In memory of my ancestor William Brennan (Brennan on the moor) who chose to become a highwayman after his forebears were ousted from their ancestral home in county Kilkenny, during the Norman invasion of Ireland.

He rode from high to the valley floor,

then hid behind the rowan tree.

It was time to settle a deep-set score

and seek vengeance for his family.



They took the land they took their pride,

rode roughshod o'er the scattered…

By John Bruton

In 2016, there will be extensive commemoration of the centenary of the Rising in Dublin in 1916.

No comparable commemoration is planned for an earlier centenary, that of 18 September 2014, the 100^th anniversary of the passage into law of Home Rule for Ireland.

The events of Easter 1916 inaugurated an armed…

Ireland emerged slowly from the death grip of the last ice-age around 10,000 years ago. The land bridges which connected it with its nearest neighbors, England and Scotland, vanished as the vast…

Bernardo O'Higgins

DEARDAOIN -- On August 17, 1778,…

The Enchantress is the last poem in a trilogy. "The Hill" is the first one followed by "The Solstice."

The Enchantress

They used to…

John Anthony Brennan is a native of Crossmaglen, a small, tough town in County Armagh, Ireland. A town, like Ireland herself, which has survived much pain and hardship through the centuries beneath the invaders harsh heel. His new book,…

Sligo Abbey

Abbey Street, Sligo Town, County Sligo



Known locally as simply "The Abbey," this Dominican Friary was founded in the mid 13th century by Maurice Fitzgerald. The site contains a great wealth of carvings including Gothic and Renaissance tomb structure, well preserved cloister and the only…

To really understand Gáirdín an Ghorta, and its pathways, please go to our Facebook page and click on pictures and then click on our albums  and then click on the album, "A Walk Through the Famine Garden," and you…

Hi all at The Wild Geese, 

Please check out our Facebook link above about our Famine Garden in Newmarket, County Kilkenny and let us know what you think of it:…

DOMHNAIGH to CÉADAOIN -- From July 13 to 16, 1863, one of the more regrettable incidents related to Irish-American history occurred --the…

Linen Hall Library Mary McCracken's ill-fated United Irishman brother, Henry Joy.

MÁIRT -- On…

Sir Henry Wilson

DOMHNAIGH -- On June 22, 1922, Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson was shot and killed by two…

Harry Boland, a Dublin tailor and Sinn Féin leader, left; Michael Collins, who would come to fight forces led by de Valera, center, and Eamon de Valera, right.

LUAIN -- On June 16, 1917,…

Old Irish Newspaper Abstracts:

We tend to forget the things that so many people have done, especially in this day and age of advanced technology. Many of you don’t remember the days when the Irish Census returns were not on the internet, many of you don’t know about the days when you had to go to the Irish Civil Records office to get the references for births, marriages and deaths. Today, we can get those references if they exist on the internet (for the most part). We all forget so…

John Mitchel as portrayed by Currier and Ives, who made a number of Irish prints to appeal to the Irish-American market.

DOMHNAIGH -- On June 8, 1853, John Mitchel escaped from…

Editorial Coordinator for The Wild Geese, Ryan O'Rourke, recently had the opportunity to chat with Irish-American author…