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
The most obvious suspects were loyalist paramilitaries, aiming to destroy power-sharing. Since 1969 loyalists had bombed Dublin and several border towns. Immediately after the bombings, Sammy Smyth of the UDA professed to be ‘very happy . . . There is a war with the Free State and now we are laughing at them’. Others suggested … Read more
Peter Howe Brown, second marquis of Sligo, was to pack an extraordinary amount into his 57 years on Earth. Born in 1788, some of his formative memories stemmed from the late summer of 1798, when French forces seized Westport House from his father and made it their base during the ill-fated rebellion of the United … 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