The end of a long week. I was reflecting on the transition from service, especially given the extraordinary display of skill and commitment by the Defence Forces, and the Joint Task Force this week. The Army, Naval Service, Air Corps, and Army Ranger Wing in particular to the fore in an arduous, complex, and important... Continue Reading →
The last obscenity. Of all the cults that ever were,Of all the schemes and follies,There are few as vile as Monarchy,Foist on all as oh so jolly,Viler still are those that cheer,Their Masters and their betters,Doff the cap, drop the gaze, bend the knee,Oh come adore their fetters. Not for hoi polloi you see,The Devine... Continue Reading →
Continuing my Joseph Kassabian run this week I re-read his award winning 'Hooligans of Kandahar', which introduced me to his work. A disarmingly honest & hard-hitting account of war. This #combat #veterans experience of the violent conflict in #Afganistan is a #mustread
I bought this super book by Andrew Doherty back in '20. Only getting back to read it now. What a gem I was missing out on I truly didn't know. A fantastic #local #maritime #history book, expertly written with utmost care & sincere respect. https://t.co/UAry0hpnkL https://t.co/n1cEViRp2x
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. 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 →
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 →
Did the souls of boys,Cut down in France,Come home again,To rest in lush ditches,By English country lanes,As bright summer poppies, So, each year unending,Free to dance once more,Joyful remembrance blooms,Heedless of the rush,Of passing motorcars,In home-counties soil, Red now their clothes,Heads sway rejoicing,On wildly weaving stalks,Stout-hearted amid weeds,No brown wilted youth,Inside worn frames, Ebullient life... 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 →
Tá scéal an-Éireannach agamsa. Scéal faoi crunniu seans i na scáileanna teach solais. Dé hAoine seo caithe a tharla é. Bhí fear agus me fein ag comhrá í nGaeilge mar bhí ár gcuid páistí ag imirt i bpáirc. 'Cá as tú?' arsa mise. ‘An Spidéal’, a deir sé. ‘Rugadh mé ansin’, a deir mise. ‘Caithfidh... Continue Reading →
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