By Andy Bell ‘The first Welsh-language radio broadcast was made from Dublin.’ That surprising and incorrect assertion came from not one but two governments in the Ireland–Wales Shared Statement and Joint Action Plan 2021 to 2025. Both the Dublin and Cardiff governments had misconstrued a single event and, in so doing, belittled a far more … Read more
By John Mulqueen and Fergus Whelan Too young for involvement in the Saor Éire or Republican Congress initiatives, Paddy Whelan witnessed the revival of left-wing activity in Dublin from the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. As a member of the IRA, he also witnessed the upsurge in right-wing activity in the shape … Read more
By Pat Poland By his own admission, Richard ‘Dickie’ Beamish, born in 1909 into the famous Cork brewing family of Ashbourne House, Glounthaune, Co. Cork, never wanted to be head of the firm. As a young man he was a free spirit and could not envisage being confined to a dreary desk, crunching boring numbers … Read more
By Fintan Lane Road bowling—an elemental and deeply rooted sporting tradition in Ireland—has fascinated many with its blend of skill, physical endurance and local pride. It is a curious game that can feel like an archaic leftover from wildly different times, before roads were made perilous by heavy traffic. Played by pitching a 28oz. iron … Read more
By Brett Irwin The His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) archive in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) contains many records that tell the story of the penal system of the Ulster counties that now make up Northern Ireland. These are a fascinating source for genealogists and researchers, as the general prison registers, admission/discharge registers … Read more