Sir,—Would a History Ireland reader kindly enlighten me? I seek additional information about possible descendants of the literary O’Clerys of Donegal. A 16 January 1847 obituary in the Drogheda Argus reported that John O’Clery/Clarke, son of Patrick, son of Cosnamhach, son of Cairbre, son of Diarmid, son of Cucogry O’Clery (one of the Four Masters, … Read more
Sir,—In your ‘On this day’ column (HI 19.2, March/April 2011) it was stated that James Stephens, the founder of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, died on 29 April 1901. In fact he died on 29 March 1901. At his funeral on 31 March 1901, my great-grandfather James Bermingham was one of the coffin-bearers, along with Michael … Read more
Sir,—On reading an account of Robert Monteith, commander of Casement’s Irish Brigade in Germany during the First World War, a detail caught my eye. As a consequence of his political activities and loyalties, the account written by his daughter tells how ‘. . . he was dismissed from his post at the Ordnance Depot. He … Read more
Sir,—The article ‘When Dublin responded to blitzed Belfast’s Mayday’ (HI 19.3, May/June 2011) coincided with a commemoration of the event held in Drogheda on 15 May. The mayor of Drogheda, Alderman Paul Bell, hosted his counterparts from Dublin and Belfast at a tree-planting ceremony and the unveiling of a plaque at the fire station in … Read more
Sir,—Eamon O’Flaherty’s review of Dion Boucicault’s Arrah-na-Pogue (HI 19.2, March/April 2011) notes that Boucicault made a huge impact on the theatre in mid-nineteenth-century New York and London. It should also be noted that Boucicault was in turn affected by a seminal event in American history, to which he thereby became an interesting footnote. The playbill … Read more