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the_sn0wygooseSince 1998, the Good Friday Accord for Northern Ireland has held up remarkably well. I have heard from both official and unofficial sources that the wires are down, prosperity is up, and that the rule of law and justice is progressing; that the old slights have no longer the justification for either Orangemen or Croppy, Englishmen or Irishman, to wage protracted retribution.
Yet, you will have the occasional idiots for whom justice and peace is not a world they wish to participate; particularly those with long standing grudges and slights whom simply cannot let go! This is true in both the 6 counties, and the 50 states.
The later, the 50 UNITED STATES, is one that has particularly irritant in my view; the one which has by far the lest vested interest in a peaceful and just Ireland. That is to say, especially those Irish-Americans for whom a generation or two have lived within the peace and justice of America, far away from the wire and the Falls Road.
Case in point: The Ancient Order of Hibernia, or AOH.
This fraternal pro-catholic and pro-republic order was formed in the United States in the late 19th century for the sheer purpose of sponsoring groups in Ireland for home rule with any means necessary; some quite shadowy in the means department for a few years. Membership is very exclusive, authoritative genealogy of Irish ancestry and a letter from a Catholic Priest annotating membership in the church is a must for joining.
Quite the opposite of our local Irish Club; memberships is open to all whom are interesting the promoting and maintaining Irish culture; Irish or not. We have no interest in discussing “The Troubles”; and we are not a pro-religion group – Catholic, Anglican, Baptists, and Atheists all share interesting views on life and culture; which is the point of the Irish Club.
A point which the President Emeritus of the Irish Club made very publicly and very directly to our friends at the AOH local chapter. Which I believe was not taken well by our AOH friends, perhaps they felt slighted.
I had not realized how slighted the AOH felt until today.
The Catholic Cathedral in Tulsa today hosted an Irish Festival. How does this relate to being slighted?
About three weeks ago, I was surprised and excited by the announcement in the local newspaper that someone was giving a go at an Irish Festival! So I contacted the Cathedral by email for information and mentioned that some of the local Irish Club members were also interested.
I got an immediate reply from the Cathedral: The reply was, sorry the festival was cancelled, scheduling conflict you see. A bit disheartening, but things do happen.
Then yesterday, I read again in the newspaper that the Irish Festival was scheduled for today. I thought to myself, "this must be a typo on some ones part; hasn't the Cathedral contacted the paper to tell them the festival was canceled?"
Today, Westpig read on Facebook an announcement that the Irish Festival at the Cathedral was a success with many people attending and everyone had a good time.
Wait...how can this happen?!
I emailed the Cathedral, I got a written reply saying the festival was cancelled.
Then Westpig read further the Facebook announcement and found much to our surprise....the festival was sponsored by.....The Ancient Order of Hibernia. She tried to direct contact the AOH to ask some questions.
So far, the silence speaks volumes of information: As if to say, we do not believe you are Irish enough to celebrate with us at the Cathedral, susnoch! We did not take your slight lightly.
I would like to think this was a mistake on someone’s part; however, I too felt....well, a bit slighted.
But just like the Good Friday Accord, the old slights were slowly going away; but took the courage of old adversaries to make peace.
So it was a bit of a surprise to me when both the Monsignor of the Cathedral and the new President of the local AOH reached out after the festival to the President Emeritus of the local Irish Club. A sort of Reverend Ian Paisley shaking Gary Adams' hands moment.
The old lads of the AOH, the one's whom would sing "The Men behind Wire" were gone, displaced and scattered. They are replaced with a group whom want to celebrate both Ireland's past and future in fraternal order. And the Monsignor served in Ireland before taking his current post, and publicly acknowledged there was a complete error in the message sent to me.
In fact, both groups reached out to ask if the Irish Club would help for next year.
So, the old slights are fading. Perhaps there may be peace in Ireland and on the Prairie.
Yet, you will have the occasional idiots for whom justice and peace is not a world they wish to participate; particularly those with long standing grudges and slights whom simply cannot let go! This is true in both the 6 counties, and the 50 states.
The later, the 50 UNITED STATES, is one that has particularly irritant in my view; the one which has by far the lest vested interest in a peaceful and just Ireland. That is to say, especially those Irish-Americans for whom a generation or two have lived within the peace and justice of America, far away from the wire and the Falls Road.
Case in point: The Ancient Order of Hibernia, or AOH.
This fraternal pro-catholic and pro-republic order was formed in the United States in the late 19th century for the sheer purpose of sponsoring groups in Ireland for home rule with any means necessary; some quite shadowy in the means department for a few years. Membership is very exclusive, authoritative genealogy of Irish ancestry and a letter from a Catholic Priest annotating membership in the church is a must for joining.
Quite the opposite of our local Irish Club; memberships is open to all whom are interesting the promoting and maintaining Irish culture; Irish or not. We have no interest in discussing “The Troubles”; and we are not a pro-religion group – Catholic, Anglican, Baptists, and Atheists all share interesting views on life and culture; which is the point of the Irish Club.
A point which the President Emeritus of the Irish Club made very publicly and very directly to our friends at the AOH local chapter. Which I believe was not taken well by our AOH friends, perhaps they felt slighted.
I had not realized how slighted the AOH felt until today.
The Catholic Cathedral in Tulsa today hosted an Irish Festival. How does this relate to being slighted?
About three weeks ago, I was surprised and excited by the announcement in the local newspaper that someone was giving a go at an Irish Festival! So I contacted the Cathedral by email for information and mentioned that some of the local Irish Club members were also interested.
I got an immediate reply from the Cathedral: The reply was, sorry the festival was cancelled, scheduling conflict you see. A bit disheartening, but things do happen.
Then yesterday, I read again in the newspaper that the Irish Festival was scheduled for today. I thought to myself, "this must be a typo on some ones part; hasn't the Cathedral contacted the paper to tell them the festival was canceled?"
Today, Westpig read on Facebook an announcement that the Irish Festival at the Cathedral was a success with many people attending and everyone had a good time.
Wait...how can this happen?!
I emailed the Cathedral, I got a written reply saying the festival was cancelled.
Then Westpig read further the Facebook announcement and found much to our surprise....the festival was sponsored by.....The Ancient Order of Hibernia. She tried to direct contact the AOH to ask some questions.
So far, the silence speaks volumes of information: As if to say, we do not believe you are Irish enough to celebrate with us at the Cathedral, susnoch! We did not take your slight lightly.
I would like to think this was a mistake on someone’s part; however, I too felt....well, a bit slighted.
But just like the Good Friday Accord, the old slights were slowly going away; but took the courage of old adversaries to make peace.
So it was a bit of a surprise to me when both the Monsignor of the Cathedral and the new President of the local AOH reached out after the festival to the President Emeritus of the local Irish Club. A sort of Reverend Ian Paisley shaking Gary Adams' hands moment.
The old lads of the AOH, the one's whom would sing "The Men behind Wire" were gone, displaced and scattered. They are replaced with a group whom want to celebrate both Ireland's past and future in fraternal order. And the Monsignor served in Ireland before taking his current post, and publicly acknowledged there was a complete error in the message sent to me.
In fact, both groups reached out to ask if the Irish Club would help for next year.
So, the old slights are fading. Perhaps there may be peace in Ireland and on the Prairie.
