Nick Maxwell In 1911 the Protestant population in West Cork (defined here as the seven rural districts south of the long-recognised ‘Protestant frontier’ of the Caha Mountains ridge that runs east to Cork Harbour) was 12,228. This dropped to 8,668 in 1926, a decline of 3,560 or 29.11%. If we exclude the 1,045 British military included in … Read more
Of all the shadows cast by history, none stretch further than the enduring fascination associated with the Titanic. In popular culture it has transcended the purpose for which it was built, eclipsed the environment from which it came and relegated to the background the men whose needs brought about its birth. This year we will … Read more
The old bridge at Ennisnag, crossing the King’s River outside Stonyford, is located approximately six miles south of Kilkenny and lies on the original road connecting Kilkenny to Waterford. The bridge was bypassed in 1827 when the ‘new’ Ennisnag Bridge, a three-arch ashlar structure, was built downstream.The downstream face shows a picturesque bridge that appears … Read more
Modern Ireland is becoming an increasingly multi-ethnic society, but what is known about the racial mix of earlier eras? Some answers have been provided by W.A. Hart in a ground-breaking 2002 article based largely on evidence from newspapers. But there are other forms of evidence that might also be considered. One visual source is the … Read more
In c. 1690 a ship owned by the merchant company Ferris, Twigg and Cash and under the direction of a Captain Massey sailed from Dublin for the Levant, full of grain and agricultural provisions. On entering the Mediterranean the ship was taken by Barbary pirates.When the ship did not return, it was assumed that the … Read more