News and
Events
AGM 2007
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Draig
Werdd - the Welsh Society in Ireland will be taking place at
8pm on Thursday, October 4th, 2007
upstairs in Scruffy Murphy's, off Lower
Mount Street, Dublin 2 (see map below). The AGM is your opportunity to
air your views on the society, its aims and its activities so come along
and make your voice heard.
The AGM will be followed by a social
evening, which is a great opportunity to get to know other Draig Werdd
members, particularly if you've only recently arrived in Ireland.
There is a bar available until late and sandwiches will be provided.
Email
info@draigwerdd.org if you need more information about the AGM or
about the society in general.
Beer and Cider in Ireland: The Complete
Guide
Liberties Press has
announced its new title ‘Beer and Cider in Ireland: The Complete Guide’
by Draig Werdd member Iorwerth Griffiths. The book, which is the very
first to cover all the brews and ciders produced in Ireland, features a
foreword by food writer Tom Doorley. The title was recently launched by
the Minister for Food Trevor Sargent in the appropriate surroundings of
The Porterhouse bar on Parliament Street in Dublin 2. The press
release issued by the publishers is reproduced here:
About the book:
In recent years, the Irish public has become ever more sophisticated and
well travelled, and with this has come a growing interest in food and
drink. We have become more adventurous in our tastes, both when going
out and when entertaining at home. Beer and Cider in Ireland: The
Complete Guide is the first book of its kind to discuss all the
beers and ciders produced in Ireland and their outlets such as the
Porterhouse, as well as the increasing number of eclectic overseas brews
that are available in our shops and off licences.
The book covers all the breweries and
cidermakers of Ireland, north and south, from the major international
companies to the numerous microbreweries that have sprung up in recent
years. The history of each brewery and cidermaker is outlined, the main
beers and ciders produced by them are described, and notes on
appreciating the drinks are provided. Overall, this is essential reading
for everyone who is interested in the wide range of beers and ciders
produced and sold in Ireland, and in the country's rich traditions of
brewing and cidermaking. The book which is fully illustrated throughout
is priced at €11.99
About the author: Iorwerth
Griffiths is originally from Wales but is now based in Belfast. He has
written for a number of drinks publications including Malt Advocate and
Whisky magazine. In the course of his research he has travelled around
Ireland and met the people who run and work in the major Irish breweries
and the growing number of microbreweries.
Hill Walking
- 17/06/2007
Our hill walking in the Wicklow mountains
on Sunday June 17th was a very enjoyable occasion, giving the
opportunity for a day's exercise in beautiful surroundings with good
company. The walk was led by experienced hill-walker Dai Horton,
who took us through the mountains around Glenmalure, passing Art's Lough
and Kelly's Lough on the way. Our thanks go to Dai for
leading the walk with humour and patience - the only regret is that Dai
was leaving Ireland the following weekend, so will be unable to lead us
on other walks in the future. However, we'd like to wish him
the best of luck for the future as he returns to live in Wales.
Below are some photos from the day.
Click on any photo for a full screen display:
Tag Rugby in
Dublin - Summer 2007
The Dublin Welsh Tag Rugby Team have
had a successful start to the new season, winning the Bowl final in
style and finishing third in the Spring mixed-league.
The team are now playing in two Summer
leagues for 2007 – the men's league at St Mary's RFC on Monday
nights and the mixed league at Blackrock RFC on Tuesday nights. And
determined to win more silverware Dublin Welsh won their opening
matches at both venues. The leagues continue throughout June, with a
final's competition in July.
For more information contact captain Nathan Jones via the Draig
Werdd email address -
info@draigwerdd.org
LEXICELT
project
The LEXICELT online Welsh-Irish dictionary
is now available on
www.lexicelt.org - a link to the
website may be found from the our own home page. The aim of LEXICELT is
to provide support for Irish and Welsh speakers to learn each other's
languages without having to use English. There is a depository of
phrases and an Irish-Welsh dictionary available online for free. Not
only will there be teaching material available online but also
information about Ireland and Wales that will spark people's
interest in the two Celtic countries and cultures.
The LEXICELT project creates an important
link between Ireland and Wales, and especially between the Irish and
Welsh Languages. University College Dublin and the University of Wales,
Bangor are responsible for the work and the team includes Draig Werdd
member Dr. Dewi Evans.
The Celtic Tri Genealogy project: linking Welsh descendants with their
roots
Are you interested in researching your
family tree?
If you are, maybe Catherine Tudor Jones
of Gwynedd Archive Service can be of assistance. Gwynedd is currently
participating in an exciting new initiative called the ‘Celtic Tri
Genealogy Project’. Catherine, the genealogy officer working on the
project stated “Our intention is to build links as a starting point for
further genealogical study”.
The Celtic Tri Genealogy Project was
established between Gwynedd Council in Wales and both Dublin City
Council and Waterford County Council in Ireland. This is an EU funded
project for developing the tourist industry under the title Interreg
IIIA.
“Our hope is to maximise economic and
cultural benefits from the family history market and exploring further
the existing genealogical and cultural connection between the two
countries. We hope that cross-border links developed by this project
will also facilitate the encouragement of visitors to address both Irish
and Welsh aspects of a Celtic Pedigree.”
As part of the project a survey was
launched in order to investigate levels of interest in genealogy amongst
people of Welsh descent and identify any links between genealogy and
tourism. The survey was targeted towards Welsh Societies across the
world, and a very positive response has been received. The reaction from
America has been especially encouraging with high numbers showing
interest in tracing their roots. This is not surprising considering the
waves of Welsh emigrants who emigrated to the U.S since the days of
Prince Madog in 1188, making many contributions in government, industry,
labour, law, music and religion. Gwynedd Quakers settled in Pennsylvania
naming Bryn Mawr after the home farmstead. 20% of the Pilgrim Fathers
were Welsh as was the Captain of the Mayflower. 50% of those who signed
the American Declaration of Independence were Welsh or of Welsh decent
and they included Thomas Jefferson.
“1,753,794 people of Welsh ethnicity
were living in the United States according to the Census in 2000; -
think of Eisteddfodau, Cymanfaoedd Canu and the Welsh newspaper ‘Ninnau’.
We aim to target these Welsh communities and are eager to attract Welsh
Americans back to their homeland to taste the heritage and culture of
their forefathers”.
As part of the project several family
history courses have been carried out in Dolgellau Record Office in
Meirionnydd. The aim was to better inform people who offer Bed and
Breakfast accommodation to visitors and to encourage them to take a more
active interest in family history resources which are available in the
area. As a result, they will be better equipped to pass on to visitors
the knowledge they have gained of family history resources. During the
next few months, similar courses will be held in Caernarfon for any
people in the tourism industry who are eager to learn more about the
resources in their local record office.
A website for the Celtic Tri Project
has been launched in August 2006 providing additional information and
updates on the latest developments. “As part of the project we aim to
support Irish and Welsh language initiatives”. As a result all related
websites will be developed using the home language (Irish/Welsh) as well
as English. Gwynedd are also working on cataloguing collections and
ensuring their online availability.
Therefore if you are keen to research
your ancestors in the Gwynedd area or if you know of any relations, who
have immigrated to America over the years, please feel free to contact
us. We’ve also published a free booklet and pamphlets on how to get
started researching your family tree and on the possible resources which
are available to genealogists. So please contact Catherine Tudor Jones
via the website at
www.celtictri.info if you are interested in receiving the
information pack or if you require any additional information.
Above (from left to right): Catherine
Tudor Jones and Huw Pierce Pritchard of Gwynedd Record Office along with
Fiachra O Ceilleachair, Mayor of Dungarvan Town, Cllr Gerard Barron, the
Mayor of County Waterford and Joanne Rothwell, the Archivist of
Waterford County Archives at the launch of the booklet Waterford
produced as part of the Celtic Tri Project.
Dalkey & Anglesey
"Sharing a Culture" Festival
23-25 September 2005
Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre and the Dalkey Interreg Project Office
in partnership with Oriel Ynys Môn in Anglesey, Wales organised a highly
successful festival from 23rd-25th September 2005 in Dalkey, Co. Dublin to
promote cultural
exchanges between Dalkey & Anglesey.
The festival extended over three days
and involved representatives of the arts from both Ireland and Wales.
Representing Wales were Côr ABC from Aberystwyth, the folk dancing group
Ffidl Ffadl from Anglesey, and a group of the leading poets in Wales,
including Myrddin ap Dafydd, Meirion McIntyre Huws, Iwan Llwyd, Twm
Morys and Ifor ap Glyn, all past winners of either the crown or chair at
the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
The festival ended on Sunday with a
pageant through the streets of Dalkey, which featured a Welsh Dragon and
Dalkey Goat (by Welsh artist Toby Downing in association with Dalkey
artists Valerie Coombes, John Higgins and the Black Sheep team) winding
their way down Castle Street.
The artistic standards throughout the
festival were consistently of the highest order, and the organisers are
to be thoroughly congratulated on promoting these significant
cross-border cultural exchanges, and for giving the people of Dalkey and
the surrounding area the chance to sample real Welsh culture and
traditions - something which happens all too rarely despite the
geographical closeness of the two nations.
Click here for
photos of some of the events.
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