The legendary visit of St Brendan to Mexico in the sixth century—and his resemblance to the Aztec creator-god Quetzacóatl—may have been mythical but it is an indication of the mystery and sense of exceptionality surrounding relations between Ireland and Latin America. Yet, just like the rest of the diaspora, the Irish in Latin America hoped … Read more
At 2am on Friday 1 June 1866, Colonel John O’Neill led a Fenian army across the Niagara River to invade Canada. Tactically O’Neill was triumphant; strategically, however, everything went wrong. The assault was supposed to have been but one prong of three; the others never occurred. After winning the Battle of Ridgeway and a street … Read more
Located on the top floor, ‘Patriot Games’ looks at Irish involvement in the Olympics in the last 100 years—another ambitious project from Louth County Museum. It consists of a series of information panels, video screens and artefacts reflecting not just the development of the games themselves but also the evolution of athletics in Ireland and … Read more
Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s dream of reinventing the ancient Olympian tradition was realised in 1896, when the first modern Olympics were held in Athens. The first medal of the games was won by the Irishman John Pius Boland for tennis, while the first medal won in track and field, and the subject of Bob Quinn’s … Read more
The family of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, a child of the Anglican vicarage, was at the Ascendancy’s ideological cutting edge and part of its most vulnerable component: a state church imposed on a hostile nation. Born in 1814, he spent his first twelve years around the comparative safety and post-Napoleonic triumphalism of the Phoenix Park … Read more