AUTHORS

Henry Cairns was born in Bray in 1942. A past pupil of Presentation College Bray, he was the proprietor of the Townhall Bookshop in Bray for 40 years. He has a lifelong interest in local history and has published ten volumes and four booklets in collaboration with Owen Gallagher on the history of Bray, and a further two volumes on the War of Independence and one volume on the First World War in the north Wicklow area. His publications include Wicklow in Revolt–A History of County Wicklow from 1913-1923 (Old Bray Society, 2016).

Dr Chris Lawlor is a retired secondary school teacher living in Dunlavin, Co. Wicklow. He is a prolific author of history books, articles and essays and has lectured in Ireland, the UK and Australia. He won the Dunlavin Arts Festival short story award in 2001, the Lord Walter Fitzgerald prize for original historical research in 2003 and the Irish Chiefs’ prize for history in 2013; he was also a prize winner in the 2018 Ireland’s Own open short story competition. He holds an MA from Maynooth and a PhD from DCU.

Rosemary Raughter is an independent scholar, with a particular interest in women’s history. Her publications include Religious women and their history: breaking the silence (2005) and The journal of Elizabeth Bennis, 1749–1779 (2007) as well as articles on female involvement in philanthropy, religion and domestic life in a number of academic collections and journals.

She has published essays on local and family history in vols. I and II of Greystones: its buildings and history, Journal of the West Wicklow Historical Society, Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society Journal, Bulletin of the Methodist Historical Society of Ireland, Journal of the Irish Mountaineering and Exploration Historical Society, Federation of Local Historical Societies Journal, and Offaly Heritage, as well as on www.countywicklowheritage.org. She is currently chairperson of Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society.

John Finlay is a founding member and long-standing charirman of the Wicklow Historical Society. A well-known local historian, he is author of many articles on local history and of Footsteps through Wicklow’s Past (2013), a book that tracks the evolution of his native town from the first settlers to the end of the Civil War.

John Goodman is a long-standing committee member of the Wicklow Historical Society and has published several articles in its annual journal. He researched and appeared in the 2014 RTÉ documentary, ‘My Father’s War’, which documented the experience of broadcaster Gay Byrne’s father in the First World War. He is a regular speaker for the Western Front Association and is chairman of Leinster Regiment Ireland. He is the Co. Wicklow representative for the Council of Irish Genealogy Organisations and has spoken at the UCC Genealogy Summer Schools on researching First World War soldiers. He has also given several talks for Wicklow and Wexford Library Services on the Irish experience of the First World War.

Brian White has written extensively on the history of Bray and Enniskerry. His books include County Wicklow Database 432-2006; The way to Bray: 150 years of the Railway; and The Little Book of Bray & Enniskerry. He has appeared on television and radio interviews for RTÉ, the BBC and French station TV5, and he has contributed articles to Bray Cualann Historical Society, national and local newspapers and the Wicklow Heritage website hosted by Wicklow County Council.

Jim Rees has been researching the town and environs of Arklow for the past forty years. He has published nine books and hundreds of articles for historical journals and general magazines. He has a first-class MA in Local History Studies from NUI Maynooth and is currently working with the Royal Irish Academy on compiling the Irish Historic Towns Atlas.

James Scannell is a retired accounts payable manager, a member of several local history societies and a past winner of the Old Dublin Society medal. He is a regular presenter of talks to local history societies and community organisations and a contributor to local history society publications. He also compiles the weekly 'Event Diary' of local history society meetings, which has been broadcast on local radio stations in the Greater Dublin Area since 1992.

Sheila Clarke moved to Ashford in 1953. She has authored several articles on local history. Her publishing company, Ashford Books, has produced A Pictorial History of Ashford (2000), Ashford–A Journey Through Time (2003), and Ashford Writers in Residence (2006).

Stan J. O'Reilly is a long-standing secretary of Wicklow Historical Society and has published widely on various historical, heritage and folklore topics. He is a playwright and advisor/contributor to the 'Aspects of Wicklow Gaol' publication.

Kevin Lee is founder and chair of the Carnew Historical Society. He lectures widely on the socioeconomic history of nineteenth-century Ireland and has contributed articles to a range of historical, geographical, and genealogical publications. He is author of Light in the Forest: The Story of Coollattin, 16332019, published in 2020.

Brendan Flynn is a retired secondary school teacher who served in An Forsa Cosanta Áitiúil for 38 years. He comes from a family with a long military tradition and has a keen interest in the miltary history of Wicklow. He has lectured and published widely on the theme. He was actively involved in the County Wicklow 1798 Bicentennial Committee, and he worked with the Wicklow County Committee and Woodenbridge Development Association to create the beautiful County Wicklow Great War Memorial in Woodenbridge.

Men of the Royal Irish Constabulary, 1920. Photo: © IWM Q 71728