Catherine is a direct descendant of Arthur Guinness who started the stout, (she and Wayne got special treatment at the brewery), and a grand-daughter of Harry Guinness who was a leader alongside Roger Casement and Edmund Morel in opposing Belgian slavery in the Congo. (In 2017 Catherine wrote a stunning book, Rubber Justice, about him.) Continue reading
Filed under Irish Australian History …
What’s on November/December and beyond
The Irish Famine Orphan Girls Commemoration will take place on November 23, 2025, in Melbourne to honor the arrival of orphan girls in 1850. Events include a film screening of Na Trí Céilithe with a discussion panel. Other cultural activities include a series of music sessions and the Canberra Irish Language Summer School in January 2026. Continue reading
What’s on October/November and beyond
The 2025 Irish Film Festival showcases diverse Irish storytelling across Australia with screenings from October 9 to November 9. The Celtic Club sponsors online screenings and events like the book launch of Anne Casey’s poetry collection, celebrating Irish heritage and culture. Various cultural gatherings and language sessions are also included. Continue reading
‘Family’s Our Way of Life’
At a young age, Mary Walsh evinced an interest in becoming a doctor or a nurse and she had several women role models. Continue reading
Newman College to host two leading Irish language scholars
In January 2026, Melbourne will host two outstanding scholars of Irish Studies, Louis de Paor and Brian Ó Conchubháir. Both are leading experts in the history of the Irish language and its contemporary use. Continue reading
Anniversary of Catalpa Fenian Escape in WA
A commemoration of the bold rescue of Fenians from Fremantle on 17 April 1876. Continue reading
The Sad Tale of Eliza Fitzpatrick
Her story is one, initially, of normal native Irish family life, then blighted by the Famine, the workhouse, and being sent to Australia, where her marriage, children, and oversall loss apparently sent her into a downward spiral and a tragic death. Continue reading
What’s on September/October and beyond
Bacon and Cabbage Night at Comhaltas, Celtic Club events, Irish Movies, Irish Language classes in Brisbane, Bush Dance, Ulysses class and more…. Continue reading
The Shanahans and the Kearns: Tipperary to Australia Part 2
Late in the lean month of Iúil an Chabáiste on Friday 26 July 1850, before the digging of the new crop and at the remnants of the previous seasons harvest, agents of Government, bailiffs, crowbar men, police, army, law and land agents gathered at Ross Cottage at Cullohill or Kearns Cross to clear the surrounding townlands of Cooleen, Carrigeen, Cullohill, Mountkinane, Curraghkeale, Glenanoge and Glenarisk. Continue reading
What’s on August/September and beyond
Bacon and Cabbage Night at Comhaltas, Celtic Club events, Irish Movies, Irish Language classes in Brisbane, Bush Dance, Ulysses class and more…. Continue reading