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...

Great conference on The Ulster Plantation today at PRONI, showcasing the relaunched 'People of the Ulster Plantation' online database, produced through a research collaboration of @ria.ie, @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social and @maynoothuniversity.ie. Access is via ulster-settlers.maynoothuniversity.ie

Just came across this book. Very interesting parallels with Irish nationalism in some respects, e.g. the rise fo an assertive middle class among Polish Jews in the interwar period. But ending, in their case, in tragedy in the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

Today in Irish History, Bloody Sunday in Derry, 30 January 1972 The fatal shooting of 13 unarmed demonstrators by the British Army in Derry in 1972. www.theirishstory.com/2012/01/29/t...

Today in 1919, the rebel parliament, the First Dail, met at Dublin's Mansion House. But pure but portentful coincidence, an ambush of police at Soloheadbeg, Tipperary on the same day claimed the lives of 2 RIC men. www.theirishstory.com/2016/01/21/t...

Over 700 Irishmen, under former Blueshirt leader Eoin O'Duffy, fought for Franco in the Spnaish Civil War 1936-39. www.theirishstory.com/2018/10/24/g...

#OTD 1918, Today in Irish History, December 14, 1918 – The General Election of 1918, the historica victory for SF, which was followed the delcaration of Irish independence in January 1919 www.theirishstory.com/2018/12/14/t...

#OTD 1920 The burning of Cork by Crown forces in retaliation for an IRA ambush at Dillon's Cross. Most of Cork's main street, Patrick St was destroyed as was City Hall and up to 200 other buildings. www.theirishstory.com/2017/12/13/t...

The Treaty debates have been variously depicted as the worthy ‘birth of nation’ or ‘fractious and bitter prelude to the Civil War. This article lays out the main arguments. (Pic shows crowdds waiting for news of the debates outside Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin) www.theirishstory.com/2022/01/08/t...

The manuscript of the week is RIA MS C iii 1, the Annals of Connacht. This unique manuscript records episodes in the history of Gaelic Ireland for over three hundred years from AD 1224 to AD 1544, with one later entry added (in different ink) for the year 1562.

See also our article about executions in the Irish Civil War www.theirishstory.com/2022/11/17/e...

#OTD 1922 the assassination of pro-Treaty TD Sean Hales followed by the reprisal execution of 4 leading anti-Treatyites in Mountjoy jail. www.theirishstory.com/2010/12/07/t...

Also some historical context: www.theirishstory.com/2021/12/06/t...

#OTD in 1921, the Anglo Irish Treaty was signed. Article on the negotiations and Treay here www.theirishstory.com/2011/12/06/t...

Delighted to have a very interesting new article on the site by Emma Ryan on 'the lanes of Ballinsloe'. Working class or slum housing constructed in the nineteenth century and only finally demolished in the 1930s. www.theirishstory.com/2025/12/05/p...

Tom Barry, pictured here as IRA commander, had previously served with the British Army in Mespotamia, now Iraq, in WWI. This article documents the tortuous road that brought him to ambush and kill two lorry loads of Auxiliaries, also WWI vets at Kilmichael www.theirishstory.com/2020/12/04/t...

Giving an online talk for Muckross House, Kerry on the Economic War 1932-38. This Wednesday, Nov 26 at 19:30. Do tune in! Email [email protected] to register.

Erskine Childers. Executed by the Irish Free State govt #otd 1922. A hugely complex figure. From an Anglo-Irish family very high up in British state & who served the Empire in two wars, he died at the hands of an Irish govt, an unreconstructed Irish republican. www.theirishstory.com/2022/11/26/h...

See also this article: Bloody Sunday Revisited And a longer form look the the day's events here www.theirishstory.com/2020/11/21/b...

#OTD in 1920, Nov 21, Bloody Sunday in Dublin. Morning: IRA killed 14 suspected British intel officers. Afternoon: Crown forces shot up football crowd at Croke Park, killing 14 civilians. Evening: Dublin Castle, 2 IRA leaders 1 civlian summarily executed. www.theirishstory.com/2011/11/21/t...

The Belfast News Letter and the Irish Civil War: The News Letter advocated an uncompromising Ulster Unionism, its editorials arguing that persecution of Protestants was rife across nationalist Ireland theirishstory.com/2024/08/02/t...