First of all, my thanks to Mr Ó Cinneide for sharing his memories of his FCA service (HI 20.2, March/April 2012, Letters). All too few former members of the force have done so, and official records are quite sparse. The FCA did indeed wear a slightly shorter jacket than their regular army counterparts, but any … Read more
Sir,—Your March/April issue was a blockbuster! My favourite was the first article, about how the Romans in England saw Ireland. I had long wanted to know how close we were to becoming part of their empire. Now I know that they seriously considered invading us, but backed off because they could make more money by … Read more
Sir,—The presence of ethnic minorities in eighteenth-century Ireland was seldom commented on, but they existed even in ‘less predictable locations … such as … Carrickmacross’, as Philip McEvansoneya pointed out (HI 20.2, March/April 2012, pp 26–8). The Carrickmacross individual steps out of the shadows a little, for she is mentioned in Denis Carolan Rushe’s History … Read more
Sir,—In reply to Jeffery Dudgeon (HI 20.2, March/April 2010, Letters), the debate about whether the late Peter Hart is guilty of calling the Dunmanway massacre ‘ethnic cleansing’ has gone on far too long. In his article ‘Class, community, and the Irish Republican Army in Cork’, in Cork: history and society (1993), he stated (p. 980) … Read more
Sir,—I followed with interest the debate on Peter Hart’s interpretation of the 1922 Dunmanway massacre (John M. Regan, HI 20.1, Jan./Feb. 2012, Platform; Jeffrey Dudgeon, HI 20.2, March/April 2012, Letters). Hart’s reputation is unlikely to be damaged by Regan’s analysis, however. To somebody who knows the area, Regan’s handling of data is so slipshod and … Read more