The New York draft riots of 1863, which feature in the violent finale of Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York, were the worst in American history, causing over 100 deaths and 1.5 millio n dollars’ worth of damage, about 150 million dollars in today’s money. Starting on Monday 13 July 1863 as a protest against … Read more
Almost 350 years ago the Farrells of Longford played a small but decisive role in European politics, in an incident that tipped the balance of power on the Continent. The year was 1657 and the leaders of the Farrell sept were in exile with a body of soldiers from Longford who had fought together through … Read more
In the late 1930s the general public in Dublin had been agitating through the newspapers for better transport facilities, specifically the provision of bus shelters along the quays where long-distance passengers caught their buses. In 1937 the Irish Builder and Engineer suggested that a central bus station be constructed on the bonding warehouse site next … Read more
Welcome back As Mark Twain might have said, ‘. . . rumours of our death have been grossly exaggerated’. After a brief interruption of transmission, normal service has been resumed. History Ireland is back under new management. We appreciate the loyalty and patience of our readers, and our subscribers in particular should rest assured that … Read more
Sir—David Fitzpatrick’s article in the Summer 2002 issue (HI 10.2), ‘De Valera’s Performance as a Convict 1916–17’, is valuable as an examination of some important documents relating to the development of twentieth-century Irish history, but is nevertheless open to criticism on several points. The title, which accepts the English designation of the Irish prisoners as … Read more