THE YEAR 1982 saw British Government strategy in Ireland in disarray. The Hunger Strike of the previous year, in which ten republican prisoners died in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh, had broken the British policy of criminalising the prisoners and, by extension, the struggle for Irish freedom. The world saw that Irish republicans had widespread community support among the nationalist population in the Six Counties. Free article

Writing in his latest blog, Declan Kearney looks at the need to plan for Ireland's future. Free article

By mid-September 1922 the Republican forces were on the retreat throughout Ireland and were reverting to rural guerrilla tactics while the Free State controlled the cities and towns. Free article

Legacy, victims and dealing with the past has been a defining political issue from the Good Friday Agreement (1998).  However, it wasn’t until the negotiations at Stormont House (2014) that a comprehensive approach, and architecture, was broadly agreed to deal with the legacy of the past.

The Stormont House Agreement (2014) provided the broad political architecture on devising key... Free article

The day after Michael Collins was shot, Richard Mulcahy, Chief of Staff of the Free State Army, sent a message to his soldiers. He urged them to “stand calmly by your posts” and said: “Let no cruel act of reprisal blemish your bright honour.” Yet in Dublin, within days of that message, and as the body of Michael Collins lay in state in City Hall, Free State forces carried out atrocities which up to recent times were largely forgotten. Free article

We are seeing a deluge of media coverage on the centenary of the death of Michael Collins. This is natural for such a towering figure in our history. It is unfortunate, though, that so much that is said and written about the Treaty and the Civil War is dominated by the figures of Collins and Dev, often to the exclusion of other key figures and usually glossing over the political issues involved. Free article

As we mark the 42nd anniversary of the 1981 Hunger Strikes Pauline Tully remembers republican Kevin O'Reilly who died in December, and who over six decades was a key activist and organiser, and was to the forefront of H-Block campaign in Cavan. Free article

Although he was advanced in age, the death of Albert Kane after a relatively short illness, came as a shock to his family, friends and comrades. Their loss was sudden because Albert had remained engaged and active and irrepressible right up to his final illness. Free article

Arthur Griffith died 100 years ago as the Civil War escalated, a war brought about as a direct result of his decision to sign the Treaty. Griffith’s legacy will forever be defined by that one act. Free article

Arthur Joseph Griffith was born at 61 Upper Dominick Street, Dublin, son of Arthur Charles Griffith, printer, and Mary Whelan. He attended the local Christian Brothers school and began work as an office boy in Franklin Printing at 13. He was a voracious reader and studied for the rest of his years. He was deeply interested in Irish history, culture and language and was a member from his teens of many clubs such as Young Ireland League, the Celtic Literary Society and Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League). Free article