Jonathan Eric Bardon OBE (born in Dublin, 1941 – died in Belfast, 21 April 2020), was an Irish historian and author.
Jonathan Bardon OBE | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1941 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 21 April 2020 (aged 78) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Occupation | Historian, educator |
| Alma mater | The Queen's University of Belfast |
| Notable works | A History of Ulster |
Early life
editBardon was born in Dublin in 1941 and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin (TCD), in 1963.[1] Shortly thereafter, in 1964, he moved to Belfast to begin his teaching career at Orangefield Boys Secondary School.[2] While in Belfast, he enrolled at Queens University, Belfast, where he received a Diploma in Education, also in 1964.[1] Living in Northern Ireland as a young man during the beginning of the Troubles, he credits two things that piqued his fascination with it, while remaining nonpolitical: his early teaching experiences educating young boys, both Catholic and Protestant, in Belfast; and a five feature commission he received from the now-defunct Sunday Times to write about and research the Battle of the Somme.[3]
Career
editBardon is best known for his critically acclaimed text, A History of Ulster. The book examines, in detail, the cultural, social, economic, and political arenas of the province, beginning with the early settlements and progressing linearly to present-day Ulster.
He has also written numerous radio and television programmes on the subject of Northern Ireland. Most recently he was commissioned by BBC Radio to create a two hundred and forty-episode series entitled A Short History of Ireland. The final episode aired on 18 March 2007.[4]
In 2002, Bardon was appointed an OBE for "services to community life".[5]
Bardon died in Belfast on 21 April 2020, at the age of 78, having contracted COVID-19. He already had underlying health issues, including lung cancer.[6]
Bibliography
edit- A History of Ulster. Blackstaff Press, 1992.
- A History of Ireland in 250 Episodes. 2008.
- Belfast: A Century. Blackstaff Press, 1999.
- Belfast: An Illustrated History. Blackstaff Press, 1982.
- Belfast: 1000 Years. Blackstaff Press, 1985.
- Beyond the Studio: A History of BBC Northern Ireland. Blackstaff Press, 2000.
- Dublin: One Thousand Years of Wood Quay. Blackstaff Press, 1988. (co-authored with Stephen Conlin).
- The Plantation Of Ulster. Gill and Macmillan, 2011.
- Hallelujah - The Story of a Musical Genius and the City That Brought his Masterpiece to Life. Gill and Macmillan, 2015.
- A Narrow Sea: The Irish-Scottish Connection in 120 Episodes. Gill Books, 2018.
References
edit- ^ a b "BBC Northern Ireland". Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
- ^ "School of History | Dr Jonathan Bardon". qub.ac.uk. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Bardon, Jonthan. If Hell is any worse...? Archived 23 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Radio Ulster - A Short History of Ulster". BBC. 17 January 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "New honour for Sir Ronnie". BBC News. 15 June 2002. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Top Ulster historian Jonathan Bardon dies with Covid-19". newsletter.co.uk. 21 April 2020.