Cardinal Paul Cullen and his world

From the mid-nineteenth century, the influence of Cardinal Paul Cullen (1803–78) was ubiquitous within Irish society. He was, as Colin Barr notes in this collection, ‘arguably the most important figure between the death of Daniel O’Connell and the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell’ (p. 414). As Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh succinctly argues, regardless of whether his … Read more

Bookworm

As the countdown to the centenary of the 1916 Rising continues, the presses carry on rolling with 1916-related publications,producing both new and revised editions. In the latter category is The Easter Rising by Michael T. Foy and Brian Barton, first published in 1999 and described at the time by Roy Foster as ‘the best survey … Read more

Enniscorthy Castle Castle Hill, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

I can remember when the castle in Enniscorthy housed the unofficial Wexford county museum. It had all the attractions and flaws of a volunteer-run museum, with every room packed with exhibits, not always in the best of condition. In 2006 the castle was closed for major renovation. A radical decision was taken to concentrate on … Read more