Going to start the evening of with an Email I resived yesterday and I wanted to share with everyone, please leave a comment about how it makes you feel From Paul McCabe One of the things I really like about the page is that it shows pride in being Irish without being jingoistic about it. Our respect for others is also a defining feature and I do not agree with bashing other people to make us feel better about ourselves. That is false pride. Given our history with our near neighbour, it is very hard to tread the line of reporting history from a balanced point of view without entering into a mud slinging match. This page walks that line admirably and I know you have said on several occasions that bashing Britain is not what this is all about. Please keep that admirable sentiment going. I especially loved the article on the Sherwood Foresters during the 1916 rising, it humanised the opposing side without demonising them. That is balanced history and a rare treat. I have never formally studied history beyond school level but I have an ardent passion for history and especially looking behind the histories that we are taught to find the real stories. So much of what we are taught as history is downright incorrect when you scratch even a little below the surface. The "Today in History" is my favourite part of Wikipedia and I love that you are now doing this feature here with an Irish slant. I wish I had the time to research more, on history but paying the bills sadly takes up my time I think what I am getting at is that history in Ireland is not just Irish history, there is Roman history, English History, British history, etc. History does not exist in isolation, history is the entire intertwined story of mankind not confined to geographical location or ethnic group. For example, I would view the destruction of the great libraries in Baghdad by the Mongols as not just a loss to Islamic history, it has deprived all of us of a piece of our past. To see the recent destruction of the ancient manuscripts in Timbuktu almost makes my heart bleed for the loss to humanity. The knowledge of our past can see us free as much as the knowledge of our present.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:09:17 +0000