Jackie Clarke Library

The Jackie Clarke Library spans nearly 400 years of Irish history and contains over 15,000 items: rare books, manuscripts, photographs, legal papers, pamphlets, handbills, newspapers, autograph books, news sheets, circulars, reports, letters, periodicals, cartoons, maps, minute books, theses, articles and proclamations. And it was put together during the lifetime of one man, Jackie Clarke, an … Read more

‘A great Daily Organ’: the Freeman’s Journal, 1763–1924

The Freeman’s Journal was published in Dublin continuously from 1763 to 1924. In its early years it was associated with the ‘patriot’ opposition in the Irish parliament—most notably Charles Lucas, Henry Grattan and Henry Flood. Lucas is generally credited with having founded the paper, though its first editor was Henry Brooke, well known as an … Read more

The 1956 polio epidemic in Cork

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that is spread through person-to-person or faecal–oral contact. The effects of the disease range from mild to severe, from a minor transient illness to extensive long-term paralysis and even death. The virus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of … Read more