Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 217
Ireland's World Cup 2002 by Mick McCarthy
Hardback; 20.00 Euro / 22.50 USD / 16.50 UK; Town House Simon & Schuster; 316 pages, with two 8-page full colour inserts [Add To Basket]
In this honest and thought-provoking book, Mick McCarthy recounts his epic transformation from Ireland manager to one of the most respected men in world football. Mick McCarthy and the Irish team were at the centre of global media attention when the World Cup finals got underway. Their tournament became a great summer odyssey, with Mick at the helm. On buses, at the press conferences, in the dressing room and on the sidelines in Saipan, Japan and Korea, Mick wore his heart on his sleeve and refused to compromise his leadership and Ireland's team spirit. From the nervousness of the qualifiers to the traumas of the 'hardest week' of his life, McCarthy lived and worked under the glare of the world's publicity. His drive and belief in his team were unquestioning, and the joy of success with the wonderful Irish squad was his reward. Mick McCarthy experienced it all at the World Cup 2002: this is the story.
West of Ireland Summers: A Cookbook by Tamasin Day-Lewis
Large Paperback; 16.50 Euro / 20.00 USD / 11.00 UK; Weidenfeld; 160 pages with colour photos throughout [Add To Basket]
In this vivid account of summers spent in the remote beauty of the west of Ireland, the author rekindles the sights, sounds, smells and, above all, the tastes of her family holidays since childhood. This book is a celebration of food and of Ireland. The author's passion for cooking is evident in more than 100 dishes; some traditional Irish recipes, some recapturing the tastes of her childhood and others created by the author herself. The recipes include Killary Bay Mussel Chowder; Scallop, Pollack and Squid Pie; Leek, Potato and Oatmeal Tart; Poached Peaches in an Orange-Flower Sabayon; Blackcurrent Leaf Sorbet; and Rich Chocolate Fondant. These recipes combined with stunning photographs and a lively text make this a truly irresistible cookery book.
Jenny Bristow Cooks for the Seasons: Autumn and Winter by Jenny Bristow
Hardback; 20.50 Euro / 26.50 USD / 12.00 UK; Blackstaff Press, 106 pages, full-colour photos throughout [Add To Basket]
In this book, popular television cook Jenny Bristow presents a mouth-watering collection of new recipes for autumn and winter. As always, the distinctive Bristow style of maximum results for minimum fuss is applied to dishes like special lentil soup, broomstick pumpkin kebabs, roasted autumn pork with nutty apple stuffing, hazelnut meringue with elderberry syllabub and poached plums and many more. There are sections on Christmas cooking, heart-warming drinks and luxurious sweet treats for giving - or for self-indulging!
The Home Place by Brian Leyden
Paperback with Flaps; 13.99 Euro / 15.50 USD / 8.50 UK; New Island, 285 pages [Add To Basket]
Sparked by the arrival of a National Geographic photographer in Arigna, County Leitrim in 1978, this book spans three generations and a century of transformation in a small coal-mining and hill-farming community on the Shannon River. This lyrical memoir is also the tale of Nan and her twin sister Lil, two stalwart matriarchs of the river valley. But the passing of Lil marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a journey back through memory to the home place. A subtle evocation of a landscape, a people and their history, this is a story laced with images that cut to the quick - from the sights and sounds of early childhood to the antics of teenage-hood in 1970s rural Ireland. Richly-peopled, the book brings to life a vibrant world of ballroom romances and house dances, Yankee parcels and American visitors, coal cutting and stuff strutting. Tender and meticulously crafted, it delights in linking the past with the present, chronicling a place where time stood still while the people moved on.
Martin Mansergh: A Biography by Kevin Rafter
Paperback; 14.99 Euro / 20.00 USD / 10.00 UK; New Island, 347 pages [Add To Basket]
Martin Mansergh has been one of the most influential figures in Irish politics for over twenty-five years. Plucked from civil service obscurity by Charles Haughey in 1981, Mansergh went on to become the Fianna Fail leader's most trusted confident, and the only party adviser to survive through the leadership upheavals that brought first Albert Reynolds and then Bertie Ahern to power. What was it that brought this English-born, Oxford-educated member of the Church of Ireland to the core of successive Irish governments? And what was the extent of his role in the clandestine contacts with the Republican movement that initiated the peace process in Northern Ireland? In the summer of 2002, Mansergh swapped his backroom role as a government advisor for membership of Seanad Eireann. In this penetrating and revealing biography, the author presents the first in-depth examination of this remarkable man and his contribution to contemporary Irish society.
History of Kylemore Castle & Abbey by Kathleen Villiers-Tuthill
Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 31.00 USD / 18.00 UK; Kylemore Abbey Publications, 265 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
The history of Kylemore is the history of two homes - Kylemore Castle and Kylemore Abbey - and of two communities; the community within and the community without. The period covered is from 1862 to 2002, from the time Mitchell Henry first took possession of Kylemore right to the present day. Kylemore Castle was built by Mitchell Henry for his family and friends, but carrying with it a community of 125 tenants. The two communities were from the start interlocked, their fate intertwined. Out of two changes of ownership came a very particular community; the community of Benedictine Nuns. The transformation from private home to Abbey took many years to achieve and tremendous dedication and determination on the part of the Benedictine Nuns. Under the Nuns the tenants won their land and were given the opportunity for further education and employment. The story of Kylemore is truly a remarkable story. The twists of fate which have marked its history at crucial moments from its inception, the crises and moments of sadness which its occupants have endured, and the inspiring examples of courage and resilience which have marked their response to various challenges, combine to constitute a rich historical mosaic
Shelley and Revolutionary Ireland by Paul O'Brien
Paperback; 16.50 Euro / 20.00 USD / 11.00 UK; Redwords, 327 pages [Add To Basket]
In this original and engaging book, the author tells the previously untold story of Shelley's relationship with Ireland. When Shelley set sail for Ireland in 1812, he was only 19 years old. He was full of radical enthusiasm and energy, having recently been expelled from Oxford for making his atheism public. Shelley was born in the shadow of the French revolution and the rebellion of the United Irishmen. This book reveals just how thoroughly and whole-heartedly the young poet threw himself into the cause of Irish freedom. Later generations of Irish writers appreciated Shelley's influence. This exploration of Shelley's relationship with Ireland is an antidote to much writing on him which portrays him as a brilliant lyrical poet but an ineffectual dreamer.
Wisdom of the Celtic Saints by Edward C. Sellner
Trade Paperback; 13.00 Euro / 15.00 USD / 9.00 UK; Ave Maria Press, 207 pages [Add To Basket]
Faithfully presenting the lives and legacies of twenty Celtic saints on the sixth to the ninth centuries, in this book the author reveals their wisdom in a way that can be understood and appreciated by contemporary readers. With background material on the Catholic church, the characteristics of its spirituality, the symbolism in the stories, and the role of soul friends, readers will reap a rich harvest for their own spiritual growth. The stories recounted range from the well-known, like Patrick, Brendan, and Brigit, to those less likely to be familiar - Monesan, Samthann and Aidan. Vivid portrait-illustrations by Susan McLean-Keeney add to the prayerful beauty of the book.
The Celtic Soul Friend by Edward Sellner
Trade Paperback; 18.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 11.00 UK; Ave Maria Press, 254 pages [Add To Basket]
To be a 'soul friend', the author reminds us, 'is to provide a place of sanctuary to another where, through our acceptance, love, and hospitality, he or she can grow in wisdom, and both of us in depth.' With deep personal conviction and with lively scholarship, the author describes the history of the 'anamchara', or soul friend, and the early Celtic Church out of which it arose. He leads the reader on a lively exploration of the ancient Druids and the early desert monks of Egypt, whose traditions and practices were the foundation of soul friendship. He shares with us the unique qualities of soul friendship in the lives of the great saints like Ita and Brendan, Brigit and Patrick, and Ciaran and Kevin. And he offers a profound portrait of the Celtic spirituality out of which the 'anamchara' emerged, a spirituality with a deep appreciation of nature, a respect for women's gifts and leadership, and a holistic perspective on the relationship of the mind and the body.
The Colour of Rain by Alex Skalding
Trade Paperback with End Flaps; 15.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 10.00 UK; Wynkin deWorde, 195 pages [Add To Basket]
This is a novel for children aged 10-14 years. It rains and rains. All colour washed out from the world. The Grey Time comes and people get frightened. An evil dictatorship threatened to take power. Only seven kids can still see in colour, and they are sent in search of the RAINBOW !
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