John Anthony Brennan's Blog (131)

The Scribes

In A.D. 406 during a particularly harsh winter, the river Rhine froze over. Across this temporary land bridge poured hordes of Germanic tribes led by the charismatic Aleric, King of the…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 24, 2022 at 1:00pm — 4 Comments

'The Journey: A Nomad Reflects'

Irish Author John A. Brennan's “The Journey: A Nomad Reflects”

Escribe Publishing

New York

From ancient Ireland to the majesty of the Egyptian pyramids, author and poet John A. Brennan tells his life's journey in a series of melodic rhapsodies. He is a quintessential traveler,…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 21, 2022 at 5:30pm — 10 Comments

Agnes Mary Clerke: From Skibbereen to the Moon

The next time you look up at the full moon to make your wish, direct your gaze toward the southeast portion and locate the area known as the Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity). There you will observe the valley where Apollo 17, the last in a series of lunar missions, landed Dec. 10, 1972. Nearby,…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 20, 2022 at 12:00am — 6 Comments

The Headcutter's Stone

In an old peat bog at Ummericam, sits the cruel headcutter's stone,

stained with the blood and fused with the ghosts, of men who are now long gone.

In the gorse and the furze their cries could be heard, when Johnston was out on the roam

their fates soon sealed with the headhunters wield, and where red still…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 13, 2022 at 2:00pm — No Comments

The Link Between Ned Kelly and South Armagh

On this day January 7, 1841, John "Red" Kelly, the father of the infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, was sentenced to seven years transportation for stealing two pigs in an effort to feed his starving family. The judge handed down the harsh sentence at the Cashel quarter sessions in County Tipperary. He…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 9, 2022 at 7:30pm — No Comments

A Brief History of Poetry in Ireland

If as an Irishman/Irishwoman you've ever wondered where you got your love of the spoken word, your love of storytelling, your love of long winded conversation, the following…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 7, 2022 at 1:30pm — 11 Comments

Slaughter in the Murder Triangle.

On this day forty-six years ago, on January 4th. 1976, one of the more depraved acts of senseless and bloody savagery was directed against two innocent civilian families in an area known locally as the ‘murder triangle,’ in Counties Armagh and Down.

Much has…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 3, 2022 at 6:30pm — No Comments

New Year in Ireland

Home to some of the most unique superstitions in the world and a whole host of traditions dating back centuries, the arrival of a new year has always been a time of hope and excitement in Ireland.

Irish New Years Eve traditions in Ireland long ago were important in that they determined the luck of…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on January 1, 2022 at 8:30pm — No Comments

Hunting the Druid's Bird.

“The wran, the wran, the king of all birds,

on Stephen's day was caught in the furze.

His body is little but his family is sweet

so rise up landlady and give us a treat.

And if your treat be of the best

your soul in heaven can then find its rest.

And if your treat be…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 25, 2021 at 7:26pm — 2 Comments

The Maynooth Battery

If you should someday find yourself in County Louth, Ireland, and if you have some time on your hands, it would be worthwhile if you visited the small village of Darver and the historic Darver Castle. The village is part of the …

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 23, 2021 at 12:30pm — 3 Comments

The Winter Solstice in Ireland

This year’s shortest day of the year is on Tuesday, December 21, which will also mark the longest night of the year. Every year, the winter solstice marks the turn of the calendar as autumn ends and the winter begins. From an astronomical standpoint, the winter solstice means that the two opposite points in the sky…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 20, 2021 at 12:25pm — No Comments

The Miami Showband Massacre: Horror in the Dead of Night

Miami Showband Massacre victims and relatives to receive nearly £1.5m in damages. While the four Miami Showband plaintiffs will receive the paltry amount of approx. £300k in damages each, there was no admission of liability.…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 14, 2021 at 4:30pm — 16 Comments

Under the Mistletoe

Kissing a wife or lover under the mistletoe at Christmas is derived from an old Roman custom that honored the god Saturn. The Romans associated mistletoe with peace, love, and understanding and hung it over doorways to protect the household, as well as protection from witches and demons. Hanging…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 13, 2021 at 11:30am — No Comments

The Battle of Cúl Dreimhne (Battle of the Book)

St. Colmcille, also known as St. Columba, was born on this day Dec. 7 in 521 AD in Gartan, modern day County Donegal, Ireland.…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 7, 2021 at 1:26pm — 2 Comments

Oliver Cromwell: Lord "Protector"

Oliver Cromwell, one of the most reviled characters in Irish history, was an English military and political leader and the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. He was born in April 1599 and his father was Robert Cromwell. For the first forty years he led a…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on December 2, 2021 at 3:30pm — No Comments

The Scapegoat: A cautionary Tale.

One of the most negative faults that mankind possesses, in my opinion, is his ability to use another unfortunate to bear the blame for something that he in fact did not do. It is a base failing in the makeup of the human and may actually be the reason for the belief that man is born with the stain of ‘original sin’ on his…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on November 21, 2021 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Remember, Remember...The Gunpowder Plot.

On  the 5th. of November 1605 an event took place in the heart of London, that if successful would have forever changed the political and economic future of Ireland, the…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on November 4, 2021 at 12:00pm — 10 Comments

Oliver Plunkett, Tomás Ó Fiaich and The Bard of Armagh

On November 1, 1625 Oliver Plunkett was born at…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on November 1, 2021 at 1:00pm — 6 Comments

Samhain: Celtic New Beginning.

In the early evening they would gather in the grove, beneath the sheltering embrace of the sacred white oak tree. The Master had carefully dowsed the area, and had chosen it for the serene beauty and peaceful aura. The salmon-filled, crystal clear waters of the river wound a course through the…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on October 28, 2021 at 6:58pm — 9 Comments

John Winston Lennon

Happy Birthday John.

Oct. 9 1940

We still love and miss you.

Thanks for the joy and inspiration.…

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Added by John Anthony Brennan on October 9, 2021 at 8:00pm — No Comments

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