Ireland: Activity to Remember July 20th 1999

On Tuesday July 20th, I decided to introduce Falun Dafa in Portlaoise of Ireland to commemorate exactly five years of the crackdown on the practise that began in Mainland China.

Around mid-morning we arrived in the town centre. The weather was a mixture of heavy showers and bright sunshine. To begin with I found a nice busy spot for my husband who uses a wheel-chair and left him to his own devices with a supply of leaflets. My first visit was to the County Hall to check with the Librarian who has always been most helpful to me and a friend of Falun Gong. Unfortunately he was away from work due to illness, but I met for the first time his deputy - a kindly lady. She assured me that she knew all about my relationship with the library staff, in relation to the monthly supply of leaflets to be distributed to the branch libraries and that she was in a position to assist me and was qualified to make decisions. Hearing this I put it to her that the steady inflow of leaflets would create a need for Falun Gong books as a follow up to enquiries from the leaflets. She agreed with this suggestion and said she would order that afternoon a quantity of copies of Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun [Turning the Law Wheel - a book containing the principle teachings of Falun Gong.] for use in the County Library and all the branches. This was the first manifestation of the Fa [law or principles, the teachings of Falun Gong] working and a good start to my day. From there I went to the Post Office to send a quantity of truth materials to the precious Chinese people.

The rest of the day I spent in various parts of the town distributing leaflets and talking to people answering their questions and clarifying the truth. I talked to all age groups and found in general that the people are changing. It surprised me to find out how many people knew of Falun Gong and how so many are completely aware of the persecution. I turned a corner into what appeared to be a street which was much quieter than the others, I was just about to retrace my steps when I saw a man coming towards me. I waited for him and asked if he would take a leaflet. He looked at me and asked me what it was about. I replied, Falun Gong. His eyes lit up and he said I know all about Falun Gong. I probed a little father and asked him where he heard of Falun Gong. He replied, in Tullamore. It was then that I noticed his blue shirt and black tie when I asked him if by any chance he was a member of the Garda Siochana ( the Irish police). His face beamed, "Indeed I am and it was while on duty in Tullamore a few months ago during the Foreign Ministers' conference that I was assigned to keep watch on Falun Gong." He went on to say that he was most impressed by the peaceful nature of the practitioners and the beauty of the exercises were a revelation to him, particularly the small boy who became so still like something from Heaven. He remarked also that while on this type of duty roster he was used to boisterous aggressive groups who were sometimes violent and could get out of hand, so different from Falun Gong who I believe have brought a peaceful way to Ireland and that was what Ireland needed badly. I spent quite a while talking to him answering his questions, I had a strong feeling that I was in the presence of a predestined spirit.

He was anxious to know a lot more, I advised him how to obtain the books. Before we parted he requested my phone number and said he would certainly be in touch. That fortunate encounter ended my activities for the day, I felt a great sense of the Fa working and my steps were light as I walked away to collect my husband.