Short Histories

Exploring Remarkable Lives

Welcome to a captivating journey into the lives of extraordinary individuals who left an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of County Armagh. Through five compelling brochures, we invite you to delve into the legacies of these remarkable figures, each contributing uniquely to the cultural and social fabric of their time.

Rev Daniel Gunn Brown

The Rev Daniel Gunn Brown was a man who believed that the consequence of calling yourself a Christian was that you had to make a stand for social justice and the rights of the oppressed. He used what infl uence he had to improve the lot of the poorest members of society, and forged a working partnership with Father Michael Lennon, parish priest of Crossmaglen, and other local churchmen, in an early example of ecumenical co-operation.

William Kirk

William Kirk, entrepreneur, landlord, magistrate, and MP, is remembered chiefl y for his association with linen. Th e picturesque valleys of south Armagh, with their plentiful water supply and moist climate perfect for the growing of fl ax, provided an ideal setting for its production, and when a man of Kirk’s ability took up residence there, prosperity and expansion were a foregone conclusion. He was not a native of the place, only moving here around 1820, but he made it his home until he died, and his name is commemorated on a fi ne monument in

Sarah Makem

Sarah Makem was born, lived, and died, in County Armagh, and spent hardly any time away from it, yet her name today is as revered in the world of folk music as that of Jean Ritchie, Pete Seeger, or Bob Dylan, for what Sarah did was sing, thereby preserving a priceless legacy of songs. She was an ordinary woman with an extraordinary gift, whose legacy might have been lost forever had it not been for the burgeoning interest in folk music in the middle of the last century that brought her into the public eye.

Michael J. Murphy

Three things one should do every year – listen to a storyteller at a fi reside, give a hand in a corn harvest fi eld and climb an Irish mountain.’ Michael J. Murphy ‘Mountain Year’

Redmond O’Hanlon

The family tree of Redmond O’Hanlon cannot now be traced, but it is not unreasonable to assume that he was descended from one of the many brothers or sons of Sir Eochaidh O’Hanlon the last Lord of Orier 3. As such he may have viewed himself as the rightful ruler of Orier and embarked on a life of crime to “seek redress for the wrongs done to his family and clan.” 4. Historical evidence about Redmond O’Hanlon is scant indeed, and largely written by those who were trying to catch him. They had little interest in his motives, which cannot now be determined. However, as Joseph Canning asserts, the link between land settlement and the phenomenon of Toryism in Ireland is generally accepted by historians 5. Oral tradition has preserved the memory of Redmond O’Hanlon as a type of ‘Robin Hood’ figure who only robbed from the rich and who helped the poor. Below are some of the facts that can be gleaned from historical sources.