Smaointe - Enya

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Ron Kavana - Reconciliation

One of my favourites !



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Foggy Dew, The

Foggy Dew, The

As down the glen one Easter morn to a city fair rode I
There Armed lines of marching men in squadrons passed me by
No fife did hum nor battle drum did sound it's dread tatoo
But the Angelus bell o'er the Liffey swell rang out through the foggy dew

Right proudly high over Dublin Town they hung out the flag of war
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky than at Sulva or Sud El Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath strong men came hurrying through
While Britannia's Huns, with their long range guns sailed in through the foggy dew

'Twas Britannia bade our Wild Geese go that small nations might be free
But their lonely graves are by Sulva's waves or the shore of the Great North Sea
Oh, had they died by Pearse's side or fought with Cathal Brugha
Their names we will keep where the fenians sleep 'neath the shroud of the foggy dew

But the bravest fell, and the requiem bell rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Eastertide in the springing of the year
And the world did gaze, in deep amaze, at those fearless men, but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light might shine through the foggy dew

Ah, back through the glen I rode again and my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men whom I never shall see more
But to and fro in my dreams I go and I'd kneel and pray for you,
For slavery fled, O glorious dead, When you fell in the foggy dew




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Grand to be bloody well dead -Tommy Makem & The Clancy's

In memory of Tommy Makem 1932-2007

http://www.tarawatch.org:80/
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(Video originally uploaded by "IrishDaragh")
Tommy Makem (November 4, 1932 -- August 1, 2007) was an internationally celebrated folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller from Ireland, most known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the banjo and tin whistle and sang in a baritone. He was sometimes known as "The Bard of Armagh" (taken from a traditional song of the same name) and "The Godfather of Irish Music".

He was born and raised in Keady, County Armagh. His mother, Sarah Makem, was also a successful folk singer, as well as an important source of traditional Irish music, who was visited and recorded by, among others, Diane Guggenheim Hamilton, Jean Ritchie, Peter Kennedy and Sean O'Boyle. After moving to the United States in 1955, he teamed up with the Clancy Brothers, who were signed to Columbia Records in 1961. The same year, at the Newport Folk Festival, Makem and Joan Baez were named the most promising newcomers on the American folk scene. During the 1960s, the Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem performed sellout concerts at such venues as Carnegie Hall and made television appearances on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show.

Makem left the group in 1969 to pursue a solo career. In 1975, he and Liam Clancy were both booked to play a folk festival in Cleveland, Ohio, and were persuaded to do a set together. Thereafter they performed as Makem and Clancy, recording several albums together. He once again went solo in 1988.is
< Makem's best-known songs include "Four Green Fields", "Gentle Annie", "Red is the Rose", "The Rambles of Spring", "The Winds Are Singing Freedom", and "Farewell to Carlingford", and "The Bard of Armagh". Makem died following a lengthy battle with lung cancer at his home in Dover, New Hampshire. He continued to record and perform until very close to the end. Paying tribute to him after his death, Liam Clancy said, "he was my brother in every way" His sons Shane, Conor and Rory ("The Makem Brothers") and nephew Tom Sweeney continue the family folk music tradition.












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Gaza Concentration Camp and 'Great Soul'

I awoke today extremely angry to hear of the deaths, of eight more prisoners of Gaza Concentration Camp, this now brings to 150, the number of prisoners murdered by Israel, in the last 3 months. My anger, later turned to sadness, that not one, of the main international News Channels, neither the BBC or CNN, had six hours later, still not reported these murders, what if it were eight israelis ? How cheap has human life become, in our fascist age ?. I turned again to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi for sanity and to relieve the pain of such barbarity.




After innumerable such protests, and the moral and financial drain of the second world war, it became clear that Britain's occupation of India was no longer tenable. Despite the arrests and abuse - he spent a total of seven years in prison - Gandhi bore no malice towards his oppressors. In London he participated in negotiations to determine his country's fate arguing desperately against proposals for partition along religious lines even to the extent of offering to the Muslim leader Jinnah the opportunity to lead a united country. But Jinnah was obdurate and the partition of Ireland twenty four years before appeared to offer the British authorities a precedent for a two nation solution on religious lines.

When India was finally granted independence in 1947 no one foresaw the appalling violence that erupted between Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was horrified and spent the last months of his life trying to bring peace between the two sides. At the age of 78 he undertook a fast that brought him to the brink of death. However it achieved what no other political or military interventions could - an end to the bloodshed.

Before he died, Gandhi was awarded the title of 'Mahatma' meaning 'Great Soul' by the people of India. He was honoured as the father of the nation and he inspired millions to join him in a life governed by purity, non-violence and truth. Unfortunately his views were not shared by all. Twelve days after breaking his fast he was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic who opposed his programme of tolerance for all creeds and religion.
Tributes from around the world flooded India after his death in recognition of the great contribution to peace brought by Gandhi's patience, courage and love. Perhaps one of the most appropriate for remembering this great soul is the tribute from Albert Einstein; "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this walked the earth in flesh and blood." It is however certain that these generations to come will have lessons to learn from the extraordinary life of Mohandas Gandhi









"Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs. What is going on in Palestine today cannot be justified by any code of conduct. The Mandates have no sanction but that of the last War. Surely it would be a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home. I am not defending the Arab excesses. I wish they had chosen the way of non-violence in resisting what they rightly regarded as an unwarranted encroachment upon their country. But according to the accepted canons of right and wrong, nothing can be said against the Arab resistance in the face of overwhelming odds."

MAHATMA GHANDI




















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