Sir, —I’m trying to find more information on an individual called JohnNeale. He was a ‘young socialist cockney member of the Irish CitizenArmy’ who acted as a lookout on top of the Metropole Hotel during theEaster Rising. On the Friday, ‘as the building was being evacuated, hisammunition pouch was exploded by a stray bullet . … Read more
Too soon to say/It’s early yet It is now ten years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, and the anniversary has been marked by a plethora of analyses in both broadcast and print media (and books: see ‘Bookworm’, p. 54). Moreover, it comes at a time when most of the architects of the … Read more
Sir, —Risteárd Mulcahy certainly has a point (HI 16.2, March/April 2008) when he states that the role of the IRA’s GHQ staff during the War of Independence has been somewhat ignored. Outside historical circles, who could even name the 13 members of the pre-treaty GHQ staff at the time of the truce in 1921? They … Read more
Sir, —In the lead photo (p. 22) of Michael Doorley’s article on ‘The Friends of Irish Freedom’ (HI 16.1, Jan./Feb. 2008), the figure to Dev’s immediate left is in fact Dr Patrick McCartan (and not FOIF secretary Diarmuid Lynch, as captioned). I should know—he was my godfather. —Yours etc., MAIRTÍN McCULLOUGH Blackrock Co. Dublin
Sir, —John Draper and Graham Walker discussed the sectarian ‘boast’ ofNorthern Ireland’s first prime minister, Sir James Craig, that hepresided over a Protestant ‘parliament’, ‘government’, ‘people’ and/or‘state’ (Letters, HI 16.2, March/April 2008). As neither identifiedoriginal sources, there was confusion as to what exactly was said. In a separate letter, D. R. O’Connor Lysaght noted that … Read more