One of the most fascinating aspects of artistic creation involves the mysterious origins of inspiration. Some artists claim their works are inspired by an elusive muse, while others claim the subconscious mind is responsible for coming up with ideas. Beyond conventional explanations, however, some artists have fueled their creative sparks from otherworldly sources.

This list considers the eerie and transcendent inspirations that fueled ten remarkable works of art, ranging from modern progressive rock to 20th-century poetry. What links these 10 creations is the assertion by their creators that otherworldly spirits were summoned to collaborate in the act of artistic expression.

Related: 10 Strange Stories From Americas Spiritualist Craze

The Mars Volta devised a story about their fourth album, The Bedlam in Goliath, which might be real or mere fabrication. Allegedly, while on holiday, member Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta purchased a Ouija board that he called the Soothsayer while at a Jerusalem curio shop. The band soon implemented the board into their post-show wind-down process. Soon after, the band was visited nightly by the same spirit called Goliath. The subsequent album, The Bedlam in Goliath, reflects the bands interactions with Goliath.

When the band was recording the new album, the Ouija boards messages turned scary. Not only did the studio flood, but various equipment also malfunctioned. These foreboding events overshadowed the albums creation. An engineer working on the album later expressed concerns about its production, believing the band was attempting to capture something malevolent.

To remove the negative effects of the Ouija board and the associated curse, guitarist and songwriter Rodriguez-Lopez broke the board in half and buried it in a remote location. The band also included traps in the albums songs to reverse the perceived ill fortunes associated with the cursed board.[1]

James Merrill created one of the most ambitious modern poems, The Changing Light at Sandover, by writing a seventeen-thousand-line-long poem with the help of a Ouija board. The spirits Merrill communicated with were described as droll and aesthetic, with a tendency for whimsical speculation.

The poem was created with Merrill acting as the scribe and his lover, David Jackson, serving as the hand. The poems first book, The Book of Ephraim, is organized alphabetically, while the books second volume, Mirabell: Book of Numbers, is arranged numerically. The books third volume, Scripts for the Pageant, is divided into three sections: Yes, &, and No. Merrill incorporated fragments of spirit speech into his poems, blurring the line between reality and fantasy in his poetry.[2]

Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, both renowned poets and novelists, were not only celebrated for their literary contributions but are also remembered for their fascination with the paranormal. Using an overturned brandy glass as a planchette and a ring of letters placed on a table, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes utilized a handmade Ouija board for inspiration. The couples usual spirit guide, Pan, addressed a range of topics, including the spirits favorite poems by each poet, what the couple should name their children, and even what publisher would print Plaths next book.

While some scholars have suggested that Hughes might have suggested the use of a Ouija board, both Hughes and Plath engaged in an interaction with the alleged spirit. In one 1958 journal entry, Plath even described the Ouija experience as more enjoyable than watching a movie.

These interactions with the alleged spirit inspired countless Plath poems, including Ouija and Dialogue over a Ouija Board, which involves a conversation between a couple about channeling and explores the nature of channeling and its impact on real people in a real room. Some scholars have also suggested the Ouija board let Plath temporarily shut out external influences and focus on her inner creative voice.[3]

Jap Herron is a novel that was written by Emily Grant Hutchings, a novelist born in 1870. Published in 1917, Grant Hutchings claimed the novel was the result of channeling Mark Twain from beyond the grave using a Ouija board. Grant Hutchings had corresponded with Twain 15 years earlier. During their exchange of letters, the alleged spirit of Twain gave her advice and wrote in one of her letters, Idiot! Must preserve.

Grant Hutchings and a female friend began receiving messages from Twain in 1915 when playing with the Ouija board at a spiritualist meeting in St. Louis. Experimenting with occult techniques was not uncommon at the time. The novel borrows heavily from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as attempts, and by most accounts fails, at humor reminiscent of Twain.

Twains daughter, Clara Clemens, was especially upset by the book and even pursued the matter in court with the publishers, Harper and Brothers, who for over a decade had owned the sole right to Twains works. The case, however, never went to trial because Hutchings agreed to stop publishing the work and destroy any copies that she could locate. As a result, surviving copies of Jap Herron are difficult to find.[4]

An early 20th-century artist, Pearl Curran is best remembered for her alleged interaction with a 17th-century spirit referred to as Patience Worth. Born in 1883, at the age of 13, Curran experienced a nervous collapse and dropped out of school. Then, in 1933, Curran and her friend, Emily Grant Hutchings, began experimenting with a Ouija board. The two claimed to have contacted the spirit of Worth. Currans home soon became a gathering place for people who wanted to witness her interact with Worth through the Ouija board. Curran transcribed Worths messages, sometimes at the rate of 1,500 words an hour.

Under the influence of Worth, Curran wrote several novels, including The Sorry Tale, which was published in 1917. This novel is set during the time of Christ and focuses on one of the thieves who was crucified beside Jesus. Worth also authored poetry, prose, and plays under the alleged inspiration of Worth. After her husbands death, Curran was left to support herself and her children, which caused her to travel around the country providing demonstrations with her Ouija board.

While some people believed Currans claim of divine inspiration, others questioned the authenticity of these writings and whether Currans own creative abilities and subconscious mind were responsible for the work rather than the supernatural. Strangely, Currans writings inspired by Worth displayed an extensive knowledge of historical details, raising the question of how Curran would have possessed such knowledge.[5]

Channeled by Jane Roberts from 1963 to 1984, The Seth Material has significantly influenced many New Age works. In the early 1960s, Roberts and her husband used a Ouija board to research extrasensory perception. The couple, however, soon began receiving coherent messages from a male spirit, Seth.

Later, Seth communicated through Jane while she was in a trance. For over twenty years, Roberts held sessions where she conveyed Seths teachings. From the late 1960s until Roberts died in the 1980s, she offered small psychic classes and public channeling sessions in her home.

The teachings stress that consciousness shapes matter and that individuals create their own reality through their beliefs and expectations. Seth also revealed that he had once lived in a lost civilization, Lumania, and was reborn in the legendary lost city of Atlantis. Seth also allegedly performed paranormal feats, including transforming Robertss hand into an animal paw and appearing occasionally as a tall, robed apparition.[6]

One of the best-known Irish poets and playwrights, William Butler Yeats, is also remembered for his interest in the mystical, along with his literary contributions. Published in 1925, A Vision is a nuanced work that explores metaphysics, spirituality, and the supernatural. The book explores a series of automatic writings and mystical occurrences experienced by Yeats and his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees.

Using channeling to write the book, Yeats believed that he had tapped into a higher realm of knowledge and transcended ordinary human understanding. A Vision is divided into two parts: the Phases of the Moon and the Mask, with each section presenting a unique perspective on the human journey, historical cycle, and the interplay of opposites in the universe.[7]

In an unpublished 1970 James Bond novel, the author of Take Over: A James Bond Thriller claimed the work was written by the spirit of Ian Fleming six years after Flemings death. The mysterious author, known only as Mrs. A, was the deceased sister of a retired bank officer who lived in Hertfordshire, England. Mrs. A. had dictated the work longhand from the alleged spirit of Ian Fleming. The woman also claimed to write works channeled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Edgar Wallace, and George Bernard Shaw.

Mr. As presence was first noted in October 1970, when he wrote to Flemings brother, Peter, offering some unusual news about the author. Mr. A. asked to meet Flemings brother, who hesitantly agreed to do so. Despite his skepticism, Flemings brother agreed to read the manuscript, which was written in a tone vastly unlike Ian Flemings other work. Few details are known about the plot other than it involves a poisonous gas that allows users to take over the world.

Flemings brother later grilled Mr. As daughter, who could not recall how many children Flemings brother had, their names, or their gender. Despite his skepticism and deciding Ian Fleming was not involved in writing the work, Peter Fleming remained fascinated with the manuscript and claimed that the author was trustworthy.[8]

The 19th-century work A Dweller on Two Planets is a work about the fabled city of Atlantis. The book was allegedly channeled by Frederick S. Oliver, who claimed he was directed to write it by a spirit called Phylos. Oliver claimed that Phylos began sharing spiritual messages with the man when he was only 17. The channeled writings became such a preoccupation of Olivers that the mans parents planned to even have him treated for approaching imbecility. In 1884, Oliver finally began writing down Phyloss channeled stories.

Even though Oliver completed the book in 1886, A Dweller on Two Planets was first published in 1905 by Fredericks mother following Olivers death. The book is divided into two sections: the first describes Phyloss 11,160 BC Atlantean incarnations, and the second telling is of Phyloss California gold rush incarnation as Walter Pierson.[9]

This five-volume work about the life of Jesus was written in the 1940s by an Italian woman, Maria Valtorta. The poem offers additional narratives about parts of Jesus life that are not described in the Gospels. Valtorta claimed to be the secretary of Jesus and Mary and stated that her poem was divinely inspired by Jesus life, even though the Catholic Church has rejected this claim. Despite its heretical nature, the poem has gained many readers. The work was even included in the Index of Forbidden Books until the index was abolished in the 1960s.

When she was 32, Valtorta was attacked and beaten by a mugger, from which she never fully recovered. After 1933, Valrotra was left unable to leave her bed. After first receiving dictations on Good Friday, 1943, Valtorta handed in 10,000 handwritten pages four years later to Father Romauld Migliorini, who gave them to another religious leader who bound them. The workers were later brought to Cardinal Augustin Bea, S.J., who was the spiritual director of Pope Pius XII. Despite initial confidence in papal approval, the Holy Office condemned the work in 1949, but it was still published in 1956.[10]

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10 Unusual Works Allegedly Channeled from Beyond the Grave - Listverse

Date Event Outline Start Time Hosted by Ticketing / Booking Saturday 18th November 2023 Lightfest Fireworks & Live Music Carlow Town Hall Car Park hosted by Carlow County Council Join us for an evening of family fun which includes live Music , turning on the Lights , Food Stalls , Facepainting and Live Music concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display 4pm Carlow County Council Eventbrite Sunday 19th November 2023 Dorothy DoLittles Magical Adventure Puppet Show With the help of magic DoLot dust, Dorothy goes on a magical adventure to the land of the DoLots in this beautiful piece by Call Back. 3pm Visual Visual Box Office Tuesday 21st November 2023 Creative Crafts for Adults 11am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and learn how to make your own fabric flower which can be used as a brooch or to accessorise your bag, hat, scarf or jumper 22nd November 2023 25th November 2023 Carlow Little Theatre presents The Steward of Christendom 7.30pm Visual Visual Box Office Carlow Little Theatre Society are delighted to be returning to the stage of the George Bernard Shaw Theatre this coming November, with their production of Sebastian Barrys The Steward Of Christendom, a profoundly moving story of family, love and loss. Sunday 26th November 2023 ABBA FOREVER 2023 TOUR 8.00pm Visual Visual Box Office The smash hit show ABBA FOREVER is returning to VISUAL & The George Bernard Shaw Theatre Carlow this November for one night only! Friday 1st December 2023 George Michael Tribute Live 2023 8pm Visual Visual Box Office George.. The Essential Collection, Promises To Captivate The Audience And Leave Them Wanting More. Saturday 2nd December 2023 Christmas Craft Fun for Kids 7+ 10am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library for a Christmas Themed Craft Workshop and create your very own Christmas Snowman Tea Light Saturday 2nd December 2023 Christmas Craft Fun for Kids 7+ 11.15am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library for a Christmas Themed Craft Workshop and create your very own Christmas Decorations which will add sparkle to the Christmas Tree Saturday 2nd December 2023 Wibbly Wobbly Wendy does Christmas 11am Bagenalstown Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Bagenalstown Library to meet Wibbly Wobbly Wendy who is all excited about Christmas for a Christmas Storytime, Optional to wear your Christmas Costume! Saturday 2nd December 2023 Rathvilly GAA Annual Christmas Fair & Fireworks 6pm Rathvilly GAA Rathvilly GAA Facebook Crafts, Music & Fireworks a event not to be missed Saturday 2nd December 2023 Pat & Faye Shortt Knuckle Down 8pm Visual Visual Box Office This father and daughter comedy duo have come together once again and are selling out venues across the country with their new show Knuckle Down. Sunday 3rd December 2023 CRYS Jingle Bell Jog 11.30am Carlow Regional Youth Services Pop Up Races Carlow Regional Youth Service are hosting our popoular Jing Bell Jog. It is on Sunday 3rd December 2023, starting at the Barrow Track @ 11:30 Sunday 3rd December 2023 Cash Returns Show 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Europes no.1 Johnny Cash & June Carter tribute are back Monday 4th December 2023 Creative Christmas Crafts for Adults 11am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and unleash your creativity by creating your very own Christmas Star which will add sparkle to your home or tree Wednesday 6th December 2023 The Exchange Christmas Food, Drink & Craft Fair 2pm-8pm The Exchange, Potato Market , Carlow No Booking Food, Drink & Craft Fair to all the Family Thursday 7th December 2023 Friday 8th December 2023 The Student Exchange Christmas Craft Fair Local Enterprise Office Student Enterprise Programme 11am-3pm The Exchange, Potato Market , Carlow No Booking 2nd Level Schools from Across County Carlow provide a variety of festive crafts and local products and services Thursday 7th December 2023 Phil Coulter Four Score & Then 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Having clocked up a major milestone last year, some commentators may have assumed that his Phil Coulter at Eighty national tour was a sort of lap of honour, a last hurrah for his followers. Wrong! Friday 8th December 2023 enCRe Live In Concert 2023 8pm Visual Visual Box Office Join enCRe as they embark on their first solo concert premiering at the George Bernard Shaw Theatre at VISUAL Carlow Saturday 9th December 2023 Wibbly Wobbly Wendy does Christmas 10.30am Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library to meet Santa and his Elf, Wibbly Wobbly Wendy for a fun festive morning, Optional to wear your Christmas Costume! Saturday 9th December 2023 Lightfest Tullow Fireworks & Family Event hosted by Carlow County Council in association with St. Patricks GAA TBC Carlow County Council / St. Patricks GAA Tullow Eventbrite Join us for an evening of family fun which includes Music , Food Stalls , Facepainting concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display Sunday 10th December 2023 Thursday 14th December 2023 Bouceland with Santa at the Exchange Various Carlow County Council Eventbrite Visit Santa for Free and enjoy 45 minutes of Bouceland at the Exchange Sunday 10th December 2023 Lightfest Bagenalstown Fireworks & Family Event hosted by BIG & Bagenalstown Area Chamber of Commerce TBC Bagenalstown GAA Grounds Eventbrite Join us for an evening of family fun which includes Music , Food Stalls , Facepainting concluding with the skies coming to life with an amazing fireworks display Wednesday 13th December 2023 Christmas Carol Service 6pm Tullow Library No Booking Come along to Tullow Library for a Miscellany of Christmas Carols with the reknowned Regina Hanley & Friends and raise the roof with Christmas song and enjoy a mince pie! Wedensdat 13th December 2023 Sunday 17th December 2023 Jack and the Beanstalk Various Visual Visual Box Office The team at Striking Productions returns this year to the Kingdom of Barrowvale with this years panto, Jack and the Beanstalk Friday 15th December 2023 Christmas Lunchtime Musical with Carlow College of Music 1pm Carlow Library Email[emailprotected] Come along to Carlow Library and join students of Carlow College of Music for a Christmas Themed Concert which will get that Christmas cheer going! Thursday 21st December 2023 Friday 22nd December 2023 A Christmas Carol 7pm Visual Visual Box Office A Christmas Carol is Aaron Monaghan and Bryan Burroughs playful, physical storytelling, stage adaptation of Charles Dickens much lovednovella.

Excerpt from:
Lightfest kicks off festive season in Carlow - Carlow Nationalist

The Herald-News presents this weeks Pets of the Week. Read the description of each pet to find out about it, including where it can be adopted in Will County.

Send Pets of the Week submissions to news@theheraldnews.com. Photos should be in .jpg file format, 200 dpi and sent as email attachments. Submissions are subject to editing for length, style and grammar and run as space is available.

Tyson is a 3-year-old, 70-pound terrier mix with a huge heart. He loves to play and go on walks. Tyson is outgoing and likes to meet new people. He also is good with other dogs. He needs a home without cats. To meet Tyson, email Dogadoption@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org.

Tyson is a 3-year-old, 70-pound terrier mix with a huge heart. He loves to play and go on walks. Tyson is outgoing and likes to meet new people. He is also good with other dogs. He needs a home without cats. To meet Tyson, email Dogadoption@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org. (Photo provided by NAWS Humane Society of Illinois)

Marigold is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair that was rescued with her kittens from southern Illinois. Now that her kittens have found forever homes, Marigold needs her happy ending too. She is friendly and has a sweet little meow. She loves to play, and she enjoys being a lap cat. She seeks out attention and enjoys pets. Marigold has done well with other cats and should be fine with kitty siblings if given a proper introduction. To meet Marigold, email Catadoptions@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org.

Marigold is a 5-year-old domestic shorthair that was rescued with her kittens from southern Illinois. Now that her kittens have found forever homes, Marigold needs her happy ending too. She is friendly and has a sweet little meow. She loves to play, and she enjoys being a lap cat. She seeks out attention and enjoys pets. Marigold has done well with other cats and should be fine with kitty siblings if given a proper introduction. To meet Marigold, email Catadoptions@nawsus.org. Visit nawsus.org. (Photo provided by NAWS Humane Society of Illinois)

Marlo is a large pit bull/Saint Bernard mix that is goofy and playful. She has tons of energy, loves to play with balls and is very strong. Marlo needs an active and strong owner. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process.

Marlo is a large pit bull/Saint Bernard mix who is goofy and playful. She has tons of energy, loves to play with balls, and is very strong. Marlo needs an active and strong owner. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process. (Photo provided by Sue Newcomb Visual Arts)

Freddy is a domestic shorthaired kitten who came in as a stray with his littermates. He has tested positive for FIV. However, with excellent care, many FIV cats live normal lives. Please give this guy a forever home. Contact the Will County Humane Society at willcountyhumane.com and follow the instructions for the adoption process.

Freddy is a domestic shorthaired kitten who came in as a stray with his littermates. He has tested positive for FIV. However, with excellent care, many FIV cats live normal lives. Please give this guy a forever home. (Photo provided by Sue Newcomb Visual Arts)

Link:
Pets of the Week: Nov. 13, 2023 Shaw Local - Shaw Local

The Cruising Group can often emerge as the backbone of any sailing club, particularly in the winter. Back in the day when the new Howth Yacht Club premises opened in March 1987, fresh concepts were needed to ensure that the large building was well used on a year-round basis. Gary McGuire was the founding-convenor for this then-novel concept (in Howth anyway) of a weekly winter gathering of cruising folk, supported in turn by rallies and cruises-in-company of all lengths in summer.

Today, it continues to thrive, the largest single grouping in the club, and an active user of all aspects of its clubhouse/marina complex. So when you get a request to introduce a speaker to Cruising Group people with this level of enthusiasm and dedication, it merits some thought and more. Certainly this was the case recently when I got the call, from HYCs current convenor Susan Kavanagh and her predecessor Gerry ONeill, to give the word on Limericks lone sailor Pat Lawless.

The son of a world sailor, Pat Lawless of Limerick is part of a remarkably innovative areas unrivalled sailing heritage

He was coming to provide what proved to be a packed house with the full insight to himself, and his familys multi-generational interaction with the sea and particularly its oceans. Almost immediately it was clear that, as everyone already knows a bit - while some know a lot - about Pat, and his involvement with the Golden Globe sailing the Saga 36 Green Rebel, there might be more point on the night to introduce him by giving some attention to his home area and the Limerick sailing scene which shaped his devotion to the oceans.

Pat Lawless solo-sailing his Saga 36 Green Rebel

It was a real light-bulb moment. For the slightest bit of thought suggests that Limerick, combined with the Shannon Estuary below it and Lough Derg above, make up Irelands Number 1 sailing area in terms of significant individual achievement, and in pioneering and innovation, both in sailing itself, and in its organisation.

And this Limerick Roll of Honour is not just history its the here and now. For Id argue that the greatest single achievement in Irish sailing in the 21st Century at both national and international level is still the clear overall victory by Ger ORourke - of Limerick and the Royal Western YC of Ireland at Kilrush in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race, for this was very much an individual super-success by a notably determined, failure is not an option owner-skipper.

It rounded out his achievement record with his Cookson 50 Chieftain, which was extensively family cruised oceanic and coastal - between bouts of racing which included a class win in the Sydney-Hobart race, and a second overall in the Transatlantic Race.

Limerick, Youre A Lady Ger ORourkes Chieftain approaching the finish line for total victory in the 2007 Fastnet Race

Its all enhanced by knowing that Ger was introduced to sailing in a very Limerick way. He was chatting with Gary McMahon as they and a group of similar free-thinking spirits gently eased themselves into the weekend with a couple of Thursday night pints in one of those very special pubs which are a Limerick speciality. When everyone dutifully headed for home at a responsible hour, Ger asked Gary if hed see him again the following night.

But Gary said not, as hed be taking his boat down the Estuary to her summer berth. So Ger said hed like to have a go at this sailing game, and could he come too? And that was that the Limerick man who so totally dominated the 2007 Fastnet Race was introduced to sailing by the sea-experienced Limerick acquaintance who - four years after Chieftains mighty Fastnet win - was finally to see the launching at Oldcourt above Baltimore of the fully-restored 56ft ketch Ilen of 1926 vintage, and Conor OBrien and Shannon Estuary fame.

The restored trading ketch Ilen in Greenland in July 2019 under Gary Mac Mahons command. Photo: Gary Mac Mahon

But of course, any discussion of the long history of recreational sailing in Ireland will inevitably attribute its origins partly to the fleet of pleasure boats kept by The Maguire Hugh the Hospitable on Lough Erne in the 16th and early 17th Century, and then come on very strongly with the clearly recorded foundation of the Water Club of the Harbour of Cork in 1720, and agree it was Cork that did it.

But it was a Limerick and Shannonside man who brought it to Cork. Murrough OBrien (1614-1673), 1st Earl of Inchiquin, was an OBrien of Dromoland who somehow emerged from a trail of destruction on the winning side during each phase of the Munster wars in the 1640s. But when his luck finally ran out, he went to France and served with such distinction in the French army that after a successful campaign of conquest into Spain, he was made Governor of Catalonia.

Soldier of fortune and misfortune. Limericks Murrough OBrien brought recreational sailing to Cork Harbour in the 1660s

When the run of luck ran out on that too, he threw in his lot with the exiled Court of Englands King Charles II in the Netherlands, where they were passing the time until Cromwell popped his clogs in England with several activities, including the novel Dutch sport of recreational sailing. OBrien took a special fancy to this, and when Charles II was restored in 1660 and returned to London, OBrien re-collared much of the OBrien land in Ireland and went back there, bringing his sailing interest back with him.

But because he still had so many enemies around the Shannon Estuary, he made his base at Rostellan Castle on the eastern side of Cork Harbour, which conveniently enabled him to have the occasional sail for the pure pleasure of it. Yet when he died in 1673, his will stipulated that he was to be buried in St Marys Cathedral, so they got him back there in the Shannonside city whether they wanted him or not.

Yachts of the 1720-founded Water Club on fleet manoeuvres off Cork as painted by Peter Monamy in 1738. Image: RCYC

Meanwhile back in Rostellan his descendants continued sailing with such increasing interest that when the Water Club was established in 1720, the fourth Earl of Inchiquin Murroughs great-grandson was the founding Admiral. And though in the 1800s the Rostellan Inichiquin OBriens returned to Dromoland Castle as the Thomond branch there had run our of heirs, back in Cork the OBriens continued to be prominent in sailing to such an numerous extent that one branch re-spelled their name as OBryen, with the Cork Harbour-based Henry OBryen becoming Irelands most successful racing skipper in the 1860s, his successes including winning the mould-breaking Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race in 1860.

But by that time the Shannon Estuary itself had seen some remarkable flourishes of sailing. A regatta at Kilrush in 1828 which drew in boats and skippers from as far south as west Kerry in the form of Daniel OConnnell, The Liberator, from Derrynane, and his Uncle Maurice from Cahirsiveen, arrived to augment the growing locally-based fleet at Kilrush, and from that the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland was formed, a good two years before any sort of club was established at Kingstown in the East Coast.

That said, the Northern Yacht Club on Belfast Lough had been in being since 1820, but by 1838 it had transferred all its focus across channel to the Clyde becoming the wholly Scottish Royal Northern Yacht Club

The Royal Western of Ireland thrived as a moveable feast, with Stations at Kilrush and Tralee. But Kilrush remained the main base, and in 1838 there were eighteen substantial yachts based there, while others were to be found in various estuary anchorages in 1837 the Knight of Glin had taken his south-shore based yacht Rienvella to Galway Bay to contest sailings Galway Plate, and won.

Glin Castle with the Shannon Estuary beyond. In 1837, the Knight of Glin took his yacht Rienvella to Galway Bay and won sailings Galway Plate

But while slowly growing overall prosperity seemed to guarantee a bright future for west coast sailing, the Great Famine of 1845-1848 wiped it out, and just about everything else with it. The pleasure boats were left to rot, or else withdrew to the east coast, and the Royal Western briefly had a life as an east coast club, until the Model Yacht Club emerged from among its few younger members in 1857, and from that emerged the Corinthian-promoting Royal Alfred Yacht Club on Dublin Bay in 1870.

Meanwhile, what was left of the old Royal Western of Ireland was taken over by the buccaneering Scottish entrepreneur John Arnott in Cork to find a new base in Cobh. But even that didnt seem to work, and it was supposedly wound up there in 1870, but many years later it was shown that such was not the case.

Daniel OConnell meanwhile had not lost interest entirely, for before he set out in 1847 for his desperate famine pilgrimage to Rome - from which he did not return alive - he was one of a small group who revived the old Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire as a response to the almost wholly Ascendancy landlord-dominated outlook of the Royal St George YC. That founding meeting took place in Dublin on 4th July 1846, and the choice of American Independence day was no accident.

The Royal Irish Yacht Club, originally founded 1831, was brought back to life on American Independence Day the 4th July in 1846, and its new clubhouse, opened in 1850, is now the worlds oldest intact purpose-designed yacht club

Looking inland from Limerick, recreational sailing had long been a feature of life on the great lakes of the Shannon, and while a predecessor of Lough Ree Yacht Club had existed at Athlone since 1770, in 1835 Lough Derg YC came into being at Dromineer, drawing in sailors from a wide area of Ireland.

The date is of significance, as these days up in Dublin they tend to think of Lough Derg YC as being Royal St George Yacht Club West. But as The George didnt come into being until 1838, it should arguably be more accurately thought of as Lough Derg Yacht Club East.

Squibs in action off Dromineer, where the Lough Derg YC was founded in 1835. Photo: W M Nixon

The next Limerick area breakthrough in sailing came in 1885, with the Americas Cup Challenge by Lt. William Henn RN (Retd) of Paradise House on the north side of the Estuary, along the western shores of the rapidly widening River Fergus as it flows south through and beyond Ennis.

William Henn loved sailing, he loved being at sea, but when he found that the Royal Navy was providing him with very little of either, he resigned in disgust, though always proudly sporting his rank as a Lieutenant.

Galatea, seen here in full racing trim, was the Americas Cup challenger in 1885

Even in Victorian times, the saloon in Galatea was somewhat at variance with full-on racing expectatios

Happily for his interests, hed married a Scottish heiress who shared his love of sailing and living aboard their luxuriously appointed Americas Cup cutter Galatea, which they brought to the Shannon Estuary between sessions of unsuccessful but hugely popular Americas Cup challenging, and extensive Caribbean cruising which made them pioneers in that now-renowned cruising area.

We gave an update on their story here. Its sufficient to say that while the Galatea challenge in 1885 set the sporting and popular tone later emulated by the Royal Ulsters Thomas Lipton in his five AC challenges between 1899 and 1931, one of the reasons Lipton was able to make such good use of his increasing popularity was because, in 1893 and 1895, the Shannon Estuary provided the home base for two more Americas Cup Challenges, but they became embroiled in controversy.

The Earl of Dunraven of Adare in County Limerick, on the River Maigue a few miles upstream of the south shore of the Shannon Estuary, was descended from a shrewd 17th Century County Limerick farmer called Thady Quin. Quin was good at the agricultural business, but he was even better at establishing a dynasty through a family tradition of marrying well, such that by the late 1800s, his direct descendants were living in the enormous new manor house at Adare on a vast acreage, and the current patriarch was Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quinn, the Fourth Earl of Dunraven.

Having exhausted Irelands supply of really useful heiresses, Thady Quins descendants had looked to Wales, and signed on a Miss Wyndham, who came with a very substantial field. It was actually a coal field. In fact, it was about half of the very extensive and extremely valuable coalfield of South Wales.

On the coast beside it was the Wyndhams home place, Dunraven Castle. So though the title of Earl of Dunraven may sound very Irish indeed, it has more basic origins in South Wales, as the Wyndham family had held sway there since 1642. But also with a basis in Wales was a new and enormous income, much of which was poured into expanding and developing the familys Irish estates such that the fourth Earl even used experience acquired in Wales to create a coal mine near Adare at Ballingarry, in which he took a direct personal and technical interest.

The fourth Earl of Dunraven brainy, ambitious, and very very rich

But as it happened, his lively mind and technical expertise caused him to become interested in the Americas Cup, as sailing had become a new and passionate activity for him after being introduced to it at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in what was then Queenstown, and pursuing it further with his friend John Jameson, the whiskey magnate of the Royal St George YC on Dublin Bay.

Being Dunraven, his approach was very technically-based and success-oriented. After extensive research, he decided the Scottish designer G L Watson was the man to create his very advanced new 117ft challenging cutter, to be built on the Clyde by Hendersons. The name was to be Valkyrie II, for of course the Earl was a Wagner fan, and when the contract was signed and the building shed being prepared, she was the only big cutter to Watsons new and brilliant ideas to be under construction.

But when the sporting Price of Wales got to hear of this, he decided it was his duty to provide Valkyrie II with a near-sister to be a training partner before Dunravens boat made her way to America, sailing across the Atlantic as AC challengers were then required to do. So the Prince sent to Portmarnock to his friend Willie Jameson to be the Royal Sailing Master and what wed now call Project manager, and the wonderful yacht that became Britannia was soon under construction beside the very similar Valkyrie II.

Valkyrie (left) in action in the Americas Cup. Although she was designed before the royal cutter Britannia, the new and very fast hull type from GL Watson became known as The Britannia Ideal

Thus although Dunraven was a talented man with much good fortune, when things went pear-shaped for him, they did so big time. Nowadays, the near-perfection of the Britannia Ideal at the time of her construction set a gold standard for yacht design for decades. And because the Prince of Wales was involved, this is the way it is remembered. Yet if life was at all fair, it would be remembered as the Valkyrie Ideal. But fate has decreed that all the two Watson-designed Valkyries of 1893 and 1895 are remembered for is international acrimony, and a sinking incident.

Dunravens excess of enthusiasm and competitive zeal were his undoing in his 1893 Americas Cup challenge, and even more so in his contentious 1895 challenge. He was making them at a time when the Americans were seriously flexing their international sporting and national pride muscles, and if anyone became responsible for losing the 1851-won Americas Cup, he would be given a bottle of Bourbon and a loaded revolver, and left alone to contemplate his fate.

Thus everything conspired against Dunravens two wonderful Watson-designed boats, and when he made a real fuss abut the many spectator steamships crowding Valkyrie III during light weather racing in 1895, it ended with such acrimony that he received the unprecedented snub of being expelled from his Honorary Membership of the New York Yacht Club.

In his massive and definitive history of the Americas Cup, the late Bob Fisher felt that Dunraven had been poorly treated, and in private conversation he was much more firmly of this opinion. But we neednt waste too much sympathy on this sailing son of Shannonside. He soon bounced back with extensive cruising under sail. And he developed numerous technical projects, many of them of a maritime nature, while his Americas Cup challenges are now perhaps best seen as ensuring that in the half Century after America first won the cup, Shannon Estuary-based owners made one third of the nine challenge.

More surprisingly in life afterwards, Dunraven proved adept at high politics. He was a popular and effective co-Chair of the successful Land Commission of 1903, which transformed for the better the nature and structure of Irish country and farming life. Yet he was his own man. When the Great War ended in 1918, he took the enormous profits from his Welsh coal-mining interests and invested a substantial part of the sum in wait for this the design, development and construction of a 500-ton diesel-powered yacht, the largest built at that time, and a fine vessel without anything coal-fired throughout the length and breadth of her.

One of Dunravens many active interests was west Kerry, with Derrynanes natural harbour where he sailed with the ghost of Daniel OConnell, and the eternally fascinating Skellig rocks miniature sea mountains dominating the horizon.

He liked the place so much that he built a holiday cottage there. It really is little more than a cottage, just big enough for small family groups. It was a shrewd move of which his ancestor Thady Quin would have approved, for had he built a substantial holiday home just above the Derrynane beach, his summers would have been over-run by uninvited guests imposing on the Dunraven noblesse oblige.

The place where many sailors histories interacted Derrynanes natural harbour in West Kerry. Photo: W M Nixon

As it is, big cheeses visiting that sublime area were hosted by the new Parknasilla Hotel at Sneem, and when they were sufficiently interesting, Dunraven would extend an invitation to sail out to the Skelligs. Thus Bernard Shaw in the midst of writing St Joan in the middle of a supposed holiday at Parknasilla - was taken to Skellig Michael by the eccentric Earl, and it was worth everyones efforts, as the effect of that extroaordinary place produced some short but very impressive Shavian prose.

Meanwhile, another summer presence at Derrynane was Dunravens near-neighbours from Cahirmoyle at Ardagh, the OBriens of the family of the 1848 Young Ireland activist William Smith OBrien. While the countryside around their fancy Italianate house of Cahirmoyle at Ardagh was decidedly humdrum, they had their own much-loved piece of coastline at Foynes and Foynes Island, and for summer recreation they decamped to Keatings Hotel at Derrynane (now Bridies), a modest place which set the mood of the place where young Conor OBrien (you can find his signature in the Visitors Book) started to learn to sail with the 27ft open ketch-rigged clinker-built whaler Mary Brigid.

First command Conor OBriens sailing was self taught with the 27ft whaler Mary Brigid along the coast from Derrynane

In time, OBrien would mark the establishment of the new Irish Free State with the voyage round the world south of the great capes in his own-designed, Baltimore-built 42ft ketch Saoirse between 1923 and 1925. As Afloat.ie readers are well aware, we are very much in the midst of celebrating that momentous achievement with considerable flourishes. But while it officially began and ended at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dublin Bay on the 20th June 1923 and the 20th June 1925, as far as OBrien was concerned that was purely for the convenience of publicity purposes. He felt on the contrary that all his voyages really began and ended when he sailed from or returned to his mooring off Foynes Island, where he made his last home and died in 1952 at the age of 72.

Conor OBrien in his prime around 1930, as sketched by his new wife Kitty Clausen

Saoirse re-born at Oldcourt on the River Ilen, June 2023 Photo: W M Nixon

Thered been another Limerick area gesture to the new state when the new boats of the 1922-established Shannon One Design Class at Lough Derg YC at Dromineer were transported by various railway links to what nearly all the natives still thought of as Kingstown, as it had been selected as the sailing venue for the 1924 Tailteann Games. The Dublin Bay sailors were muted in their enthusiasm, but the SOD sailors, having made their journey, went at it with gusto for all that Dublin Bay was in a brisk mood.

Their boats were supposedly only una-rigged lake boats. Yet the long, slim and beautifully but lightly-built Shannons wiggled their way in style over the salty waves, and came home with two Gold Medals while the supposedly rugged local Water Wags reputedly had none.

Shannon One Designs as dedicated lake boats at Dromineer on Lough Derg, Yet in 1924 they proved to be able sea boats by winning two Gold Medals at the sailing events of the Tailteann Games in Dublin Bay.

Despite these displays of enthusiasm, the 1930s and 40s became a relatively fallow period for Limerick and Shannon sailing, even though some astute lake sailors had used the opportunity of the Olympic Games in Belgium in 1920 to secure some superbly-built racing keelboats at knockdown prices. And some amateur sailors such as Limerick merchant David Tidmarsh and later fellow Limerick-man Roger Bourke kept the flag flying to provide an Irish Cruising Club presence in the estuary. Then around 1960 the rocketing rise of kit-built dinghy racing saw Killaloe Sailing Club at the south end of Lough Derg becoming a vibrant Enterprise centre, with annual major events there showing that local talents such as Frank Larkin could match it and more with the national stars.

As the series production of fibreglass boats was becoming an international norm, Limericks factory tradition inevitably became involved, and Gerry Nash set up Fastnet Marine in the city to build the notably successful Shipman 28. Primarily this boat was for the export market, but so many were produced that there isnt a sailing port in Ireland that even today still has a significant presence of Shipman 28s.

Shipman 28s may be racing here in Dublin Bay, but they were all built in Limerick

But the main impact on the area came from that State Within A State, Shannon Development, whose quietly-expanded remit for the promotion of prosperity extended all the way from the sea at Kerry Head far upriver to Birr in County Offaly. Its success stemmed from a dedicated and very hard-working team, and when they decided that an integral part of the regions continuing progress would be the re-establishment of Kilrush as a significant sailing centre, they didnt mess about.

They made their group financial controller, sailing enthusiast Brendan Travers, the Project Manager for the massive task of transforming Kilrush into a permanently floating marina, with a mighty barrage and a hefty sea lock. It was indeed a mega-project by the West Coast standards of the day, and inevitably, it over-ran in every direction. But now Kilrush is transformed, even unto the revival of the old Royal Western YC, of which the Glynn family of Kilrush had kept many original documents and artefacts.

Kilrush as it was in the 1890s, with the Shannon Estuarys large tidal range a key factor in port life.

.and Kilrush as it is now, with the sea lock and marina providing peace of mind and space for a good boatyard

Not least of Kilrushs achievements is that it has attracted the international boat-building talent of Steve Morris. From New Zealand, he was enticed to Ireland and Kilrush, in particular by his new Irish wife, who wished to live near her mother.

A substantial doctorate could be written about the longterm role of the Irish mother in enticing international skill to specialist industries in this city, particularly when theyre located in places others might think of as remote. Kilrush is no longer remote in classic yacht and general boat maintenance terms. In Ireland, it is now Classic Boatbuilding Central, with Steve and his team working on an extraordinary variety of jobs, everything from the re-birth of the Dublin Bay 21 Class for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra, to a minor but potentially tricky job of sorting out some damage on a relatively new Howth 17, which recently provided a useful excuse for four leading Howth 17 sailors to spend a day trailing the boat to Kilrush so that they could worship at this shrine of master craftsmanship.

The artist in his studio Steve Morris last week in Kilrush, inspecting the restored hull of the Dublin Bay 21 Oola. Photo: Ian Malcolm

The restored stem on Oola the line of the bow on the Dublin Bay 21 was one of renowned designer Alfred Mylnes very best. Photo: Ian Malcolm

Worshipping at the shrine Howth 17 sailors Marc FitzGibbon, Donal Gallagher and Alan Markey savouring the quality of the Kilrush craftsmanship on the DB21 Oola. Photo: Ian Malcolm

Meanwhile, other aspects of the Limerick sailing skills and maritime devotion have continued to manifest themselves. Despite the Covid hiatus, Killaloe Sailing Club have built themselves a fine new clubhouse, while the dinghy sailing interests of the area have also been able to express themselves through the lake-based Cullaun Sailing Club in the heart of County Clare.

Foynes Yacht Club prospers such that it was able to host the 2023 National Championship of Champions sailed in their own fleet of Mermaids, and although Gary Mac Mahon has stood back from the day-to-day running of the Ilen through transferring the superbly restored ship to the Sailing-Into-Wellness organisation, the detailed research he did on Conor OBriens Saoirse has enabled her to be re-built with authenticity in Olcourt near Baltimore by Liam Hegarty as a stylish vessel for West Cork devotee Fred Kinmonth.

Saoirse departs from Dunleary on her great pioneering voyage on June 20th 1923

While all this was working towards fulfilment, before the century turned, Limerick man Pat Lawless set off solo round the world in an International Folkboat - a very pretty little craft, but she wouldnt have been everyones choice for the task he had in mind. So no-one was surprised that, when he eventually returned, it was in a hefty 32ft Seadog ketch. And he has left his two sons Pat Jnr and Peter, with the ambition of being the first Irish sailor to sail solo round the world non-stop, for thats what Limericks Lawless sailing family do.

Thus in national and international sailing terms, Limerick and the Shannon Estuary and the rivers nearby lakes are pace-setters in Irish and global sailing. In fact, every brief examination reveals further layers of achievement and seagoing activity. Theres no doubting theres much more to the Shannonside city than Terry Wogan, Richard Harris, Frank God Help Us McCourt, and Munster Rugby. Limerick is a gutsy town. And though the Earldom of Dunraven and the Knighthood of Glin are now extinct, their spirit is more alive than ever.

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Shannon Estuary & Limerick Have Combined Over Centuries As ... - Afloat

Don Lemon, left, and Tucker Carlson both lost their jobs as cable news anchors Monday. (Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press; Richard Drew / AP)

Two of the most recognizable faces in U.S. television news fell within minutes of each other, both unceremoniously dropped Monday by the cable networks that once championed them.

Before news of their unrelated dismissals rocked the mediasphere, Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon had little in common save for their positions as high-profile hosts in rival newsrooms. Now, they share the fact that their misogynistic behavior cost them those jobs.

Otherwise, it's hard to imagine two men more diametrically opposed in their beliefs than the former Fox News star and the former CNN personality. There's simply not enough room here to unpack the myriad differences it'd be like trying to explain the Mideast conflict in three easy sentences. But in short, Carlson promoted racist ideology, bogus election-fraud conspiracy and anti-vax propaganda, and he sided with Vladimir Putin regarding Russia's attack on Ukraine. Lemon did the opposite.

Regardless of their differences, the media's dramatic and ongoing reaction to the news of both firings points in the same direction. It's a signal of just how powerful TV news and anchors remain, even in a world that's supposedly all about streaming and social media.

No matter how much social media has outflanked cable news as the 24/7 news source of choice, cable still has the potency to create and promote the personalities that become the "face" of the news. Monday's sackings exposed the extent of cable television's influence, as well as the limits of its instability.

Millions of Americans still rely on trusted voices to deliver their nightly news, and in todays bifurcated views on politics, culture and even basic facts, that often means whomever best reinforces what we already believe. Whether its the Big Lie or Black Lives Matter, cable TV has it covered with hosts who can interpret the news through any given lens. Its a far cry from the comparatively objective broadcasts of Walter Cronkite or Judy Woodruff, or the dispatches from an early CNN pioneer, anchor Bernard Shaw.

Story continues

Much of todays cable news is front-loaded with opinion, various levels of bombast and, if youre Fox News, intentional misinformation. (Read about the Dominion lawsuit.) It's a programming model designed to help it survive and thrive in a highly competitive field, where deeply partisan "news" sites, TikTok, Facebook and everything else that pops up in our feeds and notifications vie for our attention and cut into time that could be spent watching Fox, CNN or MSNBC.

But the erasure of the line between reportage and commentary, between host and journalist, means cable stars are much more prone to flaming out in controversy, and thats partly what we saw Monday. And, let's be clear, the cases are very different.

Carlsons bully tactics were his on-air superpower. The more he targeted Nancy Pelosi, immigrants or Dominion voting machines thus touting ideas like the "great replacement" theory and election fraud the higher the ratings. But behind the scenes, his bluster and hubris were not a financial boon. In fact, they turned out to be a liability.

Sources told the Los Angeles Times that Carlson was forced out by Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch over a discrimination lawsuit filed by Abby Grossberg. A producer, Grossman was fired by the network last month after she alleged she was bullied by the host and subjected to sexist and antisemitic comments.

Lemon's firing appears to have been connected with an ongoing pattern of misogynistic comments and actions. His downfall began last February, when, on CNN This Morning, he commented on a speech made by Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador. Haley, 51, a Republican presidential hopeful, called for mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75.

This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable," said Lemon. "I think its the wrong road to go down. ... Nikki Haley isnt in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in their 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.

"Prime for what?" asked co-host Poppy Harlow. "Are you talking about prime for, like, childbearing? Or prime for being president?"

It's unclear what transpired at CNN in the months leading to Monday's announcement, but no doubt that will emerge somewhere in the deluge of coverage.

The shockwaves from both firings are likely to reverberate for some time. After long tenures on the air, Carlson and Lemon were dropped at the snap of a finger, during a particularly rocky time for TV news outlets that aren't taking advantage of the relative lack of competition among those that cater to the right and far right. After Chris Licht took over as CEO, CNN has been trying in recent months to pick up more red-state viewers, and it has been an awkward, uncomfortable dance at best.

However, prophecies about cable news taking its last breath have not come true yet. Last week's story about the demise of Buzzfeed News, a digital outlet that promised to modernize the way we gather, disseminate and consume information arguably a more consequential event in the industry garnered far less media coverage than the tumble of Carlson and Lemon.

They are (or were) among the most recognizable faces of national television news, a medium that has been declared dead countless times yet still holds more sway than everything that has arrived to replace it. At least for now.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Commentary: Cable news remains powerful. The reaction to Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon proves it - Yahoo News

Veteran TV news journalist Judy Woodruff has earned many honors over her lengthy career in TV news, including the Peabody Journalistic Integrity Award, the Poynter Medal, an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement and the Radcliffe Medal, among others. Woodruff can now add another honor to her resume: Fred Dressler Leadership Award.

Woodruff, the former anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour and now a senior correspondent for the newscast, will be honored by Syracuse Universitys Newhouse School with its Fred Dressler Leadership Award. The Dressler Award is given at the schools annual Mirror Awards ceremony to individuals or organizations that have made distinct, consistent and unique contributions to the publics understanding of the media.

One likely knows Woodruffs backstory at this point: She and the late Gwen Ifill joined PBS NewsHour in 2009 while the late Jim Lehrer was still anchor. Lehrer retired from NewsHour in 2011, passing the baton to Woodruff and Ifill, who were named PBS NewsHour co-anchors on a permanent basis in 2013. The duo remained co-anchors of NewsHour until Ifills passing in November 2016. Woodruff became the solo anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour in 2018, a role she kept until the end of 2022.

She remains engaged with NewsHour despite no longer serving as its anchor. This year and next, she is undertaking a reporting project, America at a Crossroads, to better understand the countrys political divide.

Prior to her time at PBS, Woodruff co-hosted CNNs Inside Politics along with the late Bernard Shaw. She covered national politics and the White House for NBC News in the 1970s and 80s before that, and her coverage of politics goes back to 1972 for Atlanta station WAGA-TV.

The 2023 Mirror Awards will take place Monday, June 12 at New Yorks Edison Ballroom.

Past Fred Dressler Award recipients have included Univision Noticias anchor Jorge Ramos; former HBO Documentary Films and Family executive producer and president Sheila Nevins; former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw; and former New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet.

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Judy Woodruff Is Being Honored at 2023 Mirror Awards - Adweek

Do you know someone who is perfect? Of course not. Do you know someone who thinks he is perfect? Probably. George Bernard Shaw was in characteristic vein when he said, The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time.

At bridge, it is sometimes possible to play perfectly: to find the line that always works, whatever the distribution. South had the chance in todays deal, but when his ship came in, he was standing at the train station.

Against three no-trump, West led the spade 10. Since his contract was in danger only if East won a trick and switched to a diamond through the king, declarer called for dummys spade king and immediately ran the club queen. West played perfectly, ducking his king smoothly. Now, of course, if South had led a heart to his 10, nine tricks would have been assured. South had been fooled, though. He erred by playing a club to his 10.

West happily took the trick with his king and exited with a club. Now Souths goose was cooked (unless he had X-ray vision). He cashed the heart ace-king, hoping to drop the queen. Then he took his three spade tricks, the dummy and East discarding diamonds. Finally, declarer led a third heart, hoping West had the queen. (If so, West would have had to lead a heart to Souths 10, or play a diamond around to Souths king.) However, East won with the queen and switched to the diamond 10. The defenders took the last three tricks in diamonds to defeat the contract.

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Bridge: The purity of perfection | | hastingstribune.com - Hastings Tribune

Jerry Davich 219-853-2563

Have you ever ridden a motorcycle at 118 mph while swerving through lanes and dodging traffic? I have, and Ill never forget that feeling of dangerous exhilaration.

I was coming back to the Region from Michigan after already receiving two traffic tickets for not wearing a helmet in that state stupid helmet law, I told myself.

After the second ticket, I figured the odds were high that a third Michigan state trooper would be parked between me and the Indiana state line on Interstate 94. So I twisted my right wrist back as far as it would go and I reached almost 120 mph in a few seconds. My arrival a few minutes later at the state line was a blur.

Only after slowing to 90 mph, then 80, then 70, did I realize my stupidity for even trying it. And, I should note, I have never reached that speed again, whether on my bike, in my car or in my dreams.

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Individuals stand at the scene of a fatal crash involving a motorcycle and a vehicle in 2021.

If you're shaking your head in disbelief or disappointment, keep in mind that I was young, dumb and oozing testosterone. Looking back, maybe I did it so I could simply say "I did it." Maybe I did it out of anger at those traffic tickets. Or maybe I did it while under the influence of, well, youth.

I'm not sure if this helps explain why a motorcyclist traveled at a high speed on the Borman Expressway last month, passing vehicles along the skip line before making contact with a truck at the 7.3-mile marker between Burr and Grant streets.

This resulted in the operator of the motorcycle losing control and crashing, the Indiana State Police said in a news release. The motorcycle caught on fire, while Good Samaritans stopped and immediately began to render first aid and CPR to the unconscious rider. The rider succumbed to their injuries and was declared deceased at the scene by the Lake County Coroner's Office.

It's legal in some states for a motorcyclist to pass other vehicles while riding the skip lines, which divide lanes. In Indiana, it is not only illegal, but it is extremely dangerous, the release said.

Five passenger vehicles and a motorcycle were involved in a wreck on West Ridge Road at Clark Road in September 2022.

With spring's arrival and summer weather on its way, motorists will begin seeing more motorcyclists on every type of road. We need a reminder of the common safety slogan: Be aware, motorcycles are everywhere.

Its true. But many of them are operated by thrill-seeking knuckleheads who dont understand the fragility of life and obliviousness of motorists.

Ive owned and operated several motorcycles since my teenage years. I had my share of dangerously close calls. Fortunately I avoided any crashes or accidents through the years. But lately I have seen several motorcyclists especially younger drivers on crotch-rocket sport bikes driving recklessly and carelessly on their way to nowhere in particular.

I know it looks-cool-feels-cool to pull off such a thing while going 80 or 90 mph. Ive done it many times.

But all it takes is one brush against a vehicle or a patch of gravel or oil slick and its lights out for any biker.

A violent motorcycle crash last summer at the corner of Lincolnway and Campbell in Valparaiso caused the bike to split into two.

Yes, motorcycles are everywhere, as the familiar yellow bumper stickers say, but sometimes their owners take liberties that make it dangerous to other motorists. And to themselves.

Were already reading newspaper stories and obituaries for bikers who were intoxicated on high speeds and stupid decisions while riding under the influence of perceived invincibility. We will see more of these deaths. Its as inevitable as putting gasoline into a tank.

Last week, two motorcycles crashed, leaving two people hospitalized. The driver of a 2012 Harley-Davidson was trying to turn onto 117th Avenue near Wicker Avenue. A motorcyclist behind him reportedly failed to slow in time and swerved to avoid collision but still struck the side of the Harley. Officers said no one was wearing a helmet, causing head injuries.

Last summer, I just missed witnessing a violent motorcycle crash at the corner of Lincolnway and Campbell in Valparaiso. Seconds earlier, I heard the biker revving his engine. And then it got hit by an SUV, causing the bike to split into two pieces.

Police investigate a violent motorcycle crash last summer at the corner of Lincolnway and Campbell in Valparaiso that caused the bike to split into two.

The male driver and female passenger lay motionless on the street. Both were transported by medical helicopter to a trauma hospital. They survived the crash but required hospitalization and surgeries, police told me.

I have no idea who was at fault. It doesnt much matter when youre on a motorcycle. All it takes is one slip-up, one blind spot, one mistake, one deadly twist of fate.

Ive wanted to own a motorcycle since my teenage years in the Glen-Ryan subdivision of Gary's Miller section. My neighborhood was home to a few Invaders motorcycle club members, and I clearly remember them riding down my street. Their incredibly loud choppers rattled my house and stirred my testosterone.

I bought my first motorcycle at 16, riding it to school every chance I could. It gave me a sense of power I couldnt get anywhere else at that age.

As I got older, I still enjoyed twisting back my right hand and showing off the power of my motorcycles. It was definitely an adrenaline rush to reach 100 mph or faster within seconds. I can still feel that sort of euphoria to this day.

I was lucky. I had several close calls but never a crash or an accident. These days I have no desire to push such speed limits on a motorcycle. And when I see motorcyclists do such a thing, they are typically younger guys on built-for-speed crotch rockets.

A part of me wants to warn them about the dangers of reckless riding helmet or no helmet. But thats only a small part of me. I know exactly what theyre feeling while tossing aside such silliness as caution and concern. Theyll learn it soon enough, if they make it that long without incident or accident.

As George Bernard Shaw once quipped, youth is wasted on the young. The trick is staying alive long enough to appreciate the irony of this timeless line.

Episode 10: Seventeen years ago, Jamie Fankhauser transformed the life of an autistic baby she adopted at birth. That baby eventually transformed the life of Jamie, who opened Buns Soapbox in Valparaiso to provide meaningful employment opportunities to autistic adults. Buns Soapbox opened in 2018 with a mission statement written on a wall near the entrance: Employ extraordinary people in the community to discover and empower their gifts. Nowhere on that wall, or anywhere else there, are the words special or autism or disabilities. Together, Jamie and her teenage daughter, Ava, are now transforming the lives of others with a broader vision thats soon becoming a reality. On this weeks podcast, Jamie shares her inspirational story of love, faith and parental devotion. The Lord has changed us drastically, Jamie told Karen and Jerry. Were now the better versions of ourselves.

Contact Jerry at Jerry.Davich@nwi.com. Watch his "She Said, He Said" podcast. Find him on Facebook. Opinions are those of the writer.

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JERRY DAVICH: Yes, 'motorcycles are everywhere,' but so are ... - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Other lives

David Donaldson

Fri 21 Apr 2023 12.11 EDT

My friend Gareth Smyth, who has died aged 64 of a heart attack, was a sensitive and cultured Middle East journalist, renowned for his integrity and decency. Gareths career spanned various publications, including the Financial Times, the Guardian and BBC radio. He covered Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Syria, offering deep and nuanced insights into the regions complexities.

After working as a supply teacher for Marsden Tutors (1981-86), Gareth became an elected councillor, and housing chair, for Camden council and then research assistant to Stan Newens MEP (1986-90) and Labour party press officer (1990-91) before transitioning to freelance journalism (1992-96). His coverage for the FT in 1992 of the Kurdish elections in northern Iraq, and in 1993 of his trekking in western Iran with peshmerga guerrillas of the Kurdistan Democratic party of Iran, led to his being appointed to the positions of opinion and features editor of the Daily Star (1996-97) and Lebanon correspondent for the FT, both in Beirut. In 2003, while covering the invasion and occupation of Iraq for the FT, he was appointed chief Iran correspondent, based in Tehran.

Drawing on his familys Irish republican background his father was from County Monaghan Gareth refused to conform to a world increasingly defined by binary views. His understanding of human complexity allowed him to see the grey areas, and to report on points of view that are not commonly understood. He experienced, first-hand, the horrific and lasting legacy of conflict, and was with George Bernard Shaw: War does not decide who is right, but who is left.

In 2009, he relocated to Emlagh, on the west coast of Ireland, where he combined freelance journalism with his love of the land, nature and the seasons. His study was crammed with books; his garden a testimony to sustainable living.

During his career, he interviewed countless people, from Martin McGuinness to Rafik Hariri. He was nominated as foreign correspondent of the year in the British Press Awards, 2005-06. More recently, he was ghostwriter for Saad al-Barraks A Passion for Adventure (2012), and had been editing and annotating a book in English of the scholar and political thinker Musa al-Sadrs politico-theological writings.

Gareth was born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, and grew up in Slough, Berkshire. His parents were Hilda (nee Price), secretary to the MD of Horlicks, and Matthew Smyth, technical author for the engineering company D Napier & Son. Hilda died when Gareth was 11. After Sir William Borlases grammar school in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, he went on to study philosophy, politics and economics at Queens College, Oxford, followed by an MPhil at the University of Kent in Canterbury.

His tastes were wide-ranging: Bob Marley to Mahler; Myles na gCopaleen (AKA Flann OBrien) to Miles Davis. His interests were many: cooking with quality ingredients, Gaelic and association football, and photography. He could write about all of them with passion and deep knowledge. And, he was impishly funny. He entertained young kids, mentored and inspired young adults, and befriended older people.

Gareth is survived by his longtime partner, Zeinab Charafeddine, her son, Nader, and by his brothers, Bernard, John and Patrick.

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Gareth Smyth obituary - The Guardian

DeKALB Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb is heralding its volunteer staff as part of an effort to highlight their valuable work during National Volunteer Week.

Volunteers are an essential part of Northwestern Medicine health system, according to a news release. In 2022, more than 1,100 volunteers provided more than 135,000 hours of service across the health system, which operates throughout northern Illinois.

Every day, Northwestern Medicine volunteers touch the lives of patients, families and visitors, according to Northwestern Medicine health system. A friendly smile, a helping hand and a warm heart can make a real difference in the experience people have in a hospital when they are visiting or receiving care.

Some volunteers such Janet Russie tap into their hobbies to help lift those inside Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb.

Russie, a patient care technician, has spent the past 10 years volunteering with the hospitals animal therapy program with her St. Bernard dogs. She was inspired after seeing another volunteer bring their dog through the hospital.

I thought it was very interesting, Russie said in the release. For years, Ive been showing dogs competitively, so Im used to doing the obedience training.

Shaw Local 2020 file photo Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com)

As part of her efforts, Russie joined the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, an international registry of certified therapy dog teams. Precious was her first therapy dog, and now 5-year-old Joker continues that work with Russie.

Joker is also very decorated, Russie said. In 2019, the St. Bernard Club awarded him the highest achievement obedience award.

Russie and Joker visit patients twice a month, and Joker usually has a new outfit to mark the season.

When Joker arrives, you never know what he will be decked out in as far as his personal accessories, which always brings smiles to our patients and staff, Tracy Ekstrom, volunteer coordinator at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, said in the release.

At Northwestern Medicine, patients and staff members receive visits from animals that are approved through qualified organizations. The animals support therapeutic activities and interventions, and provide an emotional boost for patients.

Joker knows just what to do. He really gets into the patients. Hell go right up to them, and theyll pet him, Russie said. The patients get really excited about it, and not only the patients, but the staff really enjoy it. Its calming for everyone.

Russie brings a different perspective as a volunteer because of her work as a patient care tech. As a volunteer, she often also visits patients shes cared for.

I can go into a room, and Im visiting a person I may have had the day before as a patient, Russie said. They enjoy seeing me, and I know a little bit about the patient, which is helpful.

Russie said patients, their families and staff members light up when they see Joker.

I bring happiness to people, and thats very satisfying, Russie said. Especially when the dog connects with them, I really feel like Ive accomplished something for that family.

According to Northwestern Medicine, Russie soon will have another St. Bernard named Wrigley joining her on visits to the hospital.

Northwestern Medicine volunteers must be at least 16 years of age (18 years of age at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago). Volunteers must agree to a six-month commitment of at least three to four hours per week and provide immunization records.

For information on volunteering at Northwestern Medicine, visit nm.org/patients-and-visitors/volunteer.

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