Historian Meda Ryan last weekend defended the reputations of Tom Barry and his fellow IRA men, who inflicted a devastating blow against British forces in Cork on 28 November 1920 in the famous Kilmichael Ambush. Free article

Violence against women has many faces. From birth to death, in times of peace and conflict, women face aggression at the hands of state, community and family. In some countries, the life of a woman is considered so worthless that baby girls get discarded, abandoned and even killed. Every year millions of women are raped by partners, relatives, friends and sometimes strangers, by employers and colleagues, security officials and soldiers. Free article

From Belfast to Basra, Abu Gharib to Long Kesh... there's a lot of comparisons between our history in Ireland and recent events in Iraq. But what has been learnt from it all? asks AN DRAOI RUA. Free article

In this week, 20 years ago, four IRA Volunteers, Antoine Mac Giolla Bhríghde, Ciaran Fleming, Danny Doherty and Willie Fleming, made the ultimate sacrifice for Irish freedom. Free article