The name of Terence MacSwiney (1879-1920), the Lord Mayor of Cork who died on hunger strike in Brixton prison during the War of Independence, is familiar not only in Ireland but in countries where anti-colonial movements praised his example. Despite his fame, and the continuing resonance of the hunger strike in Irish political culture, there … Read more
Sir,—May I correct one factual error in the review of my book, Carson:the man who divided Ireland, by Mark Coalter in the last issue (HI13.5, Sept/Oct 2005)? The reviewer says he is confused about why Ishould consider Carson in 1922 should feel that the Conservative Party‘threw him over’ by making Bonar Law its leader. The … Read more
A chara, —The most significant controversies that have sprung up aroundthe Kilmichael ambush have revolved around two questions. The first iswhether there was or was not a false surrender by the Auxiliaries, withthe subsequent killing by the Auxiliaries of IRA men when they went totake this surrender. Tom Barry, who led the IRA ambushers atKilmichael, … Read more
Sir, —I noted with interest your use of the term ‘armed blackmail’ to describe the Ulster Volunteer Force campaign against home rule (editorial, HI 13.5, Sept./Oct. 2005). Your comments were in the context of trying to establish the origins of the Irish troubles that have led to IRA decommissioning. In the course of your analysis, … Read more
Mick: the real Michael Collins Peter Hart (Macmillan, E36.99) ISBN 1405052635Peter Hart writes well, and is obviously a man of ability, but the impression conveyed by this book is that he felt the time was opportune for a revisionist work on Collins. To attract readers he has adopted the technique not of the historian but … Read more