The Natural History Museum was founded in 1856, It was constructed to accommodate the large collections of bird, animal and geological specimens belonging to the Royal Dublin Society, the RDS. For overseas readers, the RDS by the way, is a venerable and prestigious institution dedicated to the promotion of learning industry, agriculture, arts and scholarship,… Read More The Dead Zoo
I’ve not to date participated in that Word Press institution known as “the Daily Prompt”. You know the one, it’s for those who like to blog everyday, but occasionally find themselves, temporarily, stuck for inspiration. “The Prompt” is a suggested topic, serving as a nudge to get them writing. I’ve nothing against it; indeed it’s… Read More These were a few of my favourite things.
Our first exhibit. The church of Saint Suplice, is enormous, the second largest in Paris and only fractionally smaller than the city cathedral Notre Dame. Saint Suplice boasts many fine memorials and artworks, including some works by Eugene Delacroix such as Jacob Wresting the Angel. However, following the publication of the truely awful da Vinci… Read More St Suplice: working out the Equinox, & walking to the metre.
I was about to abandon the little memoir of my recent Paris jaunt, and blog instead about other things. Time- after all- marches on. Tempus fugit and all that. But then I looked at some photos saved on the computer, of statues, saints and angels, one of Mary Magdalene even. Inevitably, thoughts turned to Paris… Read More Another day in Paris-dise (or Hell for the unlucky)
Since Christmas is a time for families, and since my sister and my niece were not with us this year, my mother and I made a slightly late-in-the day, slightly haphazard and snap decision to go to Paris for 5 days, setting off the morning after Stephen’s Day. I am not going to pretend it… Read More We’ll always have Paris.
Last post we looked at the political and religious background to the Ulster Rebellion of 1641, how the remaining Catholic Ulster elite, alarmed by the ever growing Plantations, vexed by the loss of their religious and civil liberties, and constantly frustrated by the bad faith and double dealing of Charles I, tried to orchestrate a show of force… Read More Post 5- Confederates and Cromwell.
Look at this. What do you see? Above is a picture of an English soldier about to coldly run a sword through the throat of an Irish woman, as she, desperately, tries to protect her children. Look at his feet, you’ll see he also tramples on the body of an innocent civillian, already dead, while… Read More St Patrick’s 4- Jones, Rebels, Confederates, Cromwell 17th century horror in Ireland.
In a series of three seperate earlier posts, we’ve looked at the history of Dublin’s cathedral of Saint Patrick’s, from the early Christaina era, in one post, to the Viking ear in another, and finally to the Anglo-Normans, and “the story of the two cathedrals”. It’s all a long, immense, complex web of religious and… Read More Saint Patrick’s History, 4: Richard Boyle, earl of Cork, power, politics and intrigue in Elizabethan & Stuart Ireland.
Important Note 2: Note on photography, maps, and image credits. all photographs in this article are by the author, unless otherwise noted. I’m not precious about it but if you wish to use an image please contact me and if I provide permission naturally I’d like to get a basic acknowledgement and credit and please provide a link… Read More The Origins of Saint Patricks cathedral – part one. 430AD to the early Celtic church.
Ecce Maud. Spanish churches, ancient Rome Soon they’ll be her second home. Cos’ to all the world, to be explored Know now, she’s coming… Her name: be Maud. So let’s tell those Norwegian hordes, to tidy up the lovely fiords. and the folks of Mexico City, they’d better make it nice and… Read More to my niece, on the occasion of her very first birthday: Ecce Maud.
Arran Q Henderson 