Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last night in Dublin Castle the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, launched a new book entitled, Freedom Within the Heart, by Mark Mahon. It is on the life and times of the High King of Ireland Brian Ború.

We will commemorate him next year. There are also plans to have a feature film made, starting next year. It would be good news for the film industry, Ireland and the morale of the Irish people. As we know, he was a very significant figure in Irish history and was also a cultured person who was a patron of the arts. He can be put in a context of unifying all the traditions on the island.

I welcome the decision by the marching bands of the loyalist tradition at a meeting in Derry yesterday to participate in the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Derry in August. They will march through the streets of Derry, shoulder to shoulder with bands of other traditions. It is not about politics or partisanship, rather, it is about having a common cause, namely, the musical heritage of Ireland. The decision did not make headlines, and perhaps that is good. Many such things are happening in the North. People are finding a place where they can work and co-operate together and respect each other's traditions. I salute the loyalist bands for that because it was a major, as well as a very generous, decision.