Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 144
Ireland from the Air by Federica De Luca and Antonio Attini (Hardback; 16.99 IEP / 28.50 USD / 15.00 UK) [Add To Basket]
This wonderful book of photographs presents the Ireland of endless pastures and the geometry of drystone walls; the Ireland of cliffs plunging sheer into the blue of the ocean; the Ireland of islands and archipelagos still anchored to ancient traditions, immersed in a simplicity that time appears to have overlooked and that passes in from of the reader's eyes in a glorious flight, a playful alteration of dappled sunlight and crepuscular mists.
Lions of Ireland by David Walmsley (Hardback; 14.99 IEP / 16.99 USD / 13.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
Ever since their first tour, the heroes of Irish rugby have been at the heart of the Lion's finest hours - on and off the pitch. A look at the Lions' record books finds Irishmen at the top to almost every list, from Willie John McBride and Tony O'Reilly to Ronnie Dawson. No nation has provided more leaders of the Lions. In this book these greats tell their stories of life on some of the longest and hardest roads in sport, and of the world-class players and characters who have contributed to Lions folklore: Karl Mullen, Jack Kyle, Fergus Slattery, Tom Kiernan, Keith Wood, Mike Gibson, Syd Millar. This book recalls the powerful personalities and relives the most dramatic deeds in the Lions' long history from 1971's ground-breaking triumph in New Zealand to success against the odds in South Africa in 1997.
Ireland: A Short History by Joseph Coohill (Paperback; 13.60 IEP / 15.50 USD / 9.99 UK) [Add To Basket]
From the Ice Age to the peace process, this authoritative guide balances historical narrative with insightful commentary, creating a uniquely accessible introduction to the history of Ireland and its people. Dividing the history of this complex land into six distinct periods, the author considers all the major events, their context, and their role in the making of the Ireland of today. Paying particular attention to the last 200 years, the author also examines the varying historical interpretations offered for key themes in Irish history, showing that how we view Ireland's past will greatly affect its future. Offering new levels of insight into the complex identity of the Irish people, as well as into the way in which history is made, this penetrating and succinct book is essential reading for all those who wish to learn more about Ireland and its inhabitants.
Paul Henry by S.B. Kennedy (Hardback; 30.00 IEP / 36.50 USD / 26.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
In his idyllic landscape paintings of the west of Ireland, Paul Henry (1876-1958) provides the quintessential view of the Irish scene. He stands alone as the most influential landscapist to work in Ireland in the twentieth century. In this book the author tells the story of the artist's life and artistic achievements from his Protestant Belfast upbringing and his early artistic studies under Whistler in fin de siecle Paris, where he was strongly influenced by Post-Impressionism, to the holiday on Achill Island in his native Ireland that changed his life and after which, transfixed by the landscape, the people of the island and their way of life, Henry devoted his career to painting Irish life and landscape, introducing a degree of Realism that was new to Irish painting. Kennedy interweaves the life of Henry's highly talented first wife Grace (1868-1953). A painter in her own right she emerges here from behind the shadow of her husband as a more substantial figure than has been previously recognised. The author brings to life the artistic worlds of Belfast, Paris, London and Dublin, all the while setting Henry's life against the backdrop of one of the most revolutionary periods in recent Irish history. Generously illustrated in colour throughout, this book will stand as a highly important contribution to Irish art.
A Buyer's Guide to Irish Art edited by Roberta Reeners (Hardback; 29.99 IEP / 34.50 USD / 23.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
This book is a definitive record of over 7,000 paintings by 700 Irish artists that have gone to auction in Ireland and the UK over the last five years. Listing every Irish artwork to go under the hammer at all the major auction houses, the book presents all the information that every art collector needs to know - including detailed price guides and sales histories for each piece. It also includes a series of unique editorial features which inform and captivate the established collector and new art investor - from advice on how to buy art at auction to selecting the Top Twenty Rising Stars of Irish art to watch out for.
Sources in Irish Srt: A Reader by Fintan Cullen (Paperback; 19.99 IEP / 23.50 USD / 16.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
This book is a comprehensive collection of documentary sources relating to the study of Irish art from the eighteenth century to the present day. Public exhibition reviews, comments from private letters and journals as well as polemical and theoretical essays illustrate what was being said and thought about artistic development in Ireland over the past three centuries. The anthology clearly illustrates the practical and theoretical parallels with both literary and other artistic traditions, which the visual tradition in Ireland enjoys. It features the work of pivotal figures in the discussion of Irish art including Edmund Burke, James Barry and Thomas Davis as well as contemporary commentators such as Richard Kearney and Luke Gibbons.
Ireland Yearbook 2001: Paintings from the Ulster Museum (Hardback in slipcase; 14.99 IEP / 17.00 USD / 13.00 UK) [Add To Basket]
This yearbook and diary brings a fine selection of Irish art from the National Museum and Galleries of Northern Ireland. Beautifully produced, it makes an engagement or desk diary of style and distinction. It also makes a wonderful Christmas gift!
Celtic Glass Painting by Judy Balchin (Paperback; 7.99 IEP / 10.00 USD / 6.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
Taking her inspiration from Celtic art, the author of this book shows how to create a beautiful range of designs on glass. She includes knotwork and zoomorphic patters, spirals, figures and illuminated initials. These stunning designs are painted in rich, glorious colours, and some are gilded, whilst others are embellished. This clear, practical guide will delight all glass painters as well as anyone interested in Celtic Art.
Hindsights: Ten Meetings of Minds by Liam O Murchu (Paperback; 7.99 IEP / 10.00 USD / 6.50 UK) [Add To Basket]
This book is the author's account of his encounters with ten people, each of whom made a substantial mark in Irish life. Some are of recent vintage, others go back to his childhood. As a five-year-old in 1934, he sat on his brother's shoulders in a victory parade to welcome a schoolboy hurling hero called Jack Lynch back from a victorious Harty Cup final. The book is a set of pen portraits, not short biographies. The author concentrates on personal recollection, on those moments in the lives of his subjects that intersected with his own. He worked in the Department of Health when Noel Browne was the minister. As an Irish language broadcaster he came into contact with Sean O Riada and Cardinal Tomas O Fiach. He also recalls Siobhan McKenna, Sean MacEntee, Bishop Eamonn Casey, Cyril Cusack, Todd Andrews, and Charles Haughey. All are remembered shrewdly but generously. The author doesn't sit in judgement but merely remembers with warmth and affection a series of remarkable people whose paths he crossed.
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