Nick Maxwell Sir,—Your otherwise excellent article on Bloody Sunday 1920 was spoiledfor this reader, and I would imagine many others, by the words ‘Was thegovernment claim that their forces were fired on first true?’ At thattime the legitimate government of Ireland was Dáil Éireann, to whichthe vast majority of the Irish people gave their allegiance. The forcesof … Read more
Sir,—Congratulations on the Spring 2003 edition; I found it very interesting and liked the variety of the subjects. I was especially interested in D.R. O’Connor Lysaght’s article on Redmondism. I wonder if you can help identify the spectacle-wearing character in the cartoon from the Irish Worker. I think it might be Pierce O’Mahony. I would … Read more
‘He paid much attention to his own private affairs, and was most careful in the administration of the office entrusted to him and in his conduct of public affairs. Although extremely well versed in the business of war, he was not a success as a general, for he often suffered heavy losses on his expeditions. … Read more
English literary depictions of crazed Irish head-hunters were not entirely contrived. The best propaganda always contains an element of truth. In parts of Ireland decapitation was more than an incidental by-product of blade-fighting. In Connacht, for instance, one of the chieftains of the Burkes was known as Ulick-na-gceann, ‘Ulick of the heads’ (fl. 1536), so … Read more
Thomas Bartlett, David Dickson, Dáire Keogh and Kevin Whelan (eds) (Four Courts Press, E50) ISBN 1-85182-430-8 Eleven years ago I wrote that the study of Ireland in the 1790s was still in its heroic phase. It was then, to be sure, in robust good health, as the work of Louis Cullen, Thomas Bartlett and others … Read more