Russell K. Alspach, in Irish poetry from the English invasion to 1798, wrote of The Harp of Erin (1807), a substantial, posthumously published anthology of Thomas Dermody’s verse, that one could go through it ‘without stumbling on anything that even faintly resembles poetry’. Dermody’s means deter-mined his themes; thus he wrote safe poems to flatter … Read more
A chara, —I am researching the life of the author, poet and playwrightWinifred M. Verschoyle, née Letts (1882–1972). Her two great-nieceshave kindly allowed me access to her papers, but I am sure that manyother people would have their own stories to tell about her. Ms Lettswas a great friend of my late mother’s. Despite having … Read more
Sir, —I am researching the history of St Patrick’s Benevolent RegisteredAssociation, which was based in Henry Street, Kilrush, Co. Clare, inthe late 1800s. According to Bassett’s Directory, 1880–1, its officersat that time were: president, John O’Brien; vice-president, P.J. Boyle,proprietor of the Kilrush Gazette, who lived at 58 John Street;secretary, John R. MacNamara, who may have … Read more
Seán MacDiarmada: the mind of the revolution Gerard MacAtasney (Drumlin Publications, €20) ISBN 1873437315 Seán McDermott—or MacDiarmada, as he styled himself—stands out as one of the key architects of the 1916 Rising, which was to lead to an independent Irish state in 1922. Yet, as Gerard MacAtasney claims in this excellent biography, his contribution to … Read more
James Connolly: ‘a full life’ Donal Nevin (Gill and Macmillan, ?29.99) ISBN 0717139115 Posterity has been oddly kind, even condescending, to James Connolly. While the motives and performance of many of his rebel contemporaries and successors have been subjected to ever more pitiless scrutiny, Connolly has never lost the aura of a romantic revolutionary. He … Read more