Hello and welcome
to this week’s issue of Ireland’s Own.

This week’s cover story is Hugo Duncan – ‘The wee music man from Strabane’. Known throughout the country as a singer and broadcaster, Hugo chats to Tom Gilmore about his life and career. Louis MacNeice, the poet, playwright, and broadcaster is remembered by Paddy Ryan.

Francis Bacon, the figurative painter is profiled by Sheila O’Kelly while in her ‘Irish Myths and Legends’ series, Gemma Grant presents the concluding part of her story, ‘Trouble at Brú na Bóinne’. In his ‘Role of the Irish in WW2’ series, Con McGrath writes about ‘The Wartime Work of Irish-American Actress and Singer Judy Garland’.

Miss Flanagan returns with another mystery to solve in her story ‘In the Bag’. This is a classic Miss Flanagan story from the time when the Ban Gardaí were introduced into Ireland. Thomas Dudley, universally known as ‘Bang Bang’, is fondly remembered for the fun and joy he brought to the streets of the capital city, writes Harry Warren.

Nellie Bly, the pioneer of modern investigative journalism, is profiled by Sally Keogh, while this week’s original short story is ‘Three’s A Crowd’ by Carrie Hewlett. The GAA Year of 2017 is reviewed by Aidan Grennan. Celebrations to mark the end of WW2 took a nasty turn in Dublin with clashes between students from UCD and Trinity College, writes Eamonn Duggan in his piece The ‘Victory in Europe Day Riots in Dublin’.

For fans of big and small screens, this week’s classic film is ‘The Verdict’ and out classic U.S. TV comedy is ‘Just Shoot Me’. Wilfrid Brambell, the Irish actor who lit up our screens in ‘Steptoe & Son’ is remembered by Joe Cushnan.

We have all this for you to enjoy alongside your regular favourites such as Cassidy Says, Stranger Than Fiction, What’s In A Name?, Dan Conway, Pete’s Pets, Marjorie’s Kitchen, Song Words, Classic Films – The Verdict, Reflective Perspective, Irish Folklore with Eugene Daly, Readers’ Memories, Classic US TV Favourites – Just Shoot Me, Waterways of Ireland – The Royal Canal, Part 11, Lilt of Irish Laughter
Pen Friends, Irish Wildlife – Fin Whale and much more.

I hope that you enjoy this week’s issue and I will look forward to catching up with you again next week.

                                                                                                                                                                       Best wishes, Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own