McNABB, Vincent (1868–1943), Catholic controversialist, was born Joseph McNabb on 8 July 1868 in Portaferry, Co. Down, tenth child of James McNabb, master mariner, and his wife Ann (née Shields) of Rathmullan, Co. Donegal. Joseph was educated at St Malachy’s College, Belfast, where he won several scholarships, and St Cuthbert’s Grammar School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In November … Read more
St Bridget’s Church of Ireland church in Kiltubrid was in danger of falling into dereliction when the local community mounted a fund-raising campaign to save the building. Sited on the shores of Lough Scur with its back to the Iron Mountains, the tiny church, surrounded by a graveyard and enclosed by an old stone wall, … Read more
On display in the ‘Soldiers and Chiefs’ exhibition in the National Museum at Collins Barracks is a large table-cover, measuring 8ft by 4ft, called the Stokes Tapestry. This large pictorial work featuring 250 figures was made by Stephen Stokes between 1833 and 1853 and illustrates his experiences in the British Army in Ireland and subsequently … Read more
The Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary holds probably the most significant grouping of ecclesiastical buildings surviving from the medieval period in Ireland. Its largest building, the cathedral, was abandoned in the 1750s and the medieval parish church at the opposite end of the town was upgraded to cathedral status, being itself replaced by the … Read more
Sir,—Stephanie Rains’ excellent article on ‘The politics of “native” village exhibitions’ (HI 19.2, March/April 2011) prompted me to look again at some old Edwardian postcards that I inherited many years ago. Some, which I have reproduced elsewhere (‘Irish International Exhibition’, in Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Vol. 137, pp 149–52), are … Read more