Category Archives: Irish History

Russia in NATO? Newly-released files offer glimpse into UK’s foreign policy thinking in mid-1990s

Posted on January 7, 2020 by

The latest batch of declassified British government files, released to The National Archives (TNA) at Kew, south-west London, in the New Year, offer some intriguing insights into the secret foreign policy deliberations that took place under John Major’s Conservative administration … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, British history, European History, Irish History, Public History, Russian History, The National Archives, Uncategorized, World History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Fuel to the Fire? The effect of Internment on ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland

Posted on December 22, 2019 by

Known by the name ‘Operation Demetrius’, a British Army operation led by RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) intelligence began in the early hours of 9th August, 1971, and saw the arrest of 342 people. More arrests were to come. In fact, … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, European History, Irish History, Media history, Public History, Research, Teaching, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Clear Case of Collusion? The Littlejohn Affair during ‘The Troubles’

Posted on November 3, 2019 by

During the night of 11th October, 1972, three armed men broke into the house of Noel Curran, manager of a branch of the Allied Irish Bank on Grafton St., Dublin. Securing Curran’s family as hostages, the armed men drove Curran … Continue reading →

Posted in British history, Irish History, Media history, Public History, Research, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

African Explorer: The brief but dramatic career of Joseph Moloney (1858-1896)

Posted on September 14, 2017 by

Being a historian is a bit like being a detective. A simple inscription on an old broken memorial led me to piece together a fascinating story about human endurance. The main cemetery in Kingston-on-Thames in Surrey contains the grave of … Continue reading →

Posted in African History, British history, European History, History of Medicine, Irish History, Local History, Medical History, Public History, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Kind of War: IRA Terror incidents in the Thames Valley area in 1939

Posted on July 20, 2017 by

Terrorism has been very much in our minds in recent months, for obvious reasons, and historians have increasingly turned their attention to the nature of terror campaigns and how such activities were conducted in the past. What lessons can we … Continue reading →

Posted in Archives, British history, Irish History, Local History, Media history, Public History, Research, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment