Hello and welcome to this week’s issue of Ireland’s Own. This week’s cover story is on ‘The Men who Made our Money’. The first coins issued by the Irish Free State government were introduced ninety years ago and drew a storm of protests over their design – Gerry Breen tells us more.

Catherine Hayes, the Irish Diva, was born 200 years ago this month, writes Pauline Murphy. Miss Flanagan investigates “A Hairy Case”. Help the Benford detective solve another mystery.

In his Role of the Irish in WW2 series, Con McGrath profiles Peggy Diggins, the Hollywood star who became a photographer and war correspondent. In his Corners of Our Continent article – Bill McStay takes a look at the life of Fr. Willie Doyle, beloved Military Chaplain of the ‘Great War’. Mae Leonard recalls the time in which the leading poet of the First World War, Siegfried Sassoon, visited her native Limerick.

St. Columbanus – From Navan to Bobbio. St. Columbanus was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries from around 590AD most notably Luxeuil Abbey in France and Bobbio Abbey in Italy, writes Katherine Mezzacappa.

The role of Bovril in WWl is recalled by Helen Morgan while this week’s short story is Seamus in Danger by Gerry McCullough. Celia Jenkins recalls the interesting life of an Irish writer, Lafcadio Hearn, who became big in Japan.

Ireland and the Armistice – Counting the Cost of the Great War. The dark clouds of despair, which had cast a shadow on life for so long, began to lift, but the consequences of the worst conflict ever visited at that time on mankind were immeasurable and were set to be felt for many years after the fighting ended, writes Eamonn Duggan.

We have all this for you to enjoy alongside your weekly favourites such as Cassidy Says, Stranger Than Fiction, Pen Pals, jokes, songs, puzzles and much much more. Enjoy the read and I will look forward to talking to you all again next week.

                                                                                                              Best wishes,

Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own