Sitting on a small rise a mile north of Arklow, overlooking the River Avoca, is a monument described by John Betjeman as the largest pyramid tomb ‘beyond the banks of the Nile’. It stands on the highest position in the ancient cemetery of Kilbride, dwarfing the ruins of the adjacent medieval church, and is easily … Read more
Although born in Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, William Godfrey Dunham Massy (1838–1906) belonged to a prominent County Tipperary family and entered Trinity College, Dublin, in 1854. He abandoned his studies, however, to volunteer for service in the Crimean War. Despite being aged just sixteen, Massy was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 19th Foot and … Read more
The map is in the archival collection of the library at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and has several additional elements, including the coats of arms of several families. It has been an object of interest and fascination for many, including James Joyce. James Hardiman in his History of Galway (1820) claimed that the map … Read more
In an article about Galway City, published in 1912 by the Trieste newspaper Il Piccolo della Sera, James Joyce wrote of the map: ‘The strangest and most interesting historical document in the city archives is the map of the city made for the Duke of Lorraine in the seventeenth century . . . The margins … Read more
Sir—A neighbour, a good friend of mine, called into me the other day to tell me that there is a photo of my mother and father in the latest edition of History Ireland, which I might like to see. And yes, indeed, I was very interested in looking at the excellent photograph of Elgie Gillespie … Read more