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THE CELTIC CONNECTION • MARCH 1993
Irish Language MacWrite II
The MacWrite II word-processing package is now available in Irish. The translation was carried out by Everson Gunn Teo, of Dublin. The product was launched in Galway in association with Claris Ireland. _i f
IN VINO VERITAS
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Will Millar of the Irish Rovers has established a centre for 'Real' music recording on Vancouver Island. A studio setting by the salt sea spray of the beautiful Saanich Inlet only 15 minutes from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.
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WEDDINGS • PARTIES • DANCES
MARTINGALE
"the feel of a rainy night Ceilidh at the local"
— Tom Barrett, The Vancouver Sun
For Irish Jigs and Reels Call: (604) 327-5735
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The Drama of a Drinker at the Hospital Door
WEXFORD — I have a most interesting development to describe for you today. Let me stress however, that this is not a story about an Irish drunk or drinking Irish, a theme that often haunts us. This is an account of Irish ingenuity in the ranks of those believed to be at the end of their tether.
In the suburbs of Killihine near Limbrick, north Cork, a farmer, who had been driven to strong drink by the vicissitudes of our times, was deemed by his righteous wife and family not to be a strong drinker. He was deemed by them to be an incurable alcoholic, probably insane, a blasted nuisance, a proper haunt before the neighbours and a waster. They decided to be rid of him.
In such cases in Ireland (in case you've forgotten) there are benign means at hand. Such a person can be defined as "unwell," in need of "psychiatric assistance," and can be urged to accept the same in proper professional care.
The patient has to be agreeable, of course, and realize the necessity and the benefits of such treatment. The normal route following agreement on the part of the patient, is that he or she will voluntarily sign himself or herself into a psychiatric hospital
NICKY FURLONG
dealing with alcoholism, or the next of kin will sign in the patient. In this case, the farmer patient was prevailed upon to sign himself into the alcoholic renewal hospital in Waterford under the care of the Brothers of Perpetual Adoration, Ballygun-ner.
The hospital is 75 miles from the patient's home in Killihine. It was decided by the family that the farmer be driven to the hospital by taxi or hackney cab, so they hired the taxi owned by Jeremiah O'Toole, the part-time stationmaster at Killihine,. Mr. O'Toole knew and respected the patient for years and had conveyed him by public and private transport to many venues.
As they set out for the hospital
in Waterford, sympathy allied to nostalgia got the better of Mr. O'Toole, and the 75-mile journey was interrupted by agreeable visits to roadside hosteries where the dark, miserable mysteries of life were placed on the agenda. Indeed, so great was Mr. O'Toole's sympathy for the plight of his passenger, that he liberally supplied him with what would be his last libations — not at the same time forgetting himself. In the course of time, the institution of the Brothers of Perpetual Adoration was reached and one patient was duly delivered and properly signed in.
Three hours later, at the patient's farm house back at Killihine, there was a firm knock at the door. The wife of the alcoholic farmer opened the door to find her husband, hale and hearty. He announced that it was his perception that Jeremiah O'Toole was in a far worse condition than he and that on reaching the hospital he had quite prudently signed him in for the appropriate treatment. He had returned home himself, driving the taxi upon which there was not a single scratch.
The family reaction has been mixed to wildly vacillating proportions. I am keeping the situation under observation and will report developments.
Dance Your Troubles Away
By MARY O'BRIEN
DUBLIN — The Irish Times said "it's cheaper than lager, safer than drugs and cooler than grunge." Its been called year of the dance in Dublin. There are now close to 30 specialized dance clubs in the city, all of which open when the pubs close and they don't stop pumping out the volume until the small hours.
Most of these clubs attract a young, hip crowd who all dress in a certain way and like the same type of music. The sound is a myriad of categories but essentially a very groovy, swinging and happy beat.
One of Temple Bar's must popular venues is the Rock Garden. Mark Furst, the manager of the club said "I put six new dance clubs into my venue last summer because of popular demand. The whole clubbing scene is really taking off now in the city.
Irish Times reporter Brian Boyd recently undertook the arduous task of investigating these venues and the current craze. He spoke to Donal, a DJ at a popular local night spot.
As Donal put the needle down on a record, he looked anxiously at the dance-floor to gauge their reaction. No problem: there were 300 pairs of limbs moving around in different directions as the shiny, happy people strut their stuff.
Donal smiled a satisfied smile as he reached for the next record. He never plays any requests, he just hits them again and again with the sort of big and bouncy dance music that keeps them rooted to the dance-floor for the next two yours.
He said the clubs have a huge turnover of music and in an effort to stay forever hip, Donal scours record shops and music
trade journals looking for new, something fresh.
There's always room though for some golden oldies from the Seventies and a whole new generation like nothing better than the disco sounds of Chic, Sister Sledge and Sly and the Family Stone.
One of the most interesting features of the new dance explosion, according to Boyd, is that it grew out of genuine popular demand. It wasn't manufactured by club owners, it wasn't hyped up by the media and it hasn't been overrun by entrepreneurs looking to make a quick buck out of the latest youth culture. It is still supplying a genuine demand and it is growing. Boyd said "opiates of the people" go, you could do far worse.
Given the present economic situation in the country, there are many much more destructive outlets which young people could certainly pursue. Dancing gives people a lighter, brighter and more positive outlook in what could be regarded as very difficult days.