Few of the 130 Volunteers who travelled to Coalisland on Easter Saturday 1916 had any inkling about the forthcoming Rising. The Belfast organiser, Denis McCullough, received a message on Good Friday morning from Dr Patrick McCartan asking him to attend a meeting. He immediately set out for Tyrone and reached Carrickmore at lunchtime. There he […]
Archive | Liam Murphy
RSS feed for this section
Who fired the shots at Stewartstown village?
Read More
Comments Off on Who fired the shots at Stewartstown village?
Queen’s visit brings back varied memories
As I write this the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh are in Bushmills. The royal visit was overshadowed by the homecoming of the province’s soccer team. They were greeted by thousands of fans while the queen arrived almost unnoticed. The Secretary of State was busy furthering her political career in London […]
Read More
Comments Off on Queen’s visit brings back varied memories
The prince, the UDR and ‘failure of the few’
The Duke of York is in the news again with accusations of impropriety coming from USA. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace has made a statement refuting the allegations and assuring us of his innocence. That’s good enough for me, but I’m baffled as to why the refutal has not been backed up by any Norn […]
Read More
Comments Off on The prince, the UDR and ‘failure of the few’
Soul of a nation captured in many beautiful songs
I listened to young Cathal Clarke in the Bridge Grill Bar last Sunday night. Cathal, from Ardoyne, is an accomplished ballad singer with a wide repertoire of mainly Irish songs. He put in a marathon session of over two hours. The bar was by no means packed. Many of his offerings drew little response but […]
Read More
Comments Off on Soul of a nation captured in many beautiful songs
‘Monster snake’ terror on the Cave Hill Road
The Belfast Zoological Gardens known as Bellevue Zoo opened in 1934. I haven’t visited it for a long time but I believe that among the many species housed there are some snakes. Someone once told me that St Patrick banished snakes from Ireland over 1,500 years ago and the zoo undid his work. That is […]
Read More
Comments Off on ‘Monster snake’ terror on the Cave Hill Road
Justice came late for scapegoat airman
The murder of Patricia Curran (19) in November 1952 sent shockwaves all over Ireland and beyond. By the end of the year the RUC were being criticised for lack of progress in finding the killer and by this time had enlisted the help of Scotland Yard who sent over Superintendent John Capstick – known as […]
Read More
Comments Off on Justice came late for scapegoat airman
