As the Public Engagement Officer of @IrishHospice we work towards Ireland, being a country where people die well and grieve well, wherever the place - this week we are collecting stories about dying, death & grief during the pandemic #ihftime2reflect
I am also here to chat with you over the next 7 days so if you want to tell me your stories - that would be lovely, I am a good listener and can signpost you if you need a little more help
If you want to talk to someone about your loss, we have our Bereavement Support Line - our trained volunteers are here to listen and support Mon-Fri 10-1
Over the next 7 days, I am hoping you will share your stories with me so we can understand your views and experiences of end-of-life care and of grief during the pandemic. We are interested in everyone's stories, good or bad #ihftime2reflect
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Pre-pandemic, I had the chance to travel widely across the US, visiting nearly forty of the fifty states. Alongside political, economic & community contacts, I always called into a College, many of which had fantastic Irish studies programs. A thread on US-Irish educational ties.
Having written several books on Irish history & literature, I've enjoyed the chance to speak with students at over 30 🇺🇸 universities, including @GUGlobalIrish & @GIHNYU, that have #IrishStudies programs. They're connected through @ACIrishStudies, a close partner of the Embassy.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, @IrelandAtlanta is small but mighty. Covering 7 states across the Southeast, CG Ciara O’Floinn & her dynamic team work to promote Ireland & serve our citizens, always appreciating the Southern hospitality they encounter along the way.
The Consulate works with our community & many friends across the south to promote our culture, values & interests. Aided by wonderful Honorary Consuls, they're kept busy providing consular support to the growing number of Irish citizens moving to the dynamic cities in the region.
Atlanta has a special place in the history of civil rights & this is a focus of the Consulate’s community outreach. This week, they partnered with Nettie Washington Douglass to support a school named after her great-great-grandfather, abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
It's a long, long way from Tipperary to San Francisco. But that's where Rose O'Halloran moved to & where, as a brilliant amateur astronomer, she became the first person to see a giant sunspot emerge on the sun’s limb. More here: bit.ly/3vKipFk
The 'Mother of American Modernism' & one of the most gifted painters of the 20th century, Georgia O'Keefe was born in Wisconsin, but spent much of her remarkable career in New Mexico, the inspiration for much of her work.
In 1892, 17 year old Cork woman Annie Moore became the first person to pass inspection at Ellis island in New York. For so many Irish, New York was then - as it remains today - the gateway to America. It's home to our largest Consulate, @IrelandinNY. 1/5
.@maddenciaran1, like Annie Moore a proud Cork native, is our Consul General there. He leads an exceptional team who, in addition to that most Irish of cities, serve Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, & West Virginia. 2/5
In a difficult year, the Irish community in New York showed indomitable spirit & solidarity - meitheal. The Consulate was proud to support the efforts of the #Slainté2020 partnership to provide assistance to those most in need through the first months of the pandemic. 3/5
The @WhiteHouse was one of hundreds of landmarks across America to turn green for #StPatricksDay. As is well known, the building. was designed by Kilkenny architect James Hoban. But this is far from the only Irish imprint on the DC landscape. A short thread on a long history.
Walk into the @bankofireland in Parliament House & you might be reminded of the @uscapitol. The ceiling of what's now Statuary Hall resembles Parliament House because Sir Edward Lovett Pearce's plans were closely studied when designing the Capitol.
The oldest Catholic church in Washington DC, St Patrick's, was established in 1794 to serve the Irish-American stonemasons who were building the @WhiteHouse and @uscapitol. Like @POTUS@JoeBiden, the founding priest Fr Caffrey was a proud Mayo man!
This is the economic impact of bookshops, jobs in towns and villages all over the country. When you shop local that money stays in the local economy. Your euro is far more valuable when spent in an Irish bookshop
Harder to quantify is the social impact of bookshops. We have so many regulars who just come in for a chat about books and well, life. These people are cut off from a vital social outlet during lockdown.
Then there are the books themselves. Book sales were strong during lockdown, helping to make the richest man in the world richer. Sadly so many books that should have got attention did not. An algorithm won't tell you about a new author, a hidden gem from a small publisher.