Sir, —I am researching the history of St Patrick’s Benevolent RegisteredAssociation, which was based in Henry Street, Kilrush, Co. Clare, inthe late 1800s. According to Bassett’s Directory, 1880–1, its officersat that time were: president, John O’Brien; vice-president, P.J. Boyle,proprietor of the Kilrush Gazette, who lived at 58 John Street;secretary, John R. MacNamara, who may have … Read more
Sir, —While in full agreement with Tim Carey’s platform (HI 14.1, Jan./Feb. 2006) that Mountjoy jail must not be demolished, I wish to correct the statement that: ‘The first four republicans to be executed during the Civil War were shot there by firing squad on 8 December 1922’. That invidious distinction belongs to four young … Read more
High-frequency history This issue marks the start of the second year of History Ireland as a bi-monthly publication. Judging by the response to last issue’s readers’ survey (and thank you to all those who took the time to respond—we are still poring over the entrails), this new departure has gone down very well with our … Read more
Sir, —The editors of the Royal Irish Academy’s Dictionary of IrishBiography hope that readers of History Ireland have enjoyed the seriesof articles entitled ‘From the files of the DIB’. We would like toacknowledge that the main source used for the article on Pádraig ÓDuinnín in the Nov./Dec. 2005 issue was Proinsias Ó Conluain agusDonncha Ó … Read more
Sir, —Your contributor, Bernard Share (HI 13.5, Sept./Oct. 2005), statesthat ‘It is more likely that, Tom Crean excepted, Robert Falcon Scottdid not have too much time for Irishmen’. Apart from Crean, there werethree other Irishmen in the crew of the Terra Nova, including aprominent member of the land expedition, Petty Officer Patrick Keohanefrom County Cork, … Read more