Reading My Way Around the World

Tuesday 29 August 2017

Ireland's Own

Earlier in the year, I spent one Saturday morning going through a pile of Ireland's Own magazines, cutting out items of interest and saving the song sheets from them.




Ireland's Own is a weekly magazine/newspaper which has been printed weekly since 1902.
It's a mixture of short stories, bits of folklore, corny jokes, items of historical interest, stories about entertainers, or poets or artists, usually something about nature and a song sheet in every edition with words of old Irish songs and well known old pop songs.

I've always been a hoarder of "useless information" and Ireland's Own is the mother of useless information, a lot of it Irish based.   Great fun.  

The one I'm looking at right now is from August 2011 and there's an item on one of the great Showband singers, Sean Dunphy; an item about President Obama's visit to Ireland; the story behind the Award 'The Freedom of Dublin'; The Shipping Forecast; the Irish in WW2 (a series throughout the year); If you Feel Like Singing - Sing an Irish Song - featuring the words of Old Skibereen and Bantry Bay among others; the ancient tribes of Ireland; Mrs Frances Alexander who wrote the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful; all of this along with memories, short stories, gardening and a page for pen friends.

I might drop in the odd bit of nonsense from it in the coming months.

Are there any traditional type magazines or newspapers in your area?   I'd love to hear about them.


3 comments:

  1. This sounds a lovely magazine! I'm really not sure about what local magazines there are in our area!x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Fil - that'd be interesting ... there are a few here - but one that I have a few of (probably only 5 or 6) is Evergreen - I realised that the information is available in various places ... but they are very interesting to read - especially for discussing things of interest with the elderly or young for that matter. You have the added advantage of being able to sing or play too - bringing in your music ... or even knitting - count me out there! Cheers Hilary

    PS I See they are available to be shipped world wide ... but that was in 1988 - the version I got out ... so times have changed somewhat ... but the format is good ...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I looove to look over old magazines again and again - and get ideas, even though from 10 years ago, things constantly inspire me! I didn't know this magazine, but I should, since I love Ireland so much - I always learn a lot from you! (Did I tell you that Irish were found in my family tree? You said it once, it explains eyes and hair :) I hope you are fine, dear Fil, and again I got inspiration from you! Thank you sooo much, dear friend! Hugs!
    DenisesPlanet.com

    ReplyDelete

Do drop me a line ... I love to read your comments :)