Bulmer Hobson founded an organisation that he called ‘Fianna na hÉireann’ on 26 June 1902 at the Catholic Boys’ Hall, Falls Road, Belfast. In Dublin the founders of the Fianna are not so clear, nor the actual date of formation. Curiously, the most precise detail and relevant evidence may come from the pages of the … Read more
The history of the Irish soldier remains a subject of fascination for both scholars and general readers alike. Recent years have seen a steady growth in the literature on this subject, while the National Museum of Ireland’s ‘Soldiers and Chiefs’ exhibition remains hugely popular. For centuries successive generations of Irishmen have served in foreign armies, … Read more
You only need to browse through the annual saleroom catalogues on the War of Independence produced by Dublin’s main auction houses to confirm that the cultural production of the Irish Revival was imaginative, diverse and vastly industrious. The ephemera are exquisite: newspapers, journals, pamphlets and theatre programmes, illustrated with delicate etchings, illuminated lettering and the … Read more
Bruce Nelson starts his book with a clear statement: ‘this book is about race’. Over 257 pages he describes how Irish nationalists developed their own conception of the Irish race in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He does this in an enjoyable, well-written and thought-provoking way. Nelson traces how in the nineteenth century … Read more
At first glance, judging by the title, I thought this was a book in the Michael Richter mode, treating Irish history in a wide international spectrum. But it turns out that the world framework in question is for the most part Scotland, Wales and England from the twelfth century onward. In the latter part of … Read more