1.
Enda Kenny
–
Enda Kenny is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fine Gael since 2002 and Taoiseach since March 2011. He has also been Irelands Minister for Defence since 6 May 2016 and he was a two-term Vice-President of the European Peoples Party and was Irelands Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since 1975, having succeeded his father Henry Kenny and he is the longest-serving TD currently in Dáil Éireann, which makes him the incumbent Father of the Dáil. He is the first taoiseach from Fine Gael since John Bruton, Enda Kenny was born in 1951 in Derrywash, Islandeady, near Castlebar, County Mayo, the third child of five of Mary Eithne and Henry Kenny. He was educated locally at St Patricks National School, Cornanool and at St. Geralds College and he attended St Patricks College of Education, Dublin, qualifying as a national teacher and was an undergraduate student at University College Galway. He worked as a school teacher for four years. Kenny has been married to Fionnuala OKelly since 1992 and she has been described by the media as his secret weapon. OKelly is first cousin to sitting Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly, the OKelly family originally come from the parish of Kilcummin near Killarney, County Kerry. The Kennys have three children, one daughter - Aoibhinn, and two sons - Ferdia and Naoise, the couple met in Leinster House where OKelly worked as a press officer for Fianna Fáil. She later worked with Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Kenny has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and completed the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. He is a supporter of his native Mayo GAA football team. He played Gaelic football for his club, Islandeady, of which he is the current club president. His father Henry won an All-Ireland medal with the county team in 1936 and his grandfather was a lighthouse keeper. From an early age Kenny was exposed to politics as his father, Henry Kenny, in the early 1970s he became directly involved in politics when he started helping his father with constituency clinics. In 1975, Henry Kenny died after a battle with cancer. The Fine Gael party wanted one of his sons to stand as their candidate at the subsequent by-election and he was elected on the first count with 52% of the vote, and at 24 he was the youngest member of the 20th Dáil. Kenny remained on the backbenches of the Dáil for almost a decade and he was appointed party spokesperson firstly on youth affairs and sport, then western development, however, he failed to build a national profile as he concentrated more on constituency matters. Kenny was left out in the cold when Garret FitzGerald became Taoiseach for the first time in 1981 and he was, however, appointed as a member of the Fine Gael delegation at the New Ireland Forum in 1983 and later served on the British-Irish Parliamentary Association
2.
Ceann Comhairle
–
The Ceann Comhairle is the chairperson of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the Dáil from among their number in the first session after each general election, the Ceann Comhairle of the 32nd Dáil is Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl,8 June 2016. The Ceann Comhairle is expected to observe strict impartiality, despite this, a government usually tries to select a member of its own political party for the position, if it has enough deputies to allow that choice. As a consequence, the constituency that an incumbent Ceann Comhairle represents elects one fewer TD in an election than its usual entitlement. The Ceann Comhairle does not take part in debates nor vote except in the event of a tie, in this event they generally vote in accordance with the parliamentary conventions relating to the Speaker of the British House of Commons, which tend to amount to voting against motions. The Ceann Comhairle formally opens each days sitting by reading the official prayer, the Ceann Comhairle is the sole judge of order in the house and has a number of special functions. Specifically, the Ceann Comhairle, Calls on members to speak, all speeches must be addressed to the Ceann Comhairle. Puts such questions to the house and supervises and declares the results of divisions, to ensure obedience to his rulings the Ceann Comhairle may order members to withdraw from the Dáil or suspend an individual from the House for a period. In the case of disorder the Ceann Comhairle can suspend or adjourn the house. Rings a bell when deputies are out of order, the bell is a half-sized reproduction of the ancient bell of Lough Lene Castle found at Castle Island, Lough Lene, Castlepollard, County Westmeath in 1881 and now in the National Museum. The reproduction was presented in 1931 by the widow of Bryan Cooper, the Ceann Comhairle is an ex officio member of the Presidential Commission, Council of State, Commission for Public Service Appointments. The position of Ceann Comhairle is as old as the Dáil, the first Ceann Comhairle was Cathal Brugha, who served for only one day, presiding over the houses symbolic first meeting, before leaving the post to become Príomh Aire. The office was continued under the 1922–1937 Irish Free State, the constitution of which referred to the office-holder as the Chairman of Dáil Éireann, the practice of automatically re-electing the Ceann Comhairle in a general election was introduced by a constitutional amendment in 1927. The position of Ceann Comhairle was retained when the Constitution of Ireland was adopted in 1937, the use of secret ballot commenced in 2016. This list includes the constituencies and political affiliation of each Ceann Comhairle as well as the number of their Dáil Éireann, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle holds office as the Deputy Chairman of Dáil Éireann under Article 15.9.1 of the Constitution. In the absence of the Ceann Comhairle, the Leas-Cheann Comhairle deputises, the current Leas-Cheann Comhairle is Fianna Fáil TD Pat the Cope Gallagher, since 6 July 2016. By tradition, the position is reserved for the Opposition, the role carries the same pay and the same status as that of a Minister of State. Cathaoirleach Politics of the Republic of Ireland History of the Republic of Ireland Dáil Éireann Dáil Éireann Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly OConnor, Tom, OHalloran, Politics in a Changing Ireland 1960–2007, A Tribute to Seamus Pattison
3.
Wexford
–
Wexford is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 National Primary Route, and it has a population of 19,913 according to the 2011 census. The town was founded by the Vikings in about 800 AD and they named it Veisafjǫrðr, meaning inlet of the mud flats, and the name has changed only slightly into its present form. Veisa in modern Norwegian means Way, so Veisafjǫrðr could have meant inlet of the way or Way Fjord. The resulting loch was thus named Loch Garman, for about three hundred years it was a Viking town, a city state, largely independent and owing only token dues to the Irish kings of Leinster. However, in May 1169 Wexford was besieged by Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster and his Norman ally, the Norse inhabitants resisted fiercely, until the Bishop of Ferns persuaded them to accept a settlement with Dermot. Wexford was an Old English settlement in the Middle Ages, an old dialect of English, known as Yola, was spoken uniquely in Wexford up until the 19th century. The Yola name for Wexford was Weiseforthe, following the Crusades, the Knights Templar had a presence in Wexford. Up to the present, their name is perpetuated in the old Knights Templars chapel yard of St. Johns Cemetery, County Wexford produced strong support for Confederate Ireland during the 1640s. A fleet of Confederate privateers was based in Wexford town, consisting of sailors from Flanders and their vessels raided English Parliamentarian shipping, giving some of the proceeds to the Confederate government in Kilkenny. As a result, the town was sacked by the English Parliamentarians during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649, many of its inhabitants were killed and much of the town was burned. In 1659 Solomon Richards was appointed Governor, but he was dismissed and imprisoned following the Restoration the next year, County Wexford was the centre of the 1798 rebellion against British rule. Redmond Square, near the station, commemorates the elder John Edward Redmond who was Liberal MP for the city of Wexford. The inscription reads, My heart is with the city of Wexford, nothing can extinguish that love but the cold soil of the grave. His nephew William Archer Redmond sat as an MP in Isaac Butts Home Rule Party from 1872 until 1880, Willie Redmond sat as an MP for Wexford from 1883 until 1885. The younger John Redmond, was a follower of Charles Stewart Parnell. He is interred in the Redmond family vault, at the old Knights Templars chapel yard of St. Johns Cemetery, Upper St. Johns Street
4.
Irish people
–
The Irish people are a nation and ethnic group native to the island of Ireland, who share a common Irish ancestry, identity and culture. Ireland has been inhabited for about 9,000 years according to archaeological studies, for most of Irelands recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland, the people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities, including Irish, Northern Irish, British, or some combination thereof. The Irish have their own customs, language, music, dance, sports, cuisine, although Irish was their main language in the past, today the huge majority of Irish people speak English as their first language. Historically, the Irish nation was made up of kin groups or clans, there have been many notable Irish people throughout history. After Irelands conversion to Christianity, Irish missionaries and scholars exerted great influence on Western Europe, the 6th-century Irish monk and missionary Columbanus is regarded as one of the fathers of Europe, followed by saints Cillian and Fergal. The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the father of chemistry, famous Irish writers include Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker and James Joyce, notable Irish explorers include Brendan the Navigator, Robert McClure, Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. By some accounts, the first European child born in North America had Irish descent on both sides, many presidents of the United States have had some Irish ancestry. The population of Ireland is about 6.3 million, but it is estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish forebears, historically, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent are mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United Kingdom. There are also significant numbers in Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand, the United States has the most people of Irish descent, while in Australia those of Irish descent are a higher percentage of the population than in any other country. Many Icelanders have Irish and Scottish Gaelic forebears, in its summary of their article Who were the Celts. The National Museum Wales notes It is possible that genetic studies of ancient. However, early studies have, so far, tended to produce implausible conclusions from very small numbers of people and using outdated assumptions about linguistics, nineteenth century anthropology studied the physical characteristics of Irish people in minute detail. During the past 10,000 years of inhabitation, Ireland has witnessed some different peoples arrive on its shores, the ancient peoples of Ireland—such as the creators of the Céide Fields and Newgrange—are almost unknown. Neither their languages nor terms they used to describe themselves have survived, as late as the middle centuries of the 1st millennium the inhabitants of Ireland did not appear to have a collective name for themselves. Ireland itself was known by a number of different names, including Banba, Fódla, Ériu by the islanders, Iouerne and Hiverne to the Greeks, other Latin names for people from Ireland in Classic and Mediaeval sources include Attacotti and Gael
5.
Drumcondra, Dublin
–
Drumcondra is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council, the River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area. Drumcondra is also a parish in the Fingal South West deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. Mary, the Cat and Cage is located at the corner of Church Avenue. The portion of the division of Drumcondra outside the township was renamed Drumcondra Rural. The Dublin Boundaries Act 1900 absorbed the township into Dublin county borough as the wards of Drumcondra, part of Drumcondra Rural electoral division was transferred to the city in 1930. The remainder was split into Drumcondra Rural Number One and Drumcondra Rural Number Two in 1971, the district is served by Drumcondra railway station, on the main Drumcondra road. The station initially opened on 1 April 1901 but closed on 1 December 1910 with the termination of Kingsbridge to Amiens Street services, part of the original building was demolished in late 1918. It reopened on 2 March 1998 as a station on the Maynooth/Longford commuter line, the proposed Metro line from Dublin city centre to beyond Dublin Airport is scheduled to be linked with Drumcondra railway station. Many Dublin Bus routes serve the Drumcondra area, such as the 1,11,13,16,33,41, in addition the Aircoach express coach service to Dublin Airport stops at the Railway station. One of the sights of Dublin is Croke Park, where Irelands national games of Gaelic football. Boasting a capacity for 82,300 people, it is one of the largest sports stadiums in Europe, croker is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and also houses the official GAA Museum. The stadium has the right to host the matches of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The stadium is a 20-minute walk from Dublin city centre, or a 5-minute bus ride, Fagans Public House, Drumcondra Road Lower. Bertie Ahern took U. S. President, Bill Clinton, Kennedys Pub on Lower Drumcondra Rd is one of the oldest pubs in Drumcondra, predating Fagans by a number of years. Formerly called McPhilips, its been named Kennedys since 1961, Tolka Park the home of League of Ireland side Shelbourne is situated on Richmond Road. The National Council for the Blind at Whitworth Road, is located near the Church of St. George cemetery, St Patricks N. S. Roman Catholic, parish of Drumcondra. Home Farm Road, Roman Catholic, parish of Drumcondra, St. Josephs School For Children with a Visual Impairment, Roman Catholic, parish of Drumcondra. The oldest church in the district is Drumcondra Church, located at the bend of Church Avenue, several notable people including Georgian-period architect James Gandon are buried in the adjoining graveyard
6.
Labour Party (Ireland)
–
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. Unlike the other main Irish political parties, Labour did not arise as a faction of the original Sinn Féin party. This gives Labour a cumulative total of nineteen years served as part of a government, the current party leader is Brendan Howlin. It is currently the fourth largest party in Dáil Éireann, with seven seats, the Labour Party is a member of the Progressive Alliance, Socialist International, and Party of European Socialists. In 1912 James Connolly, James Larkin and William OBrien established the Irish Labour Party as the wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. This party was to represent the workers in the expected Dublin Parliament under the Third Home Rule Act 1914, the Irish Citizen Army, formed during the 1913 Lockout, was informally the military wing of the Labour Movement. The ICA took part in the 1916 Rising, councillor Richard OCarroll, a Labour Party member of Dublin Corporation, was the only elected representative to be killed during the Easter Rising. OCarroll was shot and died days later on 5 May 1916. The ICA was revived during Peadar ODonnells Republican Congress but after the 1935 split in the Congress most ICA members joined the Labour Party. The British Labour Party had previously organised in Ireland, but in 1913 the Labour NEC agreed that the Irish Labour Party would have organising rights over the entirety of Ireland. A group of trade unionists in Belfast objected and the Belfast Labour Party, in Larkins absence, William OBrien became the dominant figure in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union and wielded considerable influence in the Labour Party. OBrien also dominated the Irish Trade Union Congress and it also refrained from contesting the 1921 elections. As a result, the party was left outside Dáil Éireann during the years of the independence struggle. The Anglo-Irish Treaty divided the Labour Party, some members sided with the Irregulars in the Irish Civil War that quickly followed. OBrien and Johnson encouraged its members to support the Treaty, in the 1922 general election the party won 17 seats. However, there were a number of strikes during the first year, in the 1923 general election the Labour Party only won 14 seats. From 1922 until Fianna Fáil TDs took their seats in 1927, Labour attacked the lack of social reform by the Cumann na nGaedheal government. In 1923 Larkin returned to Ireland and he hoped to take over the leadership role he had left, but OBrien resisted him
7.
Irish general election, 1987
–
The Irish general election of 1987 was held on 17 February 1987, four weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 20 January. The newly elected 166 members of the 25th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 10 March when a new Taoiseach, the general election took place in 41 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. The general election of 1987 was precipitated by the withdrawal of the Labour Party from the Fine Gael-led government on 20 January 1987, the reason was a disagreement over budget proposals. Rather than press on with the agenda, the Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael, Garret FitzGerald. An unusually long period of four weeks was set for the campaign and it was hoped that the electorate would warm to Fine Gaels budget proposals during the campaign. Fianna Fáils campaign involved a refusal to any definite commitments. Charles Haugheys attitude towards Northern Ireland and the Anglo-Irish Agreement were both attacked, however, the campaign was mostly fought on economic issues. The Labour Party decided against any pre-election pact, particularly with Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats, founded only two years earlier, surpassed the Labour Party as the third-biggest political party in the Dáil. Although the majority of the party consisted of Fianna Fáil defectors, independents include Independent Fianna Fáil and the Tax Reform League. Notes, Changes in numbers of seats for each party are shown relative to the election in November 1982. †During the previous Dáil,4 Fianna Fáil TDs and 1 Fine Gael TD had joined the Progressive Democrats, in spite of the opinion polls suggesting otherwise, Fianna Fáil once again failed to win an overall majority. However the party was able to govern as a minority government and Charles Haughey was back for his third, the Fianna Fáil government of 1987 to 1989 was the last time to date that a government composed of only one party has been formed in Ireland. The new party, the Progressive Democrats, did well on their first outing, becoming the third biggest party in the Dáil. Fine Gael lost many seats, mostly to the PDs, the Labour Party failed to make any impact, with its leader Dick Spring, almost losing his seat. Members of the 25th Dáil Government of the 25th Dáil Ministers of State of the 25th Dáil 1987 election, Party leaders debate RTÉ archives
8.
Irish general election, 1992
–
The Irish general election of 1992 was held on Wednesday,25 November 1992, almost three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 5 November. The newly elected 166 members of the 27th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 14 December 1992, a new Fianna Fáil-Labour Party coalition government was not appointed until 12 January 1993 after Albert Reynolds was re-elected Taoiseach. The general election took place in 41 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 166 seats in Dáil Éireann, the general election of 1992 was precipitated by the collapse of the Fianna Fáil–Progressive Democrats coalition government. Allegations of dishonesty at the Beef Tribunal forced Desmond OMalley and his party to part ways with Albert Reynoldss Fianna Fáil, both Albert Reynolds and John Bruton of Fine Gael were fighting their first general election as leader of their respective parties. For Reynolds it would be his only election as leader, the campaign went very poorly for Fianna Fáil with Reynoldss support dropping by 20%. Among the left, the Labour Party had increased their support in the elections the previous year. Six out of their seven TDs and a majority of their councillors left the party when the failed to be passed. Many political pundits had predicted that Fianna Fáil would not be re-elected and that a Rainbow Coalition involving Fine Gael, John Bruton, the leader of Fine Gael, had problems of his own. Opinion polls showed that if a Rainbow Coalition came to power, the possibility of a rotating Taoiseach was also hinted at in the media. The big winner of the campaign was Dick Spring and the Labour Party and they distanced themselves completely from Fine Gael and fought an independent line. The election also saw Moosajee Bhamjee become the first Muslim Teachta Dála, in 1989 the Democratic Socialist Party won 0. 6% of the vote and 1 seat, the party merged with the Labour Party in 1990. †In early 1992,6 Workers Party TDs left the party, Fianna Fáil–Labour Party coalition government formed. When the votes were counted the picture was clear, Fianna Fáil had its worst performance since 1927, winning less than 40% of the vote. Fine Gael, in spite of predictions of success, actually lost 10 seats, the Labour Party recorded its best ever result, an event dubbed the Spring Tide and more than doubled its number of seats. Talks between Fine Gael and Labour on establishing a minority government floundered after several weeks, partly over the issue of the revolving Taoiseach, Spring had to enter into coalition with Fianna Fáil, or force another election. The coalition deal proved very unpopular with many of Labours supporters, because Dick Spring had campaigned heavily against Fianna Fáil, as a result of the coalition, Albert Reynolds was elected Taoiseach with over 100 votes, the biggest majority by any Taoiseach in Irish political history until 2011. For some, such as John Stafford, this differs from the constituency represented in the outgoing Dáil. Where more than one change took place in a constituency the concept of successor is an approximation for presentation only
9.
Alma mater
–
Alma mater is an allegorical Latin phrase for a university or college. In modern usage, it is a school or university which an individual has attended, the phrase is variously translated as nourishing mother, nursing mother, or fostering mother, suggesting that a school provides intellectual nourishment to its students. Before its modern usage, Alma mater was a title in Latin for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele. The source of its current use is the motto, Alma Mater Studiorum, of the oldest university in continuous operation in the Western world and it is related to the term alumnus, denoting a university graduate, which literally means a nursling or one who is nourished. The phrase can also denote a song or hymn associated with a school, although alma was a common epithet for Ceres, Cybele, Venus, and other mother goddesses, it was not frequently used in conjunction with mater in classical Latin. Alma Redemptoris Mater is a well-known 11th century antiphon devoted to Mary, the earliest documented English use of the term to refer to a university is in 1600, when University of Cambridge printer John Legate began using an emblem for the universitys press. In English etymological reference works, the first university-related usage is often cited in 1710, many historic European universities have adopted Alma Mater as part of the Latin translation of their official name. The University of Bologna Latin name, Alma Mater Studiorum, refers to its status as the oldest continuously operating university in the world. At least one, the Alma Mater Europaea in Salzburg, Austria, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, has been called the Alma Mater of the Nation because of its ties to the founding of the United States. At Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, the ancient Roman world had many statues of the Alma Mater, some still extant. Modern sculptures are found in prominent locations on several American university campuses, outside the United States, there is an Alma Mater sculpture on the steps of the monumental entrance to the Universidad de La Habana, in Havana, Cuba. Media related to Alma mater at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of alma mater at Wiktionary Alma Mater Europaea website
10.
Congregation of Christian Brothers
–
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth. Their first school was opened in Waterford, Ireland, in 1802, rices congregation is sometimes called the Irish Christian Brothers or the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers to differentiate the two teaching orders. At the turn of the century, Waterford merchant Edmund Rice considered travelling to Rome to join a religious institute. Instead, with the support of Dr. Thomas Hussey, Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore, he decided to found a religious community dedicated to teaching disadvantaged youth. The first school, on Waterfords New Street, was a stable and opened in 1802. Two men from his hometown of Callan, Thomas Grosvenor and Patrick Finn, soon arrived to aid Rice in his makeshift schools, with the intention of living the life of lay brothers. In the same year, Rice used proceeds from the sale of his business to begin building a community house. Bishop Hussey opened the new complex, christened “Mount Sion” on June 7,1803, the reputation of the school spread and across the next few years several men sought to become “Michaels”. On 15 August 1808 seven men, including Edmund Rice, took religious promises under Bishop John Power of Waterford, following the example of Nano Nagles Presentation Sisters, they were called Presentation Brothers. This was one of the first congregations of men to be founded in Ireland, houses were soon opened in Carrick-on-Suir, Dungarvan, and in 1811, in Cork. In 1812 the Archbishop of Dublin established a community in the capital and by 1907 there were ten communities in Dublin. The schools included primary, secondary and technical schools, along with orphanages, a community was founded in Limerick in 1816, followed by establishments in several of Irelands principal towns. The Holy See formally established the congregation in 1820 and this, too, was an unusual event, since the Christian Brothers were the first Irish congregation of men approved by a charter from Rome. Some brothers in Cork chose to remain under the original Presentation rule and continued to be known as Presentation Brothers, the congregation of Irish Christian Brothers spread to Liverpool and other parts of England. These new ventures were not always immediately successful, two brothers had been sent to Gibraltar to establish an institute in 1835. However, despite initial successes they left in August 1837 on account of disagreements with the local priests, in 1878 the Brothers returned to the then Crown colony of Gibraltar. The school eventually flourished supplying education to the twentieth century, the Line Wall College was noted in 1930 for the education that it supplied to well to do children
.jpg)
