A personal blog of ideas, discoveries and perspectives.
In the opening pages of his autobiography, the former Catholic Primate of All–Ireland, Cardinal Cahal Daly, describes his earliest memory. He tells how his family home in County Antrim was burned to the ground when the IRA targeted the RIC barracks next-door. The Attack on Loughguile Barracks was one of the few operations in north …
Today marks the 100th birthday of the Irish artist Patrick Scott. Patrick Scott, who would have been 100 years old on 24 January 2021, pictured in front of his iconic artwork. Pat Scott was a shy and quiet man who expressed proudly and passionately in his art. I first met him when he was already …
In these strange times, it's hard to feel motivated. Plans get scuppered, so we can be forgiven for thinking that there's no point in trying. I have battled that demon most days over the past months and, when I woke today wanting to do something creative, I wondered if I could defeat it. How will …
My grandmother’s grandmother died on this day 129 years ago. Sarah (sometimes known as Sally) married a man named James Callinan of Peterswell Co. Galway in about 1847, during horrors of the Great Famine. Despite those hardships, Sally survived and had many children. Obviously I never met her but I share her DNA. It’s staggering …
The Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and one of the most recognisable human structures on the planet, are located just outside Cairo. They rise impossibly from the sands of the Sahara, where there have stood for over 4500 years. These massive structures seem beyond the capabilities or requirements …
My Side of the Matter 