DOMHNAIGH -- On February 23, 1965, Irish patriot Roger Casement's  body was returned to Ireland to be reinterred.…

Lieutenant Tom McGuire was at 12,000 feet above Oro Bay, New Guinea in his P-38 fighter scanning the sky for Japanese planes. The 431st Fighter Squadron had scrambled from their Dubodura airbase to intercept a flight of Japanese bombers and their fighter escort on that October 17, 1943. McGuire…

In the 1860’s Queenstown (now Cobh) was a busy seaport and its townspeople were used to seeing naval vessels coming and going. Such was the case on the night of November 2, 1863, when the USS Kearsarge dropped anchor, to the east of the “Spitbank” lighthouse. In pursuit of the Confederate raider CSS…

Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, 5th Edition

By John Grenham

Published in Ireland by Gill Books and in the USA and Canada by Genealogical Publishing Co.…

You might say that in Ireland all roads lead to tea. From breakfast and lunch breaks to weddings and wakes, cupan tea is always a welcome guest. Irish tea is far more than just a hot drink to go with a scone and jam: It’s an important custom that serves as a symbol of hospitality, friendship, and…

Ireland has a centuries-old, rich and proud history defending its people and attempting to take back control of the Island for the native population (predominantly Roman Catholics) from Britain. The countless men who have fearlessly mounted this defense have been elevated to iconic status. Nonetheless, no…

For the first time , the full story of the ill fated collaboration between one of Ireland’s literary greats

and one of cinemas most influential directors is finally told …

I have recently been reading transcripts of British House of Commons parliamentary debates for the period 1919-1921 in search of information relating to the Irish War for Independence and came across the following:

On 12 May, 1921, the Member of Parliament A.E.Newbould asked how many Irish…

Nothing warms the heart (and the stomach) in winter more than the mashed potato-topped casserole known as Cottage Pie. In a land where sheep were traditionally a primary food supply, it’s not surprising that lamb is the foundation for many Irish farmhouse dishes, especially this long-time favorite…

"…

The night of November 1, 1920, All Souls Night, was extremely cold in the west of County Waterford. The members of the West Waterford Volunteers flying column huddled along the road at Piltown Cross were not only shivering because of the temperature. Most of them were also trembling slightly as…

The story of Chief O'Neill owes a great debt to his great-granddaughter Mary Lesch. It was Mary who followed through on family stories and hunted down her famous ancestor's unpublished manuscript. Then, with the aid of Chicago historian…

Dungarvan’s George Gerard Lennon (1900-1991), of O’Connell Street, Western Terrace (circa 1915) and Mitchell Terrace (1936), had a noteworthy revolutionary career.

Lennon's tenure encompassed some 17 engagements against enemy forces in Waterford, Limerick and Cork: a 14 year old “adjutant” in the…

There's a stone covered grave on the wild mountainside.

There's a plain wooden cross on which this is inscribed:

Kneel down, dear stranger, say an Ave for me

I was sentenced to death being a wild rapparee

--…

Dear Friends,

I attended a two-week writing workshop run by the Sancho Panza Literary Society at Trinity College in Dublin in June. It was a wonderful writing experience as well as an opportunity to explore historic Dublin and attend the…

I haven’t posted in a month and my Irish guilt is gnawing at me! So it’s back to business this week as “that time of year” is fast approaching. I’ve already started plumping my fruit for the several varieties of fruitcake that I make, but not for this one because the fruit is boiled! I’ve had the…

Francis O'Neill started as a policeman on August 17th, 1873. At that time, Chicago was still recovering from the devastation of the Great Fire a couple of years before. Francis had his own tragedies to contend with: He and his wife Anna lost their first child during that difficult time, and he struggled to keep a steady job in…

Death ends a life. But it does not end a relationship, which struggles on in the survivor's mind, toward some resolution, which it may never find. -- The character Gene Garrison in the film "I Never Cried for My Father"



My Dad appeared to me this morning, most…

Actually, they’re already here — and in great abundance I might add — in supermarkets, at farm stands, and on doorsteps everywhere. In the kitchen, their tasty orange flesh is used in all kinds of recipes, from morning muffins to delicious breads and loaves. I personally love to make pumpkin…

Tombstone erected by Francis O'Neill in memory of his parents.

On a recent visit to West Cork, I had the fortune to properly explore Tralibane and the surrounding area. I was bowled over by the…