Book Launch Invitation
On Friday night, November 29th my nephew Neil Brosnan, Listowel, will launch his second book of short stories “Neap Tide and other Stories” at John B. Keane’s bar in Listowel. The book is being published by New Binary Press and to mark the occasion the publishing firm is proud to present readings by Neil as well as Billy Keane and Gina Kelly. The collection will be officially launched by Jimmy Denihan, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht at 9pm.
New Binary Press would be delighted if a big number would attend for what promises to be a memorable evening. We would also extend this invitation to other literary land cultural enthusiasts.
Christmas Lighting
Tony Noonan, his wife Hannah and daughter Siobhan have now turned on the Christmas Lighting at their home at Tullig North, Templeglantine. It is expected that many visitors will call there between now and Christmas and during all the Festive Season. All the funds that might be collected will be donated to charity.
A Story and a Song
Last Saturday, Pat O’Donovan’s popular programme on West Limerick Radio featured Pat Cagney of Castlemahon who, back in the 1950 era, got an audition in a competition in the then Radio Eireann who organised the show at Cork City Hall. In those days Pat Cagney recorded a number of the most popular tenor style songs of the time like – “The Meeting of the Waters”, “My Nancy”, “Oft in the Stilly Night”, “Westering Home”, “Sliabh na Mon” and so forth.
Knock Night Vigil
A bus will travel to Knock on Saturday, December 7th for the night vigil. Tickets €25 each from Sean Broderick, Abbeyfeale or ring Tim on 068-31232.
Special Singing Night
West Limerick Singing club will hold a special night at the Ramble Inn bar, Abbeyfeale on Thursday, December 5th with all funds going to Tony Noonan’s wonderful charities at Tullig, Templeglantine.
Book Launch
Congratulations to Tom Wall of Glin on the launch of his book “The Boy from Glin Industrial School”. The book makes very interesting reading and is now on sale in the usual outlets.
Attorney General’s Suggestion
The recent suggestion by the North’s Attorney General concerning the closure of all prosecutions arising from British Army and Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries activities which resulted in deaths before the Good Friday Agreement has aroused much controversy both in the North of Ireland and here as well.
Mr. John Larkin has proposed that there would be no investigations, prosecutions or imprisonments carried out at this time for the sake of preserving the fragile peace that exists in the North at the present time and which seems to be going well between the two majority parties, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin which has achieved so much since they came together.
My own belief is that the Attorney General is perfectly right to make this suggestion as any digging up of the past in the Six Counties would be likely to re-ignite past bitterness and plunge the North once more into chaos and turbulence. While there is no doubt that the vast majority of people on both sides of the equation both in the North and here would feel sympathy for all the victims of the troubles, plunging the North into a further witch-hunt which nobody would want would serve no purpose whatsoever. It is of course very obvious that the relatives of victims of violence would want some form of justice now that the peace agreement appears to be working so well, any talk of retribution towards those in the British Army and the republican and loyalist paramilitaries would be far likely to create more division and harm between the two communities than any good it could possibly achieve.
After the Good Friday Agreement we all believed that there would be no further police investigations or prosecutions for acts carried out previously. One certain way to stir up things again in the North would be police investigations using some of the old and discredited methods that caused such revolution during the war years. While it is quite understandable that the relatives of victims of loved ones who were killed by violence on all sides would want closure and possibly some form of compensation for their losses, any further reasons to stir up happenings of the past would have a negative effect on the peace process. The Attorney General, John Larkin, surely knows what he is talking about having made this suggestion. At the conclusion of any war the first thing that is needed is some form of forgiveness and reconciliation between the previous combatants. It is only after that happens that any progress can be made in an effort towards normality and a peace for the future.
So those who will oppose John Larkin’s suggestion should think again of the damage that would be done by keeping up old grievances which it is time the North left behind. While of course it is understandable and right that we all would empathise with the victims it is surely time for the emphasis to be placed more in the future than in the past.