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~ PENAL CROSS 1722 ~
FOR THE FIRST TIME THE PENAL CROSS
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~ NORTHERN IRELAND ~
GIFT OF FREEDOM
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What were they? The 'Rising', the 'Troubles', the 'Penal Times'. Why did my husband's Irish mother respond the way she did when national news reviewed these times. I didn't understand and she wouldn't say anything when asked. Her father brought her, as a little girl, to Boston in the early 1900s. Why? + (Understanding the 'Penal Times') This was our first trip to Northern Ireland and probably was the best. We loved our trips to Southern Ireland (Republic of Ireland). It is so beautiful! We had family there and it was wonderful to follow the family roots. We spent Euros and saw hundreds of old ruins surrounded by beautiful, rolling green fields. Ruins of ancient churches, monasteries, homes and wondered - why? We dodged hundreds of sheep that would not move out of the sun warmed roads. But the underlying thought was, ‘what really happened when these churches and monasteries were destroyed so many 100s of years ago - standing like timeless sentinels reminding us of the ancient past? + I basically knew about the more recent ‘Troubles’ (60s on) but not much. I could have told you the ‘Red Coats’ (British) tried to take over Ireland for centuries by destroying their (Gaelic) language, burning their churches and killing the Catholic priests and nuns - and taking over their land but I really didn't understand the personal human suffering. I didn't know it went back at least 800 years! + I remember reading about Henry the VIII and Katherine of Aragon unable to have an heir, a son, his eventual turn away from the “Papist’ church by starting his own church, the Church of England so he could marry Ann Bolin. + My husbands mom, from Roscommon, spoke of the Potato Famine (believed to be the work of the English) and the sickening loss of life. + I recently learned about the migration of the ‘Wild Geese’, the young Irish men who left Ireland to protect their family name, only to eventually marry in the new land, never to return to Ireland. Yet they left an amazing Irish heritage to grow from these new roots in America. But it all really never came together. + I knew enough not to have any real interest in going north to Belfast and Londonderry. But we went. |
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(the land of the British Pound) We landed in Dublin then drove up the rocky and beautiful coast to Belfast, the land of the British Pound, where we spent 4 days. When we checked into our lovely B&B, our host was in pretty bad shape. He had been in Dublin over the weekend, was robbed, beaten up and left for dead. All he could do was apologize to us for the way he looked but he was the only one there who could check us in. Over the next 4 days, he improved quickly and didn't lose his smile. But it was quite a welcome for us and the children - to Northern Ireland from this very gracious man.
Our tour of the city took us by lots of murals on the sides of buildings, depicting the heroes of the time when Ireland was fighting for its freedom from England early last century, including the Civil War. Black masked gunmen were pictured everywhere.
Some even touched on American politics, that
was a bit jolting! Those I did not take pictures of. Just seemed out of
place.
We saw the shipyard where the Titanic was built
and the tour guide told us the no Catholics helped build that ship.
If you were Catholic and slipped into the work force and found out, it
would be your end. When asked if they, the Irish, felt badly about the
plight of the Titanic, our tour guide said smiling, ‘the answer around
here is ‘It was fine when it left Ireland!’
After that unnerving experience, it was time to sit in one of the warm 'snugs' (sometimes referred to as 'Confessionals) we had read about - at the famous Crown Bar where they have been serving guests since 1826. It was time for a fitting lunch and soothe the nerves with a testing of the pouring of the Guinness. This magnificent bar is now owned by the National Trust. |
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(the land of the Pound) On leaving Belfast, we headed for Derry. Derry, also known as Londonderry, is a walled city and has quite a history of its own. In the ongoing battle with the English for freedom, there is a history of encounters. One of the most recent was in an area called Bogside where we stayed. (We had no idea that this event, called ‘Bloody Sunday’ happened within a block of our B and B in the 70s. + 
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING FREE DERRY
The orange of the north and the green of the Republic
(South) really hit home. (The left hand image is the other side of the
FREE DERRY sign.)
One of the statues he showed us was of two men reaching
out to one another, hands almost touching called HANDS ACROSS THE DIVIDE.
(North and South). I asked him if these times he was telling us about were
related to the 'Penal Times' (thinking of the work on our website) and
he responded with a very strong 'YES!'
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~ SOUTHERN IRELAND ~ |
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(the land of the Euro) Well, so did this spot - give us hope on another gloomy day heading South. There was a huge rainbow in the sky between this mountain and us, so close you felt you could reach out and touch it! Such a gift of hope!
And so near Loch Derg where the island retreat called
St Patricks Purgatory is and the Penal Crosses shown here had their birth
as souvenirs hundreds of years ago! (The rainbow did not photograph but
some things are simply between God and the moment!
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How many times did I hear this desire for freedom, willing to be martyred, really was - so future generations, their children would be able to live in freedom. I realized that my children and my Irish husband and his brother and sisters were apart of that generation of ‘children’, even though now Americans, who these brave and beautiful Irish people were willing to give their lives for. + I thought of Pete’s Irish mother (Della Marie Fallon) or ‘Mamó' to the grandkids’ (Grandmother is seanmháthair, máthair mhór or Mamó [mamó]) . I thought of her father bringing her from Roscommon to Boston as a child. I thought of other family members who did made it to America and had a much better life than promised in Ireland in the early 1900s during the 'Rising' and later the 'Troubles'. I wondered how her father died when he returned to Ireland and was unable to bring any more of his children to Boston. Was he involved in the fight for freedom? Will we ever know?
I thought of the life Mamó had in America,
even through WWII, married to a Submarine Naval Officer, not knowing
half the time if he was alive or dead. - and of her children and
now their children who live in freedom today because of him and others
like him.
I thought of our children and how we spend our freedom daily. How little they, we know about those now nameless men and women who made it possible for us to live in this freedom here in the US, too. How often do we wonder who they were and prayerfully send grateful thanks to each of them whereever they may be. These countrymen and women are our brothers and sisters in Christ, the family of God - members of the Communion of Saints that spans heaven and earth. + IRISH PROCLAMATION -1916 I was taken by the families in the Republic of Ireland (Southern Ireland) who had proudly framed their Irish Proclamation on their wall that reads: + IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom. SEE BELOW + .jpg)
GIANT'S CAUSEWAY And I could not, like most adults or our children
in school today, tell you what the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, the
DECLARATION of INDEPENDENCE or the BILL of RIGHTS says! Cetainly have not
seen it proudly hanging on any walls of private homes in our country! Yes
saw it in DC years ago but shamefully, not recently when we are in dire
need of its leadership. WE must get back to our founding fathers and understand
their message before it is too late. There is so much to learn from history.
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Would I go back to Northern Ireland? Oh yes! In a heartbeat! It is beautiful country and the people are very dear! Ireland is mystical!
Is this why Ireland is so mystical? Is this the seed of the martyrs? All these were thoughts working in my head as we wove in and out the country side of Ireland, through the Causeway, Galway Bay, and back to Dublin Airport. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GIFT!
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~ GENERATIONS~ |
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So much to think about! So much to be grateful for! Yes it was a powerful wake up call that I want my children to hear, too, and all who take freedom for granted. Such a peaceful scene below with the children feeding the calf, helps us realize how blessed we are!
They even had a chance to play Wii on one of the computers at the B&B while we older folk baked in front of the hot, peat fire, healing our sore muscles and cold bodies before going back out to dinner in that cold, damp April weather. |
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+ COULDN'T RESIST THIS ONE BELOW Look at those Fiats! He had more! This was out the window of the B&B in Dublin, and just had to smile, thinking what a great time he is having collecting them! |
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~ ROSARY DIRECTORY ~ |
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An overview of the rosary crosses of Ireland |
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Unique tubular crucifixes in silver, influenced by the Spanish trade from the Hunt. |
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18c Penal Rosaries and crosses, a mini history with pictures. |
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Rosaries of amber and ivory, from the 1700s - 1800s |
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~ PENAL CROSS 1722 ~
LOOKING BACK
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antique rosary museum index history index for more information on LOUGH DERG |
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~ PROCLAMATION of 1916 ~
To the people of Ireland.
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Each one who signed the above document was executed by the English for treason - not unlike what happened to our own men who signed our right to independence. I could so easily sub 'America' while reading the words below - as our republic, our nation is in peril today. + IRISH CONSTITUTION In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial, Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation, And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations, Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution. + Had we not gone to Northern Ireland and experienced what we did, I doubt if the Irish Constitution (above) would hold my heart like it does. Both Republics, both recognizing and acknowledging the Divine Lord, Jesus Christ over all. We must never let go of these truths our families fought so hard to give us! + ALSO READ CONSTITUTION - UNITED STATES |
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~ FOOTNOTES ~ |
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Right after we returned, I was going to purchase soccer shirts for the kids to save on shipping and tax, had them lined up then read this and decided not! Press release related to the death of a man (catholic) at the hands of soccer players from the north. It all flooded back and I realized, its not over yet! These ongoing troubles remind us too clearly, that the oppression is still alive and well. Within weeks of our return home, we read:
PRESS RELEASE (May 25,2009)
Understanding the problems is not easy as Fr O'Connor told us years ago, that this was not a religious war, but a political war. A war between England and Ireland. The Irish wanted their freedom from England and this is the way it divided up.
PRESS RELEASE (June
23 09)
Liam Clarke says the claim that the the sympathetic
response to the unfortunate Roma people who were driven out of their homes
in Belfast is "the real Ulster" misses the point. Clarke says that "[m]arking
out streets and areas of land as the territory of one community and driving
out those who, for one reason or another, don’t fit, runs very deep in
Northern Ireland. It is not new, and the Roma are not its first victims."
MATTHEW 5:43-45
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