My Jimdo Geocities Lifeboat
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Event by Kilrush and District Historical Society
Teach Ceoil Kilrush
Public · Anyone on or off Facebook
Dr. Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc is an archaeologist and historian who specialises in 20th Century Irish political history. He has a PhD in History and a BA in Archaeology. He has published seven books, the most recent of which "The Disappeared: Forced Disappearances in Ireland 1798-1998", published in 2024, is an Irish Times bestseller. His forthcoming book "Burn them out! : A history of Fascism and the Far-Right in Ireland" will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2025.
Ó Ruairc is the historian who literally ‘knows where the bodies are’. He has spent over a decade researching the fate of ‘The Disappeared’, the forgotten victims of the centuries-long struggle for Irish freedom – the majority of whose bodies are still hidden deep in the Irish countryside. In 2018, Ó Ruairc’s research led to the recovery of the remains of Private George Chalmers, a British soldier who had been executed by the IRA in 1921 and secretly buried in a remote bog.
The spectre of ‘the Disappeared’, those abducted and secretly executed and their bodies buried in remote locations, has overshadowed the debate around the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland for the last two decades. Yet what most people don’t realise is that ‘forced disappearances’ have been part of violent political conflicts in Ireland for over 200 years.
Ó Ruairc's groundbreaking book, the first of its kind, looks at the history of this practice in Ireland and identifies all known victims over the last century, from the North King Street Massacre in 1916 right up to 2003. Ó Ruairc cuts through the exaggeration and myth that pervade the popular history of the ‘Good Old IRA’ to prove that members of this organisation were particularly ruthless in using this course of action during the War of Independence and Civil War, much more so than their successors in the Provisional IRA or the British forces in Ireland. The author also reveals how his research has helped to locate several bodies of those long missing, one of which has already been recovered and given a proper burial.
Behind each disappearance there is the story of a life cut short and a family left searching for answers. Ó Ruairc deftly incorporates this human element, preserving the memory of those who were disappeared on both sides of the conflict.
Praise for The Disappeared includes the following:
‘Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc’s The Disappeared will be indispensable to students of Irish history for years to come’ – Eilis O’Hanlon, The Sunday Independent
‘brilliantly researched and highly unsettling’ – Andrew Lynch, Business Post
‘…a great and sometimes painful read, which confronts a long-neglected topic’ – John Downing, The Irish Independent
‘Excellent.’ – Fortnight Magazine
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To watch the lecture live online at the scheduled lecture time (or to watch a recording online at any subsequent time of your choosing), go to
https://www.youtube.com/@kilrushanddistricthistor.../streams
There will be a live chat (text) facility to enable the remote audience to participate in the discussion.
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KDHS lectures are free to members, EUR5 for non-members, payable on the night only. New members are welcome. The annual membership fee (July-June) is EUR20.
The membership form can be downloaded from our website at
http://kdhs.ie/assets/files/general/membership_form.pdf
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WAR 80 years ago.
The lives of those who sacrificed for freedom on Oct. 25, 1944, summon us to integrate faith into action, following Christ’s example of heroic charity. --------------------------------------
At first glance, this book may appear to be a straightforward recounting of World War II events, but it is much more than that. Battle in the Pacific is a heartfelt tribute to the extraordinary sacrifices made by those who fought for the freedoms we cherish. It serves as a powerful reminder of the immense cost of freedom and the virtues of self-sacrifice, which resonate deeply with our Holy Catholic faith.
The novel tells the riveting true story of Commander Ernest Evans and the crew of the USS Johnston as they faced overwhelming odds during a critical naval battle. Their courage and tactical brilliance in the face of a vastly superior Japanese fleet highlight remarkable bravery and resilience. Beyond the dramatic portrayal of these historical events, the novel delves into timeless virtues that are central to our Christian life.
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Travel, specifically the touristic kind, has been colored bloody, ignorant, and invasive by imperialism. Even in more “developed,” anglicized parts of the world, it continues to threaten lifestyles, traditions, ecology, access to resources, and general peace of mind. Travel writing, historically, has followed suit in expressing everything from performative adoration and exoticization to sheer racism and erasure. But at its best it can offer a sobering portrait of human folly, bias, humiliation, and desire for connection—those endlessly conflicted feelings that come with the experience.
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Unlocking the Rosary: How You Can Get the Most Out of Praying the Glorious Mysteries
Praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary is an amazing way to have Mary lead us to her Son!
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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or more commonly known as ADHD, is defined as a condition that affects people's behaviour. The NHS states that symptoms include restlessness, acting on impulse, and having trouble concentrating. The health service adds that most signs are recognised at an early age, particularly during major transitional life periods, like starting school. This is why most people are diagnosed under 12 years old (Picture: Getty Images)
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Gaza
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/09/g-s1-27175/israel-hamas-war-gaza-map
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Gibson born Dublin
The Irishwoman Who Shot Mussolini, a 2014 radio documentary, was made by Siobhán Lynam for RTÉ Radio 1.[14] A film drama-documentary, Violet Gibson, The Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini (2020) starring Olwen Fouéré, was commissioned by TG4 and produced by Barrie Dowdall and Siobhán Lynam.[15] Gibson's story is the subject of [Noggin Theatre Company]'s play Violet Gibson: The Woman Who Shot Mussolini.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Gibson
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Tarbert, Listowel and O Connell
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/accessions/1994/94digests/irish.htm
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Harold William Cronin, 18 January 1916, Egypt. Born: 9 May 1880, Regiment: 4th Seaforth Highlanders; promoted to Lieutenant in 5th Bedfordshire Regiment on 20 May 1915, Died: 2 December 1917 at 35 Casualty Clearing Station in Palestine, leaving £268 19s to his widow
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https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/letters-first-world-war-1916-18/
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Gilbert Williams, 6 April 1916, France. Born: 18 April 1894, Regiment: 1/6 Seaforth Highlanders, Regiment number: 2175, Rank: Private, Died: 1967. Note: Williams also fought in Second World War and returned from war on 15 November 1948
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/letters-first-world-war-1916-18/trenches-veritable-maze/
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Henry Bullen, 24 July 1916, Egypt. Born: 25 April 1893, Regiment: 2/10 Middlesex regiment, Regiment number: 2858, Rank: Private, Died: 1942
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/letters-first-world-war-1916-18/egypt-paper/
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The Forgers
The Forgers
By Roger Moorhouse
A “remarkable” 2023 release (The Sunday Times): During World War II, a small group of activists saved thousands of Jewish lives by forging foreign identity documents. This account of their “extraordinary, audacious, and little-known rescue operation” (Daily Mail) is “as gripping as it is moving” (Julia Boyd).