A Chara, – There’s only one way to read the statement by our Taoiseach that “Embracing Anglo-Irish history will never oblige us to think better of Cromwell” at the creation of the chair of Irish history in Cambridge University (“History ‘too important to leave to authoritarians’”, Home News, February 21st). It is that the State attempting to legitimise the failed project of “revisionism” in Irish history studies.
Irish revisionism began in 1936 with TW Moody, among others, to promote “historical learning on scientific principles”. Ironically, revisionism is not very scientific at all.
Due to a linguistic inability (and often obvious disinterest) in Irish language sources, only English language sources and British administrative records are studied by our revisionists, and so they write their books and give their views mainly through the State’s (British Empire’s) perspective.
However, If you include Irish-language material, you access the internal worldview of the vast majority of the population at the time. So, although English dominated the bureaucratic archive after 1600, Irish remained and remains essential for understanding the lived experience and cultural mentality of the people of Ireland for a significant period.
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This glaring omission of engaging the primary sources of Irish history is utterly unscientific and lacks the precision required to get a full view of our past. Occasionally a few Irish language sources might be sprinkled here and there to suggest rigour – however, often the revisionist doesn’t even bother with the pretence.
Indeed, is there a country in Europe which has so casually, to quote Thomas Davis, allowed its “history to drift among the accidents of translations”? The state, it seems, is now sanctioning this approach. But so many of our historical primary sources have never even been translated – and so remain beyond the revisionists’ reach!
Unless the newly appointed Cambridge chair of Irish History (or chairs in other institutions) can read the Annals of the Four Masters (1630s) in its original language, they do that chair a great disservice. The Irish State should have the maturity and knowledge to recognise this. – Is mise,
BRIAN MANNERS
Dún Droma
BÁC 16
A Chara, – With an increase in the amount of history washing, on both sides of the Irish Sea, in recent times, we should welcome the professorship of Irish history in Cambridge. All that’s left to do is for Irish people to start learning their own history. – Is mise,
AEDRAEN Ó DUBHGHAILL
Gaillimh
