THE SOCIAL NETWORK: Dr Michael Burrows, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, travelled to Dublin from Kilkenny for the launch of Kilkenny Families of the Great War at the Stephen's Green Hibernian Club on Thursday evening. He's not long back from a trip to Austria. "I enjoyed walking in the mountains; it was all very Sound of Music," he told me.
The book was written by Niall Brannigan and John Kirwan and identifies nearly 3,000 people from Kilkenny who served in the first World War. Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan said, “We’re only used to battles on the hurling field in Kilkenny. We don’t regard it as a war, except when we’re playing Tipperary.”
The O’Morchoe – Rtd Maj Gen David Nial Creagh – who is president of the British Legion in Ireland, enjoyed the launch. He showed Queen Elizabeth around the War Memorial Gardens when she visited last year.
Who we spotted:Guest speaker Kevin Myers; the new defence attache at the American embassy, Lt Col Sean Cosden; the British ambassador, Dr Dominick Chilcott; the Canadian ambassador, Loyola Hearn; the president of the GAA, Liam O'Neill; Col JJ O'Reilly of the eastern command of the Irish Army; the artist David Hayes, who designed the book; Philip Sheppard of Sheppard's auction house in Durrow, who sponsored the launch
