Hello and welcome
to this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Annual.
And what a celebration of the best of all things Irish we have for you to enjoy this year!
A number of special guests have chatted to our team of writers including Dubliner John Sheahan. At this time of year, when the world becomes Irish for one day, John shares with Maxi his memories of the great artists who shared the stage under the collective name of ‘The Dubliners.’ He also explains how in the show ‘THE DUBLINERS – ENCORE’ as the last original member of the band, he feels an obligation to share their story before it becomes lost over time.
Staying with great Irish ballad bands, Eddie and George Furey give a farewell interview as the clock winds down on their time touring as ‘The Fureys’. Their manager, Joe McCadden, also shares his memories of nearly forty years of managing ‘the most down-to-earth lads you could meet’. Mick Foster, of Foster and Allen fame, reveals the songs that make the soundtrack to his life.
Tom Gilmore shares the heartbreaking story of the shooting of an Irish policeman in the USA in his story on the life of Phil Fitzpatrick, the man who wrote Larry Cunningham’s hit single ‘Lovely Leitrim’. The author John Crotty has a new book out on the origins of The Irish Tricolour and he tells its story in a special article for Ireland’s Own readers.
Liam Nolan remembers the story of Saint Patrick, while Mick Jordan goes behind the scenes of the making of the film ‘Into the West’ starring Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin and David Kelly. David Kelly also features in the next instalment in Seán Creedon’s series on ‘The Characters of Glenroe’ – who can forget his contribution as the wily ‘Uncle Sylvie’?
Eamon Ó Buadhacháin writes about the high number of Irish emigrants who settled in the Caribbean and reveals the only other nation besides Ireland that celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day as a public holiday in his piece ‘The Irish of the Caribbean’. Cian Manning recalls the Free State Cup Final that took place on Saint Patrick’s Day one hundred years ago.
Cornelius Clarke continues his series on the supernatural writers of Ireland, this week featuring Oscar Wilde. Christopher Hughes features Barry Manilow in his Hitmakers of Irish Heritage series, and Martin Gleeson reveals the man behind the legend of ‘The Hairy Lemon’. Joe Cushnan remembers ‘The Great Saint Patrick’s Day Flood’.
Hannah Huxley has a very interesting story about Captain Patrick Collins, who was the the older brother of Michael, and who went to America to become a policeman. Had Michael accepted his invitation to come and join him Stateside, then Irish history might read very differently. In ‘Cheltenham 2026’ we chat to Conor O’Dwyer and Ted Walsh, who share their special Cheltenham memories while Paul Clarke marks the fortieth anniversary of Dawn Run’s remarkable racing success.
Columnists Mary Kennedy, Michael Lyster, Dan Conway, Eddie Ryan and Alex Dobbs are back with more musings to entertain you, while June McDonnell keeps us up-to-date with developments on the Irish music scene. We also begin a new series on the history of ‘The Irish Top Thirty’ … this week featuring the Iirsh number one from thirty years ago.
We have all this for you to enjoy alongside your regular Ireland’s Own favourites such as Cassidy Says, Miss Flanagan Investigates, Kitty the Hare, What’s In Your Name, Pen Friends, Just A Memory, Stranger Than Fiction, Catch the Criminal, Word Maze Competition, Puzzle Page, Songwords, The Lilt of Irish Laughter, Readers’ Letters, short stories, Marjorie’s Kitchen, Patrick O’Sullivan, Spouses of Irish Presidents, Owen’s Club, Learn to Draw with Don Conroy and much more.
I hope that you enjoy this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day Annual, and I will look forward to catching up with you all again next week. Until then, take care and ‘Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig gach duine’.
Best regards, Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own
