Ireland
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On September 16, 1941, a devastating explosion ripped through the Glen of Imaal, County Wicklow, claiming the lives of sixteen Irish soldiers and injuring several more. It remains the single greatest loss of life in a training incident in the history of the Irish Defence Forces. The tragedy, which unfolded against the backdrop of the…
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I never got the whole Jane Austen hype. I find her stories boring and there is nothing I can identify with. However the fact that there is a Limerick connection to her I do find intriguing. And I believe if she had lived in Limerick her stories may have been a lot more exiting, but…
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World War II officially started on 3 September 1939. The Nazis wasted very little time in committing their first mass murder during the war. It was only hours after the war was declared. The S.S. Athenia was commanded by Captain James Cook. He left Glasgow for Montreal via Liverpool and Belfast. She carried 1,103 passengers,…
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(First published September 2, 2018, and updated March 23, 2024) The position of Ireland during World War II was a bit of a tricky one. A lot of people actually were pro-German, not so much because they agreed with the German policies but more because they were at war with Britain, and there was still…
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(Originally posted November 2016) On the morning of October 3rd, 1975, Dr. Tiede Herrema was driving from his home in Castletroy, County Limerick, to a meeting at the Ferenka steel plant in Annacotty when he was abducted by two Irish republicans, Marion Coyle and Eddie Gallagher. Herrema had been sent by the parent company in…
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Nothing can stop you, no matter what. Your beauty is breathtaking, but there is a dark side too. Some are in awe, when they look at your majestic flow towards the ocean. They try to comprehend the power you possess. Other realize that power and know that it can bring life and also end it.…
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Vere Thomas St. Leger Goold was born in 1853 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland, into an aristocratic family with a strong military background. The Goolds were part of the Anglo-Irish upper class, and young Vere was afforded all the advantages of a privileged upbringing: access to elite education, exposure to genteel society, and the leisure…
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(First published in 2019) Ireland remained neutral throughout World War II, but that is not to say there was no contribution from the Irish during the war. Many young Irish men did join the British army and also partook in Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-Day. However, this blog is not about any of…
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On the night of May 31, 1941, during the height of World War II, the city of Dublin, capital of neutral Ireland, was shaken by an unexpected and deadly event: a German Luftwaffe air raid that killed 28 people and left nearly 100 injured. This bombing, which occurred in the North Strand area, has remained…
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When I hear that wind blowAll across the Wicklow mountainsIs it you, I hear a calling?Johnny boy, oh Johnny boy When I look to the westAll across the river ShannonI can still see you smilingJohnny boy, oh Johnny boy When the leaves have turned to brownAnd winter is dueAs I watch the sun go downI’ll…
History of Sorts 