Sir,—I was intrigued to read Richard Roche’s letter concerning Alexis Stafford in the summer 1996 issue of History Ireland. During the turbulent struggle between James II and William III, Dublin city was under Jacobite control under the so-called ‘patriot parliament’ in 1689. A Roman Catholic priest, Alexius Stafford, was ‘intruded into the Deanery by James … Read more
Sir,—I take exception to the gratuitously insulting cartoon by ‘doll’ on page nine of the autumn 1996 issue of History Ireland. The cartoon depicts a figure pushing over a pedestal on which is inscribed ‘Na Bráithre Críostaí Irish Christian Brothers, 1820-’. The figure is saying ‘Corporal punishment was bad enough, but Gaelic corporal punishment…’Now, as … Read more
Sir,—The caption—’Women continued to play an active role in the War of Independence’—under the photograph on page 41 of the last issue (Autumn 1996) is misleading on two counts. In the first place, it does not depict a War of Independence flying column but a Civil War one—the Third Battalion flying column (‘Plunkett’s Own’), No. … Read more
The people’s rising: Wexford 1798, Daniel Gahan (Gill and MacMillan, £ 12.99). The mighty wave: the 1798 rebellion in Wexford (eds) Dáire Keogh & Nicholas Furlong (Four Courts, £9.99). Sir Richard Musgrave’s memoirs of the Irish rebellion of 1798 (eds) S.W. Myers & D.E. McKnight (Round Tower Books, £35). The summer soldiers: 1798 rebellion in … Read more
Reviewed by Vincent Carey Gone are the days when English historians ignored the question of British involvement in Ireland in the early modern period. When considered at all, the traditional narrative tended to trivialise the Irish experience and minimalise its impact on the grand sweep of English history. An example of this tendency is found … Read more