BINGHAM, George Charles (1800–88), 3rd earl of Lucan, soldier and landlord, was born on 16 April 1800 in London, eldest son of Richard Bingham, 2nd earl of Lucan, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of the 3rd earl of Fauconberg. Educated at Westminster School (1812–16), he was commissioned ensign in the 6th Foot in 1816 and … Read more
The ultimate responsibility for failure to cope effectively with the disaster of the Famine lay with the Westminster parliament, but we should remember that Ireland in 1847 returned 105 MPs to Westminster. A unified effort by all these MPs could have changed government policies. No such agreed approach emerged and there was a serious failure … Read more
Where was your family during the famine? Animo Television 8 September 2008, RTÉ 1 by John Gibney The notion of tracing one’s ancestors in any kind of formalised way can easily prompt Irish people to cynicism, usually (and unfairly) directed at Irish-Americans. But the US is fertile ground for genealogy, for in a country where … Read more
History just passes some people by. The War of Independence, the Treaty and the 1937 constitution mean nothing to the people at Starbucks, the American coffee-bar chain. They recently asked their customers in Ireland to tweet why they were proud to be British for a chance to win a free cup of coffee. Of course, … Read more
The murder of Major Mahon, Strokestown, County Roscommon, 1847 Padraig Vesey (Four Courts Press, Maynooth Studies in Local History, €9.95) ISBN 9781846821196 In opening, the author briefly surveys some previous accounts of the Mahon murder, including Robert Scally’s The end of hidden Ireland, of which he says: ‘The introduction to Scally’s book reflects an anti-Unionist … Read more