Sir, – The article regarding Gabriel Byrne’s complaint about the The Gathering Ireland 2013 initiative (Front page, November 6th) has caused all of us who are engaged in organising Gathering events to be tagged as mercenary scammers and in a most vulgar way.
Mr Byrne’s vulgarities do an injustice to the many voluntary organisations such as our own Gallagher Clan who are involved in reaching out to our Diaspora through their Gathering events. It especially affects us as ours was one of the events showcased at The Gathering Ireland 2013 launch in Dublin Castle in May last.
Our organisation serves all Gallaghers both at home and abroad on a day-to-day basis. The Second Gallagher Global Gathering, being held in Gortahork, Co Donegal, September 6th-14th 2013, will be another contact opportunity on a journey that we have been following for many years through reaching out the hand of friendship to all who may have Gallagher family connections.
The Gallagher Clan remit is to collect, conserve and celebrate the Gallagher heritage.
Our Gallagher Global Gathering involves an invitation to all to come to the original “homeland” which is Co Donegal. For many of those abroad it supplies an opportunity and the framework in which to take the step back across the sea – to make the connection real.
Our event will aid the local economy at an off-season period and we will be delighted with that. However, that is a side issue for us. Our focus is on welcoming all Gallaghers and their friends, on working towards them having a good time and on them going home with great long-lasting memories, whether that be to Belmullet or to Brisbane. No mercenaries are we, we are not involved in a scam – and we don’t need to use vulgarities to say so. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Well done to Gabriel Byrne for telling it like it is about The Gathering.
It is sense, not cynicism, that makes many of us agree with him that it is indeed a scam and a shakedown.
One can see The Gathering as the reverse of the Emma Lazarus poem on the base of the Statue of Liberty. The “huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore” are now invited back “home” long enough to spend their dollars. All major credit cards also accepted. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Whereas I admire Gabriel Byrne’s acting ability, I find his remarks regarding The Gathering utterly offensive and in very bad taste. Is he an Irishman at all? He will be eating “humble pie” at the end of 2013 when we have lovingly welcomed thousands of family and friends home to Ireland. – Yours, etc,