Last Poll and Chorus – Frank McNally on the end of 400 years of Trinity College elections
Dublin University can claim to have elected Jane Austen’s Mr Darcy, or a bit of him
An Irish Diary
An Irish Diary
Hit (and miss) parade – Frank McNally on the mixed fortunes of a who’s who list from 40 years ago
These lists always give hostages to fortune
Glad rags – Colm Keena on clothes and society
So many people in the wealthiest, most free, most democratic societies in human history opt to wear what is comparatively drab clothing
Nato and Irish neutrality – John Mulqueen on a vexed political issue
For some, neutrality became a sacred cow associated with high moral purpose
Cardinal Red – Frank McNally on a cultural history of wind colour
The concept of a Dulux-style wind-colour catalogue was well established here and elsewhere
Poison Pen – Frank McNally on the late-blooming Violet Needham, children’s novelist extraordinaire
She had spent a long apprenticeship as a storyteller to nieces and nephews
From here to Timbuktu – Alison Healy on a byword for the most remote and distant place imaginable
Thanks to globalisation, Timbuktu is not so remote any more
Physician, soldier, explorer and naturalist – Marc McMenamin on Maj Richard WG Hingston
His life’s passion was the study of natural history
The beat goes on – Alison Healy on Holocaust survivor and musician Saul Dreier
“I am very happy when I play . . . music is life”
Pointed reference – Frank McNally on the importance of being salient
Peace explains why the term “Monaghan Salient” has fallen out of use
Sleeveen and Jackeen: A History of Ireland in 100 diminutives
Number 70: Drisheen (stuffed small intestines of sheep, considered food in Cork)
(Southern) Cross Country – Frank McNally on Argentina’s 150-year-old Irish newspaper
The world’s longest-running Irish newspaper produced outside Ireland, and among the oldest of any kind in Argentina
Funny Peculiar – Frank McNally on the unhilarious St Hilary and the legal term named after him
The ancient Romans used to host Hilaria: public holidays marked by ceremonial rejoicing
Comrades – John Mulqueen on the price of a divided left
Petty differences should be resolved quickly, as Labour discovered just one year after its first breakthrough in a general election
The father of Irish surgery – Brian Maye on Robert Adams
Adams published extensively in such medical areas as heart disease, arthritis and gout
House Private – Frank McNally on the apparent occupation of 15 Usher’s Island
The short manifesto in the window has more than twice as many full stops – five – as Molly Bloom’s entire soliloquy
Mapped Out – Frank McNally on a wealthy namesake’s mansion, destroyed in the Los Angeles fires
The house was built in 1887 for the Armagh-born multimillionaire Andrew McNally
Sculptor Exculpated – Frank McNally on the forgotten Irish creator of one of England’s most infamous statues
John Cassidy’s gravestone, in the Catholic section of Manchester’s Southern Cemetery, makes no mention of his Irish origins
Just a tweak, mid-winter – Frank McNally on the ups and downs of Christmas
They say mishaps come in threes so now I’m waiting for the next one, which is the worst part
Tower of strength – Brian Maye on Sinéad de Valera
She proved a prolific author of children’s books in later life
Oranges in winter – Noel Costello on Valencia
‘It’s winter here, Noel,’ was the succinct reply to a question regarding a choice of attire
New light on The Dead – Ray Burke on John Huston’s classic film
Hollywood film distributors had a ‘complete aversion to the title’, according to the production notes
Lord of the Ring – Tim Fanning on pioneering boxing writer Pierce Egan
The publication in 1813 of the first volume of Boxiana marks an important moment in the history of modern sports journalism
Independent thinking – John Mulqueen on the power that Independent TDs can wield
Throughout the 1980s, when FitzGerald and Haughey vied to be taoiseach, Dáil divisions could be very narrow indeed
Ghosts in the machine – Colm Keena on hovering spirits from the past
When you reach a certain age, the world can seem to be populated with ghosts
Spreading the News – Ray Burke on a play by Lady Gregory that resonates to this day
The leading actor, Willie Fay, said that the cast had put tremendous pace into the comedy – ‘the pace of a hard football match’
The oldest working building in Belfast – Paul Clements on Clifton House
Clifton House is one of the city’s finest Grade A-listed Georgian buildings, but the stylish exterior belies the social deprivation that brought it into existence
Memory lanes – Paul Clements on the broad history of narrow thoroughfares
Ireland’s ancient laneways threading their way through towns and cities are staging a revival
In a good light – Áine Ryan on candlelight reflections
In the third power cut of this winter, I was prepared for some enforced introspection
Home alone at Christmas – Helen O’Rahilly on a delightfully peaceful celebration
To be relieved of the burdens of shopping, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up for the gang was a joy
Councillor Claus of Alaska – Alison Healy on the other Santa
Elves he can deal with, but trolls are on his naughty list
A rebate Christmas – Alison Healy on the surprising ways people spend their time on the big day
Think of those who were faffing around on the Revenue website last year instead of chopping onions for the stuffing
Name Shame – Frank McNally on the continuing tragedy of the forename “Kevin” and a bad night for “Shamrock” in London
A dramatic decline in a name’s prestige
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