Steven's Notebook

Easter Rising, Enniscorthy 1916: writing about a revolution (Irish Times, 26 Mar 2016): Three writers remember three women – George O’Brien his grandaunt Greta Comerford, Roddy Doyle his grandaunt Una Brennan and Colm Tóibín his neighbour Marion Stokes Una Brennan, about whom Roddy Doyle writes in this article, was my great-grandmother. My mom was named […]

I have met them at close of day Coming with vivid facesFrom counter or desk among grey Eighteenth-century houses.I have passed with a nod of the headOr polite meaningless words, Or have lingered awhile and said Polite meaningless words, And thought before I had done Of a mocking tale or a gibe To please a […]

A translation, courtesy of Jo Kaybryn, of short document about Robert Brennan found at the Université de Genève. Brennan was born in Wexford. He was a journalist. During the Easter Rising of 1916, he held Wexford with 600 men, as commander of the Irish Volunteers. Sentenced to death, Brennan saw his sentence commuted to life […]

Backup information on Maeve Brennan, daughter of Robert Brennan. Text from Princess Grace Irish Library, copied here for family archival purposes only. Feb 2003 Life 1917-1993 [pseud. ‘The Long-Winded Lady’]; b. 6 Jan. & ed. [Dublin,] Ireland; dg. of Robert Brennan, a participant in the Easter Rising and later Propaganda chief of the IRA [Sinn […]

Backup information on Robert Brennan, copied without permission for archival purposes only, from Virtual Ireland. IRELAND STANDING FIRM & EAMON DE VALERA, A Memoir by Robert Brennan (1881-1964) Two memoirs written in the late 1950s by Robert Brennan, a republican activist in the early years of the twentieth century, journalist and close associate of Eamon […]

Backup information on Robert Brennan, copied without permission for archival purposes only, from Emigrant Online Ireland Standing Firm & Eamon De Valera: A Memoir By Robert Brennan These two works are taken from articles published in the late 1950s in the Irish Press and give a fascinating insight into 20th century politics in Ireland from […]

Backup information on Robert Brennan, copied without permission for archival purposes only, from the Université de Genève This appears to be a short biography of someone with the same name, also from Wexford. If you can translate this, please let me know. (see also this rough translation, until someone comes along) Robert Brennan (1881-1964) Brennan […]

Backup information on Robert Brennan, from Robert Brennan and Maeve Brennan Papers in Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library, March 2002, copied here for archival purposes only. Biographical Note Robert Brennan was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1881. Brennan was trained as a surveyor and was employed in the early part of his […]

Backup information on Robert Brennan, from the Enniscorthy Echo, January 2000. Copied here with permission of the author, re-typed from a photocopy. Errors are likely my typos. -Steven Admiration of Dev in Brennan’s words Dan Walsh, In Our Time Normally at this time of year there is the quiet post-Christmas famine in the publishing business. […]

Roddy Doyle will be launching Robert Brennan‘s book in Wexford on 22nd March. Ireland Standing Firm and Eamonn de Valera, a memoir by Robert Brennan. Editor Richard Rupp. Published by UCD (University College Dublin Press) Dublin. It is available for order via Amazon.co.uk. Synopsis (from the amazon.co.uk site) “Two memoirs written in the late 1950s […]