Nick Maxwell The collection is divided into seven main sections, three covering the Irish revolution, 1916–23, and a further four covering the modern Troubles, 1969–77. For students of the Irish revolution of 1913–23, the ‘surveys of the state of Ireland’—presented to the cabinet by, amongst others, the chief secretary of Ireland, the secretary of state for war, … Read more
Between 26 and 29 April 1922 the murder of thirteen Protestant civilians in and around Dunmanway, West Cork, raised fears among the Southern unionist community that the situation was descending into a conflict aimed at driving them out. Both sides of the treaty debates condemned the killings, and immediate steps were taken by the local … Read more
Sir, —I read Tim Pat Coogan’s review of Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter (HI 16.3, May/June 2008) as an inevitable response to a state-sponsored coup in seeking to peddle a particular version of history. When one party is in government so long, it is natural that it elicits actions, which aim to please, from a … Read more
Sir, —Michael Doorley’s interesting article on the Friends of IrishFreedom (HI 16.2, March/April 2008) refers in passing to the supportersof John Devoy and Judge Daniel Cohalan referring to de Valera as ‘aforeign potentate’ but seems to regard this choice of words as a merecuriosity. In fact, they were making a specific reference to the UnitedStates … Read more
In eighteenth-century Ireland wealth and success were embodied in the carriage, and, unlike present-day totems of conspicuous consumption, these could be unique to the owner in style and pageantry. Like today’s private jets and helicopters, in the eighteenth century carriages were associated with successful traders and commercial figures. In Dublin in particular, corporation occasions offered … Read more