Category: History

Did You Know /Did Ye Know?St. Brigid of Ireland – Legend, Myth, Customs & FolkloreLá Fhéile Bríde How many Patron Saints does Ireland have? We usually assume that there is only one! Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland, of the country but what about the other saints and their patronage of places, people […]

As I write this Christmas has not started. The Twelve Days of Christmas are not upon us yet – such is life in publishing – getting ahead of the readership. Christmas is a time for reminiscing and spending time with families and friends. In this article I would like to take you on a particularly […]

In June 1963 President John F. Kennedy visited Ireland. At City Hall Cork, to rapturous applause he delivered a speech. Among those gathered were his entourage, staffers together with their Irish relatives, friends and invited guests and dignitaries. On that momentous occasion, one of the main points Kennedy’s speech centred on was “Ireland’s Greatest Export” […]

A Gem of West Cork Hospitality – Steeped in History! Summer 1988 – I walked through the front door of the historic period property that is Fernhill House Hotel for the first time. It was my first time as a “proper” wedding guest- feeling somewhat grown up, (being in my teens). The occasion? – a […]

Did Ye Know/ You Know?Gougane Barra – Glacial Valley & Ecclesiastical Sitehistory – trails – faith – heritage This past May bank-holiday I had the privilege of escorting World War 2 Iwo Jima Veteran- Don Graves and his team around Gougane Barra. Don served in one of the worst conflicts of the second world war. […]

Did Ye/You Know? Exploring a few West Cork Hotels along the Way! Recently I re-discovered some images of a pamphlet I photographed a few years ago on the Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway. Though not a railway aficionado per se, the images inside were tantalising to the historian. Images of hotels, adverts for tourists, […]