The tiny village in Hainaut slumbers in the morning sun. Once a great battle was fought in Fontenoy. Thousands of soldiers died here on 11 May 1745. Some of the words they exchanged on the battlefield have lived on through the years, though the war that they fought has largely been forgotten. These days, it’s … Read more
When Eoin O’Mahony died in February 1970 at the age of 65 The Times said that he was the outstanding Irish talker of his time and remarked that if he had had a Boswell he was the stuff of Johnson. Born in Cork on 22 March 1905, he was educated at Clongowes, where he acquired … Read more
Tara needs no introduction to the readers of History Ireland. Its reputation as the most sacred ground in Ireland, and its symbolic capital, is undisputed. The Discovery Programme’s innovative research has not only yielded amazing results but has been the focus of international interest. Tara is traditionally central to the story of St Patrick’s conversion … Read more
This September (2004) teaching commences in the South on the long-awaited new Leaving Cert history syllabus. On the face of it this is a very impressive document running to almost 50 pages, the fruit of years of consultation between teachers, academics and the Department of Education and Science (DES). Particular emphasis has been placed on … Read more
Eire—It was a beautiful day in Dublin. Floating down the Liffey, neat little barges with red-topped funnels, loaded with brown barrels of Guinness stout, symbolised pre-war living and good appetites. Along the riverside the sunshine accentuated, rainbow-wise, the soft greens, blues, reds and yellows with which Dublin’s tall Georgian houses are painted. It was low … Read more