Feakle, County Clare
Encyclopedia
Feakle is a village in County Clare
, Ireland
. Its population in 2006 was 122. It neighbours Lough Derg and the towns of Tulla
and Scarriff
. Feakle is famous for its traditional music festival.
On December 12, 1974, Irish Republican Army
and Sinn Féin
leaders met at Smith's Hotel, Feakle, with the leaders of the main Irish Protestant Christian
denominations (Church of Ireland
, Methodist, and Presbyterian) to discuss ways of resolving the Northern Ireland
crisis. The Gardaí
(Irish police) broke up the meeting. Although any wanted IRA men had already departed, the churchmen did pass on the list of Republican demands to the British
government. Methodist leader Eric Gallagher
was in attendance and later became the subject of the book Peacemaker by author Dennis Cooke.
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Its population in 2006 was 122. It neighbours Lough Derg and the towns of Tulla
Tulla
Tulla is a town in County Clare, Ireland. The town is the commercial centre for Tulla parish and the surrounding area. Tulla church was founded about 620 by Mochuille and the town received its town charter in the 13th century...
and Scarriff
Scarriff
Scarriff or Scariff ) is a large village in east County Clare, Ireland, situated in the midwest of Ireland. The town is on the West end of Lough Derg and is best known for its harbour. The Scarriff Market House is easily recognisable, and it is therefore often used to represent the...
. Feakle is famous for its traditional music festival.
History
St. Mochonna is venerated as the patron saint of Feakle. The ancient ruins of his church were destroyed in the early 19th century.On December 12, 1974, Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
and Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
leaders met at Smith's Hotel, Feakle, with the leaders of the main Irish Protestant Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denominations (Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, Methodist, and Presbyterian) to discuss ways of resolving the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
crisis. The Gardaí
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
(Irish police) broke up the meeting. Although any wanted IRA men had already departed, the churchmen did pass on the list of Republican demands to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government. Methodist leader Eric Gallagher
Eric Gallagher
Rev. Dr Eric Gallagher CBE, BA, BD was the former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland.In 1974 he was one of a group of Protestant clergymen who met with Provisional IRA officers in Feakle, County Clare in the 1970s to try to broker a peace after achieving a temporary ceasefire. The...
was in attendance and later became the subject of the book Peacemaker by author Dennis Cooke.
People
- Herbalist Biddy EarlyBiddy EarlyBiddy Early was a traditional Irish healer who helped peasants. She acted against the wishes of the local tenant farmer landlords and Catholic priests and was accused of witchcraft.-Childhood:...
(1798 - 1874). Famous as a healer and accused, under an antiquated law, in 1865 of witchcraft, Biddy was well known in the area. Local folklore says that if you leave a coin at her house you will have good health, but take a coin and you will have bad luck. - Brian MerrimanBrian MerrimanBrian Merriman or in Irish Brian Mac Giolla Meidhre was an Irish language poet and teacher. His single surviving work of substance, the 1000-line long Cúirt An Mheán Oíche is widely regarded as the greatest comic poem in the history of Irish literature.-Merriman's life:Merriman appears to have...
is associated with the area. Although neither born, nor did he die, in Feakle, he chose to be buried here where he had spent many years of his life. Feakle was the location and background of his only major work, a long poem in IrishIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, entitled Cúirt an Mheán Oíche (The Midnight Court). A monument to his memory has been erected by An Cumman Merriman (the Merriman Society) and may be seen in the local graveyard. - Johnny PattersonJohnny PattersonJohn Francis Patterson was an Irish singer, song writer and circus entertainer.He was born in Kilbarron, Feakle, County Clare. Both his parents had died by the time he was three years old and so he was raised by an uncle in Ennis. At the age of 14 he enlisted in the 63rd Regiment of Foot which...
(1840-1889) singer and composer was born in Kilbarron near Feakle - Ger LoughnaneGer LoughnaneGer Loughnane is a Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Feakle and with the Clare senior inter-county team in the 1970s and 1980s...
, former ClareClare GAAThe Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
hurler and manager of GalwayGalway GAAThe Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
hurling team (b.19531953 in Ireland-Events:*January 18 - Sinn Féin decides to contest all 12 constituencies in the next Westminster elections in Northern Ireland.*March 15 - Up to 10,000 civil servants march down O'Connell Street, Dublin demanding a just wage....
). - Martin HayesMartin Hayes (musician)Martin Hayes is a fiddler, born in Maghera in East County Clare, Ireland, and now living in West Hartford, Connecticut. He has been the All Ireland Fiddle Champion six times, and has won a National Entertainment Award, and the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2000 award for Instrumentalist of the Year...
, b. 1962, world-famous fiddler, was born in Feakle.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland