Nick Maxwell R.F. Foster (Oxford University Press, 344.40) ISBN 0198184654 W.B. Yeats: vain, glorious, lout: a maker of modern Ireland Anthony J. Jordan (Westport Books, 313) ISBN 0952444720 ‘The work is done,’ grown old he thought, ‘According to my boyish plan; Let the fools rage, I swerved in naught, Something to perfection brought’; But louder … Read more
George Orwell once remarked that the best book to read while ill in bed is a dictionary. He would surely have approved, then, of the publication by Gill and Macmillan of the second edition of A New Dictionary of Irish History from 1800 (pp520, €29.99 pb, ISBN 0717125203). First published over twenty years ago, the … Read more
National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin, until 29 May 2004. by Tony Canavan Today, when many exhibitions present a multimedia, interactive experience, this one stands out for its simplicity. It is a straightforward display on two floors of the National Photographic Archive of the black-and-white photographs of Dr J.J. Clarke from … Read more
BBC Northern Ireland King Billy (Olivia Nash), 28 January The Plantation (Jimmy McAleavy), 4 February St Patrick (Ian Kirk-Smith), 11 February by Eamon O’Flaherty ‘You thought you knew . . .’ is an engaging title for a short series of history programmes on BBC that went directly to the heart of some of the … Read more
FIELD, William (1843–1935), nationalist politician and businessman, was born in Blackrock, Co. Dublin, son of John Field, victualler, and Grace Field (née Byrne). He became politically active in the Amnesty Association that campaigned for the release of Fenian prisoners after the 1867 rising, and he is believed to have maintained contact with the IRB until … Read more