Nick Maxwell Sir,—John Donoghue’s article (‘The curse of Cromwell: revisiting the Irish slavery debate’, HI 25.4, July/August 2017) includes misquoted and misleadingly contextualised source material relating to William Petty, architect of the Down Survey. The block quotation on pp 26–7 splices material excerpted from works printed 30 years apart, incorrectly implying that the quotation occurred as a … Read more
In the September/October 2017 edition of History Ireland I published a letter from Mr Mike McCormack of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in America headed ‘The Irish and slavery’. Mr McCormack’s letter took issue with an earlier article by John Donoghue but also made personal reference to Mr Liam Hogan, who co-authored an article published … Read more
BY TONY CANAVAN Confusing fact with fantasy? The Ulster Museum in Belfast would appear to have confused fact with fantasy—and we are not talking creationism here. The museum has put on display a 77m-long tapestry depicting scenes from the hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones. The tapestry, which took three months to create and is … Read more
A look at Irish historical figures associated with Sir Frederic William Burton RHA (1816–1900), featured in the current exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI). By Marie Bourke George Petrie (1790–1866), archaeologist and topographical painter, was Sir Frederic William Burton’s most significant mentor. He recognised Burton’s talent and encouraged his art historical and antiquarian … Read more
1670 John Toland, deist and writer on political philosophy and philosophy of religion whose best-known work, Christianity not mysterious (1696), was considered atheistic and subversive by the Irish parliament and ordered to be burnt by the hangman, born in Inishowen, Co. Donegal. 1967 Patrick Kavanagh (63), poet, died. 1667 Jonathan Swift, poet and satirist, born at 7 … Read more