The formal reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, now fully restored after the disastrous fire on April 15 2019, will take place a month from now, on December 8. It will be an occasion with important lessons for all the world to learn from, but also one surrounded by controversy. With this important event…
We are all aware of the great importance of ancient Irish manuscripts to our knowledge of the past and the history of the peoples that have lived in Ireland. But the prominence of the Book of Kells has distorted this tradition. The Book of Kells is a liturgical set of the gospels, but the text is unimportant compared with…
A History of Irish Magic, by Sally North and James North (Holythorn Press, limited hardbound edition € 60.00; paperback edition, €30.) When the remains of the poet W. B. Yeats were brought back to Ireland in September 1948, they were interred as he had intended in Drumcliffe Churchyard in Sligo, according to the ritual…
Recently Dr Peter Cherry retired from his post as a long time lecturer on the history of art in Trinity College. Among his other activities there was directing a seminar for final-year students on “Art and Religion in the Hispanic world”. Of essential assistance to his teaching programme at all levels was the nearby presence in…
The Mole of Vatican Council II: The True Story of “Xavier Rynne”, by Richard A. Zmuda (Acta Books, US$ 29.95; available online through Amazon.us) Looking back the death of Pius XII, the election of Pope John XXIII, and the calling of the Vatican Council II were momentous events of the first order which still…
1588: The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores by Michael B. Barry (Andalus Press, €23.99 / £19.99) Legends of “Spanish gold” haunt the western shores of Scotland and Ireland, from Tobermory to the Blasket Sound. As his subtitle indicates a good part of Michael Barry’s space in his latest book is taken…
Another Day in Paradise: Stories of Transformation from the Camino and other places by Eddie Gilmore (Brimstone Press, £10.99 / €12.99) Eddie Gilmore will be known to many Irish people through his work with Irish emigrants, travellers and seniors in England, in addition to his activities with L’Arche, his principal vocation. His most recent publication last…
Every Day is a Fresh Beginning: Meaningful Poems for Life edited by Aobhín Garrihy (Eriu / Bonnier Books, £12.99 / €9.99) Once out of school and the demands of exams, most adults have little time for poetry. They are aware of Ireland’s poetic tradition, how could they not be. But these days most poetry seems to…
Rathfarnham Castle Guidebook, by Jane Fenlon and others (OPW, €5.00) There must be thousands of living Dubliners who have memories of Rathfarnham Castle as it was back in the last century under the auspices of the Jesuits, when it was a noted Jesuit seminary and retreat centre. The Jesuits, who had taken over the…
In Our Day: An Oral History of Dublin’s Bygone Days, by Kevin C. Kearns (Gill Books, €24.99 / £18.99) Back when the world was young I had “a friend next door” who always referred to “the olden days”, not referring to the Middle Ages, but it transpired to the days when his parents were…