The Irish Story Top Ten articles of 2017

Eamon de Valera celebrates his election victory in East Clare, 100 years ago in 2017.

These were our top ten most read articles of 2017. Thanks to all our readers and contributors and happy 2018 to you all.

 

Top Ten articles

 

  1. Dr Shane Kenna a Tribute – Shane Kenna, much loved friend and contributor of many fine articles to the Irish Story passed away tragically after a battle with cancer in 2017. Our tribute to him was our most read article of the year.
  2. Shane Kenna. (Photo Courtesy of the National Graves Association).

    Spies and Informers Beware! IRA executions of alleged informers during the Irish War of Independence, by Padraig Og O Ruairc, on the much debated topic of the identity of the IRA’s civilian victims from 1919 to 1921.

  3. The Fenians, an Overview, by John Dorney, on the 150th anniversary of the Fenian Rising of 1867.
  4. The Free State’s Forgotten soldiers, the National Army monument at Glasnevin Cemetery, by John Dorney.
  5. Civil War Casualties in County Tipperary 1922-23, by John Dorney, counting and analysing the dead of the Civil War in Tipperary.
  6. Catalonia and Ireland, by John Dorney, investigating the parallels and distinct difference between nationalism in the two countries.
  7. The War of Independence in Kerry, by Thomas Earls Fitzgerald. An overview of guerrilla war in the ‘the Kingdom’.
  8. Michael Collins, the Dictator? by John Dorney, on the vexed question of Collins power and intentions in 1922.
  9. Revisiting the Red Cow Murders, October 7, 1922, by John Dorney. New evidence on gruesome civil war era killing.
  10. The 1798 Rebellion, a Brief Overview, by John Dorney

The year also saw our obituary to Martin McGuinness. There were many more very interesting articles, among them one by Alison Martin on the IRA’s 1943 Easter Commemoration, by Barry Sheppard on the Irish Press and Distributism and by Kerron O Lauain on Sinn Fein’s historical abstentionism. And not forgetting one by Mark Holan on the 150th anniversary of the Manchester Martyrs.

Top interviews

 

The Volunteers fire a salute over the grave of Thomas Ashe at Glasnevin cemetery.

1. Interview: Tomas MacConmara on 1917 in Ireland and the death of Thomas Ashe

2. Interview: The East Clare By-Election of 1917, with Padraig Og O Ruairc

3. Guerrilla Days in Kerry, an interview with Thomas Earls Fitzgerald

4. Interview: Brian Hanley on Martin McGuinness, his life and times.

5. Interview: John Dorney on The Civil War in Dublin

6. Censorship, Internment and Section 31, Interview with Brian Hanley

7. The Irish Parliamentary Party after 1918, an interview with Martin O’Donoghue

8. Ireland in a World of Revolutions, a series of talks at the People’s College.

 

Top 10 Book Reviews

 

  1. Reflecting on the Civil War in Dublin – not quite a book review, but an introduction to ‘The Civil War in Dublin, The Fight for the Irish Capital 1922-1924, by John Dorney.
  2. Montieth, the Making of a Rebel, by Caroline Smyth, reviewed by Daniel Murray
  3. Ireland’s immortals: A history of the Gods of Irish Myth, by Mark Williams, reviewed by Caroline Hurley
  4. Out of the Ashes, an Oral History of the Provisional Republican Movement, by Robert White, reviewed by John Dorney
  5. The Dublin Lockout 1913: New Perspectives, reviewed by Gerard Madden.
  6. A Bloody Day and Bloody Night, the Irish at Waterloo and Rorke’s Drift, by Dan Harvey, reviewed by Gordon O’Sullivan
  7. Into Action, Irish Peacekeepers Under Fire, by Dan Harvey, reviewed by Gordon O’Sullivan
  8. The Post Office in Ireland: An Illustrated History, by Stephen Ferguson, reviewed by Ruairi O hAodha.
  9. After the Rising, Soldiers, Lawyers and the Trials of the Irish Revolution, by Sean Enright, reviewed by Daniel Murray.
  10. County Louth and the Irish Revolution, reviewed by John Dorney.

See also our top ten articles of 2016 here. Happy New Year!

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