Timothy Bowman The Somme offensive was initially conceived as a joint Anglo-French advance which would break the German lines and open the road to Berlin. The area was not chosen for any great strategic reasons: the German line was not particularly weak there … Read more
Chandra Miller Emigration from Ireland is as ancient a fixture as the human urge to roam and explore. In post-Famine Ireland, however, the emigration of single young women became a documentable historical phenomenon. Before the Great Famine of 1845-1849, emigration had already established itself as a feature of Irish society. In the five years preceding … Read more
John White ‘Well, I never knew how good I was ’till now’, Dominick Beirne was quoted as saying on the evening of 21 August 1879. Beirne and at least fourteen of his friends and relations had just witnessed what they … Read more
John Tyrrell No one in 1796 would have believed that it could happen. For a French fleet to sail from Brittany into Bantry Bay through the massed blockading fleet of the British navy and back … Read more
Alan Blackstock In September 1796, Ireland was pregnant with expectation. The United Irishmen and Defenders planned insurrection and a French invasion was imminent. On 19 September Dublin Castle announced plans to follow Britain’s lead and enlist civilian volunteers as a yeomanry force. In October … Read more