Outstanding footballer whose career was blighted

(A slightly edited version was first published in the Irish Times October 18th 2014)

Hugh ‘Dick’ Doherty – born May 5^th 1921, died September 29^th 2014

Hugh ‘Dick’ Doherty, who has died in his home town of Buncrana, Co Donegal, was believed to be oldest surviving former Glasgow Celtic player. He also played with Blackpool at the time when they were one of the strong sides in the old English First Division. His career never flowered as it should due to World War Two, bad luck, and injury.

In the summer of 1939, Celtic’s chief scout was on holidays in Ireland. He saw the teenage Doherty, then with junior club Buncrana Celtic. The scout never spoke to Doherty: but, a few weeks later, Celtic wrote offering a trial in Glasgow.

He went over at the start of September 1939. The trial went well: then, on the day he was to sign terms, Britain entered World War Two. For safety, Doherty returned to Buncrana to work with his father. During the war, he played for Derry City, Derry Rangers, and Dundalk.

Then, after the War, he got another opportunity. Several Celtic players were on holidays in Donegal. He played with them in an exhibition match. As a result of his performances, Celtic signed him for the 1946-7 season. He played three games in the old Scottish First Division, and one in the Scottish cup.

Celtic let him go at the end of the season. Blackpool snapped him up. Doherty played outside right. However, Stanley Matthews, then the world’s best footballer, was Blackpool’s regular outside right. Doherty usually only played when Matthews was unavailable.

During one of those games, he injured his knee. Blackpool let him go. After a period of recovery, he signed with Raith Rovers in the Scottish League. In his first game, the knee gave up. That forced return to Buncrana.

Doherty was born in Buncrana in 1921, elder of two sons to John Doherty, a butcher, farmer, and greyhound-trainer, and his wife Madge (née McLaughlin). The family were nicknamed ‘Dick’ Dohertys. He received his education in the town’s National School, then St Columb’s College, Derry, before going to work with his father.

After leaving Raith Rovers, he resumed working for his father - and developing football in Inishowen. When he died, he was assistant treasurer of the Inishowen Football League.

Hugh ‘Dick’ Doherty is survived by his daughter, Deirdre, and sons Denis and Eamonn. He was predeceased by his wife, Eithne, daughter Ann-Marie, and son Anthony.

(An edited version of this piece was published in the Sunday World September 14th 2014)

Pizza box and vomit attracted police

A medical student who had planned to sleep in his car and catch an early-morning bus to Dublin has pleaded guilty at Omagh Magistrates Court to being drunk in charge.

A prosecution lawyer told the court the attention of police was drawn to a car in an Omagh car park when they saw a pizza box on the roof, and a mat covered in vomit at the driver’s door. They found Fearghal James O’Neill asleep in the driver’s seat. He smelled strongly of alcohol and, when tested, was over twice the drunk-drive limit.

A defence lawyer told the court that O’Neill had planned to catch an early-morning bus to Dublin in order to collect a passport. He said O’Neill was a first-year medical student in Dublin. Judge Bernie Kelly imposed a three-month driving ban on 19 year old O’Neill, of Lettergash Road, Dromore, and fined him £250.

(An edited version of this piece was published in the Sunday World September 28th 2014)

Man invented mugging to get benefit

An Omagh man who injured himself falling off a fence when drunk has pleaded guilty at Omagh Magistrates’ Court to wasting police time after he reported he had been robbed by two men. A prosecution lawyer told the court James Duffy later told police he was unemployed. “He thought that if he made up the story he’d get a crisis loan for Christmas,” the lawyer told the court.

The Court heard Duffy had arrived at Omagh Police station in the early hours of December 22^nd last. He was very drunk, bleeding from facial injuries, and bare-chested under a jacket. Duffy claimed two men on bicycles, one with a knife, had robbed him of his wallet on his way home from a pub. Police noted his account kept changing. Despite alleging he had been knocked to the ground, his clothes were neither dirty nor wet. However, the following morning he took a police photographer to the alleged crime scene.

Police later interviewed the manager of the bar where Duffy had been drinking. The manager said he had seen another man try to lift Durry over a high fence round the smoking area. Both men were very drunk, and the other man pushed Duffy too hard.  Duffy fell off the fence and suffer was injured by landing face-first on a hard surface. Duffy had left his clothes on the ground, and the manager gathered them up.

Within 24 hours of reporting the mugging, Duffy apologised to police for concocting the story. A defence lawyer said Duffy should be given credit for his early plea of guilty. “At the time, he was impecunious and on benefit,” the lawyer said.

Twenty-eight year old Duffy, of Clonmore Gardens, Omagh, was given a two-month suspended sentence. Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter ordered him to pay £1,034.17 costs incurred by police in the investigation.

Planners refuse wind farm because of noise pollution

(A slighly edited version of this article was published in the 'Sunday World' of August 31st 2014)

by Anton McCabe

For the first time, planners have turned down a proposed wind farm because of noise, The planned wind farm was at Drumadarragh Hill, north of Ballyclare, on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. First Planning Service, then the Planning Appeals Commission, refused permission.

The Planning Appeals Commission’s ruling said the proposal “would have an unacceptable noise impact on sensitive receptors.” In May a Commissioner visited the area to investigate noise from two existing wind farms. When a north-westerly wind was blowing “there was a constant hum audible, accompanied by a rhythmic swish.” When the wind dropped, turbine noise increased markedly. “The turbine noise was a distinct and constant artificial presence,” he said. At one house he could hear a loud “thump” from the downbeat of turbines.

The Commissioner found local resident Dorothy Kane a “candid witness,” whose experience was documented by Dr Hanning, a Sleep Medium Consultant. “… I am satisfied that Mrs Kane had no pattern of headaches or sleepless nights until after Wolf Bog (wind farm) was erected and the she could not think of other factors to have caused the change in sleep patterns,” he said. “I also have no reason to dispute that she sleeps better away from home.” He had “concerns” at “the general increase in noise exposure that would be experienced at sensitive properties.”

The refused application was from Drumadarragh Wind Farm. The application began in 2005 for 10 turbines, at a maximum height of 107 metres (351 feet). This was amended over the next three years, finally becoming four turbines 77 metres (252 feet) high. Last year Planning Service rejected it because of noise: the Planning Appeals Commission upheld that rejection.

The company which proposed the development, Drumadarragh Wind Farm, is controlled by wind farm entrepreneur Doreen Walker. She is a director of 10 other wind energy companies in Northern Ireland. She did not reply to an e mail from the Sunday World.

Dan Kane was one of the opponents of Drumadarragh. He said residents decided to object after two wind farms were build in the area. There were no problems with the first. Then the second was built. “The first thing that hit us was the size of it and the noise was quite exceptional, especially at night,” he said.

The noise was critical to objections. “People differ on visual impact,” he said. “That is subjective. Noise is objective – either you experience it or you don’t.” When going round the area, campaigners found many neighbours suffered headaches due to existing turbines. They brought in a noise expert from Britain, who showed the quality of locals’ sleep was being damaged. Local MP, Reverend William McCrea, supported them, arranging a meeting with then Environment Minister, Edwin Poots.  “It was never an emotional call with us – it was argued out,” Kane said.

Dr Alan Evans, Emeritus Professor of Public Health at Queen’s University, welcomed the planners’ decision. “One day we’ll have to fight noise as strongly as cholera and plague,” he said. Noise from wind turbines is dangerous. “There is a syndrome called wind farm syndrome, which causes deprivation of sleep,” he said. The Government knows there is a problem. “There are reports which prove that there is a problem with low frequency noise,” he said. “It seems the Government is prepared to write off rural communities, and accept the collateral damage to health.”

Campaigners against wind farms welcomed the decision. Owen McMullan, of West Tyrone against Wind Turbines, said planners had not applied the same principles to his area. One third of all wind farms given planning permission in Northern Ireland are in West Tyrone. “They’re not taking into account the cumulative impact of these,” he said. “People are now finding out the hard way because of the number of wind farms across the Province.”

It seems the numbers of wind farms will keep on increasing. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment wants 40% of electricity to come from renewables by 2020. So far, 88% of planning applications for wind farms have been approved.

The Commissioner’s report on Drumadarragh points to future problems. “As the informatives (regarding noise from two existing wind farms in the area) are unenforceable there is nothing to prevent the existing wind farms making as much noise as they like, and the Department (of the Environment) would have no locus to investigate the issue never mind consider enforcement action,” he said. “This leaves statutory nuisance legislation as the only way to address noise issues emanating from these turbines… It also needs to be borne in mind that as they age turbine mechanics have the potential to become noisier.”

The same report said there would have been no significant number of jobs from Drumadarragh. There would have been “infrequent though regular maintenance visits. Occasional technical problems will require maintenance visits from technical staff and a full time specialist may be required to carry out further operational controls from the control building.”

However, it remains to be seen whether the rulings on Drumadarragh mark a harder line by planners on the spread of wind farms. They will certainly encourage the growing numbers of objectors.

Valuable new book tells of Tyrone in a period of upheaval

(This piece was first published in An tUltach, July-August 2014)

Baineann leabhar Fheargail Mhic Bhloscaidh ‘The Irish Revolution 1920-23 Tyrone’ lena dhúchas féin. Léim sin amach chugam thart ar bhomaite i ndiaidh buaileadh leis sa Chultúrlann i mBéal Feirste. Go fiú sula bhfuaireamar cúinne ciúin thuas staighre sa Chultúrlann le labhairt, bhí sé ag gabháil don ábhar.

Is as Dún Geanainn dó, gur Poblachtach agus Marcsach é, é anois ina mhúinteoir i gColáiste Feirste. “Is as cúlra measartha poblachtánach mé, agus bhí mé i gcónaí i mo bhall den lucht oibre,” ar seisean. Agus é ag fás aníos, bhí scéalta fá Tom Clarke, agus poblachtaigh aitheanta eile an cheantair, thart air. “Níor chuala mé faoi na rudaí seo ar scoil, ach bhí siad i gcónaí sa chúlra,” ar seisean.

Thug sé bua leis óna óige. “Bhí mé ceisteach mar dhuine óg, agus sin an rud is tábhachtaí faoin stair,” ar seisean. Rinne sé freastal ar Acadamh Naomh Pádraig i nDún Geanainn, tráth dá raibh an tAthair Denis Faul ina Ard-Mháistir. Ní bhíodh siad bheirt ar aon intinn. Bhí sé d’ádh air go raibh múinteoir staire den céad scoth aige, Vivienne Quinn, a spreag é agus é ag gabháil don Ard-Léibhéal.

Rinne sé staidéar ar an stair in Ollscoil na Banríona, eispéireas mí-shásúil. “Bhí an áit sáite leis an athbhreithniúchas, agus bhí rogha ann, nó glacadh le seo agus mo dhearcadh féin a athrú, nó b’fhéidir dul tríd an próiséas ar fad agus rud éigean a chruthú,” ar seisean. Bhí Feargal díríthe ar “stair ón bun, stair na ngnáth-daoine” agus shocraigh sé leanúint leis an ábhar “an stair ó mo dhearcadh féin, ní dearcadh na h-ollscoile, agus sin an rud atá déanta agam leis an leabhar beag seo.”

Trín staidéar mhéadaigh a thuiscint ar stair Thír Eoghan. “D’fhoghlaim mé gur imir muintir Thír Eoghan, agus ach go háirithe beirt eile, tionchar ar stair na réime seo, ná Joseph McGarrity agus Pádraig McCartan (beirt ón dTearmann – A Mac C),” ar seisean. Tháinig siad amach as traidisiún láidir poblachtach.

“Agus ansin thuig mé féin gur tháinig mé ón gcúlra céanna, agus gur fhág mo shinsear agus mo mhuintir féin lorg ar stair an chontae,” ar seiseann. “Sula bhfuair sí bás cúpla bliain ó shoin, rinne mé comhrá den scoth le mo sheanmháthair, mo Mhamó. Mar bhí mé ag déanamh taighde sna nuachtáin, agus fuair mé amach go raibh mó shin-seanathair, gur cuireadh faoi ghlas é ar feadh míosa nó bhí sé ag glacadh páirte i stailc agus go ndearna sé ionsaí ar cheann de na cosa dubha, na blacklegs. Agus chuaigh mé isteach sa chartlann chomh maith, agus nach raibh ainm s’aige scríofa ar an rolla a bhí ag na hÓglaigh.”

Rud a théann i bhfeidhm ar Fheargal “an neart a bhí ag an phoblachtachas i measc na ngnáth-daoine i dTír Eoghan.” Dar leis gur “scríobhadh poblachtánaigh Thír Eoghan amach as an stair,” nó “stair na ndaoine seo, ní cluintear faoi sna hollscoileanna.” Cinnte,bhí ról cinniúnach ag polaiteoirí agus eile “ach tá ról ar leith ag na gnáth-daoine.”

Bhí ról ar leith ag na Fíníní. “Má amharcann tú ar na Fíníní i dTír Eoghan, tagann siad ó cúlra thar a bheith bocht,” ar seisean. “Chuir na péas síos orthu mar ‘lacking completely in intelligence and influence’” Tá ard-mheas ag Feargal orthu. “Bhí na daoine seo ar an eite clé,” ar seisean. “Má amharcann tú ar an Phoblachtachas, tá comhionnannas mar dhlúth-chuid. Ní amháin go raibh na daoine bochta seo gafa leis an Phoblachtachas. Bhí siad ag éirí domhain níos fearr a chruthú amach anseo, nó domhain níos cothroime. Agus d’amharc siad ar an saol mar a bhí i dTír Eoghan, ní amháin ó thaobh na nAontachtaithe, ach ó thaobh na Náisiúnaithe, agus an tionchar a bhí ag baicle beag ar pholaitíocht an náisiúnachais i dTír Eoghan. Agus sheas siad ina éadan seo.”

Tá sampla de sprid na bpoblachtánach sa leabhar. Bhí an ciorcal de chuid Bhráithreachais na Poblachta in Ard Both ag bailiú airgid le gunnaí a cheannach. Nuair a chuala siad an géarleanúint a bhí dá dhéanamh ar náisiúnaithe na hInde, chuir siad sciar den airgead chucusan chun cudiú leis an streachailt ansin.

Bhí tábhacht leis an oidhreacht a fuair Poblachtánaithe Thír Eoghan ó na hÉireannaigh Aontaithe. “Bhí rogha acu,” ar seisean. “Bhí Ord Ársa na nIbeirneach ann, agus b’eagraíocht sin a bhí seicteach go smior, mar cinéal íomhá scáthanach den Ord Buí.” Cáineann sé thraidisiún an náisiúnachais bunreachtúla. “An fadhb atá agamsa leis an náisiúnachas bunreachtúil, ní raibh ansin ach íomhá scathánach den seicteachas sin,” ar seisean. Bhí an poblachtachas ag éirí sin a bhriseadh - ach dar leis an t-athbhreithiúnas tá an Poblachtánachas foréigneach go smior, frithgníomhach.

Cuireann lucht an athbhreithiúnachais fearg air, nó cuirtear síos ar na daoine atá ag éirí saol níos fearr a chruthú mar frithgníomhaithe: agus ar an mhuintir atá dá gcoinneáil síos mar íobartaigh. Ar ndóigh “na buaiteoirí a scríobhann an stair.”

Séanann sé aon cur chuige cúng, náisiúnach, nó tá tuigbheáil ar chúrsaí idirnáisiúnta riachtanach le stair na hÉireann a thuiscint, go háirithe tuigbhéail ar an streachailt ar son an daonlathais i Sasana. “Ní thig leat rudaí sa tír seo a thuiscint gan rudaí a bhí ag tarlú in áiteanna eile,” ar seisean. “Cad chuige gur roghnaigh Coiméadaigh Shasana ceist Uladh chun seasamh in éadan dul chun cinn daonlathais Shasana?”

Ainneoin chomh h-eolach agus a bhí sé ar an ábhar, tháinig sé ar eolas  nua ina chuid taighde: “Neart an cheardchumannachais, agus treas an scoilt seicteach i naoi gcéad déag is a h-ocht déag agus naoi gcéad déag is a naoi déag. Nuair a smaoiníonn tú ar Réabhlóid na hÉireann, smaoiníonn tú ar Sinn Féin agus Óglaigh na hÉireann. Naoin gcéad déag is a hocht déag agus naoi gcéad déag agus a naoi déag i dTír Eoghan, bhí na ceardchumainn ní ba thábhachtaí. Bhí stailceanna ann ar fud Thír Eoghan. Bhí siad ag tarlú sna bailtí móra agus faoin dtuath. Bhí sé do-creidte. Má amharcann tú istigh sa leabhar, bhí b’fhéidir níos mó daoine bainte leis an chinéal sin polaitíochta ná mar a bhí gníomhach le Sinn Féin.”

Níl meas aige ar Shinn Féin na linne sin. “Bhí Sinn Féin mar chuid den fríth-Réabhlóid i dTír Eoghan,” ar seisean. “Nó an rud a tharla gur, na daoine a bhí i gceannas ar an náisiúnachas bunreachtúil, chonaic siad an dóigh go raibh an pobal ag dul, léim siad ar bórd, fuair siad gréim ar an rud, agus thacht siad an réabhlóideachas as. Tá litir a scríobh George Murnaghan ar an Ómaigh, agus dúirt sé: ‘Ní creidim sa Phoblacht. Ní creidim sa Phoblachtachas. Ach is fearr a bheith anseo leis an rud a stiúrú.”

An dream seo “thosaigh siad amach mar an Irish National Leagus, agus b’shin iar-bunreachtúlaithe, meascán scarúnaithe bunreachtúla agus na Healyites. Na Healyites, b’shin an dream ba coiméadaí i dTír Eoghan, agus chríochnaigh siad ar an dream a bhí i gceannas ar an Phoblachtachas – gur sheas siad go huile is go hiomlán ina éadán, go bhfaca siad an dóigh go raibh an ghaoth ag séideadh.”

Rinne siad seo feall ar a muintir féin, nó ghlac siad leis an Críochdeighilt, gur scuab Poblachtaigh Thír Eoghan isteach i stát nua an Tuaiscirt. Críochnaíonn an leabhar leis an úafás sin.

‘The Irish Revolution 19120-23 Tyrone’ le Fergal McCluskey. Four Courts Press. €19.95

Bill Webster - lifelong socialist steeped in the labour movement

(A slighly edited version of this piece was published in the 'Irish Times' of Saturday, August 23rd

Bill Webster – born October 23^rd 1941, died August 8^th 2014

Bill Webster, who has died in his adopted home of Derry after a long illness, was a veteran socialist, and stalwart of the trade union movement in that city. Most of his life he spent campaigning against injustice and exploitation. He was a self-taught working-class intellectual, with a profound knowledge of literature, history, and socialist theories. That self-education was completed in middle-age by a degree in anthropology at the University of Ulster.

He had a spirit of solidarity and was always available to assist workers in difficulties. Backing wasn’t just moral. When a friend was sacked for union activity, Webster arrived at the house to express support – with a sack of potatoes on his shoulder for the family.

He was one of the earliest members in Ireland of the Militant Tendency, precursor of the Socialist Party. His most intense activity was during the 1970s, extremely difficult years for socialists and trade unionists in the North. Webster’s arguments that workers should unite seemed totally at odds with reality.

Webster was steeped in the working-class movement. He was born in Liverpool in October 1941, youngest of four children and the only boy, to William Webster, a seaman, and his wife Lily (née Cooper). His father was a Communist, and had been a courier for the Communist International. After school, Webster joined the Royal Navy for a decade. He then became a merchant seaman, before becoming an official with the General and Municipal Workers Union. He also joined the Militant Tendency in Britain – soon leaving a secure and relatively well-paid union job to become the industrial organiser of a small left wing group, because he believed that was the right thing to do.

Through Militant, he met Eileen Cullen from Belfast: they married in Derry in 1975. He became part of that city’s fabric. He tied into Derry’s tradition of radical labour politics, helping reorganise the Derry Labour Party in the mid-1970s.  

Above all, he was a man of immense humanity. There was nothing he liked more than sitting up till dawn having a lively argument, preferably about politics. He lived by the principles of one of his favourite poems, ‘Democracy’ by Langston Hughes’: “Democracy will not come/ Today, this year/ Nor ever/ Through compromise and fear.”

Bill Webster is survived by his wife, Eileen: his daughters Caroline and Mary Elizabeth: his son Matthew Anthony: and his sisters Evelyn, Joan and Vera.

Paddy Finnegan - poet, scholar, and Big Issue seller



(This obituary was first published in the Irish Times Saturday August 16th 2014)

Paddy Finnegan – Born December 31^st 1942, died July 16^th 2014

Paddy Finnegan, who has died suddenly in his adopted home city of Dublin, was exceptionally learned, and an acute observer of the world. Finnegan made an impact as a poet, as Gaeilge and in English: as a bus conductor operating out of Donnybrook Bus Garage: as a long-term student of UCD, who never graduated, but enriched the lives of many who met him: and, in later years, as a seller of ‘The Big Issues’, first outside Trinity College, then in Grafton St.

At UCD he undertook a degree in Irish and English, always passing Irish. Why he failed to pass English is surprising. He claimed not to have applied himself sufficiently to his studies, but also lacked confidence.  

Finnegan was learned in Latin and Greek as well as Irish and English. For all, he was modest about his talents. They resulted in his being chosen as to translate Yeats’ ‘The Lake Isle of Inisfree’ into Irish: and contributing to a book to mark the 60^th birthday of poet Brendan Kennelly.

He published one collection of poems, contributed to several others, and issued a number of CDs. One of his poems dealt with being barred from McDaid’s, the literary pub: “No damsels fair of exotic race/ frequent my present drinking place/ no artist Dante’s famed niche could fill/ or writer equal Johnston’s quill.” His poems suited declamation in his gravelly East Galway accent.

Patrick Joseph Finnegan was born in Dereen, near Kilkerrin in East Galway, on the last day of 1942, third of five children to Michael Finnegan and his wife Mary (née Kelly). In his youth, he knew older locals who were native Irish speakers. He was educated at the Franciscan Brothers’ National School in Kilkerrin, then won a scholarship to St Jarlath’s College in Tuam, where he excelled academically. After school, he worked as a civil servant and a bus conductor with CIE Dublin City Services (now Dublin Bus). His exploits passed into the folklore of Dublin busworkers.

Selling ‘The Big Issues’ was the nearest he came to a career suiting his talents. He was a prodigious seller, first outside Trinity College, then in Grafton Street. He stood silently, holding the magazine aloft. He explained: “I do not cry my wares. I do not compete with the internal combustion engine and the other unpleasant street noises… there are enough lunatics, winos and gobbaloons roaring and shouting to themselves. I should not like to be confused with one of those.”

Those who knew him would never have made that mistake.

He is survived by his sisters Maragret and Sara, and brother Jimmy. He was predeceased by his sister Bridget.