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
BY DONAL FALLON MEN OF THE SOUTH COME TO LIFE The impact of modern technology on Irish museums is explored in our current Museum Eye (pp 56–7) and in our recent review of the Book of Kells Experience (March/April 2024). Beyond museums, developing technology is now making its presence felt in art galleries. At the … Read more