The iconic image of of Bishop Edward Daly in Derry ‘negotiating’ a safe passage for Jackie Duddy, a victim of the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry on the 30th January 1972, resurfaced in the media on the occasion of the death of the Bishop recently. The image was a stark reminder of just how much … Continue reading
Posted in August 2016 …
Casements flock to play about their great uncle
Brian Gillespie’s new play, Convicted on a Comma: The Trial of Roger Casement generated a deal of interestand many new patrons for Bloomsday. Among them were a couple who identified themselves as relatives. When a second couple did the same, it was assumed that parties were talking about the original family members, so it … Continue reading
John Francis Sheridan Le Fanu Byrne, Artist
A profile of an Irish-born artist whose artistic practice began painting Sinn Fein symbols on Christmas cards and painting by hand, plaster statues of saints. Continue reading
1916 in Dublin 2016.
A Traveller’s Tale by Historian, Dianne Hall April 2016 was a great time to be visiting Dublin, not only was the weather good, but the energy and enthusiasm in commemorating the events of the 1916 Rising was infectious. While I was not in town for the official events at Easter, I was standing outside the … Continue reading
Dánta le Colin Ryan :Poems from Colin Ryan
Ó thuiscint Rinne sí a cuid féin den chathair áit nárbh fhéidir a aithint thar chathracha eile: an tsráid shalach fhada seanduine dúr le madra: anseo a scríobhfadh sí scéal nó a feartlaoi féin: ach chonaic sí uaithi líonra suaite éan ina scriobláil spéire: focal a bhí ag dul ó thuiscint an focal ba cheart … Continue reading
Beyond the Romance of the Soldier-Poet
One puts the book down, numb beyond weeping, for it goes well beyond the romance of being a soldier-poet ‘in the tradition of Wilfred Owen, Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon’…. Continue reading
One Bold Act of Treason
BOOK REVIEW by Brian Gillespie Angus Mitchell (ed.): One Bold Deed of Open Treason: The Berlin Diary of Roger Casement 1914-1916. Dublin, Merrion Press, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-78537-056-4 (p.b.); 978178537-057-1 (h.b.) RRP: €17.50–€45.00 This book is a terrific insight into Roger Casement’s eighteen month stay in Germany from 1914-16. Taken directly from his diaries and superbly put together by … Continue reading
Rebel Sisters
Despite having the word ‘rebels’ in the novel’s title, the Gifford sisters’ active engagement in the Rising is downplayed. Continue reading
HEANEY’S HOUSE
A RECOLLECTION by Danny Cusack Reproduced with permission from The Journal, the Australian Irish Heritage Association (WA) quarterly. In the summer of 1985, soon after my first move to Ireland, I attended the International Association for the Study of Anglo-Irish Literature (IASAIL) conference in Belfast. On the closing day a small man in his mid-60s came over … Continue reading
1916 Commemoration Seminar in Perth
The Perth Australian-Irish Heritage Association ran a superb conference on the weekend of 20-31 July 2016, at Notre Dame University in Perth. Continue reading
Tinteán 