Hi there,

I'm helping out with some research and I was hoping that anyone in IRELAND could give me a hand with offering a current opinion .

A short project set in the 19th Century, and a character starts their life working in the DMP - Dublin Municipal Police .

Some advice I was offered is that when a character is seen as being a part of the DMP, that an Irish audience would see that character as NOT likable because they work for the DMP as that would be seen as "supporting the English Crown by working for the police".

The DMP was the unarmed branch (as the English "Bobby" is).

Does this opinion still exist?

If you were to read a book or see a character on television who, starts their working life in the DMP, would you, as someone either from IRELAND or with IRISH SYMPATHIES feel inclined to not like or trust the character?

Thank you in advance,

Darren

I just have a couple questions, I found this quote on an old UCC page cited on wikipedia "all the common folk …for the most part are of Irish birth, Irish habit and of [the] Irish language". I have not been able to find any source for this quote, and I am hoping that someone here might better know than myself!

Secondly, what would someone who lived in the Pale be called? A Paler? I have not a clue!

I just finished Irish Freedom by Richard English, partly because it was recommended to me in several places on this subreddit as a good 'non-biased' account of Irish history. Now I am of the opinion that objectivity is elusive in historical analysis anyway, bias is a bit of a nonsense term in the sense that every historian has their views etc. But I did at least expect this to be balanced, because some in this subreddit seemed to hold it in pretty lofty regard. I am already pretty knowledgeable about certain areas, but I thought a quick summary of the post-1700 period couldn't hurt.

Honestly, it is a mess. No doubt English has done an impressive amount of research and consults a wide array of sources - that alone makes this monograph worth skimming if you are a nerd or scholar, no matter your politics, and I did get some new info and perspectives on certain issues i.e. partition for example. There are some merits to his analysis, particularly when he details the evolution of nationalist thought in intellectual and international contexts. But this isn't at all a descriptive, somehow objective and non-biast narrative. Every couple of sentences he will say a hugely contested claim as if it is undeniable fact, and rarely even references or addresses literature/sources that might dispute him.

His discussion of the famine in particular, as he desperately scrabbles to excuse British statesmen of their part in that catastrophe, is infuriating. Essentially he chalks up the death and misery as a consequence of bad laissez-faire economics, which is of course a factor - but he makes no mention of the colonial attitudes amongst British statesmen about the Irish (and other peoples) that allowed them to pursue a murderous non-interventionist economic policy even as the bodies piled higher. I can list many more examples where he just drops nonsense unsubstantiated statements or bizzare judgements. He questions the anti-imperialism of Connolly because he had hoped for Germany to militarily defeat Britain in WW1 because Germany was also an imperial nation, which to me is quite obviously an absurd interpretation. English doesn't even mention that this tactical support for Germany from republicans was geared towards hoping the British collapse and are forced to relinquish control of territories like Ireland. It is laughably simplistic, and strikes me as a desperate attempt to play 'gotcha!' in childish, churlish fashion.

Have opinions changed on these books? Because it is bonkers to me to recommend them to ill-informed readers as if they are a truly objective account. The lesson here, I guess, is to be very critical of any self-righteous person who claims to be a neutral arbiter in the study of history, because such a thing is, at least in regards to topics like the political history of Ireland, impossible. Next time we recommend such works to people who are just starting out, we might want to be more careful. I won't recommend this as an authoritative account, and I'd dissuade others from doing so.

"The Hussey-Walsh manuscript collection has recently been digitized and a sample is now accessible online for free for a limited time only. It contains over 100,000 references to individuals, primarily from merchant, middle-class and upper-class Irish Catholic families, many of whom lived in the 18th century."

https://irishheritagenews.ie/free-access-to-newly-digitized-hussey-walsh-collection-featuring-thousands-of-references-to-irish-catholics/

words

I’ve been trying to find the naming origins of the Geographic area of Country Antrim called The Route (Rowte in older forms). Was this because the area was/is on a famous road across the region? Or is it possible ancient/medieval word play?

Hi all! I’m hoping to get a small tattoo representing my sister’s birth year, “2003.” She already has “2001” tattooed for me, so I’d like it to be a nod to her without using the typical numbers. I’m Irish myself and have a few historical Irish tattoos already, so I’m really aiming for something rooted in Irish heritage.

I’ve looked into options like Roman numerals, but I feel they’re a bit overdone. Ideally, I’d love something based in Irish or Celtic history—did ancient Irish pagans have any numerical systems, symbols, or unique ways of writing numbers? I know Ogham was more of an alphabet, and I actually have an Ogham tattoo already, so I’m trying to avoid that if possible.

If there’s anything that could work to symbolize “2003” in a way that feels authentic to Irish history, I’d love any suggestions! Go raibh míle maith agaibh

I’m an American studying Irish history. The way I kind of understood Dev is like if all but the least notable of the USA’s founding fathers were killed in the revolution, and the least notable was left in charge. Very curious to hear what real Irishmen feel about him.

With the Viking/ Norman influence, did Irish kings in the medieval kingdoms ever pick up wearing a crown?

Hi

I remember reading that in around the year 1650 there were 4 major places left to be taken by Cromwell, I remember Galway and Waterford being two of them but I forgot what the others were. I would like to learn more about this topic.

I can't remember the source I read this from so I was hoping someone here would know.

It seems reasonable to think the two related. There's the fact of the same date, and association with the otherworld to start with. Some modern Halloween customs also claim Scottish derivation. Are the Scottish customs highland Gaelic customs, and thus ultimately derived from Samhain too?

I’ve read so much about how Irish people went to the UK, North America and Australia. But was there ever a period where Irish people went to continental Europe em masses and the descendants today still have a strong sense of Irish identity?

I know this is a very niche question and tbh I'm not really expecting a reply but hear it goes...

I have got down a rabbit hole on medieval Irish society and on Wikipedia I came across this paragraph:

Áed was connected to the monastic community at Armagh, and a supporter of the familia of Patrick. His rivals for supremacy within Uí Néill, the Clann Cholmáin and the Cenél Conaill, had on the other hand supported the familia of Columba. During Áed's reign the Columban familia, following several Viking raids against Iona, established a new monastery at Kells, a royal site in the possession of Armagh. Byrne states that "...the foundation [of Kells] marked the resolution of any remaining rivalry between the Columban and Patrician churches...".[14] That the community of Columba in 817 tried to have Áed excommunicated may show that not all rivalry was resolved after all

This is Áed Oirdnide of the Cenél nEógain.

So there obviously was a rivalry between the cenél nEÓgain and conaill with one supporting patrick and the other columba - despite this being centuries after either saint was alive.

Can anyone shed any light on why these rivalries would have happened, what form of division would they have taken and how did they manifest themselves for both ordinary people and the leaderships of these clans?

Was there similar rivalries between other monastic traditions within the island - for example with Brigid and kildare?

I live on the border between the arch diocese of armagh and the diocese of derry (southern sperrin mountains between tyrone and derry) and i was listening to a recording of a local historian who i don't know who from about 30 years ago talking about this border and how it was a very interesting border to study because not only does it mark a border between parishes and even a county but you have the border between Patrick's influence and the influence of Columba.

The area also had a number of key battles back in the early medieval time between these 2 clans which would have proven vital for the cineal eogains overall consolidation of power in the north at the time.

I would really like to read up more on this border and this rivalry but I really wouldn't even know where to start on this - does anyone have any sources or information?

For me this is an interest, as I'm from County Antrim and a christened Presbyterian.

I believe in none of it but from a very early age I have felt nothing but Irish. I lived in England for about 10 years (20s/30s) and navigated towards the Irish community there (mainly Dubbers).

I've nothing against English people at all, and two of my best friends are English.

However, I can't understand ulster unionism and what it stands for.

When I came back to Ireland I had a not so nice time with a boss of mine who was republican. She knew my view on things and still decided to try and make my life as difficult as possible as I was a 'prod'.

In my research with the United Irishmen etc., I discovered many dissenters at the time were very involved in the republican movement, and also Gaeilge.

Historically what I can't find is how widespread this was in the 18/19th Century.

Has anyone got anything the can add? Can you only love your country and be a republican if you are Catholic? More so, as I'm not Catholic do people think I'm just a planter and that will never change?

I know about Wolfe Tone, but were people like him just brave af, or was there a strong republican non Anglican community within dissenters at any time in our history?

Signed.

Proud Lundy 🤭

It started on 23rd October 1641 which was it's anniversary yesterday. I was reading about it and it mentioned that it came about after the Tudor colonisation of Ireland and the plantation of Ulster, it hoped to end anti-Catholic discrimination and return of the confiscated Catholic lands.

It also mentions that the Irish massacred settlers in parts of Ireland such as Portadown, Kilmore, Shrule, Carrickfergus etc and that the government at the time was dominated by Protestants. The events also increased sectarianism on both sides, with the protestant settlers being "scarred" by the events and many argued Catholics could not be trusted.

But were the Irish Catholics outnumbered by the planters from Scotland and England, I would imagine them importing hundreds of thousands of colonists all over Ireland through plantations would skew the numbers in their favour. But was this really the case?