Big Pharma, College Football and The Fleadh in Ireland
Next meeting at Kells Restaurant - Sept. 18.
PDX HIBERNIAN INDEPENDENT 21 August 2025
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Portland Connection - Local fiddler Orla O’Connor wins top honors in Ireland
Orla O’Connor of Idaho
The news from Wexford was very good last week for the community of local people who cherish traditional Irish culture. “Huge congratulations to Micheal O’Domhnaill branch member Orla O’Connor for her outstanding first place win in the Senior Fiddle competition at the Wexford Fleadh Cheoil 2025!" posted Portland's Micheal O'Domhnaill CCE Branch. Orla O'Connor lives in Idaho. She emigrated from Fenit in Co. Kerry 8 years ago. She represented Portland's Comhaltas branch because it's the closest to her home. The Kerryman has more on this historic win. This is a big deal. Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann - the All-Ireland Fleadh - is a weeklong music festival unlike anything we have in the States. It’s the world’s largest annual festival of Irish music. Orla O’Connor was one of 5,000 performers in over 180 competitions. What does a Fleah award-winning fiddle solo sound like? Check it out. Note - Fleadh is pronounced flah.
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Best In Show from County Mayo
Glór na dTonn Céilí Band with musicians from Mayo, Sligo and Waterford was crowned All-Ireland champions at Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Watch this video of the award-winning performance by the eleven players and you will wish you had been in the crowd outside in Wexford.
Made in Ireland: Some drugs you’ve heard of
The New York Times did a deeper dive on Big Pharma in Ireland the other day. If you’ve got a subscription it’s worth a read. If not, here’s a takeaway on which well-known drugs are manufactured in Ireland and will therefore have to pay a tax before they can be resold in the U.S. Nine of the top ten Pharma companies in the world have substantial operations in Ireland. Viagra is made in Ringaskiddy near Cork City. The majority of the world’s supply of sildenafil citrate (generic Viagra) is made there. Botox is made near Westport in Co. Mayo. Keytruda, the best-selling cancer drug in the world, is made in Swords near Dublin. Ozempic and Wegovy, the weight-loss drugs are made by Eli Lilly. Truvada, the anti-HIV drug, is made by Gilead. Lexapro, the antidepressant is made by AbbVie. Eylea, the eye drug, is made by Regeneron. Expensive brand name drugs are made in Ireland. The generic versions are made in India and China.
Bushmills or Jamesons
For the Irish whiskey drinkers among you, this note. As tariffs kick in on whiskey imported to the U.S. from Ireland, you’ll find the cost of Bushmills and Jamesons increasing (unless their corporate owners decide to eat the tariff tax). “If it's distilled on the island of Ireland, or one of the offshore islands, it is Irish Whiskey. This applies to Bushmills from County Antrim and Jameson from Dublin. But now these two iconic brands are facing division, a de facto business border, by way of U.S. tariffs: ten percent for Bushmills and 15 percent for Jameson.,” the Irish Echo informs us. By the way, have you heard one referred to as the “Catholic whiskey” and the other referred to as the “Protestant whiskey”?
IRE tourism boost - American college football
Dublin will once again play a part in the kick-off of this year’s college football season. What used to be called the Shamrock Classic this Saturday will match Iowa State and Kansas State. The 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic is a money maker for Ireland, claim its backers. The Dublin City Council is spending 250,00 euros ($291,000) in taxpayer dollars to make it happen. Notre Dame sank Navy 42 – 3 when those two teams played in Dublin in 2023.
The higher price of a holiday in Ireland
Anyone who has travelled to Ireland and elsewhere in Europe can attest to the latest economic report: "Eurostat came out with figures just last month which showed that Ireland was the second most expensive country in the EU - so that obviously finds its way through to restaurant bills, pub bills, hotel bills,” said the head of an Irish tourism industry group. Ireland is the second most expensive country for tourists in Europe, behind Norway. But Ireland Is Number One when it comes to the cost of alcohol and tobacco. If the stats don't lie, that Irish vacation could cost as much as 30% more than going on holiday elsewhere in Europe.
Energy - Ireland’s costs among highest in Europe
30%. That’s also how much higher Irish home energy bills are than the average in the European Union. The avg. monthly bill these days is 120 euros ($139). Before war broke out in Ukraine it was closer to 84 euros ($98). The avg monthly energy bill in Europe is closer to 90 euros. There are two main reasons for the difference. Natural gas and the long distance between homes in rural Ireland. What about all those wind turbines? The PDX HI will get to that soon.
Mary Robinson "Listen to The Elders"
Mary Robinson in Rafa, Palestine July 2025
103 years ago today August 22 - Michael Collins RIP
Michael Collins was born on 16th October 1890 at Sam's Cross, County Cork, Ireland. He was assassinated by a fellow Irishman on this day in 1922 near Béal na Bláth, County Cork. Resting place: Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland
"There is no British Government anymore in Ireland. It is gone. It is no longer the enemy. We have now a native government, constitutionally elected, and it is the duty of every Irish man and woman to obey it" Michael Collins
Éamon de Valera, ally and rival: “"It is my considered opinion that in the fullness of time history will record the greatness of Michael Collins; and it will be recorded at my expense.”
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Go raibh maith aguish go lair, agus bar lagaidh dia blur lumbago deo!
Thank you very much and may God bless you with a long life!
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