History

Halloween is Irish to the core: Here’s how we invented the transatlantic holiday

Halloween is Irish to the core: Here’s how we invented the transatlantic holiday

Modern Halloween as we know it comes from the traditions of our Celtic ancestors. I know a good few people who are Christmas-ready from… basically the minute summer ends. Others, like me, live for the autumnal season beforehand. From the minute I see a brown leaf at around the end of August, I’m thinking about […]

5 years ago

Today I learned that chainsaws were invented to aid with difficult childbirths

Today I learned that chainsaws were invented to aid with difficult childbirths

Yes, you read that correctly. Medicine has come a long way over the centuries and we should all be really grateful, because some old hospital devices look like they belong nowhere near a human body. One thing you never think would be required in a delivery room, for instance, is a chainsaw. But apparently that’s […]

5 years ago

What were the “mass abuses” carried out in mother and baby homes? Here’s what survivors, witnesses and historians allege

What were the “mass abuses” carried out in mother and baby homes? Here’s what survivors, witnesses and historians allege

From neglect to emotional and physical abuse, mothers and their children are said to have experienced a lot WARNING: This article contains details of abuse, neglect and infant mortality. An alternative report examining the final findings of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has found the State responsible for numerous abuses of […]

5 years ago