Historical Stuff
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Killiney Bay : 1793 -1815 I lived in Ballybrack/Killiney in the midst of batteries and martello towers for 20 years. I finally got around to exploring their significance in the early 1970s. The area proved very important in the context of the authorities' responses both to the 1798 rebellion and any possible invasion of the capital by Napoleon. Ballybrack in the 19th century This follows on from the previous essay and looks at the development of Ballybrack as a residential suburb, particularly following the arrival of the railway. Slideshow: Nelson's Pillar 1960s Nelson was toppled from his perch on 8 March 1966 in the run up to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1916 rising. I followed the subsequent deconstruction of his perch on a daily basis until its complete obliteration. Slideshow: Round Ireland 1960s This is essentially a slideshow put together in the early to mid 1960s to give foreigners (an admittedly Dublin based) taste of Ireland. It includes Dublin, Corca Dhuibhne and Sligo/Donegal. A far cry from the Ireland of today. Broadcasts I took part in some of the programmes in Micheál Holmes's series for Radio na Gaeltachta "Sloinne agus Seoladh" dealing with family and local history. Niall's Tower For only the second time in over 200 years, No.7 Martello Tower, in Killiney, Co. Dublin, Ireland, was inaugurated on Saturday, 12th July 2008. This was (almost) the culmination of a project aimed at restoring the Tower to its original state, and, some would say, use. Niall O'Donoghue has undertaken the restoration at great expense, both financially and in terms of effort, and the result is stunning. Check it out. The Medlar's Gotcha Dr. Máire Kennedy very kindly agreed to my giving a lecture on P J Medlar, City Councillor and Undertaker, at the family history day in the Dublin City Library and Archive on 27 March 2009. I have put up a backup page on this site from which much of the material that underpinned the presentation, and the presentation itself, can be accessed. I didn't actually have a full text script which was just as well as the presentation was being radically pruned right up to the night before. |
Gaelic script An example of the Gaelic script in use in my early schooldays before its supplanting by roman script (or the cló rómhánach as it was known) Economic Oracle Irish Times article from 1968 by Michael Viney, then the paper's economic development correspondent. It illustrates the undeserved prominence given to, and the unrealistic expectations of, econometrics at the time. Censorship This is pretty mindblowing stuff about the censorship régime in Ireland when I was growing up. Rome Rule Perhaps the rantings of our Northern Brethern were not so far fetched? Head in the Sand This is my alltime scoop. The guys, and I don't recollect seeing any gals, who stole Nelson's head for a fashion shoot on Killiney beach. Paddy Hillery's Funeral Happened on Paddy Hillery's funeral on my way through town. I also did a short piece on my blag Gaeilge. Islandbridge Memorial It took me a few years to get around to visiting this memorial to the war dead. It is well worth a visit as a reminder of a formerly neglected aspect of our national history. My own interest arises from my uncle John whose life was thrown away on the Somme in 1916. Millmount Tower This was my second Tower inauguration this year. The 200th anniversary of the Tower at Millmount in Drogheda was commemorated by the inauguration of the two new 9 pounder cannons on 13 December 2008. Lecture on Ballybrack 1500-1900 Dr. Máire Kennedy very kindly invited me to give a lecture on Ballybrack for the local history day in the Dublin City Library and Archive in September 2008. This involved upgrading a slide show and display panels to Powerpoint and seriously compressing the presentation into 45 minutes. I have put up a backup page on this site from which much of the material that underpinned the presentation, and the presentation itself, can be accessed. I didn't actually have a textual script which was just as well as the presentation was being radically pruned right up to the night before. |