History & Folklore - West Cork People

Single combat and faction fights

Eugene Daly March, 2024

Single combat was a high point of many of the old heroic stories in the Fianna Cycle and Ulster cycle of Irish Mythology. In the Táin conflict between Ulster and Connacht, Cúchulainn fought and killed many of Queen Maeve’s warriors. Finally Cúchulainn was pitted against his closest friend, Ferdia, who […]

Zionism, antisemitism and the Palestine question: Explained (Part I)

Kieran Doyle March, 2024

The Israel invasion of Gaza has caused a huge reaction worldwide. Yet despite the tens of thousands of civilian deaths, it has been allowed to run for five months unabated. Over the next two issues, I want to explore the history and politics of this conflict, to bring a deeper […]

‘Walking with Stones’ across West Cork’s fascinating heritage

WCP Staff March, 2024

‘Walking with Stones’ by David Myler is a new book which takes a fresh look at many of the ancient megalithic sites in the West Cork region. Started as a family lockdown activity within their 5km, the Myler’s adventures expanded with the lifting of the pandemic travel restrictions and the […]

History & Folklore

Teachers matter

Dr Michael Crowley February, 2024

Looking to the past, Michael Crowley reminds us of the important role that the teachers of today play in the future. Once the National School system had been set up in Ireland in 1831, the question of finding teachers very quickly became an issue. Many teachers were untrained in the […]

Bonaparte movie fails to capture the true Napoleon

Kieran Doyle February, 2024

The opening line in Charles Dickens’ much-loved novel, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ is the often quoted one – ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. Has it ever been any other way? The narrative of the book spanned the run-up to the French Revolution, […]

History & Folklore

Páirc Uí Chaoimh: The history behind the name

WCP Staff February, 2024

Before there was Páirc Uí Chaoimh there was The Athletic Grounds, and before that there was Cork Park. In light of the current controversy around the re-naming of Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Pauline Murphy looks back on the history of the stadium, its namesake and some memorable games that took place […]

Categories