Britain’s Salt Act of 1882 prohibited Indians from collecting or selling salt, a staple in their diet. Indian citizens were forced to buy the vital mineral from their British rulers, who, in addition to exercising a monopoly over the manufacture and sale of salt, also charged a heavy salt tax. Though it affected everyone, it […]
Pádraig Ó Siochfhradha was born near Dingle, Co. Kerry in 1883, one of nine children to Patrick Sugrue and Ellen Cleary. He attended the local CBS until he was 16 where he was educated under English, and learned to read and write Irish from a local school master with the assistance of the Irish grammer […]
ON THIS DAY: 4TH MARCH is shared by 3 famous people connected with Irish freedom, whose birthdays occurred on this day. Robert Emmet – 1778 was an Irish Republican and nationalist, patriot, orator and rebel leader. After leading an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803 he was captured then tried and executed for high treason […]
The Rural Independent Group has welcomed Seachtain na Gaeilge and called for a renewed focus on the future of the Irish language, saying a language defines a people, a culture and that “both are inseparable”. “Seachtain na Gaelige provides an opportunity to showcase our language and shine a light on the need for the State […]
Tithe Wars nó as Gaeilge Cogadh na nDeachúna. People were obliged by law to pay Tithes for the upkeep of the Church of Ireland, which was the official state sanctioned Church. What was ‘owed’ could be taken in the form of money, land, rent, produce or livestock. Struggling farmers did not want to be forced […]
What’s woke this week? Disney slapped an “offensive content” label on The Muppet Show, and ensured that the Jim Henson classic can only be seen using an adult account on Disney’s streaming service, Disney Plus. A disclaimer now appears when viewers attempt to watch the show: “This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or […]
Following on from our post a few days back which discussed the vicious Shankill butchers (a loyalist gang connected with the UVF); a Catholic civilian Francis Rice, (24), was abducted, beaten, tortured and had his throat cut almost through to the spine. His torture and death was described as grotesque and obscene. His body was […]
The Shankill Butchers were a group of 11 loyalists, many of whom were members of the Ulster Volunteer Force, which operated out of drinking dens in the Shankill Road area of Belfast hence the name. They abducted Catholics; tortured, maimed and mutilated their bodies before eventually killing them with butchers knives, axes and hatchets. Their […]
The Statute of Kilkenny were a set of laws made by the English Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lionel of Antwerp. They were passed at a meeting of the Irish parliament held at Kilkenny. It was to ensure that the English colonisers here did not adopt Irish customs and that the Irish must adopt English ones. […]
Many foreign tourists to this country are more than surprised to learn that the bones of St Valentine are to be found as relics in one of Dublin’s most beautiful, historic and mildly intriguing Catholic churches, that of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, otherwise known as Whitefriar Street Church on Aungier Street. […]
Sixty-one per cent of Irish Wine drinkers claim that they only open a bottle at the weekend, according to a new survey by the good folks over at boxofwine.ie: A survey carried out by Boxofwine.ie has revealed that 87% of people decided to ditch Dry January in 2021 and 58% don’t see the point of […]
Abolishing the Angelus on RTE is one of those perennials that pops up in the pre-occupations of Ireland’s dominant cultural class a few times a year. Sometimes it’s in silly season, when the press are looking for a story, but more commonly it’s when news stories about the nation’s past surface which tend to inflame […]