In the last issue (HI 13.4, July/August 2005) Peter Hart stated that my views ‘are summed up in the subtitle’ of my biography of Tom Barry—IRA Freedom Fighter. Having researched Barry’s life and career for some years, I believe the title is apt. Whether we agree or disagree, he spent a great part of his … Read more
Sir, —I would like to comment on two contributions to the last issue (HI 13.3, May/June 2005), namely Desmond Fennell’s letter on Fascism and Brian Hanley’s study of Seán Russell’s (and the IRA’s) collaboration with Nazi Germany. Desmond Fennell attacks Professor Horne’s view of the resemblance between Fascism and Nazism and implies that an inquiry … Read more
Irish women and nationalism: soldiers, new women and wicked hags Louise Ryan and Margaret Ward (eds) (Irish Academic Press, €25 paperback) ISBN 0716527677This book explores Irish women’s engagement with nationalism from a variety of perspectives, including history, sociology, cultural and language studies, law, anthropology and community-based research. The editors, Louise Ryan and Margaret Ward, who … Read more
Ireland: a social and cultural history, 1922–2002 Terence Brown (Harper Perennial, €15) ISBN 0007125761For this third edition of his enormously influential survey of the social and cultural history of independent Ireland, Terence Brown has brought us up to the year 2002. This is an interesting development, for it involves the chronicling of the culture wars … Read more
Ireland and Scotland: culture and society 1700–2000 Liam McIlvanney and Ray Ryan (eds) (Four Courts Press, €55) ISBN 1851828753 When Dominic Behan penned his little ditty ‘The sea, oh the sea, grá geal mo chroi, Long may it roll between England and me. God help the poor Scotsman, he’ll never be free. Thank God we’re … Read more