Historians differ on McBride’s divorce

In his latest book, “Vivid Faces The Revolutionary Generation in Ireland 1890-1923”, Professor Roy Foster of Oxford again seeks to condemn Major John McBride’s role vis a vis the divorce case with his wife Maud Gonne.

Foster appears to take the view that because WB Yeats believed Gonne’s account, the historical record can be ignored.

As it happens another Professor of History, Senia Paseta, has recently published a book titled Irish Nationalist Women, 1900-1918, which has studied the record and passes no such judgement.

Unfortunately the latter book has received little publicity while Foster’s has, with Professor Diarmaid Ferriter writing “This is the kind of book that can be written only through patient and systematic research”.

Anthony J. Jordan

Gilford Road

Dublin 4