Sir,—In his review of volume III (1730–1880) of the Cambridgehistory of Ireland (HI 26.6, Nov./Dec. 2018), Timothy Murtagh faults itspredecessor, A new history of Ireland,on the grounds that it was more than ‘just a series of books’ but was ‘astatement by an entire generation of revisionist scholars’. If this is a fault,it could be made … Read more
Sir,—The article by Bryan MacMahon (HI 26.6, Sept./Oct. 2018) accurately highlights the impact of the Abergele disaster on contemporary society. A footnote to this sad tale is that the clerk in charge of the Travelling Post Office (TPO) van was Henry Cole Silk. He was the youngest son of Edmund Silk, attorney and long-standing seneschal … Read more
Sir,—Mark Phelan’s excellently compressed account (‘How the Central Powers were defeated’, HI 26.6, Nov./Dec. 2018) is very informative. However, one contributing factor to large-scale surrenders by German soldiers is not mentioned. British historian Professor Niall Ferguson has drawn attention to the consideration that the cessation by British soldiers, in the last months of the war, … Read more
Sir,—With reference to the excellent article by Leanne Blaney, ‘Motors wanted!’ (HI 26.6, Nov./Dec. 2018), on the use of the motor car in canvassing during the 1918 general election, in a February 1908 cartoon that was part of Sinn Féin’s North Leitrim by-election campaign on behalf of its candidate Charles Dolan, the former Irish Parliamentary … Read more