There is one overriding and rather obvious dissimilarity between Ireland and Scotland: Ireland is an island. Throughout its early history, at least until the arrival of the Vikings at the end of the eighth century, Ireland was inhabited by a people who spoke a common language and who thereby could convince themselves that they were … Read more
Whether or not Glenveagh, County Donegal, and Scotland’s Great Glen are geologically connected is a question best left to specialists, but the fact remains that they look very much alike. Both are corridors through highland landscapes and both are routes of communication. Both were known to Columba. He was born c. 521 and his birth-place, … Read more
Sir,—I agree with Brian Hanley (HI Spring 1999) that ‘the conflictssurrounding Poppy Day in the ‘20s and ‘30s were more complexthan present-day commentators have allowed’.One-hundred-and-seventy-thousand out of 180,000 Volunteers had remainedloyal to their elected political leader in his constitutional approach.A significant number had put their lives on the line on the Somme andother battlefields. Afterwards … Read more
Sir,—I am researching the Ancient Britons fencible cavalry’s activitiesin Ireland before, during and after the 1798 Rebellion. Beingparticularly interested in the mythic as well as factual aspects oftheir involvement in 1790s Ireland, I wish to explore just why twocenturies on they still epitomise unchecked brutality and atrocity.That this body of North Welsh cavalry went from … Read more
Sir,—Re criticism of my Irish Voices from the Great War in the lastissue (‘Letters’). I am sorry your correspondent was disappointed bythe volume. I am quite prepared to acknowledge that it is possible Iwas misled. But I draw the reader’s attention to my caveat in theintroduction where I gave fair warning that some of the … Read more