Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 368 - 24 February 2007
Remember … It’s For Ireland: A Family Memoir of Tomas Mac Curtain
Hardback; 24 Euro / 30 USD / 17 UK; 250 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout
Tomas MacCurtain, a dedicated family man, took an active role in the War of Independence. Originally from Ballyknockane in County Cork, his love of the Irish language and culture led him to become involved with the Gaelic League, the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Irish Volunteers. A dedicated father and husband, he was in command of the Irish Volunteers in Cork during the 1916 Rising in Dublin. Although no violence took place in Cork during the Rising, MacCurtain was subsequently arrested and imprisoned. Following Sinn Fein's victory in the local elections of January 1920, Tomas MacCurtain was elected Lord Mayor of Cork, the first Republican to hold the office. His term as lord mayor was brutally cut short. In the early hours of the morning of 20 March 1920, members of the R.I.C. burst into his house and shot him dead. The shocking murder outraged the public and brought near universal condemnation. Cork went into mourning for its murdered first citizen. A massive crowd attended his funeral. At the coroner's inquest into the killing the jury passed a verdict of wilful murder against Lloyd George and certain inspectors of the R.I.C. This is his story.
Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland by Richard English
Hardback; Publishers Recommended Price: 40 Euro. Read Ireland Book Review Special Price: 35 Euro / 45 USD / 25 UK; 630 pages rdback; Publishers Recommended Price: 23 Euro. Read Ireland Book Review Special Price: 18 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 112 pages [Add To Basket]
Richard English's brilliant new book is a compelling narrative history of Irish nationalism, in which events are not merely recounted but analysed. Full of rich detail, drawn from years of original research and also from the extensive specialist literature on the subject, it offers explanations of why Irish nationalists have believed and acted as they have, why their ideas and strategies have changed over time, and what effect Irish nationalism has had in shaping modern Ireland. It takes us from the Ulster Plantation to Home Rule, from the Famine of 1847 to the Hunger Strikes of the 1970s, from Parnell to Pearse, from Wolfe Tone to Gerry Adams, from the bitter struggle of the Civil War to the uneasy peace of the early twenty-first century. Is it imaginable that Ireland might - as some have suggested - be about to enter a post-nationalist period? Or will Irish nationalism remain a defining force on the island in future years?
The Irish Times Book of the 1916 Rising by Shane Hegarty and Fintan O’Toole
Large Format Hardback; 25 Euro / 30 USD / 20 UK; 216 pages with black-and-white photos throughout
The foundation event of modern Ireland, the Easter Rising of 1916 continues to enthral almost a century later. Using contemporary diaries and recently released eye-witness testimonies, Shane Hegarty and Fintan O'Toole tell the story of a tumultuous week through the voices of the men and women who fought on each side, and of a population caught up in days of violence, looting and wild rumour. Re-asserting the event as first and foremost a human drama - in which tragedy, brutality, confusion and even moments of black comedy were played out against a city in flames - "The 1916 Rising" adds up to the most comprehensive and accessible account of "Easter Week" in print. The book is an expanded version of the supplement that appeared in "The Irish Times" in March 2006. The supplement, which was published in association with the Department of Education and Science, was received with praise in all quarters - a remarkable achievement in view of the historical controversy that still surrounds the Rising. The original text has been augmented by new illustrations and material, including additional rebel and army accounts of the fighting, surrender and executions.
In Time of Civil War: The Conflict on the Irish Railways 1922-23 by Bernard Share
Large Format Hardback; 25 Euro / 30 USD / 20 UK; 150 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
The Irish Civil War was one of the last conflicts in which railways played a significant role. The action required movement of combatants over considerable distances and attempts to lay siege to towns and cities by cutting communications: in practice this meant the then extensive rail system. Attacks on railways and employees were common, with death, injury and damage to infrastructure and rolling stock. Individual employees found themselves on opposite sides while occupying the same locomotive footplate. The effect on the railways was devastating. They had already suffered from the War of Independence as whole lines closed and hundreds of railwaymen were unemployed. The Government had to act. It formed the Railway Protection and Maintenance Corps, under Col. Commandant Charles Russell, setting up strategic posts, acquiring armoured trains and conscripting unemployed railwaymen. This study documents the social, political and strategic role of the railways in the Civil War from the military and civilian viewpoints and includes recently discovered Iarnrod Eireann photographs of the results of attacks on the railways. Though the main concentration is on the role of the railways, other transport modes are examined, such as the movement by sea of Free State forces to Cork as a result of railway sabotage. This is a comprehensive account of the vital role railways played in the short but bitter conflict and of the complex relationships of the individuals involved at both a personal and an official level. It is a deeply human story revealing a significant aspect of a country tragically at war with itself.
The Burning of Cork by Gerry White and Brendan O’Shea
Paperback; 15 Euro / 18 USD / 11 UK; 250 pages
On the night of 11 December 1920 Cork City was to experience an unprecedented night of terror and destruction at the hands of the British forces of law and order. The Irish War of Independence was raging out of control and Cork was in the eye of the storm. It was a guerrilla war fuelled by reprisal and counter reprisal - the city streets became the battleground of a bloody and personalised war of attrition. With over five acres of the city destroyed and an estimated 20 million pounds worth of damage, the burning of Cork is recognised as the most extensive single act of vandalism in the entire period of the nationalist struggle. The burning of Cork cannot be regarded as an isolated incident. In the nine months leading up to the night, Cork city witnessed an ever escalating cycle of violence as attacks by the Volunteers were answered by the predictable reprisal by the crown forces. With two lord mayors dead and various high profile officers of the British authority kidnapped or assassinated, the fuse had been lit for the events that would unfold on the night Cork City was burnt.
The Ulster Anthology edited by Patricia Craig
Hardback; 38 Euro / 45 USD / 25 UK; 722 pages
This major new anthology of writing about Ulster presents a complex, stimulating and often surprising portrait of the historic province. Meticulously selected by respected anthropologist Patricia Craig, the views expressed in this book are sometimes critical, sometimes celebratory, frequently controversial and always outspoken, representing Ulster's strong and varied literary history. Ranging from the early seventeenth century to the present day, the writers featured include, among many others, Seamus Heaney, John Hewitt, Robert Harbinson, Michael McLaverty, Louis Maceice, E Estyn Evans and Conor Cruise O'Brien.
The Forgotten Heritage of Kildare by Ger McCarthy
Large Format Paperback; 22 Euro / 28 USD / 17 UK; 130 pages, with full colour and black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
Kildare is steeped in heritage, with sites of historical interest (castles, houses and holy wells) scattered throughout the county. In "The Forgotten Heritage of Kildare", Ger McCarthy gives us a highly informative and rare insight into the almost forgotten aspects of the heritage of his much loved county. A fine selection of photographs and line drawings of some of the real hidden treasures of Kildare accompany this fascinating work.
Baltinglass Chronicles 1851-2001 by Paul Gorry
Trade Paperback; 22 Euro / 30 USD / 17 UK; 380 pages [Add To Basket]
Baltinglass is the very heart of West Wicklow. It is a charming country town on the banks of the River Slaney. It has been recently being designated a Heritage Town along with twenty-nine other towns throughout Ireland. Featuring over 50 images of the town and its surrounding, and chronicling the history of the town from 1851 right up to 2001, this book will delight locals and visitors to Baltinglass. By building upon the base of street directories garnered from census returns and news articles, this book provides a fascinating insight into the life of a provincial town. The Author: Paul Gorry is a Genealogist by trade and works for the National Archives Genealogy Service. He also operates his own research company specializing in genealogical research. He is very well connected in the area and has contacts both in Dublin and Wicklow.
Galway and the Great War by William Henry
Trade Paperback; 20 Euro / 26 USD / 14 UK; 320 pages [Add To Basket]
When the first World War was declared, a surge of euphoria swept across Great Britain and Ireland engulfing all in its path. In England, most men joined for 'king and country'. However, in Ireland the reasons were many and varied. "Galway & The Great War" explores these reasons and all aspects of the effects that the war had on Galway. It deals with the outbreak of the conflict and the effects that the war had on the Galway area, the mobilisation, recruitment, conscription, opposition, threat and suspicion, the war at sea, the industry of war, support for the troops at the front and the aftermath. Accounts of the main battles are given with contemporary letters and interviews from Galwaymen serving at the front. The book concludes with a role of honour, a list of Galway men who lost their lives in the war. Almost every family in Ireland was affected by the Great War. However, with dramatic changes in the political climate, these men returned to a very different Ireland. They went away as heroes, but returned almost as traitors, unable to tell anyone of the horrors and suffering they had been part of.
A Journey of Change: 25 Years of the Green Party in Irish Politics by Dan Boyle
Trade Paperback; 20 Euro / 26 USD / 14 UK; 250 pages [Add To Basket]
"A Journey to Change: 25 Years of the Green Party in Irish Politics" is both a celebration of the Party's success and a chronological analysis of the Party's distinctive history. The book traces the historical evolution of the Green Party from organisational, electoral and policy perspectives. This is set in the wider context of an evolving Irish political landscape over the past twenty five years.
Images of Ireland: Central Dublin by Derek Stanley
Trade Paperback; 18 Euro / 14 USD / 13 UK; 130 pages [Add To Basket]
Published originally in 1998, this book is reissued now in a revised layout to accompany Derek Stanley's newest titles, "Images of North Dublin". "Images of Central Dublin" features historical images and accompanying text from Dublin city centre. This is an engaging collection of images from O'Connell Street, Pearse Street, St Stephen's Green and many more well known and lesser known corners of Dublin city, compiled by someone with an exceptional knowledge of the city and its history. For residents who have lived there for as long as they can remember, and for recent arrivals, this will provide a fascinating look at the area before the changes of the last few decades.
Made Holy: Irish Women Religious at Home and Abroad by Yvonne McKenna
Trade Paperback; 35 Euro / 45 USD / 28 UK; 268 pages [Add To Basket]
Based on their oral testimonies, "Made Holy" explores the attraction to religious life and experiences therein of over forty Irish nuns. It is a book about identity and an exploration of the ways in which women religious articulate a sense of self. Their accounts provide a means of investigating the disadvantaged position of women in Ireland during a particular period and the decisions some women made in response. Interpreting them as legitimate but overlooked stories of migration, the book probes the wider theme of social change in Ireland and productively explores the interrelationship of gender, religion and diaspora, casting light on Irish culture and its neglected histories. "Made Holy" engages with several current debates surrounding Irishness, Irish womanhood, diaspora and identity. Informed by a wide variety of methodological approaches and transcultural perspectives it is truly interdisciplinary and makes a significant contribution not only to the study of Irish and Irish women's history but sociology, (Irish) cultural studies, post-colonial studies, feminist theory and women's studies more generally. It will be directly relevant to modern Irish women's history study, Irish sociology courses and courses exploring Irish and general em/im/migration. In addition, because of the methodology employed, it will prove useful to qualitative research methods and oral history courses.
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