July 2022
 News and updates on the programme of commemorations relating to the events in Irish history that took place between 1912 and 1923. If you would like to inform us of any suitable material for future newsletters – anything related to the Decade of Centenaries – please feel free to email [email protected]. 1. Lectures and Events (some require registration) — Beyond 2022 Ireland’s Virtual Record Treasury The launch of Ireland’s Virtual Treasury took place in Dublin Castle on Monday 27th June. It is now possible to search the Treasury *here* – a free, open access resource. — ‘The Rebel Doctor’ Kathleen Lynn TOMORROW, Wednesday 6th July, Áras Uí Chonghaile ‘The Rebel Doctor’ Kathleen LynnwithDr Mary McAuliffe Explore the diaries of Dr Kathleen Lynn which provide a crucial lens through which to understand our political, social & cultural evolution as a nation Register/request info: [email protected] FULL ÁRAS SUMMER PROGRAMME — Féile An Phobail 2022 Taking place in Belfast from 4-14th August, Féile an Phobail has a variety of talks on Irish history, and various walks, including: (4th August) THE VIOLENT BIRTH OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND STATE The panel, historians Jim McDermott and Myrtle Hill, will examine these events with chair Fergus O’Hare. No booking required. (4th August) FREE STATISM & THE GOOD OLD IRA From Free State to Éire, to the Republic of Ireland, the establishment and mainstream media in the South have promoted a partitionist mind-set – Free Statism, says Danny Morrison in his new book – and abandoned the nationalist community to its fate. Successive governments commemorated and honoured the Tan War IRA whilst demonising Irish republicans, even more so with the electoral rise of Sinn Féin. Discussion with Andrée Murphy, writer and commentator. No booking required. (Fri 5th, Sat 6th, Wed 10th, Fri 12th & Sat 13th)THE JAMES CONNOLLY HERITAGE TRAIL 10:30am The tour begins at Belfast City Hall and lasts approximately 3 hours at a steady pace. £10pp. Booking in advance essential *here* (5th August) UNMANAGEABLE REVOLUTIONARIES: WOMEN AND IRISH NATIONALISM 1880-1980 Mairéad Farrell Sinn Féin TD in conversation with feminist historian Dr Margaret Ward, discussing Margaret’s recently re-published book Unmanageable Revolutionaries: Women and Irish Nationalism 1880-1980, a landmark study of the role of women in Irish political history. Margaret will give a short presentation on the book before the conversation with Mairéad. No booking required. FULL PROGRAMME DETAILS —The Irish Civil War National Conference [FINISHED, AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE] On 15-18 June, University College Cork hosted a national conference to mark the centenary of the Irish Civil War. Supported with funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the four-day conference is one of the key events in the State’s Decade of Centenaries Programme for 2022. Over 130 scholars gathered on the UCC campus to explore the political, social, cultural, military, and economic dimensions to the Irish Civil War. AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING HERE — Four Courts 100 Lecture Series July Lecture (Thurs 7th) Bláthna Ruane SC Turned upside down: law, the judges, and the legal professions in 1922 BOOKING FOR ALL LECTURES HERE — Civil War or Counter-Revolution? CONTACT FOR DETAILS 2. Exhibitions/Projects — National Archives-Irish Architectural Archive joint exhibition ‘Public Record Office of Ireland: The Story of a Building’ Exhibition telling the story of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland in June 1922 opens at the Irish Architectural Archive A unique exhibition of photographs, architectural plans and drawings, maps and elevations, video and salvaged records was opened by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin TD on 30June last, marking the centenary of the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland on 30 June 1922. The exhibition is presented by the National Archives in partnership with the Irish Architectural Archive and tells the story of the once magnificent building that was the Public Record Office of Ireland, from its construction to its burning during the Battle of the Four Courts in June 1922 to its final reconstruction. The exhibition is part of the Government of Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012–2023. On display in the Irish Architectural Archive, 45 Merrion Square, Dublin 230 June–19 August (Mon–Fri 10:00am–5:00pm) MORE DETAILS HERE — Ernie O’Malley: the bohemian revolutionary who traveled the world He was a middle class boy who became a radical rebel and world traveller, and collaborated with director John Ford. In this extract from the Dictionary of Irish Biography, Richard English tells his story in this extract from The Civil War project. DETAILS HERE 3. Podcasts —The assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the Irish Civil War On 22 June 1922 Field Marshall Sir Henry Wilson, former Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and Unionist MP for North Down, was assassinated outside his London home in Eaton Square. The anti-Treaty IRA were blamed and six days later, under pressure from the British, Michael Collins ordered the bombardment of the Four Courts, the opening salvos of the Irish Civil War.But who was Henry Wilson?Was he, as was alleged, the mastermind behind the anti-Catholic pogroms in Belfast 1920-22?And who ordered the hit?To address these and other questions listen to History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with John Dorney, Caoimhe Nic Dhaibhéid, Padraig Óg Ó Ruairc, John Regan. (Recorded at St Peter’s, North Main Street, Cork, as part of the National Civil War Conference, UCC, on Saturday 18 June 2022) LISTEN HERE — Civil War anniversary: the role of women With the centenary of the start of the Civil War here, and the conflict having been marked by a major conference in UCC recently, this podcast looks at the role of women in what unfolded at the time. For most of the last hundred years, women were largely written out of the period but that is now changing. Apart from the general omissions there were women who played particularly prominent roles in the Civil War. Dr Mary McAuliffe and Dr Hilary Dully joined Mick on the podcast for some fascinating insights in the role of women in the Civil War. LISTEN HERE — The ‘Belleek/Pettigo triangle’, May/June 1922 As part of the so-called ‘Northern Offensive’, on 27 May 1922, a combined force of pro-Treaty National Army and anti-Treaty IRA occupied the ‘Belleek/Pettigo triangle’, an enclave of Fermanagh/Northern Ireland only accessible over-land through Free State territory. Less than two weeks later they had been ejected by regular British Army troops; the ‘Northern Offensive’ was over. But how serious was it in the first place? Or was it just a ruse to keep the anti-Treaty IRA on-side? To address these and other questions join History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Edward Burke, Margaret O’Callaghan and Éamon Phoenix. This Hedge School is supported by Donegal County Council, Fermanagh & Omagh District Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative. LISTEN HERE — Sister against sister—women, the Treaty split and the Civil War (Recorded @ Phizzfest [Phibsborough Community Arts Festival], Sun 15 May 2022, Glasnevin Cemetery Museum) Given their activism in the revolutionary period, now widely acknowledged by historians, why were Irish women and their organizations on the margins of deliberations on the Treaty? Why were Irish women under 30 denied the vote in the June 1922 general election? To what extent were they the victims of gendered violence (by either side) during the Civil War? Join History Ireland editor, Tommy Graham, in discussion with Síobhra Aiken, Leeann Lane, Mary McAuliffe and Margaret Ward. This podcast is supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 Initiative. LISTEN HERE — Mná 100 “Seeking Peace” – a new episode in the Mná 100 podcast series – in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Martin T.D. announces a new episode in the Mná 100 podcast series The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. has launched the fourth episode in the Mná 100 podcast series, titled ‘Seeking Peace’, as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme 2012-2023. Minister Martin said: “The ‘Seeking Peace’ episode in the Mná100 centenary podcast series, gives us a really important understanding of the peace delegations led by women in 1922 trying to prevent Civil War. Many of these women were part of the international peace movement at that time. The podcast gives us a unique insight into those challenging months. Mary Robinson, Maria Butler and Áine Hearns are all Irish women who have worked internationally, whose interesting life stories will resonate with the historic women of a century ago.” This podcast examines events of 100 years ago and women’s participation in seeking peace – from chairing the Peace Committee meetings in May to delegations organised in June and July 1922 as hostilities in the Civil War escalated. It explores the historic background to those delegations, profiling some of the participants. Maud Gonne MacBride organised delegations. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, Charlotte Despard and Rosamond Jacob of the Irishwomen’s International League participated. It also explores the League’s links to the wider peace movement of that time, such as the role of Jane Addams and the organisation of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. By looking at these historic events through a wider lens, Mná 100 also reflects on some of the achievements and personal experiences of the podcast participants. The podcast features three women; the first female President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders, Mary Robinson; Áine Hearns, Director of the Conflict Resolution Unit at the Department of Foreign Affairs; and Maria Butler, Deputy Secretary General of the Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom, who in May 2022 has just been appointed as Executive Director of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. LISTEN HERE 4. Publications In addition to his recently published book, Dr John Walsh wrote an article on the subject for RTÉ Brainstorm *here* A further article in the Irish Times *here* BUY HERE — Stories of those who taught and studied at MIC during Irish Revolution remembered in new publication A new collaboration between Mary Immaculate College (MIC) historians and Limerick City & County Council explores how everyday life, teaching and learning continued – sometimes with difficulty – throughout the turbulent period of the Irish Revolution. Produced as part of Limerick City & County Council’s Decade of Centenaries programme, Studying Revolution: Accounts of Mary Immaculate College, 1918-1923 collates primary source material to tell the story of how staff & students navigated the revolutionary period, how ordinary life was interrupted and of the times that the war quite literally arrived at the College gates. Solely dedicated to teacher training and exclusively for female students at the time, MIC’s place in Limerick saw it become caught in the crossfire of the war. Sr Frances McGrath’s diary of the July 1922 Siege of Limerick, which is replicated in Studying Revolution, gives a striking and emotional insight into the lives of citizens amid open street violence. Her diary, which is introduced by Marian Fogarty, recalls the rumoured ‘arrival of the big guns’, the emotional turmoil of the war raging around MIC and the penetration of off-course bullets through College buildings on a regular occurrence – with one staff member even struck and injured. When not directly in the crossfire of the wars, MIC was – like anywhere else – a crossroads for different opinions and political support. In the memoirs of Catherine Daly, who studied at MIC from 1919-1921, we learn of the intertwining of the Irish Revolution in Limerick and her native Bantry with her studies. This remarkable account, introduced by Dr Brian Hughes and Dr Úna Ní Bhroiméil, blends the ordinary with the extraordinary as it weaves from memories of uncomfortable uniforms, sarcastic teachers and shopping for copybooks, to the shooting dead of an Gaeilge teacher, discreetly sharing news of ambushes with a politically sympathetic teacher and sitting alongside soldiers when a train was robbed by ‘the so and so Sinn Feiners’. While the period the accounts reflect on was a bloody one, some of the primary material suggests little disruption to some regular activities. Dr AnneMarie Brosnan introduces teaching practice reports between 1915 and 1924 which detail the performance of four students – namely Annie Kelly, Hannah McQuinn, Elizabeth Duignan and the aforementioned Catherine Daly – on placement in classrooms in Limerick, Kerry, Cork and Dublin. Dr Paul O’Brien introduces a letter from J.P. Goodbody, a businessman and politician, who lived at Summerville House, which is now part of the MIC Limerick campus. Goodbody’s letter to a Dublin friend, Mr. Brown, is written during near the midpoint of the previously mentioned Siege of Limerick. His account differs from that of Sr McGrath and he gives an interesting insight into the attempts to maintain operations at his mill while his supplies – both food and mechanical – are requisitioned by ‘Free Staters’ and ‘Republicans’. His observations point to conditions faced by ordinary citizens who were short of food and under curfew. Studying Revolution can be downloaded below. A limited number of hardcopies are available through Limerick City and County Library Service’s Local Studies Department at Watch House Cross Community Library who can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or calling 061-557 727. DOWNLOAD HERE —Civil War in County Kildare A Timeline Poster Civil War in Co Kildare Poster now available A poster of an illustrated timeline of the Civil War in Co. Kildare has been produced as part of Kildare County Council’s Decade of Commemorations programme to mark the 100th anniversary of its outbreak in June 1922. It details the main events that took place throughout the county during the period. ‘War with the foreigner brings to the fore all that is best and noblest in a nation – civil war brings out all that is mean and base’.Frank Aiken, August 1922 Copies of the poster are available free via Co. Kildare’s public library network. It will be of interest to anyone curious about the history of Co. Kildare at this time, particularly secondary school students. It may help direct them to many of the key events which took place in Co. Kildare in 1922-23. Some of the main incidents which occurred on the national stage are also included to give context. For further information please contact:[email protected] The Civil War in Co. Kildare poster was supported by the County Kildare Decade of Commemorations Committee and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media under the Decade of Centenaries 2012-2023 initiative. — The War of Independence in Wexford A Timeline Poster An information booklet entitled ‘County Wexford War of Independence and Civil War: an educational resource’ has been published. It charts the events and timeline of the War of Independence and the Civil War in County Wexford. It is a resource for young people from 4th class to 3rd year. The booklet was researched and written by local historian, Monica Crofton and edited by Executive Librarian, Hazel Percival and Library Assistant, Michael Dempsey. It was designed by Nicola Bailey. If your school would like to have a visit from the Wexford Historian-in-Residence to discuss the booklet with your students, contact our Local Studies Librarian at: [email protected] or 053 919 6330. VIEW HERE — This book illustrates the 1922 handover of power by the outgoing British administration to the Provisional Government of Ireland led by Michael Collins in early 1922. The handover fell between the Treaty split of January 1922 and the outbreak of the Civil War in June 1922 and is usually overshadowed by both. The book bridges this gap by telling a relatively unfamiliar but hugely important story. BUY HERE — Ireland 1922 provides a snapshot of a year of turmoil, tragedy and, amidst it all, state-building as the Irish revolution drew to a close. BUY HERE — The fourth volume in the History Ireland commemorative series on aspects of the Irish Revolution. The Treaty, Civil War and partition profoundly shaped the Ireland in which we live. To mark the centenary of the Treaty and Civil War, History Ireland has produced a special supplement, The Split: From Treaty to Civil War 1921–23, featuring historians and writers. The Split introduces ground-breaking articles on women and the Treaty, the role of Eamon de Valera, the establishment of the Gardaí, the dead of the Civil War, the global reaction to Ireland’s independence, and the violence inside the new Northern Ireland state and along the border. It discusses controversial questions regarding Michael Collins and military dictatorship, why the Free State won the Civil War and how Northern Ireland came into being. It looks at how the war has been remembered and asks whether the era of Civil War politics has ended. Featuring contributions from:President Michael D. Higgins / David McCullagh / Mary McAuliffe / Rob Delaney / John Gibney / Kate O’Malley / Darragh Gannon / John Borgonovo / Lar Joye / Kieran Glennon / Paddy Mulroe / Charles Townsend / Bill Kissane / John M. Regan / Robert Gerwarth / Elizabeth Malcolm / Niamh Puirséil / Alison Martin / John Dorney / Margaret O’Callaghan / Ciara Chambers / Caitlin White / Frank Barry / Brian Hanley / Theo Dorgan Available in newsagents and bookshops, or online at the link below. BUY HERE |