Nick Maxwell The remaining regiments of the old Irish Brigade of France were disbanded after the French Revolution in 1789, lost their distinctive red uniforms and were absorbed into the regular French army, although for many years after they were still regarded as ‘Irish regiments’. Although none of them accompanied the Bantry Bay expedition, a number of … Read more
The French fleet had slipped past the principal Royal Navy squadron blockading Brest, but their departure had not been unobserved. Earlier in December, Captain Sir Edward Pellow’s frigate squadron and local spies had seen increased activity at Brest and anchored at Falmouth to notify the Admiralty that the French were about to take to the … Read more
By Lar Joye The National Museum of Ireland has a large collection of 80 horse-drawn vehicles, looked after by the Irish Folklife Department in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, consisting of side-cars, drays, street cabs, hearses, jaunting cars, barrel-top caravans, fire engines and commercial vehicles. In Dublin the Art and Industrial Division has a collection of twenty … Read more
RECOVERING THE ‘HIDDEN HISTORY’ OF AN ÉMIGRÉ COMMUNITY By Michael Brabazon Petit, Casinan, Visard, Douepurty, Petin, Arry, Tallon—the French names stood out in sharp relief against the familiar Nolans, O’Connors, Mellets and Gallaghers. The more I looked, the more I found: Royan, Callary, Pordon, Byenn, Caffel, Mossily. I was looking for my great-great-great-grandmother, Leuce Teat, … Read more
THE IRISH CONTEXT OF A SCOTTISH DISASTER By Simon Egan On 9 September 1513 the Scots suffered one of their most catastrophic military defeats. At Flodden field an army of 30,000 men under the command of James IV of Scotland was decimated by a smaller English force led by Thomas Howard (d. 1554), earl of … Read more