By Lar Joye Writing in 1968, Prof. J.J. Lee remarked of Ireland’s railway system: ‘Before 1850 economic development had been hindered by an underdeveloped transport network. Since 1850 Ireland has been an underdeveloped economy with a highly developed transport system.’ By 1914 there were over 5,000km of railway tracks operated by 46 companies. The first … Read more
The Leinster Regiment, their depot and how they were commemorated in Birr, Co. Offaly. By Stephen Callaghan Birr, Co. Offaly, is the spiritual home of the Leinster Regiment. The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms of the British Army in July 1881, with the amalgamation of the 100th and 109th Regiments of … Read more
By Myles Mac Evilly That a landing of National Army troops at Westport was a possibility was considered by Tommie Heavey, formerly of the West Mayo Brigade but now in Castlebar Barracks with Michael Kilroy in July 1922 at the start of the Civil War. He stated that Michael Kilroy, who was always interested in … Read more
By Fiona Fitzsimons After 1536 the Church of Ireland, as the established church, was responsible for burying all the dead of the community. Most parishes kept only a record of their own faith community. Notable exceptions were St James’s CoI (Dublin) and St Flannan’s CoI Cathedral graveyard, Killaloe (Clare). Some faiths only buried their own … Read more
By Nicholas Rossiter In 1902 people learned about the outside world through newspapers and periodicals. Lighting in the home, outside large urban areas, was by candle, oil-lamp or gas mantle. The reading material was very much text-laden, with few illustrations other than line-drawings. Since the introduction of National Schools in 1831 there had been a … Read more