From Roscrea to Beagle Bay

book cover

A new book by historian (and long-term member of the Cumann) Dr. Val Noone is to be launched on St. Patrick’s Day. From Roscrea to Beagle Bay: Dan O’Donovan, priest and hermit is a tribute to a remarkable Irish monk who has lived much of his life in Australia.

An unusual Irish monk. Born in Berlin in 1934 where his father was chargé d’affaires for the Irish government, Father Dan O’Donovan joined the Cistercian order of monks at Roscrea, County Tipperary, and came to Tarrawarra Abbey, Victoria, Australia, in the 1960s, and in 1972 answered a call from the Benedictines of New Norcia to work in the Kimberleys.

Dan has spent the past 47 years in northwestern Australia, first as a Cistercian monk with approval to live outside his monastery, and later as a priest of the Broome diocese. Dan is exceptional for his stints as a hermit, living adjacent to and in friendship with Indigenous communities – six years at Lombadina and twenty at Beagle Bay.

This booklet is a tribute to Dan as he begins his third year of retirement at Germanus Kent House in Broome. In April 2019, urged on by friends of Dan, Val Noone of Melbourne travelled to Broome, interviewed Dan and spent some days researching his papers. This is the result: an introduction to Dan’s story.

5.30 to 7.00 pm, St Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2020
Kildara Centre, Rear 41 Stanhope Street, Malvern 3144
MC: Chris Watson. Speakers: Katharine Massam, historian,
University of Divinity, and Margaret Hill, cousin
RSVP: helpful but not required to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Price of the book: $10.00
To order copies and pay by EFTPOS
contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Postage and packaging $5.00.

Focail i mbarr a mblátha ~ In full Bloomsday

Bhí baill an Chumainn páirteach i gceiliúradh Bloomsday le déanaí ag The Quiet Man.
Members of the Cumann recently took part in the celebration of Bloomsday at The Quite Man.
Baill an Chumainn ag baint sult as ceiliúradh Bloomsday
Taibheoirí ag ceiliúradh Bloomsday ag The Quiet Man
Performers celebrating Bloomsday at The Quiet Man
16 Meitheamh 2019
Baill an Chumainn ag baint sult as ceiliúradh Bloomsday
Baill an Chumainn ag baint sult as ceiliúradh Bloomsday

Aisteoirí ar aistear ~ Visiting actors

Le déanaí, thug beirt aisteoir Éireannach cuairt ar Chomhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann anseo i Melbourne. Thug Edwin Mullane léiriú ar “The Little Cloud” ó Dubliners le James Joyce, chun aitheantas a thabhairt do Bloomsday. Is comhbhunaitheoir The Corps Ensemble é Edwin agus tá sé ina stiúrthóir ealaíne don chompántas sin faoi láthair.

Is fearr aithne ar John Connors as an dráma RTÉ Love/Hate. Léirigh sé dráma aonair, Ireland’s Call, in St. Kilda agus Bondi le linn a thurais, cé nach raibh an bheirt acu san Astráil ach cúig lá!

I láthair freisin, bhí Éadaoin O’Reilly (Irish Film Festival Australia) agus iar-Uachtarán an Chumainn, Karolyne McDermott Paron. Bhain an lucht féachana an-sult as an seó.

Baill an Chumainn ag baint sult as ceiliúradh Bloomsday
Edwin Mullane, Éadaoin O’Reilly, Karolyne McDermott Paron ⁊ John Connors

Recently, two Irish actors visited Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann here in Melbourne. Edwin Mullane gave a rendition of “The Little Cloud” from Dubliners by James Joyce, as an acknowledgement of Bloomsday. Edwin is co-founder of The Corps Ensemble and the company’s current artistic director.

John Connors is best know for the RTÉ drama Love/Hate. He staged a one-man play, Ireland’s Call, in St. Kilda and Bondi, even though the two actors were only in Australia five days!

Also present were Éadaoin O’Reilly (Irish Film Festival Australia) and ex-President of the Cumann, Karolyne McDermott Paron. The audience enjoyed the show very much.

Comhaltas