The Gathering

The Gathering is an Irish Government tourism initiative in 2013, aimed at attracting visitors to the country. Its main appeal is to anyone with an Irish heritage to re-connect with their roots and celebrate their heritage. It should also appeal to anyone with an affinity to the country. It is intended that festivals, sports, musical events, and various organisations, clubs, schools, colleges and families will organise special events to bring people together. In addition, it is intended that visitors will explore ancestral places as well as experiencing Irish hospitality, culture and heritage. It is hoped that bonds can be established with new generations. The idea came from the Global Irish Economic Forum held in Dublin in 2009.

This forum had two main objectives: to explore ways in which Ireland can develop better relationships with the extended Irish family around the world, and provide opportunities for them to help with current economic difficulties. It is estimated that the size of the Irish diaspora is about seventy million.

The Gathering is an opportunity for people to trace their Irish roots. This can be a daunting task for some. However, every person can make a start. A person could start by writing about himself/herself, his/her siblings, parents, and grandparents. Such information would generate some queries and make an Irish visit even more interesting, as well as exploring the many treasures of the country.

Further information on the Gathering can be obtained as follows:

www.thegatheringireland.com

Twitter@GatheringIRL

www. facebook.com/the gatheringireland

Bernard O'Hara's latest book entitled Killasser: Heritage of a Mayo Parish is now on sale in the USA and UK as a paperback book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or Barnes and Noble

It is also available as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).

An earlier publication, a concise biography of Michael Davitt, entitled Davitt by Bernard O’Hara published in 2006 by Mayo County Council , is now available as Davitt: Irish Patriot and Father of the Land League by Bernard O’Hara, which was published in the USA by Tudor Gate Press (www.tudorgatepress.com) and is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. It can be obtained as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).