By Keith Jeffrey It might be argued that the most significant thing about the Irish cultural response to the First World War is its comparative absence. Perhaps it is a case of ‘the dog that didn’t bark’, itself a noteworthy enough reaction to the cataclysmic European events of 1914-18. There is, for example, no extensive … Read more
by Donard de Cogan The electric telegraph was invented in 1837 and proved to be an instant success. It provided new possibilities for the rapid transmission of news and business information. International communications required the use of insulated electrical conductors and the first techniques for coating copper wires with a suitable material were patented by … Read more
A History of Ulster . Jonathan Bardon (Blackstaff Press, 1992, £14.95) and Nine Ulster Lives, G. O’Brien & P. Roebuck (eds.) (Ulster Historical Foundation, 1992, £7.95) (1:1) Tony Canavan On being presented with Jonathan Bardon’s A History of Ulster one recalls the Duke of Gloucester’s comment on being presented with Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall, … Read more
A Man with a Mission: Tommy Graham finds out about the man and his message. TG: Could you tell us a little about your background? BB: I was born in Limerick City in 1937, in what local people call ‘the parish’, St. Mary’s, the old medieval part of the city. My father had a very … Read more
Robert Bell In the cramped quarters of the attic of Belfast’s historic Linen Hall Library, a collection of 50,000 items of printed material about the current Northern Ireland troubles is in constant consultation. To the best of our knowledge, it is unique. For those of us who work in the Library, the Collection is therefore … Read more