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From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: History's Witness - the Historical Enquiries Team
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A number of IR-D members will be interested in a forthcoming BBC radio
programme, and all will be moved by it...

It looks at the work of the Historical Enquiries Team of the PSNI...

It should be possible to listen to the programme or download it from the BBC
web site...

Material from web sites pasted in below - and a web search will find more...

P.O'S.

11:00
History's Witness
2 July 2007

Jennifer Harbinson's father was murdered by an IRA bomb. She has waited
three decades to find out who did it, and why. There are 3,267 other
families have lived with similar questions about how and why their loved
ones were murdered.

For the past two years, Kevin Connolly, the BBC's Ireland Correspondent, has
been given exclusive access to the work of the Historical Enquiries Team -
set up to review all of these deaths.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/

Historical Enquiries Team

Where did this idea come from and why?

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has set up a new investigation team
named The Historical Enquiries Team. Its sole job is to re-examine all
deaths attributable to the security situation here between 1968 and 1998.
This is one of the most difficult parts of our history. It holds many
unanswered questions for bereaved families who lost loved ones during that
time.

The Historical Enquiries Team hopes to help bring a measure of resolution
where possible to these families. It will work closely with them and on
their behalf to a modern, professional policing standard.

Of course, the impact of such tragedies never fades. However, further
investigation of the issues involved may offer these deserving families a
greater level of resolution. It will be painstaking and complex work. It
will have to be conducted with great sensitivity. It is a massive challenge
for everyone involved, but it is one that can and should be undertaken...

http://www.psni.police.uk/index/departments/historical_enquiries_team.htm

New ways of shedding light on the past
Police officers in Northern Ireland are using a 'bespoke database' to
investigate and, they hope, solve more than 3,000 deaths in the country
between 1968 and 1998

Helen Gavaghan
Wednesday May 31, 2006
The Guardian

One of the world's largest ever police-led investigations is taking place in
Northern Ireland, thanks to new technology. The task of 89 police officers
making up the Historical Enquiries Team (Het) is to research how 3,268
people - civilians, police officers, British soldiers and paramilitaries -
died during 30 years of troubles taking place from 1968 up to the signing of
the Good Friday Agreement in 1998...

http://society.guardian.co.uk/e-public/story/0,,1786075,00.html

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Liam Clarke
Subject: Re: Ireland's first black mayor
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Its not exactly President but I'm delighted, really delighted!!!



Liam Clarke =20

-----Original Message-----
From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List [mailto:IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On =
Behalf Of MacEinri, Piaras
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 9:26 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [IR-D] Ireland's first black mayor

From today's Irish Times

Piaras

Ireland's first black mayor set to be elected in Portlaoise

A Nigerian man who arrived here seven years ago seeking asylum is likely =
to create history by becoming Ireland's first black mayor today, Ronan =
McGreevy .

Cllr Rotimi Adebari (43) was elected to Portlaoise Town Council in 2004 =
and should take the chain of office when the members meet to elect a new =
mayor this afternoon.

He is likely to be elected under a mayoral pact which sees the position =
rotate among the Fine Gael/Sinn F=E9in/Independent members of the =
council.

Mr Adebari has scheduled a party for the new parish centre in Portlaoise =
tomorrow evening to celebrate his imminent mayoralty.

He said: "It will be a great honour to become the number one citizen of =
the town. The kudos, though, goes to the people of Portlaoise who =
elected me in 2004. They gave me this opportunity," he said.

"I would want to use my year to say to immigrants coming here that this =
is a land of opportunities and it is a country that is described as a =
place of a thousand welcomes.

"The people of Portlaoise have not only said that, but they have acted =
on it by electing me to the town council".

Mr Adebari arrived in Dublin with his wife and two children in 2000 =
fleeing religious persecution. After a few weeks the family settled in =
Portlaoise.

He struggled to find work in the first two years, but he got involved as =
a volunteer with the Abbeyleix Tennis Club and set up Supporting =
Unemployed in Laois (Suil).

He surprised many of his supporters by being elected to the town council =
as an Independent in 2004, polling 321 first-preference votes.

Since then he has set up "Optimum Point", a consultancy which trains =
companies and educational institutions in cross-cultural awareness and =
he has completed a Masters in Intercultural Studies at Dublin City =
University.
He now works for Laois County Council co-ordinating an integration =
project for local immigrants.

"I got involved in the community and I volunteered. It gave me the =
opportunity to meet people first-hand and they got to know me. We all =
have to make an effort to reach out to one another," he believes.

"I want to encourage immigrants to be a force in their communities, to =
engage with their communities and people will get to know you. Their =
perception of you will change just like that and that's what happened to =
me."

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Book Review, Wyndham, _Re-Imagining Ireland_
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H-NET BOOK REVIEW
Published by H-Albion[at]h-net.msu.edu (June 2007)

Andrew Higgins Wyndham, ed. _Re-Imagining Ireland: How a Storied Island =
Is
Transforming Its Politics, Economy, Religious Life, and Culture for the
Twenty-First Century_. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, =
2006.
xxii + 273 pp. Illustrations, notes, index, DVD. $34.95 (cloth), ISBN
978-0-8139-2544-8.

Reviewed for H-Albion by Mark Doyle, Department of History, Boston =
College

Ireland in a Global Age

"Ireland, to be frank, gets far too much attention," declares journalist =
and
critic Fintan O'Toole in the opening pages of this new collection edited =
by
Andrew Higgins Wyndham (p. 2). He is right, of course: to many outsiders =
and
insiders alike, the field of Irish Studies often gives off a distinct =
whiff
of self-regard and insularity, absorbing a disproportionate share of the
resources at some American universities, while insisting upon an =
exaggerated
(and often insulting) Irish exceptionalism that takes credit for =
everything
from saving civilization to enduring the worst imaginable forms of human
suffering and oppression. The wary reader might be forgiven, therefore, =
for
approaching with caution a volume entitled _Re-Imagining Ireland: How a
Storied Island Is Transforming Its Politics, Economy, Religious Life, =
and
Culture for the Twenty-First Century_. To do so, however, would be a =
great
mistake, because this volume is a sparkling example of the ways in which
interdisciplinary scholarship can broaden our understanding not just of =
a
specific place (Ireland), but of a much larger problem (globalization), =
and
it does so with a daring and flair that ought to attract a wide =
audience.

_Re-Imagining Ireland_ emerged from a conference of the same name held =
in
Charlottesville, Virginia, in May 2003. The conference brought together
dozens of Irish academics, writers, performers, politicians, artists,
journalists, and activists, many of whom have contributed pieces to this
volume. Indeed, the list of contributors is something of an honor roll =
of
contemporary Irish life and letters, including as it does such eminences =
as
President Mary McAleese, Fintan O'Toole, Colm T=F3ib=EDn, Frank McCourt, =
Roddy
Doyle, Angela Bourke, Mick Maloney, Roy Foster, Joe Lee, Arthur Aughey, =
and
Kerby Miller, among many others. The volume itself is as attractive as =
its
all-star cast. Each of its ten sections begins with a substantial essay =
by
one of the conference participants, and this is followed by a series of
short, two-three page reflections from other contributors under the =
heading
"Voices." With very few exceptions, the pieces are lucid, =
conversational,
and jargon-free, easily accessible to the general reader or to =
undergraduate
students. The overall effect is of sitting at a very large table and
listening to a lively, sprawling conversation about the momentous =
changes
that have reshaped Ireland over the past decade and more. Topics range =
from
the politics and economy of Ireland (north and south) to the cultural,
environmental, and social challenges presented by the remarkable period =
of
growth that Ireland has recently undergone. Eight glossy, full-color =
pages
show some of the artistic pieces exhibited at the Virginia conference, =
and
an hour-long DVD, tucked into the back cover, contains a documentary =
that
intersperses interviews of conference participants with footage from the
conference and from contemporary Ireland.

In his preface, Wyndham argues that Ireland is at a crossroads. Long one =
of
Western Europe's most impoverished and traditional societies, Ireland =
has
become the "most globalized society in the world" (p. xii), drawing =
massive
foreign investment, European Union subsidies, immigrants, and tourists =
at
the same time as it exports its music, language, and culture to a global
audience. The question for the volume's contributors, then, is how this
traditional society can and should adapt to the demands of =
globalization.
This provokes a number of related questions. How, for example, can =
Ireland
retain its cultural and social distinctiveness in the face of the
homogenizing power of the global market? How is increasing immigration =
to
Ireland and accelerating secularization among Catholics challenging
traditional notions of Irishness? What happens to those left behind by =
the
roaring success of the Celtic Tiger? What steps must be taken by =
northern
Protestants and Catholics to ensure a lasting peace?

To their credit, most of the contributors avoid offering easy answers to
these questions. In tones ranging from self-congratulatory to deeply
anguished, the essays peer and poke their way into numerous corners of
contemporary Irish life. Liz O'Donnell's upbeat assessment of the impact =
of
economic growth in Ireland, for instance, is balanced by Peter McVerry's
grim description of homelessness in Dublin. Angela Bourke provides an
illuminating history of Ireland's Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking regions), =
while
Aod=E1n Mac P=F3ilin and Malcolm Maclean flesh out the discussion by =
examining
the state of the Gaelic languages in Belfast and Scotland, respectively. =
An
early highlight is Theo Dorgan's "Finding Identity in a Global Context:
Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Question," which consists of a series of
vignettes reflecting the complexities and ambiguities of Irish identity =
at
home and abroad. "Sometimes the best way into a large subject is through =
the
small, unexpected door in the corner," Dorgan writes (p. 31), and in =
this
and the next few essays (from T=F3ib=EDn, McCourt, Larry Kirwan, and =
Lenwood
Sloan) the truth in this statement becomes clear. The state of Irish =
music,
dance, art, film, and the landscape are all addressed in turn, with =
valuable
contributions from men and women keenly aware of the difficulties of
maintaining cultural authenticity amidst a whirlwind of global =
competition
and commercialization.

The largest section of the book is devoted to Northern Ireland, which, =
along
with the Celtic Tiger, acts as a sort of bass note for most of the =
essays
included here. Journalist Susan McKay's analysis of the career and =
legacy of
Ian Paisley is enlightening, even if its conclusions appear (in light of
recent political developments) unduly pessimistic. O'Toole, Aughey, Lee, =
and
Ed Moloney all offer thoughtful reflections on the nature of the =
conflict
and what needs to change if the peace is to survive, and Northern =
Ireland
Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan provides a fascinating insider's glimpse =
into
the struggle to create a legitimate police force in Northern Ireland. =
The
concluding section of the book, headed by Kirby Miller's heavily =
researched
response to historical revisionism, likewise examines relations between
Protestants and Catholics, which the contributors hope can be improved =
by
recognizing the wide social and cultural common ground shared by the two
groups.

Despite the overall quality of the contributions and of the accompanying
DVD, there are some significant limitations to _Re-Imagining Ireland_. =
For
one thing, few of the contributors present substantial new research into
contemporary Ireland, and the scholar looking for a detailed analysis of
these issues would do best to consult more specialized studies.[1] In =
fact,
readers who stay abreast of the literature and who frequent Irish =
Studies
conferences are likely to find many of these arguments familiar. Thus, =
for
instance, this volume finds Luke Gibbons discussing the cultural
implications of _The Quiet Man_ and Roy Foster criticizing the =
contemporary
"heritage industry" in ways that echo work they have presented =
elsewhere.[2]
Contributions of this sort are valuable within the framework of this =
book,
however, largely because they are accompanied by adjacent essays that
complement, challenge, or contextualize the topic under discussion. =
Indeed,
one of the more rewarding features of this volume is the way in which it
places different authors in conversation with one another, giving the =
reader
a multifaceted understanding of the issues that they address.

A more serious limitation to _Re-Imagining Ireland_ is the inbuilt
obsolescence that inevitably accompanies any state-of-the-discipline
publication. Recent changes in the political landscape of Northern =
Ireland,
as noted above, have already rendered some of the essays on that topic
outdated, if not exactly irrelevant. Similar changes in the social,
political, or economic outlook in the Republic may likewise undermine or
strengthen the other contributions. The volume's shelf life, in other =
words,
may be quite limited. A related problem arises from the extent to which =
both
the book and the DVD are rooted in the 2003 conference in Virginia. Too
often, the entire package is made to feel like a souvenir for conference
participants--for those readers who were not present at the conference, =
the
effect is a little off-putting, as if one were peeking into a party to =
which
one was not invited. The appeal to the general reader, to whom this book
appears to be pitched, is accordingly diminished.

Overall, these are minor reservations about a product that will, one =
hopes,
find an audience well beyond Irish Studies programs. In the accompanying
DVD, the late loyalist politician David Ervine poignantly insists that =
the
story of Northern Ireland is not just a story about Protestants and
Catholics in Ireland, but a story about all of humanity. The same could =
be
said of the other topics examined in _Re-Imagining Ireland_ as well.
Societies everywhere from Shanghai to Brooklyn are grappling with the =
sorts
of creative destruction that globalization inflicts. Vast new wealth
alongside dire poverty, the homogenization and gentrification of
neighborhoods, environmental degradation, the mobility (or uprooting) of
populations, racism and xenophobia, the atomization of communities, the
secularization and commodification of traditional cultures, and above =
all
the uneasy feeling that everything could blow away with the slightest =
shift
in the global winds--these are things that rightly command the attention =
of
the entire world. Ireland, it turns out, has a lot to tell us about the
globalized spaces we all inhabit.

Notes

[1]. For recent, specialized treatments of issues such as development,
politics, the economy, immigration, health, and poverty, see, e.g., =
Brendan
Bartley and Rob Kitchin, eds., _Understanding Contemporary Ireland_ =
(London:
Pluto Press, 2007).

[2]. Luke Gibbons, _The Quiet Man_ (Cork: Cork University Press, 2002); =
and
R. F. Foster, _The Irish Story: Telling Tales and Making It Up in =
Ireland_
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).




Copyright (c) 2007 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits the
redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit, educational
purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the author, web =
location,
date of publication, originating list, and H-Net: Humanities & Social
Sciences Online. For other uses contact the Reviews editorial staff:
hbooks[at]mail.h-net.msu.edu.

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Call for submissions: Foilsi=?iso-8859-1?Q?=FA?=
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From: "William Mulligan Jr."
To:
Subject: Call_for_submissions:_Foilsi=3DFA?=3D


Forwarded from Hibernet. This may be of interest to the list.=20

WMJR


Foilsi=FA is an interdisciplinary journal of Irish studies published
annually by the GRIAN Association with the support of Glucksman

Ireland House/NYU. The journal includes a selection of GRIAN
conference proceedings as well as articles, reviews, poetry and
sometimes fiction from emerging and established scholars. Foilsi=FA is
accessible in electronic format via ProQuest Ethnic NewsWatch.

Foilsi=FA is now accepting submissions for the next issue. Please submit
essays in MS Word format (email attachment is fine; preferred length
15-20 manuscript pages) by 1 September 2007.

Foilsi=FA uses Chicago Manual of Style format with parenthetical in-text
citations and reference list.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by email
(bradys1[at]tcd.ie).

Best wishes,

Sara Brady
Editor, Foilsi=FA




Dr. Sara Brady=3D20
Lecturer, Drama Studies
Samuel Beckett Centre
Trinity College
Dublin 2

bradys1[at]tcd.ie
+353 1 896 2559

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Article, Michael Collins, General Commanding-in-Chief,
as a Historiographical Problem
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Michael Collins, General Commanding-in-Chief, as a Historiographical Problem

Author: REGAN, JOHN M.1

Source: History, Volume 92, Number 307, July 2007 , pp. 318-346(29)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing


Abstract:

This revisionist article argues the case for recognizing a short-lived
military dictatorship in 1922 in southern Ireland under the revolutionary
leader Michael Collins. Central to understanding this situation, and how it
came about, is the identification of a secret Irish Republican
Brotherhood-Free State diarchy from February 1922 that evolved into a
military government in July after the beginning of the civil war. This
reinterpretation makes four claims. First, it challenges assumptions about
the structure of power under Collins while he was commander-in-chief of the
Free State army. Secondly, it re-evaluates Collins's role as an icon of
southern Irish nationalism associated with constitutionalism and democracy.
Thirdly, it questions part of the foundation myth of the southern Irish
state, which assumes independence was achieved in 1922 by an uninterrupted,
constitutional process. Fourthly, it calls into question the methodologies
applied by historians defending this constitutional interpretation. Since
1970 the historiographical context of a grand constitutional narrative of
southern state formation has been war in Northern Ireland. In response to
this event, it is suggested, historians have emphasized the Irish state's
democratic origins so as to define southern experiences in 1922, against the
Provisional IRA's unmandated attempt at violent state formation. This has
contributed to distortions in both historical method and interpretation.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-229X.2007.00398.x

Affiliations: 1: University of Dundee

The full text article is available for purchase

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Article, Social Partnership in Ireland and New Social Pacts
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Social Partnership in Ireland and New Social Pacts

Author: ROCHE, WILLIAM K.

Source: Industrial Relations, Volume 46, Number 3, July 2007 , pp.
395-425(31)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing


Abstract:
Social partnership in Ireland has attracted considerable international
attention. This paper examines the origins, focus, and institutional
architecture of the Irish social partnership model. The paper also examines
social partnership in the context of the theory of social pacts and suggests
that the institutionalization of social partnership can be attributed to the
continuing significance of compensatory political exchange, the influences
of partnership networks, and the effects of new mechanisms for conflict
resolution.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-232X.2007.00475.x

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Conference, Liverpool: A sense of time and place, September 2007
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This Conference includes many papers of interest, including sections on
Welsh Identities and on Irish/Catholic Identities...

P.O'S.

Liverpool: A sense of time and place
Location: United Kingdom
Conference Date: 2007-09-14

Part of the Big History Show celebrating Liverpool's 800th birthday, this
conference offers a fascinating range of papers from architecture, culture
and sport to religion, politics and literature. More than forty scholars
will make presentations of their research, giving the audience unique access
to the latest work being done on Liverpool's culture, character and history.

The event has been jointly organised by the University of Liverpool,
Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Hope University, National
Museums Liverpool, Liverpool Culture Company and BBC Radio Merseyside.

Conference and Event Services
Liverpool John Moores University
Egerton Court
2 Rodney Street
Liverpool, UK
L3 5UX
Tel: +44 151 231 3668
Fax: +44 151 231 3770

Email: events[at]ljmu.ac.uk
Visit the website at http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/conferences/bighistory/index.htm

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "Rogers, James"
Subject: query re: suburbia
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I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
suburbanization.

I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of the
ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white breakdown).
But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.

I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at all.
I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young families.

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.


Jim Rogers

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From: "Murray, Edmundo"
Subject: Society for Irish Latin American Studies (SILAS) New Grant
Recipients
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Dear IR-D list members,

The Society for Irish Latin American Studies is delighted to announce =
the 2007 grant recipients of the Irish Latin American Research Fund. The =
grants were announced on Thursday, 28 June 2007, at the "Adventurers, =
Emissaries and Settlers: Ireland and Latin America" Conference at the =
National University of Ireland, Galway.=20

Matthew Brown of the University of Bristol, will receive a grant of Euro =
1,000 to assist in the advancement of his research with his project =
"Daniel O'Leary and Jos=E9 Mar=EDa C=F3rdoba 1828-1829". Daniel O'Leary =
was the aide-de-camp of South American Liberator Sim=F3n Bol=EDvar =
during the War of Independence in Venezuela and Colombia.

The other recipient of a grant from the research fund was Jos=E9 Antonio =
Quintana Garc=EDa of Universidad de Ciego de =C1vila, Cuba, who will =
receive Euro 700 to support his research on "James O'Kelly y Cuba - =
historias cruzadas 1868-1898" (James O'Kelly and Cuba - crossed stories =
1868-1898).

The recipients were chosen by a selection committee comprising of three =
prestigious scholars, Maureen Murphy of Hofstra University who chaired =
the committee, Piaras Mac =C9inr=ED of University College Cork, and =
Guillermo O'Donnell of University of Notre Dame. The Committee assessed =
the various research proposals submitted, before choosing the best =
projects.=20

Speaking of the standard of proposals and projects received, Guillermo =
O'Donnell said it was impressive. "Most of the projects were very =
interesting and promising in terms of advancing this field and it =
entailed a hard decision not to be able to support more of them."

The Irish Latin American Research Fund is the only grant programme =
funding studies on Irish and Latin American relations. The objective of =
the Fund is to support innovative and significant research in the =
different aspects of relations between Ireland and Latin America. Since =
its inception in 2003, SILAS has been active in obtaining research =
funding for students and scholars. Typically, the funds are used in =
travel expenses to reach far-off archives and documentary collections. =
The grants programme receives no institutional funding and its only =
financial source is represented by membership fees and donations. These =
grants are possible thanks to the generosity of the following SILAS =
members and friends: Herman and Maria Ana Beuk, Nancy Freeman, Jim =
Geoghegan, Bill Mulligan, Peter Mulvany, Maureen Murphy, Edmundo Murray, =
and Hugh Fitzgerald Ryan.=20

Contact:
Edmundo Murray
University of Zurich
Society for Irish Latin American Studies
Maison Rouge (1268) Burtigny, Switzerland
+41 22 739 50 49
edmundo.murray[at]irlandeses.org
www.irlandeses.org

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "MacEinri, Piaras"
Subject: Ireland's first black mayor
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Dear all

I feel obliged, having reported this 'good news' story last week, to add a
codicil.

Yesterday's Irish Independent carries a story 'First black mayor is abused
on race-hate websites'.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/first-black-mayor-is-abused-on-raceh
ate-websites-892857.html

I have since spoken with a senior NGO worker in Dublin who tells me that
Rotimi Adebare (who is a determined but mild-mannered, soft-spoken moderate
by any standards) has been bombarded with hate mail of a viciously racist
character. That Stormfront should carry this stuff is not surprising
(http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4342840). But apart from
the hardcore racists there is a deeper and vaguer, inchoate and blind, level
of 'banal' racism in Ireland of a profoundly ignorant kind. Maybe it's fear
of change, maybe it's white protectionism, maybe it's class hatred disguised
as race hatred. We need to think about it and find out more.

We did some local fieldwork here in the Cork area over the past two years
(in part, financed by the Department of Justice, not some pro-immigrant
NGO). It showed that in a country where unemployment is generally reckoned
to be about 4.5%, the _majority_ of refugees with full legal status as well
as persons with leave to remain (i.e. entitled to seek work) were
unemployed.

Either (a) these people are shysters (b) they have been profoundly damaged
by the dependency culture inculcated by our system of institutionalisation
while awaiting a decision - sometimes taking years (c) they are encountering
significant racism in the workplace (d) they have qualifications and
experience which no-one wants.

I think (a) is ludicrous and incredible. Those asylum seekers who do get as
far as a country like Ireland are determined, resilient people from
countries where there is no culture of 'welfare dependency'. (d)is equally
incredible, as the majority of asylum seekers have a level of education
above that of their counterparts in the host society. I cannot answer
whether (b) or (c) is the more likely explanation, or a combination of the
two; there may be another factor not covered in these options.

Piaras

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Muiris Mag Ualghairg
Subject: Re: Ireland's first black mayor
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I have experience of working with immigrant communities as a teacher
in Cardiff and I think that you list is a bit simplistic, either
making it a matter of they are 'shysters' or 'have become dependent'
or else 'racism' or 'lack of qualifications' are to blame. What I saw
was a more complex situation and I think I would add a couple other
possibilities

1) Communication and cultural difficulties. By cultural difficulties I
mean a lack of understanding of the host cultures norms (for example
how one deals with conflict does vary from culture to culture, from
shouting and arguing to a more circumspect method). The host community
may also mistake cultural traits as a sign of disrespect, for example
I taught Somali children and trying to get them to ask politely for
anything was very hard and this was interpreted by myself and by other
teachers as being impolite. It was only when I decided to learn Somali
that I discovered that Somali doesn't have 'polite command and request
forms' so for example 'may I have ..., may I have..., please could I
...' would all be expressed by a simple command form 'Give me...'
which to my ears sounds impolite. I realised that my pupils didn't
have a sufficient grasp of English to appreciate the need to use forms
which were totally alien to them - 'Give me..' was and is polite in
Somali so why wouldn't they use that form in English? The host
community can hardly be expected to know this kind of information for
all the immigrant groups who have moved into its area.

2) Psychological effects of war etc. I dealt with pupils who were
themselves severely traumatised by their experiences in their home
country that they are unable to actually keep a job. It often amazed
me how many of the refugee children could and would work so hard and
try their best when you knew their histories - it also makes me very
angry when I hear people attacking refugees and calling them
scroungers as I wish they could have had the privilege of knowing some
of them as I did.

Having said this, I have no doubt that there is a grave problem with
racism in Ireland and sad to say I have even heard comments by member
of my own extended family who seem to have forgotten that a
substantial proportion of their family were little more than economic
(and even political) refugees some 40 odd years ago when they moved
over to England (and some to America) as a way of bettering their own
lives. It is also interesting to hear the comments about Portuguese, a
large number of whom have settled in the Portadown area, they suffer
from racism by both the Unionist community (who fear their
Catholicism) and by the nationalist community (who seem to fear that
they will lose out on work and other opportunities).

Muiris

On 03/07/07, MacEinri, Piaras wrote:
> Dear all
>
> I feel obliged, having reported this 'good news' story last week, to add a
> codicil.
>
> Yesterday's Irish Independent carries a story 'First black mayor is abused
> on race-hate websites'.
> http://www.independent.ie/national-news/first-black-mayor-is-abused-on-raceh
> ate-websites-892857.html
>
> I have since spoken with a senior NGO worker in Dublin who tells me that
> Rotimi Adebare (who is a determined but mild-mannered, soft-spoken moderate
> by any standards) has been bombarded with hate mail of a viciously racist
> character. That Stormfront should carry this stuff is not surprising
> (http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4342840). But apart from
> the hardcore racists there is a deeper and vaguer, inchoate and blind, level
> of 'banal' racism in Ireland of a profoundly ignorant kind. Maybe it's fear
> of change, maybe it's white protectionism, maybe it's class hatred disguised
> as race hatred. We need to think about it and find out more.
>
> We did some local fieldwork here in the Cork area over the past two years
> (in part, financed by the Department of Justice, not some pro-immigrant
> NGO). It showed that in a country where unemployment is generally reckoned
> to be about 4.5%, the _majority_ of refugees with full legal status as well
> as persons with leave to remain (i.e. entitled to seek work) were
> unemployed.
>
> Either (a) these people are shysters (b) they have been profoundly damaged
> by the dependency culture inculcated by our system of institutionalisation
> while awaiting a decision - sometimes taking years (c) they are encountering
> significant racism in the workplace (d) they have qualifications and
> experience which no-one wants.
>
> I think (a) is ludicrous and incredible. Those asylum seekers who do get as
> far as a country like Ireland are determined, resilient people from
> countries where there is no culture of 'welfare dependency'. (d)is equally
> incredible, as the majority of asylum seekers have a level of education
> above that of their counterparts in the host society. I cannot answer
> whether (b) or (c) is the more likely explanation, or a combination of the
> two; there may be another factor not covered in these options.
>
> Piaras
>

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "MacEinri, Piaras"
Subject: Re: Ireland's first black mayor
Comments: To: Muiris Mag Ualghairg
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Dear Muiris

Many thanks for your comments. This is of course a very complex and
sensitive subject. Short of writing a dissertation about it (I am =
thinking
of doing just that!) I may indeed have been a bit simplistic.=20

Your comments about the Somalis, in particular, and your choice of the =
field
of education, in particular, are very apt. I believe, in common with =
you,
that the frontline in this field is education. My colleagues =
Caitr=EDona N=ED
Laoire, Allen White, Naomi Bushin and Fina Carpena Mendez are =
conducting the
only research project on migrant children (with an focus on education)
currently ongoing in Ireland. http://migration.ucc.ie/mc/ for more. I =
think
the results of their research will be extremely important.=20

I do think that integration and interculturalism, however, are not just
about enabling the immigrants to 'fit in' to our society (does that =
mean in
Ireland that they too should adopt a binge-drinking and violent social
culture?). Host society members also have to learn about other values =
and
cultural norms and work to live with them. This is not a matter of =
'anything
goes': we need to agree both about core values, on one hand, and how to
understand and negotiate difference, on the other. =20

That said, I do not think that the animosity being expressed to Rotimi
Adebari in Portlaoise is necessarily based on some kind of 'cultural
misunderstanding'. It seems to me that is of a piece, unfortunately, =
with
attitudes expressed in Ireland towards anyone who puts their heads =
above the
parapet in this field. For instance, I myself have been the recipient, =
on
several occasions, of letters and other epistles smeared with =
excrement, as
well as a number of more or less literate but utterly ignorant racist
diatribes.=20

I think that you make valuable points about intercultural =
misunderstandings.
I am aware of one school in the greater Cork area where the Nigerian
children are literally segregated from the rest of the class at =
playtime,
because they are allegedly too 'boisterous'. In Ireland at present, =
although
we have a highly centralised educational system, the Department of =
Education
and Science is notable for its silence in this field. They have =
published a
few guidelines, to be fair (and these are in general excellent), but by =
and
large they have been lamentably inactive in laying down rules for a new
multicultural Ireland. This is hardly surprising though. The =
educational
system in Ireland is still, largely in the hands of confessional and
class-based groups.=20

This is why, in part, why Ireland has such a low rate of socal =
mobility.
Why, in the face of such reactionary attitudes, should the education =
system
be progessive towards migrants? It is, frankly, a disgrace. Moreover, =
there
are already clear signs of white flight in the Dublin area as well-off =
Irish
parents choose to send their children to Irish-language schools (in the
mistaken belief that such schools will not attract or cater for =
minority
pupils) or private schools. For those outside Ireland I should stress =
that
this is new. Traditionally Irish public schools (the ordinary local =
schools)
attracted people from all social backgrouns. My own daughter, now 23, =
went
to the local community school in Ballincollig, Cork and left with an
excellent Leaving Certificate.=20

Psychological effects of war etc. Of course this is true, but it does =
not
explain, still less excuse, the level of invective directed at Rotimi =
and
other prominent black Irish people.=20

I agree with you that there is a very common level of 'banal racism' in
Ireland. And yes, there is a debate that we need to have about the =
nature of
this young State: only 80 years old. I once addressed an audience of =
retired
women from UCC and a woman in her late 70s said 'we fought so hard and =
now
it's all changed'. I think this is a fair point and needs to be =
answered.

best

Piaras

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "Miller, Kerby A."
Subject: Re: query re: suburbia
MIME-Version: 1.0
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I could help you with this if I were home, but I'm in Ireland until Aug. =
9. If you still need suggestions, e-mail me after that date.
Thanks--Kerby

________________________________

From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List on behalf of Rogers, James
Sent: Tue 7/3/2007 9:14 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [IR-D] query re: suburbia




I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
suburbanization.

I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of =
the
ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white =
breakdown).
But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.

I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at =
all.
I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young =
families.

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.


Jim Rogers

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "William Mulligan Jr."
Subject: Re: query re: suburbia
In-Reply-To:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
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"From Ghetto to Suburbs: From Someplace to Noplace?" in Lawrence J.
McCaffrey, The Irish Catholic Diaspora in America, (rev. ed. 1997) may =
be a
starting point.



William H. Mulligan, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor of History
Graduate Program Coordinator=20
Murray State University
Murray KY 42071-3341 USA=20
Office: 1-270-809-6571
Fax: 1-270-809-6587=20
=20
=20

-----Original Message-----
From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List [mailto:IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On =
Behalf
Of Rogers, James
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 9:14 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [IR-D] query re: suburbia

I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
suburbanization.=20

I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of =
the
ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white =
breakdown).
But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.=20

I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at =
all.
I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young =
families.

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.


Jim Rogers

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: "Rogers, James"
Subject: Re: query re: suburbia
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thanks, Kerby -- I probably will

-----Original Message-----
From: Miller, Kerby A. [mailto:MillerK[at]MISSOURI.EDU]
Sent: Wed 7/4/2007 4:07 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: Re: [IR-D] query re: suburbia

I could help you with this if I were home, but I'm in Ireland until Aug. 9.
If you still need suggestions, e-mail me after that date.
Thanks--Kerby

________________________________

From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List on behalf of Rogers, James
Sent: Tue 7/3/2007 9:14 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [IR-D] query re: suburbia




I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
suburbanization.

I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of the
ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white breakdown).
But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.

I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at all.
I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young families.

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.


Jim Rogers

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Linda Dowling Almeida
Subject: Re: query re: suburbia
Comments: cc: JROGERS[at]STTHOMAS.EDU
In-Reply-To:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Hi Jim,
I have a couple of thoughts:
Two collections have some good essays that may help. The first is The Irish
in New York, R. Bayor and T. Meagher, eds., including R. Snyder's piece on
Washington Heights and Marion Casey's, From the Eastside to the Seaside.
The other is Making the Irish American, with essays by Peter Quinn,
Moynihan, Kevin Kenny and myself that may be useful.
Peter Quinn's new collection of essays, Looking for Jimmy, talks about life
growing up in 1950s Bronx and reflections on current state of Irish America.
Two memoirs: Dreaming of Columbus by Michael Pearson and another by Maureen
Waters (cannot remember the title) are also worth a look. Basketball
Diaries by Jim Carroll is more personal, but may give a flavor of life for
those left behind in the cities, as will Michael Patrick MacDonald's All
Souls about Boston bussing.
Political books that may offer some insight to ethnic migration are
Rainbow's End by Stephen Erie and To Be Mayor of New York by Chris McNickle.
Others to consider: That Most Distressful Nation by Andrew Greeley, Parish
Boundaries by John McGreevey (which I have not read but covers the impact of
African American contact with Catholic ethnic parishes in American cities),
and my book, Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995.
Hope this helps.
Linda



>From: "Rogers, James"
>Reply-To: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
>To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: [IR-D] query re: suburbia
>Date: Wed, 4 Jul 2007 07:35:23 -0500
>
>Thanks, Kerby -- I probably will
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Miller, Kerby A. [mailto:MillerK[at]MISSOURI.EDU]
>Sent: Wed 7/4/2007 4:07 AM
>To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>Subject: Re: [IR-D] query re: suburbia
>
>I could help you with this if I were home, but I'm in Ireland until Aug. 9.
>If you still need suggestions, e-mail me after that date.
>Thanks--Kerby
>
>________________________________
>
>From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List on behalf of Rogers, James
>Sent: Tue 7/3/2007 9:14 AM
>To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
>Subject: [IR-D] query re: suburbia
>
>
>
>
> I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
>articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
>suburbanization.
>
>I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of the
>ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white breakdown).
>But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
>first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.
>
>I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at
>all.
>I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
>churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young families.
>
>Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.
>
>
>Jim Rogers

_________________________________________________________________
http://liveearth.msn.com

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Noreen Bowden
Subject: Re: query re: suburbia
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

There was a great episode of Radharc called "Goodbye to Gloccamorro
(Inwood)" about Inwood's last days as an Irish
neighborhood -http://www.radharcfilms.com/archive/44.html

Perhaps the date is a little later than what you're looking at but it
describes the process very well. From the description:
______________
Shot in New York, America. Inwood has been called the last of the Irish
ghettos. It is situated on the northwest tip of Manhattan Island. Visit
Inwood and you might think you were in an Irish city. The Irish accents c=
an
be heard and advertisements for Irish games and functions are on display.
There are Irish newspapers for sale. But it looks as though the Irish way=
of
life in Inwood will end with the arrival of other ethnic groups into the
district. In Inwood today (1968), we are looking at the last days of the
last Irish ghetto.

__________________

The New York Irish by Bayor and Meaghar has an essay on the same topic -
"The Neighborhood Changed: The Irish of Washington Heights and Inwood sin=
ce
1945", by Robert Snyder.

Regards,
Noreen

Noreen Bowden
Director
=C9an - The Emigrant Advice Network
87/88 Senior House
All Hallows College, Grace Park Road
Drumcondra, Dublin 9
t: +353 1 8574108
m: 087 211 1397
e: noreen[at]emigrantnetwork.ie
w: http://www.ean.ie




----- Original Message -----=20
From: "William Mulligan Jr."
To:
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: [IR-D] query re: suburbia


"From Ghetto to Suburbs: From Someplace to Noplace?" in Lawrence J.
McCaffrey, The Irish Catholic Diaspora in America, (rev. ed. 1997) may be=
a
starting point.



William H. Mulligan, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor of History
Graduate Program Coordinator
Murray State University
Murray KY 42071-3341 USA
Office: 1-270-809-6571
Fax: 1-270-809-6587



-----Original Message-----
From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List [mailto:IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Beh=
alf
Of Rogers, James
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 9:14 AM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: [IR-D] query re: suburbia

I would be grateful if the members of the list would suggest books and
articles of any sort that discuss the Irish and postwar American
suburbanization.

I'd be especially interested to know if there have been any studies of th=
e
ethnic make-up of the suburbanites (beyond a simple black/white breakdown=
).
But I'd be interested in any suggestions, and maybe especially any
first-person accounts of the emptying-out of the old neighborhoods.

I don't really know this literature-- if there is such a literature--at a=
ll.
I'm guessing there was a fair bit written about the suburban Catholic
churches of the '50s that filled up with ex-GIs and their young families.

Thanks in advance for the collective wisdom of the list.


Jim Rogers

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: 'Reviews in History' David Fitzpatrick on Edmundo Murra y,
'Becoming Irland=?iso-8859-1?Q?=E9s:?= Private Narratives of the
Irish Emigration to Argentina (1844-1912)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This e-mail contains links to a new review posted today on the 'Reviews =
in
History' webpages. Please click on the links below to access the full =
text.=20

A review by David Fitzpatrick of Edmundo Murray, 'Becoming Irland=E9s: =
Private
Narratives of the Irish Emigration to Argentina (1844-1912)' (Buenos =
Aires,
Literature of Latin America, 2006), with a response by the author:

Review: http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/paper/fitzpatrickD.html

Response: http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/paper/fitzpatrickDresp.html

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: Book Announced, Kinga Olszewska,
Wanderers Across Language: Exile in Irish and Polish Literature
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
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The following item has been brought to our attention.

It will interest a number of IR-D members.

P.O'S.
________________________________________

Author: Kinga Olszewska

Title: Wanderers Across Language: Exile in Irish and Polish Literature =
of
the Twentieth Century (Legenda Studies in Comparative Literature)

Blurb: Exile has become a potent symbol of Polish and Irish cultures.=A0
Historical, political and cultural predicaments of both countries have
branded them as diasporic nations: but, in Adorno's dictum, for an exile
writing becomes home. Olszewska offers a multifaceted picture of the =
figure
of exile in postwar Poland and Ireland, juxtaposing politics and =
culture:
whereas Irish exile appears more in an economic and cultural context, =
the
essence of Polish exile is political. This comparative study of works by
Polish and Irish authors - Stanislaw Baranczak, Adam Zagajewski, Marek
Hlasko, Kazimierz Brandys, Brian Moore, Desmond Hogan and Paul Muldoon -
shows a literature which not only depicts the experience of exile, but =
which
uses exile as a literary device.

ISBN is 978 1 905981 08 3

Link to Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/search/ref=3Dpd_lpo_ix_dp_dn_us_uk_en?keywords=
=3Dking
a%20olszewska&tag=3Dlpo%5Fixdpdnusuken-21&index=3Dblended

Sender: The Irish Diaspora Studies List
From: Patrick O'Sullivan
Subject: suburbia
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

From: "Patricia"
To: "'The Irish Diaspora Studies List'"
Subject: RE: [IR-D] query re: suburbia

Crossing Highbridge is Maureen Waters' memoir. I highly recommend Peter
Quinn's Looking for Jimmy, which extends his essays in Making the Irish
American.

Patricia Jameson-Sammartano

-----Original Message-----
From: The Irish Diaspora Studies List [mailto:IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On =
Behalf
Of Linda Dowling Almeida
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 1:06 PM
To: IR-D[at]JISCMAIL.AC.UK
Subject: Re: [IR-D] query re: suburbia

Hi Jim,
I have a couple of thoughts:
Two collections have some good essays that may help. The first is The =
Irish

in New York, R. Bayor and T. Meagher, eds., including R. Snyder's piece =
on=20
Washington Heights and Marion Casey's, From the Eastside to the Seaside. =
=20
The other is Making the Irish American, with essays by Peter Quinn,=20
Moynihan, Kevin Kenny and myself that may be useful.
Peter Quinn's new collection of essays, Looking for Jimmy, talks about =
life=20
growing up in 1950s Bronx and reflections on current state of Irish =
America.
Two memoirs: Dreaming of Columbus by Michael Pearson and another by =
Maureen=20
Waters (cannot remember the title) are also worth a look. Basketball=20
Diaries by Jim Carroll is more personal, but may give a flavor of life =
for=20
those left behind in the cities, as will Michael Patrick MacDonald's All =

Souls about Boston bussing.
Political books that may offer some insight to ethnic migration are=20
Rainbow's End by Stephen Erie and To Be Mayor of New York by Chris =
McNickle.
Others to consider: That Most Distressful Nation by Andrew Greeley, =
Parish=20
Boundaries by John McGreevey (which I have not read but covers the =
impact of

African American contact with Catholic ethnic parishes in American =
cities),=20
and my book, Irish Immigrants in New York City, 1945-1995.
Hope this helps.
Linda