Murphy’s later years were mainly spent in combating partition and conscription. The redoubtable lord mayor of Dublin (1917–24) Laurence O’Neill, a supporter of Larkin, described Murphy as the outstanding personality of the National Convention of 1917. He knew what was at stake and bent all his ability to bring unionists and nationalists together in a … Read more
Any good news there is on the jobs front these days invariably comes courtesy of IDA-Ireland. The foreign-owned sector has fared much better than the indigenous sector over the current downturn. Since shortly after its formation in 1949 the IDA has been focusing on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and has become one of the … Read more
The Treaty of Trianon, signed on 4 June 1920 between the ‘Principal Allied and Associated Powers’ and Hungary, was part of the far-reaching arrangements agreed upon at the Paris Peace Conference for the breaking up of the Habsburg empire after its defeat alongside imperial Germany in the First World War. It followed the Treaty of … Read more
On the final night of John F. Kennedy’s trip to Ireland in 1963, the 46-year-old American president took advantage of a small dinner setting at Áras an Uachtaráin to pose a personal question to the 80-year-old president of Ireland, Eamon de Valera. The first head of state to honour the Easter Rising’s executed leaders at … Read more
Shortly before noon on Easter Monday 1916, Catherine Foster left her home in 18 Manor Place in Stoneybatter, pushing her two-year-old child, John Francis, in his pram towards the city centre. As she reached the junction of North King Street, she encountered a barricade being hastily built by the Volunteers under the leadership of Piaras … Read more