Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 227
The Mob: The History of Irish Gangsters in America by James Durney
Paperback; 13.95 Euro / 16.50 USD / 10.00 UK; 298 pages [Add To Basket]
The Irish criminal gangs of America first surfaced in New York in the 1830s and from then until the present they have been a major force in organized crime. Irish gangsters dominated organized crime long before the Mafia had appeared in the New World. The slums of America's biggest cities produced some of the most vicious hoodlums who have left their mark on that country's criminal history. Legs Diamond, Mad Dog Coll, Bugs Moran and Cockeye Dunn were all the products of the American dream turned sour. This book is their story, beginning with the birth of organized crime through the turbulent Civil War, Prohibition and the founding of the present day Syndicate. It is a fascinating and rich account with dozens of characters and stories. It traces the informal history of the rise of the street gangs to the present day; from the New York City Draft Riots in 1863 to the ultraviolent Westies of the 1980s. The Irish gangster brought America its first taste of organized crime and heralded the beginning of the country's 'second government.' This is a book for all those who loved the recent film, 'The Gangs of New York'.
Dublin Dining: New Recipes from Dublin's Finest Chefs edited by Paul Rankin
Hardback; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 18.00 UK; Black & White Publishing, 200 pages, with full colour photographs throughout [Add To Basket]
Cockles and mussels are not the only tempting food on offer in this fair city of Dublin - undisputedly one of the trendiest and most vibrant cities in Europe - has an unrivalled reputation for its outstanding cuisine. In this book the cream of the city's top chefs share the secrets of their signature dishes to bring the reader a sumptuous collection of flavours, textures and menus to die for. Whilst some of the featured establishments are household names, others reflect the new generation of chefs that are taking Dublin by storm.
Irish Gardens by Orla FitzGerald
Large Format Paperback; 35.00 Euro / 42.50 USD / 25.00 UK; Conran Octopus,.224 pages with 200 colour illustrations [Add To Basket]
The gardens of Ireland are famed for their great beauty, variety and distinctive charm. Fine rain, soft sunshine, the warmth of the Gulf Stream, and the dramatic settings of rivers and mountains combine to create the perfect conditions for the creation of magical gardens of breathtaking diversity. This enchanting book celebrates twenty of the best Irish gardens, telling their fascinating stories, revealing their secrets and evoking their particular atmospheres. They range from historical gardens like Mount Stewart in County Down, with its eclectic collection of Moorish and Art Deco styles, and lush vegetable gardens like Ballymaloe in Cork, to wild, romantic paradises like Ilnacullin in Bantry Bay, planted with exotics from Tasmania, China and Japan. Many of the gardens are newly planted or recently restored and have never been written about or photographed before. A personal friend of many of the owners, the author paints an informed and intimate portrait of these gardens and the people who created and maintain them. Each garden is explored, its design and planting analysed and its layout illustrated by a detailed plan. A comprehensive Visitor's guide gives addresses and opening times. Sumptuous photography conveys the unique mood of these very special and intriguing gardens.
The Raggy Boy Trilogy by Patrick Galvin
Paperback; 11.99 Euro / 14.50 USD / 8.50 UK; New Island, 425 pages [Add To Basket]
Song for a Poor Boy is the acclaimed first volume of Patrick Galvin's memoirs, the singular story - comical, surreal and moving - of a 1930s Cork childhood. Growing up in an era of poverty and intolerance, Galvin tells of tenement sing-songs and marching Blueshirts, his parents' bittersweet marriage, of a man who turned into a seagull, and the neighbouring Jew who turned a future poet onto the magic of literature. But bitter winds blow and, in 1939, Patrick Galvin left Cork, handcuffed to a policeman, for three years' detention in a brutal State reformatory. Thus begins the harrowing yet at times second part of the trilogy, Song for a Raggy Boy. It is a survivor's account that is also an unsparing indictment of the Ireland that all but ate its young. And Song for a Fly Boy, published here for the first time, is set during the War years. Opening in an RAF recruiting office in Belfast in 1942, Galvin lies about his age, falls for Betty Grable and signs up for Sierra Leone, the Western Sahara and the occupied Palestine. What follows is an anti-war story a la Catch-22, a heart-rending, often hallucinatory, account of the folly that is war. Beautifully sung, Song for a Fly Boy is the perfect coda to a stunning trilogy.
Rivers of Ireland: A Flyfisher's Guide 5th edition by Peter O'Reilly
Hardback; 30.00 Euro / 35.00 USD / 22.50 UK; Merlin Unwin, 430 pages, with some photos and maps [Add To Basket]
Complete revised and updated, with new information, this thoroughly researched and expanded guide to Ireland's trout and salmon rivers is now even more useful to visiting and local anglers. It is the only comprehensive guide to Irish rivers and contains a full description of every river, the species present, the most productive stretches, stock levels, average size, catch records, local permit requirements (with names, addresses, phone numbers, emails and websites of fishery owners), best flies to use, open and close season dates, best fishing times of the year. This new edition also includes, for the first time, contact details of fishing guides whose services can be hired, local tackle shops, resident flytyers, qualified fly casting instructors and details of disabled anglers' facilities.
Captain of the Ash by Brendan Fullam
Trade paperback; 14.99 Euro / 17.50 USD / 11.00 UK; Wolfhound Press, 306 pages, with black-and-white photos [Add To Basket]
This book is the latest hurling tribute from the best-selling author. Spanning every decade of the GAA, over seventy captains of All-Ireland winning teams come to life in this book about ordinary men and women doing extraordinary deeds on the playing field. From Jim Stapleton, who captained the 1887 champions, to Andy Comerford of 2002 fame, each captain led their team to glory. Remember historic hurling moments with heroic captains including Tom Semple, 'Drug' Walsh, Mick Mackey, Dick Doyle, Kathleen Mills, Jim Ware and Jack Lynch. Powerful names from distant times, among them Mickey Maher, Lory Meagher and Christy Ring, are profiled along with recent stars including Tomas Mulcahy, Anthony Daly, Angela Downey, Willie O'Connor and Mark Landers. The book also hails Ger Fennelly, Hubert Rigney, Niall Patterson, Brian Cody, Tom Cashman, Billy Fitzpatrick, Eamon Grimes and Bobby Ryan. The book relives many of the great moments of the hurling calendar with epic matches, amazing battles and deeds of outstanding bravery.
Irish Book of Death and Flying Ships: From the Chronicles of Ancient Ireland by Tim Coates
Paperback; 16.50 Euro / 20.00 USD / 13.00 UK; Tim Coates, 163 pages, with full colour photos throughout [Add To Basket]
'Ships, with their sailors, were seen in the air over Clonmacnoise … Ireland, at this time, felt another scourge besides that of the Danes, for it was destroyed by strange worms - having six feet and two teeth harder than stones - which consumed all that was green in the land … A strange think fell out this year, which was two suns had their courses together throughout the space of one day … Evil signs too; the heavens seemed to glow with comets, a flame of fire arose … A bolt of fire passed, and it killed 1000 persons and flocks … There came not in Ireland since it was discovered, and there will come till the day of judgement, a vengeance like it … Maelduin Mac Ciarmaic (who had profaned the effigy of the Lady Mary) killed by the disease that killeth cattle …' Extracted from a 'Table of Cosmical Phenomenona, epizootics, famines and pestilences in Ireland' (included in The Census of Ireland for the Year 1851), the monastic and other annals quoted here cover the earliest time to which tradition refers (as transmitted by the bards) and up to the end of the 11th century AD. The history of the early plagues shows that people tried to account for sudden outbursts of disease, either by the direct and miraculous interposition of Providence, or by some peculiar atmospheric condition. This is an inspired book, very good to read, and inexorably moving.
The Mountains of Mourne: A Celebration of a Place Apart by David Kirk
Large Hardback; 29.99 Euro / 35.00 USD / 21.99 UK; Appletree Press, 143 pages, with full color photos throughout [Add To Basket]
The Mountains of Mourne have a 'specialness' all their own. The extraordinary scenery has fired the imaginations of poets, writers, artists, botanists, naturalists, hillwalkers and climbers the world over for generations. In this book, the author captures the spirit of the place, and its inhabitants, with an inspiring collection of over 200 of his own atmospheric colour photographs and a charming selection of evocative poems and writings from various writers who have all been equally captivated with the Mournes over the years. Thought-provoking chapters on the geology and geography of the landscape, vegetation, conservation, and life on the land are accompanied by an extensive glossary and bibliography, and the well-known conservationist and mountaineer Dawson Stelfox provides a stimulating foreword.
Rare Old Dublin: Heroes, Hawkers and Hoors by Frank Hopkins
Hardback; 20.00 Euro / 23.50 USD / 16.50 UK; Marino, 207 pages [Add To Basket]
Pirates executed in St. Stephen's Green; Mother Bungy's 'sink of sin' in what is now Temple Bar; the Viking Thingmote in College Green, where human sacrifices took place; the South Dublin Union, feared by the capital's poorer citizens; hidden holy wells on the city streets; these are just some of the aspects of Dublin's past uncovered by the author in this surprising and entertaining book. Famous sons and daughters of the city also make an appearance: Peg Woffington, the beautiful actress who rose from the slums to enjoy stardom at Covent Garden; Jack Langan, the bare-knuckle boxer of Ballybough; Sir Charles Cameron, the public health specialist who devised a bounty scheme for captured houseflies in 1911; and the Dolocher, the savage eighteenth-century beast in the form of a pig who turned out to be a man. Rogues and charlatans, heroes and harlots a-plenty stride through the pages of this book bringing colourful historical Dublin to life.
Paranormal Ireland: An Investigation into the Other Side of Irish Life by Dara deFaoite
Paperback; 12.99 Euro / 15.00 USD / 10.00 UK; Maverick House, 300 pages, with some black-and-white photos [Add To Basket]
Reports on sightings of UFOs in Co. Roscommon in 1997 set in train a passionate interest in the paranormal and inspired this author to write this probing guide and scholarly book. The book goes beyond recounting stories of hauntings, ghosts, poltergeists, UFOs, lake monsters and strange animals lurking in secluded woods to reveal a rare insight into what science has failed to explain.
Irish Army Vehicles: Transport and Armour Since 1922 by Karl Martin
Large Hardback; 35.00 Euro / 42.50 USD / 27.50 UK; 152 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
This is the first book of its kind ever published on the Irish Army and its transport and armour. It is based on over 10 years of research in Ireland and the U.K. It has over 400 photos and drawings, detailed captions and notes.
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