Nick Maxwell ANU Productions National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, 2 Feb.–30 April In early 1915, D Company of the 7th Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers was stationed and trained in the massive Royal Barracks (now Collins Barracks) in Dublin. D Company was quite distinctive: it was a ‘pals’ unit, in which a cohort of friends, … Read more
by Thomas Kilroy, directed by Patrick Mason RTÉ Radio 1’s Drama on One 1 March 2015 Thomas Kilroy is regarded as one of Ireland’s most important living writers and, along with Brian Friel, one of the key modernisers of Irish theatre. A contemporary of Frank McGuinness, Tom Murphy and Seamus Deane, Kilroy is world-renowned as … Read more
William Coman was born in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, in 1900. He lied about his age and enlisted in the British Army during the First World War. He was wounded during the Palestine campaign and also served in Mesopotamia before being sent to India. In June 1920 Coman, along with a number of others, took part … Read more
During the First World War, German U-boats prowled the Irish Sea sinking merchant vessels. The torpedoing of the transatlantic liner Lusitania in May 1915 off Cork not only killed 1,198 people but also provided invaluable propaganda for the British cause. The Lusitania was the pride of the Cunard Line and was launched in 1907. It … Read more
The ambiguous relationship between Britain and Ireland was exacerbated during the Second World War. The Irish Free State (referred to as ‘Eire’ [sic] by the British from 1937) was part of the British Commonwealth but more than any other member of that body she remained tied to Britain. Almost all external trade was with Britain; … Read more