The beat goes on – Alison Healy on Holocaust survivor and musician Saul Dreier
“I am very happy when I play . . . music is life”
An Irish Diary
An Irish Diary
Pointed reference – Frank McNally on the importance of being salient
Peace explains why the term “Monaghan Salient” has fallen out of use
Sleeveen and Jackeen: A History of Ireland in 100 diminutives
Number 70: Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)
(Southern) Cross Country – Frank McNally on Argentina’s 150-year-old Irish newspaper
The world’s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina
Funny Peculiar – Frank McNally on the unhilarious St Hilary and the legal term named after him
The ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing
Comrades – John Mulqueen on the price of a divided left
Petty differences should be resolved quickly, as Labour discovered just one year after its first breakthrough in a general election
The father of Irish surgery – Brian Maye on Robert Adams
Adams published extensively in such medical areas as heart disease, arthritis and gout
House Private – Frank McNally on the apparent occupation of 15 Usher’s Island
The short manifesto in the window has more than twice as many full stops – five – as Molly Bloom’s entire soliloquy
Mapped Out – Frank McNally on a wealthy namesake’s mansion, destroyed in the Los Angeles fires
The house was built in 1887 for the Armagh-born multimillionaire Andrew McNally
Sculptor Exculpated – Frank McNally on the forgotten Irish creator of one of England’s most infamous statues
John Cassidy’s gravestone, in the Catholic section of Manchester’s Southern Cemetery, makes no mention of his Irish origins
Just a tweak, mid-winter – Frank McNally on the ups and downs of Christmas
They say mishaps come in threes so now I’m waiting for the next one, which is the worst part
Tower of strength – Brian Maye on Sinéad de Valera
She proved a prolific author of children’s books in later life
Oranges in winter – Noel Costello on Valencia
‘It’s winter here, Noel,’ was the succinct reply to a question regarding a choice of attire
New light on The Dead – Ray Burke on John Huston’s classic film
Hollywood film distributors had a ‘complete aversion to the title’, according to the production notes
Lord of the Ring – Tim Fanning on pioneering boxing writer Pierce Egan
The publication in 1813 of the first volume of Boxiana marks an important moment in the history of modern sports journalism
Independent thinking – John Mulqueen on the power that Independent TDs can wield
Throughout the 1980s, when FitzGerald and Haughey vied to be taoiseach, Dáil divisions could be very narrow indeed
Ghosts in the machine – Colm Keena on hovering spirits from the past
When you reach a certain age, the world can seem to be populated with ghosts
Spreading the News – Ray Burke on a play by Lady Gregory that resonates to this day
The leading actor, Willie Fay, said that the cast had put tremendous pace into the comedy – ‘the pace of a hard football match’
The oldest working building in Belfast – Paul Clements on Clifton House
Clifton House is one of the city’s finest Grade A-listed Georgian buildings, but the stylish exterior belies the social deprivation that brought it into existence
Memory lanes – Paul Clements on the broad history of narrow thoroughfares
Ireland’s ancient laneways threading their way through towns and cities are staging a revival
In a good light – Áine Ryan on candlelight reflections
In the third power cut of this winter, I was prepared for some enforced introspection
Home alone at Christmas – Helen O’Rahilly on a delightfully peaceful celebration
To be relieved of the burdens of shopping, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up for the gang was a joy
Councillor Claus of Alaska – Alison Healy on the other Santa
Elves he can deal with, but trolls are on his naughty list
A rebate Christmas – Alison Healy on the surprising ways people spend their time on the big day
Think of those who were faffing around on the Revenue website last year instead of chopping onions for the stuffing
Name Shame – Frank McNally on the continuing tragedy of the forename “Kevin” and a bad night for “Shamrock” in London
A dramatic decline in a name’s prestige
Kiss of Death? – Frank McNally on the rise and fall of mistletoe
The plant and its associated kissing custom continue to be rare here
O Holy Fright – Frank McNally on an ‘uplifting’ carol service
The world premiere of David Stifter’s hymn, set to music by Ryan Molloy, was a triumph
Keeping it lit – Frank McNally on attending the global premiere of Gloomsday
The chronological aphelion of Bloomsday
Pages from history – Felix M Larkin on the Freeman’s Journal
It’s a century since the final edition appeared on December 19th, 1924
Remembering Robert Armstrong: Ronan McGreevy on a gardener whose life was disrupted by two world wars
The proud, stubborn and courageous Monaghan man chose a path which led to his premature death
Decayed Centenary - Frank McNally on the history of Irish brain rot
A rather uninspired choice as Oxford University Press word of the year? Maybe not
The Eyes Have It - Frank McNally on the feast day of St Lucy
The name Lucy shares its origins with the word lux, Latin for light, so it’s no coincidence her feast day coincides with the darkest time of the year
No Bloom at the Inn – Frank McNally on the delayed debut of a new (and old) Dublin pub
I just hope the ghost of Burton’s most famous non-customer has not entered an objection
The last seanchaí – Marc McMenamin on the life of Seumas MacManus
The life of Seumas MacManus, author and dramatist
Feargus O’Connor: Irish leader of one of the world’s first major working-class movements
Chartism got its name from the People’s Charter, and aimed to give ordinary working-class citizens a voice in a reformed political system
Ol’ Man River – John Mulqueen on singer and activist Paul Robeson
As a musician he had one great ambition – to explore the origin of African-American songs
Leap in the dark — Frank McNally on the obscure origins of an Irish religious insult
Religious ‘jumpers’ seem to have been largely associated with the far west of Ireland
Prose and Con — Frank McNally on the rise and fall of a famous local newspaper
In its brief existence, The Taxpayers’ News achieved the distinction of giving John B Keane his print debut
Souper imposed - Frank McNally on Famine insults and Flann O’Brien’s debt to Con Houlihan
Under the influence
Pint of order – Frank McNally on getting to the ballot box
At 9.30pm, mid-pint – and mid-point too – I tore myself away to vote
Form and function – Brian Maye on architect and novelist James Franklin Fuller
He oversaw the building and renovation of churches all over Ireland
Belleek prospect – Brian Maye on pottery entrepreneur Robert Williams Armstrong
Armstrong’s drive, vision and hard work were poorly rewarded
Swift justice – Frank McNally on the height of the Drapier’s Letters controversy
Jonathan Swift also fanned the flames with songs and poems written for a popular audience
Parallel projection – Frank McNally on watching Gladiator II and Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat back-to-back
Extreme violence and European imperialism
When hospitality begins at home – Frank McNally on having a great welcome for yourself
The great self-extended welcome seems relatively modern
Revving up the Shamrock – Alison Healy on the car that never quite got motoring
Wilbur Curtis did not have the luck of the Irish as he tried to get his project up and running
Innocence and mischief – Desmond O’Neill on the humorist and social commentator Erich Kästner
A gift for the absurd
Rhyme and reason — Alison Healy on Longfellow’s Wreck of the Hesperus
How did the wreck of an obscure US boat gain such a foothold in our lexicon?
Poet of the Troubles – Oliver O’Hanlon on Padraic Fiacc
When the Troubles broke out, he would come to refer to his native city as “Hellfast”
Hitler’s Irish volunteers – John Mulqueen on two Irish POWs who volunteered for the Waffen-SS
Irish POWs were isolated in a special camp near Friesack, where they were bombarded with anti-British propaganda
Sharpened pens – Alison Healy on the cattier side of writers
Writers seem to relish eviscerating their fellow artists whenever they get a chance
“I remember” – Tim Fanning on the power of cinema to unlock the secrets of memory and nostalgia
Cinema-going in Dublin was a less luxurious affair in the 1980s
Prince of the church – Brian Maye on Cardinal Michael Logue
His life spanned the land war, the Home Rule campaign, the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence, partition and the Civil War
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