... it has been quite a week for interesting historical content, with the centenary of Bloody Sunday and associated events in the War of Independence.

Croke Park have lots of information on their website about events there 100 years ago when British forces killed 14 people. There is a good overview and a short film about their centenary exhibition (sadly currently closed) which includes some extraordinary artefacts from that day including an original match ticket.

On the morning of the same day, 15 men were killed in an IRA operation targeting British intelligence operatives. Ronan McGreevy had this article in the Irish Times, focusing on the story of one of those men, boarding-house owner Thomas Smith.

There was also a History Ireland Hedge School discussion on Bloody Sunday - featuring Joe Connell Jnr, Siobhán Doyle, Brian Hanley and Fearghal McGarry - and asking did these events mark a decisive turning point in the ongoing War of Independence?

The Military Pensions Archive has a blog listing the individuals whose files are available online and who either claimed involvement in the IRA operation on Bloody Sunday, or whose involvement is stated by others within the collection. This totals 153 men and 12 women - it was to that date the largest single operation undertaken in Dublin during the War of Independence.

A more local connection - Skibbereen Heritage Centre had a fascinating blog post on a photograph taken the morning after Bloody Sunday at a wedding reception in Dublin. The bride and groom - Michael J. O’Brien and Lil Clancy - were both from Skibbereen and Lil's brother Joe ran the Eldon Hotel. He was good friends with Michael Collins and Gearóid O’Sullivan, and not only did they both attend the wedding reception, but they allowed themselves to be photographed (although Collins is not looking at the camera!)

Finally more broadly on the Decade of Centenaries, Festival contributor Eunan O'Halpin has authored, with Daithì Ó Corráin, a new book entitled The Dead of the Irish Revolution (Yale University Press) which aims to be the first comprehensive record of all deaths arising from the Irish revolution between 1916 and 1921. We are sure it will be well worth a read. Eunan has also recently had a book on Kevin Barry published, entitled Kevin Barry: An Irish Rebel in Life and Death (Merrion Press) - Barry was in fact his great uncle.