JULY/AUGUST 2001
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 17
Bishop Winning Battle with Alcoholism
WEXFORD - Speaking on RTE, Bishop Brendan Comiskey said he is winning his battle with alcoholism. The Bishop of Ferns revealed that he attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week and added that he really enjoys the sessions with his fellow alcoholics.
Asked about his lifestyle without booze, the bishop said, "I am living like a child. I am living a luminous, very happy life. I go to my meetings twice a week. They just got used to me as a fellow alcoholic. "I don't think any other bishop has the opportunity of being in such contact with the people.
You sit twice a week with people sharing their desire to avoid addiction, to live a decent life, to live truthfully, honestly and justly. It'd be nearly worth becoming an alcoholic," he joked.
"My brother bishops are delighted because when I'm away at the AA meeting, I'm not doing any other harm. I'm the third longest serving bishop in Ireland now and I feel very much loved," he added.
During the interview, he also spoke about disgraced former Bishop of Galway Eamonn Casey who left Ireland after admitting that he fathered a child. Casey is now working and living in England.
Comiskey said that while the former primate of Galway is unlikely to return to live in Ireland, "Bishop Casey is flying. Sure, he's over and back regularly. He's absolutely in top form, you couldn't keep him down. He's like a genie in a bottle."_
Little Village Scoops Best Kept Award
CASTLETOWN - This year's overall winner of the All Ireland competition of the best kept town in the whole country is the small Laois village of Castletown. The competition is between the winner of the Republic's Tidy Towns competition and Northern Ireland's Best Kept Awards winners.
In addition to the title, Castletown was awarded a £5,000 cheque. Last year's overall winner, Kenmare, County Kerry, won the best kept small town and Enniskillen, County Fermanagh won best kept large town. Both received cheques for £2,500. The winners were jointly announced by Junior Environment Minister Dan Wallace and acting chief executive of the North's Department of Environment J.S. Faulkner. Fifteen towns throughout the 32 counties qualified for the awards. Wallace said the community-based activity that went into the awards would develop bonds that will last well after the task.
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Papers Reveal Book of Kells Australian Loan Bitterly Disputed
DUBLIN - Papers released under the Irish Freedom of Information Act show the extent of dissent between the Taoiseach and Arts Minister Sile de Valera over a decision to allow the Book of Kells to travel abroad last year. Bertie Ahern overruled his minister's reluctance to allow the book an export licence to travel to Sydney.
Now, the naUonal treasure is unlikely to be allowed leave the country again after it was damaged during the controversial loan to Australia.
The last time the Book of Kells
had travelled abroad was in the 1980s when it toured Europe.
The Arts Minister was guided by a report from an expert group which advised strongly against it. Frustrated after a meeting with Ahern in November 1999, she lodged her disagreement in writing.
"I refer to our meeting yesterday afternoon and I wish to reiterate my very strong opposiUon to the Book of Kells going to Australia,"said de Valera. "There is also opposition from the Director of the National Museum of Ireland and unanimous opposiUon from the Council of NaUonal Cultural InsUtuUons."
Her concerns were jusUfied when pigment damage to one of the display pages occurred, described as a "slight change in condition" in a letter to the arts department from Trinity College in April 2000.
like drinking your
Enjoy responsibly.
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