1972: the year that both was and is ...
I've been thinking a lot about 1972 this week. As a child of that year, it holds a certain, timely resonance for me on the eve of my...
A Bewitchingly Good Read
On average, I come across a new author who really grabs my attention once or twice in any given calendar year. They are normally newly...
Alcohol - A Gift of God to Man
Those who know me well (indeed, those who know me in passing, or barely know me at all, for that matter) will appreciate the smile which...
Raise the Flag and Damn the Consequences!
There is a temptation to bemoan modern naming habits, particularly among celebrities of a certain B-Grade standing, however for those who...
Prospering in the Genealogical Eire
In which our hero attempts (and fails, for the nonce at least) to pin down those 'pesky' Irish Buchanan's, but nonetheless contrives to...
Beannachtai Lá Fhéile Pádraig oraibh!
For the first time in a number of years, we approached St Patrick's Day in the shadow of an election (not only here in Western Australia,...
Most Eagerly Awaited Books of 2017 (Pt.1)
I normally produce a list of upcoming books that have caught my attention in January and June. This year's election shenanigans have...
Cooel & Dooish Farm Auction, 1908
I came across this fascinating advert from the Ulster Herald, dated 11 January 1908, and find myself at something of a loss to explain it....
Too much whiskey, too little coffee ...
Continuing with my trawl through a range of local papers in the Omagh area in the late 1800s and early 1900s, I have come across a series...
Tragic Discovery Near Drumquin (1934)
I recently gained access to the online records of the Irish Newspaper Archives, and decided to see what interesting odds and ends I could...
