Sir,—Dr Thomas Tormey may have the better of me where he identifies a ‘democratic deficit’ during the Civil War, rather than the ‘military-dictatorship’ under Michael Collins I referenced in my review of Ronan McGreevy’s new book on Sir Henry Wilson. To be clear, no one has ever challenged the evidential basis on which my description … Read more
Sir—In a review of Eve Morrison’s Kilmichael: The Life and Afterlife of an Ambush (HI 30.3 May/June 2022), Gerry White wrote that Morrison ‘spoke to a number of people who had an interest in the ambush. Notable exceptions are the papers of Tom Barry himself to which Morrison claims she was denied access and insights … Read more
BY DONAL FALLON Waterford’s sporting heroes To fans of the Déise in recent times, John Mullane is a sporting hero without rival, proclaiming ‘I loves me county’ after a Munster senior hurling championship victory in 2004. Now, the Waterford Treasures Museum presents a new exhibition at their Bishop’s Palace site, demonstrating the rich sporting pedigree … Read more
By John Gibney The thirteenth volume in the Royal Irish Academy’s Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP) series will be published in November 2022, on-schedule, despite the disruption caused by Covid-19. DIFP was established in 1997 as a partnership between the Royal Irish Academy, the National Archives and the Department of Foreign Affairs, and publishes … Read more
By Pádraig Ó Macháin No manuscripts written completely in Irish survive from before 1106, when our oldest Gaelic manuscript, Leabhar na hUidhre, was written. Together with two other manuscripts, these are the only ones to survive from the twelfth century. From the thirteenth century none survive; from the fourteenth fewer than twenty; which means that … Read more