History & Folklore - West Cork People

Cork’s commemorative monuments (1914-23) traced in fascinating new history book

Kieran Doyle November, 2021

Commemoration can be a dangerous thing. Just ask President Higgins. The diplomatic corps in Ireland and Britain must have been working overtime, when the President turned down an invitation to “mark the centenaries of the partition of Ireland and the formation of Northern Ireland”. President Higgins is not just an […]

History & Folklore

The Lane Brothers of Clonakilty

WCP Staff November, 2021

Along the Cork-Clonakilty main road there is a stone monument honouring the brothers Lane. Erected by their second cousin Jim Lane, the stone marker shares that brothers Thomas (Tom) and James (Jim) fought in two wars – World War I and The Irish War of Independence. Pauline Murphy shares the […]

History & Folklore

The ‘E Word’: What is ethnicity?

WCP Staff October, 2021

Many of us have given or received a DNA testing kit for a birthday or as a Christmas present, but what are they all about? In this column, I continue to provide a step-by-step guide through the basics of all forms of DNA testing for family history. What do your […]

How did Germany emerge from the ashes of World War Two?

WCP Staff October, 2021

One of the pleasures of teaching English in secondary schools is the great choice of texts. The Leaving Cert choice is particularly eclectic and varies every two-year cycle. Those beginning their senior cycle this year could find themselves studying novels that explore the modern world we live in, like how […]

History & Folklore

Young patriots lie still at Cork’s seat of learning

WCP Staff October, 2021

As the 2021 college year begins at University College Cork, a new wave of students may not realise that their campus is a place where executed men, fighting for Irish freedom, were buried 100 years ago. Pauline Murphyreminds us of their names and the part they played in history. In […]

Traditions and customs of Samhain (Hallowe’en)

Eugene Daly October, 2021

The ancient festival of ‘Samhain’ – the first day of Winter for the ancient Celts – was traditionally kept on November 1, now the Feast of All Saints, and the vigil of this day, ‘Oíche Shamhna’ (Hallowe’en), is still celebrated on the last night in October. Hallowe’en was originally a […]

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