Stage IRA Man – Frank McNally on the real and pretend 1916 Rising of actor Arthur Shields
He went to the Abbey Theatre to collect a rifle hidden under the stage and join the fighting
Taxing times: Frank McNally on what links Thomas Kinsella, TK Whitaker and Myles na gCopaleen
It all started in December 1965, when Revenue returned a cheque sent by the curmudgeonly Irish Times columnist
‘As Irish as the pigs of Drogheda’ – Frank McNally on rise and fall of street singer Mary Connolly
After the Easter Rising, her patriotic ballads struck a chord with the public
Pucking for peace: Frank McNally joins the Irish Friends of Canada on a trip to watch ice hockey in Belfast
There was no violence at the ice hockey on Sunday, I’m happy to report
Born-Again Brigit - Birthday boy Frank McNally on the rebranding of February 1st
Unlike St Patrick, there is no historical record of her life, so her identity can be endlessly refreshed or reimagined
Poolbeg Lighthouse – Frank McNally on the death of a much-loved Dublin barman
According to the pub’s official statement, Noel’s reign behind the counter was 49 years
Abbey Theatre riots: All theatrical hell broke loose at The Plough and the Stars 100 years ago
Critic Joseph Holloway witnessed the chaotic scenes, where actors broke character to forcibly remove audience members from the stage
Turbulent priest: Frank McNally on fascism, real and fictional, in 1930s America
Born in Canada of poor Irish emigrants, Fr Coughlin began broadcasting sermons to counter the anti-Catholicism then rife in the US
The spat between Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary was more than just a spat
Despite being widely considered a bit of a loudmouth in Ireland, the Ryanair boss has been practising self-deprecation for decades
Who fears to speak of ’76? Frank McNally on US Independence, the Catalpa rescue, and the Battle of Little Bighorn
British army deserter McNally joined the Fenians, which earned him a sentence of penal servitude for life in Australia
The other Lemass shooting: Frank McNally on a dark moment in the life of a future taoiseach
His sister Ciara heard a bang, then saw the child fall, with a fatal wound to the head
Life Imitating Art: Frank McNally on the Art O’Neill challenge, recreating an actual 1592 jailbreak
Confusingly for some of us, the pursuers had set off earlier on Friday night, before the escapees
Terminal Condition – the unfortunate origins of Dublin’s Townsend Street
We are where we are, as the politicians say
Did ‘divine intervention’ on Merrion Street lead to a cure for leprosy?
As with many great discoveries, there was an element of chance involved for Cork-born scientist Vincent Barry
Fool’s paradise: Frank McNally on a cliche beloved of obituarists
Not a day passes when a writer does not note that the deceased ‘didn’t suffer fools gladly’