Nick Maxwell A master-class in trolling from an eighteenth-century bishop. By Clare Moriarty George Berkeley is Ireland’s best-known historical philosopher, whose fame rests on being the chief advocate of a pretty peculiar metaphysical position: immaterialism, the view that no mind-independent material objects exist. Historians of mathematics know him as a petulant critic of early calculus. In his … Read more
Exploring medieval Ireland’s economy via papal taxation records. By Chris Chevallier There are multiple obstacles hindering the study of the Irish medieval economy. Regionalism and political divisions spatially limited the effective administrative reach of the colonial government. Shifting alliances, conflict and a frontier in constant flux exacerbated this issue. Concerning existing records, colonial financial … Read more
The interesting article by Brian Hanley on ‘the shadow of Strongbow’ in the last issue (HI 27.3, May/June 2019) made reference to the word ‘usurpation’ as a description of the character of English rule in Ireland. Reflection on the significance of this word provides not only an unexpected connection between Patrick Pearse and John Redmond … Read more
Sir,—Permit me two observations on your excellent last issue on Strongbow and his companions (HI 27.3, May/June 2019). Prof. Seán Duffy’s Platform piece and your deliberately provocative editorial proclaiming the invaders to be English has surely garnered much reaction. But I fail to see how a mixed band of Norman, Welsh, Flemish and, yes, some … Read more
Sir,—The article on Col. James Fitzmaurice and the Bremen (HI 27.2, March/April 2019) is a very interesting one. The Bremen was a Junkers W33 long-wing monoplane and was based on a typical all-metal Junkers construction with an aluminium skin. The engine was able to reach 310 horsepower. The average weight of a Junkers W33 was … Read more