A factory of grievances? Fr Alec Reid’s recent remarks, comparing the treatment of Catholics under Stormont to the Nazis’ treatment of Jews, have been widely, and rightly, condemned. While critics have been generous in their acknowledgement of Fr Reid’s role in the Peace Process, they have made the more general observation that his remarks (and … Read more
Sir, —Further to the letter in the July/August 2005 issue of HI by FelixM. Larkin regarding errors in the Oxford Dictionary of NationalBiography entry on Edmund Dwyer Gray (1845–88), there is a furtherpossible error in one edition of that publication, which states that hemarried a young lady named Caroline Agnes Chisolm, author of TheEmigrant’s Friend, … Read more
Sir, —As a reader of History Ireland for a number of years I havefollowed with great interest the debate involving Peter Hart over thelast few issues. I would like to comment on his response to theprevious critical letters, and mainly view it from a historiographicalpoint of view rather than from that of a person who … Read more
Sir, —It’s good that evidence suppressed by Peter Hart in pursuance ofhis agenda has seen the light of day (‘In defence of Cork’s politicalculture’, HI 13.4, July/August 2005). But why is the Civil War death ofMichael Collins described as an assassination? Collins, in uniform,rifle in hand, had been firing on his attackers, as had his … Read more
History becomes history After 80 years the old Leaving Cert history syllabus was finally laid to rest, but not before a final spasm in the form of an honours exam paper that many teachers and students found disappointing. Few will mourn its passing. Twenty years ago the majority of students took the subject; this year … Read more