Heinrich Böll - born 100 years ago today.

This is a short post to mark the birth of Heinrich Böll 100 years ago today.

Heinrich Böll (1917-1985), image source

The German writer, Heinrich Böll, was born in Cologne 100 years ago today. He was conscripted into the German army before the outbreak of the Second World War. After the war, he returned to Cologne and took up the studies that he had begun before the war - Germanistics and Classical Philology. He then started to write short stories and his first book, The Train Was On Time, was published in 1949.

He is well known in Ireland because of his influential Irisches Tagebuch [Irish Journal]. The book focused on his time on Achill Island, off the west coast of Ireland in the 1950s. Böll created an image of Ireland in the book that many of his fellow Germans took as their image of Ireland. I have not read it yet, but am looking forward to reading it at some stage to see an Ireland that is no longer visible.

Böll won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1972. You can read his biographical sketch on the Nobel Prize website. There is also an interesting piece on the Goethe Institut website about Heinrich Böll and Ireland.

An Irishman's Diary on Hugh Murphy

Like many thousands of his fellow countrymen, Irishman, Hugh Murphy (1889-1916) fought in the British army during the First World War. He was a member of the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles. Sadly, he died at the front and was buried in a small cemetery in a rural part of Northern France.

It is estimated that about 200,000 Irishmen signed up to fight during the war, as well as numerous expatriates in Britain, the empire and the USA. 43 Irishwomen signed up for the Women's Land Army by late 1917. This represented one-thousandth of the total. [David Fitzpatrick in Roy Foster's The Oxford History of Ireland, p. 194, 195.].

Entrance to Laleu cemetery, where Hugh Murphy is buried.

Read my Irishman's Diary article in today's Irish Times newspaper about his story. Hugh Murphy's grave in Laleu cemetery is cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. If you are looking for details of a grave of a family member who died during the war, you can find some really interesting details on their website. Follow this link to see information about Hugh Murphy's grave and nearby graveyards containing the graves of other soldiers.

Hugh Murphy's gravestone.

Living conditions at the front must have been very hard to bear for the soldiers. When Hugh Murphy's battalion made it to northern France from warm and sunny Aden (modern day Yemen) where they were based prior to the war, a very harsh winter had set in. Food was also an issue. By 1918, the British were sending 30 million kg of meat to the Western Front every month. Check out this page from the Imperial War Museum to see what soldiers ate at the front.

'Fake News' - NPHFI 2017 Conference, Newcastle

The 2017 conference of the Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland (NPHFI) took place in Newcastle University on 10 and 11 November 2017. The theme of the conference was 'Fake News! An Historical Perspective'. A timely theme given how much it has featured in the international media in the last 12 months. 'Fake News has even been voted 'word of the year' by the Collins Dictionary. More information.

'Fake news' is Collins Dictionary's word of the year for 2017.

Although, as we found out at the conference - fake news is nothing new. Prof Aled Gruffydd Jones of Panteion University, Athens gave a brilliant keynote address on the historical perspective. Apparently, the earliest recorded newspaper reference to 'fake news' or 'false news' and truth dates from at least 1731 when the integrity of news was discussed in the UK House of Commons. 

Newcastle University building.

Sixteen speakers from universities in Ireland, UK, Canada, USA, France, and Greece addressed the theme of fake news through conference papers based on French, Irish, Russian, British, and American journalists, editors and newspapers. I gave paper based on one of the French journalists that I have been researching as part of my post graduate studies.

2017 Conference Poster, designed by Joe Breen.

Well done to the NPHFI secretary, Dr James O'Donnell (Moore Institute, NUI Galway), the local organiser Dr Joan Allen (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University), Dr Richard Allen, and the rest of the NPHFI committee members who helped to make it such a success.

Résidence de France in Dublin - Open House Dublin 2017

On 14 October the French Ambassador to Ireland kindly opened his home on Ailesbury Road, the Résidence de France, to visitors for Open House Dublin 2017. I acted as a guide at the Résidence during the afternoon.

Photograph of the Résidence de France, 53 Ailesbury Road in 1930.

Originally known as Mytilene, 53 Ailesbury Road was built for the Bustard family in 1885. It was designed by Alfred Gresham Jones, who designed other buildings around Dublin city including the buildings that now contain the Davenport Hotel and the National Concert Hall. It sits on a plot of land about 2 acres in size. You can read more about the history of the house here.

The Bustard family put Mytilene up for sale in the 1920s. It was described in a newspaper advertisement as "a house built regardless of expense" and "a choice residence, leaving little to be desired, either in function, condition, or surroundings".

53 Ailesbury Road was acquired by the French government in 1930 for the Légation de France to the Irish Free State. It also housed the residence of the first French Minister to the Irish Free State, M. Charles Alphand. A chancery was located nearby for many years but was sold in recent years and a new Embassy was opened in Merrion Square in 2015. 53 Ailesbury Road continues to be the official residence of the French Ambassador to Ireland.

Richmond Barracks - Dublin

I was in Richmond Barracks in Inchicore, Dublin recently when I attended the Connexions 2017 forum on culture, education and digital technology (29 Sept. - 1 Oct. 2017). The forum brought together people involved with education, the arts, and business to discuss how they currently use digital technology and how they could get more benefit from digital technology. Big data, smart cities and e-education were some of the main themes discussed.

The venue, Richmond Barracks, was very interesting to me because of all the history it contains. I had not known anything about it before my visit, which made it all the more interesting as I learned little bits of information through the artifacts on display and the posters on the walls. As you can see below, I took a few photos to show some of the history of the place and the material on display.

The above photo explains that the barracks was built in response to 'A Threat from France'. The barracks welcomed its first British army troops in 1814. It was a British military barracks for 108 years and because Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom at the time, Richmond Barracks is important from the perspective of Irish history, British history, and also world history. Troops left from here to fight in the Crimean War, Boer War and the First World War.

As you can see from the photo of the plaque below (which is written in Irish), it was to Richmond Barracks that many of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, including Patrick Pearse, Eamon de Valera, WT Cosgrave and Constance Markeivicz, were taken after the Rising.

The building was taken over by the Free State government in 1922 and renamed Keogh Barracks. It was subsequently used as housing - Keogh Square and St. Michael's Estate (both now demolished). There was also a school on the site, which is now closed. Richmond Barracks was taken over by Dublin City Council and refurbished. It was opened in May 2016. Below are photos of a scale model of how it looked in 1916 and photos of how it looks today.

The restoration work is very impressive and I hope the "new" Richmond Barracks receives the attention it deserves.

Irish Examiner article - Atlas of the Irish Revolution

I wrote an article for the Irish Examiner newspaper about my contribution to the Atlas of the Irish Revolution. Read it here.

My article in the Irish Examiner.

The Atlas, priced at €59, is on sale now in all good bookshops and online from Cork University Press: http://www.corkuniversitypress.com/Atlas-of-the-Irish-Revolution-p/9781782051176.htm

The John Bowman programme on RTÉ Radio 1 will also devote some programmes to the Atlas, find out more on their website: http://www.rte.ie/radio1/bowman-sunday-830/

'Atlas of the Irish Revolution' - my contribution

I am delighted to see this new book on the Irish Revolution - Atlas of the Irish Revolution (Cork: Cork University Press, 2017) in print. I contributed a case study to the book entitled, 'Press Coverage from Abroad'.

Front cover of Atlas of the Irish Revolution.

The book offers a comprehensive analysis of an important period in modern Irish history. My piece deals with how the events of the period were reported in the foreign press. Thank you to the editors for asking me to contribute to the book.

Due to the amount of fascinating material (984 pages, 364 maps,707 illustrations and 14 tables) contained in the book, I'm sure it will become a standard feature in homes and libraries around the world for many years to come.

Link to publisher's website: http://www.corkuniversitypress.com/Atlas-of-the-Irish-Revolution-p/9781782051176.htm

More information: http://atlasirishrevolution.ie/ and it's even on Youtube

Book Review - Irish Studies Review

I have just reviewed the book, Models for Movers: Irish Women's Emigration to America (Cork: Attic Press, 2015) for the academic journal Irish Studies Review. Read it here.

Front cover of 'Models for Movers'.

The words Ireland and emigration have become synonymous due to successive waves of people leaving the relatively small island on the edge of Europe. On a presidential visit to Ireland in June 1963, John F. Kennedy, himself a product of Irish emigration, famously said that “Ireland has only one export and that is its people”. 

America became one of the favoured destinations for Irish people seeking a better life for themselves and their families. It is estimated that some 4.5 million Irish arrived in America between 1820 and 1930. Numbers fell dramatically as the twentieth century progressed. In 2015, 10.2% of Americans claimed Irish ancestry. 

Fake news! Newspaper history conference. Nov. 2017.

The theme of the 2017 Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland (NPHFI) is: 'Fake News!: An Historical Perspective'.

The conference will take place in Newcastle University, UK on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th of November 2017. It promises to be a really interesting conference with papers on a wide range of newspapers from different time periods from all over the world.

See the poster below for more information and follow NPHFI on Twitter, Facebook for updates.

2017 NPHFI conference poster.

Great shakes – An Irishman’s Diary on Daly’s Bridge and sport by the Lee

I have just written an Irishman's Diary article in the Irish Times newspaper about some popular Cork landmarks - Daly's Bridge and some of the sporting venues nearby. Known colloquially as the Shakey Bridge on account of how it shakes when you walk over it quickly, the bridge is a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Read it here.

View from the Shakey Bridge looking back towards Sunday's Well.

Near the bridge, which crosses over the north channel of the River Lee, you will find a host of sporting venues such as the Mardyke Arena (UCC's main sports venue), Sunday's Well Boating & Tennis Club, and the Cork County Cricket Club. Also nearby is Fitzgerald's Park, the main public park in Cork city. It was on this spot that the 1902/1903 Cork International Exhibition was held. You can find out more about this exhibition on this page, including the official programme.

Paper at the 2017 AFIS Conference

Patrimoine / heritage was the theme of the 12th annual Association of Franco-Irish Studies (AFIS) conference. The conference took place on the 19th & 20th of May 2017 in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. 44 speakers from Ireland, UK, France, USA addressed the theme and spoke on a diverse range of topics from literature to gastronomy, history, travel and culture. I chose to speak about the residence of the French Ambassador to Ireland on Dublin's Ailesbury Road. 

The building was acquired by the French Government in 1930 for the new Legation and as the residence of the first French Minister to the Irish Free State, M. Charles Alphand. Contemporary newspaper reports say that 1.9 million French Francs or £12,400 was set aside by the French Government to purchase the property and renovate it. 

In my paper, I briefly discussed the history of Franco-Irish diplomatic relations, but the main focus was on how the building was renovated to showcase the very best of French and Irish furniture and materials. It was intended to act both as a symbol of French patrimoine and prestige and also to highlight how the two countries could co-operate in the future.  

Photograph of me delivering my paper at the conference.

Political Cartoonist - David Low

David Low was born in New Zealand on this day (April 7th) in 1891 to a Scottish father. His mother was of Irish extraction. Low was a talented political cartoonist who lampooned world events and famous people, including many world leaders in his cartoons.

You can read about Low's life and times on this page from the British Cartoon Archive. The Dictionary of New Zealand Biography also has a lengthy entry on Low. Read it here. His entry on the Australian Dictionary of Biography is available here.

'All Behind You, Winston' by David Low. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Low is probably best known for his cartoons depicting world leaders during the Second World War, but the fractious Irish political scene of the 1920s/1930s also provided him with plenty of opportunity to show off his cartooning talents. He caricatured various Irish political leaders such as Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins (below). I always enjoy looking at political cartoons (sometimes called editorial cartoons), from old newspapers or magazines. They provide an amazing insight into past controversies and political events and make us realise that even though time has moved on, human nature often has not.

David Low's cartoon of Irish politician Michael Collins. Source: Wikimedia Commons

'Attempted Revolution in Dublin' by David Low. Source: Wikimedia Commons

2017 Assoc. of Franco-Irish Studies Conference

The 2017 Association of Franco-Irish Studies Conference will take place in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick on Friday 19 and Saturday 20 May.

The theme of this year's conference is: Patrimoine / Cultural Heritage in France and / or Ireland.

A draft programme is attached below and as you can see various topics will be discussed ranging across Irish and French literature, history and culture. I will be speaking about the French Ambassador to Ireland's residence and how it represents French heritage in Ireland.

The first French Minister to the Irish Free State, Charles Alphand, took up office on 29 July 1930. The Minister and his staff operated from offices on St. Stephen's Green while the building on Dublin's Ailesbury Road was being refurbished. The legation was officially opened on 11 May 1931. I am really looking forward to the conference.

 

For more information on the conference, go to the following website http://arrow.dit.ie/afis/

An Irishman's Diary - May Guinness, pioneering artist

I have just written an Irishman's Diary article in the Irish Times newspaper. It looks at the life and times of the visionary Irish artist May Guinness. Read it here.

During the First World War, May Guinness volunteered to work as a nurse at a Red Cross hospital in France. She later wrote an account of her time there. If you would like to find out more about this, see this piece written by her great-great niece for the Dublin Review.

Portrait Study by May Guinness, Crawford Art Gallery. 

St. Patrick's Day in Paris 1932

The global greening of landmark buildings around the world to mark Ireland's national holiday is unprecedented. At this time, I thought it would be interesting to see how things were done in times gone past.

In March 1932, St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in Paris with more vigour than was previously the case. Apparently, this was because 1932 marked the 1,500th anniversary of St. Patrick's arrival in Ireland as a missionary from France.

Excelsior, 18 March 1932. Photograph after Mass in the Eglise de la Madeleine, Paris. Source: Gallica BnF. 

According to several French newspapers from the time, St. Patrick's Day in 1932 began with 10:30am Mass in the Church of the Madeleine in central Paris. It was presided over by the Archbishop of Paris and the Apostolic Nuncio. The Irish Minister to France, Count O'Kelly de Gallagh; Frederick Boland, Secretary of the Irish Legation in Paris, and representatives of the French government were in attendance. Also present were French families of Irish origin or descendants of the 'Wild Geese' as they are sometimes known.

Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Director and students from the Irish College in Paris, together with Irish people resident in Paris (the Irish Colony) and their French friends, were also present. Many of the congregation were wearing a sprig of shamrock, as the Irish Minister had some shamrock sent over from Ireland for the occasion.

Le Figaro, 17 March 1932. Article explaining what will happen in Paris for St. Patrick's Day.

Several events took in the evening time to mark St. Patrick's Day. A ball was held at the Irish Legation. Apparently the Archbishop had to give a special dispensation for the ball to go ahead because it was taking place during the period of Lent. A talk on Ireland was given by Anatole Rivoallan, a specialist in Irish Studies at the Sorebonne, and it was transmitted by Radio-Paris.

According to the article below, a banquet was also to be held at the Palais D'Orsay Hotel, presided over by Lord Ashbourne (William Gibson), who was president of the Gaelic League. Leopold Kerney, a former Irish envoy to Paris, was to speak about the current Irish political scene. Irish music was to be played and the dancing would go on to 2 o'clock in the morning. There's no mention of turning the buildings green though! Happy St. Patrick's Day.

L'Intransigeant, 18 March 1932. Photograph showing Count O'Kelly at the ceremony. Source: Gallica BnF.

CFP - ‘Fake News!’: An Historical Perspective

The call for papers for the 2017 Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland (NPHFI) conference has just been released (see below).

The theme is: 'Fake News!': An Historical Perspective.

The 10th annual conference will take place in Newcastle University, Newscastle-upon-Tyne, UK on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 November 2017. More information will be added to the Forum's website http://newspapersperiodicals.org/ as and when it becomes available.

Get you abstracts in as soon as you can, the deadline is 31 May. Email nphficonference@gmail.com

Newspaper archives - list of resources (many free)

I love researching old newspapers. You can find out so much about the past from the articles, photographs, editorial cartoons and adverts that appear in old newspapers. Newspaper archives provide a window on the past.

If you would like to search old newspapers, your local public library would be a good place to start. They often provide free access to online newspaper archives that you would otherwise have to pay for. They may even have historic original  newspapers that you can search through.

One of my favourite online newspaper archives is probably Gallica. Gallica is a free archive of digitized books and newspapers provided by the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Here is a link to the newspaper section of Gallica: http://gallica.bnf.fr/html/und/presse-et-revues/presse-et-revues

Follow these links for information on accessing newspaper archives from around the world:

• Luke McKernan - http://lukemckernan.com/2016/07/17/found-online-2-newspaper-archives/

• Irish Genealogy Toolkit - http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/irish-newspaper-archives.html

• National Library of Ireland - http://www.nli.ie/en/eresources.aspx

French cultural events taking place in Ireland in March 2017

Le Mois de la Francophonie takes place in venues around Ireland during the month of March 2017. Full details are available on their website: http://www.ambafrance-ie.org/The-Month-of-La-Francophonie-in-Ireland-2017-Programme

The 28th Cork French Film Festival will take place in Cork from Sunday 5th to Sunday 12th of March 2017. See their website for more information: http://corkfrenchfilmfestival.com/

The Franco-Irish Literary Festival will take place in various venues in Dublin from 30 March - 2 April 2017. 'Style & Stylistics' is the 2017 theme. Full details are available on their website: http://www.francoirishliteraryfestival.com/

The March Newsletter of the French Embassy's Cultural Service lists many other events taking place in Ireland in March.

An Irishman's Diary - Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer

I have just written an Irishman's Diary article in the Irish Times newspaper about the Chinese Cemetery in Noyelles-sur-Mer. Read it here.

Detail from the entrance arch to the Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer.

The cemetery was constructed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) in 1921 on (or near) the site of the camp where the men lived. On this page of the CWGC website, you can view photographs of the cemetery and read original documents such as casualty records. 

                                      Headstones in the Chinese Cemetery, Noyelles-sur-Mer

The men who worked in the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) and stayed behind after the war are said to have established Chinatowns in France. Why not have a look at the blog of the UK National Archives for information on the CLC for more information? Read it here.

An Irishman's Diary - Patrice Flynn

During his lifetime, Patrice Flynn (1874-1970) acted as a pivotal link between France and Ireland. I have just written an 'Irishman's Diary' about him in the Irish Times newspaper. Read it here.

Photograph of Patrice Flynn, source BnF.

Born in Paris in 1874 to Irish-born parents, he joined the priesthood in France and was made bishop of a French diocese in 1932. Patrice and his elder brother Henri (who was also a priest), made many trips (both private and formal) back to Ireland over the years. They kept the ancient link between the two countries alive through their regular visits and through the contacts that they maintained with expatriates in both countries.

I wrote an article about Flynn's October 1916 propaganda mission to Ireland in the September/October 2016 edition of History Ireland magazine. During the First World War, the French Catholic Church sent several missions to other countries around the world to remind them of just what was at stake in the war and how France and her allies were suffering. I recently came across a newspaper article about another mission that a group of priests (including Flynn) made to New York in October 1918. It's from the Los Angeles Herald. Read the article here.