Latest news with #EamonDeValera
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The GAA Social Kevin Mussen. The first man to bring Sam across the border. A brilliant podcast
Kevin Mussen was the first man to bring Sam Maguire across the border. He still remembers the night and the customs posts. Different days. He and his Down team lit up the 60's and Kevin remembers it all. Eamon de Valera, climbing the steps, bringing Sam to school and looking back on a truly historic moment for the GAA. Kevin is the oldest person we've ever had on the podcast- and full of craic. There's a devilment to this witty, kind man. Older people tend to say it how it is. There's plenty of that. Living with cancer, surviving falls and despite coming 92- he's determined to live. Live better! H names the two best players he's seen. One is from Kerry, the other from Derry. Kevin Mussen, an outstanding listen with one of the great people of our times
BreakingNews.ie
11-06-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Leaving Cert history exam looked 'daunting' and rewarded students 'who avoided rote learning'
A teacher has given his first reaction to this year's Leaving Cert history exams, which students completed on Wednesday afternoon. Jamie Dockery, a history teacher at Tyndall College in Carlow, said the Higher Level paper looked like a "daunting prospect" at first glance. Advertisement "Many will have been surprised not to see questions on Charles Stewart Parnell or the Montgomery Bus Boycott," he said. "Those who placed all their bets on these topics — undoubtedly a sizeable number — will be bitterly disappointed." "However, there was much to be pleased with in this paper. The Documents-Based Question focused on the Jarrow March, a topic most well-prepared students would have covered thoroughly. The sources were engaging, and while the contextualisation question – asking whether the march was a failure – was slightly challenging, it was certainly manageable. "The 'Movements for Reform' section featured an interesting question comparing the successes of Michael Davitt and James Larkin, two reformers with shared ideals but from different eras. "Eamon de Valera was widely expected to appear on the paper, given that this year marks the 50th anniversary of his death—and 'the Long Fellow' didn't disappoint. The question was broad, covering his role in the Treaty negotiations, the Civil War, and World War II. Advertisement "Speaking of WWII, its appearance in an Irish context was welcome, as it hadn't featured since 2021. The topic 'The United States and the Wider World, 1945–1989' proved tricky, with challenging questions on the American Dream and the role of religion in American life. However, the inclusion of LBJ will have come as a relief to many. "As with last year's paper, women featured prominently, with questions on Isabella Tod, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Bernadette Devlin, Mary Robinson, Sylvia Meehan, Simone de Beauvoir, and Nadine Gordimer. Overall, this was an exam that rewarded the candidates who avoided rote learning, who didn't cut corners with their revision, and who were able to think on their feet." Mr Dockery said the Ordinary Level exam will have been generally well received by students and teachers, with the Jarrow March also the focus of the Documents Based Question. "In fact, the Ordinary Level exam had many similar (and in some instances, the same) questions to its Higher Level version across the entire exam – I very much welcome the Higher and Ordinary Level exam having similar questions, particularly considering that the average Senior History groups will have Higher and Ordinary Level students learning together in the one class. Advertisement Lifestyle Leaving Cert: French exam used 'challenging vocabu... Read More "When teaching Ordinary Level students, my advice to them is always to focus mainly on the Case Studies for each topic and the key personalities. Candidates who followed this approached will have been satisfied with this exam. "Many of the main personalities from Irish History found their way into the exam including O'Connell; Yeats; Davitt; Roscommon man Douglas Hyde; Collins, Cosgrave and de Valera. Women will also well represented in the guise of Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and Countess Markievicz and Maureen O'Hara, among others. Eagle-eyed students will notice that many of these personalities appeared in the 2024 edition. "The 'Europe and the Wider World' topics were also varied and offered the well-prepared candidate the opportunity to do well. Just like in the Higher Level paper, the United States topic was not without its challenges, but the inclusion of the Montgomery Bus Boycott here means that the vast majority of candidates should be fine. It was interesting that the Star Wars question included the parenthesis (the Strategic Defence Initiative) to hopefully discourage answers about Luke Skywalker (as opposed to – correctly – Ronald Reagan!) "As a History teacher, my hope for any exams is that it will give the diligent and hardworking student a chance to show off all they know, and this exam certainly did that."
Irish Independent
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford bingo marks half a century – ‘Over the years, it's given me back more than I've ever put into it'
In Ireland it was the year of the Miami Showband Massacre. Eamon De Valera passed away. George Best lined out for a league of Ireland game for Cork Celtic against Drogheda and the likes of The Bay City Rollers were taking over the charts. It was also the year that the Clonard bingo was established. Five decades later, Frankie Thomas, one of the original committee members, turns the key in the lock at the community centre and gets things ready to call the numbers once again – this time marking the major milestone. 'It's just been lovely to be involved in it over the years,' he smiles. 'I would say that I've gotten back more from it than I ever put in.' It was back in 1972 the idea of the bingo first came up. With funds required to build a church in Clonard, it was decided that running a bingo could be a great way of bringing in funds. Frankie and a few others were dispatched to observe the successful bingo at the Dun Mhuire and get some advice. Little did they know that the Clonard bingo would not only outlast the one in Dun Mhuire, but it would outlast the parish hall building itself! In the early days, Frankie found himself in charge of handing out the prize money to lucky winners, while Joe Brennan and Martin Shannon did the calling and kept the large crowds entertained. Also involved since day one is Dave Ormonde, who was chairman of the first committee. "It's been a real team effort,' Frankie says. 'Over the years some great people have been involved. I count myself really lucky to have been part of it.' Nowadays, the operation is run by Frankie and Carol Goodison and they along with Denny Farrell do the calling. There's a whole team that helps in various ways, however. From Geraldine Mahoney and her team in the box office to Sophie Hendrick and Tess Duggan in the shop and Margaret Brennan in the kitchen. The committee are also grateful to those who look after the hall and are so accommodating, as well as Karen the Parish Secretary. While the numbers being called and books being marked are still the same, the age profile of those in attendance is steadily going up. The love of bingo hasn't quite caught on with new generations as it did with those who packed out parish halls across the 70s, 80s and 90s. ADVERTISEMENT "We could do with some fresh blood coming into it alright,' Frankie concedes. 'But we do have very loyal supporters who come every Wednesday. Some of them have been coming for the full 50 years. It's a great social night out and it gives a great opportunity for people to get together. It's a real community.' As well as raising money to build two churches, the Clonard bingo community also managed to raise €10,000 for the oncology unit at Wexford General Hospital in the past. "The only break we had in the whole 50 years was when Covid hit,' Frankie says. 'That was a tough time for everyone. Obviously, everything closed down. Then we were able to do it out in the car park before getting back properly. Some people were a bit worried about coming back at that stage, but thankfully we're back in full flow again now. As he gets the machine going, microphone in hand, Frankie is extremely proud of the legacy of the Clonard bingo, and hopeful that there are a few more years left in it yet. "I count myself very luck to be here,' he smiles.
