ISSUE NUMBER 103
Dedicated to Celts Everywhere
FEBRUARY 2002
PHOTO: Courtesy The British Tourist Authority
CARDIFF CASTLE — An aerial view of the City of Cardiff's major tourist attractions. The Castle is the centre point of the city and according to the Lord Mayor Russell Goodway of Cardiff, "is elaborately decorated in gold....and basically, the jewel in the crown of Cardiff."
[See page 14 for full interview with Lord Mayor Goodway]
ST. DAVID'S DAY
St. David is the patron saint of Wales who died on March 1, 589 AD. He founded St. David's Abbey in Pembrokeshire, known for its strict regime and life of austerity. He was said to have saved the monastery at Glyn Rhosyn from destruction by Irish invaders by converting them to Christianity.
A daffodil is worn, and leeks are eaten on St. David's Day as he is known to have been a vegetarian, modelling his spartan existence on that of the desert monks of Egypt. Leeks are said to drive evil spirits away and to purge the blood, especially if eaten in March.
This may explain their adoption as an emblem of Wales and by Welsh troops, the later practice first recorded at the Battle of Meigen in the Seventh Century. It is said that St. David gave the idea to the Welsh leader Cadwallader for his battles against the Saxons.
King Arthur, whom the Welsh claim to be one of their own, was said to have insisted his troops wear a leek in their caps to be distinguished from their Saxon foe. St. David was also the patron of flocks and ships. David's mother St. Non adopted the daffodil as a symbol because it grew in the Vale of Aeron where her son was born. It became the Welsh national emblem in 1907, being championed by Lloyd George. [See page 10 for local celebrations] i
WIN TICKETS FOR TWO
Win free tickets for two to "The Biggest St.Patrick's Hooley irrVancouver," March 16, at the Hellenic Community Centre, 4500 Arbutus Street. See the back page for details. Entries for the St.Patrick's Hooley must be received by February 26. To enter, fax (604) 438-8419, e-mail: cbutler@telus.net, or mail: The Celtic Connection, 741-916 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1K7.
AIB Bank Could Face US Lawsuits
DUBLIN - According to a report published in The Irish Independent, Allied Irish Bank (AIB) directors could be vulnerable to multi-million-dollar lawsuits from U.S. investors in the wake of the US8750 million fraud at the group's American subsidiary. If an investigation concludes that the directors of the bank did not do enough to protect the company from internal fraud, U.S. class actions could be instigated, according to financial and legal sources.
Four managers based at Allfirst in Baltimore, who have been suspended from their jobs, are helping the bank's investigators. The four who were responsible for checks and balances on John Rusnak's foreign exchange transactions have been suspended on full pay. It has now become clear
that a number of transactions made by Rusiiak were not subjected to scrutiny by the team winch was supposed to check the deals.
The board has given its investigation team 30 days to establish what went wrong. It will re-organize its treasury departments in all international subsidiaries to make them directly answerable to AIB Group Treasury in Dublin. The report into the crisis will be reviewed by what it called an "eminent person" with expertise in financial services.
AIB shares staged a slight recovery on the Irish stock market, gaining 40 percent to euro 11.75 a 3.5 percent rise. The shares were partially buoyed bv speculation that the bank could become a takeover target, although no specific bid has been suggested.
Brigit's Fire Warms Winter Weary Hearts
See page 3
Cardiff, Wales: Europe's Fastest Growing City
See page 14
Celtic Wedding Planning Guide
See pages 12 & 13
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
MUSIC:
CD Reviews & Music News...............................................3-4-5-6-7
Ceol Agus Craic................................................................................4
From the Rockies to the Roots: Ceilidh Revue..............................5
Irish Music Workhop.........................................................................7
NEWS:
British Deputy Prime Minister to Speak in Vancouver...................9
Wind Farms in Wales.......................................................................9
Scottish News...........................................................................20-21
Irish News......................................................................17-18-19-20
Northern Ireland Round-up......................................................24-25
MOVIES, BOOKS & THEATRE:
Theatre & Movies...............................................................15-22-23
Book Reviews & Literature............................................................22
MONTHLY COLUMNS
The Most Southerly City on Earth.................................................10
Health Column................................................................................26
CULTURAL & COMMUNITY:
Letters to the Editor.........................................................................2
Farewell to Tomas Standeven.........................................................8
Irish Community..............................................................................22
Scottish Community .................................................................11-15
Welsh Community...........................................................................10
Irish Women's Network..................................................................16
Seattle News Round-up.................................................................26
New York Newsletter......................................................................27
Burns Celebrations and Photo-Roundup...........................15-30-31
SPORTS:..............................................................................28-29-31