Roscommon was one of the hardest hit counties during the Famine, losing 31 percent of its population. ℘℘℘ In 1845, County Roscommon was one of the first counties to record the appearance of the blight in the locality. The return of the disease the following year – earlier in the season and more lethal – resulted in an immediate increase in distress. On 12 October 1846, the … [Read more...] about Roscommon, Part III: The Hungry Years
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Ireland At Christmas
Christmas the most magical time of year in Ireland, where the festive atmosphere is not to be missed. Cheerful Christmas markets spring up all across the island, traditional decoration displays are top class, and bars are bustling. Family and friends are reuniting by the crackling peat fires with a hot toddy or creamy pint. This is the perfect time of year for friends, both old … [Read more...] about Ireland At Christmas
Wild Irish Women: Rita Hayworth, the Ravishing and Ravished Redhead
The tragic star who burned too bright but always gave the loveliest light. Her mother, the improbably named Volga, was an ex-Ziegfeld Girl, born to a printer, Allynn Hayworth, and his wife, Maggie O’Hare, the daughter of Patrick and Bridget O’Hare, immigrants from Ireland. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, as black-hearted a villain as ever lived (saving a few of her husbands), … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women: Rita Hayworth, the Ravishing and Ravished Redhead
Bobby Kennedy’s Message of Unity and Raging Spirit
Chris Matthews talks about his new book, which offers valuable insights into Bobby Kennedy, and why we need someone of Kennedy’s ilk today. Next year, on St. Patrick’s Day, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art will open a new exhibit entitled “The Train: RFK’s Last Journey.” The centerpiece of the show will be more than two dozen large color portraits taken by Look magazine … [Read more...] about Bobby Kennedy’s Message of Unity and Raging Spirit
Ireland’s Watchmaking Revolution
The word “clock,” one of the oldest human inventions, is derived from the Celtic words clagan and clocca, meaning “bell” (clog in modern Irish), so it’s only fitting that the Irish are having a major impact on the world of watchmaking, traditionally dominated by the Swiss. ℘℘℘ There is a revolution happening in Ireland – a horological revolution. Horology is the study of time … [Read more...] about Ireland’s Watchmaking Revolution