Tag Archives: John O’Brien

COLOURISED images of key moments in Clare’s revolutionary history have been included in a new book on the period between the East Rising and the foundation of the State. Among the pictures that author Michael Barry has included in An Illustrated History of the Irish Revolution (1916-1923) is a photograph of Eamon De Valera at Ennis Courthouse after the by-election of 1917. Other shots include scenes of tanks in Clare and an armoured car at the RIC barracks in Ennis. There is also a picture of De Valera’s arrest in 1923 at a Sinn Féin gathering. The latter appeared in the Illustrated London News just after the outbreak of the Civil War.   There’s also a photo of De Valera in America in the period 1919-1920. During a visit to the Chippewa Reservation Reserve in Wisconsin, he was famously made honorary chief of a Chippewa tribe, and the colourised image shows him wearing a Native American ceremonial headdress. “I specially …

THE committee of the Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society visited Áras an Uachtaráin last month, taking up an invitation from President Michael D Higgins. They made the trip to Dublin on December 17 and to mark the visit, the chairman of the society, John O’Brien presented the President with a collection of editions of the society’s journal, The Other Clare and a specially commissioned silver tie pin featuring a Poulnabrone motif, which was designed and crafted by Gleeson Goldsmiths of Shannon. The society’s outings organiser, Pat Costello was one of those who travelled and he said he felt the invite arose because of the President’s interest in local history. “First and foremost, I think it was an interest in the journal, the work of the society and so forth. Many years ago, John O’Brien [the chairman] and myself would have met him and he has a big interest in County Clare. We had sent him copies of the journal to …

THE  first volume of The Other Clare was published  by the Shannon Archaeological & Historical Society in 1977 and contained 34 pages  dealing with historical aspects of south Clare. After it was produced, the hope was that there would be a second volume, and possibly some more. However, in the intervening 37 years, over 2,500 pages containing over 680 articles on the historical heritage of County Clare  have been published within its covers. Volume 38 of The Other Clare was launched recently and this year’s journal follows the format of its predecessors containing a variety of articles by seasoned and new authors alike on a wide range of topics relating to the county’s heritage. Risteard UaCroinin and Martin Breen continue their invaluable study of the county’s towerhouses, this time focusing on the restored Ballyhannon Castle, near Quin. Martin Barry continues the study of Drinagh townland that he begun last year, this time focussing on the history of its landownership from …