Frances Nolan

Law versus Practice – news UPDATE The Law versus Practice team has had a busy few months and 2026 looks set to be another productive year for the project. Law versus Practice is now affiliated with the Virtual Record Treasury of Ir…

Law versus Practice - news UPDATE www.lawvpractice.ie/index.php/20...

National Hunt & Point-to-Point Racing in Ireland has been getting some nice coverage in the press! Lovely review in the @irishindosport.bsky.social last week and a Q&A w/ Paul Rouse in the @irishexaminer.bsky.social today! 📖 is available online & in bookshops nationwide! 🏇 #horseracing #irishhistory

YouTube video by Racing's Inside Track tv Frances Nolan is responsible for putting together a fantastic book to mark 150yrs of NH Racing

I was also delighted to speak to David from Racing’s Inside Track about the book, ahead of its launch at Punchestown last week! #history #irishhistory #sporthistory #horseracing

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcgS...

Declan Ralph chats with Frances Nolan about her new book…National Hunt and Point-to-Point Racing in Ireland-A History – Near FM – Listen Again

I had a lovely time chatting to Declan Ralph of @nearfm.ie about National Hunt and Point-to-Point Racing in Ireland on Saturday. You can listen back here: listenagain.org?p=57373 The book is now on sale in-store and online in bookshops across Ireland and at www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2025/a...

So lovely to see copies of National Hunt and Point-to-Point Racing in Ireland: A History on the shelves in @hodgesfiggis.bsky.social and Eason on Nassau St, and on the bestseller stand (eek) in Dubray Books on Grafton St today! 🏇

Thanks Niall :)

Volume 40 of the Journal Eighteenth-Century Ireland is just out. Great articles from @speakerconolly.bsky.social on Swift and @francesmnolan.bsky.social on women as Jacobite agents, among others. Have a look at the link below:

www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/10.3828/...

Thanks Teresa :)

I’ve also been busy working on Irish women who acted as #Jacobite agents in the eighteenth century! My article on that very topic has just been published in Eighteenth-Century Ireland. Check it out here: www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/10.3828/...

@researchireland.ie
@ucddublin.bsky.social

How Ireland became home of the horse racing steeplechase The first ever steeplechase took place in Cork in 1752, when two huntsmen decided to settle a wager on horseback

Check out my RTÉ Brainstorm article on the first recorded steeplechase, which took place in County Cork in 1752 - it was the result of a wager made by two huntsmen over a (presumably boozy) dinner in Buttevant Castle.

www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Thanks Melissa - she is pretty perfect!

The early reviews are in! Robin gives National Hunt and Point-to-Point Racing in Ireland five (5) paws 🐾

Beyond excited to share that my new book on the history of National Hunt and point-to-point racing is out NOW! It’s published by the fantastic Four Courts Press and is available online and in bookshops nationwide!

www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/2025/a...

We had great fun working on this. So many gems in this extraordinary archive! @tailteeireann.bsky.social

A day in the life of an eighteenth century office! Features doodles, chop shops, an English Jesuit and lots of clock watching clerks

Thanks Patrick!

Really looking forward to speaking to Celbridge Historical Society tonight, on 200 years of jump racing in Kildare.

kildarelocalhistory.ie/events/runne...

Thanks Nicola, that’s much appreciated!

Not a massive fan of indexing. #history #horseracing #sporthistory #nationalhunt #book

Thanks Chris, I’m looking forward to reading your work on Swift! Do let me know when it’s published :)

A new blog post on the launch of A List of the Claims (coedited by me and Prof Ivar McGrath and published by @irishmanuscripts.bsky.social) is now live on the Law versus Practice website: www.lawvpractice.ie/index.php/20... @researchireland.bsky.social @ucdresearch.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social

Thanks so much Chris. That book was a real labour of love, so it means a lot to know it has impacted on your scholarship!

Tudor and Stuart Ireland Post by @TudorStuartIre.

The CFP for the 2025 Tudor & Stuart Ireland conference is now open. TSIXIII will take place at University College Dublin on 21-22 August, so please join us. All details are in the link, but get please get in touch if you have any questions. tudorstuartireland.com

These fellowships will facilitate valuable research across two strands - 1. The RIA & Networks of Empire: Members, Colonisers & Collectors and 2. The RIA Museum & Library. Their award reflects the Academy’s serious engagement with the report and, ultimately, its colonial legacies. @ria.ie

I undertook a scoping exercise on the RIA’s colonial legacies in 2023, producing a report and making a number of recommendations.Among other things, I recommended that any exploration of the RIA’s historic ties to colonial enterprises should take a multi-stranded approach.

I’m heartened to see that @ria.ie is funding up to four postdoctoral fellowships to encourage research into its historic links to colonial enterprises. Each fellowship is worth €5,000 and the deadline for applications is 9 June 2025.

www.ria.ie/grants/colon...

an entire people is being deliberately starved to death

I even managed to shout out my favourite Jacobite woman, Frances Talbot, countess (and Jacobite duchess) of Tyrconnell!

Popped up on The Long and the Short of It tonight on @bbcnireland.bsky.social, to explain why the Battle of the Boyne wasn’t all that! I also appeared in the episode on Cromwell last week. You can catch both on the iplayer now! @ucddublin.bsky.social @researchireland.bsky.social