20th-century / Contemporary History

Rethinking Irish History: Nationalism, Identity and Ideology Patrick O’Mahony and Gerard Delanty (Macmillan Press, £45) ISBN0333627970 The Geopolitics of Anglo-Irish Relations in the 20th Century, G.R. Sloan. (Leicester University Press, £45)

Both these books contain stern critiques of twentieth-century Irish nationalism, which has underpinned the creation of a sovereign twenty-six-county Republic. They represent interdisciplinary forays into history by on the one hand two sociologists from Cork and Belfast and on the other by a British defence specialist with rather mixed results. Rethinking Irish History represents the … Read more

James Hogan, revolutionary, historian, political scientist (1898-1963)

Bodin, Hobbes, Hegel, Weber, Troeltsch and Von Gierke were the political philosophers whom the late Professor James Hogan used lecture us on as his students in University College Cork in the late 1950s. These days it would be unusual for a professor of history to put political theory at the centre of his teaching. But … Read more

“More Irish than the Irish themselves?”

The nature of history ‘When the curtain falls, it’s time to get off the stage.’ So remarked the British prime minister, John Major, after losing the 1997 general election. The curtain fell on the British empire a long time ago, but unlike politicians, British historians do not see a change of regime as invalidating their … Read more

Father Senan Moynihan

Sir,—GregoryAllen’s article on Carl Hardebeck in the last issue was most welcome,especially at a time when Irish vocal music enjoys such popularity. Therestoration of Hardebeck’s name and contribution should be ofsignificant interest to all contemporary students of the art form. It is ironic, however, that in crediting the editors and friends ofthe Capuchin Annual with … Read more