After reading the posts about the proposed Galway monument to Che, several friends are forwarding Irish stories,
New Irish exodu$ rivals days of old
New York beckons again for Ireland’s latest lost generation, her sons and daughters fleeing their country’s battered economy on a scale not seen since the early 20th century.
After the spectacular boom years of the famous Celtic Tiger turned to bust in 2007, more than 350,000 emigrants have fled, more than half the number that left over a 20 year period between 1900-1920. It’s Ireland’s traditional safety valve during painful periods of economic distress.
Hundreds of Irish workers are streaming into New York every month, according to Irish community leaders. That reverses an earlier trend, when some Irish workers in New York went back home to participate in the Emerald Isle’s once blistering growth.
…
When Ireland entered recession in 2008, people were already packing: 42,200 left in 2007, 45,300 emigrated in 2008, 65,000 in 2009, the same number in 2010, 76,400 last year. And more than 60,000 are forecast to go in 2012. That’s about 355,000 in six years — out of a population of 4.5 million.
I expect that is the trend from the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain) countries, too.
The other Irish story this morning?Dublin patron saint’s heart stolen from Christ Church Cathedral
The heart was housed in a wooden box surrounded by an iron cage
The preserved heart of Dublin’s patron saint has been stolen from the city’s Christ Church Cathedral, officials say. St Laurence O’Toole is Dublin’s patron saint. Laurence O’Toole would make a great name for an actor, too, as it evokes Lawrence Olivier and Peter O’Toole.
No word as to whether St Larry’s heart “migrated” to US shores.
Meanwhile, back in the old country,they’re looking forward to the second annual Che Do Bheatha festival, due to be held in the seaside town of Kilkee this September because
is not a celebration of Guevara himself, but rather his image. It was made popular by artist Jim Fitzpatrick, who worked in Kilkee at the time of the visit. “It is not a political thing here and is a fun celebration,” [organizer Tom] Byrne says.
Alberto de la Cruz suggests,
As long as we are “celebrating” the “fun” side of vicious and ruthless murderers, here are a couple of suggestions for some other festivals they may want to consider:
The Idi Amin Food Festival
Political opposition, they’re not just for breakfast* * *
The Pol Pot Gardening Festival
How the right fertilizer can make your killing fields into a prize winning garden
Maybe the Galway Council ought to look into Pinochet’s ancestry, too, while they’re at it.
As a final note, yesterday someone tweeted this,
#Galway mayor doesn’t want #Che monument@declanganley: First, to refresh your memory as to Che’s vile nature, a… bit.ly/wUnDVs
Fausta@Fausta@Fausta @declanganley #che was one of the Lynches from Clare 🙂 didn’t have as much blood on him as the right wing butchers of SAmerica
Gearóid FitzGibbon@GearoidFitzGTo which I replied,
@GearoidFitzG @declanganley & may every freedom-loving man on earth piss on each of their graves & on every monument built to their lives
Did I make myself clear?
