Sir,—D.R. O’Connor Lysaght (HI 23.6, Nov./Dec. 2015, letters) somewhat misses the point of my Platform piece (HI 23.5, Sept./Oct. 2105). It was not ‘a critique of the Easter Rising’ but rather, as requested by the editor, a comment on the ‘Decade of Centenaries’ from a Belfast viewpoint. It was about how the events of 1912–22 … Read more
Sir,—Dennis Kennedy, in casting a cold eye (HI 23.5, Sept./Oct. 2015, Platform, pp 10–11) on celebrating the centennial of 1916, asks: ‘But how does a country, or a government, celebrate 1916 without glorifying bloodshed?’ There is always a fear that, in the very act of honouring the courage and self-sacrificing determination of a people who … Read more
MINISTER HUMPHREYS ANNOUNCES A REFURBISHMENT PROGRAMME, BUT FUNDING FOR STAFFING AND DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS IS STILL INADEQUATE By Felix M. Larkin As a long-time critic of the neglect of the National Library by governments of all hues, it would be churlish of me not to welcome the recent allocation by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and … Read more
By Darren Doyle It’s a cool Saturday morning in October. It’s just before sunrise and the mist is sitting lightly on the hills. Most people are warm and snug in their beds. Not us, though. As I lift a compact flying machine out of my bag, I can’t help but think back to how the … Read more
By Tony Canavan The general election can’t be too far off, as it looks like Fine Gael is selling off its heirlooms to help pay for it. Recently an original ‘Fine Gael Blueshirt’ from the 1930s was sold at auction in Dublin for €1,400. It was described in Whyte’s catalogue as a ‘blue cotton military-style … Read more