Nick Maxwell By Richard Pine The orchestra which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary as the National Symphony Orchestra was officially launched in 1948 as the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra (RÉSO) and, from 1966, the RTÉSO. Later still, it was repositioned as ‘the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra’. And thereby hangs a long story. Like many European states … Read more
By Fergus Whelan I recently had the very great pleasure of visiting the annexe of Ballyfermot Library, which contains the 7,000-volume Sé Geraghty collection. It is a wonderful resource, consisting mainly of books, but there are also many pamphlets and periodicals, encompassing the arts, literature, politics and history. There is a particular emphasis on old … Read more
It is 46 years since the publication of Prejudice and tolerance in Ireland: based on a survey of intergroup attitudes of Dublin adults and other sources by Fr Mícheál Mac Gréil SJ, who passed away recently. This was followed up in 1996 by Prejudice in Ireland revisited, based on a national survey of attitudes and … Read more
Reflections on the Decade of Centenaries What is the relationship between commemoration and historical scholarship? How has this worked out in practice in the Decade of Centenaries? What were the opportunities taken? What were missed? Join History Ireland editor Tommy Graham in discussion with John Gibney, Brian Hanley, Heather Jones and Fearghal McGarry. The Hedge School series of podcasts is produced by History Ireland and the Wordwell … Read more
1923 An anti-Treaty IRA campaign against political opponents, which included the destruction of the homes of senators, began with the burning down of the homes of the Earl of Mayo and Sir Horace Plunkett.