Review By Kieron C. Punch / Associate Editor (First published in 2011)

There is something…

There are many surprises to be found in Ireland's "Wild West," and one for me that was completely unexpected was to see eagles and other birds of prey flying above the countryside in County Sligo.

I happened upon Ireland's Raptor Research Centre after visiting the monument…

County Sligo (from the Irish Sligeach, meaning "a shelly place")  has a long history. First that can be recalled is the existence of middens along the coastline by Balisodare Bay (noted as the place that inspired William Butler Yeats's poem 'Down by the Sally Gardens' where he heard an old woman sing the opening lines).

The Culleenamore Middens are part of the earliest…

Constance Markievicz was born in 1868 at Buckingham Gate London, the eldest daughter of Sir Henry Gore-Booth, 5^th Baronet and Arctic explorer, and Lady Gore–Booth (nee Hill).  As an Anglo-Irish landlord and philanthropist, her father was not typical of his type…

Robert Morrison (1782-1863) was born in County Antrim of unknown parents and plied a linen weaver's trade until he emigrated to the United States in 1801. He married and was a pioneer in Adams County, Ohio, a captain in the War of 1812 commanding a company of dragoons, a state…

I was asked to write a review on the latest offering by Larry Kirwan, "A History of Irish Music."  As a scholar of Celtic music, I looked forward to reading his take on Irish music.  I will say that what I expected to read and what I read, whilst they meshed on some…

As a child, "The Great Escape" was one film that never failed to entertain me. Aside from a stellar cast that included Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough (above), Charles Bronson, James Garner and a host of others, the story was compelling and also happened to be true.

It’s…

The man who changed the face of Ireland, County Laois's most famous son, William Dargan, was born near Killeshin, on Feb. 28th, 1799. He worked for some time as an apprentice to the pioneering Scottish engineer, Thomas Telford, and helped construct the London-Holyhead road across…

The Irish for dowry is "spré," literally meaning "fortune."

My husband maintains he is still waiting for his dowry -- 26 years on, it has been a standard joke in our family all…

Cork Harbour claims to be the second largest harbour in the world after Sydney, Australia.

On the east side are the ruins of Woodhill, the house to which Sarah Curran fled after the execution of her lover, Robert Emmet in 1803. Nearby is the ruin of Dundanion Castle from…

On our trip to County Waterford that we won back in 2013, my husband Bill and I  decided to take some extra days and trek northwest while in Ireland, to see the Knock Cathedral in County Mayo. After passing through Waterford we headed up through Tipperary and Offaly before heading into the beautiful Counties of Galway and Mayo, which of course are part of the Wild West of…

You may not think the words in the headline above belong in the same sentence nor that they have any particular Irish resonance, but history throws up some intriguing links sometimes. This one caught my eye a while back, but I think now is a fitting time to share…

"Here's to your roof, may it be well thatched;

And here's to all under it, may they be well matched."

At…

In 2011 my wife, Lindy, and I spent two weeks in Donegal, staying in a cottage near Killybegs. One of our most enjoyable days during that two weeks included a boat trip to see the cliffs at…

I sometimes think that, when words fail, art can find expression for feelings that have no words.   And art is especially good for remembering those who have gone before...

I visited the studio of Lorcan Walshe recently. A few years ago he had an exhibition entitled “The Artefacts…

Tipperary native among the earliest heroes of the FDNY…

“NEW YORK CATHOLICS: Faith, Attitude & The Works!”

Patrick McNamara

Orbis Books, October 2014

211 Pages

When I first saw the title, I was apprehensive -- I was expecting either a dry history or a dry listing of…

What have you got in your hand?

A green bough.

Where did it first grow?

In America.

Where did it bud?

In France.

Where are you going to plant…

George Arthur French was born at Roscommon, Ireland in 1841. He was educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and commissioned in the Royal Artillery in 1860. 

In 1871, at the request of the Canadian government, he was sent…