Sir,—Compliments to Seán Bernard Newman on his excellent article on the Ulster Special Constabulary. He is correct that the weapons toted by the half-squad of B Specials (HI 29.2, March/April 2021, p. 35) are not the standard government-issued short magazine Lee Enfield rifles (SMLEs), but nor are they ‘Larne era’. They appear to be Lee … Read more
Sir,—I’m doing some research on Martin Haverty, born in Rahoon, Co. Galway, in 1809. He was half-brother to Joseph P., the artist. He wrote a very detailed history of Ireland, based on the Annals of the Four Masters, in 1860, while resident in Kilbehy, Askeaton, Co. Limerick. He had bought Kilbehy in 1853—257 acres of … Read more
Sir,—I would like to congratulate History Ireland on its recent Hedge School podcast, ‘“Spies and informers beware!”—intelligence and counterintelligence in the War of Independence’ (https://historyireland.com/hedge-schools/, scroll down). The panel, chaired by Tommy Graham, of Andy Bielenberg, Cécile Gordon, Eunan O’Halpin and Gerry White provided a nuanced analysis of what is undoubtedly a complex subject. I … Read more
Sir,—I am writing with a minor correction to the article on ‘Symphysiotomy in Ireland, 1944–66’ (HI 20.5, Sept./Oct. 2012). The article included a pair of photos side by side (p. 46), depicting two former masters of the National Maternity Hospital—Dr Arthur Barry (1948–55), who misguidedly promoted the practice of symphysiotomy during and after his tenure, … Read more
Sir,—Your review of The Hunger: The Story of the Irish Famine (‘Seen on TV’, HI 29.2, March/April 2021) concentrated mainly on how the story was presented. This excellent documentary necessarily presents a broad-brushstroke account of a complex situation. The wider public appreciation of the history of the Great Famine is often obscured by an emotive … Read more