Category Archives: Commemoration

As British as the Irish themselves

Posted on 05/07/2016 by eamonntgardiner

Recently, in conversation with a colleague, I remarked upon a concept which I felt was pretty straightforward. Cut and dry even. That as part of the British home islands, pre-independence Ireland was disproportionally policed. Now it was, there is no … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, 19h century, 20th century, Anglo-Irish War, Auxiliary Division, Black and Tans, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, First World War, Insurgency, Ireland, Memory, Northern Ireland, Policing, Revisionism, revolutionary, Royal Irish Constabulary | Tagged britain, comforter, Empire, Firearms, governance, ireland, London, Policing, revolver, second city | Leave a comment

That’s a wrap!

Posted on 19/01/2016 by eamonntgardiner

I cannot tell you of the sheer unbridled joy (and yawns) that flow from a Call for Papers ending friends! You should never, ever offer to.run a conference! To that end, normal (ish) service will resume here in.about a month, … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th century, Anglo-Irish War, Commemoration, Historian, Historiography, Insurgency, Learning, Logistics, revolutionary, Social History, Writing | Tagged Annual Conference, call for papers, IHSA, Irish history, military history, sleep | Leave a comment

A Broad Church too far?

Posted on 13/04/2015 by eamonntgardiner

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/taoiseach-should-visit-graves-of-british-soldiers-killed-in-1916-says-ex-tory-mp-1.2169232 Last week I wrote about the ‘bandwagoneering’ of the Easter Rising. This week’s blog is in a similar vein. The Commanding Officer of the Sherwood Forresters (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment), some of the soldiers who helped suppress the Rising, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, 20th century, Anglo-Irish War, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, First World War, Ireland, Memory | Tagged 1916, Anglo-Irish, Army, britain, British, British Army, Commemoration, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, coup, coup d'etat, dominion, Easter Rising, eiri amach na casca, Europe, gallant allies in europe, Germany, Great War, history ireland, home rule, Irish Volunteers, mercian regiment, nottinghamshire and derbyshire regiment, Officer, putsch, robin hood, sherwood forrester, Ulster, ulster volunteer force, uprising, UVF | Leave a comment

Questionable Memories and Bandwagoneers

Posted on 05/04/2015 by eamonntgardiner

Memorial to British in 1916 centenary http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/memorial-to-british-in-1916-centenary-321506.html?utm_source=androidapp&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=sharebutton The difficult thing about Irish history is memory. Well perhaps memory and the bandwagon. Little know fact but the GPO was like the Tardis; it’s garrison during the 1916 Rising held thousands of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, 20th century, Anglo-Irish War, Auxiliary Division, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, First World War, Historiography, Ireland, Memory, Oglaigh na hEireann, Revisionism, revolutionary, Royal Irish Constabulary | Tagged 1916, Black and Tans, child, children, easter, Easter Rising, excision, Listowel, memory, murdered, north Kerry, royal irish constabulary | Leave a comment

To Put Down a Marker

Posted on 02/03/2015 by eamonntgardiner

was an officer in the Royal Irish Constabulary, a proud Tipperary man and an international rugby player (he played the Irish rugby team which met Wales in 1881; the Welsh won their first ever international match that day, 2 Goals … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th century, Anglo-Irish War, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, Historiography, Memory, Organisational History | Tagged Bosco, deansgrange cemetary, District Inspector, dubin, Dublin castle, Founder of the GAA, GAA, Gaelic Athletics Association, garda siochana, gardaí, Hayes Hotel, IRFU, Irish Republican Army, John McKay, John Wyse Power, Joseph Bracken, Joseph O'Ryan, Maurice Davin, McCarthy Cup, Michael Cusack, PSNI, republicanism, ric, Royal, templemore, Thomas St. George McCarthy, thurles | Leave a comment

There can be only One

Posted on 09/01/2015 by eamonntgardiner

The unkillable soldier http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30685433 The image that comes to most people’s mind when they imagine veterans, is that of venerable old men (and increasingly women), sitting with their medals showing, usually in a quiet room. Generally they are alone… The … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th century, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, First World War, Historian, Historiography, Insurgency, Ireland, Irish Defence Forces, Memory, Oglaigh na hEireann, Palestine, Post Traumatic Stress, PTSD, Revisionism, Second World War, United States, US Armed Forces, women | Tagged Anglo-Irish War, D-Day, First World War, IUNVA, Republic of Ireland, Robert fisk, veterans, Warrior | Leave a comment

The Historian and the Arts/or the ‘Temporal Engineer’

Posted on 03/11/2014 by eamonntgardiner

I have been thinking about writing this post for some time. But I caution you the avid reader, just because I have devoted considerable thought to something does not mean I have advanced it thoroughly! You have been warned! This … Continue reading →

Posted in Commemoration, Conflict, Historian, Ireland, Memory, Revisionism | Tagged accuracy, acting, artistic licence, artistic license, Arts, drama, fact versus fiction, faction, genealogy, historian, Kilmichael, meda Ryan, Peter Hart, play, revisionism, Showbiz, television, Tom Barry | Leave a comment

Irish Home Rule and the First World War: A Video History by Ronan McGreevy

Posted on 25/08/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Irish Home Rule and the First World War This fantastic short video introduction to the topic of Irish Home Rule and the impact which the advent of the First World War had on it, is brought to you by … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, First World War, Historiography, Ireland, Memory | Tagged britain, First World War, history ireland, home rule, ireland, ronan mcgreevy, uk | Leave a comment

Uncivilised Actions in a Civil War

Posted on 18/08/2014 by eamonntgardiner

With the world’s rather limited attention span at present being directed at the horrors that are the civil wars in both Ukraine and Iraq/Syria, one could almost be forgiven for thinking that the Irish road to eventual independence came with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Ireland, Irish Defence Forces, Memory, Oglaigh na hEireann, revolutionary | Tagged 1913 Lockout, 1916 Rising, Anglo-Irish War, Anti-Treaty, arthur griffith, ballymullen barracks, ballyseedy, Bloody Sunday, Clashmealcon, Clashmelcon, dunworth's cave, Easter Rising, IRA, Irish Civil War, James McErneym Edward Greaney, Jim McGrath, Kerry, massacre, Michael Collins, Munster, National Army, patrick o'shea, Pro-Treaty, Republican, Rudge Hathaway, seán hales, stephen fuller, Tan War, the Somme, Timothy 'Aero' Lyons, tommy mcgrath, tralee | Leave a comment

A Positive-Negative Development

Posted on 04/08/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Nationwide Photographic Programme Last Wednesday night’s Nationwide special brought to us by the Irish national broadcaster, rté, showcased a series of photographs which detail the lives lived by Irishmen and women who volunteered to serve in the Great … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, First World War, France, Ireland, Memory | Tagged 1916, British Army, Chaplain, Father Eddie O'Donnell, Father Francis Browne, Irish Guards, Jesuits, Nationwide, Negatives, Passchendaelle, Photographs, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, RTE, Society of Jesus, Western Front, Ypres | Leave a comment

Comdt Padraic Kennedy

Posted on 01/08/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Comdt Padraic Kennedy speaks on his role as OiC (Office in Charge) of the Military Archives, the http://www.bureauofmilitaryhistory.ie website and the release of the Military Witness Statements which ushered in the Long Decade of Commemoration.

Posted in 1916, 20th century, Archive, Britain, Commemoration, First World War, Historiography, Insurgency, Ireland, Irish Defence Forces, Oglaigh na hEireann, revolutionary, Royal Irish Constabulary | Tagged Bureau of Military History, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Commandant, Irish Defence Forces, Irish War of Independence, Long Decade of Commemoration, Military Archives, Padraic Kennedy, Witness Statements | Leave a comment

World War One battlefields 100 years on

Posted on 01/08/2014 by eamonntgardiner

World War One battlefields 100 years on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-28461026

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, First World War, France, Memory, United States | Tagged Bellau woods, Devil Dogs, memorial, Passchendaelle, shells, United States Marine Corps, Ypres | Leave a comment

Nationwide Once Again

Posted on 30/07/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Last night rté, Ireland’s national television station, broadcast the first of three shows dedicated to the tensions and histories of the men and women who gave their lives in what would become known as the First World War. The Nationwide programme … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, 20th century, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, Empire, First World War, Ireland, Memory, Northern Ireland | Leave a comment

Remember the Alamo?

Posted on 07/07/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Phil Collins donates Alamo hoard http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-28054287 Collection of military memorabilia is at an all time. With the natural rise in interest in the First World War with the centenary of that conflict rapidly approaching. In this case it’s Phil Collins … Continue reading →

Posted in Archive, Commemoration, Conflict, Empire, Memory, United States | Tagged 4th of July, Alamo, America, First World War, Genesis, Great War, Houston, Independence Day, Lone Star State, Mexico, Phil Collins, Remember the Alamo, Santa Anna, Texas, United States, WW1 | Leave a comment

Alba go Bráth?

Posted on 02/07/2014 by eamonntgardiner

Everyone Scottish child and adult knows that the Battle of Bannockburn was a famous victory for the Scottish over their persecutors the hated English. Or so the popular story goes…. But what was the Battle of Bannockburn really about? What … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, Memory | Tagged Alban go Bráth, Bannockburn, England, freedom, iScotland, Mel Gibson, Normans, Robert the Bruce, Scotland, William Wallace | Leave a comment

Rorke’s Drift heroes Immortalised

Posted on 23/06/2014 by eamonntgardiner

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27762901 It is quite sad to think that even though a tremendous action (is battle the right word here?) took place, scores killed and wounded on both sides, heroism unparalleled in modern history and what are we left with? A film, … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, Empire, Memory | Tagged Gonville Bromhead, Harlech, Isandlwana, John Chard, Michael Caine, No. 5 Field Company, rorke's drift, Royal Engineers, South Africa, Stanley Baker, Welsh, zulu | Leave a comment

Allez des Cauchemars

Posted on 05/06/2014 by eamonntgardiner

France’s forgotten Blitz http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27703724 Today marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Occupied France. The actual landings themselves were preceeded by a massive aerial bombardment of the Nazi held French coastal areas of Normandy. As many as 50,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, France, Second World War, United States | Tagged allies, Blitz, Bombing, Canada, Cauchemars, D-Day, Fortress Europe, France, Hitler, Nazi, Nightmares, Normandy, Occupied France, Operation Overlord, RAF, USAAF | Leave a comment

Rising Anger

Posted on 26/05/2014 by eamonntgardiner

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/centenary-will-breathe-life-into-old-rising-myths-30263185.html There is an unspoken hatred among historians, especially military historians and that is the myth! Mythology in Irish life is a fantastic and wonderful thing; it has shaped our existence, our cultural history and even influenced how we … Continue reading →

Posted in 1916, Auxiliary Division, Britain, Commemoration, Conflict, decolonisation, Empire, First World War, Historiography, Insurgency, Ireland, Memory, Oglaigh na hEireann, Revisionism, revolutionary, Royal Irish Constabulary, women | Tagged 1916, Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tans, catholics, Diarmuid Ferriter, Dublin, Easter Rising, ireland, Joe Duffy, misconception, Moore Street, myth, protestants, quisling, revisionism, Somme, UCD, Ulster, William Mullen | Leave a comment

Lest we forget

Posted on 12/05/2014 by eamonntgardiner

The community of Listowel in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland ought to be congratulated. From such a small town, so many great writers have come forth (John B. Keane, Bryan MacMahon, etc), sporting greats (Owen “The Bomber” Liston, Tadhg Keenly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commemoration, Conflict, First World War, Memory | Tagged Commemoration, IUNVA, Lebanon, Listowel, Mary McAuliffe, Military Tattoo, Royal British Legion, Royal Munster Fusiliers, Tom Dillon, United Nations | Leave a comment