MacGowan’s anarchic spirit is well served by Julien Temple, who writes and directs, bringing a lifetime of music filmmaking and a keen sense of place and time. Continue reading
Posted in August 2021 …
Jack Charlton, ‘A Dictator, But a Nice One’
Jack Charlton, the subject of a new Irish film, showing at the Irish Film Festival. Continue reading
Families in Stress
The opening scenes in Wildfire set a background for this gritty story of pain and difficulty coming to terms with the past. Continue reading
Danced to Death by Visions
The Irish Film Festival, online again 2021, runs from 3-12 September. Tickets available now. Film Review by Frances Devlin-Glass Death of a Ladies’ Man, Written and Directed by Matt Bissonette; Starring Gabriel Byrne; Cinematography by Jonathon Cliff. A co-production of Telefilm Canada and Screen Ireland. 2020. Available online as part of the International Irish Film Festival. … Continue reading
Thin Lizzy, Not Meant to End in 1983
A film featured in the forthcoming Irish Film Festival (online in 2021) about the versatile Phil Lynott. He could sing in so many styles from pop to metal. Continue reading
Assisted Irish Migrants to New South Wales in the 19th century
Was the period between 1840 and 1869 the one when the influence of the Irish, at least, numerically, was strongest in colonial Australia? How do we account for the fluctuations? Continue reading
Why Do You Write in Irish?
The world seemed clear. The questions started later in life or when we went to the cities and were asked to convert and change our language to English, sometimes politely sometimes not so much. We got used to the requests, ‘can you please say that in English?’ or the statements ‘We speak English in here’ or ‘I’m afraid we don’t speak that language here’. Continue reading
The Magic of DNA: two stories
It was deeply emotional for me to be able to tell Judy the name of her father, something she had longed for all her life. I emailed a photograph, not being able to imagine the emotion of seeing a photograph of your father for the very first time. Continue reading
Ghosts of Irish Australia, Patrick Cunningham.
Most of my descendants moved to Western Australia, to farm and prospect for gold. Continue reading
On not writing off youngest sons
I can honestly report that he went away, poor dear fellow, as well as could be expected. He was pale and had been crying and (Henry said) had broken down in the railway carriage after leaving Higham Station, but only for a short time… Continue reading