With the combative attitude of the prop forward he once was, my Irish history teacher Mr. Armstrong was the perfect debating opponent. As he guided us through the dramatic years from 1912-23 which led to the formation of the two Irish states, he constantly challenged the assumptions of the only nationalist in the class - me. Davie (as we called him behind his back) took the revisionist view, holding up the well-worn myths of Irish history to the cold light of his Ulster scepticism. On the...