Search Results for 'National Library'

Hardiman tells us, “There was from time immemorial a gap in the river called the Main Gap, through which small boats, sometimes with difficulty, passed up and down the river from the lake to the sea. This particular gap was always kept open from February to August, when all others were shut. The proprietors of the fishery, finding that it diminished the value of the weirs, caused it to be closed. This became the subject of legal contention, but it was finally decided that the gap should be, and it has ever since accordingly been, kept open.”

LOUIS DE PAOR’S agus rud eile/and another thing was first published in the original Irish eight years ago. In this new edition by Cló Iar-Chonnachta, English language translations perform a valuable service by making the work of one of our best poets available to a wider audience.

In the 1870s the parish of Rahoon extended from Corcullen to Furbo. It had two chapels, one in Barna and one in Bushypark. Those people who lived in the town side of the parish attended Sunday Mass in the chapel attached to the Presentation Convent, but it was quite small and worshippers often had to kneel on the ground outside, no matter what the weather was like. As a result many of the major parish ceremonies were moved to the Pro-Cathedral. In 1881 no fewer than 300 children from the parish were confirmed in Middle Street, which gives us an idea of the population of the area.

The Second World War had only started for 10 hours, and the passenger liner Athenia was steaming across the Atlantic on its way to Montreal from Glasgow. It was 20.00 hours, on smooth seas, and many of the adults on board were preparing to eat dinner while some were putting their children to bed. Some others of the 1,103 passengers were relaxing on deck or in the lounge. There were 305 crew on board.

This classic photograph of the Claddagh was originally taken c1890 and was given to us by the National Library. It illustrates just how close the connection was between the thatched village and the sea. Most of the menfolk who lived there were fishermen who depended for their livelihood on the sea, and so a tradition developed which became a colourful expression of ancient local faith.

Upwards of 300 people attended the culture night at the Jackie Clarke Library and Archives in Ballina. The highlight of the night was the showing of old films taken by Jackie Clarke from the 1950s. On show was rare, unseen, footage of various events from Ballina and Swinford, including Corpus Christie processions, sports days, and Bunree Swimming Pool. Another film showed the unveiling of the monument to Ballycroy hunger striker Seán Mac Neela, who died in 1940. The films were shown in relays to accommodate the crowds on the night. They was preceded by a presentation from Paddy Lenihan from the National Graves Association, a non-politically aligned group that looks after some 500 graves of the patriot dead across the 32 counties.