The Sultan of Drogheda

Drogheda, 1847. The gas-lit harbour lights burned through the dusk as the tug-boat hauled the first of the three merchant ships alongside the handsome new wharfage. Out at sea, the other two ships awaited their turn, sails tight to the masts. Those gathered in 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,...
A History of Bishopscourt, Clones, Co. Monaghan

A History of Bishopscourt, Clones, Co. Monaghan

Built as a rectory for the Church of Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars, Bishopscourt was considered such a fine abode that two Bishops of Clogher opted to use it as their main place of residence during the first decades of the 20th century. This tale takes in the...
Dr Bartholomew Mosse – Founder of the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin

Dr Bartholomew Mosse – Founder of the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin

Dr Bartholomew Mosse was the founder of Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital, the first purpose-built maternity hospital in the world, which opened in 1757. This highly motivated surgeon and man-midwife achieved his ambition through his immense gift for corporate fundraising:...
The Premiere of Handel’s Messiah – Dublin, 1742

The Premiere of Handel’s Messiah – Dublin, 1742

In 1742, over 700 people crowded into the Great Musick Hall in Dublin to hear Handel lead the performance of his choral masterpiece. In view of the numbers, ladies were requested to come "without hoops," and gentlemen without swords. Critics were unanimous - this was...