In their preface to this handsome volume the joint editors acknowledge that while it has been their aim to give some account of the chief battles of Ireland’s history their principal concern is with the political and social background. Although at first sight this might appear to belie the title of the book, their approach … Read more
The neat, frail figure of Andrée Sheehy-Skeffington was the centre of attention at a meeting on 20 April to celebrate the life of her mother-in-law, the feminist Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington. The event, held at University College Dublin, marked the fiftieth anniversary of Hanna’s death. It was organised by the Women’s Education Research and Research Centre (WERRC), … Read more
The elegant eighteenth-century surroundings of Clifton Hill House provided a suitably austere setting for the Tenth Biennial Conference of Irish Historians in Britain which took place at the University of Bristol, 12-14 April on the theme Narratives of Irish History. Donnchadh Ó Corráin (UCC) set the tone with a stimulating opening contribution examining the literary … Read more
As a contribution to the on-going commemoration of the anniversary of the Famine, a one-day symposium on the theme The Irish Famine and Migration was held in March at Queens’ College, Cambridge. Organised by the Cambridge Group for Irish Studies, under the auspices of the Cambridge University History Faculty and in association with History Ireland, … Read more
The practice of history can be seen as a tapestry being constantly re-woven as patterns change, fade, deteriorate, go out of fashion, being replaced in their turn by new shapes, new colourings, expressions of new approaches. Tom O’Neill appeared in these pictures often, over the last forty years, his appearances more lasting than many. But … Read more