A campaign is under way to repatriate the personal papers of John Carvill (1854–1927), a merchant of Newry, Co. Down, held in the archives of the Paterno Library in the State College of Pennsylvania. The documents include deeds, ship mortgages, financial reports, legal advice, bound letter-books and school workbooks, and were acquired in 1970 from … Read more
The Francis Hutcheson Institute is a ‘think-tank made up of academic, political and former security personnel who combine their knowledge and expertise to develop and deliver . . . analysis of contemporary conflict situations and related economic, political and social problems around the globe’. This reporter travelled from Dublin with lots of baggage. Rather than … Read more
In the city of Dublin in 1911 less than 20% of the population were Protestant; more startling is that the suburbs of Glasthule and Pembroke were each over 30% Protestant, Kingstown East was 35% and Rathmines East and West both almost 40%, while the Monkstown ward actually had a Catholic minority. In terms of employment, … Read more
President Michael D. Higgins’s recent state visit to the UK completed the second half of the diplomatic choreography initiated by Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Ireland three years ago. At every level it was a triumph, symbolising the friendship and good neighbourliness of two equal and sovereign peoples, a sovereignty in Ireland’s case hard-won by … Read more
When Brian Boru was killed at the Battle of Clontarf he left two sons chall-enging each other for the succession, half-brothers of whom the older was Donnchad, son of the famous Gormlaith (d. 1030). There followed a type of civil war within Dál Cais, culminating in 1023 in the treacherous killing of the younger brother, … Read more