The Year 2020*

The Year 2020*

Jimmy and I went to the dance that Friday night in Clonard Hall. It was New Year’s Eve. He was 17 and I was 18. There was the countdown to midnight, followed by hugs and kisses and the singing of Auld Lang Syne. But the festivity was overshadowed. Around us were a...
Christmas In The Crum

Christmas In The Crum

This is an excerpt from my book, Then The Walls Came Down, when at Christmas time I was on remand for conspiracy to murder, kidnapping and IRA membership. Among those referred to are my cell-mate, Roy McCool from Derry; two of my co-accused, Jim O’Carroll and John...
Children of the Nation

Children of the Nation

My friend, Jenny Farrell, has just compiled and edited a book which is to be launched by Fr Peter McVerry at 3pm, next Saturday, 23rd November, in Connolly Books, 43 Essex St E, Temple Bar, Dublin. The book, The Children of the Nation: An Anthology of Working...
A Spirtual Revolutionary

A Spirtual Revolutionary

Fr Des Wilson died yesterday at the age of ninety four. I saw him for the last time two weeks ago at Nazareth House Care Village. He was very frail and his voice was a whisper. But with him was Janet Cush, one of many from the Springhill and Ballymurphy community who...
per pagina ad lux aeterna et amor

per pagina ad lux aeterna et amor

I loved this little book of stories and poems which the author, Martin Connolly, autographed for me at Scribes at the Rock in August 2018 shortly after it was published by Snowchild Press. Martin (from Belfast) is Professor of English Literature at Tsurumi University,...