COOKE, Adolphus (1792–1876), was born in Cookesborough near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, the illegitimate son of Robert Cooke, landowner, and an unnamed servant. Adolphus’s mother was sent away, and he was raised by a nurse, Mary Kelly, in a two-roomed thatched cottage, forbidden to visit his father’s house. Educated in England, he joined the army, serving … Read more
The Friar’s Bush cemetery on Stranmillis Road, Belfast, may only be two acres in size, but its history is far grislier than you might expect—plague, body-snatching, famine and murder are all part of its story. The gates have been closed since 1869 and only family members can get in—to be buried—but aside from the graves … Read more
Rumours of history’s demise as a subject of popular interest and debate have been, not for the first time, greatly exaggerated—to judge at least from the immediate success of the new extra-mural course in Irish history piloted by the Department of Modern History in Trinity College, Dublin. Contesting History: Opposing Voices is a radical departure … Read more
Following his death in May 2003 James Plunkett’s obituaries emphasised his humble beginnings, his consistent trade unionism and, of course, his talent, but did not remark that his Strumpet City is Ireland’s greatest historical novel. This failure may result from reluctance to ask two questions: how historical novels differ from others and where Plunkett’s book … Read more
When Mike Quill, the Kerry-born leader of the Transport Workers’ Union of America (TWU), died in January 1966, one of the most generous tributes to his memory was paid by the Revd Dr Martin Luther King. Hailing Quill as ‘a man the ages will remember’, King praised him as a ‘fighter for decent things all … Read more