Sir,—I’m delighted to see some work being done on the role of navies in Irish history. You and Elaine Murphy are to be congratulated on highlighting a much-neglected topic (‘“Pirates in our channel”: the Cromwellian navy in Ireland, 1649–53’, HI 19.4, July/August 2011). Ireland is an island, but in many works on its history one would imagine that it was connected to Britain by a series of bridges! British naval (and mercantile) power had a profound influence on all aspects of Irish life, but, being out of sight to a large majority of the population, its role and influence tends to be minimalised.—Yours etc.,
DAIRE BRUNICARDI