Charles Kickham Tomorrow, 6 February marks the 107th anniversary of the first showing of the silent film version of Charles Kickham’s, Knocknagow [to watch see here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A-R9F6OqXs ]. Set in county Tipperary, Kickham’s work was influential during the revolutionary period and he himself had been a Fenian. In 1933 Mrs Sigerson Piatt, one of the last remaining writers who knew Kickham provid...
‘One of our own’: John L Sullivan A note in the Kerry Weekly Reporter in October 1890 outlining the death of a Kerry emigrant in the USA was probably one many that the newspaper carried throughout its history, but how many were as news worthy as this? The death notice in question related to the father of a world boxing champion, the son of a Kerry emigrant who had left Ireland during the Great Famine. The 1890 note ...
John Sadlier: The Prince of Swindlers As the Great Famine drew to a close in Ireland, a great transfer of land ownership was underway. At the heart of many purchases, especially in the midlands and Tipperary, was John Sadlier, known as the Prince of Swindlers. Sadlier’s was a remarkable tale as he swindled thousands of pounds and duped many people in the process. Here the Nationalist and Leinster Times newspaper recal...
Luke Kelly Forty-one years ago tomorrow, one of Ireland’s greatest singers and balladeers, Luke Kelly died at the age of 44. The sad news was relayed by the Irish Examiner on 30 January who reported: LUKE KELLY of the Dubliners died in Dublin's Richmond Hospital last night after being ill for the past few days. In recent years Mr. Kelly (44) had undergone two major operations but he had continued his career ...
‘Honest’ Tom Steele The Repeal movement of the 1840s featured a number of prominent men, including amongst them man that was known as ‘Honest’ Tom. A landowner and a Protestant, Steele was devoted to both Catholic Emancipation and Repeal and remained a firm supporter of Daniel O’Connell until his death in 1848. The redoubtable ‘SJL’ of the Irish Press newspaper provides this account from 1972 of ‘ho...
Storm Eoywn is on its way. As we head to sleep on the 23rd of January, no one knows what we will be faced with when we wake in the morning. A ‘Red warning’ is in place for the entire country – schools are closed, public transport is not running and people are being asked to stay indoors. In 1987 the Irish Independent reported on the history of major weather phenomenon which had been recorded by scientists and mete...
‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan What’s the most bizarre story in Irish history that you have ever read? How about this one, the story of the man who was dubbed ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan. In 1988 Corrigan returned to Ireland, fifty years after his first famous visit. This time he was an invited guest of the nation. The Irish Independent reports: THE first time he arrived he had no official papers, but when he steps off a...
Soloheadbeg and the start of the War of Independence Yesterday marked the 106th anniversary of the start of the Irish War of Independence when members of the Dail met for the first time in the Mansion House. At the same time the war began in county Tipperary when members of the IRA led by Dan Breen attacked an RIC patrol at Soloheadbeg. The Irish Press in 1969 provided an account of the ambush to readers: In the t...
Inauguration of President O'Ceallaigh, 1952 Today marks the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States of America, Donald Trump. Millions watched across the world to see Trump take office for the second and in doing so promising to bring a number of changes to the USA. Todays post looks back the inauguration of President Sean T O’Ceallaigh in Ireland in 1952, being his second term in office. The ev...
What’s in a name? In the early 1930s, a decade after the War of Independence, there was considerable debate across the country about associations which reflected Britian or the empire. These included street names, statues etc but they also included place names. In 1935 in county Longford there was much debate about the naming of the village of Edgeworthstown or Mostrim. Here the Evening Herald explains: Longford C...