Jem Murphy, local historian, was one of the men responsible for the discovery of the O’Neill Vault. Jem was born in Carnally in 1916.
Recreation
Mozart in Cathedral
When last I extensively advertised a coming event in the Cathedral – Newpoint’s performance of T S Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral – I found on the night that everyone had arrived before me, though I was there a full half-hour before commencement. I had to stand at the back,
Kingdom of Mourne
There is firm evidence of early human habitation in the Annalong area. In the mid 1980s when some minor excavation work was being carried out during the making of the
Dwelling Place of Dragons
The author and historian Majorie Harshaw Robie is due to visit Ireland on the 26th November 2006 to launch her book “Dwelling Place of Dragons“. The book centres on the 19th Century lives of local men James Harshaw, John Martin and George Henderson. There is more information about these men on the Harshaw Martin Heritage Trail website.
We have not had a chance to review the book as it is not yet launched but the publishers description is shown below.
Publishers Description: Ten years in the making, author Marjorie Harshaw Robie’s impressive Dwelling Place of Dragons recounts two of the most formative decades in Irish history. It reveals how a few brave members of the Protestant community of Ulster joined the Catholic population in the struggle to gain independence from repressive English control. Her unique perspective tells Ireland’s incredible story through the eyes of three remarkable, very unique men: James Harshaw, the Irish nationalist; Harshaw’s nephew John Martin, who fought to achieve independence from England; and George Henderson, who became editor of one of the most influential newspapers in all of Ulster. Unlike John and James, George was a supporter of British control. From a conference in 1830 where religious peace was declared to the murders and riots and the great Irish famine, author Robie delves deep into Irish history, exploring the tensions that led a peaceful country into sectarian war. Extensively researched, Dwelling Place of Dragons explores the dangers that can occur when one religion runs a country.
Robie’s book is also deeply personal. She searched for and finally found all six volumes of Harshaw’s incredible diaries, and balanced them with the character of George Henderson, who represented the majority opinion of Irish Protestants. These three men and the motives that moved them are brought back into the limelight in a book of rare historical importance.
Annalong explained
Most of our place names derive from the original Gaelic and so it is of Annalong – Ath na Long or the ford of the ships. We must remember that before every river and stream …
Kilkeel
Kilkeel – the Church of the Narrows – takes its name from the old parish church built on an earlier ecclesiastic site overlooking the
Kingdom of Mourne
Saint Patrick figures in many legends of Ireland. Did you know that the boundary of what is now generally known as the Kingdom of Mourne …
Slieve Donard
The highest mountain in our region is Slieve Donard, which dominates the lovely seaside resort of
