Ireland prepared for dynamic change 100 years ago. After centuries of British rule, the people of Ireland grew tired of the political efforts that promised a free and independent Irish Republic. In 1916, nationalists planned an uprising against the British establishment in Dublin. They assumed too much and went into battle without the necessary resources. After shelling public buildings in Dublin, killing hundreds of civilians, the British arrested and executed the leaders of the infamous Easter Rising. Initially criticized by Irish citizens, the executions provided the climate that arguably led to the Irish Free State a few years later, the stepping stone to what we know now as Ireland.
Today, this heritage spreads throughout the world with 450,000 Clevelanders calling themselves Irish, according to the Plain Dealer. For over 30 years, St. Jarlaths has cultivated a team from locals to Irish from all over the Island. Some of the best players came from Belfast, a continued hotbed of sectarian conflict. Catholics were unable to find jobs for decades after Ireland became what it was after the Irish Civil War and Northern Ireland was left to the administration of the British. Protestants occupied most of the high paying manufacturing jobs until those jobs moved into third world countries, thanks to corporate consultants who advised on low tax rates and labor costs. During the troubles in Northern Ireland, in which 3,500 people were killed and 47,000 were injured, many Catholics moved overseas and attended some of the best schools in the world. Many came to Cleveland. And some joined the St. Jarlaths Gaelic Football team, which went on to win nationals two years in a row in the mid 2000s.
Michael Collins
Everyone must keep in mind that St. Jarlaths and most self-respecting Irish-Americans do not endorse the actions of those who thought they could achieve political goals through violence. That may have been the case in 1916, but what became known as the IRA (Irish Republican Army) and other derivatives is entirely against what Michael Collins, the George Washington of Ireland, believed was right. Collins was assassinated for his efforts to fight for peace during the Irish Civil War and the IRA became perverted by people who would walk into community fundraisers and take all the money for “the cause.”
Before Ireland achieved its independence, an effort was started by the Irish community for a “Gaelic Revival” in which the government was no longer acknowledged as banned sports such as Gaelic Football and other cultural gatherings became the norm in the lead up to a populist fight for Irish freedom.
In the coming months in Cleveland, St. Jarlaths plans to launch a “Gaelic Revival” to develop the athletic community, correct perceptions, and provide all those coming into town for the parades, festivals, and 2013 GAA Finals with the right information on where to go to experience the good people of Cleveland.
Stay tuned for updates and visit the Plank Road Tavern in Lakewood on Thursday evenings for Irish music and great food and drink specials. As Michael Collins said, “We won’t play by their rules…we’ll invent our own.”
Up Cleveland!
