Sir,—First of all may I compliment you on the excellent layout of my article on ‘Captain’ Boycott in your last issue (HI 19.1, Jan./Feb. 2011). The featured photo of Boycott’s house at Keem was provided by a student of the Achill Archaeological School, Connie Harrison, and she had requested that she be credited in the … Read more
Sir,—Fergus Whelan’s fascinating article on Cromwell and Irish republicanism (HI 18.6, Nov./Dec. 2010) brought to mind two interesting parallels between the Irish republicans of 1798 and the English republicans of a century and a half earlier. The Roundheads and Croppies both wore their hair short as a badge, and both Levellers and United Irishmen adopted … Read more
Sir,—In late 2010 Dublin City Council’s Arts and Culture Strategic Policy Committee established a commemoration sub-committee to plan how Dublin City Council should commemorate that have significant anniversaries occurring over the next six years. Since this is a Dublin City Council initiative, the events to be commemorated will be those that have a close association with … Read more
Sir,—My attention has been drawn to a Sidelines item (p. 6) in the last issue (HI 19.1, Jan./Feb. 2011), which contained a couple of inaccuracies that I’m sure you’d wish corrected. Although almost universally referred to as grave-robbers, William Burke and William Hare were in fact mass-murderers and never robbed a grave in their lives, … Read more
Sir,—I found the article on Galway in 1916 by Conor McNamara (HI 19.1, Jan./Feb. 2011) very interesting and very enlightening on the attitude of the majority of the Irish population to the events of Easter week. Another view of the events in Galway is presented in a book called Danger zone by E. Keble Chatterton. … Read more