Tuesday, May 11, 2004

WILLIAM ROONEY , poet and journalist ; 1872-1901 .......


.......Although only in his twenties , William Rooney was well-known to Dublin newspaper Editors as a solid , reliable contributor of articles .......


His material was published in 'The Weekly Freeman's Journal' (1817 - 1924), 'The Dublin Times Pictorial' [which began publication as 'The Weekly Irish Times'] (1875 - 1941) and 'The United Irishman' newspaper , which he helped to establish with Arthur Griffith in early 1899 .

His name could also be found on poems and articles published in 'The Shamrock ' , 'The Northern Patriot' , 'Shan Van Vocht' , and 'The General Advertiser ' (1837 - 1923). Incidentally , the 'one-hit-wonders' of the day included 'The National Press' (1891 - 1892), 'The Sunday Herald' (1898), and 'The Evening News' (1887 - 1888).

William Rooney was a member and/or supporter of various Irish Nationalist organisations , such as the 'Gaelic League' (founded by Douglas Hyde in 1893 , to combat "the awful idea of complete Anglicization" of Irish society ; a tangent ! - Hyde was later to abandon the 'League' because he felt it was effectively coming-under the control of the IRB )- the 'Gaelic League' was established as a non-political organisation which concentrated on promoting the Irish language , Irish clothes, dancing , poetry , song and culture .

(MORE LATER).



WHERE MOUNTAINY MEN HAVE SOWN :

war and peace in rebel Cork ,
in the turbulent years 1916-21.

By Micheal O'Suilleabhain : published 1965.

COOLNACAHERA and COOMNACLOHY .......


".......Men from Macroom and Ballingeary laid in wait with us at the ambush site ; we had riflemen and a Lewis-Gun . Then we got the word - " They are coming .......""


" I relayed the warning across the road to Dan Corkery and his men , and also to Number Four Section behind my back . My eyes ran along the straight to where the surface of the road disappeared at the bend , then across a 'loop' to where it appeared again - and there they were ...

...I counted as they passed ; a touring car with seven British Army lorries behind it , close together . But they were coming - very , very slowly . There was something wrong - I lay down behind the Lewis-Gun , and brought the butt of it to my shoulder . I glanced along the sights to the corner of the road , and took off the safety-catch .

The touring car appeared from around the corner , at little more than a snail's pace ; then the leading British Army lorry came into sight . They must be suspicious , but nevertheless they edged forward . The second lorry was now in view and its occupants , British Auxiliaries , were standing as if ready to jump off the while they scrutinized the ground ahead of them . The third lorry appeared , and I heard a noise behind me ; it was Hughie , our Lewis-Gunner .

" Take the Lewis , " I said to him . " Were'nt you doing all right with it ! " he replied . He put the butt of it to his shoulder and sighted it up for himself ; just then two shots rang-out at the eastern end of our position : Hughie pressed the trigger ....... "

(MORE LATER).



PLASTIC BULLETS - The Child Killers .......



' In Northern Ireland (sic) six children were shot and killed with plastic bullets . Many more were severly injured . Jacinta O'Brien spoke to the families of these innocent victims of violence . '


From 'Womans Way' Magazine , 21st October 1983 , pages 11 , 12 , 13 , and 14 .


Reproduced here in 16 parts .


(14 of 16).


The Livingstone family were 'totally at sea' at the inquest into Julie's death , but fortunately the eldest girl in the family , Elizabeth , plucked up the courage to ask the Coroner for an adjournment and the hearing was re-held . Each time the family appeared in court , the Livingstone girls were treated with abuse by the British Army personnell present -

- " They jeered , made smart remarks and blew kisses at us and nobody tried to stop them . It was a farce and a joke, " is how Kathleen Livingstone terms the event . But Julie Livingstone's case was to make legal history in the North ; the Coroner decided that she was an innocent victim .......

(MORE LATER).