Nick Maxwell 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
Regular, organised, mass pilgrimages to the grave of Theobald Wolfe Tone at Bodenstown, Co. Kildare, began in 1873. There was a gap in the 1880s and, after resumption in 1891, absences only from 1906 to 1910 and in 1921. They soon followed a pattern that has changed very little over the years. ‘Pilgrims’—the word ‘pilgrimage’ … Read more
Another recreational aspect was music. The Wolfe Tone Band that travelled out from Dublin in 1873 was accompanied to Bodenstown in the following year by three other Dublin bands. In 1876 the Islandbridge Fife and Drum Band and the James’ Street Brass Band were present. In 1880 it was reported that, to terminate the proceedings, … Read more
The purpose here is to draw out the essential importance of time and place in the popularity of the Bodenstown pilgrimages. The time of year was June, the day of the week Sunday. The days stretch out in June; the longest day of all is the 20th or the 21st. Sunday was the only day … Read more