Category Archives: The Troubles

LITTLE WHITE CROSSES Little white crosses, mile after mile Stark little crosses without a smile The sky and the soil are the colour of lead And the poppies are red: blood-red Little white crosses in clinging grey sod, Most of … Continue reading →

It’s hard to believe, looking at the old movie footage rolling past, that my brother was ever not fit and trim. Even in the footage his outward appearance belies an inner ugliness fraught with turmoil and recklessness. After what had happened to … Continue reading →

How’s the book coming? I’ve been asked that quite a lot lately, and I reply, “It’s done,” which is true – my memoir, The Troubles, is good enough to publish. So what am I waiting for? I finished the first … Continue reading →

I’ve been watching events in Northern Ireland for some time now mostly because I don’t want the violence to return there. Yet every week it seems there is a report of a bomb, or a shooting, or rioting eerily like … Continue reading →

Are Irish Storm Clouds Brewing? Reuters video courtesy of: TheYoungTurksTC Most people think of Ireland as being green, but many others know how red flowed so freely not so long ago. Historically, Ireland has been shafted, shat upon, raped and … Continue reading →

Watching “Father Goose” last night I couldn’t help but think of the early years when I was in Irish boarding school; the rule of conformity where you’re supposed to do what you’re told without question, the quirky relationships, the uniforms. … Continue reading →

I just finished reading Gerry Adams’ memoir, “Before the Dawn,” and my first impression is I’m no further ahead than when I started. Gerry Adams is the president of Sinn Fein, popularly known as the political wing of the Irish … Continue reading →

I thought Mom managed quite well without Dad, until one evening when she came in from work shouting, “Call the police! Call the POLICE!” I came out of the kitchen, mouth stuffed with potato chips, wondering what the fuss was. … Continue reading →

I feel like I’ve been in another dimension for the past couple of weeks as I scramble to put the finishing touches on The Troubles. Now some of you have seen the opening couple of chapters and may be wondering, … Continue reading →

One weekend a lifetime ago, dad took us up to a place called Nancy Lake, about ninety minutes north of Anchorage, Alaska. We had a fourteen-foot camper, some fishing gear, and little else. Back then, as kids, we didn’t need … Continue reading →