BY DONAL FALLON MNÁ NA hATHBHEOCHANA Good news from the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), where a new exhibition, Mná na hAthbheochana (‘Women of the Revival’), marks a significant milestone as the first Irish-language exhibition hosted by the institution. Telling the story of the women who were central to the foundation of the … Read more
BY DONAL FALLON RORY GALLAGHER REMEMBERED A new statue to Rory Gallagher has been unveiled outside Belfast’s Ulster Hall, a fitting memorial to the Ballyshannon-born musician who continued to play there regularly during the Troubles, becoming a hero to the youth of the city. In an interview Gallagher insisted that, ‘In an Irish tour, I … Read more
BY DONAL FALLON THE IRISH COURTS PODCAST Marking the centenary of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924, a new podcast series explores landmark legal cases in Irish history, with some remarkable guests appearing. In ‘The David Norris Case’, we hear from author Colm Tóibín, former president Mary McAleese and David Norris himself. Other episodes explore … Read more
BY DONAL FALLON ALEXANDER ECTOR ORR REMEMBERED A new plaque has been unveiled in Strabane in honour of Alexander Ector Orr (1831–1914). Described by the chairman of the Ulster History Circle as the ‘father of the New York subway’, Orr was a successful emigrant from Ireland who went on to play a leading role in … Read more
BY DONAL FALLON NO FLUNKEYISM HERE! In 1900 Queen Victoria arrived in Dublin to considerable fanfare, as the Second Boer War rumbled on. Donal P. McCracken, a leading authority on Ireland and the conflict, notes that ‘signs of disloyalty were dwarfed by the great ceremony and large crowds surrounding the queen’, as the authorities moved … Read more