Hughes in the News, Clooney Up for Oscars, Last-Minute Events

WGT's Culture Editor, Patricia Jameson-Sammartano, sends us the following report. …

ANOTHER HUGHES MAKES HEADLINES ...
It was heartwarming to see 17-year-old Emily Hughes, supported by 2002 gold medalist sister Sarah and the entire Hughes clan, come in seventh in the just-ended Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Emily’s ebullience, despite a fall on a triple toe loop, foreshadows more Olympic glitter for the Hughes family, of Great Neck, N.Y.; her performance was grace under pressure. Emily had flown in as a last-minute replacement for injured Michelle Kwan. The younger Hughes achieved a personal best of 160.87, and will be one to watch in figure skating for some time. Vancouver 2010, watch out!

Emily’s father, John, was born in Canada, and her grandfather was an Irish immigrant. The Irish Echo reports in its current issue that he played professional soccer in Ireland. Another Hughes of note, of course, is Cardinal John Hughes, fiery mid-19th century, Tyrone-born archbishop of New York. No relation that we know of, but we are proud of all our Hughes.

Speaking of Vancouver, we note with interest that the mayor there, Sam Sullivan, accepted the 16-foot Olympic flag Sunday on behalf of his city to help mark the close of this year's events. The 46-year-old, confined to a wheelchair since a skiing accident at age 19, is the first quadriplegic to participate in the formal handover ceremonies. He quipped in the presence of a Washington Post reporter last week: "They have commented in Vancouver that we sent Canada's worst skier to the Olympics." We like this man!

Above left, Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan accepts the Olympic flag Sunday on behalf of his city to help close the 2006 Winter Olympics at Turino. City of Vancouver photo.

MARCH FOR IRISH HERITAGE MONTH

This week marks the beginning of March, and that means that we are celebrating Irish Heritage Month again. (For some of us, of course, every month is Irish Heritage Month, but Congress makes it official with a proclamation.) Speaking of MARCH, did we hear someone say "St. Patrick's Day"? We just happen to have one of the most comprehensive list of St. Patrick's Day parades worldwide here at WGT, thanks to our Heritage Editor John J. Concannon and Managing Editor Joe Gannon. Check it out, and, if you seen your local missing, please alert us.

Wednesday, at 7 p.m., in Manhattan, CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies, as part of its Book Club series, presents Dennis Smith's "A Song for Mary," and the author himself, at CUNY Graduate Center, Room C197.

Also Wednesday night in Manhattan, Pace University’s Institute For American Irish Studies sponsors a panel discussion on U.S. Involvement in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Participants include Niall O’Dowd, Frank Durkan, and Joseph Skelly, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Downtown Pace University's Multipurpose Room (between Park Row and Gold Street). The event is open to the public. RSVP to mwaldorf@pace.edu or call (212) 346-1593.

New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House opens its March schedule with a March 9 book launch marking the publication of "Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States," edited by Professors J. Joseph Lee and Marion R. Casey.

This weekend, Glucksman Ireland House hosts the 8th annual Grian Conference (Friday through Saturday). This year the topic is "Eat, Drink, and Be Hungry: Ireland and Consumption." This conference started out small, but has become a showcase for scholars from all over the world. Last year’s conference, on Ireland and Race, was remarkable in its scope and attraction of scholars from outside the country. This year’s conference will feature presentations by Marion Casey and Hasia Diner.

TO THE CLOONEYS OF KILKENNY, "GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK!"

For those who are not in New York City this weekend, PBS is offering "Moments to Remember" on Saturday. Hosted by Patti Page, with co-host Nicholas Clooney, father of George and brother of Rosemary, the show presents the music of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Channel 13 is airing the show at 8 pm; Long Island-based WLIW has it skedded for Monday. Check your local listings. The Clooneys are originally from County Kilkenny; Guilfoyle is also a surname on their family tree. Check out ClooneyNetwork.com for some interesting perspectives on the family.

And finally, the Academy Awards will be held Sunday evening in Hollywood. Irish-American George Clooney (seen, left, with co-star David Strathairn) is up for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for "Good Night and Good Luck," which is also nominated for Best Picture; he’s also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana." Paul Giamatti is nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "Cinderella Man," the story of James J. Braddock, "the Bulldog of Bergen." And here’s a prediction: Philip Seymour Hoffman will walk with the Oscar for his portrayal in "Capote." -- Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

Honoring Ireland’s Vietnam Dead

Mick Coyne, a native of County Galway, is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. He is working to help honor the 19 Irish natives known to have died in U.S. military service in Vietnam. Coyne is not alone in this quest. Declan Hughes, coordinator of the Irish Veterans Historical Research Center, who is not a veteran, is leading the movement to have a monument built to those killed in Vietnam, as well as all other Irish veterans who died fighting for other countries in the 20th century.

Hughes began working for the memorial back in 1999. He discovered that there were a number of Irish-born soldiers killed in Vietnam.

"Most of those families believed they were the sole Irish family to have had a son killed in Vietnam," Hughes recalls. "And that, in itself, tells you something about the way they brought their sons back to be buried -- almost as if it were in secret."

Remembering the Fallen
Irish killed in Vietnam
Irish Veterans Historical Research Centre Ltd
Irish Who Fought and Died in Vietnam
The Green Fields of Vietnam

Father Aloysius P. McGonigal: Battlefield Hero Without a Gun. Here’s a story about an Irish-American hero of the Vietnam War. Many men become known as heroes for their bravery in battle, for their willingness to face death in an effort to kill the enemy and obtain an objective, for helping win the war for their country.

They are often celebrated by millions of their countrymen and fondly remembered by the nation on Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. But some are heroes without ever carrying a gun. Some face death not to win wars, but to comfort the wounded, to bring solace to the dying, and perhaps to save their souls. Such a man was Father Aloysius P. McGonigal. Read the rest of the story HERE.

Ripping the Veil From the 'Artistic' Process, Chicago's Irish Rep Presents 'Catalpa'

Directors seem more intent than ever on very publicly exploring and revealing the absurd measures often required to gain a "green light" for a pet project. "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story," a new film based on Tipperary-born novelist and Anglican clergyman Laurence Sterne's most famous work, is a good example. Patrick Hickey, WGT's man in Chicago, finds another. …

An ad appearing in Chicago's Irish-American News' February edition announced the Feb. 22 opening of Donal O'Kelly's one-man play "Catalpa," presented by the Chicago's Irish Repertory Theatre. The ad noted that O'Kelly's piece narrates "the true tale of an American whaling ship hijacked and forced to rescue a group of Irish."

That note is misleading -- neither the good ship Catalpa nor playwright/ actor /director/ film star O'Kelly is forced into the rescue or presenting that skewed bit of history. O'Kelly and composer Trevor Knight present the mission of the Catalpa with attention to historical detail.

John Devoy, New York's exiled Irish Republican Brotherhood leader, paid for the services of the Catalpa, the Bedford, Mass.-based whaling ship, along with that of ship's captain George Anthony, crew, and other voyage expenses, to bring about the escape of the Fremantle Six -- Irishmen in the British army found to have taken the oath of the IRB. Accused of disloyalty to the Crown, they were sentenced to life in penal servitude in Her Majesty's penal colony of Western Australia.

I attended the opening night performance at Columbia College's Getz Theatre. From the opening chords of Knight's musical adaptation to the final sounds of O'Kelly's child persona, the packed house was made the willing participant of the sea saga about infidelity, patriotism, courage, skill, desperation, and hope.

O'Kelly's premise here is of a man coming out of a failed movie pitch to Hollywood producers. This fictional pitcher tries one more time and strikes one across the letters of O'Kelly's audience. Applying sound and sense from a palette thick with experience, O'Kelly and Knight treat their audience with the respect and the audio-caresses the Hollywood players missed out on.

Verbally visualizing every shot, sound and mood, O'Kelly's would-be movie maker takes the audience on a sound-voyage and verbal cruise through the adventures and psychological peculiarities of every character in 'the movie' to be.

Yankee ship-owners, West Indian harpoon-men, Irish icons, French chambermaids, A Sea Bird, Australian spies, Fenian prisoners, an angry wife and the angrier ghost of the Captain's mother-in-law pour from the soul and talents of O'Kelly. One of the great lines of dialogue comes from the Yankee ship owner, who agrees to the Catalpa's place in the Fenian plot -- for a handsome price, of course, stating as his reason, '"We may at some time run out of whales to hunt, but we will never run out of Irish Americans!"

Along with Knight and O'Kelly, Sorcha Fox did a great job of balancing the lighting to meet the many moods created by the sound and sense of O'Kelly's presentation of Catalpa.

I had the pleasure to speak with O'Kelly, a familiar face in the Celtic Tiger's cinema roll-call, after the thrilling two hours vanished like the Australian sea storms -- howling, blasting, and surging – and found him calm, assured and trusting.

We met in the dark and chilly backstage of the Getz Theatre.

Pat Hickey: I am with the author and performer of "Catalpa," Mr. Donal O'Kelly. We are at the Columbia College Theatre (Getz Theatre), and you put on a brilliant performance. It's a remarkable piece as it's a presentation to some movie producers 'gone south.' Would you talk about that a little bit?

Donal O'Kelly: Well, the whole idea is of a man writing a screenplay who can never really pitch the idea to producers -- he always makes a mess of it. So, my idea of "Catalpa" is to present the idea to the audience as this guy sees it in his mind. We can theatrically and with live music recreate what the man wants to get across that a film might not allow, and the audience is invited in to experience what this man wants to get across.

PH: The language of this play is remarkable -- its sights and sounds and cadences. It's remarkably rhythmic.

DOK: It's sort of our (performer and audience) little short-hand, so that -- unwittingly -- the audience participates, they get the images very vividly in their minds. Its economic use of language -- at least in theory (laughs).

PH: Well, it works. This magnificent story (was) presented in such an inviting manner. You had a packed house enthralled.

DOK: We try not to draw a certain amount of attention to the mechanics of the language so much as to visualize through the sounds. (We do that) rather than say "Oh, isn't that such wonderful writing" -- as a distraction to them -- try to be too clever. So what the audience gets is the features in their heads.

PH: Trevor's work picked up on your cadences and language -- particularly in the whale's care of its child and how it merged with George Anthony's thoughts of home.

DOK: Well, yeah, George has a bit of mother fixation or, should I say, the ghost of a mother-in-law fixation. Throughout the play, George is haunted by the ghost of his mother-in-law for breaking his vow never to go to sea again -- it was a death-bed promise.

PH: You kept the historical background intact, without drumming away at it too much. Here in Chicago the IRB was a great influence.

DOK: Quite right, for the sake of theatrics we did not include John Devoy's rival John Goff of Chicago. As a theatre piece, we had to leave Chicago's part out of it.

PH: Well you must be exhausted, and I'll get out of your hair. Let me thank you for bringing this play to Chicago.

DOK: On the contrary, it was through the support of Irish Repertory Theatre and their sponsoring agencies. I will say this, that (the folks present) were an intelligent and responsive audience. They got the punch lines to the jokes set early on in the play. It was a great pleasure … .

RELATED RESOURCES:

• The Catalpa Rescue, from Answers.com
• Chicago's Irish Reportory
• The Irish Freedom Struggle, from WGT's Archives
• Pat Hickey's "With Both Hands" Blog
• The Catalpa Rescue, from IrishAustralia.com
• Buy "Irish Rebel: John Devoy and America's Fight for Ireland's Freedom" by Terry Golway
• The Voyage of the Catalpa by Peter F. Stevens

41 Years Ago, Roger Casement's Body Comes Home

On February 23, 1965, Irish patriot Roger Casement's body was returned to Ireland to be reinterred. Casement was born at Sandycove, County Dublin in 1864. He joined the British colonial service and was knighted in 1911 for his work on behalf of African and South American native workers who were being exploited by whites. Leaving the colonial service in 1912, he became involved with Irish nationalism, joining the Irish Volunteers.

Left, Roger Casement being led out of Pentonville Prison, where he would later be hanged.

In 1916, Sir Roger traveled to Germany and arranged German assistance for the Easter Rising. He traveled back to Ireland by submarine, convinced by then that the Rising could not succeed but that he must join his comrades. He was captured at McKenna's Fort soon after landing on the southwest coast. Casement was later tried in England. To lessen the protests over his expected death-sentence the British circulated small parts of his so-called Black Diaries which purported to reveal his alleged homosexual activity while in colonial service. After years of debate about their authenticity, a study of the diaries in 2002 concluded all the diaries were in Casement's hand. Sir Roger Casement was hanged at Pentonville Prison on August 3, 1916. In 1965 Casement's body was returned to Ireland, where he was given a funeral on March 1that rivaled that of O'Donovan Rossa. Eamon de Valera, 82 years old and feeling poorly, insisted on attending and gave the graveside oration at Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Casement had returned to Ireland in 1916 to share his comrades' fate. In 1965, 49 years later, he was finally able to rejoin them one last time.

Read more about "This Week in Irish History."

The returning of the Green (with green). It seems that the combination of 9/11 tightening immigration enforcement and the “Celtic Tiger” (the stronger Irish economy) has the normal flow of immigration from Ireland to the United States being reversed. A travel agent in the New York area has issued 17,000 one-way tickets to Ireland recently. Tim O'Connor, Ireland's consul general in New York noted that 15% of recent new businesses in Ireland were started by returning citizens. So “Erin go back” is a good thing for the Irish, but some on New York are lamenting the break-up of some of the Irish flavor of many neighborhoods there. Read more about it HERE.

And Green Poles? You betcha dupa. When some of those Irish immigrants get home they may find it more like the multi-ethnic New York than the Ireland they left. Eight percent of the work force in Ireland is now foreign born, with the largest contingent being from Poland. There is now even a Polish language in Dublin, StrefaEire: Irish Zone. Though some Irish natives have complained about foreigners taking jobs, unemployment has actually gone down recently. Read more HERE.

Easter Rising Generates Barbs, Jews of Ireland, 'Long Day's Journey' Actor Profiled

OSCAR-NOMINATED HOFFMAN CAN RELATE

Steve Kroft’s interview of Philip Seymour Hoffman yesterday evening on CBS News’ "60 Minutes" profiled the actor, shown left in his Tony-nominated role as Jamie O’Neill in the 2003 production of Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day’s Journey Into Night."

Above, Hoffman, in a shot from the 2003 production of "Long Day's Journey Into Night," in a photo by Joan Marcus.

Hoffman, currently nominated for an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal of author Truman Capote in the film "Capote," was reviewed in 2003 as “breathtaking” in his Broadway performance. Ironically, he portrayed a drunken Jamie O’Neill, but in Kroft’s interview, he revealed that he didn't drink at all; he underwent rehabilitation for substance abuse -- alcohol and drugs -- when he was 22. It was a turning point in his life, said the 38-year-old actor. It makes his 2003 performance all the more potent in retrospect. Kroft says the actor’s future is “limitless.” We knew that back in 2003, and we still concur. Hoffman’s performance in "Capote" was eerie in its depth and accuracy. Read more on CBSNews.com.

–Patricia Jameson-Sammartano (WGT Culture Editor)

IN OUR MAILBOX – THE JEWS OF IRELAND

Dear Mr. Regan,

I noticed your site from your e-mail on the ALBA web site (Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives), and I thought that you might be interested in my work on the Jews of Ireland. In 1996, I visited the Jewish communities on the island, photographed and interviewed individuals, and documented some of the remaining sites. Examples of my Ireland work can be seen on my web site at: http://www.paulmargolis.com/jews_ireland.htm. There is also a film called "Shalom Ireland" that was made several years ago by someone named Ganley, I believe.

I am going to Dublin next month, as a vacation more than anything connected with a project, and I will probably revisit some of the people and places from my visit there 10 years ago. I subscribe to the ALBA list serv because I wrote a graduation thesis on an American doctor who served in the Lincoln Battalion, and I've retained an interest since that time.

Regards, Paul Margolis

Editor's Note: An article, titled "Ireland’s Jews: A Fading Tribe On The Emerald Isle" by Paul Margolis in Jewish Heritage Report is available here.) He has also authored "The Tribe of St. Patrick," another article on the topic, for Haruth.com, at: http://www.haruth.com/JewsIrelandTribeStPatrick.html. WGT Contributing Editor Doug Chandler wrote for WGT about "Shalom Ireland," Valerie Lapin Ganley's documentary about Ireland's small but vibrant Jewish community.

DEBATE ON THE EASTER RISING HEATS UP

Irish President Mary McAleese's comments several weeks ago saluting the leaders and foot soldiers of the 1916 Rising as visionaries continues to draw flak, and defenders. Joe McGowan, WGT's Connacht correspondent, Joe McGowan, is tracking the debate, played out most obviously in Irish newspapers, as well as on WGT. See our post "Unionist Takes Shot at McAleese." Joe offers a riposte to some high-profile attempts to refute McAleese on his own website. Joe writes, in part:

"One would think there is no need to come to the defense, especially in Ireland, of the patriots of Easter Week. Sadly there is. Dr. Brian Murphy of Glenstal Abbey in response made the point that the President in her speech was reflecting the views of many Protestants of the time. On May 10th, 1916, George Bernard Shaw wrote in the Daily News, as the executions of the leaders was taking place: '... an Irishman resorting to arms to achieve the independence of his country is doing only what an Englishman will do if it be their misfortune to be invaded and conquered by Germany in the present war ...'

Above right, a picture of George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950).

We commend Joe's piece to our readers. Add your comment here at the end of this post, or in TheWildGeese.com Forum. And please cast your vote in WGT's poll on this issue.

Gold, or the Golden Rule?

As athletes fight it out in Torino, Italy, hoping to win that disk of precious metal to hang around their necks, we’d like to remember and honor an Olympic athlete who once gave up the quest to honor a higher ideal than personal or national glory.

Jack Shea with one of his gold medals, left.

In 1932 Irish-American Jack Shea won the gold medals in both the 500 and 1500 meter speed skating events in the 1932 in his hometown of Lake Placid, NY. He continued to skate and would have been one of the favorites in those events in the 1936 Olympics as well, had he chosen to compete. The 1936 Winter Olympics were not simply another Olympics like any other. They were held in the neighboring villages of Garmisch and Partenkirchen in Germany.

Germany in 1936 was a country that had come under the control of the Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler. Many Jewish-Americans boycotted those Olympics because of the Nazis persecution of the Jews in Germany, but only one American gentile did the same, and that was Jack Shea. Given the incredible sacrifice that a world class athlete must endure for most of their lives to that point just to get to the Olympics at all, no one could make such a decision lightly. If Shea could have had he swept his two events again he knew he would have been known as one of the greatest speed skater in Olympic history.

Shea saw a cause that was bigger than athletics, however, and thus he became the only non-Jewish American to personally boycott the games in 1936. Shea even attempted to persuade the American Olympic Committee to boycott but they refused. “Would you deny that the discrimination against Jews, with which Nazidom inaugurated its reign, has now been extended to include virtually every minority group in the country,” he asked Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage in a letter. Brundage never answered him.

Jack Shea never asked for any sort of recognition for his courageous and totally selfless act over the rest of his days. He died in January 2001 at the age of 91, the victim of a drunken driver. So as you are watching athletes glory in their Olympic triumphs in the coming days, as well they should, remember Jack Shea, a man who chose principle over personal glory.

Read more on Jack Shea in “The Jewish Week.”
Jack Shea dies at 91

Irish Americans dominated the 1908 US Olympic team. From coaches James Sullivan, the son of Irish immigrants who led the team, to trainer “Mike Murphy,” to the many participants from the Irish American Athletic Club, the American team at the 1908 Summer Olympics in England had a very Irish-American flavor to it. That team included the winner of the marathon, 19 year-old Johnny Hayes. The games themselves featured nearly constant battles between the British and American Olympic officials.

This marathon won by Hayes had perhaps the most famous ending in Olympic Marathon history. Near the end of the race Hayes was running 2nd to Dorando Pietri of Italy. When Pietri entered the stadium, however, he first went the wrong way, and then collapsed several times. He was helped up each time by officials and eventually virtually carried over the finish line just as Hayes entered the stadium. In spite of this obvious breach of the rules, the British officials at first ruled Pietri the winner. This nearly resulted in an all out brawl with incensed US officials, but eventually logic prevailed and Hayes was declared the winner.

The Irish started the whole event off with an incident somewhat reminiscent of Michael Corcoran’s refusal to have the 69th New York militia march for in honor of the Prince of Wales. When the delegations marched past King Edward VII’s box in the parade of nation during the opening ceremonies the flag bearer dipped their national flag. The flag bearer for the US delegation was Irish-born (County Mayo) Martin Sheridan. As he marched past he refused to dip the Stars and Stripes to the King. “This flag dips to no earthly king,” Sheridan said. Sheridan did more than make a statement for that day, he began a tradition that has continued, as the Stars and Stripes has bowed to no member of royality in any parade since.

In addition to beginning that tradition, Sheridan did extremely well in the games, winning the gold medal in the discuss and Greek discus and a bronze in the standing jump. This was his third Olympics. His career medal count was five gold, three silver and one bronze.

Read more about Irish-America’s contribution to the 1908 team HERE.

The 1908 Summer Olympics.

A shorter trip to Ireland. If you’ll be in the Scottsdale, AZ area this Saturday, the Louise Lincoln Kerr Center invites you to "Ireland" with AN EVENING OF IRISH LOVE AND LYRICS. This is a night where the heart of Ireland is brought to us through music and words, song and dance - "where words and music meet." With Kathleen Keane, Celtic Fiddler Redmond Gleeson , Irish Actor Thomas MacGreevy , Irish Actor Margaret O'Carroll, Soprano Christine Parker, Pianist 8:00P.M. Louise Lincoln Kerr Cultural Center, Arizona State University 6110 N.Scottsdale Road.

More events HERE.

Hi from Jamaica, Irish in Omaha, Kudos to Kerby Miller

KERBY MILLER RECEIVES GUGGENHEIM AWARD

WGT's Culture Editor Patricia Jameson-Sammartano reporting …

NEW YORK -- Congratulations to Kerby A. Miller of the University of Missouri, Columbia. Miller is a 2006 recipient of a Guggenheim Award for his research on the topic of Religious Demography and Conflict in Ireland, 1659-1926. The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation awards grants to scholars whose work treats aspects of violence and aggression, presuming that knowledge is the key to managing aggression and eradicating violence from our personal and international relations.

Miller’s previous works have included "Emigrants and Exiles: Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America," a collection of letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, songs, poems and folklore of the ordinary Irish emigrant based upon primary sources; it is a story of those exiles (deorai) based upon extensive primary source research, "Out of Ireland: The Story of Irish Emigration to America" (both the book and the video, with Paul Wagner), "Journey of Hope: The Story of Irish Immigration to America" (an interactive history, written with his wife, Patricia Mulholland Miller), and "Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan : Letters and Memoirs from Colonial and Revolutionary America, 1675-1815" (also based on primary source research, and co-edited with Arnold Schrier, Bruce D. Boling, and David N. Doyle). He co-edited "Irish Popular Culture, 1650-1850" with James S. Donnelly, and has written and spoken extensively on the Irish Diaspora in America. Miller is considered one of the leading scholars in the field of Irish emigration to America.

We look forward to Miller’s research on the topic of Religious Demography and Conflict in Ireland, 1659-1926. -- PJS

KEEPING TABS ON THE IRISH IN NEBRASKA

WGT's Nebraska Correspondent Jack Murphy alerts us that Omaha's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held this year Saturday, March 11, stepping off at 11 a.m. Check out IrishOmaha.com. There's a lot going on there

OCHS TO LEAD TIN-WHISTLE WORKSHOP

Tin whistle teacher Bill Ochs is leading a free workshop at The Irish
Arts Center, 553 W. 51st St., Manhattan (between 10th and 11th Ave.), on Sunday, March 12, 12:45-1:45 p.m. For reservations, call Ochs at (212) 247-3231 or e-mail him at bill@pennywhistle.com.

GREETINGS FROM BREDREN IN JAMAICA

WGT's San Diego-based correspondent Rob Mullally authored a popular three-part series for WGT on the Irish in Jamaica. He sends us this item from his mailbox, with the subject line: Hi, It's Giovanni Francis, IRISH Jamaican.

Hi how are you? my name is Giovanni. I am Anglo-Scot's, Irish, Portuguese and Black decent from Jamaica Manchester. I was wondering are you going to do any more articles on the Irish In JAMAICA?(image placeholder)

Giovanni, we have no immediate plans on addressing the topic, but it is clearly a rich one, and we hope to revisit the subject within the next few years.

Selling off Ireland’s History: Amhran Na Bhfiann for Sale.

The original hand written copy of what would become Ireland’s national anthem, the Soldier’s Song (Amhran na Bhfiann). Ireland’s two leading auction houses, James Adam & Sons and Mealy`s Auctioneers, have joined forces to for an April auction. That auction, which will be nearly on the 90th anniversary of the event will include several Easter Rising related items. Those include Thomas Clarke’s last letter to his wife before his execution and a tricolor that was thought to have flown over the GPO. The last letter written by Young Irelander Thomas Francis Meagher before he was deported to Tasmania, from which he later escaped to America where he later led the famous Irish Brigade in the Civil War. As might be expected, many Irish people are hoping that these documents will remain in the country.

Read the full story of the auction HERE.
Hear the music to the Soldiers Song and see the lyrics in both English and Irish HERE.

Saints preserve us!! Low alcohol Guinness? Apparently Guinness is about to release a low-alcohol brew, down to 2.8% from their usual 4.8%. It seems a sacrilege but it may happen if the test run goes well in Limerick next month. So all you Limerick boys out there, start drinking Murphy’s or Beamish for a while and safe the world from low-alcohol Guinness.

Read the full story HERE.

Nun’s, not enough: The famous Kylemore Abbey School in Connemara, Co Galway has been forced to close it’s doors due to a shortage of nuns. Not that it will be closing up tomorrow. The Benedictine Order has run the school for 84 years, but they are not down to 14 nuns to run the school. It’s not going to happened until August 2010.

Read the full story HERE.

'A Yen for An Irish Lass'

Ah, the one day of the year when mankind celebrates love, in all of its variations and permutations. Happy St. Valentine's Day from all of us here at WGT. In honor of this feast, we are pleased to bring to you the lyrics of one of the most intriguing and amusing songs we've heard in years.

We first heard this song, "I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You," while listening to the weekend radio show hosted by Jonathan Schwartz, the eloquent presenter and interpreter of the very eclectic American pop music scene. The show, a fixture here in New York, is aired Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm ET, on WNYC-FM. "I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You" stands out for its energy, and the sheer joy, wit, and playfulness of its lyrics, and, no small thing on this blog, its many sly, knowing, and bold references to Irish history and culture.

Jason Robert Brown, a 30-something composer, wrote the song for his musical "The Last Five Years," which debuted in Chicago in 2001 and made it off-Broadway the following year, winning Drama Desk Awards for Brown for Outstanding Music and Outstanding Lyrics. The two-character production tells the story of the rise and fall of the five-year relationship of Jewish writer Jamie and his Irish Catholic wife, Kathleen, a struggling actress. Brown replaced "I Could Be I in Love" in the New York production, reputedly when Brown's ex-wife, Theresa O'Neill, threatened to sue Brown. She maintained, apparently with some basis, that the plot closely tracked their failed marriage.

You can hear a snippet of the song at Amazon.com, along with other songs on Brown's album "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes." While some might be offended by Brown's reference to An Gorta Mor, we found it merely a part of the song's fun -- irreverent but not dismissive in the least. Below are the complete lyrics, lovingly transcribed, a tribute to the immense charms of Irish lasses worldwide. (Full disclosure might be in order here: I have always found red-haired Irish women nearly irresistible. My birthfather, a Jewish New Yorker, apparently felt the same way. Relinquished for adoption as an infant, I was conceived during an otherwise ill-fated months-long affair in Manhattan between him and my birthmother, a beautiful red-haired Irish-American lass.)

Brown's dazzling lyrics are below. Enjoy! --Ger

I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You

My first crush on an Irish girl. I was 10-years old and her name was Elaine.
A little redhead girl, well, she looked like you but if you were 10,
Which you're clearly not, not that you look old … I'll just stop now.

OK wait cuz I had a point, no I swear I did, well I think I did
Which is all my life or since I was 10, I have had a yen for an Irish lass
Because God knows why like the ancient curse of the shikse queens.

Do I talk too much? Which is not to say that I want Elaine
who turned out to be when I last checked in
a Republican and a parapsychologist.

If you've got a four-leaf clover, you can make my dreams come true.
I will be your Hebrew slave, just do the things that Irish girls do.
Talk about Potato famine, I begin to cry on cue.
Sing about the Emerald Isle, and get your Irish eyes to smile
And I could be in love with someone like you.

I just left a relationship with a lovely girl named Elisa Levine.
She was really great, it was all my fault,
I just got upset cuz she slept with my brother.
So I made a vow not to get caught up in the dating scene
Or the whole routine with the cousin's friend or the who know's what.

Like I need that shit, I've got marks to make, I've got steps to climb
It's the perfect time, I've got books to write. I've got things to do.
I go out my door and bump into you.

And the jig is up and my vow is through
I don't know what I'm doing but come in and ruin me.
I will write my own "Ulysses," if you're there to show me how.

Take me back to Gloccamora, bathe me in the River Shannon now.
If you'll be Mrs. O'Leary, baby, I will be your cow.
I'll deliver shamrocks daily, buy your pa a new shillelagh.
I could be in love with someone like you.

You could be my inspiration and get me past this block.
And walk through the great unknown.
You could be my true salvation, unchain me from this rock,
And keep me from being alone cuz I'm no good at being alone.

Take me to another level, let me play at bigger halls.
I will do a "Riverdance" as long as you keep answering my calls.
Get me out of my apartment, keep me from my empty walls.

Someone hire John McCormack. Start the wearing of the green.
Let me win the Irish Sweepstakes, Let me take you home, Kathleen.
I could be in love with someone, I could be in love with someone,
I could be in love with someone … like you.
© Jason Robert Brown

Note: Richard Alba, a professor at the University of Albany in New York who specializes in immigration and assimilation, is quoted in a December 13 article in the Atlanta Jewish Times providing some interesting statistics on intermarriage. Alba states that two-thirds of Irish-Americans aged 25 to 34 marry outside the fold, while three-quarters of Italian-Americans that age marry outside the Italian community. For Polish-Americans, the rate is 80 percent. Roughly half of married American Jews in that age group, he said, are believed to be in interfaith families. See "Intermarriage Isn’t Enemy, Outreach Conference Hears" Atlanta Jewish Times, Dec. 13, 2005,

Other Resources:

• 'Shalom Ireland': A Lively Look at Ireland's Jews


• Director Fetes Two Cultures in 'Shalom Ireland'


• Read about and purchase the Jason Robert Brown album "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes" at Amazon.com


• Snippet from "I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You" (Windows Media Player, 29 sec., provided by Amazon.com)


• Snippet from "I Could Be in Love With Someone Like You" (Real Player, 29 sec., provided by Amazon.com)

Hurling, father of ice hockey?

In the next couple of weeks lots of people will be watching as teams from all over the world compete for Olympic gold in the quintessentially Canadian sport of ice hockey. There won’t be an Irish team playing, as the sport is nearly unknown there, but there will be an Irish connection.

Left: An Irish stamp from 1984.

That connection lies in the origins of the game in the quintessentially Irish sport of hurling. In the early days of its existence the game was actually known as “ice hurly.” It’s not much of a stretch to evolve the name “hockey” from “hurly.”

Hockey is known to be a somewhat violent sport, with frequent fist fights. Though it might be another indication of the origins of sport, these hockey fights would be tame compared to the battles in ancient hurly, which often ended with blood on the field.

If any of the teams in the tournament has a player as adept at hockey as the legendary hero Cuchulainn (known as Setanta in his younger years) was at hurling, they will surely win.

Setanta journeys to his uncle's court to join the boy's corps. He shortened his walk by hurling his silver sliotar (ball) and then throwing his bronze hurley stick after it. He would run and catch both the sliotar and the hurley stick before they hit the ground. Soon he arrived at court, and his hurling abilities amazed the boys of the corps. Legend has it that he was able to score with ease and when he guarded the goal he never let a shot in.

Irish influence on hockey runs deep
Quotes Prove Ice Hockey's Origin

I beg your pardon: Some British MPs are demanding that their government release the details of an Irish government report that was submitted requesting that the 26 Irish soldiers executed by the British army during WWI be pardoned. The British government has said it will be responding to the Irish request soon, but has given no definite date. The army executed 306 soldiers in total during the war. Most had rudimentary trials at best.

According to the “Shot At Dawn” website: “Over three-hundred innocent British and Commonwealth soldiers were brutally gunned down by the authorities, not in the name of justice, but as a stupid, spiteful and shameful example to others. Most were clearly suffering from shell-shock. This website exposes the farce of so-called military justice. “

In reading the circumstances of some of those who were killed, I realized that the British officers who shot the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising without a semblance of a trial were merely applying the same injustice in Dublin as they had been applying in the fields of France. Given the reaction of the Irish population to the injustice done to those men, one wonders what the reaction would have been if they had ever learned the truth of the circumstances behind the shooting of 26 of their country by the British army in France.

British MPs want report released
Shot at dawn amnesty campaign
Read “Shot at Dawn” by Julian Putkowski

Who were the Molly Maguires: If you are in the eastern PA area you can find out this Sunday, Feb 19. The Irish Cultural Society of Scranton, PA is hosting a lecture in their Society Building on the corner of Beech St and Wintermantle Ave in Scranton, PA. The lecture will begin at 2:00PM and run until approximately 6:00PM. Lecturers will be Jerry Furey, an educator from New York and the Venus Theatre Co. from Maryland, who will present a program called "Are you a Daughter of a Molly Maguire?". Light refreshments will be served with a free will donation being accepted at the door. For more information, please contact Rosie at 570-815-4355 or by e-mail at http://mailto:eirland@aol.com/ .

More EVENTS.
Read Making Sense of the Molly Maguires by Kevin Kenny
Buy “The Molly Maguires” DVD, starring Sean Connery.

A little help from our friends: Those friends being the French (and Irish). Back on February 13, 1782 Dillon's regiment of the Irish Brigade of France helped capture St. Kitts from the British

More on this week in the history of the Irish.

U2 Bags Grammies, Ferry Tragedy Recalls N.Y.'s 2nd Blackest Day, Museum to Explore Irish Tenement Life, Montreal Siamsa

On Feb. 10, 1844, Daniel O'Connell, Ireland's "Catholic Emancipator," was convicted of conspiracy, fined and sentenced to 12 months in prison by British authorities. O'Connell's participation in mass meetings demanding repeal of Ireland's Laws discriminating against Catholics led to his arrest and sentence, despite his continued assertions of loyalty to the British monarchy. Read more about O'Connell in Catholic Encyclopedia and find more key dates in the history of the Irish on WGT's Dates Page.

SIAMSA IN LA BELLE MONTREAL: Montreal's Siamsa School of Irish Music is holding its first Ceili of the year Saturday, 8 p.m. to midnight, at NDG Legion, 5455 de Maisonneuve West (at the corner Addington). Admission is $8. Caller is Bill White, with music provided by the Siamsa Ceili Band. For info, call (514) 483-6262 or (514) 932-0135, e-mail info@siamsa.org, or visit www.siamsa.org. For more history and heritage events worldwide, visit WGT's Events Listings.

WGT'S Culture Editor, Patricia Jameson-Sammartano, reports:

U2 COPS MORE GRAMMIES, 'MAKING THE IRISH AMERICAN' EN ROUTE, MUSEUM TO EXPLORE IRISH EXPERIENCE: Last Saturday, the Irish American Heritage and Culture Committee of the New York City Department of Education held its annual Educators’ Seminar at the American Irish Historical Society in Manhattan.

The program included a slide presentation and lecture by David Favolaro of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. In fall 2006, the museum will present "The Moore Family of 97 Orchard Street – An Irish Family in New York." The Moores were an Irish working class family who lived in various locations in lower Manhattan between 1863 and 1930. They lived at 97 Orchard Street, and their apartment is being restored to build the narrative of their family history. Through the story of one family, the Tenement Museum aims to narrate the Irish experience in New York in the second half of the 19th Century, focusing on the death of a young child, and the issues of public health and infant mortality. Analysis of the topics includes use of genealogical records, city directories, baptismal records and censuses. This will be a unique exhibition, and one which we eagerly anticipate.

In photo above, Irish Heritage and Culture Week Committee Chairwoman Doris Meyer, left, is seen with NYU professor Joseph Lee to her right. Photo by Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

J. Joseph Lee, director of New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House, followed Favolaro with a discussion on the Irish working class in New York. Lee spoke of the diaspora resulting from The Great Famine, and of how that generation became part of the greatest savings epoch for the New York Irish, as chronicled by the Emigrant Savings Bank records of the 1850s and 60s. He also discussed the importance of the role of women in the family, as those who kept the family together while the husbands went out and worked to bring home a salary.

Below, library consultant Judith McGowan. Photo by Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

Lee is co-editor with fellow NYU professor Marion R. Casey, also of Ireland House, of the newly printed "Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States." The book, a compilation of 29 essays on Irish immigrants' impact on the United States, is from NYU Press. Ireland House will host the book's launch March 9.

Also speaking Saturday was library consultant Judith McGowan, who distributed her annotated bibliography of children's’ literature relating to the Irish.

The event was attended by educators from New York City, and is the annual kickoff to a series of events held around St. Patrick’s Day; it will also encompass art and oratory contests for city school children, a reception at the Irish Consulate, an annual event held by the United Federation of Teachers, and culminates with a ceremony at City Hall's Council Chambers honoring winners of the various contests and honorees selected by the committee. This year’s ceremony takes place Friday, April 7th.

Also of note this week, the newest addition on the Irish-American weekly newspaper scene, The Irish Examiner, has a cover article on flautist James Galway.

At the Grammy Awards on Wednesday, the Irish rock group U2 carried away five of the coveted statuettes, for best album of the year (“How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb”), Song of the Year (“Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own”), Best Rock Album, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal, Best Rock Song (“City of Blinding Lights”), and a Songwriter’s award for “Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.” In accepting the award for best album, Bono paid tribute to his late father and rapper Kanye West, and U2 guitarist The Edge (David Evans) paid tribute to the band’s fans. The band also performed “Vertigo” and a very moving “One,” with Mary J. Blige. The Edge performed “Yes We Can” and, in tribute to Wilson Pickett, “In the Midnight Hour.” This brings the band’s total number of Grammys to 20, which makes them one of the top 10 Grammy Award winners of all times.

West, accepting for best rap album, thanked the Irish group for their influence on his music. Now that’s Irish soul! (Read more about Irish rock and rollers in WGT's Archives.) -- PJS

EGYPTIAN FERRY TRAGEDY RECALLS NEW YORK DISASTER: The fate a week ago of the Egyptian ferry Salam Boccaccio 98, which sank in the Red Sea 64 miles off the coast, eerily recalls that of the ferry General Slocum, which in 1904 also tried to make land before a fire consumed it.

There seem a number of similarities between the disasters. These include number of casualties: 1,021 of estimated 1,300 passengers in the case of the Slocum; 1,012 of the 1,400 on board the Salam Boccaccio 98. Holy Cross College-based historian Edward T. O'Donnell ("1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Irish-American History") provides a gripping account of the Slocum disaster in his landmark 2003 book, "Ship Ablaze: The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum," as well as a much briefer narrative on his website. These provide the details presented here.

Below, the front page of The (New York) World, June 15, 1904. National Archives (US) Photo

The 264-foot-long Slocum was a once majestic, but still impressive, passenger ferry plying the waters around Manhattan and western Long Island. On June 15, 1904, the Slocum set off from a lower Manhattan berth with its passengers, primarily woman and children from the Lower East Side neighborhood then known as Kleindeutchland, "Little Germany." The boat was heading for Locust Grove, one of a number of seaside resorts on Long Island where city dwellers could the escape the claustrophobia of the city's teeming tenements.

As well, the crews in both cases seem to offer striking poses of criminal indifference when confronted with burgeoning fires on-board. In both vessels, some have suggested, the ships' haste to strike land fed the flames that led to the immense loss of life. On both the Salam Boccaccio and the Slocum, more than 1,000 died despite the presence of a substantial number of lifeboats. Passengers accused the crew of the Egyptian vessel of doing nothing to help lower lifeboats, while the Slocum's boats were wired immovably to the ferry's decks.

The Egyptian captain's decision to push forward to Egypt rather than return to the embarkation point in Dubah, Saudi Arabia, recalls the decision by Slocum captain William Van Schaick to travel on rather than heed passengers' and bystanders' calls to dock along the city's industrialized waterfront.

"The story of the General Slocum made headlines across the nation and around the globe," writes O'Donnell in his website narrative. Van Schaick was later convicted of criminal negligence and manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in New York's Sing Sing prison in the incident. He served three years before receiving a pardon from President William H. Taft.

The Egyptian captain may face a similar fate. "Those who are responsible will not escape without punishment," Egyptian government spokesman Suleiman Awad quoted President Hosni Mubarak as saying. "There is no one in Egypt who is above law or questioning, and as an Egyptian, I am angry and sad for what happened."

While the Slocum catastrophe primarily impacted New York's German community, as befits an incident set in New York in the early 20th century, Irish New Yorkers are sprinkled throughout O'Donnell's narrative. These include 11-year-old Catherine Gallagher, a passenger on the ill-fated boat; boat's crewmates Flanagan, O'Neill and Michael McGrann; and, among the many rescuers, NYPD Officer James Collins and 17-year-old Mary McCann, who was only a month in the United States and hospitalized with scarlet fever when she sprang into action.

The Slocum inferno was, by the way, until Sept. 11, the city's greatest disaster. --Ger

The Passing of One of The Wild Geese

On February 9th 1773 James Fitzgerald, a soldier in the Irish Brigade died in France. James joined the most famous regiment of the Irish Brigade of France, Dillion’s, in 1730. He fought in that regiment in the 1730’s at the sieges of Kehl and Philipsburg and at the battle of Dettingen in 1743. He was then given command of a company in Lally’s regiment. He fought bravely with that regiment at the most famous battle of the Brigade, at Fontenoy in 1745. He was given a brevet promotion to colonel for his outstanding performance there.

In 1757 Fitzgerald was offered the opportunity to serve with Lally on his adventurous expedition to India. It may have sounded like it held a good possibility of wealth and advancement, but perhaps he had a premonition of the disaster in store for Lally in India, and after his return. In any case, he wisely turned down the opportunity and remained with the Brigade in France. He transferred to Clare’s regiment, eventually retired as the 7th Viscount Clare in command of the regiment. A fluent Irish speaker, James Fitzerald died in France, far from the island home he loved.

Read how France's Irish Brigade once saved the King's Army.

Read more about Irish soldiers in “A Military History of Ireland.”

AOH defense campaign: The Ancient Order of Hibernians has taken up the cause of clearing the name of the late captain James Kelly. Kelly and four others were charged with illegally importing arms into Ireland in 1970. but found not guilty. Though all were found not guilty, Kelly died in 2003 and his family says he lived the rest of his life under a cloud. The AOH wrote to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern: “In your past comments, you have noted that you believe Captain Kelly was operating under what he believed were proper orders and you had no reason to doubt his integrity, which would mean that the step to clear his name is very close,” Read more about it HERE.

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Coming events: Sunday the 12th in Costa Mesa, CA, hear Irish fiddler Eileen Ivers and Special Guest Burhan Oca in concert. Ivers has been called a "sensation" by Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by The New York Times. "She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing" says The Irish Times. Ivers' recording credits include over 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores. Segerstrom Hall Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. Learn more about her concert HERE.

'Win' the Medal? Riverdance in LA, Kut, O'Mahony's Sad End, Retribution, McAleese

NO PENSIONS FOR REVOLUTIONARIES: On February 7, 1877, John O'Mahony, founder of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United States, died in New York, in poverty, highlighting the precarious existence revolutionaries typically face. Read more about O'Mahony and find more key dates in the history of the Irish on WGT.

DANCING UP A STORM IN LA-LA LAND: Tonight, Riverdance opens a run in Hollywood, at Hollywood Pantages Theater. Performances Tues-Sun at 8pm, US $22.50 - US $65.50. Call 213-365-3500 or visit http://www.riverdance.com/ for more info.

For more February events from WGT, click HERE.

WE GOT MAIL: MEDAL OF HONOR 'WINNERS'? SIEGE OF KUT

The following e-mail arrived at our door last week from Nebraska:

Hello, I was looking at your website and found it to be very informative about many Irish contributions worldwide. There is one item that I thought might be worth rewording and that is located on the webpage http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/us.html. "Medal of Honor Winners" should probably read "Medal of Honor Recipients," as that would be a more appropriate title to veterans than the word “winners." Again, your website is very helpful and informative and is something that all Irish throughout the world should take pride in. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

SFC Jack Murphy
John (Jack) G. Murphy
Sergeant First Class, NE ARNG
National Guard Bureau Marathon Coordinator
1776 North 10th Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508-1096
Business Phone # 402-309-7359
Business Fax # 402-309-7375

We agree with Sgt. Murphy's point and have revised the link title, as he recommends. Sgt. Murphy later informed us that he conducted the first ever Irish American Heritage Presentation for the Nebraska National Guard last March. This was to help recognize and celebrate Irish American History month. He informs us that he has PowerPoint presentation used then that he is making available to anyone one interested in using it for these same purposes. You can e-mail Sgt. Murphy to arrange for delivery.

IRISH AT KUT? : We exchanged e-mails recently with author John de St. Jorre ("The Marines," "Legendary Golf Clubs of the American East"), who asked if there were any Irish regiments involved in the Siege of Kut, a battle between the British and the Turks in Iraq during the First World War. ... "It was an epic struggle--the longest siege in British imperial history--that ended in capitulation to the Turks, a sort of minor Gallipoli," John noted., adding, we happily note, "I went to your website--very interesting and well presented."

Our UK correspondent, Kieron C. Punch, replies:

Hello John,

The majority of troops under the command of Major-General Charles Townshend within the town of Kut were members of the 6th (Poona) Division from India. (The vast majority of the "British" forces which participated in the campaign against the Turks in Mesopotamia were Indian.) Each of the brigades within the various Indian Divisions of the British Army was usually "stiffened" by the presence of a "Regular" British infantry battalion. Thus, in addition to 9 Indian battalions, the 6th (Poona) Division also contained 3 British battalions, although none of these was Irish. The 3 battalions were: 16th Brigade -- 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment; 17th Brigade -- 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamsphire Light Infantry; 18th Brigade -- 2nd Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.

Many of the supporting units, such as the artillery brigade, within the 6th Division (and all other Indian Divisions) were also British. I do not believe that any artillery brigades were raised in Ireland during the Great War (even the 10th, 16th and 36th Irish Divisions went to war with English/British artillery units listed in their order of battle), so it is unlikely that there was any formation of Irish troops present within the garrison of Kut. One Irish battalion did fight with the Tigris Corps, which attempted to relieve Kut. This was the 1st Battalion Connaught Rangers which served in the 7th Brigade of the 3rd (Lahore) Indian Division. The Rangers fought with distinction in the battles of Umm-al-Hanna, Abu Roman and Beit Aiessa, but suffered heavy casualties including the loss of their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Murray.

Incidentally, my grandfather's cousin, Corporal Martin Gleeson from Limerick, served with 19th Battery, 9th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, which was part of the Indian 7th (Meerut) Division and which also fought in the Kut campaign. This goes to show that some Irishmen, who had not enlisted in designated Irish formations, were probably also serving with the "British" units holed-up within Kut, but we can only guess their number.

All the best,
Kieron Punch

The above photo is from the The National Archives (UK), showing an emaciated Indian army soldier who survived the siege of Kut (December 1915-April 1916). IWM Q 79446 (1916).

These links provide more information about The Siege of Kut:

* The Mesopotamia campaign, from The National Archives (UK)
* The siege of Kut-al-Amara, to 29 April 1915, From "The Long, Long Trail: The British Army in the Great War"

WGT POLL--McALEESE NOT PLAYING 'WITH FIRE':