Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 272
Protestant Boy by Geoffrey Beattie
Hardback; 20.00 Euro / 24.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 247 pages
Geoffrey Beattie grew up in the notorious 'murder triangle' in North Belfast, where during thirty years of the Troubles more than six hundred people were killed. Many of his childhood friends ended up dead or in prison, while Beattie himself moved to England, at first to study and eventually to build a highly successful career as a psychologist. On a visit home to see his ailing mother, Beattie begins to explore his Ulster Protestant ancestry and to reflect on the unfashionable and little understood Protestant community. His search takes him to the trenches of the Somme, to the Plantation villages of Ulster, and to Drumcree for the Orange march. And it brings him a deeper understanding of his own family, especially his mother: at the heart of this book is an extraordinarily vivid portrait of this opinionated, witty, exasperating Ulsterwoman. This is an honest, beautifully written novel of the stories that families and cultures tell themselves, and about the silences they leave behind.
Politicians and Other Animals by Olivia O'Leary
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 160 pages [Add To Basket]
This book brings together the best of the author's political sketches originally recorded for Irish radio. Written between the 2002 general election and the Northern Ireland Assembly election of 2003, each sketch has been revisited and updated for inclusion in this book. This unique and humorous collection of anecdotes provides an insight into the life politicians live and love, the culture of the different political parties, the dirty tricks played at election time and the changing values of modern Ireland. Above all, it is O'Leary's keen eye, witty observations and infectious appetite for the drama or Irish politics that make this book a compulsive read.
Irish!: A Dictionary of Phrases, Terms & Epithets Beginning with the word 'Irish' by Thornton Edwards
Paperback; 13.00 Euro / 15.50 USD / 9.00 UK; 232 pages
This book contains a thousand fascinating entries from the Irish Achilles to the Irish Zorro. We have all heard of Irish coffee (which is also, incidentally, a variety of narcissus) and Irish stew, but how many know what an Irish cluster is? Many will probably be able to guess who the Irish Caruso was, but who was the Irish Mussolini or the Irish Solomon? Which group of Irishmen has the reputation for being the Irish Gascons? This book is full of nuggets of fascinating information. It is the first ever collection of colourful expressions beginning with the word 'Irish', which reflect both the richness and beauty of Ireland and Irish culture.
Providence My Guide: The Knock Shrine Story by Judy Coyne
Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 18.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 254 pages [Add To Basket]
This book is the incredible story of Dame Judy Coyne, a self-effacing, courageous woman who, with her husband, Liam, revived an interest in the then almost forgotten shrine of Knock and brought it to what it is today: one of the principal Marian Shrines in the world. Judy and Liam worked hard to promote the shrine through the Knock Shrine Society, a group they founded in 1935. Their achievements were remarkable: three books, an annual publication, the opening of a rest home, the development of facilities for sharing pilgrims, the establishment of a body of helpers known as handmaids and stewards, the commissioning of commemorative statuary, the invitation to Pope John Paul II to visit Ireland, and much more. This book details the life of this woman of extraordinary achievement, who battled for over seventy years to get for Knock the recognition it deserved.
Break Out! Famous Prison Escapes by Paddy Hayes
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 7.50 UK; 222 pages
This book contains details of bizarre, daring and sometimes downright farcical and incredible true stories of Ireland's jailbreakers. In 1942 German spy Gunter Schutz ordered his escape costume from Mountjoy jail's unsuspecting Governor; in 1943 a young girl cooking breakfast was surprised by twenty-one men emerging through her coal shed from the tunnel that had brought them out of Derry prison; the 'Magnificent Seven' swam to freedom from the prison ship the HMS Maidstone in 1972 after a seal showed them the way out; in 1973 an astonishing escape occurred at Mountjoy when three prisoners were scooped up by helicopter from the exercise yard in broad daylight; in 1974 Kenneth Littlejohn embarked on a hunger strike in order to squeeze through the bars of Mountjoy; and then there was the escape from the high security H-blocks in 1983, involving an incredible thirty-eight prisoners.
The Sacred Whore: Sheela Goddess of the Celts by Maureen Cunningham
Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 24.00 USD / 14.00 UK; 230 pages [Add To Basket]
Since medieval times patriarchal domination has led to war, violence, sexual abuse and near destruction of our planet. As if to balance this, there is now a growing awareness of ancient carved stone images of naked female figures. Unnoticed and ignored for centuries, they are being rediscovered on early churches, medieval castles and bishops' tombs. This book is the story of these mysterious carvings, their history, location and psychological significance. Called 'Sheela na gigs', these figures display and emphasize the genital organs, as symbols of fertility and new life. Originally symbols of God as 'The Great Mother' in pre-Celtic society, the Celts integrated them into their druidic religion to later become part of Celtic Christianity. Then the victory of the Roman over the Celtic Church gradually turned the Divine Hag into a Harlot. But to the Irish, Sheela personified the land, landscape and fertility. Today they are found at early monastic settlements in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, England and pilgrim routes on the European continent set up by Irish monasteries.
The Haunted Land: Ireland's Ghosts by Bob Curran
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 7.50 UK; 208 pages [Add To Basket]
The House on the Hill of Weeping, in County Meath, still echoes nightly with the screams of a long-dead woman. William Langford dared to spend one night in the haunted chamber of Kilcosgrif Castle in Limerick, and lived to regret it. Lady Beresford's desire to learn the secrets of the afterlife led to a pact that left her scared for life … The stories behind these and many other supernatural occurrences, gathered from all around Ireland, are recounted in this chilling collection. They describe different kinds of ghosts, from wraith-like spectres, half-seen, to dangerous spirits intent on causing harm to those who have wronged them. The fear inspired by these inexplicable phenomena has been passed down from generation to generation, and these happenings still retain the power to disturb and unsettle the listener.
Pirate Queen: The Life of Grace O'Malley, 1530-1603 by Judith Cook
Paperback; 13.00 Euro / 15.50 USD / 10.00 UK; 195 pages [Add To Basket]
A Celtic unsung heroine, the scourge of the Western Approaches is how the author sums up Grace O'Malley. Daughter of a clan chief in County Mayo, Grace's story is stranger than fiction. Married at fifteen, she soon had a fleet of galleys under her command, and was to rule the waves around the Irish coast for 30 years. The author has delved deep into the records of plunder, kidnapping, piracy and general mayhem that made up Grace's life. She tells of Grace's terrible revenge for the murder of her lover, her dramatic rescue from the scaffold; her intriguing meeting with Queen Elizabeth.
A History of Irish Fairies by Carolyn White
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 88 pages [Add To Basket]
In this book the author deals with Irish Fairies and their important place in country folklore and tells the reader of their mannerisms, clothing, food and love-lives. The book contains such interesting details as the distinction and confusion between cluricaun and leprechaun and the fact that only male infants are stolen from the cradle. Fairies included are Far Darrig, Merros and Skilies, Banshees and Keening, the Lianhan Shee, Pookas, Dullahans and Ghosts. A large part of the book is concerned with the relations between mortals and fairies, so that the reader can determine the best way to behave when encountering a fairy!
Fables and Legends of Ireland by Maureen Donegan
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 127 pages [Add To Basket]
This book is a collection of fascinating tales from heroic Ireland which have been told and retold by word of mouth through generations. Maeve assembles all the warriors of her kingdom to fight for the possession of the magical bull, the Donn Cuilnge. Maildun travels the seven seas, battling with bizarre and fantastic monsters, to search for the man who killed his father. Fionn Mac Cumhal and his band of followers spend their days hunting, fishing and protecting damsels in distress. Oisin is spirited away to Tir-na-nOg by the lovely Niamh. The Fianna, though larger than life, live on, in spirit if not in flesh, in an Ireland which is much changed since giants and heroes once strode across it.
Irish Customs and Beliefs by Kevin Danaher
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 126 pages [Add To Basket]
This book is a collection of stories exploring the gentler, more superstitious lives of the old Irish. The author tells of the wandering Irish, highwaymen, summer pastures and the typical 'whiteboys'. He tells of lost and hidden treasures, beliefs associated with birds, insects, animals, plants, bushes, trees and stones. The reader hears about dwarfs and fabulous water monsters, ghosts and witches, castles and drowned cities.
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