Nollaig

Shona

Duit

William Bouguereau, 1873

©2019 Ken Hannon Larson, Ireland Ascending.com. All Rights Reserved.

Come in, come in quickly from the outside. Before you catch your death of cold … It is once again that time of year when stories get told around the table, of times long ago. When you find yourself on a wintry night remembering the faces and names of those back home. Home. It is a word that conjures up the smell of peat, a fire in the hearth that gives light and heat to a home. Home is more than just a house. A house is just a place, but a home is a gathering of loved ones past and present, of voices and laughter. Stories told of memories made. The aunt with the mistrusting glance that made you watch your ‘Ps’ and ‘Qs’. The cousin who always made sure that the pot still Irish whiskey was good enough for all to drink. Christmas

carols whose every word was somehow memorized by all, and sung off key to robust laughter.

The

Temple Bar

Dublin Snowy Christmas Eve

Christmas In Killarney (Bing Crosby; 1949) The holly green, the ivy green The prettiest picture you've ever seen Is Christmas in Killarney With all of the folks at home It's nice, you know, to kiss your beau While cuddling under the mistletoe And Santa Claus you know, of course Is one of the boys from home The door is always open The neighbors pay a call And Father John before he's gone Will bless the house and all How grand it feels to click your heels And join in the fun of the jigs and reels I'm handing you no blarney The likes you've never known Is Christmas in Killarney With all of the folks at home

The Twelve Days of Christmas (lyrics written by Jesuits; 17th Century

during religious Penal Laws persecution) 1 Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus on the Cross 2 Turtle Doves = Old and New Testaments 3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity 4 Calling Birds = Four Gospels and/or the Four

Evangelists 5 Golden Rings = first Five Books of the Old

Testament 6 Geese A-laying = Six days of creation 7 Swans A-swimming = Seven gifts of the Holy

Spirit 8 Maids A-milking = Eight beatitudes 9 Ladies Dancing = Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit 10 Lords A-leaping = Ten Commandments 11 Pipers Piping = Eleven faithful Apostles 12 Drummers Drumming = Twelve points of

doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

©2019 Ken Hannon Larson; Ireland Ascending.com

New Honorary President Yeats Society Sligo

Ambassador Daniel Mulhall

Ireland’s Ambassador to the

United States of America

Daniel Mulhall was born and raised in Waterford. He pursued his graduate and post-graduate studies at University College Cork where he specialized in modern Irish history and literature. He took up duty as Ireland’s 18th Ambassador to the United States in August 2017. He has spent his professional life with the Department of Foreign Affairs which he joined in 1978 and has had a range of diplomatic assignments, latterly as Ambassador to Malaysia (2001-2005), Germany (2009-2013) and the United Kingdom (2013-2017). During his diplomatic career, he has also held a number of positions in Dublin, including as a member of the Secretariat of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation (1994-95) and as Director-General for European Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (2005-2009). Ambassador Mulhall maintains a keen interest in Irish history and literature. During his various diplomatic assignments, he has lectured and written frequently about Irish literature and history, including the life and work of W.B. Yeats.

It is a huge personal honour to be named as Honorary President of the Yeats Society. I have had a lifelong interest in Yeats’s work, right back to my schooldays in Waterford and the years I spent studying history and literature at University College Cork. I have maintained this enthusiasm for Yeats throughout my life as a representative of Ireland around the world.

— Ambassador Daniel Mulhall

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

Fortwilliam Macrory Catholic Church 577 Antrim Road

Belfast

Vespers and First Latin Mass December 10-11, 2019

Formerly

Fortwilliam and Macrory Presbyterian Church

Fortwilliam Church was built in 1886, later joined with the Macrory worshippers, and began a 133-year Presbyterian Church on Antrim Rd. in Belfast. Years ago the membership began to decline to approx. 30-40 individuals by 2018. Its last Presbyterian service was held in mid-October 2018, with a few hundred present as part of the last service. In 2019 … reality forced putting the church up “For Sale”. In early 2019, it was purchased for an undisclosed price by the Institute Of Christ The King Sovereign Priest, based in Limerick Ireland. The order operates separately from the Diocese of Down and Connor. Similar to other Tridentine Latin Mass orders, it answers directly to the Pope. It was given permission by Bishop Noel Treanor to establish itself in the Diocese of Down and Connor. Tridentine Latin Mass First promoted by Saint Pope John XXIII in 1962. Also promoted by Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. In 2007, then Pope Benedict XVI signed a universal indult (permission) allowing priests to continue

celebrating the 1962 Latin Mass with certain conditions. The Gregorian Chant was also approved.

All around the world the Tridentine Latin Mass has been gaining in attendance. Young people and young families along with older parishioners are looking for more structure, the salvation of souls, and for many they find that in the old Latin Mass of 1962. What was once old … is now new.

Institute Of Christ The King Sovereign Priest Based in Florence, Italy, where 90 seminarians are training for the priesthood. It also has over 50

religious sisters, especially devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who live a semi-cloistered life and 17 oblates (lay brothers). Among these are several Irish vocations.

The average age of this community’s members is 24 for seminarians, 28 for sisters, 41 for oblates and 39 for priests.

The community has missions in Gabon (Africa) and important apostolates in the United States, England, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Sweden and naturally in Rome, where their founder, Monsignor Gilles Wach, was ordained to the priesthood by Saint Pope John Paul II. The Vicar General of this community is at present Monsignor Michael Schmitz, who was ordained a priest by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (then known as Cardinal Ratzinger).

It is believed that Catholics in the northern six counties of Ireland have been looking for services with more structure and purpose, with the beauty and sanctity of the Latin Mass and Gregorian chant. That wish will be fulfilled beginning with Vespers on Dec. 10th, and the Latin Mass on Dec. 11th.

Ref.: Irish News, Belfast Telegraph, The Institute Of Christ The King Sovereign Priest

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

Eamonn Terry - Master craftsman Glasscutter Criostal na Rinne is a hand cut crystal studio workshop situated in Ireland's Ancient East in the picturesque Irish-speaking area of An Rinn, the Waterford Gaeltacht. Eamonn Terry, a master craftsman glasscutter of over 45 years experience, started his career with Waterford Crystal before establishing Criostal na Rinne in 1987, producing Irish crystal of breathtaking quality and beauty.

Visit: https://criostal.com/ On your next trip to Ireland you can visit his studio and see for yourself what makes handmade Irish crystal different from all the others. Experience the craft of crystal cut by hand, a skill that the area is noted for. Eamonn gives free tours and demonstrations both individually and to groups, showing the techniques of a master craftsman and explaining the history of glassmaking in the area stretching back hundreds of years to the present day. One-on-one tours with Eamonn Terry at Criostal na Rinne are available on a drop in basis. Please call in advance if your group exceeds 8 people. Two collections currently available are the Móin (peat, turf) and the Cló (script, type, print). Moin is a tactile range featuring bold cuts in robust crystal glassware. Evoking the rolling hills and layers of earth that fueled Ireland for centuries. Clo is a range of fine contemporary glassware featuring elegant linear cuts. Inspired by the markings of Ogham script, the early Irish alphabet.

Moin Collection

Clo Collection

©2019 Photos; Criostal na Rinne, Waterford Ireland

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

One More Time … Back To The Voters

Imagine for a moment that you voted in the 2016 election, then left on a 3-year assignment in the North Pole or Antarctica. You probably would have imagined the Brexit issue had long ago been settled. But, you would be mistaken. Two prime ministers and several votes later, it remains open. On December 12th the UK voters will get to vote all over again. Only this time — the voters are well informed realizing the only one looking out for their best interest are they themselves. The graphic on the left gives our readers a basis for comparison between the 2016 vote and the latest

2019 vote. As the vote tallies come in for England, Wales, Scotland and No. Ireland it will become evident where voters are the most enchanted with Brexit, or disenchanted voting to Remain in the EU. The 2016 vote was a “vote” of emotion before there was an agreed upon plan. How was Brexit going to work. Had anyone looked at the border issue between the northern six counties and the southern twenty-six counties? No, they had not and that became more and more evident during the three year ‘debate’. When former PM Theresa May went to the voters in 2017 hoping to strengthen her hand to pass Brexit in parliament — she suffered tremendous losses in the Tory party forcing her to agree to a Confidence and Supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on 26 June 2017. The North would get 1 Billion pounds for supporting the Tories in parliament and the DUP agreed to restore Stormont (closed since January 2017) and support PM Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement votes in parliament. The DUP represented only 44% of the 2016 NI voters but acted like they were the majority, not minority. In the end, the DUP voted against PM May’s Withdrawal Agreement, voted against her in a “No Confidence” vote and never restored the Stormont Assembly. Forced to resign, the PM position was given to Boris Johnson. He too failed to get DUP support. With the 2019 election scheduled to take place the DUP’s short-lived C&S agreement with the Tories gets filed in the bin. EU and Ireland While the MPs ranted and raved at each other in Westminster’s parliament, the EU and Ireland to their credit stayed out of British politics granting extensions to the UK every time they were asked too. The EU supported Ireland on the border, GFA & trade positions. What happens next depends on the election. The UK has Fractures Brexit has reawakened Scotland’s intent for a 2nd Independence Referendum. Scotland wishes to remain in the EU and trade with Ireland. The Six Counties have for the first time a serious reunification urge amongst Remain voters who see their economy better off under a New Ireland in the EU. 12 December 2019 Election Predictions? Too close to call. UK voters are more aware of what Brexit is and is not. Depending on their turnout will decide whether Brexit continues or comes to an abrupt end with the UK staying in the EU. Parties are aligning with each other on the remain side; and unionist side in the six counties. The DUP could suffer losses to their UUP counterparts. Both the UK & EU will learn soon enough how voters feel about Brexit. In the northern Irish six counties we will see who wins, with perhaps strong support again for the Good Friday Agreement & Stormont Assembly. Both put on hold and in hibernation since January 2017.

2016 Election Results

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

“Last Collection”

Sometimes the simplest things in life, can speak volumes to us about what has been. Today, they are old displaced memories of Ireland. But in their day they changed how the Irish people were seen less than 100 years ago. On the left is found an abandoned An Post mailbox, next to the ruins of Castle Donovan in Co. Cork. If you wanted your letter to be mailed to relatives in America, Australia or elsewhere … place it in this box no later than “11.30am”. How many such letters were sent to those who had departed Ireland’s shores, we will never really know. We can only imagine.

In the middle below, is a post box made in London during Edward VII’s reign (1901-1910). A new panel door with “SE & Harp” were added in 1922 along with the new color — green. This box is found in Tipperary. Imagine the ancestors pride seeing the box now ‘green’ and depositing their letter within. On the lower right is a post box Made in the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann) specifically Wexford in Leinster province. This box is found in Monaghan in Ulster province. Green post boxes were a small victory to some, but a large victory to others. Visual proof of a new Ireland, a beginning ... not an end. Below left, Saorstát Éireann Postal Seal. In December 1937 the new name became Éire or Ireland, with a new constitution.

The Royal Mail had red post boxes throughout Ireland. A silent reminder of who had ruled Ireland. With the beginning of Saorstát Éireann (Irish Free State 1922-1937) post boxes were painted ‘green’. A silent reminder of who now ruled Ireland.

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

Captain Declan Hannon Raises All-Ireland Trophy

At Croke Park. (crowd of 82,000)

Have an Irish Neolithic

Happy Holiday!

©2019 Ireland Ascending.com

Andromeda Constellation: Arp 273 is a pair of interacting galaxies, lying 300 million light years away. The larger of the spiral galaxies, known as UGC 1810, is about five times more massive than the smaller galaxy. It has a disc that is tidally distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational pull of the companion galaxy below it, known as UGC 1813. “The overall shape of the UGC 1810 -- in particular its blue outer ring -- is likely a result of wild and violent gravitational interactions. The blue color of the outer ring at the top is caused by massive stars that are blue hot and have formed only in the past few million years...the inner part of UGC 1810 ‘appears redder and threaded with cool filamentary dust’. UGC 1810 will ‘devour its galactic sidekicks over the next billion years’ and settle into a classic spiral form.” —NASA; November 2019

Similar type Neolithic Spirals are found at Newgrange in the Boyne Valley, dating back to 3,200 B.C.

©2019 NASA, European Space Agency, Hubble Telescope

First Love

By

William Butler Yeats

Though nurtured like the sailing moon In beauty's murderous brood,

She walked awhile and blushed awhile And on my pathway stood

Until I thought her body bore A heart of flesh and blood.

But since I laid a hand thereon

And found a heart of stone I have attempted many things

And not a thing is done, For every hand is lunatic That travels on the moon.

She smiled and that transfigured me

And left me but a lout, Maundering here, and maundering there,

Emptier of thought Than the heavenly circuit of its stars

When the moon sails out.

Irish Poetry

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