We may have been one of the first but were certainly not the last to be invaded by our restless neighbour. A new study by historian Stuart Laycock reveals that of the c. 200 UN-recognised countries in the world today 90% have had a visit from British forces in one form or another. Costa Rica, … Read more
In the early 1980s, James Hawthorne recognised that there was no collective way to celebrate the achievements of people who had made a significant contribution to Ulster’s heritage. His inspiration founded a scheme to commemorate such individuals by erecting a plaque linking them to a location in their lives. For a body concerned with dates … Read more
DIFP VIII covers the immediate post-war years, a period ignored by many historians of Irish foreign policy. The volume explores a vital question facing Iveagh House: after ‘the Emergency’, where next for Ireland in the uncertain world of the early Cold War? Global destruction was a strong theme in immediate post-war Irish diplomatic traffic. Unlike … Read more
‘Bumper stickers are an ineffectual means of communicating my nuanced views on a variety of issues that cannot be reduced to a single pithy slogan.’ So ran a tongue-in-cheek ‘bumper sticker slogan’ that I came across on the net recently. I suspect it reflects the bemusement of many in the face of the ‘debate’ on … Read more
Ireland and Apartheid South Africa Apartheid South Africa was in the news in relation to a tour of South Africa by a representative team of British, French and Irish players. The Irish government officially opposed the involvement of the latter, though the IRFU had given its approval. The team, however, was coached by Irish rugby … Read more