Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 267
Among Druids and High Kings
Hardback; 20.00 Euro / 25.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 142 pages, full colour illustrations throughout
This book tells the fascinating story of the coming of Christianity to the Irish and many other compelling tales of the daily lives of the men and women of Ireland from Celtic to Christian times. From contemporary accounts by travellers, church officials, and jurists as well as from the legends and histories for which the Irish are so justly famous come the stories of kings and thieves, farmers and monks, scholars and saints. Among them are the mighty Brian Boru, who defeated Irishmen and Vikings alike to become King of All Ireland; Saint Brigit, the daughter of a druid, who put her eyes out rather than marry; and Dermot Mac Murrough, who, by asking for the assistance of Henry II in regaining his kingdom, opened the door to England's future involvement in Ireland's affairs.
The accompanying photographs of breathtaking landscapes, beautifully carved stone monuments, colourful illuminated manuscripts, and the meticulously crafted metalwork said to be 'the work of angels' bring the Irish people and their land vividly to life.
The Irish Hedge School and Its Books, 1695-1831 by Antonia McManus
Trade Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 32.00 USD / 18.00 UK; 270 pages [Add To Basket]
For over 136 years, the hedge schoolmasters were the dominant educators in Ireland. For most of that time, they worked underground, due to the strictures of the Penal Laws. Impoverished parents valued this education so highly that they bartered flitches of bacon and miscawns of butter for it. Being independent of church and state, the schools incurred the wrath of both on occasions. The state regarded their reading books as objectionable. In fact, they were an eclectic mix of romantic chapbooks and the best literature of the 18th century, purchased by parents as cheap piracies of expensive English originals. The beginning of the end for the masters came when their erstwhile allies, the Catholic hierarchy, concerned with the official view of them as incompetent, at a time when the church was seeking state aid for Catholic education. But the masters remained deep in the affections of the Irish people as they fulfilled a multiplicity of roles such as local scribe, historian, poet, defender of religion, Bible Society teacher, land surveyor, lawyer, parish clerk, revolutionary and political activist.
Becoming George: The Life of Mrs. W.B. Yeats by Ann Saddlemyer
Trade Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 32.00 USD / 18.00 UK; 808 pages
An extraordinarily talented woman, George Yeats was more than wife and manager of the famous poet. A champion of occult intelligence, she was friend and critic to writers such as Ezra Pound, Frank O'Connor, and Richard Ellmann. For the first time, this intelligent and creative woman takes centre stage in this lovingly detailed biography. Drawing on memoirs and a wealth of previously unknown and unpublished sources, the author reveals the story of a fascinating and remarkable Irish woman.
The Oxford Companion to Irish History edited by S.J. Connolly
Trade Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 32.00 USD / 18.00 UK; 645 pages [Add To Basket]
In a field bedevilled by controversy, this book offers a comprehensive and balanced point of reference to all aspects of this fascinating and complex island. Written by a team of 96 renowned experts in the field of Irish studies, the Companion's 1800 A-Z entries explore Irish history from earliest times to the dawn of the new millennium. Breaking away from the purely chronological approach, entries focus on the enduring themes of Irish history, such as nationalism, unionism, and Catholicism, as well as on the changing fabric of everyday life, in areas such as dress, music, sport, and diet. Traditional topics such as the rebellion of 1798 and the Irish Civil War sit alongside up-to-date discussion on the latest research in areas such as women's history, popular culture, literary history, prehistoric Ireland, and early historic Ireland. Designed to meet the needs of all readers, from scholars and students to anyone with an interest in Ireland, using both concise definitions and in-depth analytical essays, the book offer interpretations of issues and events that continue to affect the Irish identity today.
A New History of Ireland by Christine Kinealy
Hardback; 30.00 Euro / 38.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 312 pages
Irish history has been dominated by a succession of settlers, traders, invaders, soldiers and colonisers. From the arrival of Patrick in the fifth century - arguably the most important settler ever - to Ireland as it is today, the author incorporates some of the most recent scholarship to explore the key developments and personalities that have helped to shape this country over 1500 years.
From the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the twelfth century - which began Ireland's complex and tortuous relationship with England - to Cromwell's invasion, the Plantation of Ulster, the Great Famine and Nationalism, the author challenges the dominant interpretation of events. She focuses on diversity: the lack of unity among the settlers; the varying response of the native peoples; the important contribution of women in shaping the development of Ireland; and, more recently, the divisions between and within nationalist and unionist groups. Ireland's external relationships with America and other countries are also examined as is it position at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Economically, politically and culturally, Ireland is again playing a leading role in Europe. This book provides a concise, lucid and nuanced approach to Ireland's complex and fascinating history.
Ireland's Forgotten 10th by Jeremy Stanley
Hardback; 20.00 Euro / 25.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 100 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout [Add To Basket]
This book is the story of the Irishmen, all volunteers, who formed a unit in the British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918, in response to an appeal from Lord Kitchener. 12,000 recruits came from all four provinces of Ireland and from both sides of the political and religious divide. There have been Irish regiments in the British Army since the 17th Century, but these men formed the first essentially Irish division ever to take the field. From their formation and training in 1914, this account follows the fortunes of the 10th (Irish) Division through service overseas in Gallipoli, Macedonia, and Palestine, and ends with the effective disbandment of the division in Palestine in 1918. Each phase of the campaign is preceded by a brief appraisal of the tactical situation at the time. These men fought with the utmost heroism and dedication, but for a cause that, after the Partition of Ireland, became politically incorrect. Since that time, their achievements have been ignored and their history neglected, and this book sets out to right that wrong.
Celtic Rituals: A Guide to Ancient Celtic Spirituality by Alexei Kondratiev
Trade Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 260 pages [Add To Basket]
In the rat race of our lives and loss of connection with the world of nature, certain aspects of Celtic tradition can help renew links with the living reality of the Earth. This beautifully written book is devoted to suggesting guidelines for the establishment and running of Celtic ritual circles. It outlines possible rules for membership and suggests formulas of words for rituals and visualization sequences. Many are closely connected with the passage of time, especially the seasons with their solstices and equinoxes, as well as other feast days. The author emphasizes the need to become conversant with Celtic culture and mythology and at leas one surviving Celtic language, avoiding the undemanding vagueness of much contemporary 'druidism'. This book unveils the Celtic rituals as something fresh and powerful, relating human existence to the eternal cycle of nature, and offers hope that humanity will recognise the divine beauty of the planet.
Motherhood in Ireland edited by Patricia Kennedy
Trade Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 25.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 320 pages [Add To Basket]
The body of work collected here presents the essence of motherhood in Ireland in all its various forms, in relation to both the experiences and the institution of motherhood. The first two sections of the book concentrate on creation, in the physiological sense (childbirth, infant feeding, infertility, and maternal mortality) and in the literary sense (treatment/symbolism of motherhood in Irish literature, both in English and in Gaelic, and in the visual arts). The third section presents the 'context' in which motherhood unfolds.
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