Such well-narrated historical processes as the Roman, French and Russian revolutions allow us to identify the common traits of a revolution as distinct from a coup d’état or similar change of regime. I believe that the Irish Revolution had all these traits but that this has so far not been recognised by historians, with the … Read more
September 3 1972 Mary Peters of Belfast took the gold medal in the women’s pentathlon at the Olympic Games in Munich with a world record of 4,801 points. 5 1972 Eleven Israeli athletes were killed when the Arab terrorist group Black September struck at the Olympic Games in Munich, two as they slept … Read more
Across 1 George ———, Anglo-Irish physicist who introduced the idea and name of the electron (6). 5 William ‘Guillermo’ ———, Cork-born scientist who helped establish Spain’s Natural History Museum (6). 10 Robert and Thomas ———-, conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot (7). 11 United Irishman Malachy ———- accompanied Robert Emmet to France to brief Napoleon Bonaparte … Read more
It looks like my headline for last issue’s article on Olympic boxing—‘Punching above our weight?’—was vindicated by the impressive haul of four medals by our boxers in London (gold, silver and two bronze). Strange, then, that what set the blogosphere buzzing during the recent games was RTÉ presenter Bill O’Herlihy’s observation, in the course of … Read more
Sir,—Volunteers James and Timothy Coffey were from Breaghna, Enniskeane, Co. Cork, the eldest boys in the family of eight of farming parents James and Margaret Coffey. In the early hours of Monday 14 February 1921, the soldiers of the Essex Regiment and Black and Tans were escorted by two masked civilians, who were members of … Read more