John McGurk’s Herculean study of the raising, supplying and impact of the Elizabethan army of the 1590s on England and Ireland is the result of years of painstaking research and is unlikely to be replaced as the standard work for quite some time to come. Aside from Bartlett and Jefferey’s recent Military History of Ireland … Read more
The presentation of Irish culture as a commodity has developed into a remarkable world-wide phenomenon in recent years. The success of Irish writers, musicians and dancers on the global stage continues to surpass all expectations, and shows no signs of abating. In Ireland itself, the latest economic boom (however selective), combined with the evolving peace … Read more
‘If you would know more of him’, the philosopher John Toland wrote of himself, ‘search his writings.’ This recommendation, as sincere as it probably was, has been of little use to Toland scholars since his death in 1722. He could have just as helpfully advised his readers to consult the Bible in order to find … Read more
The Irish staple, which dated from the thirteenth century, was initially established to regulate the trade of basic, or staple, goods such as wool and hides which could only be sold to foreign merchants in designated ‘staple’ towns—originally Dublin, Waterford, Cork and Drogheda. It also provided a sure way for traders to recover their debts. … Read more
The Protestant Reformation is one of the great events of European history, and assessing its causes, nature, meaning and consequences is a habitual challenge. Yet in Ireland, as in other parts of Europe such as Italy and Spain, where the Protestant Reformation ‘failed’, it is a subject of some awkwardness. What Reformation? How does one … Read more