1 - Eureka Street

LettersHate mailFrom Noel TurnbullPaul Ormonde (Septe mbe r) is characteristicallyperceptive in raising theissue of why Oliver Cromwell 'seem sto remain in Irish m emory even morestrongly and bitterly than the famine'.The question of why Cromwell isso hated - partic ularly when comparedwith any numbe r of Englishmonarchs- has been the s ubject ofmuch research by Toby Barnard.A short summary of his work canbe found in Images of OliverCromwell: Essays for and by Roge1Howell fnr, cdi ted by R.C. Richcmison(Manchester University Press 1993).It seem s probable that the uniquelyvenomous view of Cromwell dateslargely from the 19th century andappears to be a product of the uses towhich the works of Prendergast, Leckyand Froudc were put. The Unionistspro jected their own contemporaryagenda on to Cromwell and provokedan unsurprising reaction.Cromwell was only in Ireland from15 Augu st 1649 to 29 May 1650. Withoutjustifying Drogheda one cannothelp but wonder with Barnard whyCromwell- rathe r than Grey, Essex,Sidney, Mountjoy, Schomberg, Ginkel,Duff or Humbcrt-came to personifyEnglish oppression .As I mentioned to Pa ul Ormonderecently, the most hated Cromwelliancontempo rary was probably Ormonde!fames BuLleT, Dul