Section of the wall of Tuam

The above archway is centuries old and once formed part of the wall around the town of Tuam County Galway. How old exactly it is, I am unsure of, but given that the walls of Derry, built between 1613 and 1618 are Europe's youngest walls, we can presume this archway is considerably older. It was taken from Tuam by the Handcock family, who owned much of the town and who resided here at Carantryla. The archway formed part of the orchard. Carantryla house itself  was demolished, possibly in the 1940s and it now nothing  more than a memory.




My thanks to Eamonn Boyle for guiding me there and to the Hessian family for allowing me access.

Adergoole Stone Cross

The remains of Adergoole Stone Cross, Dunmore, County Galway. It is believed to be 12th century and is the oldest High Cross in the Galway region.

Menlo Monument, Galway City

Menlo is a small village, on the shores of Lough Corrib  upstream from the city. This particular monument was built to commemorate a visit by King James II, around 1690.

It is believed that his army set up camp in Menlo and stayed for a number of months, while awaiting more favourable weather conditions. The road is known as Monument Road.

Fadó Fadó

My new book book will be out in April 2015!

Fadó Fadó

More Tales of Lesser Known Irish History
by Rónán Gearóid Ó Domhnaill

A long, long time ago…

Fadó Fadó: More Tales of Lesser Known Irish History is the sequel to Fadó: Tales of Lesser Known Irish History (Matador, 2013). It reveals more episodes from Irish history throughout the ages. 

The Irish abroad are not neglected in this collection of tales, many of which are not widely know or have been long forgotten about. The author makes no attempt to heroise or demonise the figures, though some of the characters do not deserve the obscurity to which the passage of time has condemned them, while others are probably best forgotten. Their stories illustrate the rich tapestry that forms Irish history… 

Who was the walking gallows man of Wicklow? What was it about a cave in Donegal that attracted visitors from all over Europe? What happened to the priest who evoked the ire of the Irish government? How did an Irish civil servant defy the Nazis at a time when appeasement was popular? Whose corpse in Galway created wonder and fear? Why did a Monaghan man eat his fellow convicts? And how did a Dublin woman try to assassinate Mussolini? 

Laid out in chapters long enough to cover what is important and still retain the reader’s interest, this book can be started from anywhere. Just like its prequel, Fadó Fadó is a must-have book for anyone interested in Irish history.

RIC handcuffs

The above handcuffs belonged to my great grandfather John Deneny, who came from Cavan. He served in Kerry, Tipperary and Limerick. If you have relatives who served in this police force, more information can be obtained from the PSNI Museum in Belfast or the archives in Kew, London.

The Key to Carantryla House

It is just an old key, but it unlocked the main door to one of County Galway's  "Big Houses". Carantryla House, located near Dunmore, County Galway was demolished around the 1940s. My great-grandfather John Deneny was caretaker at the house until Major Handcock returned in the 1920s.  Despite the attempts to erase the past, its memory lingers on.

Aideen's Grave, Howth, County Dublin.

Aideen was the daughter of Aonghus, who lived at Binn Edair. Her husband was killed in battle around 284 and she died of grief and was buried there. While she may have been buried there, the portal tomb, with its 35 tonne capstone is at least two thousand years older than this. The peninsula later became known as Howth after the name was adopted by the Normans.