‘When A.J. Kettle, a well-known opponent of the union, spoke, fights broke out between ITGWU protestors and non-union attendees, but the disturbances were soon drowned out by the song God Save Ireland.’ Sir,—How surprised I was to read the glaring error—reference to A.J. Kettle speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Irish Volunteers—in Joseph E.A. … Read more
by Joseph E.A. Connell Jr In 1913, members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in Dublin began drilling in secret. While drilling continued, the IRB requested Bulmer Hobson to approach The O’Rahilly, a prominent nationalist, to ask him to approach Eoin MacNeill, Professor of Early and Medieval Irish History in University College Dublin. MacNeill had … Read more
Ronan Fanning (Faber and Faber, £16.99) ISBN 9780571297399 ‘There is a path of fatality which pursues the relations between the two countries and makes them eternally at cross purposes’ (David Lloyd George, House of Commons, 22 December 1919). Author Ronan Fanning says: ‘Fatal path is simply a case study in the high politics of how … Read more
Billy Colfer (Cork University Press, €49) ISBN 9781859184936 Few counties in Ireland have been better served by their scholars and writers than Wexford—and, of these, no one has better honoured his county’s landscapes and people than Billy Colfer. Wexford castles is not only a worthy successor to his monographs The Hook Peninsula (2004) and Wexford: … Read more