Author Archives: johnkilleagh

Killeagh & Fr. Flannery

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It’s been a busy few weeks in Killeagh.  As has been reported in The Irish Times and The Irish Examiner, we have entered a bit of controversy.  For clarity (there are a few versions out there) I’ve outlined the sequence of events that have led to Bishop Crean asking our Parish Pastoral Council to withdraw its invitation to Fr. Tony Flannery.

  • In April/May our Parish Pastoral Council decided to hold a parish mission in September, and give it the title ‘Spiritfest’.  So far so good.
  • We then formed a sub-committee to organise the weekend, and I became a member of that sub-committee.
  • In May we met to discuss the format, and as part of that we looked at our Friday night as being opened with a speaker who would give a talk, followed by a Question and Answer Session.  As we fished around for names we came up with Fr. Tony Flannery.
  • Why Tony?  A few reasons.  He is a man who has had a lot to say on a number of Social Justice Issues.  He is a man who has been led by his faith to challenge the Church’s teaching on these same Social Justice Issues.  And He is a man who has been punished for his beliefs.
  • So in May we extended our invitation to Tony, and went ahead with planning the rest of the event.  (you know, the nitty gritty: microphones, stewards, timetables and tents)
  • We began to make little noises of our upcoming event: A facebook page, announcements in our Parish Newsletter, and so on.
  • One group heard of this and contacted our Bishop to complain about our Parish Priest and our invite to Fr. Flannery.  This group referred themselves as being ‘concerned Catholics’.  Personally, seeing as none of them are from Killeagh, I reckon ‘busybodies’ may be a more apt moniker.
  • And then, in July, Bishop William Crean contacted our Parish Priest to state that he had heard about our invitation to Tony Flannery, and was concerned about it going ahead – because Tony Flannery is ‘out of ministry’.  He asked that we withdraw our invitation.
  • We had a meeting of the Sub-Committee to discuss this and decided to write to the bishop that we would agree partially to his request.  We would not have Tony speak in Killeagh Church, but we would instead host him in our local Community Hall.
  • Last Week Bishop Crean asked to meet us, so we convened a special meeting of our Pastoral Council.  During the meeting Bishop Crean started by praising the initiative, and then went into his difficulties with our invite to Tony Flannery.
    Bishop Crean was pretty clear from the start in his reasoning.  Tony Flannery is out of ministry, and the policy of Cloyne Diocese is that a priest who is out of ministry does not get involved in any form of public ministry.
  • As the invite to Tony was under the auspices of the Pastoral Council, then his invite, even if it was to the local hall, it counted as ministry.  The bishop basically outlined what was to become his official statement on the matter.
  • We had the chance to say to the bishop how disappointed we were with this turn of events.  We had acted in good faith, and besides that, we didn’t agree with the manner of Tony’s silencing.
  • As the meeting progressed, we also voiced that we did not want to be in conflict with the Bishop  – we did not want a fractured relationship.
  • We then had a vote and decided, unanimously, to agree to the Bishop’s request.
  • That night we phoned Tony and let him know that we were withdrawing the invitation.

And that’s how it all happened.  End of story.
Except, of course, the story does not end there.  It did not even begin there.
In a way what happened in Killeagh simply acts as a focus for a number of issues in the Catholic Church.

The Action Against Tony Flannery.
In 2012 Tony Flannery was removed from ministry.  An action was taken against him without any form of a trial.  Tony has never been given a chance to defend himself from the charges made against him.  I’m not sure if the charges were even made clear.

The Role of the Hierarchy
I don’t know how often bishops take the time to visit pastoral councils.  But I’m pretty certain that it’s a rarity.  I don’t know whether the Bishop acted on his own initiative, or if there were other voices within the hierarchy of the Irish Church playing a part.

The place of Lay People
I am (obviously) a lay person.  I play a part in my own parish, and I value my faith.  I still have a copy of Christifideles Laici somewhere.  A document that exhorts the role of Lay People in the Church.
And yet I know that lay people can be oh so easily overruled in the Church.  Even in my own parish, where we have a Parish Priest who supports wholeheartedly the role of lay people, we know that a different priest who has a different set of beliefs could easily disband us.
The laity have a place, but sometimes this is overruled at the whim of their local priest.

Just What Is The Church
Many of those who give out about the Church really intend their criticism at the organisation.  However, the Church is made up of its members.  Those of us who profess a faith are the church.
And this brings a conflict.
If we believe we are the church, how do we reconcile with the centralised authority of Rome?
The question can become, ‘What is Catholic?’
One definition will tell you that Catholic is ‘universal in extent, involving all’.  So here’s another angle – does this definition of Catholic mean that everyone should come under one umbrella, and its authority, or should the umbrella shelter all.
That is a paradigm shift.  It moves the Church from being authoritarian to open.  And this isn’t going to be easy.  After all, those at the centre of the umbrella believe rigidity is the way to go.  Those at the edges know you’re going to get wet, and that some flexibility is needed.
Still, change is something that has started, and will continue.
Silencing Tony Flannery will not stop this change.

The Local Fallout
The ultimate stoic would now state that ‘we are where we are’.  And that statement would not reflect the real state of affairs.
There has been a lot of local coverage – and the Bishop is getting plenty of flack over what has happened.
People have been polarised – I have received emails both in favour and against what has happened.  (one stating that we should never have invited the ‘heretic’)
Yes, many of us have been upset or disappointed by our Bishop’s decision.
And yes, we may even get angry.  Some will turn from the Church as a result.
However, disappointment and anger are normal parts of life.  We will get over this – and at this point we need to look to what type of church we want to be part of.  As for Spiritfest 2015?  It’s going ahead, of course.

Maybe the debate due to be hosted by Tony Flannery has already started.

An experiment with mackerel

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This evening we tried out something new at home – smoking mackerel.

Step one was getting some fresh mackerel, and thanks to Ballycotton seafood for some of the finest!

Next was to fillet the fish. To my shame, I’ve never done this before but it all worked out in the end :

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Step three was to cover the fish in salt. Simple. Let it rest like that for 5 minutes.

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The next bit required a bit of advance preparation. What to use for smoking?
We have a good steamer that has 3 levels. To keep the base ok I first covered it in tin foil.

I then put a handful of oak shavings on the tin foil.
Next was to place the fish on each layer, first putting on a bit of olive oil so that it wouldn’t stick.

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And now to cover and apply the heat.
DO THIS OUTSIDE IF YOU CAN!!! (You won’t be thanked if you smoke out the house and set of the alarms)

I put it on a camping gas cooker.  Put the heat on full until the smoke starts, and then turn it down. Smoke for 10 minutes and that’s it!

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The finished product:

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It was delicious!

Give it a shot!
We got the oak chips in a DIY store but any friendly carpenter should help you out

On being 21

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What connects Ibrahim Halawa and Walli Ullah Safi?  The fact they’re both 21.

Well, that’s for starters.  They are also locked up in prisons far away from the countries of their birth.

Walli Ullah Safi is from Afghanistan.  He was found on the side of a road in Ireland a month ago, arrested for having no ID and sent to Cloverhill prison.

‘So?’ you may say.  ‘He came to Ireland illegally, broke the law, should do the time.’

This all ignores one little fact.  Walli probably qualifies as a refugee.  Life in Afghanistan can be brutal.

I had the privilege of knowing a young lad in similar circumstances.  He managed to get into Ireland as an unaccompanied minor.  He had managed to flee Afghanistan.  And why did he flee?  He witnessed his father’s murder.  One day a group of militants came to his house, and with the family present took his dad outside and shot him.

Cold, fast, brutal.

So this young lad came to Ireland, got an education and realised that our laws wouldn’t look kindly on him.  You see our system is very hard for refugees and asylum seekers.  We lock them into direct provision centres, and we deport a lot.

I’ve since lost contact with him as he had to disappear in order to stay in the country.

It’s against this kind of a backdrop that Walli has fled his home country, it was with some hope that he came to Europe, and it was with some lack of humanity that he was sent to prison.

In prison Walli had the misfortune to be singled out during a riot and was left with a broken arm and his face slashed.  Fáilte, Walli.

Ibrahim Halawa, however, is an Irish Citizen.  2 years ago he travelled to Egypt with his sisters and was caught up in the protests which were part of the Arab Spring.  They were arrested in a Mosque – Ibrahim suffering a gunshot wound to the hand in the process.

Ibrahim has now been in jail for almost 2 years.  His trial has been repeatedly delayed, his hand has never been treated properly, in fact the structure of the trial will pretty much guarantee it won’t be a fair affair.  Amnesty International has taken up his case.

The Irish Government claims it is actively working to free Ibrahim.  So far these efforts do not include our Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, calling directly on the Egyptian President to free him.  Apparently it is not the right time for him to do so.  Maybe another year, so.

So, Walli and Ibrahim are both 21.  They both have this connection with Ireland, and they have both been let down by Ireland.

 

For an excellent summary of the issues around Ibrahim’s case, read this article from the Irish Times

Voting Yes

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With just over two weeks to go until the Marriage Referendum, things have begun to get ugly in the debates (arguments) between the two camps.

This is perfectly understandable.  Many of us hold quite strong views on marriage, and what it stands for.  The problem is that marriage is not something that is tied down to a simple definition or set of beliefs.  There are as many views on what marriage is as there are married people.  We all hold some kind of opinion of what our own marriage is about – or what we think marriage should be about.  Most of us are in one of two camps.

As you may guess from the title, I’m in the ‘Yes’ camp.

Underpinning many of the arguments of the ‘No’ camp is a set of beliefs based on, well, belief.  Based on faith, and on the doctrine of the Catholic Church, a church of which I’m a member.

One part of Catholic faith that is not pursued in either camp is the idea of an informed conscience.  We each have a conscience and can make choices in our lives, so long as we inform ourselves as to what the choices and consequences are.  For me this means going beyond the headlines of the poster campaigns, and actually thinking about what the referendum means for our country, and for the thousands of people who will be directly affected by our vote on Friday 22nd.

I have written before about some of the main reasons for the ‘No’ vote and why I don’t agree with them.  So I’ll try not to repeat myself here.

Really, it’s this simple:  What is the referendum about?

Forget all the posters, forget all the fancy slogans.  Think – what does this referendum mean for you, for your understanding of marriage, for your understanding of family.

If you believe that marriage is about love, then vote yes to allow those who love each other the chance to proclaim their love in front of friends and family.

If you believe that your faith speaks against this referendum, then consider this.  Not all bishops agree with the Irish Hierarchy.  Recently  German Bishops voted to allow same-sex couples to keep their jobs in the Church.  (In Ireland a teacher can lose their job in a Church funded school if they come out as being Gay.  Apparently we have a long way to go)

For me a faith based argument against the referendum is based on a tenuous premise.  Not everyone in Ireland is Catholic, and of those who are, not everyone agrees with some of the rules of the Church.

And, apart from any of this, I base a lot of my faith on the sayings and actions of Jesus.  He was there for people who were excluded, He was there for those who needed a voice, those who needed love.

Based on this alone, I am voting yes.

Another Teacher Resigns

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voiceforteacher's avatarvoiceforteachersblog

To whom it may concern:

Why am I leaving?  Long story short, our current school system and certain administrative practices are not letting me do my job.  I cannot work in an environment where only half of my time can be devoted to the art of teaching.  I retired from the military to become an educator, and I am compelled to go where I can do this more effectively.  Authentic teaching is done free of the restrictive standards, unattainable objectives, and insanely burdensome administrative minutiae that are imposed upon us every day.  I became a teacher to serve the kids and the community, not the greedy, idealistic inexperienced administrators, corporate interests, and politicians who are destroying our beloved profession.  I find myself each day spinning wheels trying to stay ahead of their game, crunching numbers, while our students’ true education suffers.

Year after year, “they” keep piling more and more…

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Marilyn And Ella

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Really nice little story about Marilyn Monroe

theed's avatarTHE EDITOR'S JOURNAL

boffin momentmarylin and ella

When Marilyn Monroe learned that the Mocambo, a popular Hollywood night club, would not book Ella Fitzgerald because of segregation, Marilyn phoned the manager and told him that she would reserve a front row table every night that Ella performed there, knowing that her presence would get a lot of press and publicity for the club.  As per usual the colour green shouted louder than any other colour issue and Ella became the first African-American to perform at the Mocambo.

As promised, Marilyn was seated right up front to enjoy her favorite singer.

Did you know that?

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Standing up to the Pesky Unions

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Well done to our Minister for Education, Jan O’Sullivan.

She has had the guts to face down the Secondary School Teachers Unions and is pushing ahead with the pet project of her predecessor Ruairi Quinn.  (Junior Cert Reform, with teacher assessment)

So, she has faced down our strikes, and is holding fast. So she has courage – well done, Minister, take a bow.  Her stand is all the more impressive as she is adamant that all this for the good of the students.

Let’s ignore for a moment the implicit bit that suggests that teachers are not interested in students.

Instead let’s celebrate that we have a minister who is willing to stand up to vested interests.  A minister who is willing to risk popularity in order to do the right thing for students.

Therefore…

Minister, I look forward to the day when you will do the following to support our students:

Reduce class sizes.  This is an incredibly simple measure, but one that has a huge impact on the dynamics of any classroom.  I wrote before about how my daughter was for a time in a class of 34.  This is a ridiculous situation and one that should never be allowed to happen.  This does have the downside of costing money, but the minister has assured us that the evaluation farce was not about money, so maybe there’s room for maneuver. Call me cynical, but I won’t hold my breath.

Restore Guidance Counsellors.  This is another incredibly simple measure, and again has a huge impact on students.  Our guidance counsellors do incredible work with students.  Apart from the obvious help in subject and college choice, guidance counsellors sit with students in times of crisis.  Again, this one would happen to cost money, but I’m sure that the minister will stand up for what’s right, yes?  Actually no.

Restore School Budgets.  Again, a simple thing to do.  Schools get a budget to operate, and this budget is based on the number of students enrolled.  For the past few years this budget has been cut, with a further 1% cut due in September.  Another simple thing to reverse.  But again this isn’t about the money, is it?

Restore resources for Students with Special Educational Needs.  Another simple thing. Really, isn’t this not only simple but ethical?  Are those with special needs already at enough of a disadvantage in educational terms?

Have an effective budget for book rental schemes, and IT in the classroom.  OK.  This is more complicated, and requires some real thinking and procedures to go into place.  Some real work required here.  But it is so necessary.  Books are incredibly expensive, and each new school year brings stress to many families trying to dig out extra money for books and uniforms.

As regards IT – there is no cohesive policy, and what you get from school to school can vary radically.  So our students do not have a level playing field when we talk about ICT in the classroom, and technology in education generally.

So, so much is just about money, and we have a minister who is willing to stand up to others.  So surely she’ll stand up for these principles?

Surely, now that the Minister has shown her mettle in standing up to the unions she will show equal courage standing up to the bean counters?  She will stand up to those who have a view that education can be budgeted down to the minimum possible, and then blame the teachers for failing?

But let’s be honest – the minister is showing little enough care for the reality of life for so many students from disadvantaged areas.  It is about the money, and there’s no point in pretending anything different.  The Minister is failing us, is failing our students – and trying to shift the blame.

 

 

Voting Yes

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On May 22nd in Ireland we will be asked to vote on  whether to add to the Constitution that “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex”

And this is causing something of a fuss.  A lot of groups are having a say in this, with some coming out (sorry) in favour of a ‘yes’ vote, and some promoting a ‘no’ vote.

The ‘No’ camp have a number of arguments that they feel are compelling:

 

Every Child Is Entitled To A Mother And A Father

On the face of it, this can look lovely.  An idyllic world where we all have a mum and dad.

Of course it does tend to gloss over a few uncomfortable facts of life.  Men and women can be cruel, spiteful people.  Some are incompetent, and some should never have become parents. Sometimes children are better off without said mother (or father).

So, while they may cry that somebody should ‘think of the children’, a bit more thinking could change their point of view.

 

This Will Undermine Marriage

As I see it, I married for love.  Pretty sure my wife is of the same opinion.  Marriage is a bond between two people who love each other.  Two people who love each other.  Simple as that.

The argument sounds familiar.  Could this be because we heard the same thing when divorce was leglaised in 1996?  And yet, marriage still seems to be a choice for a lot of adults.  Not undermined yet.

 

This Will Promote a Homosexual Lifestyle

Oh we could have so much fun with stereotypes here.  Will Irish men be forced to become better groomed?

Really, this argument displays an incredible ignorance of the nature of sexuality.  Some people are hetero, some are gay.  Most of us would agree with the concept that sexuality is not based on choice.  If I spend time talking to a gay friend, then I don’t think that time spent will end up in my going… “hmmm, I wonder if…”

If the referendum passes, I don’t think that we’re going to be faced with gay peoples canvassing straight couples (or singles) trying to get them to shift camp (sorry again)

 

Marriage Is About Having Children

For many people this is true.  Lots of people get married and want to go on to have children.  Relatively few decide to go through life without ever having children.  And yet this happens.  Not having children is an incredible burden on those who would love to be parents.  Again, the ideal world does not match the reality of the world in which we live.

Denying marriage to a couple simply because they will not conceive together is unjust.

On that.  Gay couples are recognised by Tusla (the child protection agency) as being potentially good foster parents.

 

It Offends God

The bible is a pretty big book.  And, if you read it, there is a lot to be learned and valued there.  Lots of stuff about loving neighbours, looking after people on the edges of society, forgiveness.

Not so much stuff in there about the evils of homosexuality.

 

It’s Against My Faith

Ok.  That I can go with.  Many of us have our own religious beliefs.  Many of us try to live our lives by a moral code that has been informed by our faith.

But, I need to recognise that many Irish people are not Catholic, or Christian for that matter.  Should I be forcing my beliefs upon them?

A face for radio

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January 22nd was an interesting day for those of us striking outside my school.  We got a heads up on the 21st that there would be a journo from the Irish Examiner (Niall Murray) there, as well as Paschal Sheehy along with an RTE camera.

I arrived in school about 11 AM to find the Journalist there already along with an examiner photographer and the RTE cameraman.  All very exciting, and a little bit nerve wracking.

The whole process is actually very interesting.  Niall Murray went around to all the staff who were happy to talk to him, and did his interview thing, using shorthand.   Really, I have never seen anyone using shorthand for real.  A little bit of witchcraft right there.

Along with Niall Murray was Denis Minihane, the Examiner photographer for the day.  He took hundreds of photographs.

And lets not forget RTE.  Their camera man took around about 45 minutes of footage, including one interview with yours truly.

So.  What did all this lead?

Niall Murray distilled his 8 or 9 interviews down to this article.  Quite a skill to take thousands of words and summarise the main ideas you’re after.

Denis Minihane’s photographs?  One of them ended up in this article.  That strikes me as a hard way to earn a living.  He also gave a few of us a chance to give a little speech on video, and some of that is in the first article linked.

And RTE?  Paschal Sheehy impressed us with his ability to interview in two languages.  The Irish language interviews were aired on TG4 and Nuacht.  But as for the English language interviews?  Not on the RTE news.  There was a 5 second clip of us picketing the school gate, but no interview.  That was saved for the Radio news.  So there you have it.  Even RTE thinks I have a face for radio.