Robert Owen, having made a fortune as a mill manager in Manchester and from 1800 at New Lanark in Scotland, instituted workplace and community reforms, the basis for a wider social agenda. In 1812 he started work on his essays on A new view of society, designed to promote popular but secular education and to … Read more
Southern Greece, August 1812—The marquis of Sligo, laird of Westport House, Co. Mayo, rocked back on his heels and whistled appreciatively. Like all members of his class, he had enjoyed a classical education and was familiar with the wonders of ancient Greece. And now he stood by the legendary burial chamber of Agamemnon, the king … Read more
At around 5.30pm on Friday 17 May 1974, three car bombs exploded in the centre of Dublin. Just before 7pm another explosion took place outside a pub in Monaghan town. Thirty-three people died as a result of what was the worst single atrocity in the history of the Northern Ireland conflict. The bombings came as … Read more
This archive won’t appeal to the pedigree nuts but is a treasure trove for those who want to document the experiences and motivations of ancestors who fought for independence or who have served in the Irish Defence Forces. One of the problems in using this archive is that much of it concerns people born in … Read more
Through their wills, people rewarded friendships, ensured the financial stability of their children or spouses, or donated to the church for the sake of their souls. Ireland’s single surviving volume of medieval wills and testaments, the Register of wills and inventories of the Diocese of Dublin in the time of Archbishops Tregury and Walton, contains … Read more