The National Library of Ireland rolled out plans in January for a new digital archive of modern Irish history. The archive, called Towards a Republic, will document the tumultuous series of events between 1918 and 1923, beginning with the Irish Republican Army’s brutal struggle for independence from Britain and ending with the Irish Civil War. It is one product of a €2 million … [Read more...] about NLI to Digitize Pre-Republic History of Ireland
History
Divided Society Archives Available
In January the Linen Hall Library in Belfast launched a new digital archive dedicated to the Troubles. Founded in 1968, the institution has amassed over 350,000 primary sources and essays relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland, the largest collection of its kind. The archive, called Divided Society, covers the events from 1990-1998 that culminated in the Good … [Read more...] about Divided Society Archives Available
End in Sight for Titanic’s “Heartbreak Pier” Restoration in Cobh
The final phase of renovations of the pier from which the Titanic launched its fateful maiden voyage began in January, with plans for completion in March 2019. This portion of the project is hoped to establish the long-abandoned structure as an attractive tourist destination. With the support of the Cork County Council and Port of Cork, Titanic Experience Ltd., which devotes … [Read more...] about End in Sight for Titanic’s “Heartbreak Pier” Restoration in Cobh
Wild Irish Women:
Saint Brigid – Mary of the Gaels
A nun, abbess, and founder of several monasteries, Brigid of Kildare was a woman who defied authority, possessed great strength of will and determination, and whose cheerful giving of food and shelter to any passing traveler laid the foundation for Ireland’s legendary hospitality.
Saints are everywhere, like enzymes, gravity, or the CIA – invisible, yes, but hard at work … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women:
Saint Brigid – Mary of the Gaels
An Irish Artist’s American Odyssey
William James Hinchey traveled throughout America’s Southwest frontier and Missouri capturing images of life, the ravages of war, and beyond. Cormac McCarthy’s novel Blood Meridian (1985) depicts the rough, perilous place that was the American Southwest of the 1840s and ’50s. One of the earliest close-up views of the California-Arizona desert of the period is provided by … [Read more...] about An Irish Artist’s American Odyssey