Nick Maxwell By Joseph E.A. Connell On 3 July 1924, Minister for Education Eoin MacNeill announced that the teaching of Irish was to be made compulsory in all schools. A key figure of the Gaelic revival, MacNeill was a co-founder of the Gaelic League (Conradh na Gaeilge) in 1893. He has been described as ‘the father of … Read more
By Joanne Rothwell These days there are lots of articles about the benefits of ‘wild swimming’, but the healthful benefits of sea bathing and sea air have long been proclaimed. County Waterford as a coastal county had a number of sea-bathing locations. Tramore is one of the best known and was developed first by private … Read more
By Anna Rose Garvey The role of an archivist can be varied and multidisciplinary. At times, a collection may provide new insights into old problems, if an archivist is ready to make the connection. In 2023 a member of the IFI Irish Film Archive team made a unique discovery: excerpts from an MGM film believed … Read more
By Fiona Fitzsimons The courts of petty sessions were the lowest courts in the land. They developed independently of manor courts, which they eventually replaced. Petty sessions evolved from the exercise of summary jurisdiction by justices outside the quarter sessions. They heard criminal and civil matters, gave summary verdicts on lesser cases and referred more … Read more
By Damian Murphy The Mallow-born John ‘Johnny’ Roche (c. 1804–84) is remembered as a ‘character of Cork’ not only for his devil-may-care attitude to life but also on the strength of the eccentric architectural legacy that he left in his wake. The young Roche displayed an aptitude for carpentry, ironmongery and stonemasonry on the family … Read more