Tour Guides of Kilmainham Gaol call the prison “the labour ward of the modern Irish state”. After taking the tour its hard to argue with this statement. This week alone marks the 130th anniversary of the Kilmainham treaty which saw the release of Parnell an event that effectively ended The Land War while 96 years [...]
Archive for the ‘Irish history’ Category
Kilmainham Gaol: the labour ward of the modern Irish state….
Posted in 1798 rebellion, 1867 rebellion, 18th century, 19th century, Dublin history, fenians, historical tours, IRA, IRB, Irish history, Michael Davitt, transportation, War of Independence, tagged 1916 rebellion, Kilmainham Gaol on May 2, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Castlecomer Ice House: a Downton Abbey style freezer
Posted in 19th century, 20th Century, Irish history, tagged Castlecomer, Wandesforde on April 10, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Have you ever wondered what people did before modern fridges? Obviously the vast majority did without, but for those who could afford one, ice houses were as good as it got up until the mid 19th century. Ice houses were a primitive if lavish form of fridge and gave those who could afford them the [...]
The Sewer that spawned a city….
Posted in 10th century, 9th Century, Dublin, Dublin history, Gaelic Ireland, ireland, Irish history, Medieval history, Vikings on April 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Many cities pride themselves in their humble origins. Few however, could more humble than Dublin. It was around this sewer that channels the river Poddle into the Liffey that the Vikings built a settlement that would grow into Dublin. The original settlement was built on a strip of land between these two rivers. The poddle [...]
Photo essay: Loughmoe Castle.
Posted in 17th century, Anglo Norman, Archaeology, castles, early medieval, Gaelic Ireland, Irish history, tour, tagged Anglo Norman, castle, Loughmoe, Loughmore, Purcell, Tipperary on April 4, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Loughmoe Castle is situated on the banks of the river Suir in North Tipperary. Built between the 15th and 17th centuries it was the seat of Barons of Loughmoe, the Anglo-Norman Purcell family. The earliest surviving structure on the site is a tower house which was transformed into the northern wing of a fortified house in [...]
The last survivor of the 1798 rebellion
Posted in 1798 rebellion, 18th century, 19th century, Irish history on March 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
In 1870 William Kinsella, a man regarded to be one of the last survivors of the 1798 rebellion died. Kinsella lived most of his life in Castlecomer, a mining town in North Kilkenny. Although difficult to prove at the time he was most likely the last survivor of the rebellion. His life was extraordinary. He [...]
St Patricks Day letters from the past. What it means to be Irish?
Posted in 20th Century, Irish history, St Patrick on March 13, 2012 | 2 Comments »
St Patrick Days is supposedly a celebration of what it means to be Irish. However behind all the celebrations, this idea of Irishness is something that had been contested on many St Patricks days. Below are four letters published in the Irish Times around St Patricks in 1912, 1932, 1972 and 1992. They illustrate that [...]
Dalkey’s Night with Nazism
Posted in 20th Century, Dublin history, ireland, Irish history, Nazi, Nazism, tagged antifascism, Fascism, Nazi, Otto Skorzeny on March 8, 2012 | 6 Comments »
Wednesday 31st August 1960 is a day Dalkey Literary, Historical & Debating Society probably don’t like to mention much. That evening the society, based in one of Dublins most affluent suburbs, had as their guest speaker none other than former Nazi commando Colonel Otto Skorzeny. Skorzeny, dubbed by the US General Dwight D Eisenhower as [...]
The Phoenix Park in Pictures
Posted in 19th century, 20th Century, Dublin, Dublin history, fenians, Images, IRA, IRB, Irish history, tagged Phoenix Park on March 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The Phoenix park is one the largest walled city parks in Europe. Situated on the fringe of Dublin city centre, the park was opened to the public in 1745. Since then it has seen numerous monuments and buildings erected and has seen its fair share of controversy. 1. The Wellington Monument
John Quincy Adams: A US president with an unusual connection to Ireland
Posted in 19th century, Irish America, Irish American, Irish history, Medieval Europe, tagged John Quincy Adams on November 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
US Presidents have a long tradition of forging links with Ireland. In the last six decades numerous presidents have played up their Irish ancestory with many visiting Ireland in an effort to appeal to the Irish American electorate. Perhaps the strangest link though has to be that of President John Quincy Adams. He never visited [...]
Mont St Michel: Pictures worth a few hundred words.
Posted in Archaeology, French history, Irish history, Medieval Europe, Medieval history, Medieval Monasticism, tagged Mont St Michel on November 16, 2011 | 1 Comment »
They say a picture says 1000 words so I am hoping these might scrape a few hundred together at least, since I have no time to write an article. I am currently busy writing an audiobook that was originally about the Black Death (1348-49) but has now expanded to incorporate the affects of the Bruce [...]
(980 -1000) The Pursuit of Power (Part III): A New Millenium and A New King.
Posted in 10th century, Annals, Archaeology, Brian Boru, Dal Cais, Dublin, early medieval, Episode 10, Gaelic Ireland, Irish history, Medieval Europe, Medieval history, O Neills, Podcast on November 3, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Episode 10 sees the emergence of a titantic struggle between the two major players of the late 10th century – the O Neill High King, Maelseachnaill II and Brian Boru, the King of Munster. This war was without question one of the greatest conflicts in early medieval Ireland. In a story full of intriguing naval [...]
Dublin in photos: the difference a century makes.
Posted in 19th century, 20th Century, British Army, Civil war, Dublin, Dublin history, IRA, ireland, Irish history on November 1, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
In 1961 the Evening Standard Newspaper celebrated its centential with a special supplement looking at Dublin over the previous hundred years (1861 – 1961). This supplment contained these fascinating early photos of Dublin before and after Independence in 1921. The change in Dublin’s streetscape is dramatic, illustrating what the city was like when it had [...]
Virtual tour of Caernarfon Castle, Wales
Posted in 14th century, Archaeology, ireland, Irish history, Medieval Europe on October 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Built by Edward III in the 13th century, Caernarfon castle is one of the most impressive castles in Britain. Situated in Gwynedd on the north-west coast of Wales it is an enormous structure unlike any castle still standing in Ireland. Along with with several other castles in the region including Conwy and Beaumaris it was constructed [...]
Remains of a 17th Century child found in Dublin.
Posted in 17th century, Irish history on October 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This find by archaeologist Franc Myles in May Lane Smithfield, Dublin deeply personalises the past, highlighting what must have been a tragedy in a now long forgotten family’s life. Following on from the find of other human remains on Friday on the same site, the remains of this child was excavated over the weekend. Speaking [...]
Special: Irelands first Witchburning
Posted in 14th century, Dublin history, Gaelic Ireland, Irish history, Podcast on August 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I’m currently writing an audiobook on the Black Death in Ireland. The audio will focus on one particular town – Kilkenny. In focusing on a specific area I hope to detail what the impact of the plague was on individual people something that is too often lost in statistics and the incomprehensible death rates. Due [...]
8 Reasons why the Building Boom was bad for Irish Archaeology
Posted in Archaeology, Irish history on August 17, 2011 | 13 Comments »
Over the past 20 years the number of archaeological excavations soared in Ireland. This is almost exclusively because of the building boom. Many people have argued that this was good for archaeology and our understanding of the past. Having worked in the industry I can convinced the opposite is true. The last 20 years have [...]
The rise and fall of the Knights Templar in Ireland.
Posted in 14th century, Dublin, Dublin history, early medieval, Gaelic Ireland, Irish history, Medieval Europe, Medieval history, Medieval Monasticism, tagged Crusades, Knights Templar on August 10, 2011 | 3 Comments »
When we think of the Knights Templar, we picture the Middle Eastern Crusades or Dan Browne’s fantasy novel the The Da Vinci code. However this fascinating organisation were very much part of European society in the 12th and 13th century with houses, called preceptories, in most kingdoms in Medieval Europe. After the Norman Invasion of [...]
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