Nick Maxwell IRA executions of alleged civilian spies during the War of Independence. By Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc The ‘intelligence war’ was undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the Irish War of Independence and remains one of the most controversial today. For the British, the best way to defeat the insurgency was to acquire accurate … Read more
William Hickie and the 16th (Irish) Division By Lar Joye In 1917 two Irish divisions fought side by side, in victory and then in defeat. In June 1917, the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) Divisions benefited from careful preparation and good luck to eject well-entrenched German forces from the important Messines Ridge. The preliminary artillery … Read more
The first military intervention of the United States in World War I. By Daire Brunicardi On 4 May 1917 a flotilla of unusual vessels appeared off the Daunt lightship at the approaches to Cork Harbour. These were destroyers of the United States Navy; with their low profile and four stubby funnels, they were quite different … Read more
A startling discovery about Ernest Blythe (1889–1975), a central figure in the Irish revolution and early Free State, who re-emerged as managing director of the Abbey Theatre (1941–67) after his premature departure from parliamentary politics in 1936. By David Fitzpatrick Ernest Blythe was brought up near Lisburn, but only developed an active interest in the … Read more
After almost a century, readers of Ulysses are still learning about how and why James Joyce created one of the most complex and provocative Jewish characters in literature. By Vincent Altman O’Connor While Leopold Bloom is the most renowned Irish Jew of all time, it is generally accepted that the character was modelled on Joyce’s … Read more