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Welcome to Irish Examiner History Collections - remembering the key people and events that have shaped us

<p>Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Stripe co-founder John Collison at the opening of Stripe's new Dublin Headquarters. Picture: Conor McCabe</p>

columnists

Colin Sheridan: Ireland is moving so fast, it's forgotten its people

We are a rich country masquerading as a poor one, run by people terrified of annoying people even richer

Clodagh Finn: The toe-curling poem that led to the rediscovery of Sarah Curran

Clodagh Finn: In the footsteps of Irish secret agent Maureen O’Sullivan

Clodagh Finn: The silver tea set that tells story of Irish marriage bar

Book documents turbulent times in Irish history

munster

New book on War of Independence in East Cork to be launched on Saturday

Heritage is about more than flags or old buildings

comment-analysis

Heritage is about more than flags or old buildings

History - 1984

1984 Revisited: Ford's was so rooted in Cork that its closure was unthinkable

S 1984 Revisited: Ford's was so rooted in Cork that its closure was unthinkable

1984 was a seminal year in Ireland. Forty years on, our writers look back at some of the scandals and stories that made the headlines and helped shape the Ireland of today

1984 Revisited: How Irish activists took a stance against apartheid

S 1984 Revisited: How Irish activists took a stance against apartheid

1984 Revisited: Calling last orders on the holy hour

S 1984 Revisited: Calling last orders on the holy hour

1984 Revisited: Sea drama leads to massive arms haul

S 1984 Revisited: Sea drama leads to massive arms haul

History - The Civil War

British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference

New law will make it harder to hold up housing and infrastructure projects

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said 'the utilisation of judicial reviews to prevent the delivery of vital accommodation, transport, or environmental projects ... is abhorrent to the common good'

Mick Clifford: 50 years after his death, what is Éamon de Valera's political legacy?

Mick Clifford: 50 years after his death, what is Éamon de Valera's political legacy?

Motorbike that led Michael Collins’ convoy to Béal na Bláth unveiled in West Cork museum

Motorbike that led Michael Collins’ convoy to Béal na Bláth unveiled in West Cork museum

Clodagh Finn: The woman who took the last known photo of Michael Collins

Clodagh Finn: The woman who took the last known photo of Michael Collins

History - Road to Civil War

Mick Clifford: MacSwiney’s legacy is being stolen by Sinn Féin

S Mick Clifford: MacSwiney’s legacy is being stolen by Sinn Féin

Next Sunday, Terence MacSwiney’s grave is set to be robbed in the name of rewriting history. The graverobbing will be metaphoric but is worthy of comment.

Ceremony of reconciliation

S Fergus Finlay: Donohoe complaints and ‘tax cut’ cries just FG brand assertion

Cork honours two brave sisters who risked their lives in War of Independence

Cork honours two brave sisters who risked their lives in War of Independence

McDonald calls for Citizens' Assembly on reunification at Liam Lynch centenary

McDonald calls for Citizens' Assembly on reunification at Liam Lynch centenary

History - War of Independence

Book documents turbulent times in Irish history

'The War of Independence in East Cork' is the story of conflict in one of Ireland's bloodiest eras

Tom O’Neill and Eugene Power from Midleton and Paul Busteed from Cobh have compiled what may be the most extensive history of the era in East Cork

Cork collector says he will never sell his priceless Michael Collins memorabilia

Cork collector says he will never sell his priceless Michael Collins memorabilia

Men of the South: A virtual reality take on iconic War of Independence painting

Men of the South: A virtual reality take on iconic War of Independence painting

The Pogues

‘It meant so much to him’: Shane MacGowan’s wife on the hunt for his missing Easter Rising rifle

History - Michael Collins

West Cork museum to display letters that focus on Michael Collins's international connections

West Cork museum to display letters that focus on Michael Collins's international connections

The correspondence maintained international awareness of Ireland's War of Independence

Historian names IRA mole who revealed location of Cork mayor Tomás Mac Curtain's killer

Historian names IRA mole who revealed location of Cork mayor Tomás Mac Curtain's killer

Taoiseach set to address rise of the far right at annual Michael Collins oration

Taoiseach set to address rise of the far right at annual Michael Collins oration

Co-founder of Women's Aid and long-serving MEP Mary Banotti dies aged 84

Co-founder of Women's Aid and long-serving MEP Mary Banotti dies aged 84

History - Women at War

Maud MacBride

Clodagh Finn: Mother’s Day Gaza vigil highlights Irish discomfort with female protest and dissent

The treatment of Gaza protesters outside the Dáil shows how female dissent is still met with disproportionate force

Clodagh Finn: An advent calendar of women to celebrate

Clodagh Finn: An advent calendar of women to celebrate

Clodagh Finn: A West Cork wartime heroine who fought against the Nazis

S Clodagh Finn: A West Cork wartime heroine who fought against the Nazis

Clodagh Finn: Queen Scotia, the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh who went to war outside Tralee

S Clodagh Finn: Queen Scotia, the daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh who went to war outside Tralee

Good Friday Agreement

Chk Spelling of Manser(a?)gh

Fergus Finlay: Martin Mansergh was top of the list of peacemakers in the North

Throughout that period of government, the thing that bound Martin and I close together was the peace process, writes Fergus Finlay

Fianna Fail think-in

Taoiseach says there will be no border poll before 2030

If elected, Humphreys pledges to continue to call out genocide as Michael D has done

If elected, Humphreys pledges to continue to call out genocide as Michael D has done

'A true Irish republican': Martin Mansergh, former Fianna Fáil TD and advisor, dies aged 78

'A true Irish republican': Martin Mansergh, former Fianna Fáil TD and advisor, dies aged 78

History - Cork at War

How the dissolution 100 years ago of Cork Corporation led to our local government system today

How the dissolution 100 years ago of Cork Corporation led to our local government system today

The country’s first City Manager was appointed in Cork in 1929 and effectively saw the sharing of power between the manager and the elected council

Plaque honouring Michael Collins unveiled in London

Plaque honouring Michael Collins unveiled in London

Back to the future: Cork City planner laid the foundations for a better city in 1922

Back to the future: Cork City planner laid the foundations for a better city in 1922

Eoin Hahessy: de Valera and Mannix forged an unlikely bond that helped shape Ireland

Eoin Hahessy: de Valera and Mannix forged an unlikely bond that helped shape Ireland

History - The Changemakers

The Changemakers: The woman who took on the State – and won access to contraception for all

The Changemakers: The woman who took on the State – and won access to contraception for all

When Customs officials seized the spermicidal jelly mother-of-four May McGee had ordered from the UK on the advice of a doctor, she was livid and took action that led to lasting change, writes Clodagh Finn

The Changemakers: Fitness pioneer who brought women into the public sphere

The Changemakers: Fitness pioneer who brought women into the public sphere

The Changemakers: Cork champion of the underdog, Maureen Curtis Black

The Changemakers: Cork champion of the underdog, Maureen Curtis Black

The Changemakers: Eileen Costello's inspirational journey from workhouse to Senate

The Changemakers: Eileen Costello's inspirational journey from workhouse to Senate

History - Bloody Sunday

Soldier F court case

Colin Sheridan: The Soldier F verdict shows the Republic’s peace was built on someone else’s pain

Soldier F’s acquittal reminds us that the Republic’s comfort was built on Northern suffering — and the wound still bleeds

Soldier F not guilty of committing Bloody Sunday murders

Soldier F not guilty of committing Bloody Sunday murders

Soldier F court case

Soldier F trial hears claims paratrooper opened fire on Bloody Sunday

Soldier F court case

Soldier F trial hears of ‘pandemonium’ on Bloody Sunday

Other History

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Ernest Shackleton's footsteps: Antarctic hero's cabin is restored and open to visitors

Explorer's cabin had been used as a shed in Norway for most of a century — but now it's been brought back to his Irish birthplace and meticulously restored

Sun, 12 Oct, 2025

Clodagh Finn: An ode to Hyacinth Bucket and the radiant art of growing old

Clodagh Finn: An ode to Hyacinth Bucket and the radiant art of growing old

In the real world, older people lead full and enriching lives but that hasn’t quite translated into fiction yet

Sat, 11 Oct, 2025

WW II Ukraine

Irish Examiner view: Nazi photo revelation shows the power of AI and rigorous research

Historian uses open-source journalism, AI, and old-fashioned media to identify murderer in notorious WWII photo

Mon, 06 Oct, 2025

AI helps identify Nazi murderer in 1941 photo from Ukraine

AI helps identify Nazi murderer in 1941 photo from Ukraine

Historian Jürgen Matthäus has for years been investigating a notorious photo of a Nazi massacre — now he is confident he has solved the mystery and named the perpetrator

Sun, 05 Oct, 2025

Colin Sheridan: Assata Shakur’s death recalls life’s living struggles

Colin Sheridan: Assata Shakur’s death recalls life’s living struggles

Shakur’s death should remind us that the struggles of the 1970s are not relics. They are living, breathing, unfinished

Sat, 04 Oct, 2025

Clodagh Finn: The politics of handbags, with all its glorious baggage

Clodagh Finn: The politics of handbags, with all its glorious baggage

The handbag of Maria Steen, who didn't manage to get enough nominations to run for the presidency, reminds Clodagh Finn of the controversial term 'handbagging' that had been used to insult other women in politics

Sat, 04 Oct, 2025

Clodagh Finn: The first lady and Stem pioneer who could have been president

Clodagh Finn: The first lady and Stem pioneer who could have been president

Phyllis Ryan qualified as the only woman with a master’s degree in science from UCD in 1917. She was just the fifth female science graduate since the National University of Ireland was founded in 1908

Sat, 27 Sep, 2025

Clodagh Finn: Great Irish wives, the club with so many overlooked members

Clodagh Finn: Great Irish wives, the club with so many overlooked members

O’Brien Press has finally published a non-fiction version of he lives of 10 women overshadowed by their famous husbands

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

Clodagh Finn: Funerals are much more about life than death

Clodagh Finn: Funerals are much more about life than death

Strange as it may sound, there is something very uplifting about coming together to celebrate a life well lived

Sat, 13 Sep, 2025

Clodagh Finn: If only we had hospital builder Madam Steevens in today's world

Clodagh Finn: If only we had hospital builder Madam Steevens in today's world

The indefatigable Grizelda Steevens managed to get Ireland’s first public hospital up and running in 1733

Sat, 06 Sep, 2025

David Trimble death

Book review: The arc of change — from firebrand unionist to unlikely peacemaker

Stephen Walker’s fine biography will ensure David Trimble will be long remembered as a flawed man who made an enduring impact on the lives of many in bringing peace to Northern Ireland

Fri, 05 Sep, 2025

Meet the 'ambassadors on horseback' of Ireland's Army Equitation School

Meet the 'ambassadors on horseback' of Ireland's Army Equitation School

As the Army Equitation School nears its centenary, riders reflect on its history, global impact, and mission to champion Irish horses

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025

Clodagh Finn: Let’s back campaign for public tribute to Mary Jane Irwin

Clodagh Finn: Let’s back campaign for public tribute to Mary Jane Irwin

If a visiting monkey has a place in the streetscape, Mary Jane Irwin, as she was when she lived in Clonakilty, certainly deserves ones too

Sat, 30 Aug, 2025

IRELAND-POLITICS-DE VALERA

The Mick Clifford Podcast: Who was Éamon de Valera? Colum Kenny reflects 50 years after his death

Half a century after Éamon de Valera’s death, historian Colum Kenny examines the legacy of Ireland’s most divisive leader

Listen | Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Government must restore Irish sovereignty by removing triple lock on peacekeepers, says health minister

Government must restore Irish sovereignty by removing triple lock on peacekeepers, says health minister

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill highlighted how no peacekeeping missions have been sanctioned since 2014

Sun, 24 Aug, 2025

Taoiseach to commemorate 200th anniversary of major Irish migration to Canada

Taoiseach to commemorate 200th anniversary of major Irish migration to Canada

2,000 Irish people — principally from Doneraile, Mitchelstown, Charleville, and East Limerick — emigrated to Canada in 1825 under the Peter Robinson scheme

Mon, 11 Aug, 2025

US Irish 9

Possible second 19th century mass grave of massacred Irish rail workers discovered in US

Archaeologist who led the discovery of original site may have identified a second mass grave of Irish railroad workers

Mon, 11 Aug, 2025

Back to the future: Cork Public Museum celebrates 80 years with new exhibition

Back to the future: Cork Public Museum celebrates 80 years with new exhibition

Colette Sheridan fastens her seatbelt for some time travel as Cork Public Museum celebrates its landmark 80th anniversary

Sun, 10 Aug, 2025

Legacy of the Liberator: The 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth celebrated

Legacy of the Liberator: The 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth celebrated

Daniel O'Connell's anniversary celebrations kicked off at Derrynane House on Wednesday

Sat, 09 Aug, 2025

North Cork group seeks to bring 'missing' Irish chalice back from UK — on loan

North Cork group seeks to bring 'missing' Irish chalice back from UK — on loan

A rare 16th-century chalice linked to the deaths of two priests may finally return from London to Cork

Sat, 09 Aug, 2025

‘Even children had to carry the bodies’: Hiroshima survivors speak 80 years after 'the bomb'

‘Even children had to carry the bodies’: Hiroshima survivors speak 80 years after 'the bomb'

America's incinerating of civilians in the atom bombs of 1945. Was that war, or war crime? asks Rosita Sweetman

Sat, 09 Aug, 2025

Life as a conservation officer: Meet the Cork woman trying to preserve Waterford's heritage

Life as a conservation officer: Meet the Cork woman trying to preserve Waterford's heritage

In the fifth part of her series on council workers, Sarah Horgan meets Rose Ryall, Waterford City and County Council’s executive architectural conservation officer

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

Daniel O'Connell commemorated at event marking 250th anniversary of The Liberator's birth

Daniel O'Connell commemorated at event marking 250th anniversary of The Liberator's birth

The event, held at Derrynane House in Caherdaniel, featured spoken word, music, and family reflections inspired by O'Connell's legacy

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Daniel O'Connell

Mick Clifford: Why Daniel O’Connell was Ireland's greatest politician

Whatever about his status as greatest Irishman, O’Connell was, through the force of his personality and intellect, indisputably the best politician in these islands, writes Mick Clifford

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

'Hugely significant' Irish archive donated to the State will be unveiled in Cork

'Hugely significant' Irish archive donated to the State will be unveiled in Cork

Donated to Ireland almost eight years ago, the Daniel MacCarthy Glas collection will go on display at Cork City and County Archives in Blackpool during Heritage Week

Mon, 04 Aug, 2025

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HISTORY COLLECTION

Read our series of history supplements celebrating the decade of centenaries

War of Independence Podcast

A special four-part series hosted by Mick Clifford

Available on
www.irishexaminer.com/podcasts

Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence

The Burning of Cork

Longread

We look at the historical context and reproduce the original report from our archives which details one of the darkest days in the city's history.

Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence