Margo tends a baby, held by an anxious mother
from the Gaelic
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The Clan Committee has not yet ruled on the 2014 gathering, but it seems more and more likely that it may not happen - at least not in Ballyholland.
Why? Simply put, fatigue. For several decades the same people have given huge amounts of their own time, effort, and even financial support to hosting the World Gathering. To be sure, they were happy to do it, and they loved seeing us all pour into Ireland, but now they are experiencing "burn-out."
Perhaps this time, we could give them a rest, and host the event somewhere else. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the USA? A US destination would be as central and convenient as any. Do you suppose the people who put a man on the moon could save the day and come up with a venue?
All ideas welcome. Please write in to the
website
and let us know what you think.
Clan Mhac and the 2014 World Gathering:
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Most of us dream of an idyllic retirement in some special place, with a beautiful climate, beautiful scenery, and long days spent playing in the ocean, or on the golf course, or fishing on some tranquil lake. But not our Cousin Margo.
Anyone who has met Margo at clan gatherings, or in her busy life as a teacher in a Vancouver school of nursing, will know that she is a a woman of action. She is also a person of enormous good will. On retiring, her first big project was to post herself in a field hospital in Uganda, where this photo was taken.
Not something she entered into with wide eyed naivete. Margo had served in Africa before, when she was a young nurse. In fact she had served in a war torn Zaire. One night her sleep was interrupted when soldiers burst into her room waving assault rifles, and bundled her off into a waiting helicopter. As they roared over the tree-tops, doors wide open, the soldiers made her an offer she couldn't refuse. They explained that they needed her medical know-how, and that she would remain alive if she cooperated.
Personally, that would put a damper on my enthusiasm, but it did not even slow Margo down. She is off again to Africa early in 2012, back to Uganda, armed only with her faith, indomitable courage, and the will to make a difference. Margo has asked us to pray for her safe arrival in Kibaale, and for success in her clinical work.
May the blessing of Clan Mhac go with her.
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I have been testing the Hotmail system for several days now, as
I'd like to answer my e-mails and lo! The Hotmail system, as
always, is hardly functioning. So, I'm preparing this essay from
the comfort of a plush chair in Da Lian's flashiest Internet café.
It's situated in Da Lian's most up market department store,
New Mart.
What do I write about? A better question is Where do I start!.
When I first arrived in Da Lian I felt sorry for the children of
so many poor parents. The youngest kids have splits right down
the back of their pants, and their poor little brown bums are
exposed to the elements. Poor kids says I, Poor parents says I,
until I saw one day a mother squatting down by the side of a
FOOTPATH, in plain view, holding her child out, and he was having
a crap through the split in his pants. Since then I have seen
many very young children squatting down getting rid of their body
wastes in this fashion. What a waste of sympathy!!
I've become quite friendly with one of my adult students from a
class I was taking at another school. At first our meetings were
spasmodic but now we're meeting fairly often. Her English name
is Grace, she seems to have a gentle & affectionate nature but
she's married so I don't expect too much from the relationship.
The transport system here is AMAZING – the school where I work is
right on a busy main road, Huang He Lu (it means literally
'Yellow River Road') and the buses pass by every couple of minutes,
sometimes more often than that. You would expect that given that
regularity there would be seats available. No such luck, by the
time the bus gets to the stop by the school the buses are full
and people are standing – squashed in to the bus like sardines in
a can, I kid you not – LIKE SARDINES. In New Zealand it would be
illegal to have buses that full.
Last week after a work out at the gym I went to have a shower Ah!
Such bliss, to have a cool shower after a work out in such heat &
humidity, and then I saw a young boy who had just finished a swim
in the 6th floor swimming pool, quite happily exposing his dick
and piddling in the shower he was using. That put a damper on my
bliss; who knows what else his little mates have done in the
showers.
The workouts at the gym appear to be having the desired effect as
I'm beginning to feel stronger and I'm exercising with heavier
weights now. I have eight months to go before I go home for a
break and I wonder what weights I'll be using by then, or if
you'll be able to notice any difference in my weight or shape.
I must be one of the original 'Old Sweats' – I sweat from
breakfast time to breakfast time. Did I make a mistake? No, I
sweat all day & all night. I know this because the clothes I
wear during the day become soaked in sweat and my bed clothing is
damp in the morning when I awake.
Never fear, I am not losing weight, in fact I am getting heavier.
I hope that this is because I am changing shape though my colleagues
assure me that I am the same shape I was when I arrived here.
Some of my students have named me 'Mung Tai Wei' which seems to
be based on some of the sounds in my surname, but which also
indicates strength / greatness / fatness.
On one's health - You cannot escape getting sick here. Two weeks
ago I had a bout of diarrhoea that lasted four days in lessening
intensity, and last week I won a cold that made it impossible for
me to croak my way through any of my classes. Fortunately I
treat most of my 'teacher assistants' quite well and they did the
speaking after I did the planning. Unfortunately their
pronunciation is not perfect and I tried to croak out some words
to try to help. The students couldn't understand the frog
language so I had to abandon all attempts to speak. I had some
antibiotics that seemed to help a bit, but not enough to demolish
the bacteria, and then I found a pharmacy with a staff member who
speaks English. WHAT A FIND! I bought some strong Amoxicillin
and now my croak is only a shadow of it's former self. I've also
informed my colleagues about that Pharmacy. Oh yeah, you can buy
antibiotics, Viagra, and most other medicines over the counter
here EXCEPT Vitamin B3.
I still feel a bit guilty still about leaving my poor old Mum back
in New Zealand, but she's in a Rest Home in the same street where
Val lives, & Dianne lives only a short distance away so Mum is not
left alone for very long. It seems that she's very happy in that
rest home. My sister Daphne is also happier with Mum's new
accommodation as it's easier for her to visit an Auckland address
rather than one in Wellington or Christchurch. Daphne is going
to visit Mum at the end of August, and I believe that her son,
Mark, will be with her and celebrating his birthday while he's in
New Zealand.
A good excuse for a birthday party and a family get together.
Daphne doesn't know any of our Wellington cousins yet. I hope
she'll get a chance to meet them, though Ron McInteer was pretty
crook earlier this year and may not be feeling 100% even now,
though I haven't contacted him for a while. It's Monday now and
the Hotmail system is anything but hot so I'm extending my essay.
When the summer heat cranked up, squadrons of dragonflies invaded
the air around many of the suburban streets. The Chinese people
ignore them and one of my friends has informed me that they eat
the mosquitoes. This may be true, but to the best of my knowledge,
they eat the mosquito larvae, however, China is a strange country
and perhaps the dragonflies up here are more aggressive than the
N. Z. variety. Da Lian officially entered the autumn season
earlier this week and right on cue, we're getting some fairly
strong breezes (reminded me of Wellington – sigh) This is very
good news indeed for me as the temperature has dropped from
around 30 to around 20 degrees or so and of course the wind has
reduced the humidity.
On the debit side, all the dust has begun migrating from the
footpaths into the air. If you look back at paragraphs 1 & 2
you'll understand my feelings about the wind being both a
blessing and a curse.
Fond Regards,
My Dear Cousins - Céad Mille Fáilte!
I am reproducing below an OP-ED piece from the New York Daily News,
News and Views (Opinion) written by Ms. Karen Angel on Friday, July 5,
2002.
The Annie Hubbard written about in the piece is none other than our
Chlann Mhac an t'Saoir Association, USA Associate, Ms. Anne E. Hubbard,
daughter of Associates Richard and "Rosie" Hubbard of Massachusetts.
In a world where so many wish to impose their violence on innocents, it
was Annie's uncommon courage in the face of great danger, along with
co-worker Ann-Margret Gidley, that so distinguished these beautiful and
brave women, prevented greater loss of life and led to the arrest of the
attacker. One can only hope that we would each display such courage if
similar circumstances ever confronted us. So, Annie, may you never
experience such violence again in your life, and thank you for being
such an inspiration and example for all of us. Our love goes out to
you for a speedy recovery.
On behalf of President Elizabeth Mateer Gary, and all Chlann
Mhac an t'Saoir Association, USA Associates, and speaking on behalf of
Goban Saoir, Jacqueline Mc Ateer, Clann Mc Ateer Worldwide Clann Committee,
and all McAteers throughout the world, we salute you, Annie Hubbard.
James J. Mc Ateer
New York Daily News-Online Edition
From: News and Views | Opinion |
Inspiration to Be Brave Catching On
A bus driver disarms and kills his knife-wielding assailant. Teens chase
a man who has just stabbed a woman and corner him until the police arrive.
Two young women jump a man rampaging with three guns, a samurai sword, a
box cutter, kerosene and a lighter. They are ordinary New Yorkers,
performing extraordinary acts of resistance. Is heroism catching? Is
bravery viral?
Like the passengers who brought United Airlines Flight 93 down in a
Pennsylvania field, as well as the firefighters and police who inspired
us Sept. 11, citizens are fighting back. Meanwhile, the general post-9/11
bonding, renewed by the looming threats of another attack, makes those who
perpetrate violent acts seem more evil than ever — like terrorists or,
worse, like traitors. Fighting back gives people who felt powerless on
9/11 a second chance. When citizens stop crime, "it's not just liberating
— it's empowering," says Rona Fields, a psychologist specializing in
terrorism.
Steven Johnson's stated purpose at Bar Veloce on E. 11th St. last month was
to die — and to take as many people with him as he could. NYU student
Ann-Margret Gidley threw herself between Johnson and his mission, deciding
she had to try to stop him, despite the risks.
"When 9/11 happened, I was really impressed by the people who took the
plane down," says the 23-year-old. "They knew they were going to die,
and I was in awe of them and their strength. Sometimes you have to do
what's right."
When Gidley made her move, she didn't lack for backup. Her co-worker at
an upscale Manhattan restaurant, Annie Hubbard, helped topple their
assailant — and hold him away from his gun and his lighter — until police
could storm the swanky wine bar. As Johnson grappled for the gun, the
diminutive Hubbard was shot in her right shin, breaking the bone. Hubbard,
an actress, was defending her friend, herself and the others in the room.
She also was defending her city.
"I learned after Sept. 11 that living in New York has to be an active
choice," says Hubbard, 34, convalescing with a full-leg cast. "I felt I
had to recommit to my city. A switch flipped in me that may have
translated into my ability to act in that situation."
Let's hope the same switch flips for others. While the movie "Enough" uses
Jennifer Lopez's overblown antics to glorify female force, Gidley and
Hubbard just did what needed to be done.
Hubbard plans to rejoin Gidley at the restaurant where they work. The
dinner crowd there should feel safe, and fortunate. I know I would.
Gidley and Hubbard are my heroes.
Dave McIntyre writes to us from his school at
Da Lian, Peoples' Republic of China:
Essay from an Up Market Internet Café in Da Lian
Dave
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Clan Mhac an t'Saoir hails a Heroine:
On July 10th, we were surprised to receive this letter and clipping from
James McAteer in the USA:
Secretary/Treasurer
Slan Agus Beannachd
(A Gaelic expression meaning "Health and Blessings")
Friday, July 05, 2002
By KAREN ANGEL
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photo by Mitch Shirley
Our 10,000th Visitor:
Well, just as our ten-thousandth visitor was getting ready to visit us, our counter stopped working completely. It seems the company which offered that service was bought out by NBCi. There was no warning or apology, but we have since experienced a sudden increase in junk advertising. Alas, we will never know who our ten-thousandth visitor was, but we thank you all anyway. Please come again.
Tree Project:
Since Missy Lambert first suggested the project two years ago,
Enda and the Clan Committee have been trying to set up a project
whereby interested people could donate money for the planting of a
tree in Ireland. In August, 2001, Missy got together with The Honourable
P.J. Bradley, at the IrishFest in Milwaukee. "P.J." is our member of
parliament for Newry and Mourne, and he has a well proven genius for
picking a winning idea out of a jumble of thoughts, and planting it in
fertile soil. So does Missy, and so it was that within half an hour
the two of them had cooked up the entire plan, down to details, and within
an hour, Missy had sold the first dozen trees!
(The handsome gentleman proudly wearing the "Clan Mhac" golf jersey in Ash Gray, is none other than The Honourable P. J. Bradley. Like Merlin, "PJ" always appears when we most need him, to work his not inconsiderable magic. You can just see the Clan Mhac crest at his left.)
The current plan is to plant the first dozen trees at "McAteer Villas" in Ballyholland. For $50.00 U.S., you can plant a tree in Ireland, and for $80.00 U.S., you can have a wee commemorative plaque planted next to your tree, with an inscription of your choice.
What better way to do something for the Emerald Isle, and for a loved one, than to plant something green which will provide beauty and shade and fresh air for centuries? Of course you will be able to visit your tree next time you're in Ireland, and that will give your visit a point of focus - your own roots in the Old Sod. A beautiful and sensible idea which has finally taken root in Irish soil!
Video Project:
A recent suggestion - to produce a documentary video of Dr. Seamus McAteer speaking on topics such as our history, the origin of the movement to reestablish Clan Mhac an t'Saoir, what it means to be a McAteer, and where we should go from here. We are awaiting this video with great interest, as Dr. Seamus is one of the founders of the present day clan, and a keen student of our clan's history.
Nicknames Project:
There are so many McAteers around Ballyholland that the various branches of the family have developed nicknames. These are interesting, and sometimes amusing names, which help to keep things straight. Often the nickname comes with a folk story explaining its origin. Like the nicknames themselves, these stories can be droll or amusing, but they are always interesting. Enda is collecting them for publication.
World-wide Genealogy Project:
We began collecting genealogical data over a year ago, with the aim of establishing a huge Clan Mhac' data base, which could be used by any family members researching our history. We had hoped that everyone would get busy and send in their family tree. Very little data has been received to date, so we understand that we must change our approach. If you have a good idea, please let us know.
Language Outreach Project:
Not all of our cousins are native English speakers. This should not surprise us. A thousand years ago few of our people spoke any English. When Mary Robinson was president of Ireland, she visited Poland, where she was met by a delegation of Poles who greeted her in Gaelic. These were descendants of Irish soldiers who had settled in Poland ages ago. We have recently added Polish to our other languages in an attempt to communicate with any of our Polish cousins who may be looking for us. We regularly come across Clan Mhac' members who speak little or no English. We have tried to locate our "rellies" in Latin America for some time now, but despite having a Spanish page, we have had no luck. We have done much better with French. French speaking Mhac's have turned up in Quebec and France. We recently received a letter from some cousins in Quimper, on the Brittany coast.
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It would not be just at Kil Nasaggart that day that Dr. Seamus' magic would leave the onlookers in awed silence. Later in the tour we visited Kil Leavy, and toured the ruins of two ancient churches dating back six and nine hundred years. We visited the graves of a saint and a bard, and listened while the doctor explained the subtleties of Irish culture, and how the place where we stood had affected that culture.
Later that day, the busses wound their way into the rolling hills of Ballyholland, where we visited a traditional Irish cottage, lovingly restored after years of abandonment. Colm McAteer, our Goban Saoir, who also farms in Ballyholland, explained in some depth how the wee cottage farms would have been worked, before the Great Famine.
We toured the tiny two room cottage, and then the adjacent byre where the beasts were kept. Colm explained the farming methods of the day, and how they led up to the massive crop failure of 1846. He showed us where the "lazy beds" would have been, with their heavy crop of potatoes.
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Jacqueline McAteer - new Goban Saoir of Cine Mhac an t'Saoir
To those of us who have been thoroughly Latinized in post-Roman Western society, it may seem strange to have a lady head-of-clan. In Celtic society though, there was no such thing as "fem-lib" and no need for it either. Women were very much equals, and many rose to lead their people. Roman military accounts mention Celtic women with awe. Some Roman writers maintain they were more ferocious than the men. (Little has changed since, methinks!) Plutarch, a Roman historian writing about military campaigns, wrote:
"the fight had been no less fierce with the women than with the men themselves... the women charged with swords and axes and fell upon their opponents uttering a hideous outcry."
Surely the most famous Celtic woman leader was Boudicca, who became Queen of the Iceni in 48 or 49 AD. Boudicca later led her people in victorious battle against the Romans, in the rebellion of 60 AD. She was famous for her strength and ferocity in battle, and was said to have stood over six feet tall, with flaming red hair and blue eyes; to have had a voice like a peal of thunder; and to have been extraordinarily beautiful.
Now, you will find Jaqueline McAteer a more gentle and soft-spoken person than Queen Boudicca, but over the last few years she has shown herself to be a formidable organizer and leader. In stepping down as Goban Saoir, Enda McAteer said that he was happy to be turning the job over "to someone who would be better at it." Those of us who have worked with Enda will recognize this as a wonderful compliment to Jaqueline, from a fine (and modest) leader.
Jaqueline runs a day-care centre in Newry, which is attached to the palliative care clinic. She has a strong artistic bent, and recently did the illustrating for a book. She organized the decorating for a lot of clan events in Ireland, and has been a strong contributor on the Clan Committee for the past few years. We only have this one picture of her, and we feel a bit apologetic about it, as it is not a very good one. If you have a better shot, we would be pleased to have it.
We all welcome Jacqueline to her new office, and we look forward to working closely with her over the next few years. Surely we will all lend her our complete support, and accomplish great things together. Slán agus beannacth, Jacqueline!
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of Clan Mhac an t'Saoir |