Posted in County Roscommon

County Roscommon: Boyle (King House)

Posted on by fitzjameshorse

27th July 2018. I was surprised to find a museum at King House, largely dedicated to the Connaught Rangers, an Irish regiment of the British Army before independence.

Connaught Ranger outside King House.

Connaught Ranger inside King House. Acknowledging that Irish people fought in British regiments is very difficult for some of us.

The museum does tell the broader story of Anglo-Irish military involvement in the area.

Count George Plunkett, father of executed Easter Rising leader, Joseph Plunkett was elected as MP for North Roscommon, a bye election. He was the first Sinn Féin member of the House of Commons.

Connaught Ranger on campaign.

For republicans, the reputation of the Connaught Rangers is rescued by those who served in British India and staged a mutiny in June 1920. A declaration of support for the Irish Republican Army fighting the British back home in Ireland.

One soldier, Private James Daly was executed for his part in the mutiny.

Posted in County Roscommon

County Roscommon: Boyle

Posted on by fitzjameshorse

27th July 2018. Train from Dublin to Boyle (population 3,000) which is 170 kilometres from Dublin.

Boyle Abbey is a ruined Cistercian Abbey founded by St Malachy in 1218.

Town Square.

Town Hall.

Birthplace of actress Maureen O’Sullivan, actress known for being “Jane” in the Tarzan movies. She is mother of actress Mia Farrow. Her father was an officer in the Connaught Rangers.

Really nice bookshop.

Post Office.

King House.

Moylurg Inn and the Roscommon colours.

The centenary of the 1916 Rising.

The signage at the railway station. I took the train back to Dublin.

Posted in County Armagh

County Armagh: Portadown

Posted on by fitzjameshorse

11th July 2018. Portadown (population 31,000) is only about 5 kilometres from my home. A very short bus journey. Portadown and neighbouring town Lurgan are only 10 kilometres apart.

In the 1960s, there was a controversial plan to create a new city (controversially named Craigavon) which would bring in Portadown, Lurgan, some new communities in between and some villages.

It never really worked out and identities were largely kept.

Church of Ireland.

Some memorials show Portadown as a strongly unionist town.

Support for Soldier F (the name is not publicly known) who was facing murder charges for his part in Bloody Sunday in 1972.

“Simply the Best”, a reference to loyalist paramilitaries.

The River Bann.

Bridge over River Bann.

Loyalist Bonfire which is lit on Eleventh Night.

Orange arch at Garvaghy.

Orange arch at Edenderry.

I am maybe being unfair to depict Portadown as an “orange” town but certainly for a few weeks leading to the Twelfth, it is the dominant feature of the town.