Fáilte 2026
PDX HIBERNIAN INDEPENDENT 1 January 2026
More than an email. Less than a newspaper. Delivered every Thursday. Published by The Portland Hibernian Society.
Athbhliain faoi mhaise daoibh - Happy New Year
Go n-éirí leat, a lachain! - Go Ducks!
NEXT MEETING AT KELLS RESTAURANT – JANUARY 15, 2026 – SIX PM
A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Will 2026 be the year you get serious about tracking down your Irish ancestors? You might have names, dates and places, but they can only tell you so much. At our January 15 meeting you’ll hear about new ways of imagining what your ancestor's lives were like powered by.... you guessed it....AI. If you've lready headed down this path, COME AND SHARE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED AND DISCOVERED WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR IRISH GENEALOGY.
THE QUEEN OF IRISH HOLIDAYS
January 6,2026 - Nollaig na mBan. Women’s Christmas. “It is a day when women would head to the pub and 'inhabit this man’s domain without shame." In the modern day, where more men are becoming involved in housework, the tradition is celebrated by acknowledging the role and accomplishments of women in our society. "Irish people now often associate January 6 with the end of the Christmas season, and the tree and decorations are taken down for another year.” Irish Independent.
A ROUGH YEAR FOR SOME IRISH PUBS
True, there will always be an Irish pub in Ireland. There just won’t be as many of them. 2025 was another trying year for that Irish institution. You wouldn’t know it at some pubs – Matt Molloy's in Westport, Co. Mayo is jammed even on weeknights – but more and more pubs are shutting down.[http://RTE - https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2025/0601/1515918-irish-publicans-on-the-bar-trade-the-show-is-basically-over/] The numbers tell the story. 114 pubs on average have closed across the country every year of the last 18. This article about surviving in the pub business was posted at the PHS website.
SCREEN IRELAND - HAMNET FACING STRONG COMPETITION
In less than two weeks the Golden Globes will be handed out. Oscar’s poor cousin, the Globe goes to the best of what was seen on big screens and littler screens in 2025 according to some film journos. Last year Colin Farrell took one home for playing The Penguin in an HBO series. This year the Globes show will be on CBS on January 11. The only Irish contenders are those associated with the movie Hamnet, which was nominated for Best Picture – Drama. Hamnet made about $11 million in worldwide theatrical release; not a lot, but enough in today's film economy to be considered a success for an "arty film." It should be streaming on Peacock by the end of this month. Favorites for film honors this time around are Sinners, Marty Supreme, Sentimetntal Value and One Battle After Another.
PEAKY BLINDERS ON THE BIG SCREEN (BUT ONLY BRIEFLY)
The movie version of the crime drama set in Birmingham, England after World War One and named for a true life legendarily brutal gang with roots in Ireland will be released on March 6 in theaters. Peaky Blinders – The Immortal Man will show up on Netflix just two weeks later. This is exactly why theater owners are among those fighting the Netflix takeover of Warner Brothers. Netflix doesn’t want people going to the movie theater. Netflix wants you to watch their products at home, critics of the peoposed deal contend. They’re right. Cillian Murphy stars as Thomas Shelby. His mate from Banshees of Inisherin, Barry Keogh. joins the gang. Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) and Steven Graham (Adolescence, Springsteen Movie) are also on board. Steven Knight, writer of the original series and The House of Guinness also wrote this.
SPORT IRELAND - WHAT SHANE LOWRY DREAMS ABOUT
Rory McIlroy is Ireland’s real immortal man. He became the sixth golfer and only European linkster ever to win the Grand Slam of golf with his victory at The Masters in 2025. He then went on to lead Europe’s Ryder Cup team to victory despite a hostile American crowd. His was one of the quotes of the year in Irish sports. "Guys, shut the f*** up!" - Rory McIlroy had it up to here with American hecklers at the Ryder Cup. Rory also won the Irish Open, which next year will be played at Donald Trump’s course in Doonbeg, Co. Clare. The other great Irish story line in pro golf this year is that of Shane Lowry from Co. Offaly. He has ONE GOAL for the coming season of copetition now that he has set aside his dream of being the first Irishman to win the Masters. "I think the only thing that would be almost as good as that would be Rory slipping the green jacket on me."
IRELAND CAN STILL MAKE IT INTO THE WORLD CUP
It's been a long time since Ireland has been this close to making it into the World Cup. In late March the Men's National Team can play its way into the 48-nation competition with two wins. If Ireland qualifies, the team will play in Guadalajara, Atlanta and Mexico City in the Group Stage. Northern Ireland is in the same boat, needing to make it through the play offs. BUT GET THIS - The team from the North will play Qatar in Seattle on June 24 if they make it past the March play offs. Whatever the case, I want one of these tee shirts!
FROM HIBERNIAN MANUS O'DONNELL
