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Jan 10th 07
DAYS are getting longer and the nights are bright with the full moon, weather is still mild and wet. A very watery looking sun rose from behind Knockathea on Sunday morning last about 9.10am.
ANNUAL Country Music Festival will be held at the Earl of Desmond Hotel from Friday 19th to Sunday 21st of January.
CAO forms must be in before February 1st `07.
CAREERS Exhibition will be held at the Brandon Hotel on Thursday 11th of January from 9.15am to 4pm.
WELL done to the group who walked from Moyvane to Listowel for the Irish Cancer Society on St. Stephens Day.

INFORMATION night on the Kenyan Church will be held at St Brendan�s Pastoral Centre, Tralee on Friday January 12th starting at 7pm, more information from 066 712 5932.
FASHION: Milan fashion houses are to ban under 16 years models and models with low body mass index from Milan Fashion Shows.
Helpline numbers for; Aware, 066 712 8010; Grow, 087 2389461 and Living Links, 087 9006 300 Monday to Friday 10am to noon.
DRUGS and HIV helpline number is 1800 459 459.
REPAK: Estimate that the Christmas Season generated 170 million used packages, details of Repak 6th Annual Green Christmas Campaign
The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy.



New Hibernia Review 10.1 (2006) 139-146 _________________________________________________________________ [Access article in PDF] Edward F. Barrett (1869-1936), Abbey Playwright Sheila Phelan National University Of Ireland, Galway The extraordinary creative activity of Dublin's Abbey Theatre in the opening decades of the last century was the work not only of notable figures of literary and theatrical stature but, also of lesser figures who contributed in minor ways as their lives intersected for perhaps a year or two with the visionary project of Yeats and Lady Gregory. Edward F. Barrett, an accountant, wrote plays in his spare time, one of which was produced at the Abbey Theatre in 1918. His story is essentially that of an amateur who, in different circumstance, may have flourished as a playwright. Barrett was born on St. Valentine's Day, 1869. His mother was a Fitzmaurice from Listowel and his father was a publican. When Edward was a young boy, his father sold his pub and moved the family out to Newtown Sandes, a small village in the townland of Coolleen in North Kerry. As he grew up Barrett was interested in books and literature. After leaving school he trained as an accountant. He also taught for a time at St. Michael's College in Listowel. Dublin was an attractive prospect for an ambitious young man, and he soon obtained a position as business manager with Messrs. Smith and Sons, Silversmiths, of Wicklow Street. Although his move to Dublin was permanent, Barrett retained strong ties to Kerry and in 1898, at the age of twenty-nine, he married Nora Hunt, whose family farm at Knockanure was also in the townland of Coolleen. It was, by all accounts, a happy marriage. Nora and Eddie had one daughter, Maura, born in Dublin on October 15, 1906. Eddie Barrett grew up in North Kerry during a time of considerable political and social agitation. Farmers there suffered much...

Father Solanus  Casey was born in Wisconsin in 1870 to Irish immigrant parents. He entered the Capuchins at St. Bonaventure�s on January 14, 1897, completing his novitiate on July 21, 1898, and taking his first vows. Immediately, he left Detroit for Milwaukee to begin studying for the priesthood at the Capuchin seminary.

After ordination in 1904 and serving 20 years in New York parishes, Father Solanus returned to Detroit and St. Bonaventure�s as priest and popular porter (doorkeeper) from 1924 to 1945.

Father Solanus died in St. John�s Hospital in Detroit, on July 31, 1957, at the age of 87, the simple Capuchin friar�s funeral drew such a crowd that the monastery chapel of St. Bonaventure near downtown Detroit could not contain it



Con Brosnan and the Midfield Might
by Liam Hanrahan
The great sportswriter "P.F" once wrote in the Kerryman that almost every parish in Kerry had its "All- Ireland man". At the time of P.F's writing this, however, very few parishes, not to mention a relatively small rural parish like Moyvane, could boast an all-lreland medal-holder six times over. In the intervening years since, this parish has been singularly honoured that so many of its sons have contributed to the Kerry cause by representing their county with distinction at every level of the game.
Names could trip off the tongue for every decade since the selection of Con Brosnan in 1923 to play mid- field for Kerry initiated the trend. However, few will cavil with the assertion that Con Brosnan was the greatest of all and inevitably heads the list of the illustrious of our parish who have achieved this distinction. "Coming events cast their shadows before," and as early as 1919, Con Brosnan, playing at midfield for Moyvane in the North Kerry league, came under the notice of Bob Stack. Bob immediately formed the opinion that Con would become a great county player. He was not to know then or fully realise immediately at least, that he and Con would form a celebrated partnership at midfield for Kerry, which would last for all of nine years and would make them both legendary figures in the annals of Kerry football history.

At the same time (1919), the name of Con Brosnan was becoming widely known, not least to the British Auxiliaries (or Black and Tans) who, smarting under the ignominy of their failure to curtail his daring exploits as a freedom-fighter (by apprehension or otherwise), descended on Moyvane one Spring morning and burned the Brosnan home to the ground.

After Independence, the emergence of Kerry as a footballing force was probably stifled and delayed by the sad outbreak of Civil War.

However, when peace was restored a great young Kerry team - some would still maintain the greatest - began to take shape. Moreover, it is further asserted, and not without conviction, that the readiness and willingness of players who were diametrically opposed politically during "The Troubles", to combine, merge and pool their talents in the cause of Kerry football contributed in no small way to the healing of old wounds and the assuaging of any lingering bitterness left by those unhappy and unfortunate events.

Sited at midfield on this emerging team was the young Moyvane man facing, in his first All-lreland final (1923) two of gaelic footballs all-time greats, Paddy McDonnell and Larry Stanley of Dublin. Defeat was to be their portion on their maiden voyage. However, the exploits of Con Brosnan did not go unnoticed during the game. His immaculate fielding, precision kicking and unflinching endurance helped his team to almost carry the day. Dublin, now going for their fourth All-lreland in a row, provided the opposition to Kerry in the All-lreland of 1924.

A thrilling game ensued. The two great teams were locked in battle with the scores level with just minutes remaining, until a marvellous point from the boot of the Moyvane midfielder broke the deadlock and carried the day for Kerry.

Two quotes from a poem commemorating the great victory go like this:

"At midfield where the fight was raging
Shone Brosnan, bright as the morning star
He drove the leather right up to Landers
Who fisted neatly across the bar."
And the lines describing his winning score;
"With steady nerve and unerring aim
He scored a point and again we lead them
'Twas the final score in a hard-fought game".
Kerry now entered a phase of keen and sporting rivalry with Kildare which was to last some seven or eight years and which was to raise Gaelic football to new heights and create new levels of awareness and interest among the public.
The 1926 final went to a replay. In the drawn game Larry Stanley was Kildare's outstanding performer, bringing down balls at midfield from prodigious heights. However, Kerry held out to draw, 1-3 to Kildare's 0-6. Kerry got their goal with only a minute remaining with W. O'Gorman crashing to the net - and a new legend was created, namely, that Kerry are never beaten until the final whistle!

However, Kerry re-asserted themselves in the replay, with Stack and Brosnan dominant at midfield and another Moyvane man, Tom Mahony, fisting the ball to the net. Final score was: Kerry 1-4: Kildare 0-4.

"The Leinster Leader" in its report of the 1926 final stated "Two great teams have met twice in the struggle for the 1926 Championship and both have by their displays done much to raise the status of the grand old Gaelic pastimes". Another paper, "The Voice of Labour" (Dublin) stated four factors contributed to the "Munster" victory: first, and foremost of all superior grit and the will to victory, secondly, better fielding: thirdly, a stronger midfield and fourthly, the ineffectiveness of Stanley.

However, Kildare came back in 1927 to claim their revenge in the All-lreland final on the score of Kildare 0-5; Kerry 0-3. Commenting on the match, The Leinster Leader (Kildare) wrote (among other things). "It was a great game, worthy of two great football counties. In the keen football and sporting rivalry between the counties lies the best guarantee for the future of Gaelic pastimes."

Kerry did not figure in the final of '28 but Kildare did, retaining their title, with W. Gannon their captain being the first to accept the Sam Maguire cup, which had been newly presented.

The next great contest between Kerry and Kildare was in the 1929 All-lreland final when Kerry won the first of four-in-a-row All-lrelands before a record attendance of 43,839. The score was: Kerry 1-8: Kildare 1-5.

A writer of the times wrote: "It was very fast, very clean and very exciting. Kerry's winning margin does not flatter them. ("Padraig" in 'the Star')

Kerry defeated Monaghan in a one sided final in 1930. The dominance enjoyed by the Kerry midfield pairing is reflected in the scoreline: Kerry 3-11: Monaghan 0-2. Comment from "The Anglocelt" (Cavan): "Those who saw for themselves the prowess of the Kerrymen - Supermen would perhaps be a more accurate description - came away satisfied that at the moment there is no combination in the country fit to cope with them. A selection frpm the rest of Ireland would scarcely be fit enough to stand up to them for an hour." Clear evidence, indeed, that this team was now being regarded as well nigh invincible by friend and foe alike.

In May of 1931 Con Brosnan and his teammates left on a tour of the United States. In the opening game in New York, the real big test, Kerry beat the locals by 9 points to 1-3. The attendance was over 60,000, a then record for a Gaelic game.

Liam 0' Shea, Sports Editor, "New York Advocate" was lavish in their praise: "Man for man they are a credit to the Irish race. It would be unfair to single out any member of the team as having anything on the others. It simply cannot be done. I found them high-class, intelligent young athletes who can feel right at home in any company". Kerry and Kildare clashed once again for the blue riband of Gaelic football in 1931. Kerry emerged victors by 1-11 to 0-8, the biggest margin that ever separated the teams (attendance 42,350). This win was very significant in Con Brosnan's career as a wonderfully magnanimous gesture by Joe Barrett. Austin Stacks, allowed Con Brosnan to captain Kerry and accept the Sam Maguire Cup. That Joe Barrett should have deferred to Con in this way is clear evidence of the esteem of his colleagues and their appreciation of his profoundly important contribution in their successes. 



Munster Senior Championships, three National League medals and two Railway Cup medals. Following his playing career he was involved at administration level of the North Kerry Board and County Board and represented Kerry at Munster Council level for a long number of years. He was a Kerry selector and trained the victorious Kerry team in 1939. His record of service at North Kerry Board level was no less impressive: Chairman: 1932-33, 1936-42. President: 1955-1975.

Con was called from this life in 1975, the very year that saw the emergence of a young, vibrant team that won the Senior All-lreland in that year (part of the big treble - Senior, under 21, and Minor) and were to go on to emulate the achievements of '29-'32 by winning four-in-a-row in 1978-81


Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life 

It was 3:20am on the morning of March 13, 1964. Kitty Genovese, who managed a nearby bar, was just getting home from work when she was attacked while walking toward her apartment building in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York. She screamed that she had been stabbed. Lights of nearby apartments went on, windows opened, the attacker disappeared, but nobody came to help.

Then the attacker returned, found his victim, and stabbed her again. She screamed, but nobody helped her or even called the police.

The attacker came back a third time. It was now a half-hour later. He attacked and stabbed Kitty Genovese yet again, this time fatally. At that point the police received their first call, and were there in two minutes - but they could not save her life.

In the days and weeks following this murder, detectives and reporters became furious as they discovered that no less than thirty-eight people witnessed this assault, but did nothing. It was an astonishing failure of human compassion, a stunning display of cowardice and apathy. In fact, it gave rise to debates among academics and research among psychologists about what came to be known as the "Genovese Syndrome."

The witnesses were asked why they didn't help. Many did not want to talk. Some thought for sure that someone else was closer to the victim and would do something. The single individual who did call the police - a half hour after the attacks began - only did so after much deliberation, and after having phoned a friend in Nassau County for advice, and then walked across the roof of the building to the apartment of an elderly woman in order to make the call. "I didn�t want to get involved," this man told the police. Had the call come sooner, the police said, Kitty's life could have been saved.

One of the experiments regarding the Genovese Syndrome began with a man sitting in a room alone. Not knowing the experiment had already begun, he saw smoke pouring into the room from under the door of the next room. He immediately got up and alerted others that there was a problem. Later, three people were placed in that same room, and smoke began pouring in. They coughed and fanned the smoke away from their faces, but nobody got up or said anything. 

The experiment showed that we don't just look at the evidence of an emergency. We look at the reactions of others. If they don't get excited, we reinterpret the data and conclude that things aren�t as bad as they seem. The thirty-eight who witnessed Kitty's murder reinforced each other in their non-response.

So it is with abortion. Individually, we see that it is an emergency crying out for a massive response. Smoke is pouring in; victims are screaming. Yet we don't see the massive response of others, and so responding becomes harder for us.

And like one of those thirty-eight witnesses, when asked why they did not get involved, so many simply say, "I don�t know."

This column can be found online at
www.priestsforlife.org/columns/columns2007/07-06-18genovese.htm
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