“Time me gentlemen.”– Robert Liston If you needed surgery in the 19th century, the pace at which it could be performed was paramount to the patient. The reason being that anaesthetic, antibiotics and antiseptics had all not yet been invented. Therefore, if you needed an operation such as amputation, mastectomy, […]
“Neither physicians nor medicines were effective. Whether because these illnesses were previously unknown or because physicians had not previously studied them, there seemed to be no cure. There was such a fear that no one seemed to know what to do.”– Marchione di Coppo Stefani Lately, we’re all familiar with […]
West Cork People history columnist Shane Daly is currently working as a schoolteacher in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. He gives an insight into life under curfew in the UAE during the pandemic. “Pandemic is not a word to use lightly or carelessly. It is a word that, […]
“Nothing remained of his face except his chin and lips and the skull was entirely blown away.” – Paul O’Brien Patrick and Harry Loughnane were two young Galway lads from a little village called Shanaglish. Pat was twenty-nine and Harry was twenty-two. Both were members of Sinn Féin, Pat was […]
“Around two o’ clock in the morning the key rattles in the lock of the first cell door at the other end of the corridor. We’re all awake at once. The unlocked foot-shackle makes a metallic clink on the floor. The prisoner from cell number one takes the first few […]
“Privileged young graduates of sixteenth-century Europe pioneered a trend wherein they travelled across the continent in search of art and cultural experiences upon their graduation. This practice, which grew to be wildly popular, became known as the Grand Tour.” – Matt Rosenberg The Grand Tour was essentially a rite of […]