Léargas

  Jim Fitzpatrick signed Limited Print of Elizabeth O’Farrell.  Regular readers of this column will know that I wholeheartedly support the efforts of the Moore St. Preservation Trust to preserve the 1916 Moore St. Battlefield site in Dublin that is under threat from the developers wrecking ball. This week the Trust -  a not for profit organisation led by Relatives of the Signatories of the 1916 Proclamation – will launch a new limited edition signed print of Elizabeth O’Farrell by the renowned Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick. One hundred prints will be available from Thursday evening at €150 as part of the fundraising efforts of the Trust to raise much needed funds in support of its alternative plan for a cultural and historical quarter in the Moore Street battlefield site. Link Elizabeth O’Farrell, a member of the Cumann na mBan, was one of three women who were present in the GPO throughout Easter week 1916 and who were evacuated to Number 16 Moore St. as the GPO was in...

  Mothers Against Genocide This column makes no apologies for writing so much about the genocide in Palestine and the urgent need for ceasefires and a peace process.  At least 14,000 babies face imminent death from starvation. Over 60,000 Palestinian children, women, men have been killed, including more than 4,000 since Israel ended its ceasefire in March. One especially harrowing example of Israel’s murder machine at work was the deliberate targeting last Friday of the family home of Hamdi and Walaa al-Najjar, two doctors who work at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. As Hamdi was at work nine of her ten children were killed. Her husband and a 10th child was left critically ill. Mothers Against Genocide have stood up against this savagery and for the rights of the Palestinian people. Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough are active in this campaign. Sue has been a political activist all her life. My earliest memory of her is as a member of Women against Imperialism ove...

  Verbal Disorder When I was younger I used to have a stammer. I don’t know what age I was. Somewhere between seven and ten perhaps. A youngster ! I grew out of my speech impediment, and I have very little recollection of my stammering phase but I was reminded of it when I was on the phone to a friend in Ard Oifig in Dublin last week. . For no apparent reason   she told me that she sometimes has a stammer when she is on the phone.  “It isn ’ t obvious” I told her.   And it wasn ’ t.  “Its a nervous thing” she went on “it also happens   the odd time when I’m at a meeting and it ’ s coming to my time to speak. I sometimes get anxious and my stutter starts. Just as I begin to make my contribution.” I told her about my childhood stammer.  “ You will grow out off it , ” I said reassuredly. “I knew a guy in jail and he had an awful stoppage but he could sing like Tony Bennett. No sign of any impediment when he was leading us in   a singso...