The first ever Battle of the Bands ‘as Gaeilge’ or Cath na mBannaí as it was entitled, was held on Wednesday night, 22 February @ St. Finbar’s GAA Club in Cabra. Heavy Metal Band Pariah from Coláiste Eoin in Stillorgan were up against rival Indie Band, EBO from Coláiste Mhuire in Cabra. After a hard fought battle it was EBO who came out the other side, the triumphant victors. However, in true sportsmanship they applauded their rivals, Pariah and wished them well in the future.

The event which was organised by the Irish language youth organisation Feachtas, in conjunction with Na Gaeil Óga, who organised the protest outside Fine Gael Headquarters against Enda Kenny’s statement on the Irish language in the education system.

The first prize for the winning band included a trophy and an opportunity to play at CRAICFEST in the POD , on the 28th February. The event is organised by Na Gaeil Óga and USI.

CRAICFEST will consist of a Kick-Ass County Colours Céilí (county & club GAA jerseys recommended), the winners of Cath na mBannaí and the legendary, Belfast based Irish-language Reggae band, Bréag, followed by a funky DJ set.

Seán Ó hAdhmaill, Development Officer for Feachtas said that “We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the performances and the avid interest shown by local young people, to the mainly Irish Bands. On the phenomenal success of Wednesday’s event we plan to organise another bigger and, if possible, better Battle of the Bands before the end of the school year, with more bands and young people involved. We are planning on making this an annual event that will give young Irish musicians an opportunity and a platform to show off their talent”.

“I’d like to thank the Feachtas clubs in Coláiste Mhuire and Coláiste Eoin, the staff in both schools, Na Gaeil Óga, St. Finbar’s GAA Club for making this event possible.”

Feachtas, Óg-Ghluaiseacht na Gaeilge is a voluntary youth organisation, and is funded by the Youth Affairs Section of the Dept. of Education. Feachtas organises a wide range of recreational activities for young people through the medium of Irish throughout the year, including debates, table quizzes, trips, and arts and drama workshops through a national network of youth clubs and after-school groups.

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Prime Time examines the Government's addiction to incineration tonight Thursday at 9.30. The hidden battleground - where big money is at stake if only the troublesome peasants would stay quiet. And settle for the dirty air. Learn to love the smell of napalm in the morning. read full story / add a comment

For Immediate Release
March 3, 2006

Contact:
John Carmody 087-6275579

Limerick — Confined to a cage with her nude body painted like a tiger and a banner above her reading, "Wild Animals Don’t Belong Behind Bars," a woman will protest the use of exotic animals by Duffy’s Circus. The protest will highlight the dangers that animal acts pose to humans and animals alike:

Date: Friday, March, 3
Time: 12 noon sharp
Place: Start of Cruises Street (Opposite HMV Music Store)

Recently animal protection group Animal Defenders International revealed for the first time ever their findings of an undercover investigation into several Irish circuses in Ireland including Duffy’s Circus. The campaign report on Ireland's circuses is based on undercover investigations by ADI Field Officers into seven circuses touring Ireland in 2000 and 2003. ADI Field Officers obtained employment with two Irish circuses, and observed many more. Examples of the violence used to control the animals were captured in the Irish launch video:

* a camel slapped in the face and then hit in the face with a
broom and finally jabbed with a broom handle
* an elephant kicked in the leg and then punched in the face
* a hippo whipped to hurry it along when it was already
walking in the desired direction
* a keeper whipping an elephant in order to get her to move
* a baby camel being roughly handled to force him to move
* a pregnant camel performing just days before giving birth read full story / add a comment

Date: Thursday 9th March at 7.30 pm
Venue: Room 3126, Arts Block, Trinity College, Dublin.
Speakers: Harry Browne (journalist and activ war activist) and Senator David Norris (Joycean scholar, anti war and gay rights compaigner)

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2006 could be the last year the Canadian seal hunt takes place. Canada now has a new Prime Minister Steven Harper who spoke out against the slaughter, the boycott of Canadian ‘sea food’ has already blown a $150 million dollar hole in the exports of ‘sea food’ to the United States of America alone! Also Greenland, Italy and the UK are now taking steps to ban the imports of seal skins into the country – now has never being a better time to take part in Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) rally against the seal hunt.

Please join us for the peaceful visual rally outside the Canadian embassy where we’ll call for the slaughter to be stopped and a boycott of Canadian ‘sea food’.

When: Thursday 23rd March, 2006.

Where: Canadian Embassy, 65 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

Time: 12noon - 2pm (Stay for as long as you can!) read full story / add a comment

rossport solidarity camp reopens on 25th feb. read full story / add a comment

Bird Flu may have chosen Clonakilty as its first port of call in Ireland.

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Working Class Resistance #11, quarterly magazine of Organise! is now on sale (price £2 or 3 euros). This new 32 page edition includes articles
on the following: Irish Ferries, thousands of workers said no to slave
labour on the high seas but was the best deal done? 3 SIPTU members occupied
two Irish Ferries boats in opposition to the company’s attempt to reflag its
ships, replace 543 crew with agency workers from Eastern Europe, and impose
orse terms and conditions on those remaining. The scale of solidarity has not
been seen in decades - but the deal SIPTU signed up to has fallen far short of
the hopes of those involved in this struggle. A look at the dispute and the ‘deal’.
Belfast Posties Take Wildcat Action 5
Plane Jobs - Now You See Them Now You Don’t 5
Loyalist Intifada? PSNI targeted in Loyalist
‘Anti–State’ Riots 6

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Minister Noel Dempsey's seems to gettting ready for a "final push" against the people of Rossport. His comments in the Dail this week that the Rossport Five only represent an "element in the community" is part of his divide and rule policy.

The government "white wash" report Advantica is due out soon and then after that the Minister Dempsey is going to push ahead.

His langauge in the Dail towards the supporters of the Rossport Five, strikes me that there seems to be a more confrontational attitude coming form the government now.

See Daily Ireland
http://dailyireland.televisual.co.uk/home.tvt?_scope=Da...opp=1 read full story / add a comment

An armed gang escaped with up to £40 million in a raid on a high-security cash storage depot in England yesterday in what is thought to be one of the biggest robberies in history. read full story / add a comment

The story continues.....

A look at probability and how logic can be created by it. At a more subtle level, this chapter begins to illustrate and tie together many of the sub-themes that have appeared so far. read full story / add a comment

Arab fighters and insurgents have demonstrated to the world that the US is a ‘superpower’ in name only. A poorly armed and trained but highly motivated and dedicated band of fighters has exposed the US military as weak, inept, unskilled, brutal and bereft. From South America to the Himalayas, resistance against capitalist plunder and exploitation signals the inevitable failure of militaristic capitalism. Regardless of all other considerations people today have confirmed that they will fight any aggressor who threatens their homes, families and way of life. read full story / add a comment

As part of the onoing campaign in support of Joanne Delaney, sacked by Dunnes for wearing a union badge, a protest is being organised in Finglas this Saturday.

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Let us remember the H-Block martyrs with pride - Let us tell a new generation the heartbreaking but inspirational story of 10 brave Irish men.

We salute you our fallen comrades - show your support and attend the vigil!

Assemble

3.15pm: Whiteline Vigil at High Street and Bridge Street Junction, Omagh
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Torch Light Procession

25th Anniversary of Hungerstrike

Assembling at St Patricks Hall @ 8.30pm

Torch Light Procession through village to the Hungerstrike Memorial on Church Street

Ógra Shinn Féin Speaker and Reading From Diary of Bobby Sands

Main Oration: Pat Doherty MP
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My father is a calm man, a good thing in a Dad. In the very few arguments I have had with him in my life, he only got upset once. The disagreement was about health and disease. Advancing health and curing disease had been his life's work. He had gratefully watched the dminishing of the old contagious diseases and here I was telling him they were being replaced by chronic disorders and new contagious diseases. But my Dad is an honest and inquiring man and he accepted my challenge. One evening he and my mother systematically reviewed our family medical history. read full story / add a comment

The ICTU has agreed that any new social partnership agreement should run for up to ten years. This would lock the trade unions into the restrictions, delaying procedures, peace clauses, ‘verifications’ and binding arbitration of partnership agreements for ten long years. It would extend the decline of the movement under partnership (now heading for a density of one in five in the private sector). It would keep our unions in partnership with the rich and powerful until 2016. This at a time when we are undergoing, in the words of SIPTU’s Jack O’Connor, the most serious attack on trade union rights and conditions since the Second World War. It is a time for the fighting spirit of the 9th December Irish Ferries march, not the acquiescence of social partnership read full story / add a comment

Trade unionists are invited to an open meeting to discuss the establishment of a broad and effective campaign against the coming partnership deal and related matters on Monday 27th February at 8 p.m. in the Teachers Club, Parnell Square, Dublin. read full story / add a comment

the Government gave the impression that the Gardai are free to enter, search, and effect arrests on civilian aircraft landing in Ireland where allegations are received of involvement in ‘extraordinary rendition.’ read full story / add a comment

Irish people are the worst in Europe at learning a foreign language according to a report out yesterday by the European Commision. read full story / add a comment