Mention of last week’s General Humbert commemorations in Kilcummin (Diary, August 25th) struck a chord with my old friend Victor Lacken, now long exiled in Amsterdam. As he reminds me, Kilcummin shares a Mayo peninsula with the parish of Lacken, the name ... See more
Once a common sight across the city, the famous white horses of Dublin seem to have become extinct in our time. It may be partly the loss of their favoured habitat – the fanlights of Georgian-style doors. More likely, it was changing fashions or politics ... See more
If you’re in Dublin this Thursday and anywhere near the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI), you’ll have a rare chance to see Ireland’s favourite painting. You may also, however, find yourself in a long queue to do so. The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by Wi... See more
Back in Mayo at the weekend, I had the unusual experience of spending a night camped alongside Kilcummin Pier, only metres from the “Humbert Stone”, where the French general first stepped on to Irish soil in August 1798. It was a blissfully quiet place to... See more
The film star Rudolph Valentino, who died 100 years ago this Sunday, was famously adored by millions of women worldwide. But he was not lucky in love or longevity. Being a specimen of male beauty aside, he had something else in common with another man who... See more
