Nick Maxwell In 1925 Sir Charles Barrington offered his County Limerick home, Glenstal Castle, to the Irish Free State as an official residence for any future head of state. The proposal was considered seriously, with W. T. Cosgrave personally conducting what he called ‘an exhaustive survey’ of the castle. Ultimately the existing viceregal lodge at Phoenix Park … Read more
Located in Cork Harbour, to the south of Cobh, Spitbank Lighthouse is set at the end of a long mudbank, marking a 90-degree turn in the shipping channel. Its peculiar form and design make it a striking addition to the maritime heritage, as it differs greatly from the more traditional, stone-built lighthouses that are found … Read more
When we think of revolutionaries in late nineteenth-century Ireland, we think of Fenians rather than the anarchist agitators who were then making their presence felt on the Continent. Irish revolutionary thought focused on republicanism rather than on class politics—at least until the twentieth century. This is understandable, as neither Marxism nor anarchism had many adherents … Read more
HAUGHTON, James (1795–1873), social reformer and philanthropist, was born on 5 May 1795 in Carlow town, the eldest son of Samuel Pearson Haughton, corn merchant, and his wife Mary (née Pim) of Ruskin, Queen’s County. Although both parents left the Society of Friends shortly after his birth, James was educated at the Quaker school in … Read more
Skellig Michael is one of only two World Heritage Sites (WHS) in the Republic. It comprises the main monastic complex and the much smaller South Peak hermitage complex. Controversy has long dogged the Skelligs. A joint Irish–Welsh expedition raised concerns about damage caused by conservation work in the 1890s. There were controversies over the illegal … Read more