Nick Maxwell By John Martin Many visitors to Killiney Hill Park stop at the viewing point just below the obelisk to enjoy the superb panorama over Killiney Bay and the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. Most of them would be surprised to learn that the wooded hillside sloping down to the Vico Road was the site in 1840–1 of a … Read more
By Damian Murphy The Curvilinear Range, considered the finest glasshouse in Ireland, was constructed by the notable Dublin ironmaster Richard Turner (c. 1798–1881) and the Hammersmith Iron Works. But while Turner was a constant presence on the project, several architects and builders had a hand in its creation. The origins of the glasshouse date back … Read more
By Ruairí Nolan The first and still one of the most comprehensive of the biographies of Lord Edward Fitzgerald is that by Thomas Moore from 1831. It utilises a plethora of correspondence to fill in the contextual gaps of his narrative, giving us a great insight into the life of a man constantly at odds … Read more
By Fiona Fitzsimons Between 1536 and 1870 the Church of Ireland was the established State church. It provided sacraments and religious services for the faithful, and local government in the parish. It levied tithes for the support of its clergy, and parish cess to fund the church’s ecclesiastical and secular functions. The cess was collected … Read more
By Dermot McGuinne By the year 1641 William Bedell, bishop of Kilmore, had completed a translation of the Old Testament into Irish. His intention was to have the work printed, but owing to the absence of a suitable Irish-character typeface he sought to have a new type prepared. Consequently, at his own expense, he sent … Read more