Bantry Bay Revisited
Return to Bantry Bay. Just as Francis O’Neill returned in very different circumstances from when he left at 16— in his mid-fifties as a newly retired Chicago Chief of Police. Read More …
Author: Ronan
Ronan O’Kelly’s Ireland
As we move into summer and hopefully better weather, time to think about what to do on the holidays. A music festival is always a good option and, as I Read More …
Chief O’Neill Documentary
It is amazing what can pop out when you search the internet. I came across the following fine documentary from Chicago’s PBS station Channel 11 while googling for other Francis Read More …
Down By The Glenside
A recent report in the Irish News tells of a collection of Nineteenth century sheet music, found in an attic in Down, was kindly donated to the Linen Hall library Read More …
The Green Groves of Erin
What to make of Irishness, especially as seen in the United States? Today, the Irish Taoiseach met with the US President as part of the annual St. Patrick’s day celebrations at Read More …
Chief Francis O’Neill Irish Music Festival
A festival of Irish music in honour of Chief O’Neill is being held in Tiburon, California from February 23 – 25, 2018. It looks to be an exciting celebration of O’Neill’s Read More …
Last Night’s Fun
If Irish traditional music was a required course at school, one of the main books on the curriculum would be Ciaran Carson’s Last Night’s Fun. Of course, another primary text Read More …
When Irish Rebels Murdered in Chicago
Doctor Gillian O’Brien is the author of Blood Runs Green, an excellent history of the murder of an Irish American doctor by Clan Na Gael rebels in Chicago in 1889. An Read More …
The Mist Covered Mountain
Many of the tunes O’Neill collected made reference in their names to the fairy folklore of Ireland: The Fairy Queen, King of the Fairies, The Fairy Boy etc. In Victorian Read More …
The Musical Priest
Francis O’Neill befriended Reverend Richard Henebry as part of his efforts to publicize his collection of Irish music. Henebry was in many ways similar to O’Neill, but had a more Read More …