History Studies: University of Limerick History Society Vol (13)

We are very pleased to present this year's selection of articles from both Ireland and abroad. These student and early-career contributions reflect the breadth of scholarly engagement with a diversity of historical issues. Articles range from domestic issues such as the vaccination controversy in the early-twentieth century to often giant steps into the 'next big thing' in terms of entertainment media as well as more light-hearted but equally enlightening issues as 'bleeding' statues in conflict-struck Tipperary and the tribulations of a charitable German. Works on the cold war-era; one specific to the sub-Saharan Somali nation and another more broadly but comprehensively on the containment policy as well as population issues, gender and denominationally-specific, from nineteenth-century Bulgaria and inter-war France complete this edition. As in past years, many fine essays could not be included because of lack of space in the printed edition. However, this year we have the added facility of online-publication for two contributions. We hope that this facility will be expanded and maybe eventually completely replace the production of costly hardcopies. This brings us to the establishment of the new History Studies website www.ul.ie/historystudies. For now, it provides an online presence for the journal and allows for free access to past volumes. In future, other functions may be added. In this context. we would like to thank Mairead Loughran and Kristofer Harte of Information Technology Division of the university without whom we would have been lost in this regard. Jutta Kruse Gearóid Ó Faoleán