Conspirators: A Photographic History of Ireland’s Revolutionary Underground by Shane Kenna (Mercier Press, €14.99) A remarkable rogue’s gallery of revolutionaries, members of the IRB and Fenian movements, some of whom developed into democratic leaders. But it is as well to remember that not all the Fenians were heroes by any means. Money and murder left…

Ronsard’s rose garden is a pure delight Stratford-upon-Avon, especially in summer, is one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions:  the crowds come not to see the Royal Shakespeare Company at the theatre, but the birth place of Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The theatre with its celebrated productions is a truly vital place –…

Following the discovery in Co. Meath of what are believed to be the remains of Séamus Wright and Kevin McKee who were abducted and killed by the IRA, former NI police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan has appealed for information on the location of the remaining Disappeared. “The greatest problem is to persuade people to talk because…

Thousands are expected to attend the island’s biggest pro-life event of the year this weekend, with Dublin hosting the All Ireland Rally for Life. Now in its ninth year the rally is alternately hosted between Dublin and Belfast, and the Dublin event in 2013 saw an estimated 60,000 people march through the capital’s main streets.…

Local bishops have paid tribute to the three Irish people killed by a gunman in Tunisia and offered their prayers and condolences to their families. Bishop Michael Smith of Meath paid tribute to Lorna Carty, a nurse from Robinstown as a woman “known to, and loved by, very many people”. “The brutal circumstances of Lorna’s…

Books Editor With the fine weather here at last thoughts turn to holidays, and thoughts of holidays summon up the idea of some leisurely reading. Here are some suggestions for books which might provide some interesting and out of the way reading for those bored with best-sellers. The Land of Shades by Charles Lyte (Xlibris;…