Fontenoy was the high water mark for the Irish Brigade in the French army, and was evoked many times in later nationalist rhetoric, right up to the early 20thC. It still is to an extent, but has been superceded by later events. My thanks to @ria.ie for helping fund this research. #RIAgrants 6/6

Irish also fought on the Allied side, incl. the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. Some of the Irish Brigade would end up facing the same regiments (& Cumberland) a year later at Culloden. Lt Col Walter Stapleton, promoted to Brig. General after Fontenoy, would be killed at Culloden. 5/6

The Irish Brigade lost 1/4 of its officers & 1/3 of its men at Fontenoy, one of the bloodiest battles of the decade. The Irish Brigade captured the only Allied colours that day (later burned in Les Invalides by Napoleon's men in 1814 to deny its possession by the Russians). 4/6

Fontenoy was quickly framed as a distinctly French (royal) victory, despite Marshal Maurice de Saxe being the real architect of victory, and Voltaire's poem in praise of the victory ignored the Irish Brigade in favour of French troops. 3/6

The French were in a strong position: the regiments of Lally, Dillon, Roth, Bulkeley, Clare & Berwick (c 3800 men) were on the French left (no. 9), & led an important counterattack when the British column penetrated the French first line. A British victory turned into defeat. 2/6

OTD in 1745 the Irish Brigade led a charge at Fontenoy, helping secure victory for the French over an allied army led by Britain's Duke of Cumberland. Louis XV wrote the next day describing the battle that restored France's military prestige.(📷 NAM London) #WildGeese #18thC #c18th #Jacobite (1/6)

Our illicit whisky still bit is featured at 25mins in to the programme www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Nathaniel Clements, Viscount Clements, born #OTD in 1768. A prominent landowner in Donegal, he succeeded to command the Donegal Militia after the death of its first colonel, William B. Conyngham. Clements was a Whig MP for Carrick & Leitrim in the late 1790s. #MilHist #18thC 1/4

Quick reminder: when someone says, “May the Force be with you,” the Vatican updated the response to be more in line with the OG Latin. Don’t forget to say “and also with your spirit.”

A lovely stroll (and climb) around Bective Abbey this morning.

The Battle of Culloden, fought #OTD in 1746. #WildGeese #skystorians #JacobiteHistory #18thC

As part of the #JacobiteNations workshop this past weekend, we were treated to a special viewing of some of @uoacollections.bsky.social's gorgeous artifacts. Here I'm gingerly holding a pristine scroll butt pistol believed to be owned by Col John Roy Stuart during the '45. #museums #scottishhistory

We have a new episode of Amplify Archaeology Podcast out today! I was delighted to be joined by Dr Daniel Curley as we discussed the Uí Chellaig lords of Uí Maine and Tír Maine, and the landscapes of Medieval Gaelic Ireland. #Ireland #SpéirGhorm #Archaeology 🏺 #IrishHistory #IrishPodcasts

Looking forward to giving this lecture in just over a week's time at Waterford Central Library! Pre booking essential. #skystorians #waterfordhistory #militaryhistory waterfordlibraries.ie/from-waterfo...

Fellowship opportunity in Dublin for early modernists:

The Second Battle of St Albans, fought on this day in 1461. A short battlefield tour.... @stalbansmuseums.bsky.social #WarOfTheRoses

Giant Irish Deer • Megaloceros Giganteus If only santa had a team of these magnificent animals pulling his sleigh! When fully grown, they stood at around 2m at the shoulder and weighed over a tonne. #Ireland #SpéirGhorm #Irish

Delighted to attend the official launch of my #Medieval Walled Towns of Meath booklet this week. Thanks to everyone at Meath County Council and Abarta Heritage, and to The Heritage Council for their support. PDF can be downloaded via the link below. 1/2 www.meath.ie/council/coun...

TFW your extremely niche area of academic research is in the news! A 🧵 on some aspects of the building formerly known as the Pro-Cathedral (or the Metropolitan chapel as it was called first!) www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

It was great fun to take part in a panel discussion on the Battle of Trafalgar this week, ahead of its 220th anniversary, on Newstalk's Talking History show. I spoke in particular about the impact of the battle on Ireland and the (many) Irish in the Royal Navy. open.spotify.com/episode/6ew8...

To mark the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, J.M.W. Turner’s monumental painting of the conflict will return to public view, following more than a year in storage. www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/eng...

Tickets are now available for ‘Ireland and the American Revolution: 250th Anniversary Perspectives’. The conference will take place @tlrhub.bsky.social on the 9-10 October. For booking and more information use the link below. www.eventbrite.ie/e/ireland-an...

This Fri, 26 Sept: Join @nejohnst.bsky.social, Head of Early Modern Records @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy, for "Ireland 1485–1798: colonial laboratory?" www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/eve...

Eighteenth-Century Clickbait...

QUB History Seminar tomorrow at 4pm BST

I was delighted to present at the 35th Irish Conference of Historians @maynoothuniversity.ie @irishhistorians.bsky.social It was a pleasure to be part of a stimulating panel on inner lives in the long eighteenth century, with fascinating insights and discussion from colleagues!

I had a great day today at the 35th Irish Conference of Historians, catching up with old colleagues and meeting new ones too. An incredibly varied programme, everything from Italian futurism to ex-RIC in the Free State. Thanks to all for organising @irishhistorians.bsky.social @maynoothuniversity.ie

Nice to see my guide to the Medieval Walled Towns of Meath feature in the latest edition of the Walled Town Crier, focusing on Trim in particular. #medieval #skystorians irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie/e-zine/

Only two days left to see this fantastic exhibition! Get down to the Solstice Arts Centre in Navan on Friday or Saturday. @railwayarch.bsky.social @irishrail.bsky.social

An exhibition to mark 175 years since the railway came to Navan, Co Meath, will go on public display today.

Only a handful of tickets left for the lecture, make sure to book! #HeritageWeek2025 #skystorians

Preparing for my (& @zwhitehistory.bsky.social, @graemecallister.bsky.social, & friends!) event on 11 Oct 2025 at Apsley House in London where we'll have a #Waterloo display & talk for Black History Month about those African and Afro-Caribbean born soldiers who fought in that great battle #history

Would anyone be interested in doing a #BSECS2026 panel on Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Barry Lyndon’ (1975)?

175 Years of Navan Railway, free exhibition at Solstice Arts Centre Navan 20th-24th August for Heritage Week. I curated this with Navan & District Historical Society. There'll be photos and original drawings on display. Book your free place for launch & lecture solsticeartscentre.ie/event/175-ye...

Happy 250th birthday to Daniel O'Connell, born #OTD in 1775. I recently wrapped up a project that included looking through a lot of his letters and what really struck me was his character; warm & affectionate with family & friends, determined & passionate with his colleagues in their campaigns. 1/2

***CALL FOR PROPOSALS*** Routledge Studies in #18thC Cultures & Societies (eds. @profelainechalus.bsky.social & Deborah Simonton) seeks proposals for book-length studies on aspects of British, European, or transnational culture and society c.1680-1850. Full details: www.bsecs.org.uk/news-and-eve...

What a show. What a band. #Oasis25

Enjoy reading about #18thc history in July! Here is a list of new #nonfiction #books about the 18th century scheduled for this month: regency-explorer.net/new-releases/ - updated! - #Regency #Napoleon #history #JaneAusten #read

I had a great time with @andnapoleon.bsky.social discussing l'Expédition d'Irlande, one of the great 'What Ifs' of #IrishHistory. #18thC #skystorians

In what may be the oldest depiction of a gun an Irish manuscript - an ink drawing of a musket on a @nlireland.bsky.social charter from 1543 from the earl of Ormond to a Martin Potercelo granting property in Kilkenny. Potercelo is described as a 'gonn-' or gonner (gunner) in the grant.

🏰 Publication day! 🏰 Delighted to see my new guide to the Medieval Walled Towns of Meath is now available to download from the @heritagecouncil.ie website. It was a fun project to work on, exploring the histories of Trim, Navan, Kells and Athboy. irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie/new-publicat...

***Engagement Officer Vacancy*** We're looking for an engagement officer to act as primary point of contact for #18thC centres across the UK, and to oversee our outreach and engagement. It's a voluntary role, but associated travel & accommodation expenses are paid... www.bsecs.org.uk/the-society/...

This visually stunning and informative book includes 115 illustrations. Here is a selection of images from The Woolwich Rotunda, courtesy of the Historic England Archive and the Royal Artillery Museum. bit.ly/HERotunda #Heritage #Architecture

It was wonderful to see friends, #HistoricEngland colleagues, stakeholders and so many others at the launch of our book on the Woolwich Rotunda earlier this week. For details, see: bsky.app/profile/livu...

Great to see a new publication by @livunipress.bsky.social on the Woolwich Rotunda by @emilyvcole.bsky.social Sarah Newsome and Verena McCraig. It's a fascinating structure, both for its ballroom origins and its use as an artillery museum. liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

I wrote something new for History Respawned today. It's a review of a new book about Red Dead, but it's really about academic writing and historical game studies as a field. Please read, but also know, I really really really really REALLY didn't want to write this review.

WW1 forts on the Italian Front were as useless as the ones on the Western and Eastern Fronts. This was Fort Zacarana (Austrian) near Passo Tonale. It survived a month before being reduced to rubble.

This is, incidentally, exactly why you should be very sceptical of most war memoirs that weren’t written shortly after the war in question (and even then memory can prove surprisingly malleable even unconsciously)