The bicentennial of the ‘War of 1812’ is fast approaching, a conflict which witnessed the capture of Washington and the burning of the public buildings by the British, not least the ‘White House’, the U.S. Capitol (including the Supreme Court and Library of Congress) and the Washington Navy Yard. Against this background, the restoration in 2008 of a monument to General Robert Ross (the man who captured Washington) in his home village of Rostrevor, County Down, Northern Ireland (pictured above) has been timely. Commemorations of key historical events afford opportunities to throw fresh light on what happened.