Nick Maxwell EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND, KILDARE STREET By Fiona Reilly Radiant butterflies collected by Roger Casement in present-day Colombia greet visitors on entering a new exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street. Through the use of diverse and skilfully made objects collected and donated by Casement, museum letters and registers and … Read more
1871 The Irish Church Act (1869), whereby the Church of Ireland ceased to exist ‘as an establishment’, came into law. 1892 Ellis Island, the US government’s busiest immigrant inspection station for over 60 years, officially opened. One can only speculate as to how Annie Moore (17) from Cobh, Co. Cork, came to be the first … Read more
The 150th anniversary of the founding of Alexandra College, Dublin’s well-known school for girls, is being celebrated this year, and to mark the occasion the College, along with Lilliput Press, has released Pioneering Alexandrans, detailed biographical entries charting the lives and accomplishments of 77 Alexandrans, edited by Ronan Fanning. Whilst the book naturally pays tribute … Read more
JANUARY 01/1909 Claimants to the state pension under the terms of the Old Age Pensions Act (1908) received their first payments at post offices throughout the country. Charged with awarding pensions to men and women aged 70 or over, the Local Government Board (1872) had to contend with the fact that the statutory registration of … Read more
The extraordinary developments of the year just ended—Trump’s election, Brexit—have given rise to a new sound-bite, the ‘post-truth society’, where there is no responsibility or accountability for statements made (e.g. that the UK can exit the EU and still maintain access to the single market but without free movement of people), where facts count for … Read more