Nick Maxwell The battle of the Boyne was a curious affair. It has generated more potent myths than any other armed encounter in Ireland and has been ridiculously overplayed for partisan purposes. But, in truth, it was no great feat for 36,000 well-trained troops with up to forty field pieces to oust 25,000 who had only six … Read more
Archaeological sites and artefacts represent the only available sources for the pre-Celtic tradition of Ireland, and interpretation of these is a complex and generally risky task. It is generally held that the origins of the Celtic culture in the country lie in or about the fifth century BC, and the nature and import of our … Read more
In 1924, the Caledonian Society of Calcutta honoured one of the most prominent local servants of the British Raj, Charles Augustus Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta. Tegart, later acclaimed as the most famous policeman of British India, was already a hero to the local Anglo-Indian community and a hated villain to Bengali revolutionary … Read more
The Catholic Church through the Ages Religion in its spiritual, sectarian and devotional aspects has been of huge importance in Ireland’s history. In recent centuries the Catholic church has been one of the most dynamic and yet also one of the most conservative institutions in the country, wielding immense influence over not only its own … Read more
Sir,—PatrickMaume highlights an interesting account of the 1886 visit to Ireland byWilliam Morris (‘letters’, HI Summer 2000) in response to my article inthe previous issue (HI Spring 2000). I suspect he is right to be ratherdubious of Stephen Gwynn’s reminiscence which was written fully fortyyears after the episode he so vividly recounts. Gwynn, who seemsto … Read more