Sir,—Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc’s letter in response to Nigel Jones’s review of my book, The great cover-up (HI 27.1, March/April 2019), is a rather sad attempt at shooting the messenger. I think what he is trying to tell us is that scientists should not study history. But whether you are a scientist or a historian, … Read more
Sir,—In his otherwise extremely interesting article on H.T. Barrie MP (HI 27.2, March/April 2019), Aaron Callan states: ‘Barrie, however, went to the [1917 Irish] Convention to safeguard the Ulster Unionist position—namely that partition had already been agreed in the 1914 Act (albeit for a “temporary” six-year period)—and this was the outcome he would reaffirm’. It … Read more
Sir,—Kilmainham Gaol Museum and Down County Museum are looking for descendants and relatives of Peter Byrne, a Dublin man who was one of 2,000 prisoners interned in Ballykinlar Camp, Co. Down, between 1920 and 1921. Peter was a carpenter who lived at 1 Barrow Street, Dublin 2, with his wife Frances. He fought in the … Read more
BY TONY CANAVAN Did Vikings bring leprosy to Ireland? In years past, little was known about how leprosy came to medieval Ireland, but thanks to research done by Queen’s University, Belfast, the University of Surrey and the University of Southampton we may now have an answer: Vikings. The study focused on five cases of probable … Read more
BY AODHÁN CREALEY MAY 11/1917 Belfast-born Dr David Walker (80), surgeon, naturalist and photographer on Captain F.L. McClintock’s expedition to the Arctic (1857–9) which discovered the remains of Sir John Franklin and his crew, died in Portland, Oregon. Though barely twenty years old at the time and with no nautical experience, Walker acquitted … Read more