Anti-Israel sentiment may have prompted taking of 200-year-old Borris House banner, owner believes
The banner was taken during the Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas last month – one of the most popular and prestigious festivals of its kind in Ireland or Britain.
The Kavanagh family believe a festivalgoer removed the banner from the chapel area because he or she believed it was a Star of David.
In fact, it is a Masonic symbol known as the Seal of Solomon or the hexagram. It is supposed to symbolise how the physical and spiritual realms mirror each other.
READ MORE
It can be observed in tandem with the other prominent Masonic symbol visible in the chapel, namely the All Seeing Eye at the top of the arch over the altar.
The Seal of Solomon has been in the building since it was built in 1816. The Star of David as a symbol of Jewishness was not widely known until the end of the 19th century and was adopted as the Israeli flag in 1948.
The banner was removed from the chapel between the evening of Friday, June 6th, and the following afternoon. A social media post showed its disappearance from where it had hung in front of the pulpit for more than two centuries.
The chapel was used throughout the festival for events.
Mr Kavanagh said he was perplexed that anybody would want to take the banner as it had no intrinsic value.
'It's quite a genteel, middle-class festival. You wouldn't imagine such a thing happening,' he said.
'I feel someone has misread the situation and has taken offence to it. They obviously thought there was an Israeli connection with our family, which there isn't.'
The festival had about 5,000 attendees over the three days from June 6th to 8th.
The matter has been reported to gardaí, but the family is not looking for a prosecution.
'If somebody quietly slips it into a package and returns it, we would be really grateful,' Mr Kavanagh said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
11 hours ago
- Irish Times
Eye on Nature: ‘Nesting blue tits have comandeered my letterbox again'
Blue tits built their nest in my outdoor metal letter box in late April. It took three days' hard work. Four of the subsequent six chicks survived and left the nest on June 4th. This is the fourth time my letter box has been commandeered by these little birds. Frank Russell, Co Clare Now that the nest is no longer in use and contains neither eggs nor young, it is okay to photograph it. Blue tits can nest in a variety of habitats, from woodlands to gardens, in a suitable crevice or hollow in trees or walls. They regularly use nest boxes and obviously your letterbox fits the bill for your local birds. While their average lifespan is three years, the oldest known individual was nine years old, so maybe it's the same pair back each year. Navelwort. Photograph supplied by Larry Dunne These growths are common on stone walls near Our Lady's Island in south Co Wexford. What are they called? Larry Dunne, Wexford This is navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris) , which grows on stone walls and non-calcareous rocks. It is a native perennial and common except in the centre of Ireland. In his book Ireland's Generous Nature, Pater Wyse Jackson says navelwort was formerly used medicinally for a variety of ailments, though in Co Clare it was reputed to only cure Protestants. READ MORE Marsh fritillary butterfly. Photograph supplied by P Kelly I recently saw this butterfly on geranium in my garden. Could it possibly be a marsh fritillary? P Kelly, Dunmore, Co Kilkenny It could indeed. Marsh fritillaries cannot be confused with any other Irish butterfly. Our Irish population is genetically unique within Europe. While adults will fly widely over an area, breeding is confined to grassland areas where the foodplant of the caterpillars (the devils-bit scabious) makes up at least a 25 per cent density of plants. Adults fly from mid-May onwards and will visit nectar-rich flowers for sustenance to give them strength and energy for the breeding process. They overwinter as caterpillars. It is listed for protection under the EU Habitats Directive 1992. A mermaid's purse - a dogfish egg case. Photograph supplied by Aoife Somerset What species is this mermaid's purse? It was found on Five Fingers beach near Malin Head in Co Donegal. Aoife Somerset (6) Mermaid's purse is the name given to the egg cases of skates and ground sharks, which contain the developing young. Those of the dogfish – which technically are described as ground sharks – have long curly tendrils at the four corners for wrapping around seaweed when they are laid. When ready, the young fish slips out through a slit in the side and the empty egg case is then washed up on the shore after stormy weather disentangles it from the seaweed. Those of the lesser-spotted dogfish are 5cm-7cm long; those of the large-spotted Dogfish are 8cm-10cm long. A measurement of the egg case would be needed to definitely know which one it is, but the lesser-spotted one is the more common. Pipistrelle bat. Photograph supplied by Ken Myler This bat recently wandered into my bedroom. It fitted comfortably into an 8cm diameter glass and scared the wits out of my wife. Is it a pipistrelle? Ken Myler I'd say it did, if she went to drink out of the glass and found the wandering bat comfortably ensconced inside. We have three species of pipistrelle bat, all of which have short, broad ears and a combined body and tail length of less than 8cm. It is impossible to identify from your picture taken from the back but if it has its summer maternity quarters in your house, it is most likely a pipistrelle. The common pipistrelle likes buildings of stone construction, while the soprano pipistrelle prefers buildings of brick construction. Please submit your nature query, observation, or photo, with a location, via or by email to weekend@
Irish Times
19 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘He gave his whole life to the poor': Capuchin centre visitors among those paying respects to Br Kevin Crowley
Some of the people who have received welcome, food and shelter at Dublin's Capuchin Day Centre over the last half-century were among those came to pray and spend some final, quiet time with its founder, Br Kevin Crowley, on Friday. The friar, originally from Enniskeane, Co Cork, died on Wednesday aged 90 . His funeral takes place on Saturday. A steady trickle of people arrived throughout Friday at Dublin's the 19th century Church of St Mary of the Angels, where the remains of the man known to all as Br Kevin reposed. 'He was a lovely man. He very helped an awful lot of people, and he helped me in my darkest days,' Sarah Foran said. READ MORE Sarah Foran, Damien Devereux and Capuchin Day Centre director Fr Kevin Kiernan pay their respects to Br Kevin Crowley. Photograph: Tom Honan Br Kevin had supported her when she was homeless and she felt 'very emotional' while standing by his coffin, Ms Foran said. 'I am originally from Darndale and live in Finglas now. Br Kevin helped everyone – the nicest man.' James Norris, originally from Co Waterford but living in Dublin for 40 years, said he had 'availed of Br Kevin's services' and the centre over the years. James Norris: 'The Holy Spirit was working in him.' Photograph: Tom Honan 'I am only after coming out from getting my dinner there. The people [in the centre] are non-judgmental. They treat everybody the same,' he said. 'If Br Kevin hadn't started that place people would be hungry. He was feeding half of Dublin. He had special grace from God – the Holy Spirit was working in him.' Joseph Deegan, aged in his 80s, became upset when asked why he had come to pay respects to the late friar. Joseph Deegan: 'He was very good to me at a very hard time.' Photograph: Tom Honan 'When I came home from America the man was very good to me, very good to me at a very hard time,' he said. Beverly Gannon, from Finglas, said she felt 'heartbroken and angry' as she emerged from the church. 'It was back in the 1960s when he set that up and we are here in 2025 and we are in an even worse condition,' she said. 'Can this Government not see? It takes that man in there to give his life doing the job that they should be doing. It is heartbreaking.' Beverley Gannon: 'He was a wonderful man.' Photograph: Tom Honan 'Up until last year I used to get [food] parcels [from the centre] and bring them to Finglas. The needs and the amount of people that he helped extend far beyond this area. [Government] are all coming out and saying what a wonderful man he was. He was a wonderful man that done their job.' Ita O'Malley, a retired garda, said she had come 'because he was just so good to the homeless'. Ita O'Malley: 'We could all take a leaf from his book.' Photograph: Tom Honan She said she was 'thinking 'if we could all just take a leaf from his book' ... not just the Government but all of us. 'He gave his whole life to the poor.' Solicitor Pol Ó Murchu said: 'We are poorer without him. He was a good man and he lived the Gospel of Jesus. Leaba i measc na naomh ag Kevin anocht,' he said. 'May Kevin have a bed among the saints.' Elieen O'Connor, a nurse working with homeless people in Dublin's Mater hospital, said she met Br Kevin 24 years ago when she attended a patient's funeral. Br Kevin Crowley outside the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw 'To this day any of my homeless patients will always mention Br Kevin. He is a big loss,' she said. Among those expected at his funeral are President Michael D Higgins, Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam, the Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell and Bishop of Br Kevin's native Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin. But 'most important' among the mourners will be the those who use the day centre, its director Fr Kevin Kiernan said, adding that seats would be reserved for them.
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Irish Times
More than 30 children without school places taking High Court action
Parents of children with special needs who have no offer of a school place for September may have to consider whether to give up their jobs to take care of their children, the High Court has heard. A total of 34 cases were listed on Friday in the High Court, where parents are legally challenging the Minister for Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on the failure to provide school places for children with special needs. Brendan Hennessy BL, who is representing the children in cases, told the High Court on Friday that the final figure on legal challenges over the lack of school places for children with special needs for September could be as high as 50. Ms Justice Sara Phelan, who is case managing the list, said two judges will be available in September to deal with the challenges. Three days have also been set aside in July. READ MORE The judge issued what she called 'a word of warning' saying that the Department of Education and the NCSE process in relation to the provision of school places should start earlier next year so that it is not in the same position. Ms Justice Phelan was told by the State that places had been offered to children in seven of the cases. Hearing dates in July have been given for the legal challenges in three cases, and four cases are expected to back those up. The judge was told there are now 20 cases left on the High Court list in relation to children who have not got places for the start of the school term, but more cases are being brought all the time and the final figure could be 40 to 50 cases before the court. Mr Hennessy, instructed by KM Solicitors, asked that every court slot be allocated. 'Parents are worried that one of them may have to give up employment come September. All that parents want to know is do they have a guaranteed school place,' he said. He said parents will also need written, guaranteed confirmation of school places. He pointed out that the case of a seven-year-old boy had settled at the end of last year on the basis that the child would have a school place in April of this year after the completion of school building work. Counsel said the boy still has not got a school place. Counsel for the State parties, Tony McGillicuddy SC, outlined to the court that in seven of the cases before the court, places had now been offered at schools. He said the Department of Education and the NCSE were forming a plan and streamlining the system so that what happened this year does not happen next year. The cases will be back before the court later this month.
