Another look at the 23 April 1918 general strike against conscription. By Padraig Yeates As the Voice of Labour, the organ of the Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union, put it at the time, ‘In numbers, in spirit, in determination, in resolve, in decision, Labour in Ireland has done nothing in its history to equal … Read more
‘The head of a landlord in one hand and the tail of a cow in the other—these are the arguments to use when you argue with an Englishman.’ By Phelim Brady Given Michael Collins’s reputation as the ‘Irish Pimpernel’, it might surprise some to learn that he was once arrested in broad daylight in the … Read more
The political conversion of Orangeman Frederick Youell. By Quincey Dougan In its 21 January 1909 edition, the Belfast Weekly News contained an editorial entitled ‘The Vanguard County’, a report on the proceedings of the recently held meeting of the County Grand Orange Lodge of Leitrim, and it was unusual in that it also included portraits … Read more
There is much in these files for researchers and academics to grapple with for some time to come, proving that the MSPC is an essential source for any serious student of the Irish Revolution. By Michael Keane The latest release from the Military Service (1916–1923) Pensions Collection (MSPC) has made files relating to 73 of … Read more
Brexit or no Brexit, the Irish border is a subject of interest to many. People have been killed as a direct or indirect result of its existence and it has facilitated criminality for generations. There is, however, a lighter side. By Cormac Bourke It would make for instructive television to challenge unionists and nationalists to … Read more