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In anticipation of the early March 2003 trip to Ireland for the Twinning Ceremony with Aranmore, County Donegal, Ireland and Beaver Island, MI, USA, we have created a quick web site and forum. Our intent is to share as much information as possible to make the trip as enjoyable as possible for everyone who makes the journey or, perhaps, who waits for us to arrive. You are invited to submit anything that you feel is useful or of interest to the rest of the people making the trip. Click here to jump to the 2003 Ireland Trip Web Site. Or Click here to visit or post a note on the Ireland Trip Forum. Previous Story: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prior to leaving Charlevoix, this writer, who had foolishly gone over to meet the group, got a chance to exchange stories with some of them. One man was asked what he was going to do when he got to Beaver Island, to which he quickly replied, "Party like a rock star." He didn't get much of a chance to party on the trip over however! Upon leaving the channel I asked Mike if it was the same one we had come in because the conditions were very much changed. At times during the crossing there were seas as big as twelve feet. All this happened in four hours time, since there wasn't a wave when we arrived at Charlevoix. The trip actually took 3 hours and 20 minutes! It was rough! This basically was the tenor of the whole weekend.
Everyone disembarked and made their way to the motels or homes they were assigned, to freshen up (and brush their teeth). They were all greeted at the Hall by an enthusiastic group of Beaver Islanders anxious to hear about Arranmore. Soon the rest of the gang who were flown in arrived. All sat down and enjoyed a great meal sponsored by the Altar Society. Posters by Bill Gillespie were sold to raise money for the public playground; they were nicely done, depicting both Arranmore and Beaver Islands in the background with each community's lighthouse and ferry boat(s). They were also adorned with pictures of Mary Bert (Boyle) McDonough and Lucille (Gillespie) Osborne, both of whom passed away this year at 96 years of age and were descendants of Arranmore. Complimentary posters were given to our guests.
Many stayed right to the end, and some were just played out from a long day's ride on the bus. Some even stayed out 'til 4:30 in the morning! Everyone had a great time. On Saturday, the tours began. This writer doesn't know much about that; he was shanghied to provide a private tour for Dale Cull, Patsy Sweeney, Michael Boyle, Tony (the Post) Gallagher and his wife, Dominick Gallagher and Tony (Achille Man) Gallagher. This tour started out pretty innocently but later turned into the funniest excursion of the trip. Between Dale Cull and myself we told every story (or lie) that we could possibly think of and kept our guests in stitches or wondering what rock we had climbed out from. Then the Achille man started. He claimed to be from religious royalty (actually he told us he was a direct descendant of Father Peter Gallagher who was Beaver Island's first priest). Well, we lit into him! At every turn we started asking for his blessing or his approval, or whatever, and he was only too glad to oblige. There is no question that it became one of those "had to be there scenarios", but take my word for it, it was very, very funny.
After the museums and Jerry's it was time for the "twinning" ceremony, which was switched from the point to the (very) recently named "Arranmore Park," which is on the site of the power plant overlooking the bay that was torn down this year. The St. James Township board took action Wednesday evening prior to this event and made the park "official." My father who ran that power plant for 45 years couldn't have been prouder and I wish he had been here to witness the whole thing. Township
Anthony Gallagher (commonly known as "Tony the Post", Arranmore postmaster) gave a speech in Gaelic (Irish) followed by an English translation (thank God, or we would still be scratching our heads). After that the drape was pulled from a sign made from lumber from "Paud Een Og's" farm, which was engraved with the name and date of the dedication. Members of the youngest of the Islands did the honors, Kaitlyn Boyle (daughter of Neal and Connie) and Bailey McDonough representing Beaver Island and a charming young lass representing Arranmore. Then everyone dispatched for cocktails or to freshen up for the evening.
At that point it was off to the "Beachcomber Tavern" for the balance of the evening. The place was just packed with people (keep in mind, the Phil Gregg roast was going on at the Parish Hall; this writer regrets not getting up there to tell a tale or two). Our Irish friends picked up rather quickly on the "Beaver Island Stomp," and entertained us all with some of their fancy dance steps. Ed Palmer and the boys did a great job of providing authentic music. Many of the Arranmore singers again performed, thrilling the large crowd. When that place closed down, and after I had rejected the notion of a gathering at my house, many descended on Kathy Maudries until 6:00 in the morning. I am told they sang "The Green Fields of France" two hundred and seven times, followed by my sister Julie introducing them to the "Chinaman Song" which was taught to all Gillespie kids at a very young age. My father learned it from a Scottish man who lived on High Island during the House of David era. This man was a pipefitter and helped to put the boilers in the Titanic, singing this all the while. Sunday morning (for those who got out of the sack), Father Martin Doohan and Father Patrick Cawley said mass. Father Doohan said much of the mass in Gaelic, followed by a presentation for the Donegal County Council commemorating the "twinning." At 11:00 am our friends collected on the Emerald Isle for departure, not before joining in singing, "It's A Long Way To Beaver Island", "Old Lang Syne", and the "Irish National Anthem." As the ferry pulled away from the dock there was an Arranmore man on the port side stern waving the Red, White and Blue and another on the starboard corner waving the Orange, White and Green. There were few dry eyes on the dock. A fitting close to a remarkable weekend. And to think this all happened in roughly thirty-six hours!!
The significance of the weekend to those of us who still cling to this heritage is hard to describe. I only wish that people of my father's generation, and Mary Bert and Aunt Lucille and many, many others, could have been here to see this happen. People with roots and remembrances of the actual emigrants. That is the only way I could see this event being any better. Be that as it may, there were friendships forged and relationships rediscovered that would have been lost with time. For that we are all grateful to a long list of people who worked on this event, sadly too many to mention. There is a reciprocal "twinning" being planned, perhaps for next May. For those interested in being on a mailing list (e-mail only) please respond to this writer. Slainte', Rich Gillespie
A note from Charlie McGinley, one of our visitors from Arranmore, reflecting on the visit to Beaver Island Approaching Beaver Island from the air we were enthralled by the magnificent spectacle of mother nature presenting her annual autumnal art exhibition, the trees ablaze with a symphony of russet colours -- in stark contrast to the practically treeless Arranmore. From the first handshake we were enveloped by the wonderful, sincere generosity of our Beaver Island hosts. Each one of our group was adamant that their host family was the most hospitable on the island. They were wrong of course -mine was ! We were adopted by Helen Mc Pike, ably assisted by Sandy and Pete. Her beautiful home ("Grandma's Place" ) nestled in the woods, would be an ideal setting for a fairytale. The interior, so tastefully furnished, informs any visitor that this is not a house but rather a real home where even pieces of furniture have stories to tell. We were also invited to view the Mary Duffy house that has been so tastefully renovated by her daughter Kay Masini. She has achieved a perfect blend of youth and age, combining memorabilia and items from her childhood with more modern décor, achieving an effect of simple homey elegance. It should be made compulsory viewing for people who build holiday homes on the island, in the hope that it may influence their construction plans. On Friday night we were invited to the church center to meet other Beaver Island folk. What an occasion that was! It was like greeting old friends .The uncanny thing for me was that some of these people bore a striking resemblance to people on Arranmore .Each family provided a dish or dishes for the buffet table that no hotel anywhere could match for choice or quality. We may have made only one visit to Beaver Island but we made several return trips to that table! It was so obvious to us that you folks have a wonderful sense of community spirit from the presence of the children at the function to the infrequent use of surnames. Everybody seems to be on first name terms. Island people are unique the world over and quite often are not conscious of it. Mainlanders have access to many services that are denied to islanders so that they set about mastering those skills for themselves and become expert in adapting things to suit their needs and circumstances. They dictate the pace of their lifestyle and are not slaves to deadlines enabling them to live longer and enjoy better lifestyles. Longevity is something that they take for granted. A story is told about a hundred year old man who lived on a small island off the coast of Donegal being interviewed by a local radio station. The reporter asked him to what did he attribute his long life? The senior citizen replied "I suppose that you could put it down to the fact that I never died ! Children attending island schools seem to achieve better grades than their corresponding mainland students. I learned that the same is true of Beaver Island pupils. It would make a fascinating research project to determine why this is so. Many people who came to live on islands ,after a certain length of time, considered themselves to be "Islanders"! God love their innocence! Real islanders will for the sake of peace tolerate this misconception but when the chips are down or a dispute of a serious nature arises they will unceremoniously be reminded of their true status. On Arranmore they will be reminded that they are "Blow-ins" and on our twin island on lake Michigan the "Fudgies" will be told the same! Nobody has ever been able to tell me how long this period of apprenticeship takes. The answer lies somewhere between years and generations! The twinning ceremony on Saturday afternoon was devoid of any pomp or ceremony and was all the more meaningful and sincere for it. It was an emotional occasion for many families from the two islands.I wonder if any of the original emigrants, ever, in their wildest dreams could imagine such an event taking place ? It was so appropriate that the actual unveiling ceremony was performed by the children. They are the perfect bond between the past and the future. Our Sunday morning departure from Beaver was an occasion of mixed emotions, glad that we came and sad to be leaving. In it's own ironic way it reflected the reason we came. On a pier in Arranmore, many generations ago, people assembled on many occasions. to bid a heartbroken farewell to loved members of their families who were heading across the Atlantic to a new life in America ,knowing that they would never see them again .We are of a different era and know that we can meet again -and the sooner the better. We look forward to the day when the Arranmore ferry approaches the island carrying a large group from Beaver Island coming back to their roots. Maybe we can learn "It’s a long way to Beaver Island" and sing it to you as you land just as you sang it to us as we bade you a tearful farewell. Until that day, dear friends, we say slan to you and in the words of an old Irish prayer -" Until we meet again, may the good Lord keep you safe in the palm of His Hand ". Charley mcGinley.
A few pictures taken during the visit
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rranmore Celebration and Twinning 
