A chara, —For over 40 years I have been dealing in antiques, collectables or just pure honest-to-God bric-a-brac. The subject of heritage, repatriation or just moving old objects from one area or country to another has always both fascinated and haunted me. A letter (HI 17.4, July/Aug. 2009) on the Akwiten Canoe and the Book … Read more
Sir, —It is unfortunate that Myles Dungan chose to mar his interestingpiece (HI 17.5, Sept./Oct. 2009) on the efforts of William O’Shea tomaintain his political support in the constituency of Clare in the1880s by peppering his article with derogatory references to theFenians and other resistance movements in the county at the time.Nationalists and republicans are … Read more
Sir, —Your editorial ‘Ireland’s fascist real McCoy’ (HI 17.5, Sept./Oct.2009) points to the emergence of extremism here in the 1940s. Whatmight seem to some a tad odd, however, is your emphasis upon the Irishtradition not of constitutional but of parliamentary democracy. Thusthere is no mention of either Bunreacht na hÉireann or of the earlierConstitution of … Read more
We in Ireland have always prided ourselves on the robustness anddurability of our democratic institutions. Of all the European statesthat gained independence in the twentieth century ours is the only oneto have maintained an unbroken tradition of parliamentary democracy.(HI 17.5, Sept./Oct. 2009, editorial) Really? Because of a deep and well-rounded ignorance of history Icannot contest … Read more
Sir, —The truest answer to R. M. Douglas’s opening question in his article on Ailtirí na hAiseirighe (HI 17.5, Sept./Oct. 2009), as to ‘which side the country favoured in World War II’, is ‘ours’. Certainly, neither the US nor British leaders were impressed by southern Ireland’s stance; the one real difference southern Ireland might have … Read more