In July 1920 the IRA shot dead Lt Colonel Brice Ferguson Smyth, who had earlier made an infamous speech in Listowel, where he said that the police were perfectly justified in shooting people who did not immediately put their hands up when challenged and that, if mistakes were made, policemen should not face court proceedings. … Read more
Turning points of the Irish revolution: the British government, intelligence and the cost of indifference, 1912–1921 Benjamin Grob-Fitzgibbon (Palgrave Macmillan, £42.50) ISBN 9781403980038 This is a well-structured book that provides the first sustained analysis of Colonial Office intelligence reports from 1913 to 1920. These indicate that Dublin Castle was better informed about the secret activities … Read more
Coolacrease. The true story of the Pearson executions—an incident in the Irish War of Independence Philip O’Connor (ed.) (Aubane Historical Society, €20) ISBN 9781903497487 On a superficial level this book is about an incident in County Offaly during the Irish War of Independence in which two brothers were executed by the IRA. Richard and Abraham … Read more
Between comrades: James Connolly, letters and correspondence, 1889–1916 Donal Nevin (ed.) (Gill & Macmillan, €29.99) ISBN 9780717142231 At last! After decades of calls to action, a beginning has been made. In this volume nearly all of James Connolly’s letters are collected. In addition, the first pages contain much correspondence unconnected with him save insofar as … Read more
Sir,—I read with great interest Angus Mitchell’s article on Sir John Lavery’s High Treason (HI 18.5, Sept./Oct. 2010). The key to the painting identifies the solemn man seated next to Casement in the dock simply as ‘Dowling’. Who is this man? Certainly this is not the same Dowling of Casement’s Irish Brigade who landed in … Read more