The Celtic Connection is a tabloid size newspaper, with international distribution, published 10 times a year from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Submissions are welcome but will not be returned, so please keep a copy for yourself. Opinions expressed in the paper and on this site are not necessarily those of the publisher, but rather a reflection of voices in the community.

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From the Publisher

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> Another Season Draws to a Close On the Great Celtic Wheel of the Year

> Countdown to Our 15th Anniversary Issue

> The Celtic Society of Canada: Dedicated to Assisting Those in Need in Our Community

> Marking the Passages on Our Own Journey: 15 Years in Publishing

Another Season Draws to a Close On the Great Celtic Wheel of the Year

Dear Readers:

On October 31, many of you celebrated Halloween, others marked the Feast of All Saints and All Souls on November 1 and 2. Still others celebrated Samhain, the Celtic new year, one of the most important of the four fire festivals on the wheel of year.

Whatever your beliefs, it is a powerful time of year. A time when our thoughts are drawn to the passing of the year and the continuous journey of the soul. A time to draw close to the warmth of our homes and take comfort in our loved ones. And it is a time when the veil between the two worlds is most permeable.

During this season I am reminded how all the chaff of daily life fades away as insignificant when confronted with the spiritual dimension of existence. It is so much more profound than we can ever grasp.

Last night as I stood on my doorstep dressed as a witch, I was assisted by a divine little two-year old dressed as an angel. We both took such glee in dispensing chocolates and sweets to a cavalcade of ghosts and goblins, along with assorted tigers and bunnies, as they arrived at the door looking for treats.

Halloween in its most contemporary incarnation has roots in an ancient tradition extending back through the mists of time when we remember the souls of our ancestors and mark the passing of another cycle of life.

This great journey of the soul was brought home to me today with even more resonance on November 1 when I learned of the passing of one of our neighbours.

She was an elderly lady and she died very suddenly a number of days ago. She lived alone since her husband predeceased her a number of years earlier. When her husband was alive he would often be seen working in his garden and I would hear him whistling and singing old tunes such as Danny Boy. He always had a ready smile and a friendly wave.

He died very suddenly and his widow was left to carry on. She was an active lady and we would see her coming and going and greeting her family. Her daughter lives just down the street, so there was a steady stream of visits up and down the street between both houses.

Although she died over a week ago, it was the manner of her passing which struck me most of all. I'm filled with wonder and awe at the mystery of how the Divine works through others and how forces we can hardly even imagine come into play and touch our lives.

This lady had just celebrated the birthday of one of her grandchildren on a Sunday afternoon. Her whole family gathered at her home to mark the occasion. The weather was warm and the sun was shining, so they all sat out in the back garden to savour the final days of autumn. It was, by all accounts, a wonderful day when they paused for a moment to bask in the joy of each other's presence.

That night after the family departed, the lady prepared for bed as usual and lay down to sleep, just like any other ordinary night. Except she never woke again. She died very peacefully in her sleep and slipped away.

The most astounding aspect of the story is that on that very same morning, her sister who was also in her eighties and who lived on the other side of town, also passed away. I am told the family believes that the one sister stopped along the way and asked the other to go along for the journey and they decided to travel together.

As I was processing this news, my telephone rang again with the news that my cousin had just given birth to a healthy nine pound baby girl. The child was born by caesarian and through the blessing of modern medicine both mom and baby are doing well.

Souls moving in and souls moving out of this realm and the continuity of existence. As it has always been before us, and as it will continue long after we also depart this life.

So, let us remember our ancestors and those beloved friends and loved ones who have gone before us, while we look forward with anticipation to a new year and the unfolding rebirth of a new season.

Until next month,
Maura

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Countdown to Our 15th Anniversary Issue

Dear Readers:

It gives me great pride to announce the winner of this year’s annual Irish Woman of the Year Award. Each year, for the past eight years, the Irish Women’s Network in Vancouver has presented this award to a woman who has contributed to the community and made a difference. The 2006 recipient was Catholine Butler of The Celtic Connection.

This year is the 15th anniversary of this newspaper and it seems fitting to mark our journey with such an honour. Many of our readers will know Catholine through her articles published on these pages over the years. Others will be familiar with her coverage of community events. Our advertisers are familiar with Catholine through her monthly contact and ongoing communication.

But what many do not see is all the work behind the scenes that Catholine has done and continues to do for so many people in our community. She has been an ear at the end of the telephone for people in distress, she has been a counselling service, a referral service, and more than anything, a constant figure with a wealth of knowledge and contacts.

Another exciting development in the community has been the success to date of the Team Ireland squad in Vancouver. At the moment they are top of the Group B table, following their first round penalty shoot out against Bosnia Herzegovina at Swangard Stadium.

The team is participating in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Penalty Kick World Cup against 16 other ethnic teams in a bid to win $30,000 for the Celtic Society of Canada – a benevolent charity fund to assist families and individuals in crisis in our community.

Team Ireland has also just announced an exciting new development with a well-known local athlete joining the squad to help boost their chances of winning their next two games on June 9 vs Italy, and on August 13 vs England. Don’t miss these exciting games.

Special thanks to Brendan Flynn and Al McCabe and all the players and supporters who have worked so hard to make Team Ireland participation possible.

Also, in our community round-ups, we have coverage of two main fundraising events in the Scottish community. The world-champion Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe Band and Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, along with the Heather Jolley Highland Dancers, presented their second annual “Spirit of Scotland” concert and ceilidh at the Seaquam Secondary School in Delta on April 29.

On the same date, April 29, the United Scottish Cultural Centre in Vancouver also presented a fundraising event featuring champion Scottish fiddler Paul Anderson from Tarland, Aberdeeenshire; pianist and entertainer George Donald from Perth, Scotland; Scottish lyric soprano Wilma Paton; and a team of Scottish country dancers under the direction of Simon Scott.

The next major event in the Scottish community in British Columbia is the upcoming BC Highland Games which will be held at the Coquitlam Town Centre Stadium on June 24. This is another very important fundraising event to benefit the United Scottish Cultural Society which has been cultural heartbeat of Scots in this province for generations. Its main goal is to preserve and encourage Scottish culture, including music, dance, and the Gaelic language. For more details, visit: www.bchighlandgames.com.

In this issue, we also feature the Irish community in Alberta, including a visit to the Irish Club in Edmonton, interviews with members of the Celtic Supporters Club in Calgary, along with the Calgary Chieftains and the Edmonton Wolfe Tones Gaelic Football Clubs by Catholine Butler.

Finally, in late breaking news, the Consulate General of Ireland in New York has just announced a visit to the United States by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and her husband, Dr. Martin McAleese, from May 15-22.

The visit of the President comes at the invitation of the Governors of Colorado and Montana and of the University of Notre Dame. There is a huge Irish community in both of those states and in fact, Butte, Montana, proudly calls itself “Ireland's Fifth Province.”

Today, you can still find hundreds of Irish surnames in the local phone book. The descendants of Sullivans, Shannons, Harringtons, O'Neills Lynchs, Sheas, Driscolls, Dolans, Duggans, and O'Briens still inhabit that island city. Last year, about 20 people travelled from Butte to Seattle for President McAleese’s visit there. For more information about the President’s itinerary, visit page XX.

On a closing note, I would like to remind our readers that we will be publishing our souvenir 15-year anniversary issue with our July/August edition. If you have any thoughts, memories, or photos...anything you might want to share, funny, sad, or otherwise, about the past 15 years with The Celtic Connection, we’d like to hear from you. Also, if you have any thoughts about the next 15 years, don’t hesitate to let us know what you would like to see.

You can send to me by e-mail at: maura@telus.net, by fax (604) 438-8419, or mail to: The Celtic Connection, #741 - 916 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1K7.

Until next issue
Maura

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The Celtic Society of Canada:
Dedicated to Assisting Those in Need in Our Community

Dear Readers:

If you are a local reader by now you are probably thoroughly confused with the plethora of Celtic organizations which have sprung up since The Celtic Connection was established in 1991.

Among these is the Celtic Society of Canada, a non-profit organization registered with the Province of British Columbia in 1996. The Celtic Society has maintained a relatively low profile, but over the years it has quietly played a role in assisting innumerable families and individuals experiencing crisis and requiring emergency financial assistance.

Originally established as an organization to support arts and culture, it evolved when the need to establish a benevolent fund became apparent, as there was no other organization dedicated to assisting those in need in our community.

Over the years, numerous people have called The Celtic Connection newspaper with appeals for help, either for themselves or others in need of immediate short term aid. Many of these have been associated with tragic situations over which there was little control, and in which, but for the grace of God, any of us could find ourselves.

Since The Celtic Connection was not in a position to provide direct assistance, we turned to the larger community and it has been gratifying to see the kindness and willingness of so many to help others less privileged.

The Celtic Society of Canada which is administered by a Board of Directors has been responsible for disbursing these funds and since there is virtually no overhead or administration costs, the proceeds go directly to those most in need.

The Story of John Devlin

Some of you may recall the earliest of these tragic appeals in 1992 for a terminally ill man called John Devlin. His dying wish was to return to his native Belfast with his young son Brendan.

At the time of the call about John Devlin, The Celtic Connection was also in a life and death struggle for survival and it became clear to us that there was a need for an organization, separate and apart from the newspaper, which could raise funds and assist others in such difficult circumstances.

John Devlin’s story was not unfamiliar to many immigrants who came in search of a better life in this country, but instead found disappointment and disillusionment. It is a story with issues that many families have faced such as death and separation, alcoholism and recovery, family and reconciliation.

The Devlin family arrived in Canada in 1968. John, his wife and their two young children settled in Edmonton in the midst of a bitterly cold Alberta winter. They found the climate and their new life a very difficult adjustment.

There was marital strife, along with financial tensions. Finally, when a neighbour’s house burned to the ground, killing two of the children’s young playmates, his wife decided she had enough and packed up and returned to Belfast along with their two children.

The years that followed were very hard for John Devlin. He turned to alcohol and he never really recovered from his wife’s departure. He worked as a labourer at various jobs throughout Canada and became an alcoholic, often living in flop houses.

Eventually, he arrived in Vancouver where he lived on the downtown eastside, one of Canada’s most forbidding neighbourhoods.

It was here in 1983 that he began a common-law relationship with a Vancouver woman. In 1984, his son Brendan was born of that union but the woman was unable to care for the child and Devlin was awarded full custody.

It was two years later, he told The Celtic Connection that he had a “powerful dream” in which “there was this old man and he was showing me all this wealth.” He interpreted this to mean that he could straighten out his life and do better. He stopped drinking that day and began turning his life over to the care of God.

For the first time in many years, he wrote to his wife in Belfast but said nothing of his cancer, lest he shock his elderly father who had heart trouble.

Finally, in 1992, John shared to news of his worsening cancer with his cousin Frank who lived in San Francisco. Frank felt obliged to inform his family in Belfast of John’s condition. The family along with John’s wife, who had completely forgiven the past, urged him to return home with young Brendan. But there was no money for airline tickets.

It was at this point that the telephone rang at The Celtic Connection and an anxious social worker at a Vancouver hospice asked for assistance to help John and his young son return home.

Catholine Butler answered the call and the appeal was urgent as John was gravely ill and there was concern that he would die in Canada leaving Brendan alone in this world.

The Vancouver community responded and it was astonishing to witness the outpouring of generosity to help a dying man realize his final wish. Catholine Butler first called The Province newspaper and asked if they could run a story and help with the fundraising.

After a front page story in The Province with a photograph of the tragic man and his eight- year-old son, the telephones at The Celtic Connection went crazy with people calling with offers to help.

Some could only donate a few dollars, but they were so moved by the plight of this man and his child, they wanted to help in whatever way they could. A travel agency offered to pay for tickets on credit and send John and Brendan home immediately, allowing more time for the necessary fundraising.

The late Danny Burns organized a fundraising concert at the WISE Hall where many talented local entertainers donated their time to help raise funds. There was a tremendous turnout and it was a night many will remember when Patricia Conroy stepped onstage and sang James Connolly unaccompanied. You could hear a pin drop in the room.

Devlin’s homeward journey meant a reconciliation with his wife and their two grown children whom he had not seen for 23 years. It also meant a reunion with other family members as well – his father, his uncle, his aunt, his cousin – along with old friends and neighbours.

While John’s family reunion was a joyous one, it proved to be tragically brief. Upon his return he was rushed to hospital where he was put on a morphine drip to ease his pain.

Ten days later, his father, aged 75, who had a coronary problem, suddenly collapsed and died in front of John during a visit to the hospital.

Three hours later, on May 28, 1992, John Devlin died at home in Belfast surrounded by family at the age of 52.

Brendan was embraced by his family in Belfast and John’s wife welcomed Brendan into her family and home as one of her own. He would be 22 years old now.

Your Support is Appreciated

In closing, I would like to express a warm thank you to the Irish Women’s Network for their ongoing support of the Celtic Society of Canada. Their efforts have generated much needed funds for a number of years through their annual Wine and Cheese auction. Special mention to Deirdre O’Ruairc, Geraldine Megannety and Eilis Courtney and all the women who worked to make the evening such a great success. Thank you also to Pat Cleary of Cleary Insurance Agency for his generation donation.

In addition, I would like to also express a very big thank you to Mary Rooney who organized a special Mass celebrated by Father Anthony Boniface on St. Patrick’s Day at St. Pius X in North Vancouver. Part of the proceeds from that collection were also donated to the Celtic Society of Canada.

Also....this just in. The Celtic Society of Canada has an opportunity to be awarded $30,000 thanks to the efforts of Brendan Flynn and Team Ireland at the Whitecaps Penalty Kick World Cup. The kick off will consist of 16 local ethnic teams competing for the prize money. This is a chance for everyone to come out and cheer on our team while helping those most in need in our community through the Celtic Society of Canada.

Anyone with any questions about the Celtic Society of Canada can contact me by e-mail at: maura@telus.net.

Sincerely,
Maura

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Marking the Passages on Our Own Journey: 15 Years in Publishing

Dear Readers:

It seems hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since my mother Catholine and I embarked on this journey and launched the first issue of The Celtic Connection.

I have often reflected on the stories of those ancients Celts who launched their little coracles as they set out on voyages of discovery into the great unknown. These inspirational tales of old are the journey of the soul in search of wisdom and enlightenment.

Over the years we have had our share of encounters with our deepest fears and our greatest joys. Our venture into the publishing world has also brought us a deeper appreciation for the world around us and given us so much to be grateful for.

Many of you have been with us through each edition over those years. We’ve shared births, baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, and bereavements – the joys and the sorrows of our community.

We have served as a link uniting Celts across Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest and brought the message of your culture and heritage to a North American audience.

Now, as we approach our anniversary issue in July/August, we’re asking for your input. We want you to send us your thoughts, your memories, your photos...anything you might want to share funny, sad, or otherwise about the past 15 years with The Celtic Connection.

We also want to know what you like about the paper, and maybe what you would like to see in future editions. In short, we want to hear from YOU!

In the next few months we will give you full details regarding prizes that will be awarded and the selection process for submissions to be published in our anniversary issue. Be sure to watch for more details in our upcoming March issue.

So, think back to those golden moments or events over the past 15 years where The Celtic Connection has played a role in your life, the life of your group or organization, or your community....and send them to us!

You can send to me by e-mail at: maura@celtic-connection.com, by fax (604) 438-8419, or mail to: The Celtic Connection, #741 - 916 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1K7.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you many blessings,
Maura

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