Fionn Mac Cumhail

By Garaidh Ó Briain
(Garry Bryant)

Cuchulainn is probably the most famous warrior of Ireland's myths. He was the leader of Ulster's Red Branch Knights. However he is myth, but another champion of Ireland spans the great chasm between myth and reality by the name of Fionn MacCumhail (Finn MacCool.)

Fionn was the son of Cumhail. Cumhail was the leader of the Fianna, an elite band of warriors who pledged allegiance to the King of Ireland. Some tales have Cumhail being the uncle of Ireland's king, Conn of the Hundred Battles.

When the bards and seanchas told his stories they got a little stretched, and when the Christian priests wrote these stories down they changed even more.

At the time of Cumhail the Fianna were nothing more than a band of hired thugs by the king. Every clan on the Emerald Isle had to supply warriors to the king's guard. The Fianna were the elite warriors but had no morals or ethics in personal conduct. Cumhail was killed by Goll MacMorna, a Fianna warrior who took Cumhail's place at the head of the king's guard and was it's leader for many years. Eventually Goll was displaced and followed by Fionn.

During the reign of King Cormac MacArt, Fionn was chosed to lead the Fiann and under his command the Fianna were molded from a band of thugs to men of honor, ruled by a strict code of conduct on and off the battlefield. The Fianna were so highly regarded during Fionn's tenure, that by passing the many ridged tests for admission into it's ranks a young warrior could change his status from low born to nobleman.

The symbol which Fionn was known by was called the "dealbh ghreine," or "image of the sun." His banner had a sun upon it. The exact design and color is unknown, other than the sun was gold or yellow. It is usually displayed upon a field of blue or green.

Fionn MacCumhail is believed to have lived from about 224-284 A.D. Fionn is an excellent role model for all Irish, or those of Irish descent to emulate. An anonymous chronicler of Fionn wrote about his character a thousand years later:

"And as to Finn himself, he was a king and a seer and a poet; a Druid and a knowledgeable man; and everything he said was sweet-sounding to his people. And a better fighting man than Finn never struck his hand into a king's hand, and whatever anyone ever said of him, he was three times better. And his justice it used to be said, that if his enemy and his own son had come before him to be judged, it is a fair judgment he would have given between them. And as to his generosity it used to be said, he never denied any man as long as he had mouth to eat with, and legs to bring away what he gave him; and he left no woman without her bride-price, and no man without his pay; and he never promised at night what he would not fulfil on the morrow, and he never promised in the day what he would not fulfil at night, and he never forsook his right-hand friend. And if he was quiet in peace he was angrey in battle..."

Fionn MacCumhail, leader of the Fianna, was the embodiment of Celtic chivalry. Perhap's Ireland's greatest champion, real or myth.

Orders and Decorations Exhibition in Massachusetts

The Monson Free Library, of Monson, Massachusetts will feature an exhibition of medals entitled “Orders and Decorations: An International Display of the Awards and Rewards of Loyalty and Service.”  The exhibition features more than eighty items from the collection of the Chancellor, Chev. Roger Carlton Sherman.

The exhibit will open to a reception for the Library Board and invited guests including members of the Chancellor’s family living in Massachusetts, on August 23 at the new addition to the imposing granite library built at the beginning of the last century.  It is expected to run through September.

Order of St. Sava Medal

Included will be a dozen United States military medals, a collection of civil service medals of France, Royal Orders and Medals from Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Lippe, Romania, Serbia, Bavaria and Wurttemburg. Present day orders of St. John and St. Stanislas will be included as well as a significant group of material from the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, of which Sherman ranks as Grand Cross and is a member of the Supreme Council.

The logo for the exhibit is the beautiful Order of St. Sava, which is included in the exhibition.

Members are welcome to visit the exhibit in Monson, located at the south center of Massachusetts, between Springfield and Worcester on Route 20 and easily reached from the Massachusetts Turnpike or Connecticut interstates.

Also included are a number of items of related ephemera, including an album of over 100 "cigarette cards" from England from the 1930's which feature chromolithographs of various insignia of Orders of Chivalry.
 
The Chancellor lived in Monson as a child and is a contributor to the Library's genealogical archives.  He is a 12th generation descendant of the Sherman and Stebbins families which have lived in Massachusetts - largely in the Connecticut river valley, since 1634.

Military Society of the Wild Geese receives proclamation from the State of California

On 10 November 2004 the State Senate of the State of California passed resolution No. 2957 was passed. This resolution recognized the contributions of the Irish diaspora to the history of California, the valour and adventuressness in distinguished causes of the nobles, officers, and soldiers of the Wild Geese, the formal establishment of the Military Society of the Wild Geese on the Feast Day of Saint Patrick, 17 March 2001, and also the distinguished service to the State of California of General Bailey McCune of Coll-Earn and Elphinstone, Baron of Elphinstone, Commandant-in-Chief of the Military Society. This resolution was proposed by The Honorable Senator Joseph L. Dunn. Senator Dunn was also appointed by order of the Commandant-in-Chief as Advocate General for North America of the Military Society, and was also designated as Chairman of the Committee to investigate the possibility of a Congressional pardon for the courageous and valourous Irish soldiers of the San Patricio Brigade

California State Senator Joins the Society

The Honorable Joseph Dunn JD, California State Senator, was recently granted membership in the Noble Society of Celts.

 
The Hon. Joseph Dunn

          State Senator Joe Dunn (D-Garden Grove) was elected in November 1998 to represent the 34th Senate District in Orange County; he was re-elected handily in 2002. The district includes the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.
          Sen. Dunn is the Legislature’s investigative leader into the price-gouging practices of energy generators that caused the state’s energy crisis. As chairman of the Select Committee to Investigate Price Manipulation of the Wholesale Energy Market, Sen. Dunn has provided valuable information to state and federal investigators to pursue criminal and civil indictments against energy traders.
          Sen. Dunn is a strong advocate for children’s hospitals, emergency services, seniors and affordable housing. He has been honored with legislator-of-the-year awards from military veterans, peace officers, firefighters, physicians, children’s hospitals, attorneys, homebuilders, affordable housing advocates, conservationists, mobilehome owners and others.
          Sen. Dunn lives in Santa Ana with his wife, Diane, and their two children.