The Grassy Green Pillow
On a recent visit to West Cork, I had the fortune to properly explore Tralibane and the surrounding area. I was bowled over by the hospitality of the people there, Read More …
Category: History
The Day the Chief was Assassinated
In 1897, Mark Twain was reported to have made this famous statement upon being confronted with his obituary by a reporter in London. Francis O’Neill, a few years later as Read More …
The Tragedy of Tralibane Bridge
If you closely read O’Neill’s work, Tralibane bridge turns out to be personally very important to him, as a place and a tune.
Ronald McDonald House
Did you know the Chicago Ronald McDonald House was once Francis O’Neill’s home?
The Little Fair Child
Although Francis O’Neill left a memoir, it contains very little mention of the tragedies of his personal life: he and his wife Anna lost 6 of their 10 children. Most Read More …
What Would the Chief Think?
Francis O’Neill’s story is that of an amateur musician that took his passion to great heights when many had lost faith in the music of the “Old Country”. How many Read More …
The Boys From The East
I have been struck recently by a number of remarkable historical connections between Japan and West Cork (and even Bantry in particular). Of course, O’Neill visited Yokohama in his early Read More …