AT THE outbreak of World War I in August 1914, the regularity of the Derry boat sailings began to dwindle, as U-boat activity in the North Atlantic made a dangerous journey much more hazardous. Ships like The Thistle were re-commissioned for war service and only returned to Derry quay after the conflict. This, however, was at a time when Ireland’s conflict with Britain for its national independence was just getting underway and in which the Derry boat would play an important

‘AN IRISHMAN'S heart is nothing but his imagination,’ observed George Bernard Shaw (GBS). In the history of literature, few writers have accumulated more honours than the extraordinary Dubliner.

DUBLIN is truly a city of two names, Dubh Linn and Áth Cliath, each reflecting a distinct part of its ancient past. The English name ‘Dublin’ derives from the Gaelic ‘Dubh Linn,’ meaning ‘Black Pool,’ itself adapted from the Viking Dyflin. The name refers to the dark tidal pool where the River Poddle met the River Liffey, a spot that now forms part of the gardens of Dublin Castle.

ON MARCH 12, 1925, the newly formed State police force, An Garda Síochána, launched a large-scale raid on Dublin’s notorious red-light district, the Monto, an operation ordered by Garda Commissioner William Murphy.