The Fifth Province Group

Nollaig Byrne, Imelda McCarthy, Phil Kearny also known as the Fifth Province group operated in Ireland looking for an alternative view to problems: “There was the experience of opening things up and seeing them more clearly and then shifting them along. There was a sense of the spiritual underlying the process.” they write.

Umberta Telfener: Galveston 1988, there is a Congress organized by Harry Goolishian and Harlene Andersen. Representatives of the Milano Group are Laura Fruggeri, Anna Castellucci, Maurizio Marzari and myself. Naturally Boscolo and Cecchin. There are also other clinicians coming from the States and Europe (Karl Tomm, ….).
I will never forget the energy of the Fifth Province Group! Every day, with the Swedish group, they started joking, giggling and drinking from very early in the afternoon and went on till late at night. They immediately included us. In a sort of abductive way of reasoning we would pass from cybernetics to gossip to a personal very profound and meaningful story, all with never ending laughs and drinks. The next morning they were feeling perfect, while I remember that we Italians crawled around like zombies.

1980, Dublin, Ireland. The group has invited me to present in their international Congress. I will speak about metaphors and will present early in the afternoon. We went to lunch all together. I took the opportunity to drink some Cider that I love so much (no Cider in Italy). It was more alcoholic than I expected. When I started my speech I realized that I could no longer think clearly in English and I confused Italian and English. Fortunately Imelda came to my aid and practically took control of the process, ferrying me safely to the other side of the river.