Beannachtaí na Fáile Pádraig duit!

A happy and blessed St. Patrick's Day to you, one and all. I offer a tribute to a great man in one of the best known of his prayers:

Christ beside me, Christ before me;

Christ behind me, Christ within me;

Christ beneath me, Christ above me;

Christ to right of me, Christ to left of me;

Christ in my lying, my sitting, my rising;

Christ in heart of all who know me,

Christ on tongue of all who meet me,

Christ in eye of all who see me,

Christ in ear of all who hear me.

For my shield this day I call:

a mighty power:

the Holy Trinity!

affirming threeness,

confessing oneness

in the making of all - through love...

In great courage, sacrifice, and forgiveness, Patrick returned to the land that had enslaved him as a child and returned their slavery for liberty in Christ. Although facing danger, harm, and potential death every day, Patrick went across the whole of Ireland teaching and preaching about the sacrifice and gift of Christ, offering himself as an example of Christian charity and intent.

May the living Trinity of Patrick be beside, before, behind, and within you today and always.

Go mbeannaí Dia duit

For what died the Sons of Roisin?

Horrifying! Please watch this video ...

Waterford tanking

Up to 800 jobs at Waterford Crystal are under threat after the company confirmed it had gone into receivership.
Almost a trademark of Ireland, Waterford Crystal is a vital part of the landscape. Will the government step in to help?
Possibly not. An Associated Press story said, in part:

"Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the maker of classic china and crystal, filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday after attempts to restructure the struggling business or find a buyer failed.

Four administrators from business advisory firm Deloitte were appointed to run the company's businesses in Britain and Northern Ireland, while a Deloitte partner in the Irish Republic was appointed as receiver of Waterford Wedgwood PLC, the ultimate parent of the U.K. companies, and other Irish subsidiaries.

The U.K. joint administrators said they intended to continue to run the business as they seek a buyer. Trading in the company's shares was suspended on the Irish Stock Exchange where they languished at just one-tenth of a euro cent and the company's directors — including Anthony O'Reilly, the Irish publishing magnate who along with his brother-in-law Peter Goulandris owns more than half of all Waterford Wedgwood shares — handed in their resignations.

"Waterford, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton are quintessentially classic brands that represent a high quality product which is steeped in history," the administrators said in a statement.

Of course, this is not the first time Waterford has fallen through the ice. After originally opening in 1783, the company crashed in 1851 and was brought back to life one hundred years later.

At 1/10 a cent stock price, now might be the time to buy at least a bit of history if not a stake in the future.

New Referendum Proposed ... Told you so!!!

A much more humbled Minister Dick Roche tried to pour oil on the tumultuous waters he had stirred up in his blasphemous suggestion that the Irish government should ignore the will of the Irish people in favor of placating the European master race in an interview on RTE this morning. However, in his attempt to make peace, he only made matters worse for himself.

I agree wholeheartedly with Cardinal Brady's assessment that we don't believe the Euros have any religious convictions to back their rush to power. Of course they don't! What glory could Christ's Church possibly get from the fourth Reich? The power hungry would-be masters on the continent are in it for themselves alone ... as before. Hitler, too, believed he was acting on divine assignment, but who would accept that assertion now, with the perspective of history?

The same will be seen of this power grab in the future. If Ireland falls into goose stepping line with the Euros, we will be blithely handing our leash into the hands of another brit-like master who will strip our goods from us and leave us wallowing in the mud left behind.

Let's look at some of Roach's comments on RTE today:

Roche referred to the influence on the outcome of the referendum by "people outside Europe who wish Europe harm" - By which he means the Irish diaspora who have a clearer perspective of the overall issue. Indeed, in Roach's opinion, what right do Irish descendants have to state their experience and feelings about their - our - homeland?

At one point, Roche actually said; "we've already had a referendum on this matter." yes, we have, and we told our feelings - don't try to shove us around, thank you!

Questioned repeatedly, Roche continually refused to say that other cabinet members agreed to the idea of defying what the Irish people have said. This can offer a modicum of hope that Roach, alone, is defying the people's wishes.

Roche referred several times to "Eukips and ultra extremists" as those who are arguing against a second referendum. We can only assume that these biased terms of endearment mean anyone who disagrees with Roach, who wants to be more Euro than Irish.

Roche also hinted at threats that Ireland will find herself in much more difficult economic straits if we do not submit ourselves to the master race in Europe prime. These sound frighteningly like old, historic sabre-rattlings which Ireland has often had to deal with, don't they?

Just to show his knowledge of what has happened in the last few months, Roche said, "The Irish people have spoken." To which we say, yes, so let us be!

And he fell to the simplistic arguments that opposing sides to Lisbon were liars, that "everybody" on the no side argued that Ireland's place was within Europe - nope, wrong again, Mr. Roach. Many of us argued that Ireland's place was with Ireland. Perhaps with some help from our plantation lands in the USA.

Oh, and by the way, Mr. Roche, twenty-six other European "states" did not agree to the treaty as you assert. Many of those "states", including France, have serious problems with allowing themselves to be blended complacently into a whole which reflects none of their national identity. As I've said before, Greece is not part of Spain; France is still not part of Germany, and Ireland is not part of any of them! We are Ireland! Not "Number Twenty-Seven" among a bunch of nameless, faceless, identical "states."

I understand. I really do. Everyone in Europe is so jealous of America's success they can't wait to be called The United States of Europe. But, as an American for 50 years let me say that the homogeneity here is not what you want. Yes, we have some funny little "Yankee" and "Southerner" variances in our culture, but California is very much like New York is very much like Florida is very much like Chicago. We are all the same.

There is no way that the French people will quietly go into the blender with the Germans, the Italians, the Polish, and the british. The historic characters are too firmly ingrained into the national cultures. And they should be! The world needs a uniquely French, Greek, Polish, and IRISH character to relate to. This rush to a one-world identity is wrong. It is not efficient, it is not sensible, it is wrong.

Ireland, please stand strong against the pressure to melt into a euro-character. The world has one melting pot. It is moderately successful in some areas, but not in all. You don't want to surrender your Celtic character which is only yours. Stand strong.

Ireland is Ireland!

Welcommen to the real EU!

HA! The Daily Telegraph posted a story yesterday that demonstrates the real mindset inside the European unUnion. The story, titled "British children banned from German only playground in Crete resort" tells that a Greek resort which restricts its children's facilities to only German visitors.

"British families spent thousands of pounds each to book into the family friendly Meltemi Village, an all inclusive resort on the island of Crete. But when they arrived at the so-called family friendly resort they were told that the children's club was out of bounds because it was for German youngsters only," goes the story.

Well, of course, because the Germans are, remember, the master race, so why shouldn't their kindern receive special privileges?

But who is really surprised? This idea to blend such historically divided cultures into one happy family is as goofy as it sounds on the surface. Yes, individuals can get along. Yes, some cultures can even manage to cooperate for a profit. But face it, you can only go so far into making the Irish act like the French, or the brits act like the Czechs, or the Germans act like ... well, like anything but Germans!

The only ones to profit from the solidification of the EU compact will be the highhanded cliques such as the Germans and the French. This attempt to replay WWII again by taking over Europe is a blatant power grab. Have the Irish benefited from the union? A little. But so does the mouse when he accepts the first bite of cheese in the trap. Or the child who receives a free drug from a kindly pusher.

Der Herrenmensch are just part of the problematic mindset of this unnatural union. Our culture developed as a slave race to the brits (who thought themselves the master race), not as a partner of the broader Europe peoples. Yes, our contributions to those folk helped them develop their cultures and civilization, but how much did they help us overall? How much did they contribute to the Irish character (rape aside)? How much did they help us out of our servitude to our tormentors for 700 years? Not at all. They just looked on as we were trampled and misused by a stronger group. And, because that stronger group used our resources to buy the Europeans' loyalty, they refused to even see our slavery as wrong. They were, in fact, partners to our subjugation.

So why should we join them in their mass hysteria? This whole European Union farce is an attempt to build, not only an unnatural, but an unholy alliance. Doesn't this sound a little familiar? Doesn't this ring of a rebuilding of the old Roman Empire, as foretold in the Bible? Ezekiel 38 and 39, as well as references in Daniel and Revelation tell that in the last days the Roman Empire will be rebuilt from a union of her neighbors.

My dear Irish brothers and sisters, do we really want to become part of that? Not if we read the whole story and see where that group proceeds.

For more on the development of the EU into a 2,500 year old prophecy, read Joel Rosenberg's blog at joelrosenberg.blogspot.com.

Don't go blindly into another damaging relationship with the same folk who have scorned us for so long. Their disdain is apparent in their disregard for our recent vote on Lisbon. We have more strength of character than they ever have had. We've earned it in our chains. Push them away.

Ireland: NO to EU Referendum = Hooray!

GOOD JOB IRELAND!!!

I am proudly bragging on my homeland today about the victory over the EU (pronounced "eeew") in the only democratic referendum in the whole of Europe. Of course, most Americans just stare at me blankly and ask what I'm talking about since it has nothing to do with Barak Osama, Hillary, or other Desperate Housewives on TV. I don't bother to try to explain - they wouldn't understand.

But I am glowing with pride in my brothers and sisters back home! I have commented in several of the newspaper and blog comment sections. But I've not seen it said much better than this, by a fellow freedom lover:

Don't forget that Ireland was once a shining beacon of light in the Atlantic -a land of saint & scholars- when the rest of Europe was plunged into the Dark Ages upon the collapse of the Roman Empire.

The Irish people survived brilliantly once, they will survive once again. Ireland may not have Roman continental uber sophistication but during the Dark Ages in Europe, she was free.

As a new Dark Age begins to fall all over Europe under the yolk of the EU where the voice of it's ordinary inhabitants are denied and held in contempt by the elite ruling class, Ireland has once again shone forth a promising beam of that ancient light. Many will try to snuff it out but I believe the Irish will once again show the world how much she values Truth & Freedom.

Posted by Ming Ye

Now isn't that interesting. Ming Ye isn't your common Irish name, is it? Yet he (she?) is right on target - we are the shining light. Is another Dark Age coming on us? Could well be. The previous one only lasted around 1,000 years, so we can make it through another one! ("Come Lord Jesus!")

Stand strong, Ireland! Shine on!

GOD BLESS IRELAND FOREVER!

THE FAMINE YEAR

Weary men, what reap ye? "Golden corn for the Stranger."
What sow ye? "Human corpses that await for the Avenger."
Fainting forms, all hunger-stricken, what see you in the offing?
"Stately ships to bear our food away amid the stranger's scoffing."
There's a proud array of soldiers what do they round your door?
"They guard our masters' granaries from the thin hands of the poor."
Pale mothers, wherefore weeping? "Would to God that we were dead"
Our children swoon before us, and we cannot give them bread!"

"We are wretches, famished, scorned, human tools to build your pride,
But God will yet take vengeance for the souls for whom Christ died.
Now is your hour of pleasure, bask ye in the world's caress;
But our whitening bones against ye will arise as witnesses,
From the cabins and the ditches, in their charred, uncoffined masses,
For the Angel of the Trumpet will know them as he passes.
A ghastly, spectral army before God we'll stand
And arraign ye as our murderers, O spoilers of our land!"

by Jane Wilde (Wexford born mother of Oscar Wilde)

Irish Torture Animals to Death!

Donegal can be the county to stop fur farms throughout Ireland.

Fur Free campaigners in Donegal Town will demand an end to Irish fur farms this Saturday. With a Hugh visual display of caged animals, Large Banners, Posters, and Leaflets, activists will highlight the horrible suffering found on fur farms.

The fur industry is one of the cruelest industries in the world. Unfortunately, Minister Mary Coughlan has allowed County Donegal to become known as the fur farm capital of Ireland. Donegal has this reputation for three reasons;
1) County Donegal has more fur farms than any other county in Ireland;
2) The Irish Fur Breeders Association is in County Donegal;
3) The constituency of the Agriculture minister, Mary Coughlan is in Donegal. It is Minister Coughlan who gives the licences to the fur farmers each year. The Minister of Agriculture has the most say on whether or not fur farming will continue in Ireland

Unbelievably, over 170,000 foxes and minks are locked up and killed each year in the Republic of Ireland. The animals are packed into small wire mesh cages for their entire lives, often there will be more than one animal to a cage. They will never be allowed outside for exercise. This unnatural caged life results in the animals developing “Stereotypical Behaviour”, which is a polite way of saying insanity.

When the foxes and minks are finally taken out of the barren cages to be killed, the methods chosen to kill the animals are selected so as not to damage the pelts rather than for animal welfare reasons. Foxes are killed by anal electrocution, by placing an electrode in their mouth and another in their anus and then their internal organs are fried alive. Minks are suffocated to death by Carbon Monoxide or Carbon Dioxide. They are crammed 50 to 70 minks into a gassing box. A veterinarian is not needed to kill the animals and does not have to be present when the animals are killed.


Fox Being Anally Electrocuted

The fur farms in Ireland are not farms but instead factories and all of them are run by limited companies.

Spokesperson for ALiberation, Edmund Long said “There are few industries crueler or more useless than the fur industry. Nobody needs to wear fur except the animal the fur belonged to” “At present there is an Animal Welfare Bill being drafted by Minister Mary Coughlan’s own department, the Department of Agriculture. This bill has the power to end fur farming in Ireland. We would urge everyone to write to Minister Coughlan and the other TD’s in their own constituencies asking for an end to this mindless cruelty.”

press release: author email aliberationnow at gmail dot com

Plastic bags are SO Dumb!

Ain't it grand to see the human race collectively shake the cobwebs from our noggins and move to quit something so dumb! Four (of many) reasons to quit the plastic shopping bag habit:
1) trashing up the neighborhood
2) over 35 million barrels of oil are used to create them yearly
3) the Pacific Garbage Patch ("It's an area twice the size of the United States," Los Angeles Times blog, 5/19/08) is largely made of these
4) cloth, re-usable bags are cool!

STOP USING PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS!

Here is some uplifting news from the RTE News web site regarding countries that are taking action against the wasteful, lazy, dumb use of plastic grocery bags. Do your part by a) saying no thanks to paper or plastic - bring your own bag shopping, and b) encourage your congressman to pass legislation to ban the bag.
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GLOBAL TREND

Ireland's success story with its plastic bag surcharge is rippling across the world.

Here is a list of other countries & continents that already restrict plastic shopping bags or plan to do so:

AFRICA -- Rwanda and Eritrea banned the bags outright, as has Somaliland, an autonomous region of Somalia. South Africa, Uganda and Kenya have minimum thickness rules, and Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho and Tanzania are considering similar measures.

AUSTRALIA -- Coles Bay in Tasmania became 'Australia's First Plastic Bag-Free Town' in April 2003. Dozens of others followed suit. In January 2008, the environment minister called for supermarkets to phase out use of the bags nationwide by the end of the year.

BANGLADESH -- The first large country to ban bags in 2002. Bangladesh blamed millions of discarded bags for blocking drains and contributing to floods that submerged much of the country in 1988.

BHUTAN -- The isolated Himalayan country banned plastic shopping bags, street advertising and tobacco in 2007, as part of its policy to foster 'Gross National Happiness'.

CHINA -- The ban on ultra-thin bags that goes into force on June 1 will cut pollution and save valuable oil resources, the State Council, or cabinet, says. In May 2007 Hong Kong proposed a 50 cent 'polluter pays' levy on plastic shopping bags.

ENGLAND -- In May 2007 the village of Modbury in south Devon became Europe's first plastic bag-free town, selling reuseable and biodegradable bags instead. London's 33 councils plan to ban ultra-thin bags from 2009 and tax others.

FRANCE -- In 2005, French lawmakers voted to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags by 2010. The French island of Corsica became the first to ban plastic bags in large stores in 1999.

INDIA -- The western state of Maharashtra banned the manufacture, sale and use of plastic bags in August 2005, after claims that they choked drains during monsoon rains. Other states banned ultra-thin bags to cut pollution and deaths of cattle, sacred to Hindus, which eat them.

IRELAND -- Our plastic bag tax was passed in 2002. The tax created an initial 90% drop in bag use, according to the Environment Ministry. (GO IRELAND!!!)

ITALY -- Outright ban to be introduced from 2010.

TAIWAN -- A partial ban in 2003 phased out free bags in department stores and supermarkets and disposable plastic plates, cups and cutlery from fast food outlets. Most stores charge people who don't bring their own T$1 (€0.02).

UNITED STATES -- San Francisco became the first and only U.S. city to outlaw plastic grocery bags in April 2008. The ban is limited to large supermarkets.

The state of New Jersey is mulling phasing them out by 2010.

In January 2008 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a bill forcing large retailers to set up plastic bag recycling programmes and to make recycled bags available.

A Plea to Ireland Regarding Her Future

As an Irishman of the diaspora (all four of my grandparents were of Irish descent) I am vitally interested in the present and, especially, the future of my home land. This issue of the Lisbon Treaty frightens me to death! I'm afraid that too many of my brothers and sisters do not realize that the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is in effect a decision equal to new elections in Ireland. The decision on ratifying the Lisbon Treaty is - upon transferring the current powers of the nation state of Ireland to the federal state in Brussels – it is a decision on accepting or rejecting the permanent construction of A NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT OVER IRELAND. To do so will be to utterly discard on the rubbish heap of history all the sacrifices of our ancestors, both the suffering against British oppression and the fighting for freedom in which so many lives were lost.

This is a crucial time in Irish history - a time when you/we will decide whether to march on under your/our own strength and character and leadership or to surrender your/our rights, lives, and fate to others who have, upon every past opportunity, either turned their backs on Ireland in her need or swooped in to take advantage of her riches. Which is exactly what is happening now. Ireland (God bless her forever!) has risen, by her own strength of character and moral fortitude and by God's kind grace, far above her past of subjection and base poverty to a point where she is a jewel in the crown of Europe and the world. Ireland has earned all her scars and medals of valour and has come into her own - at last. (One might quote of Ireland as well, "Free at last, free at last! Thank God almighty, we're free at last!")

And now, in the time of finally enjoying the fruits of our hard-won, blood-bought freedoms and successes, Ireland considers handing over her self-mastery to yet another foreign dictator! God forbid it! Let Ireland be Ireland, not some small dot on the EU map. Let Ireland be Ireland, not another chattel within another kingdom - for such is the becoming EU/EC. Never forget the sacrifices made by our (OUR) grandparents for the possibility of self-rule for Ireland. We are Ireland! We are not Europeans - we never have been. We were at best pets, at worst slaves of Europeans. Ireland has suffered too long to throw away her freedom and self-sufficiency on yet another European master race. We are Ireland!

Look long and hard at America and learn from her mistakes. Under her own power, the United States stood together by choice. Today, we have given up the idea of mutually beneficial partnership among the member states and have become subjects to a dictatorial Federal Government who seeks to rip our choice from us - from freedom of religion to freedom of choice to freedom of speech. American is becoming what the EU would march straight into, from the beginning.

Ireland, my Ireland, whom I learned to pray for and to love from my mother's knee and my father's stories, remember the source of your strength in your tortured past - return to your faith and your moral sense of self. God lead you through 700 years of tribulation and abject slavery. Your/our sense of Irish identity apart from that of the rest of the world kept us unified and alive during years of deprivation and attempted genocide. Please, please, please don't give all that up now for a new, stronger master.

We, the children of your diaspora, are counting on you to safeguard our heritage and our home. Guard and keep them from another outsider who seeks to steal and destroy our culture. We are counting on you. Please don't let us down. Remain independent and free and self-governing. Please.

We are Ireland!