Nollaig na mBan

Monday 6 January is traditionally the date on which the Christmas decorations are taken down. In the Christian calendar it marks the end of the Christmas season and the visit of the Magi – the three wise men – to Jesus.

In Ireland the 6 January is also Nollaig na mBan - Women’s Christmas or Little Christmas. It’s a day set aside to celebrate the role of women who did all the work catering for and making Christmas a success for everyone else.  On 6 January the women rested, although in many rural parts of Ireland it was also an occasion for women to come together and socialise.

Ted Howell – Republican

Ted Howell was 77 when he died last Friday. On Tuesday we buried him in Milltown Cemetery in the grave of the love of his life Eileen Duffy. The two of them were devoted to each other. They were married on the 9 October 1972. That night Ted was arrested. Fortunately, his false ID held up and he was released the following morning.  

Eileen was a formidable republican also. She was a hard worker and a champion of west Belfast. Ted and she had two fine sons Eamonn and Proinsias. Sadly, Eileen died in June 2004. Ted visited her grave, sometimes on a daily basis, in the twenty years since her death. 

Francesca Albanese – a champion for truth

2025 begins in the Gaza Strip as it ended in 2024 with the continuation of Israel’s savage assault on a civilian population. One result of Israel’s genocidal war is that 258 United Nations staffers have been killed.

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