Book looks back at a different Ireland
WICKLOW journalist Valerie Cox has released a new book featuring the stories of 26 babies born between 1921 and 1929, around the time when the Irish Free State was born.
Valerie interviewed each person featured in the book so that their fascinating stories can be brought to the public.
‘Growing up with Ireland’ includes recollections of everything from the big snow of 1932, to Eamon de Valera speaking to crowds in a rural town square, to living by gaslight and trips to the seaside on the crossbar of daddy’s bike to pick cockles for mammy. The stories reflect both a simpler time and a tougher one, where childhood was short and the world of work beckoned from an early age.
In a long career as a reporter working in newspapers, radio and television, Valerie has interviewed people from every county in Ireland. Over eleven years working on the Today programme on RTÉ Radio she travelled around the country covering stories as diverse as the closure of schools, Garda stations and post offices.
She was out with the rescue services in floods and snow and covered the events that make rural Ireland special, including the ploughing.
Valerie is the author of three previous books, Searching, which tells the story of Ireland’s missing people, The Family Courts, and A Ploughing People. ‘Growing up with Ireland’ is published by Hachette Ireland in Trade Paperback.
THE exhibition ‘Solar Bodies Lunar Souls’ by Michelle Fullam will take place at Signal Arts Centre in Bray from Tuesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 10.
Bray resident Michelle works primarily in ceramics but also uses print and other mediums. Her work is mainly figurative, using hand building techniques and mostly earthenware clays. Many of the pieces are RAKU fired. The themes in Michelle’s work are an eclectic mix of mythology, history, nature and a bit of magic.
This exhibition is based on the turning points in the seasons that were times of celebration or ritual in ancient Ireland.
Solar bodies refers to the concept of the show, a time when the suns progress through the year was of great significance to the people, but also to the physical material.
Lunar souls refer to the journey of spirituality and creativity. The myths and stories created to explain people’s relationship and dependence on the elemental and monumental forces of nature.
An opening reception will take place on Friday, November 1, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.