Hello and welcome to this week’s issue of Ireland’s Own. We hope that you enjoyed your St Patrick’s Day weekend celebrations, and that you also enjoyed our annual that we enjoyed putting together for you. And we are back again with a brand new issue for you this week!

This week’s cover story focuses on ‘Oscar Dreams’. It’s ninety years since Hollywood first started awarding itself for the greatness of its movies and it’s now at a point where attaining that Best Picture golden statuette is everything, writes Tom McParland.

Joseph Malachy Kavanagh, the Irish artist and painter is remembered by Ita Marguet. Miss Flanagan Investigates – A Medical Case. Help the Benford detective unravel another mystery.

In his Role of the Irish in WW2 series, Con McGrath features Killarney-born Captain Julius Morris, prisoner at Colditz, whose coded letters fooled the Nazi censors.

Des Foley, the golden boy in Dublin’s golden generation, was the only player to play in two provincial Railway Cup finals on the same day, winning medals in both codes, writes Noel Coogan. Thomas MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney, two famous Lord Mayors of Cork were born in March, writes Pauline Murphy.

Cathal Coyle marks the foundation of the famous newspaper, The Irish Times, 160 years ago this month, in March 1859, while the book under review this month is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.

Our original short story is The Birthday Present, by Phil Chambers. Sir Edwin Lutyens, designer of the War Memorial Gardens at Islandbridge is remembered by Helen Morgan.

Ray Cleere reports on Daly’s Bridge, the Republic’s only surviving pedestrian suspension bridge.

In The Witness Statements: Eamonn Duggan looks at the life of Frank Thornton, and gets an insight into the Republican Intelligence Operations (part one).

We have all this for you to enjoy alongside your weekly favourites including Cassidy Says, Dan Conway’s Corner, jokes, songs, memories, 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