Sir—In articles published in History Ireland and History, I recently drew attention to the late Peter Hart’s presentation of an unambiguous sectarian explanation for the so-called ‘Bandon Valley massacre’ of late April 1922. In a public lecture given in Cork, and coinciding with the massacre’s 90th anniversary, Dr Andy Bielenberg argued for the impossibility of … Read more
In January 1914 James Nowlan, president of the GAA, advised every member to join the Irish Volunteers and ‘learn to shoot straight’. Nowlan took his own advice and, as a member of the Volunteers, was imprisoned in Frongoch internment camp following the Easter Rising. As a prisoner, he was among many who engaged in sporting … Read more
In the historiography of the Irish revolution, the idea that is often conveyed is that the violence was confined to a few areas: Dublin at the epicentre, with periodic eruptions in Belfast and the province of Munster in almost constant turmoil. In recent years, however, books that attempt to balance the picture have started to … Read more
Sir,—The caption—‘Women continued to play an active role in the War of Independence’—under the photograph on p. 41 of the last issue (Autumn 1996) [above] is misleading on two counts. In the first place, it does not depict a War of Independence flying column but a Civil War one—the Third Battalion flying column (‘Plunkett’s Own’), … Read more
Between 26 and 29 April 1922 the murder of thirteen Protestant civilians in and around Dunmanway, West Cork, raised fears among the Southern unionist community that the situation was descending into a conflict aimed at driving them out. Both sides of the treaty debates condemned the killings, and immediate steps were taken by the local … Read more