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You are > Home > Foxford gives its stamp of approval to growing links with Argentina
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Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Foxford gives its stamp of approval to growing links with Argentina
By Oliver Murphy
As the pale blue and white flag of the Argentine Republic, and the Tricolour, fluttered in a light breeze at the bust of Admiral William Brown, in Foxford it reflected the deepening of that close historical relationship that exists between Ireland and Argentina.
The Irish/Argentinean Weekend which was organised by the Admiral Brown Society commenced on Thursday the 28th and continued until Sunday, the 29th of August, celebrated the life of Admiral William Brown, who was born in Foxford in 1777, and became the founder of the Argentine Navy, and is regarded as one of the Fathers of the Nation.
The weekend’s celebrations got under way with the arrival of the Argentine Naval Delegation which comprised 1st Lieutenant, Santiago Michaelis Roldan, accompanied by Midshipmen, Fernando Lema Robinson, Miguel Greco, and Andreas Delamer. The officers are members of the crew of the A.R.A. Frigata ‘Libertad’ the Argentine Navy’s tall ship training vessel, which is currently docked in Portsmouth, England. The vessel, supports a crew of three hundred Naval personnel, including sixty-two Midshipmen and is currently conducting a tour of South, and North America, and Europe, left Buenos Aires on the 24th May and will complete the tour on the 15th November. It is ranked as one of the largest sailing ships in the world, and is one hundred and forty metres in length, and weighs three thousand seven hundred and sixty-five tonnes, an holds the world speed record for a North Atlantic crossing from Cape Race in Canada, to Dursey Island, Ireland, in a time of six days and twenty-one hours. The people of Foxford, and Mayo, were afforded a chance to view this vessel when it sailed into Killala Bay as part of the Admiral Brown Celebrations which were held in Foxford, in May 1998.
One of the highlights of this special weekend was the opening of the new exhibition entitled ‘Images of a Hero’ in the Admiral Brown Museum, and the viewing of the new commemorative stamp of Admiral Brown which will be issued in the near future. On Friday, the 29th of August a meeting of the Admiral Brown Steering Committee took place in the Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre, and a number of initiatives were discussed, and adopted. Later in the evening a number of Argentine visitors who travelled to Foxford for the weekend celebrations were greeted at Foxford Railway Station by J. J. O’Hara, President of Admiral Brown Society, and members of the Foxford community. On Saturday morning the group undertook a tour of Foxford town which included a visit to the Bust of Admiral Brown, Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre, the Admiral Brown Museum, and a trip to Hennigan’s Heritage Centre, Killasser.
A fund-raising function was held in the Mayfly Hotel later in the evening and included live music, featuring Harry Ruane, of Ballina; Tango Dancing, Argentinean food an drink, an Argentinian music and song. In his address Mr. J. J. O’Hara, President of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford, welcomed everyone who had attended the function, and outlined a number of initiatives, including plans for the establishment of the Brown Memorial Park Project, and his address concluded with a rapturous applause from all present.
Important
During the evening, 1st Lieutenant Santiago Michaelis Roldan, of the Argentine Navy, expressed his thanks “to the people of Foxford who had welcomed him and his fellow Naval Officers” and he added that he would be sad to leave Foxford.
“It is very important that we (Argentinean Navy) visit Foxford, the birthplace of the Father of the Argentine Navy,” he added.
In a reference to the planned Admiral William Brown Memorial Park Project, Santiago said: “It is an ambitious project in memory of Admiral Brown, and will encourage Argentinean visitors to come to Foxford, and Mayo”.
Fellow Officer Midshipman Fernando Lema Robinson expressed a view in relation to the proposed planned Admiral Brown Memorial Park in Foxford stating that it would be amazing to see the realisation of this project and cited the possibility of close Irish /Argentine co-operation in order to establish the Park. The evening provided an excellent opportunity for the Foxford Community to greet the Argentinean visitors and gain an insight into the culture and traditions of their country.
Romantic
The weekend had a very romantic significance for Argentinean natives Natalia Biritos, and her fiancé Pablo, who purchased their wedding rings, which are based on the Claddagh design in Fields Jewellers, which is located in the Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre.
The couple plan to be married in Argentina in February 2004. Natalia, who was overjoyed to have purchased the wedding rings in Foxford, stated that “we are so happy to have purchased these rings, based on a traditional design, in the friendly town of Foxford”.
In a comment regarding the Irish/Argentinean Weekend in Foxford, Natalia stated that “Foxford is a beautiful town and it is an honour for me to be in Foxford for this special weekend, the people are amazing, so welcoming and hospitable.”
She said that she was very impressed by the Foxford Woollen Mills Visitor Centre, and the interpretation of ‘The Foxford Story’ and the Admiral Brown Museum including the new exhibition ‘Images of a Hero’.
Natalie highlighted in particular the role of Mr. J. J. O’Hara and the Admiral Brown Society, in Foxford, and stated “that they were forging strong links in an effort to further develop relationships with the Argentine community here in Ireland, and the Argentine nation”.
The Sunday events commenced with the presentation, for blessing, of a statue of ‘Our Lady of the Sea’ (Stella Maris) by the Argentine Naval Officers in a ceremony that included the bearing of the flags of both nations, at the commencement of Mass in the Church of Saint Michael, and Saint Mary, Foxford.
The beautiful statue, a gift from the Argentine nation to the Admiral Brown Museum in Foxford, will be given a prominent place at the centre.
The Mass was celebrated by Canon Andy Johnston, P.P., Foxford, and Father Chris Ginnelly, C.C., Foxford and the large congregation included the members of the Argentine Navy, and many Argentine visitors.
Canon Johnston welcomed the Argentine visitors to Foxford and included prayers for the Argentine visitors, the Argentine Navy, and the Argentine nation, and the crew of the steam trawler ‘Leukos’, number 137154 which was owned by the Dublin Steam Trawling Company and was attacked by a German submarine (U38) off Tory Island, County Donegal, on March 9, 1940 with the loss of eleven crew members. Among the eleven crew members to lose their lives was Patricio McCarthy (R.I.P.), aged forty-two, the only Argentine national to have lost his life on an Irish registered vessel during the Emergency.
Coincidently, Patricio also served on the Irish Fisheries protection vessel the SS Fort Rannoch, in 1939. She was one of two vessels which were part of the new Irish Naval Service which was established in January 1940. Mr. Peter Mulvany, B.C.L., Chairperson of the Irish Seamen’s Relatives Association (1939 - 1946) who also visited Foxford for the weekend, is the next-of-kin of the late Patricio McCarthy. The gospel readings were read by Lieutenant Santiago Michaelis Roldan, and Natalia Biritos.
Wreath-Laying
Following the celebration of Mass, a wreath-laying ceremony took place at the bust of Admiral William Brown, which was decorated by bunting in the colours of the Argentine flag on Chapel Road, the last post was sounded by trumpeter Mr. Eamon Mangan of Foxford.
In his address, 1st Lieutenant Santiago Michaelis Roldan thanked the people of Foxford for the welcome which he an his fellow officers had received, and stated that: “it is an honour to be in Foxford, the birthplace of the Father of our Navy”. Mr. Peter Mulvany presented his grand-uncle’s Marine Valour Medal an Citation to 1st Lieutenant Santiago Michaelis Roldan, and will be displayed in the Irish section in the Argentinean Naval Museum in Tigre, Buenos Aires.
Mr. J. J. O’Hara in his address thanked the members of the clergy in Foxford, the Foxford community, the Argentine Navy, Mayo County Council, and all the Argentinean visitors who travelled to Foxford for this special occasion.
He also thanked Mr. Peter Mulvany, Chairperson of the Irish Seamen’s Relatives Association for attending the celebrations an sincerely thanked him and his association for the donation of €200 towards the cost of transporting two containers of priceless artifacts, a gift to the people of Foxford from the Argentine Navy.
The gift, which included cannons, small fire-arms an numerous other artifacts are locked in Dublin Docks since 1998, as there are no funds available to pay the E17,500 required to release the containers to Foxford.
It was hoped that the cannons would form the centre piece of the Admiral Brown Memorial Park which is planned for Foxford. Mr. O’Hara stated: “that plans have been made in relation to the development of the Admiral Brown Memorial Park, and that it would be built in Foxford in the near future”. A farewell party took place in Clarke’s Bar on Sunday evening prior to the departure of the Argentine Naval Officers and the Argentine visitors.
In a statement following the conclusion of the weekend’s activities, Mr. O’Hara said he was “very happy, exhausted, but delighted, with the weekend. It was the first attempt to get the Argentineans in Ireland to visit Foxford and it will have great benefits going forward”.
He added: “Our guests had a great time and were very impressed with the Admiral Brown Exhibition and the new stamp. The work done by Mayo County Council this weekend was really a great help and the Admiral Brown Memorial Park is on the agenda, that is the real measure of the success of the weekend. Also the help of the Foxford community, Canon Johnston, P.P., Foxford and Father C. Ginnelly, C.C., Foxford; Eamonn Mangan (Trumpeter), volunteers etc. helped make the weekend such a success.”
It is evident that there is also an enormous interest in the life of Admiral William Brown from author and lecturer Mr. Thomas Hudson, O.B.E., whose biography on General Miller contains a reference to Admiral William Brown. Mr. Hudson was in Foxford on a research assignment for a possible forthcoming book dedicated to the life of Admiral Brown, and his Naval campaigns.
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