Contents:-

The O’Beirne Crest An Australian Version

By Con G. Byrne (Sive O’Beirne)

The left, of course, signifies Ireland or Hibernia. The banner is in the colours of modern Ireland, and the Hopeful White for peace between them.

But "Erin's remembered in days of old by the minstrel's harp in Green and Gold" (also Australia's colours). However, in the New World, the Sons of Erin are under the aegis of Great Britain, so the Knight is dressed in Red, White and Blue; (though, as has been remarked, the Knight in Red, White and Blue could also recall the marauding Sassenach, on Irish soil, which he is facing; for ruddy is his silver sword.) The upper left of the shield shows a silver moon dimmed by the rains and mists of the Emerald Isle, which "fall soft on their fields," creating a small. distant, BURN, which flows and grows to become finally the River of Life.

It moves majestically on, past Shrines of Shamrocks, and fields of faith, even to the New World, where (as in Psalm 1) the children of Erin are "like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding it's fruit in due season, and it's leaf never withering."

There, Crux Australia in the sky above recalls the cross in the fields "At Home" and the faith of our fathers, and reflects the saltire on our ancestral escutcheon. Meanwhile, in the hot sun of the Great South Land, strange animals remind us that we are not alone, nor "At Home."

We face a Hostile land, where enemies animal and human, (snake, boomerang) threaten our very lives. From a land without snakes, we stand eyeball to eye with the baleful stare of the black snake, (one of our new home's nine most venomous snakes). But St Patrick has not abandoned us, and keeps his benevolent eye on our enemy - He knows how to deal with snakes!!!

And so with a will, yet a sigh, we turn from our minstrel harps, with shamrock motif from the holy graves of our Fathers in the New World (Grandpa Rody Byrne's grave in Nudgee, to be precise) and face the dangers about us, and, in the fullness of time galvanise (the lightning flashes) the new OLDLAND, till it too becomes ''Home.''

And all this began in 1863, when our family sailed on the "Golden City" to the "Golden City", from Queenstown to Queensland. From the green of Ireland to the Great Island, never forgetting that the Faith and love of God are paramount. In the words of Jesus to Martha: "You are busy about many things, but only One is Necessary" (From the old missal: Luke 10-42: "Martha, Martha, sollicita es, et turbanis erga plurima; porro unum est necessarium.")

And so, having laboured Six days, and cut the Lord's words into a plinth of Carrara marble, Byrne/O'Beirne needed merely to scratch "Fecit MCMXC ("Made 1990"). And he could say - but would not "It is consummated.'' So he contented himself with a mere "Confecit MCMXC" "It is finished 1990" - and laid down his style.

Whereupon his plume, painting with panache and still dripping wet, flung himself - just up there - see? Where he mirrors the tip of the sword.

Con Byrne lives in Coorparoo, Queensland.

A Distant Son of Roscommon Composes in Brisbane

Con G. Byrne celebrates his Irish Catholic heritage in many ways and none more strikingly than in his musical compositions. Con, who is a retired pharmacist, is a direct descendent of James Byrne/Beirne who sailed with many other Roscommon people on the "Golden City" in December 1862 and arrived in Brisbane in March 1863.

Con Byrne and his brother Roderick, Christmas 1996  

In February 1997, Con attended the 75th Anniversary of the Nudgee College Old Boys Association, a school where he had been Captain (Head Prefect) many years before. At the celebratory Mass led by the Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr. John A. Battersby, the Entrance Song was "Jesus is Lord Forever," with words and music composed by Con Byrne. We thought you would like to see Con's opus; music on below:                                                                                              

Jesus Lord Forever

Musical Score By Con Byrne.