DOMHNAIGH  -- On November 8, 1987, in one of the most widely condemned actions of the "Troubles," an IRA bomb killed 11 at the annual Remembrance Day…

When Michael Flynn went to the gallows, the Crown portrayed him as a dangerous Land League leader. More than a century later, questions remain about the extraordinary legal powers, incentivised witnesses and political pressures that helped secure his conviction. His story offers a revealing window into how the British state confronted organised…

SATHAIRN-- On the morning of Nov. 1, 1920, two masses were celebrated at an altar that 18-year-old IRA member Kevin Barry had constructed in his jail cell in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin. Barry was then led out of his cell by British soldiers and hanged.…

By Tim Flynn

Long before television correspondents, rolling news coverage and instantaneous reporting, the world's understanding of foreign conflicts depended upon the observations of travelling journalists. During Ireland's revolutionary decade, few visitors arrived with greater literary prestige than Henri Béraud. A…

DOMHNAIGH-- On the morning of Nov. 1, 1920, two masses were celebrated at an altar that 18-year-old IRA member Kevin Barry had constructed in his jail cell in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin. Barry was then led out of his cell by British soldiers and hanged.…

LUAIN -- On Oct. 26, 1771, John (Juan) MacKenna, who would rise to fame in South America, was born in Clogher, County Tyrone. MacKenna was related to Gen. Alexander O'Reilly, of the Spanish army, and O'Reilly helped MacKenna get established in Spain. In 1787, MacKenna was appointed a cadet…

LUAIN -- On October 19, 1751, Charles Edward (Jennings) Kilmaine, general in the French army, was born at Saul's Court, Dublin. His father was a physician from County Galway. Though the family name was Jennings, Charles became known as Kilmaine in France after the area of…

Robert Emmet's rebellion collapsed within hours. His political career ended at the gallows before his twenty-sixth birthday. Yet two centuries later, few Irish revolutionaries are remembered with greater affection. His story reveals something enduring about the Irish imagination: a fascination with those who lose nobly rather than those…

DOMHNAIGH -- On October 11, 1860, all the militia units of New York City were ordered to turn out to march in honor of the visiting Prince of Wales, the 19-year-old heir to the English throne.

(Left: Courtesy of the late Lt.…

By Tim Flynn

Soldier, revolutionary, general and film pioneer, Emmet Dalton lived several lives in one. From the trenches of the Somme to the death of Michael Collins at Béal na Bláth and the creation of Ardmore Studios, few figures better illustrate the complexities of modern Irish history.

In the crowded gallery of…

Few songs are as deeply woven into Ireland's musical and historical imagination as The Galtee Mountain Boy. Written by Patsy O'Halloran and later carried around the world by Christy Moore, the ballad tells the story of a young republican volunteer swept up in the turbulence of revolution, guerrilla war and civil conflict. Moving from Cork…

DOMHNAIGH -- On October 4, 1693, units of the Irish Brigade of France fought in Italy at the battle of Marsaglia. Prince Eugene of Savoy commanded the allies of William of…

Kathleen Lynn and the Politics of Compassion

By Tim Flynn (T.S. Flynn)

History tends to remember revolutions through their soldiers, generals and politicians. We remember those who seized buildings, proclaimed republics and challenged governments. Yet some of the most important figures in the struggle for Irish freedom…

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Daniel O'Connell's statue in the gardens of St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne. The Great Liberator's ideas travelled further than he ever did, accompanying generations of Irish emigrants and helping shape democratic traditions across…

SATHAIRN -- On Sept. 27, 1847, Civil War veteran and middleweight champion 'Professor' Mike Donovan was born in Chicago to Irish-born parents. The first of many memorable events in Donovan's life came when he fought for the Union Army, serving in Sherman's army in its march through Georgia. After the war,…