The principles of international law governing the Sovereign authority for the creation and administration of Orders of Chivalry

On Tuesday December 8th 2009, at the inauguration of its third President, Rory Stanley, FGSI, the Genealogical Society of Ireland launched its first ever ‘Festschrift’ or ‘celebration publication’ of essays in honour of longstanding Member, Fellow and former Director, Liam Mac Alasdair, FGSI. ‘Féil-Scríbhinn Liam Mhic Alasdair’ edited by Rory Stanley, FGSI, opens with the President Rory J. Stanley detailing Liam Mac Alasdair’s enormous contribution to the Society and Irish genealogy since he joined the Society in 1991. Indeed, former President, Tony McCarthy MA, FGSI, goes further in his exploration of ‘Eight Decades of Irish Genealogy’ by placing Liam’s contribution in the context of the development of Irish genealogy since the 1930s. The eminent constitutional lawyer and renowned heraldic authority, Prof. Noel Cox of Auckland, New Zealand, explores ‘The principles of international law governing the Sovereign authority for the creation and administration of Orders of Chivalry’ and looks at the Order of St. Patrick which was established in 1783. Philip Lecane, author of ‘Torpedoed – The Sinking of RMS Leinster’ and many articles on the soldiers of the Great War tells the story of ‘Marie Martin: An Irish Nurse in the First World War’ whilst Seán M. Mac Brádaigh examines ‘The Genealogies in the Irish manuscripts’. Caroline McCall asks ‘Will the Real Baron of Clonmore Please Stand Up!’ while John Hamrock delves into ‘The origins and chief locations of the O Gara sept’. Our new Vice-President, The O Morchoe, provides a military history perspective in ‘Bringing back the memory’ as bother and sister, Michaël Merrigan and Katrijne Merrigan from Belgium look at the Irish Diaspora in ‘The name of our father’. Garda Jim Herlihy deals with the belated recognition of a co-founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in ‘Thomas St George MacCarthy’ who is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery. Róisín Lafferty details ‘The tragic incident of WW2 - the Ballymanus mine explosion 1943’ as Bartosz Kozłowski addresses another aspect of Irish Diaspora studies in ‘Polish-Irish connections are centuries old’. Irish lecturer, historian and renowned genealogist, Seán J. Murphy, provides a study of ‘The Gardiner Family, Dublin, and Mountjoy, County Tyrone’. Items in the ‘GSI Archive’ are explored by Séamus O’Reilly. Michael Merrigan asks ‘Is there a Case for Indigenous Ethnic Status in Ireland?’ whilst, local historian, James Scannell examines the development ‘From Local District Defence Force Command Unit to Reserve Defence Force Infantry Battalion’. Barry O’Connor and his team provide a complete listing of the Memorial Inscriptions of ‘St. Canice’s Cemetery, Barrack Lane, Finglas’. Biographical Notes on the Contributors are provided just before the ‘Closing Message from An Cathaoirleach’ by Séamus Moriarty.