Irish traditions around Christmas - post on RTÉ Brainstorm

Several traditions and customs in Ireland around Christmas time date back centuries. Some are still observed today even though Ireland and Irish society have changed over time. 

One tradition that is still common in some parts of the country is the celebrations that take place on St. Stephen's Day or the Wren's Day as it is also known when people dress up and disguise themselves. In the past, they went from house to house asking for a donation to 'bury the wren'. Today, there is usually a charitable element to the enterprise where people dress as 'straw boys' as in the photograph from Carrigaline at the bottom of this post. I have just written a piece for RTÉ Brainstorm website about it. Read it here.

 

St Stephen's in Stradbally, Co. Kerry, 1930s. Image source.

Marie-Louise Sjoestedt (1900-1940) wrote about her first-hand experience of having a group of 'wren boys' come into the house where she was staying in Kerry at Christmas 1929. It is interesting to read about her impression of the festive period and the good natured celebrations. I wrote another Brainstorm piece on Sjoestedt and her connection to Ireland a little while ago. Read it here. 

 

'Straw boys' in Carrigaline, Co. Cork on St Stephen's Day 2022.

An Irish Diary on the Irish Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor

Feargus O'Connor was a leader of the Chartist movement which was one of the world's first mass working-class movements. I have just written an Irish Diary in the Irish Times newspaper about his life and times. Read it here.

 

Feargus O'Connor (1794-1855). Image source.

Feargus O'Connor was a fascinating figure who left behind what could have been a comfortable life as a parliamentarian, lawyer or landlord for a life of struggle helping to bring about better civic rights for ordinary citizens. 

His entry in the Dictionary of Irish Biography is worth a read if you want to find out more about him. This website about Chartist ancestors has lots of information about O'Connor. There is also a good resume of O'Connor's life on the Manuscripts and Special Collections webpage of the University of Nottingham.

If you would like to find out more about Chartism, its origins and its aims, here are some useful links where you could start:

What was Chartism? UK National Archives website

Chartism BBC 'In Our Time' podcast

The Chartist movement BBC Bitesize

The Chartist movement UK Parliament website

 

Notre-Dame cathedral - RTÉ Brainstorm article

After nearly five years of renovation and reconstruction, Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will open to the public on 8 December 2024. I have just written a short article for RTÉ Brainstorm on the history of the building and an Irish connection to Notre-Dame. Read it here.

 

 Notre-Dame cathedral under renovation (March 2024)

 

Notre-Dame was built on the site of another cathedral and historians believe that there was a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter there before that. The current cathedral dates from 1163 and it has been the site of construction, renovation and reconstruction many times during its lifetime. On this occasion, over €700 million was spent to reconstruct the roof and spire which were damaged in the fire that broke out in April 2019. 

 

Page from Victor Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris [Hunchback of Notre Dame]. Image source.

Listed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites as Paris, Banks of the Seine since 1991, Notre-Dame is an icon of French Gothic architecture. To learn about the history of the cathedral, there's a good 12 point history here and on the Europeana website. 

Notre-Dame's official website also has a good history of the cathedral here. On the Gallica website here you can discover about the history of the cathedral by searching through archival material. The 2019 fire burned for 15 hours and temperatures reached around 1,200°F. If you would like to read more about the fire and the work that was done in the years since then, there is a good article here from Archaeology Magazine and here from the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris website.

 

Fr Lacordaire giving a funeral oration for Daniel O'Connell in Notre-Dame in 1848. Image source.

I came across the reference to Daniel O'Connell and the funeral oration in Notre-Dame by Fr Lacordaire in a couple of places. The first time I saw it was in the edited volume on Franco-Irish history Paris - Capital of Irish Culture. There are references to O'Connell in chapters by Kevin Whelan and Laurent Colantonio.

Poet of the Troubles - an Irish Diary on Pádraic Fiacc

The poet Pádraic Fiacc (1924-2019) was known as the 'Poet of the Troubles'. He was born Patrick Joseph O'Connor and reared in Belfast and New York. I have just written an Irish Diary in the Irish Times newspaper on his life and work. Read it here.

 

Photograph of Pádraic Fiacc by John Minihan. Image source.

He wrote poems inspired by the turbulent period in Irish and British known colloquially as 'the Troubles'. Fiacc was an influential writer who helped the next generation in Northern Ireland to develop their skills. He mentored a series of young poets and writers including Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, Derek Mahon, Ciaran Carson and Gerald Dawe.

Fiacc was photographed on many occasions by the photographer John Minihan. Minihan's archives are held in the Special Collections section of the Boole Library in University College Cork and you can find out about the collection here.

Fiacc had an interesting accent that included a bit of Belfast and America. If you would like to hear how he spoke, check out this interview with him from 2010 where he talks about his life and growing up in Belfast and New York.

An Irish Diary on Jimmy Walker - the first Mayor of New York to resign

Jimmy Walker (1881-1946) was the first Mayor of New York to resign. His father came from Co. Kilkenny and emigrated to the US in 1870. The two men entered political office and worked for their constituents. Of the two, Jimmy is still remembered today (but for all the wrong reasons!). I have just written an Irish Diary in the Irish Times newspaper about him. Read it here. 

 

Mayor Jimmy Walker. Image source.

Jimmy Walker visited Ireland in 1927. This is a newsreel showing some scenes from his visit. It includes his meeting W.T. Cosgrave (1880-1965) in Dublin and his trip to Kilkenny where he spoke to locals in Castlecomer - the town where his father was born and where he was made a Freeman of the city. In Castlecomer, you can see bare-footed children walking through the town in advance of the marching band and the car carrying Walker into the town.

 

Source of the newsreel.  

 

Jimmy Walker was Mayor of New York during the so-called Jazz Age and was also in office during the Wall Street Crash of 1929. He was forced to resign in September 1932 following a long-running investigation into corrupt practices in the New York Police Department and judiciary. There is a good article here from the Smithsonian Magazine which explains the case against Walker. It is well worth a read.

 

Photography of Jimmy Walker (center wearing hat and smoking a cigarette) flanked by city officials and police.

PhD Conferring University College Cork

I was delighted to attend the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences conferring in University College Cork recently where I was conferred with a PhD. 

It was not an easy road and took a lot of effort but I am pleased to have reached this point. I could not have done it alone and therefore, would like to thank everyone who helped me to achieve this goal including friends, family, students, colleagues, supervisors and examiners.

 

Standing in the stone corridor of the north wing of the UCC quadrangle.

 

Receiving the PhD parchment from the President of UCC Prof. John O'Halloran at the conferring ceremony.

Chess at the Olympics - RTÉ Brainstorm article

Chess is an ancient game but it was never part of the Olympics. However, 100 years ago as the Olympic Games were taking place in Paris, a chess tournament was being played with competitors from around the world (including Ireland). It was termed the 'Chess Olympics' by some, given that the tournament was taking place on the fringes of the Olympics. I have just written about this historical event for the RTÉ Brainstorm website. Read it here.

 

Chess board. Image source.

Chess also featured at the Tailteann Games in Dublin in 1924. The Games were used by the new Irish government to promote the country and attract international media attention.