Nick Maxwell The contemporary Annals of Ulster, recording the Battle of Tara in 980, state that ‘The battle of Temair was won by Máel Sechnaill son of Domnall against the foreigners of Áth Cliath and the Isles, and very great slaughter was inflicted on the foreigners therein, and foreign power ejected from Ireland as a result’, implying … Read more
Sir,—With regard to Brendan Ó Cathaoir’s letter about Britain’s offer of unification in 1940 (HI 21.6, Nov./Dec. 2013), he seems to suggest that de Valera’s decision to reject it was because he thought Germany was going to win the war and Britain could not be trusted to keep any agreement made. In fact he gave … Read more
Sir,—James Larkin has deservedly received a lot of attention in 2013 and your special issue on the Lockout (HI 21.4, July/August 2013) was a welcome addition. Having recently bought a second-hand copy of Emmet Larkin’s eponymous 1965 biography of Larkin, I found a letter inserted. The volume I had purchased was a review copy submitted … Read more
Sir,—Brian Murphy of UCD (HI 22.1, Jan./Feb. 2014) has provided a welcome recall of the January 1969 occasion when Joe Clarke heckled President de Valera at the state’s 50th anniversary commemoration of the First Dáil, demanding the release of the imprisoned housing activist Dennis Dennehy, then on hunger strike in Mountjoy Jail. He, however, underestimates … Read more
Brian Boru is the most famous Irishman before the modern era. From fairly modest beginnings he rose to be king of Ireland, dying a fabled death at the Battle of Clontarf on 23 April 1014. He was born about 941, one of the twelve sons of Cennétig (d. 951), king of Dál Cais. A hitherto … Read more