Posts
Two Views of Migration Wednesday, 14 March 2018 Two poems By Martha Ashwell As part of the Manchester Irish Festival 2017, I wrote this original work for our event, 'Echoes of Ireland'. Voices from our past echo down to us through the years, inspiring us to create...
The Death of Helena Blunden
Wednesday, 8 March 2017 The Death of Helena Blunden: Short Story By Martha Ashwell In my previous post for this blog, I wrote about the life of Helena Blunden. Helena was a Belfast mill girl (Millie) who was a talented singer but who sadly met an untimely death at a...
The Story of Helena Blunden
Manchester Irish Writers Friday, 3 February 2017 Working in the Linen Mills of Belfast: the life of Helena Blunden By Martha Ashwell The Old Gilford Linen Mill: P Flannagan/[CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons In the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, linen was the...
Tom’s Story
Irish Soldier of the Somme By Martha Ashwell My childhood school friend was Claire Dignan (a derivative of Duignan), third generation Irish and living in Manchester. This is the story of her father’s experience as a British soldier fighting in the First World War....
‘Both Sides of the Divide’ poem to commemorate 1916 Irish Rising
Both Sides of the Divide: Poem A great deal is written about the qualities and virtues of brave men and women who fight in wars but one side does not have a monopoly on such qualities. Both sides share the same talents and weaknesses. Both sides contain good and bad...
Message for Martha
Warm congratulations on a very beautiful memoir. I read it over the Easter holidays and I found it compulsive reading. 'Celia's Secret' is a very poignant story, told with great sensitivity. It reveals your own admirable strength of character and a spirituality...
Book Launch Success!
Thank you to all who attended the Book Launch on Thursday. Lots of copies were signed and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Thursday's Book Launch was a great success. Thanks to David and all my family for their love and support. Special thanks to Manchester Irish...
Moor Mag (The Magazine for the Four Heatons)
October/November 2015 Issue 35 Heaton Moor writer publishes a Manchester Memoir ‘Celia’s Secret: A Journey towards Reconciliation’ is the work of Heaton Moor writer Martha Ashwell. As she grew up, the second of four children in Withington,...
Book Launch
‘CELIA’S SECRET: A JOURNEY TOWARDS RECONCILIATION’ A Manchester Memoir by Martha Ashwell 7.30 pm Thursday, 1st October 2015 The Marion Room, St Kentigern’s Irish Social Club 36 Wilbraham Rd, Manchester M14 7DW Wine & Refreshments served
The book is out!
In my memoir, ‘Celia’s Secret’, my primary search at the beginning of my story is for truth. What is truth? Why do we seek it so passionately? Does anyone have the right to hold the truth exclusively or is there a duty to pass it on to others who are affected by...