Nick Maxwell Our new look March/April special issue on Brian Boru is out now. The current mania for commemorations is focusing on events a century ago, but don’t forget what happening a millennium ago: the battle of Clontarf in 1014. There is an impressive national programme of events, the National Museum are weighing in with a new … Read more
March 4/1864 Daniel Mannix, archbishop of Melbourne (1917–63) and staunch Irish nationalist, born in Charleville, Co. Cork. 5/1974 Merlyn Rees appointed secretary of state for Northern Ireland, where all but one of the Westminster seats in the general election the previous month had gone to anti-Sunningdale unionists. 6/1924 The ‘Army Mutiny’ began when the Old … Read more
Those who have experienced the beautiful buildings and smell of wood smoke at Ferrycarrig Heritage Park in Wexford will know the sense of immediacy and delight a well-crafted replica building can bring to the past. Having an outdoor building of this quality close to the medieval excavations of the centre of Dublin was one of … Read more
‘Brian Boru was a fine figure of a man and all the women of Ireland were after him . . .’ So says the ‘kindly’ Christian Brother to bemused pupils in one of the few lighter moments in Cathal Black’s otherwise bleak drama documentary Our Boys (originally banned from RTÉ when released in 1981). Given … Read more
March 1 Sat 10am National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Sq. W, lecture theatre. War Artists study day. Speakers: Keith Jeffery, Brendan Rooney, Seán Rainbird, Kathleen Palmer, Sebastian Barry, Brian Maguire, Mick O’Dea, Richard Mosse, Marie Bourke. Enquiries: +353 (0)1 6633504/5/7, education@ngi.ie. 2 Sun 3pm National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks. The Irish soldier on film, … Read more