A window on history

by Christine Casey and Christopher Ward     In 14 St Stephen’s Green is an unusual historical document. On one pane of a sash window in the rear hall-floor parlour are scratched the names of five soldiers: A.O. Pollock 21st Regiment, W. Rowland McKay 3rd Dragoon Guards, W.C. Forbes 92nd Highlanders, Mr M. McKay 3rd … Read more

Who fears to speak of ’98

Who fears to speak of ‘98? 1998 will mark the bicentenary of the United Irish rising of 1798 and preparations for its commemoration are already underway, especially in County Wexford where the bicentenary holds special significance. A commemoration association, Comóradh ‘98, backed by the local authorities and numerous county organisations and societies, has been active … Read more

Is Irish History ‘sea-blind’? 

(Recorded live on Sunday 29 September 2024, @ The Substation, Alexandra Road, Dublin, D01 H4C6) In 1986, the maritime historian, John de Courcey Ireland, wrote: ‘The lives of island peoples like Ireland’s [have] been dominated by the seas encircling them. Yet this fact has been largely ignored by Irish historians’. Is Irish history still ‘sea … Read more

How many died—and how—in the Irish Civil War?

Thanks to UCC’s Irish Civil War Fatalities project we now have a definite figure—1,485. But in this discussion, chaired by History Ireland editor Tommy Graham, with John Dorney, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Michael Kennedy and Caitlin White, we find out a lot more—not only who was killed but also when, where, in what circumstances, and how they were commemorated. (Recorded live on Sat 17 Aug ’24 @ the Electric Picnic)