Alfie Lambe - An Irishman's Diary

Alfie Lambe (1932-1959) is a modern-day Irish Christian missionary. I have just written an Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times newspaper about Alfie Lambe's life and times. Read it here.

 Photograph of Alfie Lambe. Image source.

Alfie Lambe was born in Tullamore in County Offaly in 1932. He wanted to join the Christian Brothers but had to leave due to his delicate health. He joined the Legion of Mary in his hometown and worked for the organisation in Ireland before being sent to South America as a Legion envoy. He died there in 1959 and is still remembered today in many of the South American countries that he visited.

Ireland's Own article - H.J. Whitley (father of Hollywood)

H.J. Whitley (1847-1931), who was known as the 'father of Hollywood', was instrumental in developing Hollywood from the rural agricultural community that it was into the thriving residential neighbourhood that it is today. I have just written a short article for Ireland's Own magazine about the businessman and real estate magnate.

 Excerpt from my Ireland's Own article.

During the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, Whitley founded towns across Oklahoma, Dakota, Texas and California. As well as developing Hollywood as a residential area, Whitley also played a part in cinema history by allowing his estate to be used to film the first movie to be shot entirely in Hollywood. The 17 min long melodrama about California's Mexican era, In Old California, was directed by D.W. Griffith in 1910. 

His name is still associated with the area with the Whitley Heights neighbourhood being the most obvious link. More about that below.

The famous Hollywood sign. Image source. 

The Hollywood sign was inspired by Whitley's 'Whitley Heights' sign that he used to advertise his new development in the early 1920s. The 45ft (13m) tall sign, situated on Mount Lee, is know all over the world as a symbol of the movie industry, but did you know that it used to read Hollywoodland? The 'land' part at the end was removed at some point in the 1970s after the sign fell into disrepair, but the good news is that it got a makeover for its 100 birthday which falls in 2023. You can read more about the sign and its history here and here.

Estella Solomons - An Irishman's Diary

Estella (Stella) Solomons (1882-1968) was a talented Irish painter who also played her part in the Irish independence struggle. I have just written about her life and painting career in the Irish Times newspaper. Read it here.

Portrait of Estella Solomons (1882-1968). Image source.

Solomons came from a wealthy Dublin Jewish family and was very fortunate in that she did not have to rely on commissions to earn a living. Stella's parents, Maurice and Rosa were prominent philanthropists in the capital, raising funds for all kinds of needy causes, including the construction of the Adelaide Road Synagogue and school, as well as worthy ad hoc causes as they arose. 

Stella's sister, Sophie, was an opera singer. Her older brother, Edwin Maurice (1879-1964), who was a stockbroker was the first member of the Dublin Stock Exchange. Her younger brother, Bethel (1885-1965), was a gynecologist and served as Master of Dublin's Rotunda Maternity Hospital. Bethel also played rugby for Ireland and acted on the stage of the Abbey Theatre. 

I first became interested in Stella Solomons when I saw one of her paintings in the National Gallery in Dublin. It's called 'On Parole' and I added below a photograph that I took of it when it was on display in the National Gallery. It was painted in 1920 during the Irish War of Independence. I was struck by the amazing detail and the tension in the sitter's face. It is not known who he is, but the painting is just one her powerful portraits of those involved in the independence movement and in Irish society in general during the fist half of the 20th century.

'On Parole', 1920 by Estella Solomons. National Gallery of Ireland.

The recent exhibition of her work in the National Gallery (Estella Solomons: Still Moments) that I mention in my article was a wonderful opportunity to see her work gathered in one place. It included paintings held in galleries in Ireland as well as in private hands. Find out more about the exhibition here. 

It seems that the last time that there was such an exhibition was during the 1980s in the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. Held in 1986, it consisted of oils on board or canvas and the pieces were works that were in her studio when she died in 1968. Therefore, it's thought that they held sentimental value for her and that is why she kept on to them.