Review Questions 1. Questions on Sources Study the letter and answer the questions below.
.
A letter from Michael Cusack to Maurice Davin suggesting the first meeting of the GAA
(i) What type of source is this? Written
Visual Aural
(ii) What type of readership was this source intended for? Official
Private
(iii) Is this document a primary or a secondary source? Explain your answer.
(iv) Which of the following are strengths of letters as sources for historians? • They are accurate • They provide the personal opinions of writers • They can be understood by everybody • They can explain the reasons for actions
Adapted from The GAA through History and Documents 1870–1920
(v) Which of the following are weaknesses (limitations) of letters as sources for historians? • They can be biased • They can provide first-hand accounts of events • They can have incorrect information • They could exaggerate a person’s role in events
(vi) What difficulties do historians face using letters as sources for the study of the past? 2. Exam Question
On 18 May 2011, during her visit to Ireland, Queen Elizabeth II of England went to Croke Park, the home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). This was significant because during the War of Independence, on Sunday 21 November 1920, British forces opened fire at the crowd attending a football match in Croke Park, killing 12 people. Earlier that same day, the IRA assassinated 14 people believed to be British intelligence agents. The day became known as ‘Bloody Sunday’ and made headlines all over the world.
This photograph shows Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, presented with a hurley during their visit to Croke Park