Conference tallis::celt

I spoke with John at Coffee, Tea & Melody. He is finalizing his
December schedule at the moment, but here is some stuff.

Fri 1/Dec; possible Johnny Cunnigham (Scottish Fiddle Player)

Fri 8/Dec; Charity for Bun-Scoil something in Belfast, to help fund
           and promote Irish culture. Music by Watertown Ceoltois
	   Ceoltori (jeez my Gaelic is dead).
		[ I think some of you guys know that troupe ]

Fri 15 & 22; not yet decided, but there will be some Folk and/or Trad
Irish music each nite.

    
    Hi gc!
    
    Sorry to be so delinquent...but it does seem to be the 'nature' of the
    ::CELT US Christmas party!
    
    I'd certainly be game for Coffee, Tea and Melody.  
    
    Also, I've received mail from the one and only KeVin Burns asking that
    he be informed of date & place when finalized!
    
    /jen

    
    Great, glad you responded I was getting concerned that maybe everyone
    had given up on Xmas and none was planned this year.
    
    Does the "ceili" sound like a good nite for most, some, none ?
    
    gc

    
    
    Jeez its real quiet in this Note ... maybe Christmas is cancelled !!!
    
    If the 8/Dec is a good possibility, I would probably need to let John
    (at Coffee Tea & Melody aka CTM aka OGO-2) know asap, of course that 
    assumes some "numbers" will be going. Of course if CTM is a bad venue,
    thats OK to.
    
    So any suggestions ?
    
    

    Fine with me - and I think Julie is probably interested
    - if she can find a babysitter for Orla - her new baby
    with fur. I'm sure we can drag keVin along.  :v)
    

Trath na gceist. Since Christmas is coming soon,
here's a quiz for ye. 25 questions, to be answered by the 25th.
Some of them are easier than others, but the answers to *all*
of them are right here in this conference, or somewhere on
the worldwide web (but you might find the answers quicker elsewhere)!

Since it's Christmas, there is, of course, a present for the first
person to get all 25 right, or if nobody gets all 25, for the (first)
person with the most right. The present is the book of your choice
(under 25 quid) from Kenny's bookshop in Galway (anyone who manages
to answer all these will easily know where to find Kenny's booklist).

Away we go, then.

1/. Why are the Cuillins (Coolins) so-called?
2/. What is the Gaelic name of the town where Malachy Kearns makes bodhrans?
3/. Who won the Castlebar races?
4/. What would you do with ewes at Imbolc?
5/. What was the very last thing Emma Groves ever saw?
6/. Where did the sails of Mac Iarla nam Bratach Bana come from?
7/. A king of Leinster had a hound called 'Ailbhe' (Ailbe). 
Where was the hound's head last seen?
8/. In 1014, who killed the High King of Ireland?
9/. On the river Add stands a dun. What kingdom was it once the capital of?
10/. Who cut off Conganchness mac Dedad's head?
11/. Who was the Liberator?
12/. Where and when did Colmcille come into the world and leave it?
13/. Math was his king (and, some say, his father), and Dylan was his brother. 
Who was he?
14/. "Merrily kissed the Quaker" is a well-known jig. 
Who was kissed, and who did the kissing?
15/. Noel Donagh lives in the military barracks in Athlone. 
How did those barracks get their name?
16/. Where are the ecclesiastical capitals of Ireland and Scotland?
17/. Where is Aodh Ruadh O Domhnaill buried?
18/. What GAA club did Aidan McAnespie belong to?
19/. Lorcan O Tuathail (Laurence O'Toole) is the patron saint of Dublin. 
Who was his famous nephew-in-law?
20/. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree. What does Innisfree mean?
21/. The book of Kells wasn't written in Kells. Where was it written?
22/. Where were the 'twa bonny maidens' dearly welcome?
23/. Who was the first Lord of the Isles?
24/. When the Girona was wrecked, which castle benefitted?
25/. By what other name is the jig Siamsa Mhuilte Farannain known?

Here's my 1st pass !!


1/. Why are the Cuillins (Coolins) so-called?

A: Because they lived in the low-lands (as distinct from mountains)

2/. What is the Gaelic name of the town where Malachy Kearns makes bodhrans?

A: Doolin, or West Clare 

3/. Who won the Castlebar races?

A: The British troops.

4/. What would you do with ewes at Imbolc?

A: breed them

5/ What was the very last thing Emma Groves ever saw?

A: Her life passing before her

6/. Where did the sails of Mac Iarla nam Bratach Bana come from?

A: the bed 

7/. A king of Leinster had a hound called 'Ailbhe' (Ailbe). 
   Where was the hound's head last seen?

A: In Godfather 2 - The Irish connection

8/. In 1014, who killed the High King of Ireland?

A: Brian Boru was killed by the Danes at Clontarf

9/. On the river Add stands a dun. What kingdom was it once the capital of?

A: Kingdom of Kerry 

10/. Who cut off Conganchness mac Dedad's head?

A: The better man (or woman)

11/. Who was the Liberator?

A: A Digital ABU product, now cancelled.

12/. Where and when did Colmcille come into the world and leave it?

A: In Wickla.

13/. Math was his king (and, some say, his father), and Dylan was his brother. 
Who was he?

A: beats me

14/. "Merrily kissed the Quaker" is a well-known jig. 
Who was kissed, and who did the kissing?

A: Archer-MacDAniels (for the US readers)

15/. Noel Donagh lives in the military barracks in Athlone. 
How did those barracks get their name?

A: After 1916 rising 

16/. Where are the ecclesiastical capitals of Ireland and Scotland?

A: Rome

17/. Where is Aodh Ruadh O Domhnaill buried?

A: Somewhere in Waterford 

18/. What GAA club did Aidan McAnespie belong to?

A: Crossmaglen

19/. Lorcan O Tuathail (Laurence O'Toole) is the patron saint of Dublin. 
    Who was his famous nephew-in-law?

A: Charlie Haughey

20/. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree. What does Innisfree mean?

A: symbolic of freedom, often found after large dose of LSD.

21/. The book of Kells wasn't written in Kells. Where was it written?

A: Trinity College ... at least they have it now

22/. Where were the 'twa bonny maidens' dearly welcome?

A: Always at my place

23/. Who was the first Lord of the Isles?

A: William G Golding ..... oops that was Lord of the Flies

24/. When the Girona was wrecked, which castle benefitted?

A: Gondolfo

25/. By what other name is the jig Siamsa Mhuilte Farannain known?


A: Siege of Ennis

    Excellent attempt, Mr. Coady. You almost managed to
    get two right! You are thus in pole position.
    

    re .6
    
    we are working hard on this in ESSC.
    
    In the meantime here is one for you to be getting on with:
    
    Whereabouts in Ireland was Santa Claus born ?
    
    Kevin
    
    PS. No the answer is not: underneath Mrs Claus and never mind the
    rain dear.   

    
    
    Well Friday the 8th is just around the corner; who's gonna show up and
    at what time. I suspect musak starts at 8-ish.
    
    

    .In the meantime here is one for you to be getting on with:
    .
    .Whereabouts in Ireland was Santa Claus born ?
    .
    .Kevin
    
    
    The jollie old fat man was born in Slea Head
    He decorated Christmas trees with Trim
    When his reindeers misbehaved he sent them to Kildare            
    
    (Santa comes from an old Republican family in Fermanagh.)

    >The jollie old fat man was born in Slea Head
     >   He decorated Christmas trees with Trim
     >   When his reindeers misbehaved he sent them to Kildare
    
      >  (Santa comes from an old Republican family in Fermanagh.)
     
    Nope, but you are not as far away as you might think. A bottle of black
    Bush to the first person who gives me the right answer before 31.12.95.
    Kevin

    
    Well; is it on ... or not ??.
    
    Looks like there isn't a lot of energy for tomorrow 8/Dec, so unless I
    hear otherwise I'll assume no party. As I will be on vacation, I don;t
    feel like a 30 mile drive back from Boston to socialize with myself.

    Well, I was up for it - but it doesn't seem like
    we're getting an enthusiastic response here...
    Maybe we should try for next Friday???
    
    /G

    
    
    Ok, lets try again for next Friday 15/Dec; anything later will be mucho
    too late.
    
    I'll check to see what, if anything, is playing at OGO-2 that night.

    re .6
    
    Just a reminder that last entries for the Christmas quiz must be
    with me by Christmas day. The lads from MKTCRV are out in the
    lead just now. Nobody has yet got 25 correct (n� baol air)!
    
    Daid� Nollaig
    

    Friends,
    
    I am now accepting bribes for the answers to questions in
    .6. As you know, the prize is IRL25-worth of book. You can
    buy answers off me for five quid each. And here's a free
    clue for the clueless: note 188 contains the answers to
    at least four of the questions.
    
    Those who have already sent in entries are welcome to
    send me new  entries if ye find or pay for the answer 
    to another question.

     
    	Have a happy and safe holiday lads. And to the people in the
    	Galway and Ayr plants who made our relocations to those areas
    	a woderful experience, thanks for the memories.
    
    Slainte
    Bob Corrigan 

1/. Why are the Cuillins (Coolins) so-called?
	They are named after the warrior C� Chulainn.
	- see note 188.81
2/. What is the Gaelic name of the town where Malachy Kearns makes bodhrans?
	Cloch na R�n
	- see http://www.panix.com/~mittle/makers.html and note 188.9
3/. Who won the Castlebar races?
	The occupying British garrison under Gen. Lake got to 'finishing
	line' first, though in a very real sense, it was the Franco-Irish 
	troops under Gen. Humbert who won.
	- see note 7.0
4/. What would you do with ewes at Imbolc?
	Milk them
	- see note 31.0
5/. What was the very last thing Emma Groves ever saw?
	She said "The very last thing I ever saw was a young
	man having his head banged off a Saracen [armoured car]", 
	but she probably also saw the paratrooper firing the plastic
	bullet that blinded her.
	- see http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~smacsuib/truth.txt
6/. Where did the sails of Mac Iarla nam Bratach Bana come from?
	Galway
	- see note 211.3
7/. A king of Leinster had a hound called 'Ailbhe' (Ailbe). 
Where was the hound's head last seen?
	Ailbe was a character from the well-known story of Muc Mhic Dath� 
	(Mac Dath�'s Pig). Ailbe died in Mag Ailbe, the plains of Ailbe,
	which were named for him, after he siezed the pole of the chariot 
	of Aillil and Medhbh (in a battle between the men of Connacht 
	and the men of Ulster), but though their charioteer decapitated
	him, his teeth held on to the pole for grim death, and his head 
	only fell off many miles later at Ath Cinn Chon, the ford of the
	hound's head
	- see http://www1.cc.emory.edu/EMORY_CLASS/Irish/MacDatho/
8/. In 1014, who killed the High King of Ireland?
	A Dane (Viking) variously known as Brodir, Brodar and Bruadar.
	Incidentally, my mother's family's name is Ua Bruadar, or Broderick.
	- see http://nexus.brocku.ca/rogawa/gaelic/rhodes06.html
9/. On the river Add stands a dun. What kingdom was it once the capital of?
	Dunadd was the capital of Dalriada, the first kingdom of the Scots.
	- see note 188.71
10/. Who cut off Conganchness mac Dedad's head?
	Celtchair mac Uthechair
	- see http://lucilia.ebc.ee/~andri/iiri/notsu.html :-)
11/. Who was the Liberator?
	Daniel O'Connell
	- see http://astro.ocis.temple.edu/~callahan/east1916.html
12/. Where and when did Colmcille come into the world and leave it?
	Born 521 in Gartan, Donegal; died 597 on Iona.
	- see gopher://IRLEARN.UCD.IE:70/0Mail/GAELIC-L/LOG9212/1623
	http://yeats.csufresno.edu/GAELIC-L/LOG9102 and note 188.60
13/. Math was his king (and, some say, his father), and Dylan was his brother. 
Who was he?
	Lleu Llaw Gyffes, "the fair one with the skillful hand."
	- see http://legend.gwydion.cs.cmu.edu/gwydion/gwydion.html
14/. "Merrily kissed the Quaker" is a well-known jig. 
Who was kissed, and who did the kissing?
	Mary Pike was "kissed" by Sir Brown-Hayes. 
	- see gopher://IRLEARN.UCD.IE:70/0Mail/IRTRAD-L/LOG9502/585
	gopher://IRLEARN.UCD.IE:70/0Mail/GAELIC-L/LOG9212/4198
	or http://yeats.csufresno.edu/GAELIC-L/LOG9212
15/. Noel Donagh lives in the military barracks in Athlone. 
How did those barracks get their name?
	The Custume barracks are named after Sergeant Custume, who gave
	his life in defence of Athlone in 1691.
	- see http://ireland.iol.ie/~patbyrne/athlone.htm
	http://wombatix.iol.ie/galway/history/battle-of-aughrim.html
	and http://www.gpl.net/users/bradley/aughrim.txt
16/. Where are the ecclesiastical capitals of Ireland and Scotland?
	Armagh and St. Andrews.
	- see http://star.arm.ac.uk/planet/cathedral.html
	and http://golf.tguide.com/saint_andrews.html
17/. Where is Aodh Ruadh O Domhnaill buried?
	Valladolid in Spain.
	- see http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu:80/jod/texts/redhugh.html
18/. What GAA club did Aidan McAnespie belong to?
	Aghaloo.
	- see http://www.ma.utexas.edu/users/fodea/aprn/archive/September14/
	14colo.html
19/. Lorcan O Tuathail (Laurence O'Toole) is the patron saint of Dublin. 
Who was his famous nephew-in-law?
	Lorcan's sister, the O'Toole Mor (this was a matrilineal society) 
	was married to Diarmait Mac Donnchadha Mac Murchadha, the King
	of Leinster, and had a daughter called Aoife. However, Diarmait 
	was the lover of Derbhforgaill Ui N�ill, the wife of Tiernan O 
	Rourke, king of Breifne. Diarmiat went to war with Tiernan and 
	carried Derbhfhorgaill off, but Tiarnan asked the High King for 
	help. He recaptured Derbhfhorgaill and deposed Diarmait.
	Diarmait fled to England, whence he tried to interest the Normans
	in helping him regain his position. He succeeded in marrying
	Aoife, his daughter, to Richard Strongbow Fitzgilbert de Clare,
	and together they went back to recapture the Leinster throne.
	So Lorcan's nephew-in-law was Strongbow, the first Norman invader.
	- see http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/cgi-bin/gedlkup/n=royal?royal02220
20/. I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree. What does Innisfree mean?
	Inis Fraoigh, the Isle of Heather.
21/. The book of Kells wasn't written in Kells. Where was it written?
	Iona
	- see note 188.60 and
	http://degaulle.hil.unb.ca/library/archives/kells/kellsweb.html
22/. Where were the 'twa bonny maidens' dearly welcome?
	They and Charles Edward Stuart were welcome to Skye.
	- see http://www.pl4ayer.org:80/pub/flash/lyrics/twabonneymaidens.html
23/. Who was the first Lord of the Isles?
	There are loads of candidates!
	I was thinking of Somerled (Somhairle), the great Gaelic warrior 
    	and progenitor of Clan Donald (and several others!).
	Somerled took control of the western isles and the inner isles 
	from the Norsemen, and was the first to hold the title R� Innse Gall
	and Rex Insularum, its Latin equivalent, and "Lord of the Isles",
	according to one English-language source. However I'm sure he
	and his people didn't ever use the Enlgish version of the title. 
	I've also seen written that the first person to whom the title 
	"Lord of the Isles" was applied in English was his descendant
	John of Islay, chief of Clan Donald.
	As well as that, there is Godfrey mac Fergus, son of the founder
	of Scottish Dalriada, who held the title " Ruler of the Isles" in
	the sixth century, well before the vikings arrived.
	- see http://www.discribe.ca/world/scotland/clans/donald.html
	and http://surf.almac.co.uk/es/dalriada/history/lordship/history.html
24/. When the Girona was wrecked, which castle benefitted?
	Dunluce castle, in county Antrim
	- see http://www.interknowledge.com:80/northern-ireland/ukiant03.htm
25/. By what other name is the jig Siamsa Mhuilte Farannain known as?
	Christmas Day in the Morning.
	- see http://celtic.stanford.edu:80/pub/tunes/xmas.tunes/xmasTune.txt
    

    ... who else could it be but James Lundon,
    the man who wrote his own crossword-solving program.
    Well done James, let me know your choice of book.
    Commiserations to everyone else who entered, but
    don't forget that Kevin Mannering's puzzle (somewhere
    in this topic) is yet to be solved, and there's no
    end-date!
    

    Hi there,
    
    I was away on holiday over the Christmas period so I have only just
    discovered that that Limerick man pipped us for the quiz prize...
    
    What a way to start the New Year!
    
    Concerning Santas Claus' place of birth, the bottle of black Bush was
    on offer until 31.12.95 and so far no one has managed as much as a
    respectable guess.  However in case anyone is still working on it the
    offer is herewith reopened until 8. Jan 1996. 
    
    Scobie knew the answer, but Minoru didn't.
    
    Kevin 

Re .20

>    ... who else could it be but James Lundon,
>    the man who wrote his own crossword-solving program.

You are embarrassing me now ;-).  Actually I've written a crossword
generation program; my next project will be a program to solve them! 

>    Well done James, let me know your choice of book.

I'm checking through their index as I write!

Re .21

>    I was away on holiday over the Christmas period so I have only just
>    discovered that that Limerick man pipped us for the quiz prize...
>    
>    What a way to start the New Year!

I don't know whether to take this as a compliment or an insult ;-).

Seriously, the quiz was very well worth doing, even if I didn't win.  
It showed me the serious power of the search engines that exist on
the Internet/WWW and the breadth of information that can be obtained
there.  Unfortunately I only used one search engine
http://altavista.digital.com and it could have been my undoing as I
found some of the answers I was missing using some of the other search
engines available e.g. http://www.excite.com .  Thankfully the
competition wasn't all that hot so I didn't need them ;-).

The quiz has also made me more aware what a rich source of
myths/legends the Celtic people possessed.  Maybe I'll invest my prize
getting a book (or two) concerning them? 

                          James.

    > that Limerick man
    
    It was a compliment I suppose James. If I wanted to insult you I would
    call you a Limerick traffic warden :-).
    
    Yes it was a great quiz, I hope there is another one next year. We had
    fun doing it here in ESSC. It was logged as a support problem and
    several people joined in.
    
    Kevin

    Santa Claus, as I am sure you all remember, won the Irish 2000 Guineas,
    the Epsom Derby, and the Irish Derby. He was ridden by the great
    Australian jockey Scobie Breasley. He was born at the Irish National
    Stud in Tully, Co Kildare. Minoru and his father Tassa Eida were the
    Japanese gardeners at Tully. Minoru was also the name of a horse given
    to the Prince of Wales by the owner of Tully (A Colonel whose surname I
    forget) aroundabout 1910. The horse Minoru was also born at Tully  and
    won the Epsom Deby too. Minoru was a flop as a stallion and was sold to 
    Austro-Hungary where he disappeared during the great war,and it is a
    mystery where he ended up, making himself and Shergar the only examples
    of disappearing derby winners. Santa Claus the horse died somewhere in 
    Kildare but I forget where.
    
    Okay?
    
    Kevin

    > ... He was ridden by the great
    > Australian jockey Scobie Breasley. He was born at the Irish National
    > Stud in Tully, Co. Kildare.
    
    What better place for a jockey to be born, eh? When did he take up
    Australian citizenship?
     

    I presume the jockey was born in Australia. Is my grammar really that
    bad, or are you just acting dumb???
    
    Kevin

    
    I knew of a chap that had a dog called Santa Claus...The dog died on
    1-jan-1988 from a belt of a tractor....
    
    Do I get a bottle of black bush now??
    
    Mick

    No. You are too late. Anyway, after your dreadful knocking copy
    against Ballinasloe, without doubt the finest town in Ireland, you
    don't deserve it. What is more, the wake for the poor dog should have
    been held ages ago. I presume you were the clown driving the tractor.
    
    Come clean now Mr Keyes, what have you got against Ballinasloe??????
    
    Kevin

    
    ..Ballinasloe...a fine Town...Good wide roads out of it and a "bit"
    of a by-pass...what more can one ask for.......
    
    That said never went to horse fair.Spetember is it?. though I hear its a 
    wild week...any place with a pub like Bould biddys..bad
    news...isn't banagher near Ballinalsoe..Now theres a strange
    place..Hough's bar...Does that still have a licence
    
    mick
    
     

    After a quiet pint by the fire at Stauntons, on the corner by the
    traffic lights, head out the Roscommon Road as far as Patsy Jacks, an
    old Corn Mill on the Killeglan River and sample the Guinness at 1.50 a
    pint. The pub has not changed much in 30 years and is a true delight.
    Also, is there anywhere cheaper in Ireland? 
    
    I'm afraid I will have to miss these pleasures this weekend, as they
    are sending me to Cannes for a few days in the folorn hope of knocking
    some work out of me. I suppose it will have to do.
    
    Kevin

    
    umm..life is tough ok...Do they let Offaly folk have passports these
    days...you wont get many 1.50 pints in cannes...
    
    

    Was in Ballinasloe once during the horse fair. The place was full of
    knackers. They were the locals.
    
    The best thing to happen  Banagher would be for it to fall into the
    Shannon. Its even more dangerous than Carrick on Suir (come to think of
    it that town did its best to float down to Waterford over the weekend).
    Thats saying a lot.
    
    MBr

    Don't talk to me about passports, it ran out on Jan 1 and I'm picking
    up the new one before I get on the plane. 
    
    
    And as for this piece of impertinence
     
    >    Was in Ballinasloe once during the horse fair. The place was full
    > of knackers. They were the locals.
    
    
    You sound like a Dublin jack who wouldn't understand the crack ...
    
    What's your grind?
    
    
    Kevin

I bought the following books with Brendan Dalton's generous prize:

A Regional History of Railways - Volume 16 - Ireland by J.W.P. Rowledge.

and 

De Valera - Long fellow, long shadow by Tim Pat Coogan.

Thanks again Brendan!

                          James.

    
    James,
    
    ...Whats the railway book like????...(why so many volumes??)
    
    Must be interesting to see how the railroad structure would have
    changed over the years...Some of the maps must be interesting..
    Its sad seeing some of the smaller railway stations going into decline
    ...and more being closed.
    
    let us know if its good
    
    rgs,
    
    mick
    

mick,

The book is interesting looking though it has a "dry" facts based feel
to it.  I am particularly interested in the smaller railways that
linked places like Tralee and Dingle and the West Clare Railway.  The 
amount of effort that went into connecting places like that has to be 
seen to be believed.  My other reason for buying it is to find out a
little more about the railway that runs very close to where I'm from -
the Limerick Junction to Limerick City link.  This stretch was built
in 1854 according to the book! 

The other book on Dev was on sale in Easons for a fiver and makes a
good shelf filler, though I'm mightn't get to read it any time soon
for various reasons. 

                          James.

    >> umm..life is tough ok...Do they let Offaly folk have passports these
    >>    days...you wont get many 1.50 pints in cannes...
    
    
    Yup, it was a really tough week, incarcerated as I was in the Cannes
    Hilton. The beer in the Casino was around 4 quid a bottle and it costs
    a tenner to get in and the minimum amount of chips you can buy to play
    roulette is 70 quid. So it was just as well I picked a 36/1 winner...
    The guy next to me was betting in thousands and dispatched his lady
    friend to the cashier with a bucket full of credit cards after he got 
    cleaned
    out...this is two in a row for me as the last time I played roulette
    was on a training in Utrecht in a really seedy bar with a dodgy wheel
    which I sussed out the bias and kept winning until the croupier moved a
    piece of wood under the wheel to change the pattern. It is truly a test
    of skill.  
    
    Spent some of my winnings on an amazing china elephant which got broken
    between London and Dublin. Zut alors! Where's the super glue?
    
    Kevin

    
    James,
    
    Does it go into any detail on specific stations..Would be interested in
    what it says about the limerick-ballybrophy line...ie cloughjordan..
    All the train does now is stop if its flagged down...almost like a bus
    stop...Historically it was real busy..4-5 employed..now nobody
    
    rgs,
    
    Mick 

    I believe Pat Coogan isn't too kind to Dev in his biography.
    Not surprising, I suppose, given the eulogy he wrote on the
    big fellow Collins.