Eighteenth-century Ireland: the isle of slaves Ian McBride New Gill History of Ireland 4 (Gill and Macmillan, Ä24) ISBN 9780717116270 There are many paths through the historical forest. Ian McBride’s is different from his predecessors’, and in particular from Edith Johnston’s in the original Gill series published in 1974. His synthesis of advances in … Read more
It is deliciously ironic that a book that takes us to task for creating a ‘liberation myth’ with regard to the War of Independence should have on its front cover an image that is not what it claims to be (see letters, p. 12). Nevertheless, in spite of this and its rather old-fashioned revisionist tone, … Read more
Discover Your National Library National Library of Ireland, Kildare Street www.nli.ie, discover@nli.ie, +353 (0)1 6030277 by Tony Canavan Located in the old Kildare Street Club, which until recently housed the ‘Strangers to Citizens’ exhibition (and it is a pity that it could not be permanent), ‘Discover Your National Library’ is at once an attempt … Read more
Would you believe? The murder of Fr James Coyle in Birmingham, Alabama, 1921 21 March 2010, RTÉ 1 Rising Road: A true tale of love, race, and religion in America (Oxford University Press, New York, $27.95) ISBN 9780195379792 by John Gibney The Catholic priest James Coyle was born in Drum, Co. Roscommon, in 1873 … Read more
The Sanctuary Lamp Written and directed by Tom Murphy, B*spoke Theatre Company Arcola Theatre, London, 10 March–3 April Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork, 12–17 April Civic Theatre, Dublin, 20–24 April Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, 26–28 April Townhall Theatre, Galway, 4–7 May by Eamon O’Flaherty A brilliant production of Tom Murphy’s classic play dealing with themes … Read more