The façade of Lincoln Prison is an intimidating welcome for anyone entering the facility. Since its opening in 1872, few have escaped and those who have were often quickly re-apprehended. That is, except for the case of Éamon de Valera, the Irish dissident and future president of Ireland, who managed to escape to freedom in […]
Thomas Fortune Ryan was born near Lovingston, a small Nelson County community south of Charlottesville, Virginia. Despite certain myths regarding his background, Ryan was neither orphaned nor penniless as a youth and he traced his ancestry to Protestant Anglo-Irish settlers in the 17th century. At age 17, Ryan perceived a lack of economic opportunity in […]
Along with his close comrades Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, Harry Boland was probably the most influential Irish revolutionary between 1917 and 1922. His sway extended to almost every aspect of republican activity. Already prominent as a hurler before 1916, he was convicted and imprisoned after an energetic Easter Week. He subsequently became Honorary […]
The façade of Lincoln Prison is an intimidating welcome for anyone entering the facility. Since its opening in 1872, few have escaped and those who have were often quickly re-apprehended. That is, except for the case of Éamon de Valera, the Irish dissident and future president of Ireland, who managed to escape to freedom in […]
Thomas Fortune Ryan was born near Lovingston, a small Nelson County community south of Charlottesville, Virginia. Despite certain myths regarding his background, Ryan was neither orphaned nor penniless as a youth and he traced his ancestry to Protestant Anglo-Irish settlers in the 17th century. At age 17, Ryan perceived a lack of economic opportunity in […]
Along with his close comrades Michael Collins and Éamon de Valera, Harry Boland was probably the most influential Irish revolutionary between 1917 and 1922. His sway extended to almost every aspect of republican activity. Already prominent as a hurler before 1916, he was convicted and imprisoned after an energetic Easter Week. He subsequently became Honorary […]
Thomas Fortune Ryan was born on 17 October 1851 near Lovingston, a small Nelson County community south of Charlottesville, Virginia. Despite certain myths regarding his background, Ryan was neither orphaned nor penniless as a youth and he traced his ancestry to Protestant Anglo-Irish settlers in the 17th century. Ryan’s father was a tailor and manager […]
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the Irish Free State was an armed, plain-clothed counter-insurgency police unit that operated during the Irish Civil War. It was organised separately from the unarmed Civic Guard police force. The unit was formed shortly after the truce with the British (11 July 1921) and disbanded in October 1923. The […]
Michael Collins died during Ireland’s Civil War at a place called Béal na mBláth – not far from Woodfield, Clonakilty, Co. Cork where he was born just over 31 years earlier. The ambush was commanded by Tom Hales and Liam Deasy, both of whom were former friends and comrades in arms of the ‘Big Fella’. […]
