The Big Fellow?

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Big Fellow? Peter Hart. Mick: The Real Michael Collins. New York: Viking, 2006. xxi + 426 pp. $17.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-14-303854-2. Reviewed by Timothy McMahon Published on H-Albion (August, 2006) Peter Hart, the leading young historian of the was emblematic of a generation of young Euro‐ Irish War of Independence, has produced an en‐ peans.) Better educated and more mobile than gaging, vivid, yet uneven biography of the revolu‐ their parents, they were drawn to cities and tionary politician Michael Collins. Anyone famil‐ towns, often to clerical, trade, or civil service posi‐ iar with Hart's earlier works (including the su‐ tions, yet they were also frequently frustrated by perb The IRA and Its Enemies [1998]) knows that their lack of mobility once they reached a certain he brings considerable gifts as a storyteller and point on the career ladder. For Collins, and for analyst to bear on his subjects. In this instance, he many hundreds of other young Irish, this point eschews the tropes of prior works on Collins-- came after emigration from rural west Cork to most notably the tendency to portray him as an London, where he entered with gusto into the mi‐ Emerald Pimpernel. The author restricts himself grant milieu, joining organizations such as the only to sources that are readily available (letters, Gaelic Athletic Association, the Gaelic League, and police reports, cabinet and committee minutes, di‐ most importantly the Irish Republican Brother‐ aries, and newspaper accounts), thus avoiding a hood. pitfall of prior Collins scholarship, in which au‐ Still, the author's treatment of the Irish-Ire‐ thors have utilized papers that subsequently dis‐ land movement--with its endless committees, appeared. Moreover, unlike his predecessors, he splits, and self-appointed republican "elect"--bor‐ devotes substantial chapters to Collins's childhood ders on caricature. Organizational ruptures and and early adult life, detecting in them patterns of feelings of righteous indignation toward one's ri‐ behavior that would become essential in his rise vals were the stuff of all emerging associational to power within the Irish republican movement. networks across the United Kingdom and the Con‐ Hart is surely correct that Collins exemplified tinent at the turn of the twentieth century: what his generation of young Irish men and women. made this one different was that a particular fac‐ (One might carry the point further and say that he H-Net Reviews tion seized control of it at an auspicious moment, Collins drank, swore, and smoked into the wee i.e., in the aftermath of Easter 1916. hours, unlike many of his abstemious and devout‐ Hart makes clear that the success of revolu‐ ly Catholic fellow revolutionaries. Of course, the tionary republicanism in those years was due, in fact that he developed what Hart refers to as a no small part, to Michael Collins, who proved to "kind of court" of admirers, who helped him to be much more than just another Mick on the entertain visiting guerrilla leaders at Vaughan's make. With his ruthless drive, his ability to en‐ Hotel, suggests that he was far from alone in pur‐ courage his fellows at moments of despair, and suing these more dissolute--and suspect--pursuits his determination to succeed at all costs, he sepa‐ (p. 265). More importantly, he was difficult to rated himself from the pack of potential leaders work with: combative and headstrong, he bullied through a formula honed in his London commit‐ colleagues and, occasionally, worked around them tee days. Linking himself to slightly older men‐ to achieve his desired results. The revolutionary tors, such as his cousin Jack Hurley and his IRB Minister of Defense, Cathal Brugha, was merely sponsor Patrick Belton, he made contacts that the best-known (and bitterest) co-worker with opened doors for him later in life. He also secured whom he crossed swords, but we learn from Hart positions, such as secretary or treasurer, on teams that their feud may have originated in a clash of and committees that enabled him to remain near personalities, with Collins the initial aggressor. the center of the action while spreading his con‐ The Big Fellow's most important eventual antago‐ tact and knowledge base. Most importantly, he nist was, of course, his chief, Eamon de Valera, chose wisely and acted resolutely. Hart demon‐ but as presented by Hart, the two retained "a gen‐ strates repeatedly that at key junctures in his life, uine partnership, with de Valera projecting a sup‐ Collins faced decisions about matters as mundane portive and tolerant presence" until after the as whether to emigrate to America or to move to treaty irrevocably divided them (p. 265). Such a Dublin and as profound as whether to accept the judgment may surprise, but it is backed up with Articles of Agreement with Britain in 1921. In correspondence between the two men, including each case, he left his options open until the last examples of de Valera fulfilling his duty as media‐ possible moment, when he made his decision and tor between Collins and other ministers in his rev‐ worked it to the best of his ability. In the former olutionary cabinet. instance, for example, he moved to Dublin early Unfortunately, not all claims in Mick appear in 1916, linked himself to Joseph Plunkett (a signa‐ as sure-footed, and those less familiar with the pe‐ tory of the Easter Proclamation), and gained an riod than Hart may fnd it difficult to distinguish entrée into the movement's inner circle. In the lat‐ between demonstrated occurrences and the au‐ ter, he signed the fabled "Treaty" that led to the thor's informed speculations. (Indeed readers creation of the Irish Free State at the expense of must wade into the notes pages at the back and republican unity. The Collins who emerges from search for the apposite phrase page by page be‐ these pages was one whose organizational, fnan‐ cause the format of this Viking publication does cial, and political acumen was sharpened through not allow for footnotes in the text.) Two examples experience and wielded with great effect. will suffice. The frst is minor and relates to All of this meant that Collins was loved and Collins's efforts to secure the directorship of the hated, cheered and reviled. Contemporaries de‐ National Aid Association early in 1917--arguably veloped differing opinions of him for a variety of the job from which his later successes sprang. reasons. As Tim Pat Coogan noted in an earlier bi‐ Hart fnds in his subject's application letter that ography (Michael Collins: A Biography [1990]), Collins lied to secure the post, embellishing past work experience. But why, he asks, particularly 2 H-Net Reviews since the IRB was using his expanding network of if--as Hart maintain--Collins's main purpose in connections to secure the position? Hart supplies employing violence was to bring about peace three possible explanations (the desire to impress more quickly, decisively, and on his own terms, a potential future employer, the need to protect a surely it is not a stretch to recognize the validity previously told lie, or the pleasure taken in decep‐ of the sentiment that it was "them or me." tion), but each of these is pure speculation (pp. This volume will not please every reader, par‐ 116-117). The observed overstatement is certainly ticularly those seeking a heroic portrait of its sub‐ of interest, but without establishing a pattern of ject. No doubt some will wish to argue with Hart's hyperbole (perhaps even through deploying ex‐ conclusion that Collins "was not interested in sac‐ amples that Hart refers to in his introduction) rificing himself for others or in upholding any sa‐ such speculation seems pointless. cred principle so it would live on after him," par‐ A more important instance involves one of ticularly since his life was cut short during a civil the central events of Collins's career as director of war that maintained the "freedom to achieve" intelligence in the IRA, that being the attack on "the ultimate freedom that all nations desire and Crown secret service men in their homes that trig‐ develop to" (pp. 425-426). But it is in engaging gered Bloody Sunday in November 1920. Accord‐ such arguments that we come better to under‐ ing to Hart, "Collins is often quoted (perhaps apoc‐ stand the people and forces that shaped our past. ryphally) as saying that he had to get them before As such, Hart's unsentimental and critical Mick they got him. In fact it was the other way around should take its place alongside David Fitzpatrick's ... the hush-hush men did not begin murdering study of Harry Boland, and Tim Pat Coogan's and and torturing until after a dozen of them were T. Ryle Dwyer's works on both de Valera and killed in their homes by the IRA" (emphasis in Collins, for those interested in the Irish War of In‐ original, p. 241). Technically correct, this state‐ dependence. [1] ment splits important hairs. On the one hand, the Note Crown's overlapping intelligence operations were [1]. David Fitzpatrick, Harry Boland's Irish becoming increasingly more coordinated Revolution (Cork: Cork University Press, 2003); throughout 1920, and while the men working in Tim Pat Coogan, Michael Collins: A Biography small groups in Dublin were unique within this (London: Hutchinson, 1990); and, De Valera: Long structure, intelligence operatives working along‐ Fellow, Long Shadow (London: Hutchinson, 1993). side Black and Tans and Auxiliary officers T. Ryle Dwyer, Big Fellow, Long Fellow: A Joint Bi‐ throughout Ireland were engaged in identifying ography of Collins and De Valera (Dublin: Gill and and killing IRA men and couriers.
Recommended publications
  • Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel and the Historiography of the Great Famine Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel Et L’Historiographie De La Grande Famine
    Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique French Journal of British Studies XIX-2 | 2014 La grande famine en irlande, 1845-1851 Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel and the historiography of the Great Famine Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel et l’historiographie de la Grande Famine Christophe Gillissen Electronic version URL: https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/281 DOI: 10.4000/rfcb.281 ISSN: 2429-4373 Publisher CRECIB - Centre de recherche et d'études en civilisation britannique Printed version Date of publication: 1 September 2014 Number of pages: 195-212 ISSN: 0248-9015 Electronic reference Christophe Gillissen, “Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel and the historiography of the Great Famine”, Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique [Online], XIX-2 | 2014, Online since 01 May 2015, connection on 21 September 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/281 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/ rfcb.281 Revue française de civilisation britannique est mis à disposition selon les termes de la licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. Charles Trevelyan, John Mitchel and the historiography of the Great Famine Christophe GILLISSEN Université de Caen – Basse Normandie The Great Irish Famine produced a staggering amount of paperwork: innumerable letters, reports, articles, tables of statistics and books were written to cover the catastrophe. Yet two distinct voices emerge from the hubbub: those of Charles Trevelyan, a British civil servant who supervised relief operations during the Famine, and John Mitchel, an Irish nationalist who blamed London for the many Famine-related deaths.1 They may be considered as representative to some extent, albeit in an extreme form, of two dominant trends within its historiography as far as London’s role during the Famine is concerned.
    [Show full text]
  • DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY School of Communications the IRISH
    DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY School of Communications THE IRISH PRESS AND POPULISM IN IRELAND Thesis submitted to Dublin City University m candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Catherine Curran December 1994 DECLARAIION I hereby certify that this material, which I now submit for assessment on the programme of study leading to the award of Doctor of Philosophy is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work Signed Signed Date Signed Date fd ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following people, whose advice, support and encouragement were essential to the completion of this work My supervisors, Dr Paschal Preston, whose endless patience, time and energy were much appreciated, and Dr Luke Gibbons, who provided valuable source material m the initial stages of the research Professor Desmond Bell, University of Ulster, who stimulated my interest m political economy of the media and encouraged me to undertake further research in the area My fellow postgraduates and colleagues, Jean O'Halloran, Des McGumness, and Sharon Burke The School of Communications, Dublin City University, which provided me with the necessary research funding and all the facilities I required Tim Pat Coogan, Douglas Gageby, Dr Noel Browne and Michael Mills, who granted me interviews and Michael O'Toole and Sean Purcell at the Irish Press who provided many helpful suggestions The staff of the circulation departments of the Irish Press and the
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Collins: Patriot Hero Or 41 Counterrevolutionary? Kieran Allen
    Michael Collins: patriot hero or 41 counterrevolutionary? Kieran Allen ichael Collins is a Fine Gael hero. Each year its auxiliary forces in Ireland. One of the most famous young Fine Gael members from across the episodes of the Irish War of Independence was the country travel to Béal na Bláth in County Cork elimination of The Cairo Gang. This was an elite unit where Collins was killed by republican forces who were formed by British military intelligence with Mon August 22 1922 during the Civil War. The annual the aim of assassinating republican leaders. They commemoration for Collins features Fine Gael luminaries arrived in Ireland in September 1920 and within weeks or those who share their outlook. In 2018, for example, shot dead a republican activist from Limerick, John the current Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, Lynch, as he lay in his bed. They also came close to got carried away with himself and referred to the site of killing Dan Breen and Sean Tracy, the instigators of the Collins’ execution as a ‘Gaelic Calvary’.1 Having recovered Soloheadbeg attack that set off the War of Independence. from this emotional spasm, he went on, like most of his Michael Collins had established his own squad of armed Fine Gael predecessors, to make a banal speech about operatives within the republican forces and gave the current Irish political life, laced with odd quotes from orders for the execution of the Cairo Gang. One of his Collins himself. Fine Gael’s cult of Collins also includes biographers, James MacKay takes up the story.
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Responses to Fascist Italy, 1919–1932 by Mark Phelan
    Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Title Irish responses to Fascist Italy, 1919-1932 Author(s) Phelan, Mark Publication Date 2013-01-07 Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3401 Downloaded 2021-09-27T09:47:44Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. Irish responses to Fascist Italy, 1919–1932 by Mark Phelan A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Prof. Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh Department of History School of Humanities National University of Ireland, Galway December 2012 ABSTRACT This project assesses the impact of the first fascist power, its ethos and propaganda, on key constituencies of opinion in the Irish Free State. Accordingly, it explores the attitudes, views and concerns expressed by members of religious organisations; prominent journalists and academics; government officials/supporters and other members of the political class in Ireland, including republican and labour activists. By contextualising the Irish response to Fascist Italy within the wider patterns of cultural, political and ecclesiastical life in the Free State, the project provides original insights into the configuration of ideology and social forces in post-independence Ireland. Structurally, the thesis begins with a two-chapter account of conflicting confessional responses to Italian Fascism, followed by an analysis of diplomatic intercourse between Ireland and Italy. Next, the thesis examines some controversial policies pursued by Cumann na nGaedheal, and assesses their links to similar Fascist initiatives. The penultimate chapter focuses upon the remarkably ambiguous attitude to Mussolini’s Italy demonstrated by early Fianna Fáil, whilst the final section recounts the intensely hostile response of the Irish labour movement, both to the Italian regime, and indeed to Mussolini’s Irish apologists.
    [Show full text]
  • Secret Societies and the Easter Rising
    Dominican Scholar Senior Theses Student Scholarship 5-2016 The Power of a Secret: Secret Societies and the Easter Rising Sierra M. Harlan Dominican University of California https://doi.org/10.33015/dominican.edu/2016.HIST.ST.01 Survey: Let us know how this paper benefits you. Recommended Citation Harlan, Sierra M., "The Power of a Secret: Secret Societies and the Easter Rising" (2016). Senior Theses. 49. https://doi.org/10.33015/dominican.edu/2016.HIST.ST.01 This Senior Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Dominican Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of Dominican Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE POWER OF A SECRET: SECRET SOCIETIES AND THE EASTER RISING A senior thesis submitted to the History Faculty of Dominican University of California in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in History by Sierra Harlan San Rafael, California May 2016 Harlan ii © 2016 Sierra Harlan All Rights Reserved. Harlan iii Acknowledgments This paper would not have been possible without the amazing support and at times prodding of my family and friends. I specifically would like to thank my father, without him it would not have been possible for me to attend this school or accomplish this paper. He is an amazing man and an entire page could be written about the ways he has helped me, not only this year but my entire life. As a historian I am indebted to a number of librarians and researchers, first and foremost is Michael Pujals, who helped me expedite many problems and was consistently reachable to answer my questions.
    [Show full text]
  • Women Who Spied for Ireland
    Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Susan Killeen Confidante of MC Siobhan Creedon Associate Deciphered messages Nora Wallace Helped Cork Brigades Code-breaker Associate Nancy O'Brien MC's cousin Josephine Marchmount Spied against British Head of Civilian Clerks and Typists at Worked with coded messages at Dublin Castle Cork Military Barracks Spied for Ireland Employee Confirmed Troop movements Married prominent IRA member Employee Dublin Castle British Operational HQ during Ind. War Participant Associate Mary Collins-Powell Associate MC's sister Associate Courier Intel Officer Participant Page 1 of 12 Associate Participant Participant Michael Collins President of the IRB Director of Munitions for IRA Director of Intelligence of the Irish Volunteers Employee Adjutant General and Director of Organization Minister of Finances: Dial Abbr: M.C. Kathleen Napoli MacKenna Courier Associate Associate MC's Secretary Participant Associate Associate Associate Participant Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Location Associate Kitty Kiernan Fiance of MC 44 Mountjoy St. Attacked by British Safe House Furry Park, Dublin Madeline Dicker Linda Kearns Safe House MC's Girlfriend Meeting Place for IRB, IRA, and CnamB Associate Gun-runner Hid MC Participant Arrested, Broke out Courier Participant Sinead Mason Location Associate MC's Secretary War for Independence Owner Civil War Harry Boland Leader of the Movement Friend of MC Associate Associate 30 Mountjoy St. Josephine Marchmount Safe House Associate Head of Civilian Clerks
    [Show full text]
  • Book Auction Catalogue
    1. 4 Postal Guide Books Incl. Ainmneacha Gaeilge Na Mbail Le Poist 2. The Scallop (Studies Of A Shell And Its Influence On Humankind) + A Shell Book 3. 2 Irish Lace Journals, Embroidery Design Book + A Lace Sampler 4. Box Of Pamphlets + Brochures 5. Lot Travel + Other Interest 6. 4 Old Photograph Albums 7. Taylor: The Origin Of The Aryans + Wilson: English Apprenticeship 1603-1763 8. 2 Scrap Albums 1912 And Recipies 9. Victorian Wildflowers Photograph Album + Another 10. 2 Photography Books 1902 + 1903 11. Wild Wealth – Sears, Becker, Poetker + Forbeg 12. 3 Illustrated London News – Cornation 1937, Silver Jubilee 1910-1935, Her Magesty’s Glorious Jubilee 1897 13. 3 Meath Football Champions Posters 14. Box Of Books – History Of The Times etc 15. Box Of Books Incl. 3 Vols Wycliff’s Opinion By Vaughan 16. Box Books Incl. 2 Vols Augustus John Michael Holroyd 17. Works Of Canon Sheehan In Uniform Binding – 9 Vols 18. Brendan Behan – Moving Out 1967 1st Ed. + 3 Other Behan Items 19. Thomas Rowlandson – The English Dance Of Death 1903. 2 Vols. Colour Plates 20. W.B. Yeats. Sophocle’s King Oedipis 1925 1st Edition, Yeats – The Celtic Twilight 1912 And Yeats Introduction To Gitanjali 21. Flann O’Brien – The Best Of Myles 1968 1st Ed. The Hard Life 1973 And An Illustrated Biography 1987 (3) 22. Ancient Laws Of Ireland – Senchus Mor. 1865/1879. 4 Vols With Coloured Lithographs 23. Lot Of Books Incl. London Museum Medieval Catalogue 24. Lot Of Irish Literature Incl. Irish Literature And Drama. Stephen Gwynn A Literary History Of Ireland, Douglas Hyde etc 25.
    [Show full text]
  • The Irish Press Coverage of the Troubles in the North from 1968 to 1995
    Irish Communication Review Volume 12 Issue 1 Article 2 January 2010 The Irish Press Coverage of the Troubles in the North from 1968 to 1995 Ray Burke Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/icr Part of the Communication Technology and New Media Commons Recommended Citation Burke, Ray (2010) "The Irish Press Coverage of the Troubles in the North from 1968 to 1995," Irish Communication Review: Vol. 12: Iss. 1, Article 2. doi:10.21427/D77414 Available at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/icr/vol12/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Current Publications at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Irish Communication Review by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License ICR-2010:Layout 1 01/12/2010 15:46 Page 21 THE IRISH PRESS COVERAGE OF THE TROUBLES IN THE NORTH FROM 1968 TO 1995 Ray Burke Introduction THE ‘IRISH PRESS ’ WAS THE second-highest-selling daily newspaper on the island of Ireland at the beginning of the era that became known as the Troubles. With an average daily sale of nearly , copies during the second half of , it had almost double the circulation of the Irish Times and the Belfast News Letter and it was outsold only by the perennially best-selling Irish Independent . The Irish Press had at that time a number of specific characteristics and moments in its prior history
    [Show full text]
  • Read the Excellent Thesis Here
    "You fight your own wars. Irish defence of the Spanish Republic at war. 1936-1939." Ms Aude Duche Univeriste de Haute Bretagne Rennes, France Masters thesis, 2004 Thanks to Aude for her permission to add this thesis to the site. http://www.geocities.com/irelandscw/pdf-FrenchThesis.pdf The conversation to a pdf format has altered the layout of her excellent piece of work. Ciaran Crossey, Belfast, Added online, 28th January 2007 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 3 PART I – THE IRISH LEFT AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.......................................................... 5 THE IRISH LEFT IN THE 1930S................................................................................................................ 5 . Origins............................................................................................................................................ 5 1926-1936: the revival of the left..................................................................................................... 8 … remaining marginal.................................................................................................................. 11 THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR.................................................................................................................... 13 The Spanish Republic .................................................................................................................... 13 Enemies of the Republic
    [Show full text]
  • The Government's Executions Policy During the Irish Civil
    THE GOVERNMENT’S EXECUTIONS POLICY DURING THE IRISH CIVIL WAR 1922 – 1923 by Breen Timothy Murphy, B.A. THESIS FOR THE DEGREE OF PH.D. DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: Professor Marian Lyons Supervisor of Research: Dr. Ian Speller October 2010 i DEDICATION To my Grandparents, John and Teresa Blake. ii CONTENTS Page No. Title page i Dedication ii Contents iii Acknowledgements iv List of Abbreviations vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The ‗greatest calamity that could befall a country‘ 23 Chapter 2: Emergency Powers: The 1922 Public Safety Resolution 62 Chapter 3: A ‗Damned Englishman‘: The execution of Erskine Childers 95 Chapter 4: ‗Terror Meets Terror‘: Assassination and Executions 126 Chapter 5: ‗executions in every County‘: The decentralisation of public safety 163 Chapter 6: ‗The serious situation which the Executions have created‘ 202 Chapter 7: ‗Extraordinary Graveyard Scenes‘: The 1924 reinterments 244 Conclusion 278 Appendices 299 Bibliography 323 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to extend my most sincere thanks to many people who provided much needed encouragement during the writing of this thesis, and to those who helped me in my research and in the preparation of this study. In particular, I am indebted to my supervisor Dr. Ian Speller who guided me and made many welcome suggestions which led to a better presentation and a more disciplined approach. I would also like to offer my appreciation to Professor R. V. Comerford, former Head of the History Department at NUI Maynooth, for providing essential advice and direction. Furthermore, I would like to thank Professor Colm Lennon, Professor Jacqueline Hill and Professor Marian Lyons, Head of the History Department at NUI Maynooth, for offering their time and help.
    [Show full text]
  • Course Document --- 'The Irish Home Rule Party and Parliamentary Obstruction, 1874-87' in I.H.S
    SCHOOL OF DIVINITY, HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY ACADEMIC SESSION 2018-2019 HI304U THE MAKING OF MODERN IRELAND 30 CREDITS: 11 WEEKS PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY: The full set of school regulations and procedures is contained in the Undergraduate Student Handbook which is available online at your MyAberdeen Organisation page. Students are expected to familiarise themselves not only with the contents of this leaflet but also with the contents of the Handbook. Therefore, ignorance of the contents of the Handbook will not excuse the breach of any School regulation or procedure. You must familiarise yourself with this important information at the earliest opportunity. COURSE CO-ORDINATOR Dr Colin Barr Crombie Annexe 203 [email protected] Tel: 01224 272219 Office hours: Tuesdays 2-4pm and by appointment Discipline Administration Mrs Barbara McGillivray/Mrs Gillian Brown 50-52 College Bounds 9 Room CBLG01 201 01224 272199/272454 - 8 [email protected] 201 | - Course Document 1 TIMETABLE For time and place of classes, please see MyAberdeen Students can view their university timetable at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/infohub/study/timetables-550.php COURSE DESCRIPTION This course offers a chronological survey of Ireland and the Irish from the Act of Union with Great Britain to the present day. It will consider the social, political, cultural and economic aspects of that history, and will place the island of Ireland within its wider contexts, as part of the United Kingdom, as part of Europe, as part of the British Empire, and as the source of the global Irish Diaspora.
    [Show full text]
  • Harryboland Extract.Pdf
    I BORN INTO PATRIOTISM Irish freedom meant everything to Harry Boland. This yearning had been handed down to him from past generations on both sides of his family.1 Harry’s father, Jim, met Catherine Woods in Manchester while he was working at the laying of the Manchester Tramways. Catherine was born in Manchester in 1861, of Co. Louth lineage. Her father, Philip Woods, came from the Carlingford area. Her great-grandfather, James Woods, a blacksmith from Cooley, was whipped through the streets of Carlingford, tied to the back of a cart, for making pikes for the rebels in the 1798 Rising.2 Jim Boland could trace his roots to the townland of Cams in the parish of Fuerty, Co. Roscommon, but he was born in Manche ster in 1857. His father, Patrick, was very active in the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), a secret, oath-bound organisation dedicated to establishing an independent Ireland.3 Jim arrived in Dublin for the first time in 1880 as a foreman with the Liverpool firm Worthingtons, which had secured the contract for paving Dublin’s streets. Shortly afterwards, the city council decided to do the work by direct labour and Jim was given the job of overseer, with a weekly wage of £2. On 21 October 1882 he married Catherine in St Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street. While in Dublin, Jim became a member of the Supreme Council of the IRB. He was also the centre (secret leader) for the province of Leinster and at one time chairman of the Dublin 2 Born into Patriotism Directory of the IRB.4 Within the Directory, Jim was very friendly with Denis Seery.
    [Show full text]