Albert Power’s bust of Terence MacSwiney (1879–1920). By Síghle Bhreathnach-Lynch On 26 October 1920 the Freeman’s Journal devoted its front page to the Sinn Féin lord mayor of Cork, Terence J. MacSwiney, who had died the previous day in Brixton Prison, London, after a hunger strike lasting 74 days. A photograph of the dead man, … Read more
A moment in modernism’s development in Ireland. By Brian Trench In April 1926 writers Liam O’Flaherty (front cover) and Francis MacManus debated the role of religion in Irish culture. O’Flaherty was ‘strongly anti-church’ while MacManus was ‘defending it’, according to one of those present, fellow writer Rosamond Jacob. All three were members of the Radical … Read more
Irish neutrality in the Second World War. By John Gibney and Michael Kennedy In September 1939 the Second World War began, and in Ireland the ‘Emergency’ commenced. The common use of the term arose from the 1939 Emergency Powers Act and the declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ by the Fianna Fáil government of Éamon … Read more
In this ‘decade of commemorations’, it is worth reflecting on Ireland’s long, contentious yet colourful history of commemorations and the role that flags and emblems have played throughout it. By Stan Zamyatin Flags, emblems and commemorations have represented the aspirations of Irish people over centuries, reflecting the political movements that have taken place on all … Read more
John Stahl’s Parnell (1937). By Tony Tracy Prior to Michael Collins (1996), one has to go back over half a century to find a Hollywood-funded drama dealing with an Irish political figure: the MGM production Parnell (1937), a lavishly produced bio-pic covering the period between Charles Stewart Parnell’s visit to the US in early 1880 … Read more