The Irish poet Francis Ledwidge was an Irish nationalist and a British soldier who died fighting against the Kaiser, Willhelm II, at Ypres in the battle of Passchendale in 1917
Continue ReadingPope in Ireland: faithful must put faith in god not the church
That Pope Francis lives in comparative humility in a hostel rather than a palace, and drives round in a Skoda, may be refreshing. But it is not enough. The men (dispiritingly they are all men) in a position to…
Continue ReadingIreland deploys poetry in diplomatic offensive
Britain’s retreat from Europe leaves a vacancy for a mediator between America and the European Union. Once again Britain’s difficulty is Ireland’s opportunity.
Continue ReadingDivided still, the unfulfilled dream of the 1916 rising
There was a day when myths were the stuff of song, when they were spoken of by poets and carved in stone. Today they are printed on plastic wrappers to be thrown away as litter.
Continue ReadingA nation once again: Easter and the 1916 Rising
History is full of what ifs ... but we only have the history we have. Brutal, messy, contradictory history. A history where fact and fiction are intertwined, and where the heart can often rule the head.
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