Bebo

Tonight Id like to lift a glass and make a toast to the strongest woman Ive ever known. Anybody who has ever met Granny Tobin knows just how brilliant and hilarious she was. There are nearly too many stories to tell, but everyone who met her has one. The time she blew up the gas cooker, exploded out back door and lost her eyebrows and the front inch of her hair all from trying to light a cigarette. Or the time she nearly set the kitchen on fire, Also from trying to light a cigarette. How she used to bath the babies in the twin tub (plugged in and all). My all time favourite was when she revealed that she had been wearing my Granda's false teeth for the previous months while he had been buried with hers!! Classic.. (Oh granny, what big teeth you have.. All the better for smiling with)

For all her silliness, she was also a survivor, raising 9 kids in very poor times. Ask any of her kids about Christmas in the Tobin household and the stories will have you laugh till you cry. She was strong as an ox, and stubborn to boot. She had broken bones, had heart attacks and strokes and always bounced back, always defied the doctors with her recoveries, and smoked with the nurses and attendants on the sly. She would always knock a bit o crack out of the people around her, take the piss or get you onside so you could both wind up someone else.

In the last few years Ive marveled at how one tiny woman could have so much spirit and even when she started to go a bit batty, she always knew what was going on, could always administer the right advice and never missed a trick.

We waved her out the door today, standing in the same garden where all her Grandkids lined up for photos against the porch wall, on the road where all her children grew up, from the house of so many sing songs, jokes and childhood memories. Knowing she is going straight into the arms of so many friends and family who loved her just as much as we do makes it easier to say Goodbye.

You were one Incredible Woman Marie Tobin, mad as a box of frogs and as down to earth as you can get. Have fun dancing with Granda.

INVITATION

TO THE LAUNCH OF

PEACEZONE

AT CHARLEVILLE CASTLE



PeaceZone Ireland will be launched at the annual Charleville Castle World Culture’s Fair Day, ShakeFest 2009, at Charleville Castle, Tullamore, on May 30th 2009 at 3pm.

The topic of discussion will be “Ireland Must Pioneer Civilian Peacekeeping Operations”. The launch and discussion will be in the Missionary Tent and all who are welcome. Entrance will be free to PeaceZone Members (please come and join on the day €10).



PeaceZone members can arrive as early as Friday evening, May 29th – UN PeaceKeeping Day and camp over night free of charge. If you wish to camp on for the full long weekend you can do so for the very reasonable charge of €10. If you would prefer to stay in a hotel or B&B locally please contact our volunteers at info@charlevillecastle.com or call 057 93 23040. We can make special local arrangements for you.



This is the first weekend of its kind to be held at Charleville Castle. It is a special weekend for and about people who are interested in progressing peace on an international level. We expect a comfortable number of people to come and camp over the weekend. There will be all civilised amenities on site including a special Bar B Q area. Camping with the comforts of home and a big castle to boot. The fair day itself, ShakeFest, will include catering facilities and many exotic stalls. You will be amazed at the wide range of world culture’s workshops taking place - feel free to sign up or just enjoy the multicultural buzz around this wonderful castle and give your all to the open forum on the Peace Zone Concept. We all know that we need to find exceptional new resources to create response systems, on an unprecedented level, to get encouragement and support to local peace groups in the lesser-known conflict zones.


Oh! And by the way – this new little positive peace movement is very much driven by Irish artists and bands – so do expect extraordinary entertainment on the night – peace lovers deserve nothing less.

The Initial Peace Manifesto.. The blue Print for PeaceZone

The Peace Process in ireland brought an end to thirty years of inter-community strive and violent conflict with security services. It took 20 years of violent action for a flicker of peace possibility to appear and it took another 10 years to transform this flicker into a sustained process which would stubbornly resist any return to violence and only then through the creation of highly structured programmes and purpose-built institutions, patience and unrelenting discipline.



The source of the problem in NI could be traced back 200 years or more. Armoured cars, tyanks and guns failed to contain the fury that eventually subsided when the people who lived in the violence decided that there was no longer a cause worthy of such destruction – the conditions for hatred disappeared at the same time as the forces of governance removed their continuing validity. The undreamable dream became dreamable. For countless others the nightmare continues and the prejudices nurtured by wrongful acts, indignation and festering past humiliation now multiply at alarming rates…



As Global population continues to expand exponentially, the quest for the means of living, and lifestyle, continues to put pressure on materials and the natural environment. The causes of conflict are increasing and becoming more visible and predictable. At the same time it can be stated that there probably never was a time on earth, ever before, when such a large proportion of humans were so aware of peace – so hopeful for it – and so willing to do something about it.


While the struggles go on to find new ways of meeting human needs through materials and innovation, will the advance of war demolish progress faster than it is created – is victory of peace over war the kernel of sustainability and if so have we the means to suspend conflict

SHAKE 09 Workshop Schedule..

11.30-1 *Flamenco Basics with Solo Flamenco
*Double Veil with Azaria StarFire
*Burlesque with Mono

1-1.30 * Break.
* Performances outside on stage

1.30-3 *Stilt Walking with Mariosa Hume of StageCraft Ireland
*Brazilian Samba
*Wing of Isis with Azaria StarFire
*Tribal Fusion Gypsy Skirt Dance with Tribal Fit

3-4 *Circus Skills with Mariosa Hume of StageCraft Ireland
*Street Dance with Leondra Corbett (continues to 4.30)
*Disco with Azaria StarFire
*Shimmy Drills for BellyDance with Vawn O Niell (continues to 4.30)

4-4.45 *Break
*Performances outside on stage

4.45-6.15 * African Drums and Dance with Wassa Wassa
*Burlesque and Belly Dance Fusion with Mono
*Hawaiian Hula with Lisa Collins
*Tribal Fusion Pops and Locks with Tribal Fit

Followed by Evening Hafla
Live Music and DJ Eric Noon