Sir,—Yoursummary of the events of August ‘69 (HI 17.4, July/Aug. 2009) says that on 13August, ‘The British government announced that troops were being sent to Derry’to stand between the combatants and to restore law on order. In fact, troopswere not to bedeployedin Derry until the evening of the 14th. (British troops were of coursepermanently stationed … Read more
Sir, —Angus Mitchell, reviewing Marnie Hay’s excellent biography of Bulmer Hobson (HI 17.5, Sept./Oct. 2009), remarked that ‘Towards the end of his life Hobson devoted much energy to defending Roger Casement, a fellow warrior in his “moral insurrection”. But in the malicious and confusing media debate that raged over his reputation in the 1950s … Read more
‘Try telling that to young people today . . .’ In these recessionary times, with the future uncertain, it’s nice to be involved in a publication whose focus is on the past and give readers a break from current travails. But, as I scan the contents of this issue, it’s clear that there’s no getting … Read more
The murder of Major Mahon, Strokestown, County Roscommon, 1847 Padraig Vesey (Four Courts Press, Maynooth Studies in Local History, €9.95) ISBN 9781846821196 In opening, the author briefly surveys some previous accounts of the Mahon murder, including Robert Scally’s The end of hidden Ireland, of which he says: ‘The introduction to Scally’s book reflects an anti-Unionist … Read more
‘Terrible queer creatures’: a history of homosexuality in Ireland Brian Lacey (Wordwell Books, €25) ISBN 9781905569236 With a title referencing James Joyce, this book takes one down a hundred avenues of Irish gay history and a greater number of characters. Whether their homosexuality is documented or the subject of reasoned speculation, Brian Lacey, a noted … Read more