03/12/03 Internal Martial Arts In Ireland - Zac Laurent (Hari das) is available for private/ group tuition in the ancient healing and martial arts of china. He has been trained by one of the worlds leading authorities outside of china- Alex Kozma (see www.lineofintent.com) in the internal systems such as Chi Gung, and Tai Ji Quan and some of the healing methods found in the Ba Gua Quan system of martial arts. The internal martial arts are superior to other systems in the sense that they are more of a mode of goodness practice and have amazing healing and healthcare benefits in a very practical sense. The whole hatha yoga system and reiki systems benefits can be found in the primary technique taught called "the tree" and it is simple but profound. The sheer simlicity of the techniques can be decieving but the results have been proven by alternative healthcare authorities and other such sources. Zac has taught many people in ireland over the past year, including reiki/yoga/pilates teachers/practitioners aswell as ladies groups and has also held two major seminars in Clones and Jampaling Buddhist centre in Bawnboy. Zac regrets that the martial side will not be taught as it is too dangerous and requires the assistance of his teacher (who will be coming to Ireland at some stage), but hopes that devotees who have health problems or wish to enhance an already existing practice will avail of this and benefit. There is a possibility of a weekend retreat at Inis Rath if there is interest. Submitted by Hari dasa

19/11/03 Preliminary meeting of parents held - After a small, preliminary meeting on the subject of caring for children within our community attended by Gobhatha and Hari Katha, Abhaya, Amanda and Kunjabihari Prabhus, a general meeting of parents is planned for Sunday January 4th. A letter giving all the details will be circulated to all parents shortly by mail.

17/11/03 Letter Mailed To Parents Re: Playground Project - Dear Devotees, following an inspiring preaching meeting on the island (5th October) a group of devotees agreed to form a Steering Group with a view to addressing the needs of children on the island. Hare Krishna! The need for this was made more obvious when we saw two accidents involving children on the island. This has raised many issues which also need to be directly addressed. Most of us are aware of the needs of children, both legally (for us as an organisation) and in a more personal developmental sense. The members of the Steering Group would like to open these issues up for discussion so that the views of the wider congregation, especially the children, are considered. The date for this open meeting has been set for January 4th (changed from 28th December), to start at 1pm (sharp please!). Please come along and BRING YOUR CHILDREN! We would suggest that you speak with your children before they come so that they can be ready with their own ideas and not be confused on the day and they will be able to think about what they need to say. We would like to get the best out of everyone on the day, of course. Prasadam will be served at 3 pm so if you children are likely to be hungry before then, please bring a snack for them. In the meantime, we do have Kunja Biharini devi dasi who has very enthusiastically developed a wonderful Sunday School programme for the younger children. This is a great development and we would like to support her efforts! Please see the enclosed information. If you have any questions on the above information , please call Kunja Biharini on 028 677 48045. Hare Krsna Your servant Amanda Holley

11/11/03 Online Vaisnava Directory launched - The 'directory' section of Krishna.ie has just been launched. It includes listings of devotees, ISKCON contacts, temples, restaurants, home programs, websites, discussion groups and devotee businesses. Check it out and please help us develop it into the invaluable resource that it is by submitting any relevant information and suggestions.

06/11/03 Govindadwipa Discussion Group created - A new yahoo group for discussions about the programs in Govindadwipa in particular and Ireland in general has been launched by Somesh Prabhu. ISKCON devotees and members of the Indian community are invited to join the group, introduce themselves and start discussions. The list is located at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Govindadwipa/.

22/10/03 Bungalow for sale near Govindadwipa - A bungalow is for sale for £100,000 just off the Geaglum Road, Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh. It would be ideal for a Devotee to purchase as it is located near to Their Lordships Radha Govinda. Submitted by Radhanatha Prabhu.

15/10/03 Central Irish Devotee Website launched - ISKCON Ireland.com is launched to aid in the communication of information between devotees all over Ireland. During the recent meeting on the future of preaching in Ireland, it became obvious that although many great programs and projects were underway, they weren't succeeding as well as they might due to lack of communication. Without proper notification different devotee's events may clash and many isolated devotees may not hear about them. Now this website facilitates and encourages the sharing of information.

08/10/03 Fire destroys Govindadwipa home - In a recent fire on Geaglum, the home of Anirudha and Fiona Prabhus was destroyed. The fire brigade was called to the scene to extinguish the flames that consumed the building. The cause of the incident is not yet known.
08/10/03 Loyal friend to many: Tilaka the Dog dies - Tilaka the dog has died. Tilaka is a local lassie collie that has been loyally visiting Govindadwipa for many years now. He had deteriorated is the past while, on regular medication for his arthritis and other conditions paid for by the local devotees. He was aged 10 years, quite old for a dog of his size and breed.

06/10/03 National support for new Dublin Temple - The suggestion that received the second-highest amount of votes at the recent meeting on the future of preaching in Ireland was to re-establish a temple in Dublin. Fortunately that will soon become a reality with Krsna's blessings as the building for the new restaurant is being secured on Middle Abbey Street in Dublin City Centre. The top floor of this building will be given over to use as a temple.
05/10/03 Vaisnava Support Network launched - After a positive meeting on the future of preaching in Ireland, Abhaya Prabhu's suggestion received the greatest support by all the attendees who voted on the ideas they considered most important. The substance of this idea was the need for more caring for devotees and working to achieve more facilities such as a playground for children on the island. As a result the Vaisnava Support Network has been set up and all the latest news of its efforts can be found at vsn.krishna.ie.