Nick Maxwell It is sometimes asserted that the 40 boroughs were established as part of the Ulster Plantation, but in fact only 45% (eighteen) were in Ulster, while 22% (nine) were in Munster, 18% (seven) in Leinster and 15% (six) in Connacht. The best-represented counties were Down and Cork, with four each; Donegal and Tyrone with three … Read more
Since the Norman invasion, a chain of self-governing municipal boroughs had been established in Ireland, chiefly in the more heavily settled provinces of Munster and Leinster. A municipal borough or borough corporation was a self-governing town and the granting of this privilege was known as incorporation, which involved receiving a charter or written constitution (generally … Read more
Several hundred uncatalogued claims made by householders and business-owners between May and August 1916 have recently been discovered in the National Archives. Typically, each claim is organised into a pro-forma and a schedule of losses, followed by correspondence between insurers, solicitors and other parties. In some instances architectural drawings or contractors’ receipts are included. For … Read more
On 25 November 1913, at the Rotunda Rink in Dublin, the Irish Volunteers were formed, with 3,000 men enrolling that evening. For the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) there is no such simple foundation story. Ronald McNeill, a Unionist MP who appeared on many platforms with Sir Edward Carson and was the first historian of the … Read more
What can now be identified as the first formed UVF regiment owed its inspiration to neither the Orange Order nor the Unionist Clubs. The Enniskillen Horse came into existence as a result of Sir Edward Carson’s visit to the town to launch the Ulster Covenant campaign on Wednesday 18 September 1912. The Enniskillen Horse was … Read more