A Stór mo Chroí, sung by Ollie Conway

Ollie Conway (1922-2009) was a noted set dancer, singer and storyteller from Mullagh, County Clare, where he ran Conway’s pub. The pub was a well known spot for musicians and dancers for many years, and was famous for its sessions during the Willie Clancy Week.

"A Stór Mo Chroí is Irish and means approximately 'Treasure of my heart' and was written by Brian O'Higgins, an Irish patriot who took part in the 1916 Rising and was an active Republican for the rest of his life. He wrote a large number of patriotic songs and poems, many under the pen name of Brian na Banban." This 1973 recording by Ollie Conway is taken from ‘Around the Hills of Clare: Songs and Recitations from the Jim Carroll and Pat Mackenzie Collection’ (2004) Musical Traditions Records MTCD331-2/Góilín Records 005-6. Posted on Youtube on the 10th of January 2013 by kris berwouts.

Matty Talty, 91, Playing the Concertina

"Matty Talty, 91, first learned to play the concertina by ear as a child, growing up in a farmhouse in County Clare, Ireland. After 60 years of not playing he resumed in his mid-80s and still plays the Monday night sessions of traditional Irish music at the Landmark Tavern in Hell's Kitchen, New YOrk City. Here he plays a bit at home in the Bronx, and talks about being a wee lad in County Clare learning to play the concertina. 'We had no flat TVs, we had no radio. We had nothing, only people coming in to play...'". The New York Times story... Posted on Youtube on the 25th of October 2014 by Corey Kilgannon.

Ireland: A Nation's Memory (1973)

"This is the first documentary of a series for the French 3rd National Channel, which follows the history of a country according to the local music, produced by Claude Fleouter and Roviros Manthoulis in 1973." It features Patrick McCarthy, a farmer in North Clare; Doolin, County Clare, with Willie Clancy and Packie Russell; Seán O Riada; Tony MacMahon; Planxty; hedge schoolmasters, emigration and the Cliffs of Moher. Posted on Youtube on the 9th of March 2012 by arzearvar.

Lough Gar, County Clare, from the air

"This is a video of Lough Gar near the village of Broadford in County Clare. It was filmed in August 2014 using a DJI Phantom V2 quadcopter. The nearby lake is called Doon Lough and the mountains in the background are the Slieve Bearnaghs..." Posted on the 25th of October 2014 by Skymount Aerial.

Miltown Malbay from the air

"Miltown Malbay and its environs seen from the air in this stunning aerial video filmed by Neil Hynes." Posted on Youtube on the 27th of October 2014 by HyneSight TV.

Doonagore Castle, Doolin

"Doonagore Castle, Doolin, County Clare. The music is by Christy Barry, a legendary musician living in Doolin. I shot the video in October 2014 and the picture in the Fall of 2013." Posted on Youtube on the 4th of November 2014 by Craig Considine.

Armistice Day, November 11

Armistice Day will be celebrated next Tuesday, November 11. The photo above shows Private Patrick Halloran leaving Ennistymon for the Front in 1914 where he was killed the following year. The story of the Hallorans and Connoles of Ennistymon can be read at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/soldiers/connoles_hallorans_ennistymon.htm.

There are other records relating to Clare men and women who fought and died in the World War I on the Clare library website including a list of Kilrush men at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/krmen_ww1/krmen_ww1.htm and soldiers from North Clare at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/soldiers/north_clare_soldiers.htm, Claremen and women who served in the Australian Imperial Forces at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/mil_rec/claremen_australian_forces_ww1.htm, Claremen who served in the Canadian Forces at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/mil_rec/claremen_canadian_forces_ww1.htm and Clarewomen who served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/mil_rec/clarewomen_waac_ww1.htm.

There is also a list of British Army WWI Pension Records for Claremen in service at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/mil_rec/british_army_ww1_claremens_pension_records.htm and the Commonwealth War Grave Commission Burials in County Clare Graveyards at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/mil_rec/commonwealth_war_burials.htm gives the burial places in Clare of soldiers who died in both World Wars.

All 49,000 Irish soldiers who died during the First World War or as a result of wounds sustained during battle can be searched in Ireland’s Memorial Records in Flanders Fields Museum at http://imr.inflandersfields.be/ and, for soldiers buried abroad, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records details of Commonwealth war dead so that graves or names on memorials can be located at http://www.cwgc.org/. Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/uk/world-war-1) provides access to millions of WWI records and South Dublin Libraries have recently launched a site – Our Heroes (http://ourheroes.southdublinlibraries.ie/) - which makes available photographs and short biographies of Irish officers and men in the British Army who were either killed in action or were mentioned in dispatches for acts of bravery during the war.

New Irish Times book club launched

The Irish Times has launched a new book club. A book will be chosen each month and over the course of the month a stream of material that will enrich the reading experience will be published. This will include a review of the book, along with the reviewer’s suggestions for themes to explore and questions to reflect on; an article by the author, explaining the inspiration for their book and addressing its themes; a quiz, testing your knowledge of the author or the theme of the work; an author interview; and archive material, such as reviews of previous works. These articles will all be open to comments from readers, to encourage discussion around the book. The book club will climax with a podcast, in which the author will discuss his book with three readers, followed by an online discussion forum, in which every book club member will have the opportunity to pose their own question.

John Boyne's new book A History of Loneliness has been chosen as the book club’s book for November. It tells the story of abuse in the Catholic Church seen through the eyes of a good priest. An article by John Boyne himself will be published in The Irish Times this week , in which he opens up about his own experience of abuse at the hands of priests. They will also publish a reflection by a priest on the theme of loneliness in the priesthood. On a lighter note, the weekly book quiz will be devoted for one week to the works of John Boyne and for another to the theme of priests in literature.

To join the bookclub see http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-book-club

Crochet workshop at Kilrush Library

Twelve people took part in a crochet workshop with Mary Flanagan on Tuesday 4th November 2014 in Kilrush Public Library. Mary gave instruction on various stitches from beginners to advanced and a most enjoyable evening was had by all.

Children’s Book Festival 2014 in Scariff Library

Children’s Book Festival 2014 was a great success in Scariff Public Library with hundreds of children participating in a jam-packed programme designed to encourage children to enjoy the experience and the magic of reading. Storytellers Niall de Burca and Pat Ryan held audiences spellbound with shows full of energy, wit and humour. Two award winning children’s authors, Nicola Pierce and Paula Leyden, attended the festival this year and brought with them stories from Zambia and Stalingrad. Both spoke enthusiastically about their lives as writers and have no doubt inspired a new generation of storytellers and writers. With a mixture of pictures, sounds and videos, David Lyons, wildlife ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, brought to life the amazing wildlife to be found in County Clare and two hands-on events, a Halloween Arts and Craft session for younger children and an Introduction to Animation Workshop for older children and teenagers, brought Children’s Book Festival 2014 to a close.