'The Irish Whip': Danno O'Mahony - RTÉ's Sunday Miscellany

I recently recorded a short piece on the RTÉ Radio 1 programme 'Sunday Miscellany' about the Irish wrestler, Danno O'Mahony (1912-1950). Born in the townland of Derrenlomane, outside the village of Ballydehob, County Cork, O'Mahony won the World Heavyweight Championship in 1935.

Danno's wrestling move was known as the 'Irish Whip'. He used it to great effect to disarm his opponents. Listen to it here (from 9 min 25 seconds).

 

Photo of Danno's statue on Ballydehob's main street.

Alexis de Tocqueville in Ireland - An Irishman's Diary

I have just written an Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times about the French political thinker, politician and historian, Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859), who visited Ireland in 1835. In a six week period between July and August 1835, he traveled over 600 miles and visited several counties including Dublin, Carlow, Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry, Clare and Mayo. Read the article here.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859). Image source.

Tocqueville is known to us today for his important, ground-breaking examination of politics in the United States of America, Democracy in America, but his lesser known writings on Ireland are also worth examining. His first hand account of what he witnessed on his travels around Ireland and of his conversations with all classes of Irish people makes for very interesting reading. An English language translation of Tocqueville's writings on Ireland was published in 1990 - Alexis de Tocqueville's Journey in Ireland, July-August 1835, trans. by Emmet Larkin (Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1990).

Ireland was a very interesting destination for European visitors in the early 19th century. They were fascinated by the difference between Ireland and her near neighbour, England, in terms of economy, politics and religion. Tocqueville intended to write a book about Ireland, but it was his friend and travelling companion, Gustave de Beaumont, who later wrote a book about Ireland.

NPHFI Conference 2015 - University College Dublin

The Eighth Annual Conference of the Newspaper and Periodical History Forum of Ireland (NPHFI) took place in the UCD Humanities Institute on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November 2015.

This year's theme was: 'Reporting Revolution: What the papers said'. Speakers, including academics, journalists and independent scholars, came from Ireland, the UK, Canada, South Africa to present their research. A selection of photographs from the conference can be viewed on the Forum's Facebook page.

I presented a paper on the French journalist and author, Joseph Kessel (1898-1979). Kessel, who visited Dublin, Cork and Belfast during the Irish War of Independence, has been called the French Ernest Hemmingway.

Jules Verne & Ireland - An Irishman's Diary

The French author, Jules Verne (1828-1905), is known to all as the father of science fiction, but did you know that one of his books was set in Ireland?

Page from 1906 edition of P'Tit-Bonhomme. Source: Wikimedia Commons

I have just written an Irishman's Diary in the Irish Times newspaper about a book by Jules Verne, P'Tit-Bonhomme, which tells the incredible rags to riches story of a young Irish orphan, named Mick.

The book has been translated into English as Foundling Mick and A Lad of Grit. It has even been adapted for radio. Maybe it's time for the movie, what do you think?

An Irishman's Diary - George Bernard Shaw and the National Gallery of Ireland

In an Irishman's Diary in today's Irish Times, I talk about a unique case of Irish philanthropy. Link to article. Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), was a great fan of the National Gallery of Ireland. He spent many afternoons there as a young man and later credited the institution with having given him an education.

In fact, he was so grateful to the gallery that he left one third of the residual royalties from his estate to them in his will. The money was used to acquire over one hundred pieces of art and in recent years, was used to fund the refurbishment and expansion of the gallery.

Statue of GB Shaw by Prince Paul Troubetzkoy in the National Gallery of Ireland.

The gallery returned the favour by naming the Shaw Room after him. There is also a life size bronze statue of Shaw on display inside the Clare Street entrance. The statue was created in 1927 by Shaw's friend, the Italian sculptor, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. It used to stand outside the (main) Merrion Square entrance, but was brought inside in recent years. There is some additional information about Shaw's gift  here on the website of the National Gallery of Ireland.

Parnell Summer School 2015

I was invited to speak at the 2015 Parnell Summer School. The theme for this year was 'The French Connection: Ireland and France'. Over five days (9-13 August 2015), speakers from Ireland, UK and the USA discussed the historical and cultural ties between Ireland and France.

The Summer School was officially opened by the French Ambassador to Ireland, HE Jean-Pierre Thébault, on Sunday 9th August. The ambassador spoke about the historic links between the two countries and was greeted by a pipe band who played the two national anthems.

My presentation, entitled "'French Letters' in Irish Newspapers and Periodicals: The Epistolary Form and the Franco-Irish Relationship", was based on newspaper articles written in Paris that appeared in several Irish newspapers in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 'letter' writers that I spoke about included John Mitchel, Michael MacWhite, Stephen Gwynn and Simone Téry.

The Summer School was held in Avondale, Co. Wicklow (pictured above), the ancestral home of Charles Stewart Parnell.

I would like to thank the Parnell Society and the Academic Director of the Summer School, Felix Larkin, for their kind invitation to speak at the Summer School. Link to the 2015 Parnell Summer School programme.

An Irishman's Diary - Pioneering French Journalist Albert Londres

Albert Londres (1884-1932) is often held up as the prototype for the grand reporter journalist in France. He was born in Vichy in 1884 and came to prominence when he reported about the destruction of Reims Cathedral in Le Matin in 1914. 

Londres traveled all over the world uncovering wrongdoing on the part of the state and writing about it in the press. In memory of Londres, the Prix Albert Londres is awarded to the best reporter in the written press every year. Read my Irishman's Diary about Albert Londres in the Irish Times.

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Londres_en_1923.jpg