Galway Advertiser 2004/2004_05_13/GA_1305_E1_010.pdf 

Extracted text

10 N E W S

Galway Advertiser

May 13 2004

Alt.com Hospice may be open in two months
BY JEFF O'CONNELL

Just who is a 'native'?

With the referendum on Irish citizenship coming up next month, I found myself last weekend thinking about the question of just who is a 'native' of this country of ours? And one of the things that prompted this question was a letter that appeared not so long ago in the Galway Advertiser. The letter was sent in by Alf MacLochlainn, a man for whom I have a lot of respect; he's not only a fine writer, but he's also a committed historian of the labour movement in Ireland and - last but not least - a devoted bibliophile. Even when I find myself disagreeing with what he says, I always recognise the intelligence, good humour, and generosity of spirit with which it is said. And that's why I found this letter rather jarred with me. It referred to the decision of Galway Corporation to name the roundabouts encircling the city after the Tribes of Galway. As any self-respecting Galwegian should know, these are the families of Athy, Blake, Bodkin, Browne, Darcy, Deane, Ffont, Ffrench, Joyce, Kirwan, Lynch, Martin, Morris, and Skerrett. These families were, for the most part, descendants of the Anglo-Norman settlers who had migrated to Connacht in the wake of the de Burgos towards the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th centuries. I thought the corporation decision showed, for once, a bit of imagination. After all, the Tribes were intimately associated with the history of Galway for more than 500 years, and members of the Tribe families made important contributions to politics, literature, science, and social justice in Ireland. However, Alf MacLochlainn lodged a strong protest against naming the roundabouts after the 14 families. They were, he implied, nothing but interlopers who had kept the native Irish outside the walls of the town and monopolised the affairs of the town for their own economic and political benefit. There's some truth in that. Certainly by the early 19th century the monopoly of power held by the descendants of the Tribe families was indefensible. But Alf MacLochlainn's blanket condemnation is far too sweeping. From the first time the Tribe families are mentioned in the 15th century, there was intermarriage with the 'native' Irish, and this continued throughout the following centuries. There was nothing 'noble' about the Tribe families; they were merchants and businessmen, entrepreneurs. Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice - set in Italy but drawing on the playwright's own first-hand knowledge of the English merchants of his day, who were identical to their Galway counterparts - gives a good picture of the kind of men they were. Furthermore, the Tribe families worked closely in cooperation with the 'native' Irish, a fact that is abundantly testified in the many documentary sources such as the Blake Family Records and the Corporation Books. It's also worth noting that not all of them were of Anglo-Norman descent; The Darcys and the Kirwans, despite 18th century attempts to provide themselves with an English lineage, were as 'native' as the O'Flahertys or, for that matter, the MacLochlainns. So I think Alf MacLochlainn got this one wrong. I'm sure he meant nothing more by distinguishing between the Tribes - plutocrats to a man (and woman) - and the 'native' Irish than to make the point that maybe a roundabout or two might be named after the O'Flahertys or the Hynes or the MacDonaghs. What bothered me though was his talk of the 'native' Irish. Just how long do you have to live in this country before you're a 'native'? The earliest references to the Blakes, for example, go back to the early 15th century when they were living in Athenry. That's a long time ago. Was there time when the shadowy people who built Newgrange and erected the dolmens and wedge tombs heard about this fair-skinned, red-haired people called the Celts who were 'flooding' into the country and shook their heads darkly, muttering `Foreigners!'. I remember talking years ago to somebody in Sinn Fein about the Northern Protestants and saying they were as Irish as he was. After all, they had settled in this country in the early 17th century. That's a long time ago. The troubled history of this country has meant that few new cultural or racial groups have settled in Ireland until recent times. But over the past decade this situation has dramatically changed, with people from Africa, Eastern Europe, South America, and the Middle East homing - nice word - in on this country for a variety of different reasons. The referendum on citizenship is a response to this. But the more important question it raises is this: what is to be the basis of Irish citizenship in the future? The fact that, for historical reasons, Ireland has remained off the beaten track until recent times means that our notions of 'Irishness' have tended to be rather narrow. But there is only one thing that can be said for certain: in the future, "Irishness' is going to become much more a cultural identity than one based on historical experience or religious traditions. Diversity is the future; let's get used to it. Just who is a 'native'? We're all 'natives'. Some of us have just been here longer than others.

BY MARY O'CONNOR The Galway hospice inpatient unit - closed for more than a year in a row over medication procedures - is expected to re-open in July, according to its new chairman. The breaththrough came about during a oneand-a-half hour meeting on Monday night between hospice management and the Western Health Board. Dr Richard Joyce, the hospice's chairman and a Gort GP, said yesterday (Wednesday) that WHB boss Dr Sheelah Ryan who attended the meeting with one of her managers, Dr Mary Hynes - was "invaluable" in breaking the deadlock. He said both the WHB's commitment to securing a consultant locum in palliative medicine - to fill in for Dr Dympna Waldron, the hospice's clinical director who is on sick leave from the unit and to sign off pharmacy, nursing and medical protocols drawn up by the hospice paving the way for the re-opening of the unit - and its confirmation that the west's only specialist palliative care beds are in the hospice, were major factors in the new understanding reached on the night. The good news comes at a time when hopes of a resolution were fading after there was a new twist in the saga last week with the revealation that the facility's clinical director would be unable to attend further discussions on the reopening of the unit due to health reasons. "We had reached an

Galway Hospice at Renmore.

impasse," says Dr Joyce. "We used the report of the independent review group as a blueprint to make progress towards a resumption of service. As these meetings failed to make progress we were stuck at this impasse. We were unable to sign off on clinical matters, these were the domain of the clinical director. When the health board and ourselves decided we would require a facilitator to help us make progress, we were regrettably informed that the clinical director, Dr Waldron would be unable to meet with anybody in the hospice and health board to have discussions re any of these matters. She was on sick leave from the hospice but not from UCHG. We couldn't go any further." The scenario changed when both parties met this week. Both the hospice - represented by Sean Healy, its CEO, board

member Michael Kilroy and Dr Joyce - and the WHB described it as a "very positive meeting". "From the outset we had a very positive meeting," says Dr Joyce. "It was immediately evident we shared an understanding on how best to move forward with the recommencement of the in-patient service. The WHB CEO Dr Ryan confirmed that the only palliative care beds for the region were in the hospice. That's important as beds at UCHG are being used for that purpose by default." He says Dr Ryan outlined the efforts being made by the WHB to secure a locum in palliative medicine for the hospice. "They are also currently seeking outside medical assistance to sign off on the recommendations [pharmacy, nursing and medical protocols] in the

PUDDLES DAY CARE CENTRE
ORANMORE Now has a number of spaces available in our Toddler room (ages 1-2 years) and pre school room (3-6 years) Full time or Part time options available Tel 091 788478

indefinite absence of the clinical director." The fact that the WHB has signalled support for the hospice on a number of issues is significant, he believes. "It is hugely important to the hospice to have the endorsement of the WHB to seek a locum [in palliative medicine]. The WHB CEO informed us it was advertising for a 12 month contract. The fact that the WHB endorsed this is a major vote of confidence in the hospice board." He says the hospice is "sincerely grateful" to WHB managers Dr Mary Hynes and Seamus Mannion for their efforts to reach a resolution during this "tough time". The personal attention of WHB chief Dr Ryan was invaluable in breaking the impasse, he says. " It was strikingly apparent to us she was fully aware of all the issues in this sad debacle." Dr Joyce expects the inpatient facility to re-open by July. "We are talking of a time-frame of weeks." In a statement, the WHB said both it and the hospice share an

understanding of how palliative care services should be developed in the future. "At the meeting the CEO of the WHB again confirmed the board's commitment to palliative care services and to working with the Galway Hospice Foundation to provide the highest quality service for the people of the region. She outlined the efforts being made to secure a consultant locum in palliative medicine in anticipation of signing off protocols to implement the recommendations of the Medication Review Report and putting in place the final steps necessary to begin admissions to the inpatient unit." Once admissions begin, medical cover will be required on a 24 hour, seven day basis, the spokesperson said. "In this regard, locum services would be needed not only to cover consultant sick leave but also to support the existing consultant who has been providing a single-handed service since her appointment."

The Butler Brasserie
AT O'Connors Warwick Htoel Lr Salthill, Galway Tel: 521244
Open from 8am til late

Chinese Delivery

Chinatown
Ph. 528844

Chinaman Takeaway
Oranmore

NEW SUMMER DINNER MENU NOW AVAILABLE
Parties catered for

Ph 792211

For reservations call 091 522740 www.thewarwick.com