Irish American Mom

Celebrating Our Irish Heritage Together

Archives for April 2015

Knocknarea And Queen Maeve of Connacht.

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Knocknarea dominates County Sligo’s skyline, and together with Ben Bulben, these two peaks are the most striking landmarks in the entire county.

Knocknarea as seen from the dolmen at Carrowmore

Today I thought it’s high time for a scenic interlude, and what better subject matter or mountainous model could there be for a blog post, than the magnificent Knocknarea in County Sligo.

So why not join me, on a tour of Knocknarea, a perfect spot for a little mid-week Irish intermission.

Atop the mountain sits a giant rocky cairn otherwise known as “Queen Maeve’s grave”.

In the photo above look directly over the dolmen and you’ll just make out a little mound which is in fact a massive stone cairn.

Knocknarea from Carrowmore

Maeve’s cairn is a little more clearly defined in this photo.

Yeat’s wrote that “the wind has bundled up the clouds high over Knocknarea”, but I was lucky on the day of my climb, there was hardly a cloud in sight.

In the Irish language or Gaelic, Knocknarea is called “Cnoc na Rí” (pronounced Kinnuk nah Ree) which means “Hill of Kings”. 

This beautiful summit was so named since it is said the ancient Kings of Connacht were once crowned on its peak.

Other interpretations of its Irish name exist including Cnoc na Riabh, meaning “hill of the stripes” or Cnoc na Ré meaning “hill of the moon”.

Queen Maeve's Cairn on Knocknarea, Sligo

But nowadays it is better known as the hill of Connacht’s greatest queen, the legendary Queen Maeve.

Her grave or cairn is called “Miosgán Meabha”.  The cairn’s circumference is 600 feet, and its height is 34 feet. It’s estimated there are about forty thousand tonnes of stones piled high atop this mountain in her honor, proving she was a woman of immense power.

Maeve is supposedly buried here standing up in a warrior’’s stance. Now it’s totally up to you whether or not you want to believe this tale or take it with a pinch of salt. The cairn has never been excavated, so we may never know.

Local legends say it is good luck to bring a stone up the mountain to place on the cairn, in remembrance of Ireland’s warrior queen, but whatever you do, don’t touch a stone. It’s bad luck to take one away with you.

Climbing Knocnarea, Sligo

Tourists and locals can hike to the top of the hill to pay their respects to Maeve or to drink in the views that await after their stiff climb.

View from the top of Knocknarea

I huffed and I puffed all the way up, but don’t worry I didn’t blow the cairn down.

On a clear day you can see for miles, and drink in the beauty of County Sligo.  The panoramic view Queen Maeve will witness on the Last Day is hard to beat.

Looking towards Mayo from Knocknarea, Sligo

Looking towards the west and the village of Strandhill, waves crash against the rocky shoreline, finishing their journey all the way from America.

Ben Bulben as seen from Knocknarea

Away to the north Ben Bulben stands proudly. The beautiful rivers, lakes and woodlands surrounding this idyllic spot make it clear why the wily Maeve chose this mountain as her last resting spot.

A ruined house on the side of Knocknarea

On the way back down I noticed this old ruin.

Every time I see the crumbling walls of an old cottage I say a little prayer for the folks that once lived there.

Outline of an old house on Knocknarea

My hubby noticed this outline in a field on the side of the mountain.

These ridges are all that remains of a little stone cottage from days gone by.

Church on the side of Knocknarea

This church on the southeastern side of the mountain is truly picturesque.

Looking at Knocknarea from Strandhill

The western side looks over the beautiful village and beach of Strandhill.

Strandhill and Knocknarea

On a fine day it’s absolutely heavenly.

Daisy's Cottage, Strandhill and Knocknarea

Dolly’s Cottage has stood for 200 years in Strandhill, nestling at the foot of Knocknarea.

Strandhill in County Sligo

The mountain looks over some of the most splendid beaches in all the world.

View of Knocknarea from Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs

Thousands of years have passed since Ireland’s first inhabitants arrived here. I’m happy to say many of the tombs, stone circles and fortresses they built still remain to this very day. Walking through this unspoiled countryside you feel inspired and invigorated by the ancient past.

I climbed Knocknarea over forty years ago with my grandaunt. I remember listening to her stories of ancient warriors and proud, strong women.

As I climbed Knocknarea once again I revisited fond memories of my childhood, following in the footsteps of Queen Maeve and my late grandaunt. Of course I recounted her tales to my children, introducing them to Ireland’s brave queens and mythical heroes.

 

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

 

 

 

Irish Primrose Superstitions And Lore

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When I think of Ireland, I imagine hedgerows of delicate primroses in spring. I love to see these yellow blossoms in shady banks, damp woods, along the roadside, or peeping between the blocks of old stone walls.

Irish Primroses

I wasn’t one bit surprised to learn this wild flower of Ireland was considered sacred by our Celtic ancestors who believed it held the keys to heaven.

Primroses color the Irish countryside from March until May. And so today I thought why not share some primrose photos, myths and lore.

Primroses and bluebellsImage Credit

Meaning of the Primrose’s Name:

 

This simple flower is a perennial and its official botanical name is Primula Vulgaris.  This name derives from two latin words meaning “first rose”.

The primrose is also known as the English primrose. However, this beautiful spring flower is also native to the Emerald Isle.

In Irish it’s name is sabhaircín (pronounced  sour-keen).

Primroses growing beside a river

Medicinal Uses For Primroses:

 

This eye-catching flower and its supporting plant are edible and supposedly taste like lettuce. I’ve never actually nibbled on a primrose, but it’s good to know they are safe for consumption, and good for garnishing spring dishes.

Primroses were prized plants for those in Ireland who brewed their own cures and concoctions in days gone by. Primroses were widely used as remedies for muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, paralysis and gout.

The leaves and flowers of the plant were used both fresh and dried.  Roots were only used when dried, and a special infusion of the roots was used to treat headaches.

Evening primrose oil which we often hear of today, was not available in Ireland long ago, since it is derived from an American variety of the primrose plant, not the kind found in Ireland.

The Irish primrose was used to relieve painful toothaches. Those suffering would rub the aching tooth and gum with a primrose leaf for two minutes.

Primroses were also touted as a cure for jaundice – a yellow flower for those yellowed by jaundice.

Pig lard and primrose were combined to create a salve or ointment for burns.  In Cork a tea made of primroses was used to treat insomnia.

And being a versatile herb, this little plant was used to cure both “man and beast.”  Horses with coughs received a nasal treatment of crushed dried primrose roots strained in milk.

Two primroses in Ireland

Primroses and the Faeries:

 

The primrose may be a small blossom, but in days gone by it was considered a symbol of safety and protection.  Primroses placed on a doorstep were said to encourage the faeries to bless the house and all who lived there.

Another old superstition claimed if you ate the blossoms of a primrose you would see a fairy. My little girl would feast on primroses if she thought a fairy might appear before her very eyes.

Primroses are loved by the faeries.  Letting these little flowers die is a terrible offense to our magical friends, so beware if you forget to water any primroses you might plant.

Ancient Celtic wisdom associates seeing a large patch of primroses with a gateway or portal into the faerie realms.

Cowslip and primrose flower juice were combined into an ointment for treating facial spots and wrinkles. Even in days gone by our ancestors were worried about retaining their youthful good looks.

Primroses on the side of a road in Ireland

Primroses And May Day:

 

Primroses grow well in both England and Ireland.  Whereas primroses were closely associated with Easter by our English neighbors, the Irish created deep connections between the flower and May Eve when it was widely used to protect against the faeries.

Traditionally primroses, together with yellow gorse shrubs, were used to decorate the door and threshold on May Day (Là Bealtaine).

 

“Guard the house with a string of primroses

on the first three days of May. 

The fairies are said not to be able

to pass over or under this string.”

 

~ From the National Folklore Collection,

University College Dublin. NFC S.455:237.

From Co Kerry.

 

In rural Ireland in days gone by the butter making season began in May. To promote good milk production in their cows, our farming forebears rubbed primroses on their cows’ udders at Bealtaine (May Day). Primroses scattered on the doorstep supposedly protected the butter from thieving faeries.

Primroses on the side of a ditch

The Celtic Druids And The Primrose:

 

The Druids often carried primroses during their Celtic rituals as a protection from evil.

Fragrant primrose oils were used to purify and anoint during these ancient rites of the Druids.   This little yellow flower grew abundantly in Ireland and was easy for them to collect.

 

Primroses in a graveyardImage Credit

Primroses and Hens:

 

In years gone by Irish folk often kept their pig and chickens inside their very own house, sharing their living quarters with their animals.

Primroses were never brought indoors if the hens were laying eggs or hatching indoors.

Primroses covering a vergeImage Credit

Primroses and Tír na nÓg:

 

Oisín, the legendary son of Fionn MacCumhaill, made Tír na nÓg famous, when he followed his golden haired Niamh to this land of eternal youth.

Old Irish myths claim primroses bloomed in Tír na nÓg.  Anyone who might return from this legendary land would always carry a bunch of primroses.

Wild Primroses in Ireland

And so there you have it, a quick round up of Irish primrose superstitions and lore.

I hope if you ever visit Ireland in spring, you’ll spot a few primroses peeping out of the hedgerows. And perhaps you’ll smile, thinking of the faeries and other mythical visitors from Tír na nÓg, the Land of Eternal Youth.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

 

 

Rules Of The Irish Clothesline

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Hanging out the wash – oh how I remember the drill.  With clothes pegs (or pins) balanced precariously between my teeth, I hung shirts and skirts, hankies and socks, sheets and towels, all in neat and ordered rows.

In the Ireland of my youth the clothesline dance was learned at an early age.  Today electric clothes driers have all but replaced the line, and as a result, we’ve practically forgotten the long lost art of drying the wash.

Washing on the line in County MayoImage Credit

Hanging clothes on a line! What skill is involved you may ask yourself? 

At first glance it may seem like an easy task of pinning clothes on a taut rope, but I’m afraid laundry is not so simple after all. Long ago there were clear cut rules for clothes drying, that dare not be broken.

And so, today I thought I should share some of these long forgotten rules. You never know, in years to come, my little ones may live in a time when hanging out the wash comes back into vogue.

My boys may be delighted to find their mother’s rambling blog post outlining their great-grandmother’s family secrets and unwritten rules of the Irish clothes line.

Laundry in the castleImage Credit

1. Check the skies before exposing your wash to the elements ….

 

My mother’s mother, and her mother’s mother, and the whole long line of mothers who have gone before me, were expert sky watchers.

Weather watching is a long lost skill. My ancestors knew the exact shade of Irish grey which inevitably foretold rain.

My Skibbereen granny would say – “Look to Mount Gabriel for rain.” When the mountain appeared closest, rain was on the way.  Or maybe it looked further away, when a downpour threatened. I wish I had paid better attention to her weather warnings.

The fresh and airy scent of sun dried clothing just off the clothesline is amazing.  But let’s face it, a rain free spell is required, if this “solar dryer” is going to help save money and energy.  So only hang out the wash if a few dry hours are guaranteed.

And whatever you do, don’t hang clothes outside when it’s icy.  Freeze dried clothes are a no, no. They lose their shape and get baggy. You see, water expands when it turns to ice, so fabric fibers are stretched in harsh winter weather.

Finally, be cautious of very windy days.  Nobody likes to retrieve their undies from a neighbor’s yard.

A dry day with a light breeze is perfect for hanging out the wash.

 Ice on clotheslineImage Credit

2. Clean the line before hanging a single shirt ……

 

Remember birds love to leave their calling card, so wash that clothesline.

And don’t remind me of spiders, who love taut ropes to anchor their webs.

In October, Irish spiders go crazy weaving their sticky traps, and a multi-corded rotating clothesline is like spider heaven. So trust me, always wipe down the rungs of your line.

 Rotary Clothes LineImage Credit

3. Do not waste pins or pegs:

 

Efficiency is key. Try to line the clothes up so that each item does not require two pegs, but instead each adjoining garment shares one peg with its neighbor.

Now this may seem like a silly rule, but trust me, if rain is coming and getting those dry clothes off the line in double quick time is essential, then you’ll be extremely glad of your peg economy.

Pegs are what we call clothes pins in Ireland, and try as I might I can’t seem to change to the term pins.

 Clothes on the washing line, Kenmare, Co. KerryImage Credit

4. Never hang an item with a stain ….

 

Every item must be inspected prior to hanging. God forbid a stain should slip past your diligent eyes, and be hung upon the line.

What would the neighbors think? Even if you live in the back of beyonds, far from the madding crowd, never let a stained item adorn your clothesline. You may not lay eyes on a visitor for months on end, but the very moment a stain is displayed for all to see on the washing line, you are certain to have a caller.

Stains are simply not allowed.

Clothes Line on the Aran Islands
Small walled garden on Inis Oírr, the Aran Islands, strung with lines, with gaps left in the walls allowing wind to pass through.        © Copyright Louise Price and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons License

 Image Credit

5. Sheets and towels to the outside to conceal the “unmentionables” on the inside.

 

Always hang sheets and towels on the outside lines with any “unmentionables” hidden in the midst of all the hanging layers.

Long johns and Y-fronts are hung with the front away from the line of vision. Eyes may only rest on the back side of said garments.

Rotary lines allow small items to be placed on the inner strands. Long straight lines should have at least three parallel ropes. Hide those undies on the middle line.

 Washing line and dog kennels in EnniskillenImage Credit

6. Clothes off the line by dinner time:

 

Never leave your wash on the line overnight. Dark skies can bring any kind of weather, and who knows you might awaken to wet, soggy laundry in the morning.

I don’t care what the weather lady says on the television. She’s wrong most of the time, and she has no clue when Ireland’s infamous scattered showers are going to scatter their love around the country.

And don’t forget, you need to miss wake up time for the birds. As the sun rises, our feathered friends love bright, clean shirts for target practice.

 Washing hanging in St. Michan's Church, DublinImage Credit

7. Hang shirts as they are worn, pinning them by the shoulders.

 

Now this little family rule of ours may be a little controversial since I’ve heard others advise to always hang a shirt by its tail.

But granny’s rational was this. If the shirt is hung upside down, then the arms dangle down and might get dirtied on the ground if the line is not high enough. The sleeves are sure to get dirty if you’re doing the wash for a man with mighty long arms.

 Clothes hanging to dry on the Aran IslandsImage Credit

8.Know thy fabric. Never hang stretchy woolen jumpers on the line.

 

Dry all of your woolies flat. A soggy sweater will stretch to the ground and never, ever, ever return to its original shape.

 Clothes peg or pin on the line after rainImage Credit

9. Never leave clothes pegs or pins on the line:

 

Remove your clothes pegs as you take down dry clothes. Wooden pegs left on the line rot in Ireland’s wet climate.

And worse again, metal clothes peg hinges go rusty in the rain. They deteriorate rapidly in the elements. So be fair warned, rusty pins will rip and stain your clothes.

Towels on the washing line

10. Do not grumble about stiff, dry towels.

 

Towels dried outside feel a little rougher than the plush, velvety finish of a tumble-dried towel.

Our ancestors were not as “soft” as we are today. But they did have some tricks for decreasing the exfoliating factor of their towels.

Adding a little vinegar to the rinsing water also helps.

A windy day is a towel’s friend. Now gale force winds are not a good idea, or your poor towels will blow to kingdom come.

Give your towels a good shake before hanging them on the line.  My granny loved to hear a towel “snap” when she shook it, before pegging it in place. We had great fun standing in the haggard by the clothes line, giving our towels a snapping-good shake-down.

 

Sheep and a clotheslineImage Credit

And there you have it, my golden rules of the clothesline. Little did you know hanging clothes could involve such intricacies.

Alack and alas, many communities in the United States have adopted deed restrictions limiting the unsightly practice of hanging out the wash.

My mother laments this every time she visits the US. She always praises the dry air of America.

“It’s a great country for drying clothes,” I have often heard her exclaim. “It’s a shame nobody hangs out the wash.”

And so, after the stress and strain of writing this blog post, I’m off to throw another load of laundry into the drier.

 

Slán agus beannacht!

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

An American Author in Ireland

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Claire Fullerton is a “writer, wife, animal lover and perpetual ballet student who divides her time between Malibu, and a little fairy cottage in Carmel-by-the Sea.”

Claire Fullerton
Claire Fullerton In Ireland

 

I love Claire’s quotation on her website explaining what it is to be a writer:

 

“I’m like many writers:  we have an inexplicable urge

 

to contribute, to interpret, to document,

 

to explain ourselves so others can see themselves. 

 

We’d like to be understood,

 

but on the off-chance nobody does,

 

at least we have words on paper that explain us to ourselves.”

 

And so, I am going to hand you over to Claire to tell you about her new novel, Dancing To An Irish Reel, and to share her deep-seated connection and appreciation for my homeland, Ireland ….

 

Claire Fullerton:

 

I spent ten blissful days on the western coast of Ireland last October, and I’ll tell you why I returned to the misty, velvet shores of the area where I once spent a year: my second novel is set in the area, and I felt it was important to reinvigorate my soul by standing amongst the land and its people, before I embarked upon my book’s promotion.

In order to do that, I knew I had to return to Ireland to let the very air saturate my skin until it permeated to a cellular level and recalibrated my soul.

View from a field in Inverin, Galway
View from a field in Inverin, County Galway

 

Ireland affected me deeply when I lived as an outsider in the rural village of Inverin, which is on the cusp of the gateway to Connemara, a land separated into geometric prisms by gray-stone walls through rambling fields that lead down to the sea.

It’s confessional to report that it took me a few months of living in Inverin before I allowed myself to let go of my American frame of reference. Once I did, there was such a shift in my being that a local at the grocery store (or the shops, as they call it there) did a double take upon seeing my tranquil face and commented, “Claire, you look more Irish!”

I knew just what she implied. I could feel a newly acquired demeanor settle upon me, one that relaxed me physically and slipped me into a present tense mind frame, where a type of willing acceptance of events replaced my harried American propensity to manipulate my way through life.

 

How Living In Ireland Affects The Soul:

 

Ireland will do this to a person quickly, for it is an island with its own peculiar consciousness, spawned from its cloistered history and its humble dependence upon the vagaries of the weather.

I see it as an overarching attitude of rightful thinking, something which suggests there’s no point in becoming too worked up over much of anything, for change will rule the day of the best laid plans, and in the meantime, we’re all in it together, safe under the watchful eyes of God.

Churchyard near Kinvara, Galway
A churchyard on the road from Kinvara to Ballyvaughn

 

For the Irish are a reverential people. And it’s not just God they revere. They pretty much hold all things sacred: the land, their history, each other. And because they comport themselves this way, they don’t take themselves too seriously, which is exactly why they have the reputation of being the friendliest lot on earth.

I had what I think of as a life-altering year in Ireland.  To this day there’s a quadrant of my Scotch-Irish soul cordoned away, that experiences the world through Irish eyes.

I can only describe this vision as an evolved awareness level– a brass tacks, no frills appreciation for meaningful connections in life that pertain to people, nature, and the little things that come my way on a daily basis.

 

Inspiration For A New Book:

 

Once I moved back to America, I kept thinking I should share my insights with friends, so I took the experience of living in Ireland and created a novel about a single American female who leaves the record business in Los Angeles and relocates to Connemara.

I wanted to infuse the story with interplay between an American narrator and a handful of modern day Irish characters, so I brought in an Irish traditional musician named Liam Hennessey, to employ as a focal point in illustrating a metaphoric, culture quandary, as well as showcasing the narrator’s burgeoning love for and discovery of all things Irish.

Next I took the premise and turned it into the discovery of love with its attendant complications, by having Liam so unbalanced at the prospect of love with an American outsider, that he can’t decide whether to come closer or completely run away.

Dancing To An Irish Reel Book Cover

In writing the book, I went out of my way not to patronize anything about Ireland, particularly its vibrant people. I wanted to refrain from bringing an American attitude to the story because I felt it had been done before and somehow cheated what I wanted to be the point of the story, which concerns the ambiguity of a budding love relationship with its inherent excitement, hope, doubt and fear.

On the one hand, this story could have happened anywhere (I know of very few people who haven’t been thrown into confusion as they navigate the minefield of new found attraction) but because this story takes place in Ireland, I had the opportunity to highlight a setting in possession of unfathomable beauty with a history of cultural nuances worth the singing of deep praise.

I titled my novel “Dancing to an Irish Reel”, which refers to the push and pull of attraction from the vantage point of a stranger in a strange land. In writing the story, I did what all writers do: tell about how they find the world through the vehicle of one painstakingly crafted, case in point.

It may sound trite to say “Dancing to an Irish Reel” is my love letter to Ireland, but in many ways it is. Now that the book is out in the world, it keeps Ireland ever upon my vest, and I wear it with glowing pride.

The Claddagh, Galway
The Claddagh, Galway

 

A big thank you to Claire for sharing her love of Ireland with us today, and for introducing her intriguing new book. Wishing her every success with this publication.

 

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

 

Irish American Mom

 

Remembering Easter Monday 1916 Plus Introducing The Easter Commemoration Digest

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On Easter Monday 1916, nearly ninety-nine years ago, Patrick Pearse and the Irish Volunteers, assembled at various prearranged meeting points in Dublin, in a bid to win Irish freedom from British rule.

GPO Dublin
General Post Office, O’Connell Street, Dublin

Image Credit

 

The Irish Proclamation of Independence:

 

At four minutes past noon on Easter Monday, April 24th, 1916, Patrick Pearse read the Proclamation of the Republic from the steps of the General Post Office on O’Connell Street in Dublin, guaranteeing liberty and equality for all.

 

“….. The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty,

equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens,

and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity

of the whole nation and all of its parts,

cherishing all of the children of the nation equally …”

 

~from The Irish Proclamation of Independence

 

Sackville_Street_(Dublin)_after_the_1916_Easter_Rising
Sackville Street after the 1916 Rising (Public Domain Image)

Image Credit

The High Toll Of The Rising:

 

In total, the Rising cost 450 persons their lives, with 2,614 injured, and 9 missing, almost all in Dublin.

There were military casualties with 116 dead, 368 wounded and 9 missing.

The Irish and Dublin police forces lost 16 members with 29 also wounded.  254 civilians died since much of the fighting occurred in the city center near densely populated areas.

The 14 leaders of the Rising were later shot to death by military firing squad.

1916_plot_and_memorial
The Leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were buried in the old prison yard of Arbour Hill prison. The memorial, designed by G. McNicholl, features the Proclamation of 1916, inscribed on the wall in both Gaelic and English.

Image Credit

 

Centenary Commemoration Of The 1916 Rising:

 

Next year Ireland will commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising, by reflecting upon the year when seeds of change were sown, and Ireland was finally launched upon a path to reclaim her nationhood.

The Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Enda Kenny, described the Easter Rising of 1916 as “the central formative and defining act in the shaping of modern Ireland”.

Ireland 2016, will be a year of reflection marking this central historical moment in the formation of our Republic.

A diverse range of historical, cultural and artistic activities, are currently being planned.

Irish Flag Over The GPO
Irish Flag Over The GPO

Image Credit

 

Introducing The Easter Commemoration Digest by Seán McBrinn:

 

Seán McBrinn, the former publisher of the historical journal called Easter Commemoration Digest, is currently preparing a special edition for 2016.  And so I am going to hand you over to Sean to introduce you to his wonderful project: 

 

In 1957, while still an apprentice compositor, I started a small publishing company – Graphic Publications – in order to publish a trade journal for printers – The Irish Printer (still in existance).

Over the next few years I added other journals – Irish Motor Trader, Irish Furniture & Floorcovering, Irish Stationer & Newsagent, Graphic Directory and The Easter Commemoration Digest.

The Easter Commemoration Digest was edited by my father, who was well connected to those involved in 1916 / 1922.

I stopped publishing the Easter Commemoration Digest in 1974, when my father died.  In 1966 I published a Special Golden Jubilee edition of the Easter Commemoration Digest, which was very successful, with sales in the USA and abroad.

With the advent of the Centenary celebrations being heavily endorsed by the present Government, who have committed a budget in the order of €27,000,000 to the event, there are no publications in existence who can claim the pedigree of the Easter Commemoration Digest.

There will be other publications, but not with the wealth of original material available from previous editions of the Easter Commemoration Digest.

The following is a small selection of some of the articles and contributions from previous editions:

1959

 

Padraig Pearse – Man or Legend

 

The Immortal speech of Robert Emmett

 

1963

 

Memory of the Dead by Sean MacEntee, Tainaiste and Minister for Health.

 

1965

 

Our Friendship with America by Sean Lemass, Taoiseach.

 

The Heritage of the Irish by Robert F Kennedy.

 

Kilmainham Jail
The Stonebreakers’ Yard in Kilmainham Gaol; scene of the execution by firing squad of the 14 leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.

Image Credit

There will be a number of new original articles, such as The Attack on the GPO written by Stephen Ferguson (Assistant Secretary of An Post).

An original contribution on the assisationation of Michael Collins, plus a contribution from the Office of Public Works on Kilmainham Gaol.

The print run will be 25,000 copies. It is anticipated that both An Post Museum and Kilmainham Gaol will sell copies through their bookshops. Kilmainham have projected that they will have 500,000 visitor during 2016.

Layout 1

The sale of the Easter Commemoration Digest will not be confined to 2016, and can sell for quite some time to come.

The existing Easter Digest website will be re-configured in December to facilitate online ordering.

(July 2017 Note:  This website is no longer available for ordering this publication)

 

Wishing Seán every success with this endeavor, and I wish to extend my gratitude to him for submitting this guest post to introduce us to his work.

 

Slán agus beannacht,

(Goodbye and blessings)

Irish American Mom

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