Born in Dublin in 1837, Brenan lived through The Great Hunger and began training at The Royal Dublin Society school of design while still in adolescence. At the age of fourteen, he departed Ireland for England. There he continued his training as both artist and instructor, first in London and later in Birmingham.
Nicol studied under several well known masters of the day back in Scotland. He then moved to Ireland, teaching in Dublin during the heart of the famine from 1845-1850. Widely recognised for his talents in depicting country scenes and the downtrodden, much of his work focused on famine era Ireland. Pulling from his own experiences there, he...
“Well how do you do, Private William McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?”
During that forty year road trip, surely he had time to visit "fair England, to steal King Henry's wonton brown". And after all, could there be more than one blind harper?
When you honor in song and in story
The names of the patriot men,
Whose valor has covered with glory
Full many a mountain and glen,
24 Dec 1918: Willie Clancy, famed Uilleann piper and master of both the tin whistle and Irish flute was born at Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare. Willie would leave his mark on the traditional music scene and is celebrated especially at Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy (The Willie Clancy Summer School) and Willie Clancy Week each July.
Finally, on 17 December 1707 Jack and two accomplices were hung at Tyburn after being apprehended in the act of robbing a home near Stepney.
He received critical acclaim for plays "The Quare Fellow" (1954) and "The Hostage" (1958) as well as his autobiographical novel "Borstal Boy" (1958) - despite it being banned in Ireland.
The album featured two tracks which have seen their share of controversy, warranted or not. "Fairytale of New York", a powerful and enduring duet with Kirsty MacColl was released as a single in November 1987. Considered MacGowan's masterpiece by some, the writer himself had no major objections to the "cleaner" covers released in recent years.
