Hello and welcome to this week’s issue of Ireland’s Own. One hundred and thirty years ago, one of the world’s most iconic landmarks was constructed as an impressive centrepiece for the 1889 Paris Exposition, held to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. Gerry Breen writes more.

Pauline Murphy remembers Jim Connell the Meath-man who wrote the anthem of the British Labour party, ‘The Red Flag’. Elizabeth de Burgh, Queen of Scots was the Irish-born wife, and only queen consort of Robert the Bruce, and is profiled by Judith Doyle.

In the piece Ina Boyle – A Life in Music, the most prolific and significant female composer from Ireland before 1950 is profiled by Deirdre Ní Chuanacháin.

In his Role of the Irish in WW2 series, Con McG ra th takes a look at the story of Irish American and future President, Ronald Reagan. Pat Poland recalls The Unsolved Mystery of the Fire at Cork College and A Tipperary Murder.

During the Great Hunger, a group of 600 starving peasants set out for Doolough in County Mayo to find food. Ray Cleere tells the story behind the tragic events of 170 years ago in The Doolough Famine Tragedy.

This week’s original short story is The Homecoming, by Mary Nolan. James Whitcomb Riley, the prominent American poet who was a friend of the Irish immigrant, is profiled by Bridget Riley.

In his IRELAND IN 1919 series Eamonn Duggan is looking at Funding the new Republic (Part 1). While the TD’s who attended the first Dáil in the Mansion House had political certainty, the pragmatists among them realised that to successfully launch an independent nation and sustain it, money would need to be found and, indeed, a lot of it, writes Eamonn.

We have all this for you to enjoy alongside your weekly favourites including Cassidy Says, Pete’s Pets, Stranger Than Fiction, jokes, songs, puzzles and much much more.

Enjoy the read, and I will look forward to talking to you soon.                                                                                                

                                                                                                         Best wishes,

Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own