After his defeat in the 1828 presidential election John Quincy Adams was faced with a crisis of self-confidence which, in an unusual move for an ex-President of the United States, he met by re-entering political life as a congressman and by reconfirming his own moral and ethical stance as an Adams through the medium of … Read more
It is curious that the career and achievements of Archbishop Narcissus Marsh (1638-1715) have received little attention from modern historians. One explanation may be the dismissive views of William King (1650-1729), the powerful Archbishop of Dublin, who said Marsh was ‘very dextrous at doing nothing’ or even more likely Jonathan Swift’s spiteful ‘Character of Primate … Read more
Whatever the final outcome of the Junior Certificate controversy and notwithstanding the gratifying level of support from the general public, it is likely that the pressure on history within a crowded curriculum will continue. This places an even greater onus on the primary sector which is the only level of the educational system where all … Read more
Tom Garvin (UCD) was ‘very uneasy about it’ while Brendan McGahon TD spoke of ‘lurid imaginings’. These comments were made in a Sunday Times article rubbishing the as yet unreleased Neil Jordan film about Michael Collins. The article was entitled ‘Hollywood’s rewrite of Irish history clouds peace process’. Although the peace process has in fact … Read more