Presbyterians and the Irish Language Roger Blaney (Ulster Historical Foundation/The Ultach Trust, £6.50) ISBN 0-901905-75-5 Reviewed by Caoimhghin Ó Murchadha The events of last summer raised many questions about the nature and exercise of certain aspects of unionist cultural traditions in the North. Whilst historically it is the case that only a minority of the … Read more
Maynooth College: 1795-1995 Patrick J. Corish (Gill and Macmillan, £40) ISBN: 0-7171-2241-7 Reviewed by Thomas O’Loughlin For the two centuries of its existence Maynooth has been close to the centre of Irish life and controversy. There is not a corner of the island which has not felt the effects of its alumni, or of decisions … Read more
Sir,—I note your recent article on ‘The American Civil War and Irish Nationalism’ (HI 4.2, Summer 1996). Your readers may be interested to know that there is a re-enactment regiment of the American Civil War currently recruiting in Ireland, North and South. The 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the fourth regiment of the Irish … Read more
Sir,—Proinsias Ó Conluain’s article ‘Orange déjà vu?’ (HI 4.4, Winter 1996) sadly attributed the ‘déjà vu’ solely to the Orange Order. In fact the ‘déjà vu’ really relates to the whole series of events culminating in the tensions and troubles surrounding Orange parades. Sadly his article, which missed out valuable historical facts, was partial at … Read more
Sir,—As a footnote to Alan Blackstock’s interesting article on the Yeomanry (HI 4.4, Winter 1996) and their place in the tradition of Protestant defence forces, it should be noted that in some places Yeomanry corps continued to exist on an unofficial basis after their official disbandment. The Fermanagh novelist Shan Bullock (1865-1935) mentions in his … Read more