their friends, the French—the Irish identified with the French, traditionally rivals of the English, if not their enemies.
advanced Nationalist—a supporter of the Irish Parliamentary Party, which sought independence for the country.
the Bank—the Bank of Ireland; originally the Irish Parliament Building.
the mask of a capital—though Dublin was a provincial capital, it had wielded no actual power over Ireland since the Act of Union was passed in 1801.
“Cadet Roussel”—(French) a song from the 1790s.
“Ho! Ho! Hohé, vraiment!”—the refrain from “Cadet Rousel.”
