Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 318
The IRA in Kerry 1916-1921 by Sinead Joy
Paperback; 14.00 Euro / 17.50 USD / 10.00 UK; 180 pages
The traditional view of the IRA in Ireland from 1916-1921 – of heroes living only for the republic – has come in for close scrutiny in recent years. This study dispels some of the myths and gives an alternative profile of the rebels active in Kerry. It questions their reasons for joining and their commitment to the notion of a republic. The result is sometimes critical as it considers the effects of the war on Kerry's civilian population and the varying level of support for the IRA. Overall this book presents an account of the perceptions of the community as a whole, Irish or British, Catholic or Protestant, fighter or civilian.
The Flight of the Earls by John McCavitt
Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 19.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 278 pages [Add To Basket]
In 1607, Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, and other Gaelic chieftains, fled to the continent and settled in Rome. Their lands were declared forfeit to the Crown and cleared for the Plantation of Ulster that followed. Why did they flee? John McCavitt's widely praised study provides the answer to this, one of the enduring mysteries of Irish history. Following the failure of his rebellion in 1603, Hugh O'Neill made a successful peace with the royal government in London. He was left in possession of his lands, and his surrender was acknowledged. However, grasping crown officials in Dublin maintained a relentless campaign of harassment against him. It was this that prompted his flight, and that of the other Ulster Gaelic leaders. They saw it as a temporary expedient and intended to return, although they never did. Instead, their long, winding journey to Rome was an end, not a beginning.
The Irish Examiner: 100 Years of News edited by Des O’’Driscoll
Hardback; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 200 pages, with full colour photos throughout
The Irish Examiner - 100 Years of News is a unique presentation of events in Ireland and elsewhere during a remarkable and crowded century. Published to celebrate the designation of Cork as Europea n Capital of Culture in 2005, it provides a special perspective on life in Ireland during the previous one hundred years. Taken directly from the archives of the Irish Examiner are news stories and features exactly as they appeared, together with contemporary photographs, many in colour. Reproductions of pages from the paper provide wonderfully evocative reminders of events, both great and small, and of lifestyles from the past. History lives again on these pages: Michael Collins, John F Kennedy, Osama Bin Laden, the Civil Ware, two World Wars. There is also sport and entertainment: Christy Ring, Stephen Roche, Shergar, Roy Keane, Gay Byrne, JR Ewing. Coverage of major disasters is graphic and moving: the last pictures and reports form the Titanic as she steamed from Queenstown in 1912; the award winning coverage of the Air India tragedy in 1986. And of course there are politics - national and local - literature, arts, fashion, indeed the whole range of life in Ireland and abroad as seen through the eyes of generations of the writers and photographers of Ireland's oldest newspaper and the only national daily published outside Dublin.
Out of the Shadows: A Journey Back from Grief by Susan Phoenix
Paperback; 14.00 Euro / 18.00 USD / 11.00 UK; 224 pages [Add To Basket]
Susan lost her husband and both parents within the space of three months. This is the story of her recovery from shattering grief and her amazing discovery that our loved ones are still there for us, in the spirit world. When Susan's beloved husband Ian was killed in a helicopter accident in June 1994, she faced overwhelming despair. Her pain was compounded when her parents died just months later. But Susan had two children, a determined outlook and was on a mission to testify to the important work Ian had done in the struggle to bring peace and stability to Northern Ireland. She wrote a hugely successful book about Ian, but once she'd finished, she realised she herself was still in terrible pain. Gradually, though, she came to understand through the power of her angel guides and with help from clairvoyants that Ian was indeed, as she had suspected, still very much a real part of her life. This is a unique memoir of a one woman's struggle back from despair and of the inspirational help available to all of us from the spirit world. Susan never believed that she'd be beaten by what life had thrown at her and this is a story of warmth, humour, candour and faith to inspire us all.
Irish Round Towers by Hector McDonnell
Small Paperback; 8.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 5.00 UK; 56 pages
In this book the author presents an exciting theory on the numerous, enigmatic and unexplained ancient round towers of Ireland.
Dry Stone Walls by Lawrence Garner
Small Paperback; 9.00 Euro / 12.00 USD / 5.00 UK;
The dry stone walls of Ireland and Britain happen to be in areas which attract many tourists and so it is not surprising that the walls that are an integral part of the landscape should provoke so many questions. 'When were they built?', 'Who built them?', 'How do they stand up without cement?'. This book answers these and many other questions. The reasons for building dry stone walls, the story of their development, technical details of their construction, regional styles and the state of the craft today. Some old myths and legends are dispelled, in particular the mistaken idea that walling is a dying craft.
Company of Three by Jennifer MacCann
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 380 pages [Add To Basket]
Dublin is in full, trendy swing, with parties and atmosphere galore, but it seems to be passing Anna by. There's her editorial job at fusty publishers O'Sullivan and Hackett, continually under the thumb of her boss, the overindulged Linda. Then there's her home life, with a demented mother and her hippy boyfriend and a brother who does nothing much apart from take illegal substances. All that, and she's struggling to write a novel that isn't a copy of Jane Eyre. Then the gorgeous Angela comes into her life. Owner of a new-Age bookshop frequented by Dublin's lost and lonely, Angela is beautiful, witty and popular. And her flatmate Marcus is even more beautiful, witty and popular. Things are definitely looking up, or they would be, if only Anna would admit that Marcus is the man for her. Clearly, drastic action is needed...
Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People by Susan McKay
Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 26.00 USD / 14.00 UK; 390 pages [Add To Basket]
Presenting and analysing over 60 in-depth interviews with northern Protestants, this work aims to impart an understanding of the range and complexity of Protestant attitudes in Northern Ireland. Within the overall Protestant community there is much dissent - there are those who utterly condemn the loyalist paramilitaries, for example, and there are those paramilitaries who despise unionists who, they argue, rely on them to defend Ulster while washing their hands of responsibility. While some Protestants feel relatively comfortable about developments and would welcome an end to the notion of of a Protestant state for a Protestant people, the majority feel a sense of losing ground, of being under threat, of being betrayed. First published in 2000; new updated edition.
Inchicore Kilmainham and District by Seasamh O Broin
Large Paperback with Endflaps; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 310 pages, with black-and-white illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
This is a local Irish history which is more than a local Irish history. It concerns an area where, over the centuries, many of the varied threads of Ireland’s story have come together. Inchicore and Kilmainham have contributed significantly to the political, religious, military and industrial history of the City of Dublin as well as of Ireland.
Ancient Ireland: From Prehistory to the Middle Ages by Jacqueline O’Brien and Peter Harbison
Large Hardback; 30.00 Euro / 36.00 USD / 22.00 UK; 250 pages, full colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
This work concentrates on the rich architectural heritage of both early and late medieval Ireland, preceded by an introduction on the groundwork laid by the Celts. The legacy of this period - manuscripts and metalwork, churches and great stone crosses, family tower houses and feudal castles have all been photographed by O'Brien and documented by Harbison for this book. Maps, charts and timelines afford the reader greater understanding of the complex world of medieval Ireland.
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