Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, a group of Irish separatists took the decision to launch a rebellion before the war ended, and early in 1915 an unofficial military committee of the Irish Republican Brotherhood began to draw up plans. The military forces to be used were the Irish Volunteers, but the … Read more
In the early days of his dialogue with Sinn Féin, John Hume was fond of posing the question: ‘Why did Jimmie die?’ He knew it was the most difficult question for the Republican movement and its supporters. How could they justify settling for less than their ideal, given the sacrifice of volunteers along the way? … Read more
The timing of the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising was significant. As taoiseach, Seán Lemass was anxious to secure Ireland’s future within the European Economic Community (EEC) and had attempted to improve relations with both Britain and Northern Ireland. He constantly brought to the fore images and references to ‘modern’ Ireland so that the … Read more
It is certainly rare (and possibly fortunate!) that words spoken at an academic history conference find their way onto the front pages of leading newspapers and, by degrees, into most of the state’s principal media outlets. Such was the case with this conference to mark the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising. The principal cause … Read more
If only Ulster unionists had accepted Home Rule; if only Home Rulers had accepted partition in 1912 before the Ulster Volunteer Force was formed; if only the Curragh Mutiny hadn’t happened; if only Britain had not declared war on Germany in August 1914; if only the war had finished as early as widely expected, with … Read more