Hello and welcome
to this week’s edition of Ireland’s Own
We are delighted to bring you a very special Valentine’s Special this year as we feature one of Ireland’s most popular singers and musicians, Seán Keane. As he prepares for a Valentine’s Night show in Dublin, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist talks to Tom Gilmore about some of the songs that have made him so popular.
In her piece, ‘Oscar Wilde’s Time at Oxford University’ Nicola Lisle writes how Dublin’s famous literary son became one of Oxford’s most notable eccentrics when he arrived as an undergraduate 150 years ago. Mike Hackett recalls a haunting tale of heartbreak from Youghal when he shares the story of ‘Moll Goggin’s Corner’. Paul Clarke recalls an air-crash tragedy following Wales’ Five Nations triumph in Belfast seventy-five years ago.
Seán Creedon pays tribute to a singing legend, ‘Dickie Rock’ in his piece ‘From the Candy Store on the Corner’ while John Scally remembers entertainer Jon Kenny and songwriter Johnny Duhan who left us an eternal gift with the much-loved ballad ‘The Voyage’. All three sadly left us over the past few months.
Did you know that Orson Welles once set off around Connemara with a donkey for company? Martin Gleeson explains how Padraic Ó Conaire’s ‘M’Asal Beag Dubh’ inspired a Hollywood star to tour the Connemara countryside. Joe Cushnan tells us about the life of Burt Lancaster and his Irish ancestry.
Liam Nolan recalls a tragic explosion that took the lives of five Royal Navy personnel in Cork Harbour in February, 1905, while Con McGrath writes about the Irish surgeon who took the bullet from Lord Haw Haw’s leg. Mick Jordan returns with another instalment in his Golden Age of Hollywood Comedy series, this week telling us the story of ‘The Marx Brothers’. Maxi steps inside the fascinating world of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming.
On February 11th 1858, while gathering firewood Bernadette was attracted by the sound of rushing wind. She then saw a figure resembling a “beautiful lady”. Melissa McCarthy tells the story of ‘Lourdes and Saint Bernadette’. Dan O’Herlihy, the charismatic Wexford-born actor who lit up the screen died 20 years ago, writes Ivor Casey. Ivor also brings us more from his ‘Films of Elvis Presley’ series.
Irishman James Daly was the last British Army soldier executed for a war-time offence, writes Colm Wallace, while in his ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’ series, Chris Hughes gives the back story to the global sensation that are ‘The Bee Gees’. Verdun Ball remembers Margaret Mitchell, author of one of the world’s greatest love stories, ‘Gone With the Wind’.
In his ‘Irish Priests’ series Maolsheachlann O Ceallaigh recalls Fr. Chuck Gallagher, founder of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter organisation; Denis J. Hickey charts the history of Thurles in County Tipperary, and Dan Conway shares the story behind probably the world’s most popular sandwich – ‘The American Hamburger’. Luke Bradley recalls ‘The Irish Helen of Troy’.
Columnists Mary Kennedy, Michael Lyster and Eddie Lenihan are back with more of their musings, while Miss Flanagan investigates ‘A Valentine for Nancy’ and Kitty the Hare has another sinister tale to share in ‘The Romantic Verses’. Don Conroy teaches us how to draw ‘The Cheetah’.
We also announce the winners from our Christmas Annual and New Year Annual competitions.
We have all this for you to enjoy alongside regular favourites Cassidy Says, The Ballad Sheet, songwords, Just A Memory, our monthly €200 Word Maze and €100 Crossword, a special quiz on romance films, Owen’s Club, Marjorie’s Kitchen, What’s In Your Name, Your Letters, It Happened in February, Patrick O’Sullivan, GAA Greats, Bookshelf, Pen Friends, jokes, Watching the Detectives, Catch the Criminal, Stranger Than Fiction and much more.
I hope that you enjoy this week’s Valentine’s Special and I will look forward to catching up with you all again next week.
Best regards, Seán Nolan, Editor, Ireland’s Own
