THIS book is the fi rst thorough i n vestigall°4 0 the period of
Irish history between the 0.'1, of divorce case (November, 1890) and the death Parnell (October, 1891). It covers the st°roi..ei interregnum between Parnell's years of Pc,..i: and the deceptive years of 'collective leaders'410, already dealt with in Dr. Lyons's The Irish Pa.sy tnentary Party, 1890-1910. This interregnum lib crucial period which probably determined nii5. ,, in the subsequent pattern of Irish political 0 tory. Such hope as there was of a pee evolution of Anglo-Irish relations, on soinel'i.he like 'Canadian' lines, succumbed at this tittle• dig political influence of the Church, publicly id played. suffered hidden diminution. Parnell 34, the Catholic Hierarchy working together —as t rof did in a broad political sense during con,51, i Parnell's time of leadership—had brought e bear a powerful moderating influence nn„ II development of Irish nationalism. When Par"4e and the Bishops bitterly clashed, that infInc% was weakened in a number of ways. Parnell Wbe up an 'extremist' posture. The Bishops, Ns.i d being drawn deep into politics, were inhib: from taking up any clear political position at 1 since their ground for intervention was 'the nii-; e issue' and that alone. Difficult ground. Orfe. 'Bishops had spoken out, not after the divc, court verdict—which clarified 'the moral issner an but after Gladstone's letter, which shed an further light on morals but was decisive 0,1114e important political issue: the attitude o'Act. Liberal Party towards Parnell's continued lea"the ship. The Bishops, with this flank exposed t° el. most telling propaganda weapon of the Par° it lites—'sacrificing the greatest of Irish leaders ts the bidding of an Englishman'—were forced accept a loss of real political influence. in long-term sense, at the very moment when i hollow 'victory' over Parnell seemed to !li° t that influence at its height. The effects 01 sordid, scurrilous struggle on the spectators W`„' also destructive of the hopes of moderate In Among the young in Ireland the spectacle enge ; dered contempt for constitutional politician' among the English it fostered contempt O t„”
r ,f Irish. The contempts converged in the ruin
the Irish Party and the rise of Sinn Fein. pi Short as it is, the period discussed here by tile Lyons is therefore eminently worthy °I ,t osIl detailed attention he gives it. The Fall of par': is a work of most exacting scholarship. bring' j a clear, steady light to bear on a time darken'
I. For TWW the second year of operation has been an opportunity to consolidate its position in the life of the community in South Wales and the West of England. Your directors are satis- fied that much progress has been made.
During this period the company has re- organised it' capital and become a Public Com- pany, The share-holding represented by the founders' shares remains unchanged.
A spearhead which takes us further into the company's future has been our decision to pro- ceed with building a Bristol Studio which is intended to provide, as from next autumn, a service complementary to that from the Cardiff Studios. The success of the News Studio already established in Bristol is an encouraging sign that such large-scale developments are welcomed by our viewers in the West. TWW will take pride in being the only television company to operate from sister stations, each situated in a different country. This year of consolidation and growth has also been financially productive and the company's accounts show the strength of our Position.
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