RICHARD K. MAHER (ed.) Peter Lang £30 ISBN 9781789979343 Reviewed by Tony Canavan Tony Canavan is Consultant Editor of Books Ireland. While the title of this book may be eye-catching, it does not do justice to the breadth and depth of the essays it contains. Based on a seminar held in 2019 to commemorate the … Read more
MARTYN BENNETT, RAY GILLESPIE and R. SCOTT SPURLOCK (eds) Liverpool University Press £90 ISBN 9781789622379 Reviewed by Micheál Ó Siochrú To this day, Cromwell retains his status as one of Ireland’s most recognisable and controversial historical figures, blamed for a series of major atrocities, including notorious massacres at Drogheda and Wexford and mass deportations to … Read more
By Joe Culley @TheRealCulls No doubt you have all read the late Shane Kenna’s superb The Invincibles (Bookworm, HI 27.4, July/August 2019) on the Phoenix Park murders, and know that the culprits were apprehended when one turned State’s witness—or informer. Now Seán Ó Cuirreáin delves deeper into the aftermath with The Queen v. Patrick O’Donnell: … Read more
The Mall, Armagh, Co. Down https://visitarmagh.com/places-to-explore/armagh-county-museum/ sarah.millsopp@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk By Tony Canavan Armagh County Museum is of historical interest in itself, as it was the first county museum to open in Ireland and is located in what is probably the first purpose-built local museum. It owes its origins to the Armagh Natural History and Philosophical Society, which … Read more
By Patria McWalter A petite volume recently caused a little puzzlement in Galway County Council Archives. The volume was acquired from the Local Studies section of Galway Public Libraries, but unfortunately no details existed relating to its provenance or its original deposit with the library. The pocket-sized notebook, measuring 17cm by 13cm, bound with a … Read more