Captain Bodley’s Journey
A diary entry of a certain English Captain Bodley gives evidence of the reduced state of the country in 1603.
Horror in Newry : 1600
Fynes Moryson, secretary to Lord Mountjoy who savagely laid waste to the country of Ireland at the turn of the seventeenth century to defeat the ‘rebels’, was described as a ‘bookish man’ and was a learned fellow of Oxford – as was his master.
Tinkers on the road: Canal Journey
On our journey down the Ship Canal that Spring day in 1949 we next encountered, or rather passed on the road to our right, a herring man. Soon either in Omeath or Carlingford he would be singing out the praises of his wares :
Dirk from Kirk
Dear Agnes
You are a lady noted for your deep compassion. Surely you, of all people, have a soft spot for Iris ?
Canal Journey – resumed
Just over there at the first rise of land in Dromalane, you can see the ivy-covered granite edifice that once was the home of Newry’s greatest patriot, John Mitchel who was exiled to Van Dieman’s Land for his outspoken political beliefs. From there he wrote …
Along the Fathom Line
I’m still numbered among the few who travel the Fathom Line to Omeath weekly for diesel. The saving is down to ~10% but I love the route and it gives me some quality time with Naomi.
Reaction to Ballyholland Massacre
Even fellow military men recoiled in horror at the unprovoked massacre at Ballyholland in 1797. Some felt it contributed to the popularity of the United men in an area that had till then been peaceable and uninvolved.
Agnes on Girls’ Toys
Dear Agnes
We all need protection, sure, from terrorist bombers on aircraft, but the latest [Detroit] scare has brought considerably more disruption and discomfort to ordinary regular passengers. What are we to do?
Poet Seamus Mac Cuarta
With the Irish social system broken by military defeats and Plantations from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries and the princely families no longer available as patrons of the poets, the cultivation of Irish learning passed from the hereditary families into the hands of the common people.
History of Ireland in Episodes
I received as a Christmas gift, the paperback of this work – released last Christmas in hardback – after running on BBC Radio Ulster for months of short programmes. It is excellent.
Looney Russian Roulette
‘Esau Looney was a firearms expert,’ said the Sheriff,
‘who liked to teach people how to safely handle firearms.
Horrocks Weavers
These lovely ladies worked in Horrocks Clothing Factory on the Warrenpoint Road some 55 years ago. Do you remember any of these faces? The names are reproduced below!
Music-makers
For some unknown reason, certain phrases within dramas and/or poems become enshrined in the language. The first lines of this for example, and the phrase ‘movers and shakers’.
In any case when you are next in the Town Hall, you might choose to draw attention to the inscription around the balcony’s frontage (the first couplet of this poem) and flaunt your knowledge!