O’Donovan Rossa’s Funeral, 1915

O’Donovan Rossa’s Funeral, 1915

Arguably the most important event for Irish republicanism before the 1916 Rising took place in August 1915, with the funeral in Dublin of the ‘unrepentant Fenian’ Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa, a veteran of the 1867 Rising who had died in New York. Including a superb...
A Fatal Friendship – Kevin O’Higgins & Rory O’Connor

A Fatal Friendship – Kevin O’Higgins & Rory O’Connor

In 1921, Rory O’Connor stood as best man when his old friend Kevin O'Higgins married Birdie Cole in Dublin. The friendship would be torn apart with the outbreak of the Irish Civil War, during which O'Higgins gave the order for O'Connor to be executed. O'Higgins, the...
The Irish Sweep

The Irish Sweep

The Irish Hospitals Sweepstake ran from 1930 to 1987 and raised the equivalent of €170 million for the Irish health service, creating a network of over 400 hospitals, clinics and medical centres across Ireland. It also made its three founding directors extremely rich,...
The Burning of Knockcroghery, 1921

The Burning of Knockcroghery, 1921

The night the Black and Tans burned down 11 houses in Knockcroghery, including its famous clay pipe factory, and why they did it. Complete access to all articles on this website for €12 / year...
Sam Maguire & Liam MacCarthy – For Whom the Cups are Named

Sam Maguire & Liam MacCarthy – For Whom the Cups are Named

MacCarthy and Maguire are household names on account of the All-Ireland cups for hurling and football which are named in their honour. But few know just how intricately both men were linked with the Irish Republican Brotherhood, the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson...