Eibhlin O'Neill's blog

Ireland's 'Tree of the Year' 2019 is the Witch's Yew situated on the grounds of Blarney Castle. Organised by the Tree Council of Ireland, in association with the Irish Tree Society, nominations were sought for the honour. Particularly those with a story attached, along with a touch of mystery and strong connection to the community. The public voted for the Witch's Yew out of the five trees nominated. In Celtic mythology and folklore trees were thought to have special magical properties such as Oak, Holly, Apple, Hazel, Alder, Willow, Yew, Mountain Ash or Rowan and Elder.

The 'Bigger and Better Marine Protected Area' Conference, organised by Irish Wildlife Trust And Coastwatch, is taking place on September 2-3rd at Trinity College Dublin. This International MPA (Marine Protected Area) conference will focus on how to make MPAs bigger and better in an Irish context.

Reek Sunday (Irish: Domhnach na Cruaiche) takes place on the last Sunday of July. Thousands took part in this years event which involved participants climbing Ireland's holiest mountain Croagh Patrick (Irish: Cruach Phádraig) which is 2,507 feet (764 metres) in height. The annual day of pilgrimage is held in honour of Saint Patrick who, in the year 441, spent 40 days fasting on the mountain in County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo). There had been a chapel on the summit in the 5th century and another small chapel was built on the summit and dedicated on 20 July 1905.

At a hearing of the Court of Appeal in Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste) last week, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann) were ordered to conduct an independent investigation into alleged state collusion with a loyalist gang. Lord Chief Justice Declan Morgan rejected an appeal by former PSNI chief constable George Hamilton against a 2017 judgement that the police's failure to conduct an overarching examination of state collusion with the Glenanne Gang was inconsistent with its human rights obligations. 

Some say that you have to be married to a person to know what they are really like. Perhaps this is particularly the case when the marriage is to the ghost of a 300 hundred year old pirate. A recent article in the newspaper The Irish Post reports that: "A woman who claims she married the ghost of a 300-year-old Haitian pirate says she needed an exorcism after their relationship turned sour."

Belfast (Irish: Béal Feirste) now has a new Mayor, Sinn Féin Cllr John Finucane. He is the son of murdered Irish human rights lawyer Pat Finucane. In 1989 Pat Finucane (39) was shot dead by loyalists at his home in north Belfast, in front of his wife Geraldine, who was also injured, and their children Michael, Katherine and John.  It was found that loyalist paramilitaries acting in collusion with the British government intelligence service MI5 were involved in the murder. 

It has been confirmed by Ireland's Department of Justice that a plan to provide an accommodation centre for asylum seekers at a disused hotel in Rooskey, Co Leitrim, has been abandoned. Since it was announced that it was to become a reception centre for asylum seekers, the Shannon Key West Hotel has been damaged in two arson attacks over the last three months. The department has said that the decision not to proceed with the project was due to difficulties with the lease agreement between the owners of the hotel, and the operator renting it.

Saint Patrick is the primary patron saint of Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day was oberved yesterday 17 March, which is said to be the date of his death. Celebrated inside and outside Ireland as a religious and cultural holiday, it is also a celebration of Ireland and all things Irish. Patrick was a 5th Century missionary, who came from Roman Britain and first arrived in Ireland as a slave. Patrick tells us he came from an area called Bannevam Taburniae.

Patrick Finucane (21 March 1949 – 12 February 1989), was an Irish human rights lawyer killed by loyalist paramilitaries acting in collusion with the British government intelligence service MI5.  He was aged 39 when he was killed in front of his wife and three children on 12 February 1989 after two masked loyalist paramilitaries knocked down the front door of his house in Belfast and shot him 14 times. Now the Supreme Court has ruled that a British government investigation into the murder was not properly carried out.

One hundred years ago, on 3rd February 1919, Éamon de Valera (14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975), a leading figure in Ireland's fight for independence, made an audacious escape from Lincoln Gaol in England. He was detained there as one of a number of political prisoners held by the British.  Eamon de Valera took part in the Easter Rising of April 1916, which was launched by Irish republicans to end British rule in Ireland and establish an independent Irish Republic. During the Rising he commanded forces holding Boland's Mill on Grand Canal Street in Dublin.