The island of Haulbowline is filled with history. Each stone and step, every nook and cranny, from the lowest ebb of the tide on now silent slips, to the lofty reaches of the visual signaling tower. This rich history can fade into the background, drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the modern age.... Continue Reading →
Got to read 'Steelmaking and stories from Haulbowline' by Jim Shealy this week. A really great book capturing the stories of generations of hard working men & women who made a life for themselves and their families from working on Haulbowline in Irish Steel. The extensive use of oral history adds, as always, an element... Continue Reading →
Got to finish 'Gleanings from Cork Harbour' by Anne Mc Sweeney this week. It's a fascinating read, Full of interesting stories about this wonderful harbour. Thoughtful and touching, capturing lots of snapshots of the smaller histories & details which add to the great richness of the place we call home. Plenty of copies to be... Continue Reading →
Reproduced here with the kind permission of the Editor of An Cosantóir, this is my article which featured in Special Commemorative Edition on the occasion of the Naval Service 75th Anniversary. They were the ships onboard which a generation of sailors came of age, and they lead the way for others to follow. Built in... Continue Reading →
Reproduced here with the kind permission of the Editor of An Cosantóir, this is my article which featured in Special Commemorative Edition on the occasion of the Naval Service 75th Anniversary. The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Naval Service is a milestone in the long and rich history of service. No celebration could... Continue Reading →
Curvature of Cork,breaking free of static lines,blending ancient bridges,with sharp edged blocks,scraggly trees,and pavement gazing pedestrians. Rushing head long,into the event horizon,when distant melts,will raise the waters,wash out the swamp,for a final time. Pleas will be hurled,prayers incanted,as the great and good,are carried downstream,like petrified timber,ripped from the Gearagh. Concrete and brick crumbles,high tide lines... Continue Reading →
Cobh R&W Prompt Day IV The return of the Buzzard to the skies of Ireland, is occurring and they can be seen now in ever greater numbers. It is a wonderful sight, there are several mating pairs who have carved out territories all around the island of Cobh. In their turn the younger birds, leave... Continue Reading →
Cobh R&W Prompt Day III So today's prompt took further inspiration from this piece of sea glass which I picked up on a Sunday walk at Youghal, Co. Cork. Sea Glass.Who did hurl you that you came to rest,Lost from your mortar,At the high tide mark,Here, were the sea licks Ireland,As it takes its payment... Continue Reading →
Cobh R&W Daily Prompt II So here is this mornings effort, another #micropoem. Guard of Nature.Quack, spake the Mandarin,And the kindhearted rustled,The paper bag to pull scraps,And crumbs of poppyseeded bread,To share on the tended bank,Of the shapely pond,A guard of nature,Adding each gentle act,As they pause and ponder,To the universes store of karmic credit.... Continue Reading →
I have the privilege of being the PRO for Cobh Readers and Writers Festival. Each year they run a four day Festival in Cobh, the most beautiful seaside town in Ireland. This years festival runs from the 23rd to the 26th of April. The all volunteer committee do huge work each year to deliver the... Continue Reading →
There has been huge amounts of commentary about the recent ill fated decision to formally commemorate the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and the Dublin Metropolitan Police. It descended very quickly into a massive argument, with the vast majority of the public quickly coming to a consensus that can be summed up as 'who in the... Continue Reading →
The loss of loved one is one of the most tragic experiences which can befall a family. If that loved one is not recovered, then the grieving process can be made all the more difficult on those left behind. There is in Cork, a dedicated team of volunteers who have since their foundation provided hundreds of families with the solace of having their loved one returned to them.
Paper Never Refused Ink! 
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