Back to the regular posts: Dublin Festival of History, Eisenhower in Belfast & Arthur Griffith

We took a bit of a break after our digital festival, but we're now back to the (relatively) regular posts with interesting historical content to read, watch and listen to. Obviously all the pre-recorded material from this year's Festival is the most interesting historical viewing around at the moment - and all free-to-view on our website. It will shortly be joined by all our live, ticketed events, including talks by Fergal Keane, Mary Kenny and Roy Foster, and panel discussions on Partition and Ireland & Empire. But here's some other interesting things which caught our eye:

The Dublin Festival of History programme has been launched, and can be booked now - some live, some digital, but many interesting speakers and topics from 20 September to 10 October.

The Wartime NI blog featured US General (later US President) Dwight Eisenhower's visit to Belfast in August 1945. There is of course a close link between Eisenhower and West Cork, in the person of his wartime driver and close companion Kay Summersby, born Kay McCarthy-Morrogh at Inish Beg near Baltimore. Dan McCarthy wrote more about her in the Examiner in 2018. Our featured image shows Eisenhower departing from the airfield at Long Kesh, Co. Down and is courtesy of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

The Irish Story published Colum Kenney's review of a new book about Arthur Griffith - journalist, principal founder of Sinn Féin and president of Dáil Éireann : "a historical figure deserving of a reappraisal".

And finally a documentary on the RTE History show - 'I Am To Be Shot', based on Donoughmore student Saoirse Sheehan's secondary school project. It tells the story of Major Geoffrey Compton-Smith.who was captured by the IRA in Blarney in April 1921, held for two weeks and then killed. History Ireland also featured the story in 2018.