Search Results for 'Brien Press'

THERE HAS been much quiet paranoia among the political and arts establishments on the subject of how to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising. The difficulty is the Rising was a revolutionary event to which most of our political class, and your average arts sector salary drawer, are spiritually opposed.

IRISH HISTORY and mythology, and indeed the points where they intersect, are rich materials for the graphic novel, leading, over the last number of years, to Irish writers and artists exploring the potentialities of such as Cúchulainn and The Táin.

On June 12 1922 a very special ceremony took place at Windsor Castle, near London. Following the establishment of the Irish Free State the previous December, five Irish regiments, including the Connaught Rangers, the Royal Irish, the Leinsters, the Munsters, and the Dublin Fusiliers, which had served the British army with exceptional valour at times, were disbanded. It was a day of special significance for both the participants and onlookers.

Perhaps fearing that the refusal by Irish soldiers to carry out army duties in Wellington Barracks at Jullundur, northeast India, on June 27 1920; and that the mutiny would spread to an already sympathetic native population, leading to a general protest such as at Amritsar the previous year, the army authorities quickly took decisive action. The commanding officer, Lt Col Leeds, strode into the crowd of excited and rebellious soldiers, demanding to speak to its two leaders John Flannery and Joe Hawes. He warned the men that they could be shot for this; that such behaviour only excited the natives to rebellion. Hawes, smoking a cigarette, replied that he would rather be killed by an Indian bullet than by a British one (His disrespectful attitude to his commanding officer was noted).

At the beginning of the last century, two boys grew up together in Loughrea. Socially they were far apart, but they were great friends. John Oliver was from a particularly poor background. His family lived in a tiny lean-to shack out on the Galway road on the edge of the town. His friend was Tom Wall, who lived in a comfortable house on Patrick Street. John enjoyed visiting their home.  His friend played with a band, The Saharas, and there was often music and fun in their house, shared by his brother Ray, and their attractive sister Cissie.

Michael Kelly, founder of Grow it Yourself (GIY) will give a talk entitled ‘Sow Seeds, Harvest Change — five vegetables you can grow to change your life and save the world’ in The Arches Hotel, Claregalway, on Tuesday April 16 at 8pm. This is a free event which aims to inspire people to grow their own vegetables.

THE WOMAN who has produced special effects for Doctor Who, Iron Maiden, and Lady Gaga, is coming to Galway to take part in the Galway Arts Centre’s Cúirt Labs.

Edna O’Brien, Seamus Heaney, and Michael Longley, three of the titans of contemporary Irish literature, are coming to Galway for the 2013 Cúirt International Festival of Literature from April 23 to 28.

Some 42,000 Irishmen fought for the Allies and against the Nazis in WWII - including a number of Galwaymen - and their stories are contained in a new book.

The Kerry Food Book of the Year Award has been won by Food To Love by chef Edward Hayden, published by The O’Brien Press.