As the centenary anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War approaches, the body of literature on the Irish experience of ‘the war to end all wars’ grows apace. As with other areas of Irish history, popular historians lead the march and are some way ahead of their counterparts in the universities. The past decade … Read more
The Sanctuary Lamp Written and directed by Tom Murphy, B*spoke Theatre Company Arcola Theatre, London, 10 March–3 April Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork, 12–17 April Civic Theatre, Dublin, 20–24 April Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, 26–28 April Townhall Theatre, Galway, 4–7 May by Eamon O’Flaherty A brilliant production of Tom Murphy’s classic play dealing with themes … Read more
‘Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.’ (George Orwell) This is Ireland in 2010, not Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nonetheless, Orwell’s dystopian vision has much to teach a society, such as ours, that professes to be democratic. Freedom of access to the records of the state is a core … Read more
The Irish Folklore Commission, now the National Folklore Collection, was the first state-funded body to employ full-time collectors of folklore in the field. It is one of the world’s best and largest folklore collections. Owing to the interest of Scandinavian scholars of old and modern Irish and of Irish folklore, the influence of people such … Read more
May 14 1734 Richard Cantillon, Kerry-born economist regarded as the first major economic ‘theorist’ and acclaimed author of Essai sur la nature du commerce en général (c. 1730), was murdered in his London home by his cook. 15 1910 The Association of United Irishwomen, renamed the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA) in 1934, which sought to … Read more