The year is 1808 and Napoleon’s dominance of Europe is at its zenith. The British government seeks desperately for alternative sources of vital raw materials, especially the flax and hemp crucial for making the sailcloth that propels the British navy. Without a functioning navy, there is no answer to Napoleon. As the year closes, the … Read more
‘Clontarf was too important to be left to the historians, so passed into the legend-maker’s hand’ (Gwyn Jones, A history of the Vikings [London, 1973]). ‘The men of Ireland will suffer a grief that will never grow old in the minds of men’ (Valkyries’ prophecy, Njál’s saga, §157, tr. Magnus Magnusson and Hermann Pálsson [Harmondsworth, … Read more
In the last issue (HI 13.4, July/August 2005) Peter Hart stated that my views ‘are summed up in the subtitle’ of my biography of Tom Barry—IRA Freedom Fighter. Having researched Barry’s life and career for some years, I believe the title is apt. Whether we agree or disagree, he spent a great part of his … Read more