Author Archives: Bodger

‘Áille ar Airgead’ on TG4.

A documentary following the lives of two women; one born in Ireland, who became the face of America’s ten-dollar gold coin and the other, born in the USA, graced the first banknote of a newly independent Ireland.

Deirdre Ní Choistín writes:

Lady Lavery (top) was born in Chicago of wealthy Irish parentage. Her maiden name was Hazel Martin. She was chosen by her husband, Irish artist John Lavery, to be the face of ‘Caitlín Ní Uallacháin’ representing Ireland when he was commissioned to design the new punt banknotes for the Irish Free State.

Mary Cunningham was Irish, she had emigrated to America from An Charraig in the Donegal Gaeltacht. She was selected by the famous sculptor Augustus Saint Gaudens to become the face of ‘Liberty’ dressed in Native American headgear on the most controversial gold coin ever minted in America. Augustus Saint Gaudens was also Irish, he was born in Dublin in 1848, the son of a French shoemaker, Bernard Paul Ernest Saint-Gaudens, and Mary McGuinness, from Co. Longford. They emigrated to America when he was six months old.

Áille ar Airgead on TG4 on Wednesday, September 29 at 9.30pm.

Designer Richard Collier writes:

I’ve designed a scarf, The Dictionary Scarf  inspired by the Learner’s English-Irish Dictionary, first published in 1958, it’s equal parts Irish nostalgia and anxiety-inducing cold sweats.

The scarf is now available for pre-order via my website (below). Zero hours of painful translations are necessary. Pre-order ends on October 4.

Dictionary Scarf (Richard Collier)

Last night.

Mother and Baby Home activists Breeda Murphy, Eunan Duffy and Frank Brehany discuss recent issues affecting the survivor community, including, further redress delays and Katherine Zappone’s ‘reward’.

The panel are asked, is there any political opposition to the ‘General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill’, which will remove the coroner’s role in the investigations of deaths at institutions?

Breeda, Eunan and Frank are behind Separation, Appropriation and Loss Initiative (SALI) and have drafted an alternative bill, The Institutions Recognised or Suspected Burial Grounds Bill 2021, which incorporates ‘the vital role Irish Coroners must play’.

This is the 22nd episode in a series of shows looking at the final report of the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation.

Tonight: historian Catherine Corless and Sarah Anne Buckley of NUIG Oral History project will be on The Late Late Show on RTÉ One starting at 9.35pm.

RollingNews

Um.

So, meeting this guy is OK?

Good to know.

Earlier…

Meanwhile….

Celtic Supreme Commander Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland Except For Small Bit At The Top, speaks to reporters in Rome, Italy

This afternoon.

Huh?

Earlier…

President Michael D Higgins

This morning.

Via RTÉ:

President Michael D Higgins has defended his decision not to attend a commemorative church service in Armagh next month and does not intend to revisit the decision, a spokesman has said.

He told reporters that what had started out as an invitation to a religious service had, in fact, become a political statement.

President Higgins said the title of the event made it inappropriate for him to attend as it marked the centenaries of the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland.

Mr Higgins said he had also been referred to as the President of the Republic of Ireland, when he was the President of Ireland.

President Higgins said he wished the service well and, in a reference to Queen Elizabeth, said there was no question of any snub intended to anybody.

President says it would be ‘inappropriate’ to attend Armagh event (RTE)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Former Taoiseach John Bruton

Uh oh.

Via Irish Times:

Former Fine Gael taoiseach John Bruton said Mr Higgins should attend the event and appeared not to have sought the advice of the Government as “he is obliged to do under the Constitution”.

Mr Bruton told BBC Radio Ulster on Friday morning: “If he had fulfilled his obligation under the Constitution, which is to take the advice of the Irish Government on this matter, they would have advised him that he ought to go.

“He seems to have some concern that it is in some way taking note of the existence of Northern Ireland as a separate entity.

“But the reality is that the Irish people in the Good Friday Agreement, which they voted on and approved in a referendum, accept the present wishes of the people of Northern Ireland to maintain the union, until that is changed.

“So, in accepting an invitation to an event which is simply marking the existence of Northern Ireland for 100 years, the President would have been acting in accordance with the wishes of the Irish people.”

Mr Bruton said “it appears he didn’t seek the advice of the Government which he is obliged to do under the Constitution”.

Coveney says ‘no clear advice’ given to President about NI religious service invitation (Irish Times)

TG4’s ‘The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell’.

At a film festival near you.

Linda O Ghiofra writes:

The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell recounts the story of the controversial conviction and hanging of Patrick O’Donnell from the Donegal Gaeltacht who became a national hero in Ireland for killing the infamous traitor and informer James Carey in 1883 off the coast of South Africa. British Home Office files kept secret for 100 years throw new light on the matter.

Since its premier at the Galway Film Fleadh The Queen v Patrick O’Donnell has been short-listed for an award or selected for over 13 Film festivals this year including the upcoming Ontario International Film Festival. The feature length was produced by Rosg for TG4.

The film was directed by Tomás Seoighe, and produced by Ciarán Ó Cofaigh, Eilís Ní Cheallaigh and Seán Ó Cuirreáin for ROSG. The film was funded by TG4, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Fís Éireann and Section 481 through the Department of Revenue.

The film will be broadcast on TG4 in 2022.

In fairness.

Patrick O’Donnell?