By Brian Casey The Dublin Cemeteries Committee had been concerned about the rowdy behaviour of mourners at Glasnevin Cemetery since its first opening in 1832. In January 1852 it decided to close the cemetery gates daily at noon to reduce the risk of violence. This led to the establishment of the short-lived but vocal ‘Anti-Early … Read more
By Lar Joye When the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Irish Volunteers were created in 1913 as private armies, there was a precedent. In 1859 the British government called for the formation of volunteer rifle units—known as the Rifle Volunteer Corps or more often the Volunteer Force—to defend against the threat of French invasion by … Read more
By Fiona Fitzsimons On 17 March 1858 the Fenian Brotherhood was founded to overthrow British rule in Ireland by armed insurrection and establish a republic. The Fenians were a secret society operating in plain sight. They held public meetings and published a newspaper, the Irish People. Fenian networks extended beyond Ireland to wherever the Irish … Read more
By Damian Murphy The Tower of Lloyd, standing on the crest of the Hill of Lloyd, 440ft above sea level on the outskirts of Kells, Co. Meath, can make a legitimate claim to the title of highest-placed lighthouse in Ireland but also enjoys the dubious title of the lowest-ranked for usefulness to mariners, given its … Read more
By Eoin Dillon With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, empires were said to have reached their historical terminus; like smallpox, they were a thing of the past. The 2003 US invasion of Iraq put paid to that understanding of the contemporary world; the rise of China with its irredentist claims, particularly to … Read more