How TVF&R Pipes and Drums endures
PDX HIBERNIAN INDEPENDENT 11 September 2025
More than an email. Less than a newspaper. Now delivered every Thursday. Published by The Portland Hibernian Society
NEXT MEETING – Thursday, September 18. Kells Restaurant. Six P.M.
Happy Twenty Fith Anniversary
For 25 years, Greater Portland has been a better place thanks to the TVF&R Pipes and Drums performing on occasions of celebration and sadness. Full of musicians from public safety agencies, TVF&RP&D started small in late August 2000 with a few enthusiasts. They practiced and prepared for their public debut.......on this day in 2001. As Tim Birr writes in his history of the band, The band's first public appearance was planned for the City of Tigard's 40th birthday...on September 11, 2001. That event was postponed, but band members hit the ground running as they played a series of 9-11 vigils, memorials, and ceremonies in the various communities served by TVF&R. And they’re still active on the local Celtic circuit. Tim has agreed to pipe a few tunes for us at our meeting next Thursday September 18. The night before, on Sept. 17, the TVF&RP&D will perform at Clancy’s Pub in Sherwood. Celebrate Halfway to Saint Patrick's Day with the band! All are welcome.
A person for others
For the last 27 years, Kells on SW First in Downtown Portland has been hosting our meetings and events. First as the AOH, and since post-Covid as the Portland Hibernian Society, we’ve been welcomed by Lucille and Gerard McAleese as if we were family. So, at next Thursday’s meeting we’ll turn the tables and welcome Lucille to the PHS Hall of Fame. Hospitality and charity have been her missions since Kells opened in 1990. Join us as we salute her energy and initiative on behalf of causes like Providence Foundation’s Medically Fragile Children. And thank her and Gerard for providing us with a place to congregate.
Remembering the Irishman who made the Cross
Also at next Thursday’s meeting, we’ll discuss how as an organization we can acknowledge the work of Brendan McGloin, the Irishman who sculpted the Cross at the Oregon Potato Famine Memorial. Brendan, of Kinlough in Co. Leitrim, passed away earlier this year. He leaves behind a wife, Allie, and four children. The Cross, a rare replica of the original Cross of the Scriptures at Clonmacnoise, has become a symbol of survival, an emblem of our identity and a place to gather at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in NW Portland.
"My national Open" Rory Victorious
By now you may have heard the heroic story of how Rory McIlroy won the Irish Open in Kildare on Sunday (7 Sept.). Starting the day four strokes off the lead, he shot an eagle on the final hole to force a playoff, which he won on the third hole. For those who questioned his motivation post-Masters, he had this to say, "To do what I did earlier in the year and then come home and win my national open...2025 is going to go down as one of the best, if not the best of my career. But I'm not finished yet." (McIlroy has made it a point to participate in more national opens, committing to the next two Australian Opens as well as the first DP World India Championship next month. NYT)
TWO THINGS. 1. He's moving his family out of Florida. His wife Erica Stoll has been getting their new house ready in....Wentworth, England. 2. Rory will be defending his title next September 11 - 13 at Trump International Golf Links Ireland in Doonbeg, Co Clare. It was just confirmed as the destination for the tournament. There is an “open invitation” for the US president to visit Ireland from Taoiseach Micheal Martin reports the Irish Times.
"Not this time" says Sinn Fein leader
She’d rather not run for President of Ireland because there’s work to be done in the Dail keeping an eye on those running the country. That’s basically what Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald said the other day when she withdrew from the race. It will be another week before we find out exactly who IS running now that some potential candidates have passed. (Dancer/entrepreneur Michael Flatley is out.) McDonald is officially Leader of the Opposition. Whether Michelle O’Neill, her Sinn Fein counterpart in the North of Ireland, will run remains to be seen. What about Gerry Adams? The election is now scheduled for October 24.
Eamon DeValera Lives
Speaking of the President of Ireland, the Irish are in the midst of a national stroll down memory lane to the time when Eamon De Valera was The Man. That's. long time:Taoiseach (Prime Minister) from 1937 to 1959 and Uachtarán na hÉireann (President) from 1959 to 1973. He died fifty years ago on Aug. 27 and the retroactive mourning and analyzing are underway. If you’ve heard the name but aren’t entirely sure why he mattered so much in the life of the Irish, here’s an explainer with photos that I refuse to call Dev for Dummies.
Russia to Ireland: Keep your peacekeepers out of Ukraine
Ireland should not even think about sending peacekeepers to Ukraine in the event of the unlikely happening: a cease fire. In blunt language the Russian Embassy in Dublin reminded Ireland of its neutrality and described Ireland's position as "openly Russophobic and pro-Ukrainian". It added that Ireland should refrain from "cynical attempts to inflate its 'peacekeeping’ reputation on account of the crisis.” That stuff about Ireland’s record of sending troops to keep the peace would seem to be a backhanded compliment from the aggressor in Ukraine.
Calling them what they are: Cheap
The perfectly-named Irish reality television show called Cheap Irish Homes is back for a sixth season on RTE, the national broadcaster. The big news is that Maggie Molloy will have a new co-host. The domestic diva will now be working with Tadhg Casey, an architect from Tralee. Cheap Irish Homes is well regarded by people whose opinions I respect. It debuted back in 2015 with a show about a home on the border of Counties Sligo and Mayo. Pints Up! to the producers for not calling their show Affordable Irish Homes. Affordable to whom? Cheap says it all. This isn’t your Lifestyles of Rich and Famous Irish People. Early seasons are available for free on streamers like Tubitv.com and Plutotv.com.
Save the Date: Andy Irvine in Portland October 24
The opportunity to spend some time with a legend doesn’t come along every day these days. Especially when it’s affordable. So, here’s a heads up on the upcoming appearance of a musician who has been a major player in the Irish folk and trad music scene since there’s been one. “Andy Irvine is one of Ireland's most iconic voices, hailed as "a tradition in himself." Over a 55-year career, he's shaped the landscape of Irish and world music, from Sweeneys Men and Planxty to Patrick Street, Mozaik, and Ushers Island. Deeply influenced by Balkan music and Woody Guthrie, Andy blends traditional Irish song with global sounds and his own timeless songwriting. His collaborations with Paul Brady and Dónal Lunny remain legendary.” Oct. 24 @ Waverly Heights United Church of Christ. Presented by Comhaltas Oregon, in partnership with the Chapel Sessions Concert Series. Advance tickets ONLY $25
Don't Forget
Father Mychal Judge wasn’t the first person killed if the 9-11 attacks. Yet he is registered as Victim 0001. That’s because the FDNY Chaplain was the first body recovered by first responders and taken to the Medical Examiner. His story is still inspiring people.
