in the Church of Ireland graveyard in Roscommon town, which was the town graveyard at the time. Stories of his kindness, especially toward the poor people of the area, were legion and Dr. Harrison built up a great reputation over a wide area.

After Dr. Harrison passed away, a committee was set up in the local area to ensure that his memory would always be commemorated. There were many suggestions as to how this should happen, such as a fountain, a clock, a tower, a hall or even a statue. There was great unity amongst the townspeople that Dr. Harrison should be remembered but there was no agreement on what form it should take.

Subsequently a trust fund was set up. The Catholic Church in Roscommon town was the building in the The Square now known as the Harrison Hall (or the Bank of Ireland) for a while before the Sacred Heart Church was completed. The Harrison Hall was officially named at a concert held in the hall in 1912, which was 22 years after the death of Dr. Harrison.

Since it ceased to function as a church, the Harrison Hall served as a meeting hall, a cinema, a badminton hall and a snooker hall – and at one stage it was even a school. There were several parish events held in the hall over the years, including dances, political rallies and fund-raising bazaars. In 1977 The Harrison Hall was purchased and renovated by The Bank of Ireland and it remains as one of the main focal points of Roscommon town to this day.

Many of Dr. Harrison’s closest family members emigrated to Australia and last week one of his descendants - Julian - visited Roscommon to see where Dr. Harrison had lived and worked. He visited his grave and spoke to the townspeople and those in the Heritage and Historical Society who knew the story of Dr. Harrison. Julian explained how the Harrison family had emigrated. “Dr. Harrison’s brother, who was called Jospeh Camden Harrison, emigrated to Australia around 1850 and we in the family have letters from Roscommon from then on. We did a genealogy check on the family tree and traced back the family to Roscommon and with the graveyard and everything here in Roscommon we pieced it all together.

“What we found out was that, amazingly, the Harrison family were all professional people. There were accountants and lawyers and doctors, which was unusual at that time. My direct family are from Roscommon of course and from Waterford on my mother’s side so I’m going down there (to Waterford) after I leave Roscommon” he said.

Julian is a management accountant and business consultant in Melbourne and I asked him of his impressions of Roscommon as a town to visit. “I have really enjoyed it. The people here are very friendly and helpful and welcoming. I got the sense from people that John Harrison was very well respected in the town, which is very nice” he said.

“The town seems very prosperous and it’s a very friendly place, very ordered too - and the people are relaxed. It has a very European feel to it, especially with the number of restaurants and the variety of food. It is very cold though! I also noticed that it is a very religious place. Australia is far more secular. Anyone I met here was very forthright, especially the women, which is nice. There is a great sense of history and heritage here.

“It’s also a very quiet town ... there does not seem to be any social problems at all as far as I can see. However I would have liked to have seen some more live music, which I love! Something I also noticed is that the people are very politically aware. They seem to understand the complexity of politics very well and asked some really well-informed political questions.

“The people that I met seemed to very well educated and it seems to me to be a very successful town and it seems like it is a very safe town. The Harrison Hall/Bank of Ireland is a very impressive building and it is great to see it so well preserved. “I am very proud that the memory of Dr. John Harrison is being preserved and of course the Harrison trust is still there, which is great. On behalf of the Harrison family I would like to thank the people of Roscommon town for keeping the memory of Dr. Harrison alive and also for their kindness to me during this trip. When I go back to Australia I will be gathering together all the members of the Harrison clan to tell them about my visit and I’d also like to thank the Roscommon People newspaper too” he concluded.

It was interesting to hear what Julian Harrison made of our county town as he had never been here before. It was nice to talk to him about one of the people who made such a big impression in Roscommon almost two hundred years ago and who is still remembered for his kindness and charity to the people of the town and surrounding districts.

JAMESON JOKE OF THE MONTH

This month’s joke - Three Wee Wishes - comes from an irreverent Rob Duncanson of Sunbury, who will receive a complimentary bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey for this little gem:

An Aussie golfer on holiday in Ireland was playing one of the well known golf courses. Half way round he slices a ball into the trees, and going in to retrieve it, he finds a wee leprechaun knocked out with a large lump on his head. Being a good Aussie, he had an eskie at hand, took the ice out and applied it to the wee man’s lump. The leprechaun came round and thinking he had been caught fair and square, he said to the Aussie golfer: “OK, you have your 3 wishes”.

The Aussie golfer did not want the 3 wishes and was only concerned for the wee fella’s well-being.

On return to the home o’ the faeries, the king o’ the leprechaun’s asked him what happened to his head. He told his story to the king who was a bit put out that he didn’t insist on the 3 wishes. So the king decided to grant the golfer 3 wishes in absence:

1. That he would play par or better on any course he played.
2. That he would always have money in his pocket to buy a round of drinks when he got a hole in one.
3. He could not think of anymore golf treats so, knowing humans love sex, granted him a great sex life.

Twelve months to the day, the same Aussie golfer is playing the same golf course in Ireland, slices the ball into the trees, goes to retrieve it and sees the wee fella again - this time he had seen the ball coming!

The wee leprechaun asks the Aussie golfer how he has been going, and to his delight he hears all about his golf exploits and how he always has money in his pocket after a hole in one.

“What about your sex life?”, inquires the wee man.

“Yes it’s great”, replies the golfer, “2 or 3 times a month.”

“You call that great?” asks the wee one sarcastically.

“Well yes,” explains the golfer, “it is for a priest in a small parish.”

If you have a good joke and want to be a contender for a bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey, simply email your joke and contact details (name, address & telephone number) to: macca@blarneybulletin.com   The jokes can be in text form, photos, graphics or video (but not powerpoint presentations), or you can record your joke and send in an audio CD. 

Jameson, of course, is Australia’s finest Irish Whiskey - and that’s no joke! 

BLARNEY QUOTE OF THE MONTH

This is a new segment in the Bulletin. The inaugural quote of the month comes from Nell McGettigan in Melbourne. It is attributed to Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) in a letter to the Hon. John Bradshaw, president of the Council of State, September 1649:

“It has pleased God to bless our endeavours in Drogheda … I believe we put to the sword the whole number of the defendants. I do not think thirty of the whole number escaped with their lives. Those that did, are in safe custody for the Barbadoes … I wish that all honest hearts may give the glory to God alone, to whom indeed the praise of his mercy belongs.”

If you have a profound quote you would like to share with our readers/listeners, then please email it to macca@blarneybulletin.com

REVIEW

National Folk Festival review

The 2009 National Folk Festival was another great success - great performances, great venues, great sessions, all enjoyed among great friends. The National remains one of the great participant festivals, where the great majority of those attending actually take part in the event - as performers, through workshops, dances, sessions, or as volunteers.

I took the long way to Canberra - flying down to Melbourne a week before, catching a train to Bendigo, and driving up to the National with Simon Dillon - via the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival in Corryong, then over the Alpine Way to Canberra. After three days of Bruce Cameron’s masterclass in broadcasting, I was well and truly in festival mode.

Of course I was under strict instructions to have the campsite spick and span for Kerry when she flew in on the Thursday morning!

The highlights for me in 2009 were the welcome hooley over at the Irish Embassy, the many impromptu sessions around the campsite, Eric Bogle, David Francey, Neil Murray, Colum Sands, The Borderers, Rodney Crowell, Kutcha Edwards, Mossie Scanlon, and Maria Forde. And how could you not include the Stockman’s Camp, Dennis O’Keeffe’s Australian sessions each day, and the fabulous Session Bar each night - truly a national institution!

The four Rebel Yelp Songwriting workshops went well - thanks to all those participants. It’s so good to see that the protest song is still alive and well in Folk Australia!

The 2010 National Folk Festival will run from April 1 - 5 (Easter) at Exhibition Park in Canberra, and Tasmania will be the featured state. The Festival is not just after performers from Tasmania - stalls, instrument makers and volunteers are also encouraged to apply to take part in the event in order to make sure that Tasmania is involved with all aspects of this national event. Online performer applications will open on 1 June 2009 and will close on 31 July 2009.

For more information go to www.folkfestival.asn.au

(photo courtesy of G Morrison)

Man From Snowy River Bush Festival review

I attended the Man From Snowy River Bush Festival in Corryong on my way up to the National Folk Festival in Canberra, and as Banjo said: “it was grand to see those mountain horsemen (& women) ride!” The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival features some of the finest working horses you are likely to see in Australia.

The program includes a re-enactment of the Banjo Paterson poem (this year recited by film legend Jack Thompson), Riley’s Ride, the Man From Snowy River Challenge, rodeo, ute muster, street parade, art and photography, poetry and music (including competitions, concerts, busking and campfire sessions).

Banjo’s Block buzzed with poets, storytellers and musicians - both in the hall and around the campfire, while John Anderson and friends gave everyone a warm welcome. Special guests were Geoffrey Graham and Jill Meehan, while Helen Begley, Maggie Murphy, Brian Bell, Walt Cudlip and Bob Kingham were the competition judges, and Trevor Best was MC. Jeff Wilmott won the Australian Gum Leaf Championship - held in conjunction with the festival for the first time.

The festival finished on Sunday night with the traditional Colac Colac Caravan Park BBQ and featured entertainment by Bob Magor.

The 2010 Man From Snowy River Bush Festival will run from April 8 - 11 - it’s the weekend after Easter, so why not stop in on your way home from the National ... I know I hope to!

For more info go to www.bushfestival.com.au

Port Fairy Folk Festival review

This review comes from Pete Bird, who owns Yelp Studio in Warrnambool, sponsors the Bulletin’s Rebel Yelp Songwriters Award and is a judge in the same Award:

The world-famous Port Fairy Folk Festival lived up to its reputation as one of the best gigs around for both punter and performer.

Festival director Jamie McKew again teed up the weather to provide maximum comfort to all attending. The logistics were very well planned and all facilities set up to perfection. Great Food, excellent exhibitions and workshops.

Being involved in the audio world as a recording engineer, I must admit to taking more than a passing interest in the quality of the sound systems, their operators and staff. In my opinion, all elements performed to a very high standard. The performance areas were set up perfectly. Lights, sound, stage management, crowd management & MC’s carried out their duties in a friendly efficient manner and provided the highest level of service you’d wish for.

What are we here for? I can hear you all yelling. The music and entertainment of course.

Punters were treated to a jaw dropping smorgasbord of the best the world has to offer. Now when I say the world, I mean everywhere, and that includes Australia and our own little corner of the planet too.

I kicked back and experienced more acts than I’ve ever had the chance to watch at any Port Fairy Festival before. It seemed easier to get a good position this year - probably a direct result of the continuous improvements being made each year to venues and facilities.

The International Artists included The Beez , Séamus Begley & Jim Murray, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt & Shashank , David Francey with Craig Werth , Kane Welch Kaplin, Alan Kelly Quartet, Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, Jez Lowe with Kate Bramley, Doug MacLeod, Old Man Luedecke, Red Stick Ramblers, Shooglenifty, Nano Stern, April Verch Band , Chris While & Julie Matthews.

Australian acts included The Audreys, Eric Bogle & John Munro, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, Scared Weird Little Guys, Mark Seymour, Tripod, The Waifs, Ross Wilson & The Urban Legends, and John Williamson, Nick Charles, Lior, The Little Stevies, The Pardoners, Danny Spooner, Damian Howard & The Ploughboys, The Borderers, Celtaclysmic, Ceolaras, Claymore, Colcannon, The Currency, Dalriada, Kamerunga, Myra McRae Band, Súnas, Gibb Todd, Greg Champion, Davidson Brothers, Jordie Lane, Rusty Bucks, The Wilson Pickers, The Yearlings, Andy Alberts & The Walkabouts, Brett Clarke & Friends, The Collective, and the Kutcha Edwards Band.

Even though I saw many artists, I probably didn’t have time to see a good 30 percent of the acts on offer. This is a good reflection of the diversity available at this huge Festival - all different, all great.

Of course I loved every artist, but my absolute favourite (saw three performances) was the Red Stick Ramblers from Louisiana. A gumbo of traditional styles, Cajun, Western Swing (that’s the bit that really got me), Blues and Old School Jazz.

Being a local, I must give mention to some top local acts that I enjoyed at this year’s Festival. The Myra McRae Band, John Hudson, Oriel Glennen, Blue Heat, The Ploughboys, Dalriada, Andy Alberts, Rusty Bucks and Brett Clarke and Friends.

If you’ve been to the Port Fairy Festival you’ll know why I’m raving about it. And if you haven’t been yet, you’d better put it in your “Bucket List”.

The 2010 Port Fairy Folk Festival is on March 5-8. Performer applications are now open until July 31.

For more information go to www.portfairyfolkfestival.com

(photos courtesy of Ferne Millen)

Brunswick Music Festival review

This review comes from festival director John McAuslan:

With the excellent vocal duo of Jordie Lane and Tracy McNeil and the music of Fireside Bellows, the 2009 Brunswick Music Festival drew to a close on Sunday night March 22. It was a year marked by a slow burn fuse on the early pre sales and a late frenzy of ticket buying in the last three weeks. A sign of the times perhaps, and of course the massive impact of that dreadful Saturday, February 7, when the state went into shock as a result of Australia’s worst ever bushfires.

Of the excellent artists who performed I’d like to make special mention of Peter Rowan and the Red Stick Ramblers from the US who played four exceptional shows, both acts were first time festival performers, as was Patrick Davies who travelled from Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley; Doch who brought their sophisticated and exciting Gypsy madness from Brisbane to perform their last show before taking an extended break; Nano Stern from Chile was another highlight, and the Jeff Lang, Collard, Greens & Gravy show which proved the wonderful quality of Australia’s best roots/ blues artists.

The festival bunker is quiet post festival, glorious quiet, all the figures are falling the right way and in addition to the warm glow from presenting such great performers over 10 days we have the satisfaction of knowing the budget has been met and we will be reporting a successful outcome to the Moreland City Council and our new board of management.

From May 1 the festival will be auspiced by the newly formed community not for profit company Performing Arts Moreland. So "change is gonna come" as it always will, and we look forward to the new opportunities this development will bring to future festivals.

So a huge thank you to those of you who supported the festival again, and as I always say, feel free to comment, criticise, suggest improvements on any aspect of the festival, I'm always happy to respond. We'll be back in 2010 with another top class program, from early murmurs around the traps there will be some exceptional international artists on tour next year, and the quality of our Australian artists just keeps getting better. So stay tuned and remember to support our kind of music throughout the year in the many venues in and around the fair city.

John McAuslan (on behalf of the ever hard working Brunswick team).

COMMUNITY ACTION

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”  - Martin Luther King Jr.

Hands Off the Kimberley

Troubadour Tonchi McIntosh brings us up to date on the proposed gas hub in the Kimberley:

hi folks,
it is with great sadness that I make this post.
Yesterday a select group of people put together by the Kimberley Land Council voted to allow the liberal government of WA to proceed to the next step of constructing a massive polluting gas hub on a pristine part of Australia’s coast. Trading 60 000+ years of cultural songlines for a billion dollars over 30 years, these particular traditional owners have been told they will get schools, houses, medical centres... hang on, shouldn’t those things be a given right to all Australians?
I was there 2 weeks ago and bear witness to a living, thriving culture and ecosystem, the likes that hasn’t been seen by the rest of Australians since 1788. Think Bourke NSW before the tribes were trucked to Brewarrina from all over west NSW, never to see their birthplace again, and the cotton industry destroyed the Darling River and the billabongs and waterholes in the entire river system, and if you doubt this fact then you either own a cotton farm, or they own you, or you don't know or love anything. I haven’t seen a catfish in the western NSW area since I was 10 years old.
So I’ve had enough of industry dictating what happens on Australian people’s land. I’ve had enough of people being misinformed by governments and industry groups, and their buddies in the media so they obtain their support. And I’ve had enough of watching my country slowly lose what makes it unique and beautiful to the world.

In a nut shell, there is a huge gas reserve under the sea near Broome. James Price Point, 60 km's north of Broome, has been selected as a gas hub site, a massive polluting industrial plant. There are reefs there that are as beautiful as the Great Barrier Reef, teeming with turtles, dugongs, fish of every description, and a whale breeding ground. They will be blasted to allow ships to enter, roads constructed,1000’s of acres of traditional cultural sites locked up from the locals who continue to sing this land as they have since humans have been in Australia.
Recently I performed with the Pigram Brothers, John Butler, Kuckles band, Scrap Metal, Rob Hirst (midnight oil), Shane Howard and others - at a concert in Broome where 4500 local people came to show their opposition to the gas hub.
The liberal WA premier Barnett has called James Price Point a “worthless fishing spot, a nondescript coastline”. Joe Roe, the one man who speaks for that place, calls it Walmadany, like his grandfathers have through the ages. While the pyramids in Egypt, Mexico and the great wall of China were built, Rome was burned, judaism, islam and christianity emerged, before the Maoris arrived in New Zealand, Joe Roe’s family have lived and loved, walked and sung the stories of creation on this land ... to this day he and his tribe continue that tradition, and yearly they take over 100 white people on a journey of discovery on that very land, opening and sharing a living breathing, intact and vital culture, right through James Price Point, walking a 80 km songline, or dreaming pathway. It is a heritage trail, like the Snowy Mountains, valued by Australians.
If this gas hub is constructed, the whole notion of Mabo (Australia was not a terra nulius), heritage, culture must be thrown out the window. So I’m asking you to educate yourself about what it is we could lose if you and me do nothing.
I would encourage anyone with a beating heart to see for themselves what all of Australia must have once looked like: pristine, alive, thriving, with a strength in culture that has (impossibly) survived through the ages. I’m not apologising if I’m sounding a little emotional, it takes a bit to fire me up, but this is one battle worth fighting for. There are other options for the gas hub, including building it in nearby Karratha, already a cesspool of human misery and destroyed country, or floating it way out to sea.
What can be done? Well minister Garrett has the last say. There is a two year environmental report underway on the area. Despite what media reports and WA state and commonwealth governments say, it is NOT a foregone conclusion. There is hope in you, in me, in the people we can educate about James Price Point and the battle for Walmadany.
I hope you get a chance to read through the link (below), grab a cup of tea, and pass this information on to other Australians and supporters overseas.
much love and respect.
Tonchi

www.savethekimberley.com

you can listen to Tonchi sing Bush of Australia on the Blarney Podcast

and you can find out more about Tonchi at www.myspace.com/tonchimcintosh

Reconciliation Week - May 27 - June 3 in 2009

From Reconciliation Australia:

Each year National Reconciliation Week celebrates the rich culture and history of the First Australians. It is the ideal time for everyone to join the reconciliation conversation and to think about how we can help turn around the disadvantage experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

National Reconciliation Week coincides with two significant dates in Australia’s history which provide strong symbols of the aspirations for reconciliation.

May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in which more than 90 per cent of Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians. The referendum also gave the Commonwealth Government the power to make laws on behalf of Aboriginal people.

June 3 marks the anniversary of the High Court's judgement in the 1992 Mabo case. The decision recognised the Native Title rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original inhabitants of the continent and overturned the myth of terra nullius – the belief that the continent was an empty, un-owned land before the arrival of Europeans in 1788.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week this year is See the person, not the stereotype. We’re using this theme to link in with Reconciliation Australia’s national advertising campaign that challenges perceptions and debunks Indigenous stereotypes. The campaign proposition ‘if you knew the truth you would think differently’ was designed to force everyday Australians to judge stereotypically by posing a question against a backdrop of two faces. The provided response then suggests that people shouldn't really be answering the question at all and points viewers to our website for more information.

For more information on what’s happening for National Reconciliation Week in your area visit www.reconciliation.org.au

you can listen to the original cast of the play Bran Nue Dae sing If I Gave My Heart to You on the Blarney Podcast

Act on Swine Flu

From Alice, Pascal, Graziela, Paul, Brett, Ben, Ricken, Iain, Paula, Luis, Raj, Veronique, Milena, Margaret, Taren and the whole Avaaz team:

Dear friends,

Evidence is emerging that traces swine flu to giant factory pig farms that are dirty, dangerous, and inhumane. Sign the petition to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to investigate and regulate these threats to our health.

No-one yet knows whether swine flu will become a global pandemic, but it is becoming clear where it came from – most likely a giant pig factory farm run by an American multinational corporation in Veracruz, Mexico. These factory farms are disgusting and dangerous, and they're rapidly multiplying.

Thousands of pigs are brutally crammed into dirty warehouses and sprayed with a cocktail of drugs -- posing a health risk to more than just our food -- they and their manure lagoons create the perfect conditions to breed dangerous new viruses like swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) must investigate and develop regulations for these farms to protect global health.

Big agribusiness will try to obstruct and scuttle any attempts at reform, so we need a massive outcry that health authorities can't ignore. Sign the petition below for investigation and regulation of factory farms and tell your friends and family and we will deliver it to the UN agencies. If we reach 200,000 signatures we will deliver it to the WHO in Geneva with a herd of cardboard pigs. For every 1000 petition signatures we will add a pig to the herd:

www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

As the threat shows signs of subsiding the question becomes where it came from and how we stop another outbreak.

Smithfield Corporation, the largest pig producer in the world whose farm is being fingered as the source of the H1N1 outbreak, denies any connection between their pigs and the flu and big agribusiness worldwide pays huge sums of money for research to argue that biosafety is ensured in industrial hog production. But the WHO has been saying for years that a new pandemic is inevitable and experts from the European Commission and the FAO have cautioned that the rapid move from small holdings to industrial pig production is in fact increasing the risk of development and transmission of disease epidemics. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warn that scientists still do not know the extent that infectious compounds produced in factory farms affect human health.

Studies abound of the horrific conditions endured by pigs in concentrated large-scale operations, and the devastating economic impact on small farmer communities of bloated large-scale operations. Smithfield itself has already been fined $12.6m and is currently under another federal investigation in the US for toxic environmental damage from pig excrement lakes.

But even with all of this damaging evidence, a combination of increased global meat consumption and a powerful industry motivated by profit at the cost of human health, means that instead of being shut down - these sickening factory farm operations are propagating around the world and we are subsidising them. In the wake of this swine flu threat, let's hold industrial pig producers to account. Sign the petition for investigation and regulation. If we resolve this global health crisis boldly by reassessing our food consumption and production, and urgently calling for an inquiry into the impact of factory farms on human health, we could put in place tough farm practice rules that will save the global population from future animal borne lethal pandemics.

www.avaaz.org/en/swine_flu_pandemic

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BLARNEY FOLK - Simon Dillon

This month we profile popular Bendigo musician, Blarney Bulletin contributor, broadcaster, and professional festival volunteer Simon Dillon.

Simon: As long-time reader and sometime contributor to the Blarney Bulletin, Kevin has asked me to a bit of a bio of myself. Having the surname Dillon, I have always been aware that I was descended from Irish stock. However, I never really discovered my true Irish roots until the early 90’s - just I left university and started to patronise a local pub called The Fleece Inn. Here I was exposed to some real Irish music and some traditional Australian music. This whetted my appetite for all things Irish (and traditional Australian).

I started to study Irish culture and history, and soon discovered that much of Australian culture can trace it roots to Ireland. I also soon discovered that even though over 40 percent of Australians claim Irish heritage, there was very little Irish history taught at school. When an ex-pat Irish musician told me that Cromwell was the Hitler of the Middle Ages, I knew I needed know more. Two great texts stood out in this quest, the First being “I Cry for My People” by Martin McMahon (http://users.bigpond.net.au/icry) and the second “How the Irish Saved Civilisation” by Thomas Cahill.

It was the publican of the Fleece Inn (Mick Coates) and the customers there that dragged me along to my first folk festival, the Maldon Folk Festival. From that time on my interest in folk music grew. After my 30th birthday I even started to learn the tin whistle. I went on to learn a bit of single row button according and I now play the guitar and sing a little. The folk music (including Celtic) scene opened a whole new world to me. I have met many great friends and have had some great times.

I now attend festivals all through the year including Port Fairy and The National Folk Festival. I have travelled to Ireland and Canada on a couple occasions to attend festivals. I also now regularly attend the Lake School of Celtic Music Song and Dance, which has provided the opportunity to write some songs under the fine tutelage of Dennis O’Keeffe and study the Irish language with Mossie Scanlon.

Apart from attending festivals, I am on the committee of the Bendigo Folk Club (http://www.bendigofolkclub.com). From its small beginnings only five years ago, the Bendigo Folk Club is now on the circuit of many international and national artists.

Finally, in recent times, I have begun to do a folk music show on local community radio. The show is called “Radio Folk” and is on between 10pm and midnight on alternate Tuesday on Phoenix Radio 89.5fm. The show is also streamed on the web at http://phoenixfm.org/

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

The events listed below have specifically invited the Australian Celtic Community to come along and enjoy themselves.

The “not so” Quiet Man
If it is entertainment you are after then the Quiet Man is a must.
Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights from 9pm you can see the best of Melbourne's contemporary Celtic acts. Irish button accordion master Joe Fitzgerald leads the trad music session each Sunday afternoon - from 5.30pm - with Pat Mckernan in the front bar from 9pm - the perfect way to finish off your weekend.
Monday is Set Dancing night, from 8pm, and Kathryn Clements hosts a singers session on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 8pm.
If it’s good food you desire then you wont be disappointed. There is a great choice on the menu and extended dining hours (to 10pm) on Friday & Saturday nights. Bookings essential.
It’s the warm and friendly atmosphere that makes The Quiet Man Irish pub the place to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.
For more information about what's on at the Quiet Man, 271 Racecourse Road Flemington, phone (03) 9376 6232, email info@thequietman.com.au or log onto www.thequietman.com.au 

Nobby Festival
The Nobby Festival is a great little festival on Queensland’s Darling Downs on the Queens Birthday long weekend - June 6-8.
This grass roots event features concerts, workshops in acapella, blackboard opportunities, poetry, belly dance, bush dancing, lots of sessions, busking, and markets. The 5 festival venues are all within easy walking distance, and onsite camping is available for a modest fee.
The historical village of Nobby is 30 minutes south of Toowoomba on the New England Highway. A festival fee of $20 will get you into all events over the weekend.
For more information: email Julie julie.witney@bigpond.com or phone Peter (07) 4696 3353; 0416 054 539

Billy Moran Commemorative Celebration
The Billy Moran Commemorative Celebration @ The Quite Man Irish Pub over the June long weekend in Melbourne - June 5-8.
It will be a celebration of traditional Irish music, song and dance, with sessions all weekend.
Musicians are coming from all over the country, and the Irish Ambassador, Máirtin Ó Fainín, will be there as well.
The Quiet Man is at 271 Racecourse Road Flemington.
For more information email themorans23@bigpond.com

Irish History Circle
The Irish History Circle meets at Melbourne’s Celtic Club on the third Monday of the month at 8 pm.
On May18, the subject will be Erin’s minstrel Thomas Moore (1779-1852). Speakers will be Fran Bader, Morris Moore, Brian and Deidre Gillespie, Nell McGettigan, and Daniel O’Connor.
All welcome - bring along photocopies of your favourite Moore melody/poem and sing along or group recite on the night..
For more info contact Nell McGettigan on (03) 9419 6882 or mmcgetti@bigpond.net.au

Robert Burns Club of Melbourne
The 2009 activities program, celebrating Robert Burns 250th anniversary, includes:
Sun Jul 19 - AGM Canterbury St Stables Community Centre Flemington 1.30pm
Tue Aug 11 - An Evening of Burns, Burns Masonic Lodge Ralph St Sunshine  7.30pm
For information contact Bev Tait on 03 9743 5383 or torfichen@aapt.net.au

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SESSION SCENE

The Session lies at the very heart of Celtic culture - a place to gather, to listen, to play music, to sing and to dance, to chat and to enjoy.  The Blarneymobile is on a national pilgrimage in search of a good session - so if you hear of any, please let me know! 

Folk in the Round

From fiddler Annmaree Wilson in Armidale:
Folk in the Round is an informal group for people interested in playing traditional folk and country, old-timey and bluegrass music.
We meet every second Sunday afternoon at 2pm at the CWA Hall in Dorrigo.
For more information contact Bridget on 02 6657 1224

The Darwin Sessions

If you are in the Top End, or coming up for a visit, the next Darwin Session is on Wednesday June 3. The Darwin Sessions are Territory-style acoustic music sessions held at the Darwin North RSL on the first Wednesday of the month - from 7 pm.
Singers, songwriters & musicians are welcome to come along and share their music the Territory way - in a family-friendly and supportive environment - it’s like music around the campfire ... but without the fire!
Musicians from this group also play at the Darwin Hospice once a month, and at the Juninga Centre - an aged care facility for Indigenous people.
For more info contact Kevin on 0411 136 418 or email: macca@blarneybulletin.com

On the Blarney Podcast, you can have a listen to Colin Macleod and Rory Sinclair play the Glen Tilt set from their CD Roaming Free. Rory visited Australia again in April and attended the National Folk Festival in Canberra, where he and Colin certainly got into the music.

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FEEDBACK

Here’s a sample of the recent feedback from Blarney readers/listeners: 

From: David O’Brien
Date: 12 May 2009
Hi Kev
perhaps you could do and article for BB next edition - we need to get the idea as wide as possible. cheers
I know how important music is to you and as you probably know, along with stories and poetry, we have what we know as culture - it is important that we are able to, if possible, store our Music Stories Poetry etc. That is why Friends of St Brigid are in the process of saving a church and hall (St Brigids) in the south west of Victoria from developers and to utilise it as a cultural centre for Irish/Australian culture.
All I would like you to do is check out the Website (Just Google Friends of St Brigid) and offer your support
thanks
David

From: Seamus Anthony
Subject: Re: your March Blarney Bulletin & Podcast is now online
Date: 1 April 2009
Cheers Macca,
Really the wealth of Celtic-inspired activity in Australia is amazing isn't it? Truly huge.
Thanks for the bulletin; just wanted you to know that I love getting it and it all makes me feel very proud of my heritage.
Oh and I am figuring out which song to enter into the Rebel Yelp songwriters award again this year. No doubt you'll be on the edge of your seat waiting for that!
Seamus
http://seamusanthony.com/about

From: Denis Rice
Subject: Poetry at the Pub (Katoomba, Blue Mountains NSW)
Date: 1 April 2009
Many thanks, Kevin, for today's email with the latest Blarney Bulletin and podcast.
Poetry at the Pub here in Katoomba is on the second Sunday afternoon of each month (which I MC). You may also be interested in the attached two Denis Kevans poems about bushfires in the Upper Blue Mountains in December 2002. He told me at the time that his close encounter with these bushfires greatly disturbed him and inspired him to write these poems.
About a month ago I emailed Have You Seen? to various NSW politicians from the Premier down, to protest about the proposed loosening of current National Parks legislation to permit commercial developments within National Parks, and thus (for example) stifle business enterprises in towns close to National Parks.
Kevin, you may also be interested to know that, in collaboration with Denis Kevans' daughter, Sophia Kevans Thompson, I have now nearly completed a booklet consisting of 21 poems by Denis Kevans (plus notes I have prepared) suitable as background material for the study of Australian History (which I'll soon be submitting to the History Teachers Association of NSW, for publication in serial form in their Journal).
With best wishes.
Denis

From: Ade Kelly
Subject: from ade kelly
Date: 1 April 2009
thanks Kev...here's a link to Myra's youtube site where she sings in gaelic 'Si do Mhaimeo i' (the wealthy widow) a jaunty old song while playing the bodhran...
www.youtube.com/user/myramcrae
all the best
ade

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WINNERS

Last edition's competition winner is Florence McClenaghan of Hernes Oak, who has won the Mark A Hunter CD Songs From the Buffalo Country

Of course you can still enjoy your own copy of this great CD - just go out and buy one or three.

And you can listen to Mark A Hunter sing another track - Jealous Woman - from Songs From The Buffalo Country CD on the Blarney Podcast

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May 18

Irish History Circle @ Melbourne Celtic Club
Nell McGettigan (03) 9419 6882 or mmcgetti@bigpond.net.au

May 27 - June 3

National Reconciliation Week
www.reconciliation.org.au

May 31

Derek Warfield & the Young Wolfe Tones @ Clifton Hill Hotel
book on (03) 9489 8705; info www.cliftonhillhotel.com

June 3

The Darwin Sessions Darwin North RSL from 7pm
0411 136 418 or email macca@blarneybulletin.com

June 5-8

National Celtic Festival in Portarlington
www.nationalcelticfestival.com

June 5-8

Billy Moran Commemorative Session @ The Quite Man Irish Pub
For more information email themorans23@bigpond.com

June 6-8

Nobby Festival on Queensland’s Darling Downs
Julie julie.witney@bigpond.com or Peter (07) 4696 3353; 0416 054 539

June 10

Grada @ Clifton Hill Hotel’s Emerald Lounge
book on (03) 9489 8705; info www.cliftonhillhotel.com

June 10-27

St Nicholas at The Bondi Pavilion
Bookings: www.mca-tix.com.au or phone 1300 306 776

June 12-14

Maleny Celtic Winter School
www.malenyceltic.org

July 1

The Darwin Sessions Darwin North RSL from 7pm
0411 136 418 or email macca@blarneybulletin.com

July 4

Lake School Launch @ Micky Bourke’s Hotel Koroit
Felix 0413 801 294 felix@bushwahzee.com www.lakeschool.bushwahzee.com

July 19

Robert Burns Club AGM Canterbury St Stables Community Centre Flemington
Bev Tait 03 9743 5383 or torfichen@aapt.net.au

August 11

An Evening of Robert Burns Burns Masonic Lodge Ralph St Sunshine 7.30pm
Bev Tait 03 9743 5383 or torfichen@aapt.net.au

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If you would like to promote your event, your music or your business
in the next Blarney Bulletin / Blarney Podcast / Australian Celtic Tiger,
contact Kevin McCarthy (editor)
macca@blarneybulletin.com or 0411 135 418

The Blarney Bulletin is proudly produced by MooMedia
www.moomedia.net

and distributed by Fraynework Multimedia
www.fraynework.com

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