Today in Irish History, 22 June 1922 – The assassination of Henry Wilson. The killing of a British Field Marshal that helped to spark the Irish Civil War www.theirishstory.com/2020/06/22/t...

Presenting a lecture online 4pm today for the Viking Society for Northern Research to mark the end of my presidency for this lovely society. Topic is Ivar the Boneless: ’king of all the Vikings of Britain and Ireland’? #medievalsky

‘Solely in the earth and its fruits’ – Papal Encyclicals and Irish social policy in the 1930s. Barry Sheppard on how Catholic teaching helped to shape Irish social policy in the 1930s. www.theirishstory.com/2016/09/19/s...

Hugh O’Neill and Nine Years War, 1594-1603. The Nine Years War was to a large degree the collision of the ambitions of Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone and of the advancing English state in Ireland. www.theirishstory.com/2019/01/10/h...

Podcast: the Penal Laws Cathal Brennan and John Dorney discuss the anti-Catholic legislation that defined Irish life from the 1600s up to the 1800s. www.theirishstory.com/2026/06/06/p...

New, interesting (we hope!) episode on the anti-catholic legislation that dominated irish political life from the 1600s to the 1800s, known as the Penal Laws. Enjoy! irishhistoryshow.ie/115-the-pena...

Ambushes in the Irish War of Independence: Myth and Reality.The IRA ambush became the distinctive motif of the War of Independence, but this vision is somewhat at odds with the reality, as this article discusses theirishstory.com/2021/03/04/a...

Charles McCarthy of Cork joined the French Irish Brigade but defected to British after French revolution. He served as British governor of their West African colony and died in 1824 in battle against the Ashanti. His head was made into a ceremonial drinking cup www.theirishstory.com/2024/02/29/s...

Book Review: Bloody Summer, A New History of the 1798 Rebellion: A fair minded concise but comprehensive look at the evetns of 1798 in Ireland. By James Quinn. www.theirishstory.com/2026/05/25/b...

Thank you for this very comprehensive review

available on our website here www.ucdpress.ie/page/detail/...

Book Review: Bloody Summer, A New History of the 1798 Rebellion: A fair minded concise but comprehensive look at the evetns of 1798 in Ireland. By James Quinn. www.theirishstory.com/2026/05/25/b...

Today in Irish History, The Burning of the Custom House, 25 May 1921. A famous act of symbolic destruction by the IRA in Dublin during the War of Independence, but also a military disaster for the organisation, with 5 killed and up to 100 captured. www.theirishstory.com/2012/05/23/t...

‘Without Law or Justice’: Class conflict in the Irish border counties 1920-23. How social strife accompanied the Irish revolution in the north midlands region. Pic shows a 'hiring fare' in Co Antrim where workers were hired for 6 months at a time www.theirishstory.com/2019/04/17/w...

‘Riot of Plunder’: Rural revolt in May 1922 By Terry Dunne. Early 1922 saw very widespread land occupations by poor farmers on landed demesnes and big ‘ranches’, described by the Freeman’s Journal as ‘a riot of plunder’. www.theirishstory.com/2022/05/17/r...

Podcast: The Boer War, with Spencer Jones. Cathal Brennan and John Dorney interview historian Spencer Jones on the Boer War in South Africa of 1899-1902. Pic is of the Irish Brigade with Boer forces. www.theirishstory.com/2025/06/27/p...

Delighted to have recorded a new episode of The Irish History Show with John Dorney (@theirishstory.bsky.social) and Cathal Brennan on the subject of my new book, 'Rory O'Connor: To Defend the Republic'. Available here and on all on podcasting platforms: irishhistoryshow.ie/114-rory-oco...

New podcast, interview with @gerardshannon.bsky.social about his new biography of Rory O'Connor irishhistoryshow.ie/114-rory-oco...

In the Presence of His Enemies: The Controversy of James Dalton, May 1920. Daniel Murray on the murky, unsolved killing of IRA intelligence officer James Dalton , shot in Limerick city as part of a feud between local IRA factions www.theirishstory.com/2015/03/09/i...

Today, May 6 1882, the two most senior British officials in Ireland, the Chief Secretary and Under Secretary were assassinated in Dublin's Phoenix Park by a Fenian splinter group the Invincibles. Six of them later went ot the gallows. Article by Shane Kenna. www.theirishstory.com/2012/07/31/t...

Michael Collins, Northern Ireland and the Northern Offensive, May 1922. By Patrick Concannon. The 'Northern Offensive' of May 1922 was Michael Collins’ plan to end partition but fizzled out into a damp squib www.theirishstory.com/2019/08/12/m...

New book review on the site: The Story of Us Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census - an engaging and accessible introduction of the recently released 1926 census @johngibney.bsky.social www.theirishstory.com/2026/05/02/b...

New book review on the site: The Story of Us Independent Ireland and the 1926 Census - an engaging and accessible introduction of the recently released 1926 census @johngibney.bsky.social www.theirishstory.com/2026/05/02/b...

Over April 29th to May 1, 1916 the rebels of the Easter Rising surrendered. www.theirishstory.com/2011/04/30/t...

The North King Street Massacre, Dublin 1916 Fifteen male civilians were shot in their homes along North King street by the South Staffordshire Regiment. www.theirishstory.com/2012/04/13/t...

Michael O'Rahilly, self-styled The O'Rahilly, was an atypical rebel in many ways. From a wealthy background who had made another fortune in New York. He died fighting in the Easter Rising 110 years ago. A Rising he had tried desperately to call off. More here. www.theirishstory.com/2015/04/09/g...

The battle at South Dublin Union was some of the most close-quarters and brutal fighting of Easter Week, 1916. The Volunteers led by Eamon Ceannt, below, held off numerous assaults in the hospital and workshouse complex www.theirishstory.com/2016/02/25/t...

Lots more on the Rising here in our archive www.theirishstory.com/2012/04/08/t...

Today in Irish History, April 24, 1916, The First Day of the Easter Rising www.theirishstory.com/2011/04/24/t...

Very interesting new article by Emma Ryan. When a Princess came to County Galway: A Local Welcome, A National Drama. The visit of Princess Mary to her husband's estate at Portumna, Co Galway in 1928 exposed both hostility as well as lingering defference. www.theirishstory.com/2026/04/11/w...

Clashmealcon Caves, April 1923, a richly symbolic end to the civil war in Kerry. 6 man anti-Treaty IRA column was trapped in a cave along the sea front. 2 soldiers were killed trying to storm the cave. 3 IRA died in the siege, 3 more were arrested & executed. www.theirishstory.com/2023/06/07/c...

There were three nationwide general strikes in Ireland in that period. One in 1918 against conscription, one in 1920 for the release of political prisoners and the third, below against hte prospect of civil war. Read more here. www.theirishstory.com/2013/06/06/t...

The General Strike against Militarism, Ireland April 1922: From April to June 1922, there frantic efforts to prevent civil war over the Treaty. One of the most interesting was a general strike against ‘militarism’. www.theirishstory.com/2021/08/07/t...

The Belfast Riots of 1864. 11 people were killed, over 300 injured in ten days of rioting in Belfast in August 1864. Flashpoint for the riot was govt banning of Orange marches and allowing a nationalist parade in hounr of Daniel O'Connell in Dublin theirishstory.com/2020/04/09/i...

See also our review of Gerry's previous bio of Liam Lynch. www.theirishstory.com/2023/03/22/b...

New book review: Gerard Shannon's biography of IRA leader Rory O'Connor www.theirishstory.com/2026/03/29/b...

And Part II of this article here: www.theirishstory.com/2016/02/19/c...

Article here on commemorating the Easter Rising, for the event to become the national touchstone it is today, it had to moulded by often very fraught and partisan commemoration. 'Ownership' of the Rising was from the start disputed. www.theirishstory.com/2016/01/29/c...

21 March 1921, A bloody IRA ambush on a train pulling into Headford Co Kerry killed at least 13 people, 9 British soldiers, 2 IRA and 3 civilians. Article putting this event into context by Thomas Earls Fitzgerald here theirishstory.com/2017/03/21/t...

Today in 1920, the Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Cork, Tomas MacCurtain was assassinated by covert RIC squad in revenge for the shooting of a policeman by the IRA, which MacCurtain had, ironically, opposed. His killing led to a hardenning in Cork IRA www.theirishstory.com/2020/03/23/t...

Lots of chatter about Ireland's neutrality in WWII at the moment. Here's a piece laying out the basic facts: A short history of Ireland during the Second World War www.theirishstory.com/2018/05/21/t...

Many people of a certain age on the east cost of Ireland from north of Dublin can identify St Oliver Plunkett, as they went on school tours to his shrine in Drogheda.

Dublin, March 14, 1921. On the morning of 1921 six IRA Volunteers were hanged by the British in Mountjoy Gaol. A general strike was called in mourning. 7 more people died in a firefight on Pearse St in the afternoon. www.theirishstory.com/2015/01/26/t...

The Fenian Rebellion, March 5, 1867. As many as 10,000 armed Fenians came out in rebellion. Up to 7,000 assembled at Tallaght, near Dublin. But dispersed after only minor skirmishes. More here: theirishstory.com/2011/03/05/t...

Genuinely shocked to read about proposals at Galway (an amazing university with world-class humanities departments) to axe the broad-based arts degree. Really grim reading. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

Tomorrow evening. In Chapters. All welcome. See you there!

#otd 1921, the Upton train ambush. IRA shot up train carrying British troops at Upton station in Cork, but ended up killing or mortally wounding 8 civilians. 3 IRA Vol were also killed. www.theirishstory.com/2011/02/15/t...

'Gerard Shannon works the archives and sources brilliantly and exhaustively to put flesh on the gaunt features of a man who, in his final hours especially, displayed the courage of his convictions.' ... great review of my new book in today's Irish Independent! m.independent.ie/entertainmen...