‘The same people living in the same place’? Readership response to our new design has been very positive, and in this issue we have added quantity to quality with eight extra pages. There was, however, one unfortunate glitch. Many readers of the interview may have been surprised to find that James Maguire is a … Read more
Sir, —In his article ‘Birth pangs of a nation: Senator Thomas Westropp Bennett and the Irish Free State’ (HI 11.4, Winter 2003), Bruce-Andrew Finch presents some interesting information but weakens its historical value by placing it in a partisan context while overlooking obvious questions. An example of the latter is contained in the … Read more
Garrett FitzGerald (Irish Academic Press, 332.50) ISBN 0716527758 For good or for bad, intellectuals don’t figure prominently in Irish politics so Garrett FitzGerald can only be regarded as an exception, not only for being one of Fine Gael’s most successful leaders but also for leaving us with an interesting account of his thoughts on the … Read more
Tom Dunne (Lilliput Press, 320) ISBN 1843510391 In this ambitious and often deeply personal book, Tom Dunne offers his own perspective on Irish history, on the process of historical commemoration and on current interpretations of the 1798 Rebellion in Wexford. Dunne’s book is divided into three quite distinct parts that might each have formed the … Read more
David Fitzpatrick (Cork University Press, 335) ISBN 1859182224 In writing this biography at the request of Harry’s nephew and namesake Annraoi Ó Beolláin, David Fitzpatrick declared his objective to be ‘a balanced and impartial account of an outstanding life’. With unlimited access to the family archive, it undoubtedly presents an unprecedented wealth of detail. … Read more