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Tuesday 26 January 2010
Friday 15 January 2010
Humani Darwin Day Dinner
The Humani Darwin Dinner, Friday 12th February, 7 30 for 8 pm, Malone Lodge Hotel, Eglantine Avenue, Belfast. Cost: £22.50 (same as last year). Cheques etc payable to Humanist Association of Northern Ireland and posted to Brian at 25 Riverside Drive, Lisburn, BT27 4HE. It is important that you send the money to him so that he know exactly who has paid and also let him know your INDIVIDUAL menu choices. Payment should be sent beforehand rather than paying on the night (HAI attenders may pay on the night but let him know your menu choice now).
The Speaker is Dr Neil Reid, Queen’s University, Belfast, on
The Importance of Biodiversity and Conservation Science
(2010 is UN International Year of Biodiversity)
Please let me know your choice by e-mail asap (letters only); e.g. BD.
Menu below fold
The Speaker is Dr Neil Reid, Queen’s University, Belfast, on
The Importance of Biodiversity and Conservation Science
(2010 is UN International Year of Biodiversity)
Please let me know your choice by e-mail asap (letters only); e.g. BD.
Menu below fold
Thursday 7 January 2010
Humanist funeral ceremony for Jim Jackson
Condolences to the Jackson family who conducted a Humanist Ceremony for Jim in PortstewartWednesday 6 January 2010
Humanist funeral ceremony for Justin Keating
Posted by Brian
Alan and I attended the funeral of Justin Keating and expressed Humani's condolences to his wife Barbara Hussey. There was a large gathering at his farmhouse in Ballymore Eustace and later at Eadestown Cemetery near Naas.
As well as the family, the mourners included Brian Lenihan, former Taoiseachs Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore, and Pat Rabbitte, Michael D Higgins and Ruairi Quinn. Brian Whiteside of the HAI conducted the ceremony in the house as Justin lay in a sunlit room in a cardboard coffin looking out on a snowy landscape, which echoed with the sounds of cows mooing, horses neighing, hens clucking and dogs barking. His children and grandchildren spoke of a generous and affectionate man who inculcated in them the pleasures of the natural world. Barbara Hussey said that although he made his footprint on earth as light as possible, that did not make him grim. “He loved food and wine and he loved to cook . . . But first and foremost he was a scientist. He liked to say ‘if you show me better, then I must change’ . . . Though he was vehement in anger and didn’t shirk from saying the hard word, either publicly or privately, he was a peacemaker . . . To misquote the poet Whitman: he was large, he contained multitudes". There was singing and flute playing and the house ceremony ended to the strains of Edith Piaf singing 'Je ne regrette rien'.
At the graveside Ruairi Quinn gave the oration, describing how he had held UCD students of 1967 spellbound by his stature, oratory, charm and erudition. Above all, he was a great communicator, who sought to convey a love of truth, justice and comradeship.
RTE reort here
Alan and I attended the funeral of Justin Keating and expressed Humani's condolences to his wife Barbara Hussey. There was a large gathering at his farmhouse in Ballymore Eustace and later at Eadestown Cemetery near Naas.
As well as the family, the mourners included Brian Lenihan, former Taoiseachs Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore, and Pat Rabbitte, Michael D Higgins and Ruairi Quinn. Brian Whiteside of the HAI conducted the ceremony in the house as Justin lay in a sunlit room in a cardboard coffin looking out on a snowy landscape, which echoed with the sounds of cows mooing, horses neighing, hens clucking and dogs barking. His children and grandchildren spoke of a generous and affectionate man who inculcated in them the pleasures of the natural world. Barbara Hussey said that although he made his footprint on earth as light as possible, that did not make him grim. “He loved food and wine and he loved to cook . . . But first and foremost he was a scientist. He liked to say ‘if you show me better, then I must change’ . . . Though he was vehement in anger and didn’t shirk from saying the hard word, either publicly or privately, he was a peacemaker . . . To misquote the poet Whitman: he was large, he contained multitudes". There was singing and flute playing and the house ceremony ended to the strains of Edith Piaf singing 'Je ne regrette rien'.
At the graveside Ruairi Quinn gave the oration, describing how he had held UCD students of 1967 spellbound by his stature, oratory, charm and erudition. Above all, he was a great communicator, who sought to convey a love of truth, justice and comradeship.
RTE reort here
Sunday 3 January 2010
He's not the Messiah, he's just a naughty boy!
Michael Nugent of atheist.ie writes
From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine.
In response, we have published a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern.
You can read the quotes on the website here
Happy New Year.
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