South African talks on unity
COWBOY SHOW WOWED GAA HQ
“This alliance of ours reflects India’s spirit in its true sense,” Modi said after the BJP and coalition members backed him as their prime ministerial candidate. “We were neither defeated nor are we defeated ... it was an NDA government in the past, still is and will be,” he added.
Full results from India’s election, which began in mid-April, were released Wednesday. The BJP won 240 seats, well below the 272 mark needed for a majority. Together, the parties in the NDA coalition bagged 293 seats in the 543-member lower house of parliament.
SOUTH African opposition parties were meeting yesterday and will continue crunch talks into next week to consider the ruling African National Congress’ offer to become part of a government of national unity.
The ANC fell short of a majority in last week’s election, but some opposition parties are already rejecting its offer.
The main opposition Democratic Alliance will meet on Monday to discuss the centrist party’s approach to negotiations.
CROKE Park is remembering how an American rodeo was staged in GAA HQ a century ago in 1924 by Irish ex-pats.
They helped to bring bucking broncos to celebrate Ireland’s newly hard fought, post-Civil War independence as part of that year’s Tailteann Games.
The Tailteann Games were dubbed the Irish Olympics and dated back to a festival at Tara, Co Meath, from 632BC.
Ulster University lecturer Dr Conor Heffernan told RTE: “The event contrasted with the festivities of the Tailteann Games, introducing Ireland to the exhilarating world of bronco riding, and circus entertainment.”
American showman Tex Austin led the world-touring rodeo to Croker in Dublin in 1924 at a time of significant social and political upheaval in Ireland.
Free State status was granted from Britain in 1921, sparking the Civil War until 1923, when Ireland’s cultural identity began to form.
Pride
Historians say the cowboy paraphernalia on show at Austin’s rodeo arrived into Ireland at the end of the Tailteann Games at a time when local pride was high.
They claim that cowboys, and American frontier stories latched onto Irish interest in US culture, dating back to famine times.
It is also claimed that fascination with America’s cowboy culture inspired the 1939 concert in Ireland by singing cowboy star Gene Autry.
Tex Austin, real name was Clarence Van Nostrand, became famous as a rodeo performer in the US in 1917.
Among the riders, were Irish-Americans like Vera McGinnis, originally from Cavan, and others such as Tony Kernan and Rabe Roberts. Dr Heffernan added: “The inclusion of Irish-American riders created a cultural connection that resonated deeply with the Irish audience.”