Séamus Ahearne: THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS:
The Orcadian poet Morag MacInnes, wrote her reflections on the teachers who influenced her. It is a beautiful article and rather evocative. (The Tablet 11th September 2025). I circulated that article to some teachers and to some members of my own family.
Sr Margaret Hackett’s funeral was last week. Margaret was my first teacher in Portlaw, many years ago. The Mercy Sisters left Portlaw years back, and they were, and are missed. Their presence and the gift of their lives, in the village, was profound. However Margaret stayed on and actually lived in our house in Brown Street. She eventually left and moved to Carrick-on-Suir, when her health deteriorated. (She was 97).
We had Mary Coleman’s funeral on Tuesday. Mary was a Holy Faith sister. She came from Ballinaroone, Ballyduff Upper, in Waterford. She too was touching 97. She lived until she died and was a great presence as a teacher, and as a member of Emmaus Retreat Centre, and of course as a very active person, of our community here.
Declan Deasy osa has just died over in Galway. Declan was only 95 and again, he lived until he died. Declan was an inspirational teacher in Austin Friars Carlisle. He wasn’t decorated with qualifications, but was one of the most outstanding teachers in the school. Geography was his subject. He was the first to introduce Astronomy into the school and from there, it became a subject on the exam curriculum in England. He also was one of the first of our Irish Augustinians to go into Ecuador and later into Cuba. He will be buried on Inisturk Island which is appropriate. He ministered there.
Morag is right. Teachers have an enormous opportunity to broaden out the whole meaning of education and to wake up the minds of the students. Some can. Some do. Some only follow the curriculum! The poetry of life has to be caught.
THE UNITIED NATIONS:
It must be 54 years ago since I worked in New York. The UN building in Manhattan impressed me. I’m not too accurate in my recall, but the Secretariat building which had exposed pipes and open ceilings, spoke to me. It was rugged and seemed untidy. But my take on it, at the time, was this: I felt it was real. It was open. There was nothing hidden. I rather liked the architectural message. It seemed to speak to me of what the UN can, and should be about.
The Meeting of the General Assembly is on. Mahmoud Abbas wasn’t given a Visa by the Trump Administration. I find that abhorrent and totally an insult to the very definition of the UN. But the Pantomime Villain did speak, despite the sabotage (!?) of the escalator, the teleprompter and the audio! His speech was the ramblings of a drunk (without the alcohol). He was befuddled, bewildered and besotted with the sound of his own voice. There was no coherence, no consistency, no truthfulness, no sense. It is sad to see that this poor deluded man was let loose as the Speaker for America. Bless them and spare them. Maybe, the Donald was still drunk after his State Visit to the UK. He had the horse drawn carriage. He had the Fly Past. He had the Royalty. He had the various salutes. What a charade. I think Starmer and his team, demeaned themselves and the country with that Invitation.
THE PALESTINIAN STATE IS RECOGNISED BY 157 COUNTRIES OF THE 193 AT THE UN
Husam Zomlot (head of Palestinian Mission to the UK) was interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg (BBC1 last Sunday). He wasn’t full of delight at the recognition by so many of the State of Palestine. He traced the history of his people. Colonialism featured prominently. He spoke forcibly of what had happened his people; of what is going on; of how America is complicit in the present destruction of his people. It is indeed quite overwhelming and unbelievable that a people who suffered through the Holocaust could now be totally committed to destroying a people. Who has the words to describe what is happening? Humanity is in pain. There is a helplessness. And a hopelessness.
MADE IN PERU:
I had an email last week from Pope Leo (Bob). I told the people at Mass that he was writing to console me. He had heard that some women of the regulars at Masses were treating me very badly. Of course the congregation didn’t believe me. Should I tape those same women and send him a copy of their carry-on? That seems a good idea. Austen Ivereigh has an excellent article on Pope Leo in The Tablet 20th September 2025, called ‘Made in Peru.’
THE MISUSE OF OUR FLAG:
The Flags have become a problem in the UK. They are a statement of nationalism but also a protest for exclusion. We have spent months here talking to the local politicians, asking them to do something about the Flags flying around here. Again these Flags aren’t a Céad Míle Fáilte or a declaration of respect and reverence for the history of our country, but rather a protest for making Ireland a land for the Irish only. Some Politicians have tried to do something, but no one seems willing to take down the Flags. It is very sad. But what is even worse is that when a house becomes vacant, these become defaced with the crudity of exclusion of any one who is not Irish. And then much more; they are threatened to be burned out. An example is the house across the road from me. I am ashamed and embarrassed.
Seamus Ahearne osa 25th September 2025.
