It's a new year so lets look at how we're doing.

Well 2009 came and went without much happening for most but for all of us Pirates here in Ireland it brought with it the founding of the Irish Pirate Party. Already we have over 130 members and with any luck by this time next year we will have the full amount needed to register officially and we will be well on our way to making this country a more free and pleasant place to live.

Of course the news is not 100% good on the international scene. As reported previously the Pirate Movement as a whole lost a valued member in Florian Hufsky aka Oneup. While we may gain new members and sympathizers daily we always try to remember those of us that we have lost as well.

Of course here at home there is loss outside the party that we must recognise. The holiday season is a time of reflection for most and a time of great joy.  For those people living in Longford town though this Christmas was not filled with the joyous singing and praying that normally would accompany the event. St Mel's Cathedral burned throughout the morning on Christmas day and a valuable piece of local history all but went up in smoke.

The image of the cathedral now is that of a hollow shell. The fire gutted the building and destroyed valuable artifacts that cannot be replaced. Pieces of history that are now gone forever. I drove past the front of the cathedral on Christmas day and was shocked to see the state it was in then so soon after the flames had been subdued but the image I saw recently upon returning to the area was all the more haunting. This time i was able to walk around the building and fully take in the destruction that the fire had done. Windows shattered. The roof all but gone. Blackened stone both inside and out. It was a very humbling sight even for myself given that I am overly religious.

The people of Longford though will persevere. They will find a way to move on from this and they will be able to draw strength from it. On the face of it the cathedral is all but destroyed but if you consider it from a different angle you might find it a little inspiring. Yes the cathedral is essentially gone. It will likely not be able to be restored but even after it was ravaged so completely it still stands. It is showing us that no matter what we can go on.

Times recently have been hard for many. Harder for some than for others. Nevertheless we can and will continue on each of us in our own ways. We will all move on and try to make the future a brighter and happier place to live than we believe it to be right now.

- Thomas Burke.