It all began in the classroom in Wilson’s Hospital school. Why, my Leaving Certificate history pupils wanted to know, did so many Irishmen enlist for the Great War. I endeavoured to explain. The class remained unconvinced. The formal reasons lacked a vital ingredient, human interest. We walked across to the chapel and studied the Roll … Read more
Under the terms of his will, the late Professor Francis J. Crowley,California, USA, who was of Irish descent, made a bequest to the Irishstate in which he provided that funds from his estate should be used inthe acquisition and conservation of the records of the history of theIrish people. With the financial resources made available … Read more
The Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen is the first of its kind in the world. It is a unique interdisciplinary centre of excellence that offers taught masters and doctoral programmes in history, language, literature and culture of Ireland and Scotland and carries out research across these disciplines. Founded … Read more
The commemoration of those Irishmen who died in the British forces during World War I is still a contentious issue in southern Ireland. For many, the manner in which the dead are honoured, and the wearing of symbols like the poppy carry deep political significance. During the 1920s and 1930s the issue was even more … Read more
Addressing the Dáil on 27 October 1919, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Count George Plunkett, reported ‘a steady progress’ in the development of Ireland’s foreign relations ‘in spite of all impediments’. These impediments were many and they hampered all Dáil Éireann agents abroad. On his first visit to the United States as the President of … Read more