Irish missionary effort in America began before the Famine, when most Irish immigrants were non-Catholic, but it matured quickly thereafter between 1845 and 1900 when approximately four million Irish, predominantly Catholic, left their homeland for the United States. Prior to the Famine, priests from the Irish colleges of Spain, especially Salamanca, came to serve in … Read more
The first half of the nineteenth century saw a final surge in Protestant missionary activity in Ireland. This was largely a reaction to the sense of crisis in Protestant circles following both the Act of Union of 1800, and the attainment of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. There was a strong belief amongst evangelical Protestants that … Read more
At the end of May 2000 the Jeanie Johnston, a full size sailing replica of the famous Irish emigrant ship, sets sail from Fenit, County Kerry. It took two and a half years to build at a specially constructed shipyard in Blennerville, Tralee, at a cost of £5.5 million and will visit over twenty cities … Read more
The annual three-day Spring Festival meeting at Punchestown is a major event in the Irish racing calendar, while the venue itself is considered to be one of the world’s finest national hunt racecources. Over the last century and a half it has developed a unique atmosphere, and for the people of Kildare it is … Read more
For a long time Irish nationalism was seen primarily in terms of political movements, and there has been a tendency to identify with mass movements rather than elites. Recent theories which emphasise how educational and social obstacles to upward mobility for minorities in a professional society encourage nationalist movements has revived interest in the Catholic … Read more