Irish names in the Legacy of British Slave-ownership (LBS) database (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/). By Sylvie Kleinman ‘I do not envy his father his £79,000’, said Daniel O’Connell of the young William Gladstone to abolitionists in London in March 1838, ‘nor the feelings aroused in his breast’ when hearing of the famishing negro on his estate. They were … Read more
By Michael Brabazon In 1974, a young man by the name of Mike Brennan was exploring a dilapidated, derelict house in Swinford, Co. Mayo. He made his way up the Georgian mansion’s rickety staircase to the first floor, where he discovered a small, hidden cupboard set into the wall. Prising it open, he found a … Read more
Church Lane, Kilkenny By Colm Murray The premises now occupied by the Heritage Council stand on a historic site. The former bishop’s palace in Kilkenny forms part of the St Canice’s Cathedral precinct and, together with the cathedral and round tower, the library and deanery, occupies an elevated position overlooking the medieval city. Work … Read more
‘Never reformed because never deformed’ By Yvonne McDermott During the medieval period Ireland played host to many religious orders, following a range of monastic rules and forms of life, with a common aim of devoting themselves to God. Among the more obscure of these are the Carthusians, whose solitary lives, brief stay in Ireland … Read more
Does photo colourisation bring us closer to the past? By Emily Mark-Fitzgerald In 1988 Ted Turner announced that he intended to colourise Citizen Kane. A critical and popular outcry soon forced a retreat, though Turner continued to colourise black-and-white films from both RKO and MGM’s back catalogues for decades, albeit with lukewarm public reception. Three … Read more