Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 401 - 19 January 2008
Non-Fiction
Hidden Dublin: Deadbeats, Dossers and Decent Skins by Frank Hopkins
Hardback; 20 Euro / 27 USD / 14 UK; 200 pages
Criminal incidents, accidents, whippings, beatings, jail escapes and hangings were all part of Dublin's 'brilliant parade' in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, including actors, clergymen, scientists, politicians and rogues and rascals of every hue. Hopkins describes the poverty, soup kitchens, food riots, street beggars and workhouses that were all a feature of Dublin life. He also introduces us to the weird, wonderful, and often downright strange customs and pastimes of Dubliners stretching back to the Middle Ages, such as the 'bearing of balls' annual parade by the city's bachelors and the ritual humiliation of would-be bridegrooms at the bullring
Irish Freedom: The History of Nationalism in Ireland by Richard English
Trade paperback; 11 Euro / 15 USD / 8 UK; 600 pages, with two 8-page black-and-white photo inserts [Add To Basket]
Richard English's brilliant new book, now available in paperback, is a compelling narrative history of Irish nationalism, in which events are not merely recounted but analysed. Full of rich detail, drawn from years of original research and also from the extensive specialist literature on the subject, it offers explanations of why Irish nationalists have believed and acted as they have, why their ideas and strategies have changed over time, and what effect Irish nationalism has had in shaping modern Ireland. It takes us from the Ulster Plantation to Home Rule, from the Famine of 1847 to the Hunger Strikes of the 1970s, from Parnell to Pearse, from Wolfe Tone to Gerry Adams, from the bitter struggle of the Civil War to the uneasy peace of the early twenty-first century. Is it imaginable that Ireland might as some have suggested be about to enter a post-nationalist period? Or will Irish nationalism remain a defining force on the island in future years? "a courageous and successful attempt to synthesise the entire story between two covers for the neophyte and for the exhausted specialist alike" - Tom Garvin, "Irish Times".
Raiders of the Caribbean: Ireland’s Cricket World Cup by Trent Johnston and Gerard Siggins
Trade Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 190 pages, with two 8-page full colour photo inserts
When the Irish Cricket Team qualified for the last eight of the cricket world cup in the West Indies, they opened up many peoplea??s eyes to the mere existence of the sport in Ireland. The very English game of cricket has been played in Ireland for more than two centuries but it was only when a special group of players came together that international success was enjoyed. Captain Trent Johnston and journalist Gerard Siggins trace the long and difficult journey Irish cricket had to make to reach the World Cup, as well as the story of Ireland's amazing victories over two of the world's best teams: Pakistan and Bangladesh. With a preface by Brian Lara, this is a must for everyone who was intrigued and delighted by the success of the Irish Cricket team.
Tracing Your Irish Family History by Anthony Adolph
Hardback; 22 Euro / 30 USD / 15 UK; 224 pages [Add To Basket]
The authoritative and comprehensive guide to tracing your Irish ancestry There's never been a better time to trace your Irish family history. Vast internet resources and DNA testing, as well as access to censuses, religious records and other archive material make this process easier than ever. Anthony Adolph gives you a wide range of tools and information to discover your Irish ancestry. The text is packed with weblinks to enable you to search the great number of records now available online, as well as providing contact information on other sources, such as archives and libraries. He explains how to trace family in Ireland, starting from various countries around the world (including Ireland itself of course), as well as looking at surnames, heraldry, families of non-Irish origin, and poignant stories of migration from Ireland. By reading this book you'll also be drawn into the lives your ancestors led, through the examples, compelling stories and fascinating social history which are interwoven within the text. This is the complete resource for discovering your Irish family history, and as a result, learning more about who you are and where you come from.
Before Sunday: The Life Stories of the Bloody Sunday Victims by Jennifer Faus
Paperback; 15 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 190 pages
On 30 January 1972, the British Army deployed the 1st Parachute Regiment to conduct an arrest operation in Derry, during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march. During the protest, fourteen unarmed marchers were shot and killed by the regiment and another fourteen were seriously injured. The day has since been known as Bloody Sunday. Two investigations have since been held by the British Government. The first largely cleared the soldiers of any wrongdoing; the second, brought about by the determination of teh victims' family members, has yet to report a conclusion."Before Sunday" is a touching portrait of the victims' lives before that tragic day. We are introduced to a photographer, a golfer, a student, a prankster, and ten other boys and men who we learn are very much like our own fathers, sons, brothers, and friends.
Souls of the Sea: The Tragic Story of Seven Lives Lost by Damien Tiernan
Trade Paperback; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 246 pages
In January 2007, in the space of six days, three large fishing boats sank off the south east coast of Ireland. Seven men were claimed by the sea, four survived. Five died together on one boat, the Pere Charles, which sank on Wednesday evening, January 10th, two and a half miles from the village of Dunmore East. A few hours later, two men were lost when the Honey Dew II sank 21 miles away off Minehead while two other crew members somehow survived for 20 hours in a small life-raft, tossed about in a raging sea. Divers from the Irish navy managed to get down to the Pere Charles a week after she sank, but were unable to get inside due to currents, debris and loose netting. It would be another week before these brave men were able to get into the stricken vessel which is still lying 35 metres below the surface. To everybody's amazement, there was no sign of the five men inside. And even more amazingly, most of the fish was gone. The boat was searched thoroughly in very dangerous conditions, but only a pair of oilskins was recovered. The men were gone. Their bodies were gone. The fish - up to 50 tonnes of herring - was gone. Off Minehead and along the west Waterford coastline, trawlers scanned the seabed for any sonar sighting of the sunken vessel, the Honey Dew II. Eventually, she too was located. Divers from the Garda Underwater Unit went down. Again, no sign of the two men missing. This is a story of heartache, of loss, of love departed that has no grave. This is the story of courage, strength and community bound together.
Lyn’s Escape by Lyn Madden
Trade Paperback; 12 Euro / 18 USD / 9 UK; 326 pages [Add To Basket]
Lyn Madden worked for twenty years as a prostitute, mostly in Dublin. Her career ended the night that she watched, her lover and pimp, John Cullen throw a firebomb through the window of a house, where former prostitute Dolores Lynch lived. Dolores, who had 'escaped' from prostitution some years previously, perished along with her elderly mother and aunt. That murder shocked Lyn out of her dependence on Cullen and enabled her to summon up the courage necessary to denounce him to the police. Cullen was given a life sentence and an 18-year sentence, the second of which he has completed. He has applied for temporary release, but authorities refused it. Here, in Lyn's own voice, she starts her story being escorted by two plain-clothes police officers up the gangplank to the ferry, fleeing Ireland in the hope of a safer future. Lyn's journey to safety is one that never is truly realized as her enemies, ex-lovers, abusers and demons continue to haunt her and threaten the livelihood of her and her children. But through it all, Lyn undergoes an impressive evolution from working the streets to becoming a contributing member of society and even holding down a meaningful job. Lyn pursues therapy, education and learns after many wrong starts to finally choose healthier relationships. It is a wonderful coming-of-age story of a woman who gets a chance later in life to try to put herself on a better course away from the world of crime and exploitation. Though her path is riddled with bad choices and abusive men whose violence is terrifying her basic spirit is never dimmed. We get to know a Lyn that takes enormous pleasure in the simple things of life while surviving seemingly unbearable abuse and tragedy. Readers who have read the first book will not be disappointed with the sequel, it's full of excitement and insight into the lives of the walking wounded.
Martin Cahill: My Father by Frances Cahill
Trade Paperback; 13 Euro / 20 USD / 10 UK; 232 pages [Add To Basket]
Known to all as The General, Ireland’s most infamous criminal mastermind, Martin Cahill's life was the stuff of myth and urban legend. Even in death, fascination with him has not waned: leading Hollywood actors have starred in several films on his life, and many books have been published, with his memory now owned by a public that either loathed or admired him. Now, in this astoundingly frank memoir, his daughter Frances Cahill tells the story of the man she knew so well, offering remarkable insight into the private life of Martin Cahill and what it was like growing up in the shadow of such an infamous figure. Not seeking to defend or condone his criminal past, Frances Cahill here shows show a side of The General the public has never seen before.
The High Society: Drugs and the Irish Middle Class by Justine Delaney Wilson
Trade Paperback; 13 Euro / 19 USD / 10 UK; 210 pages [Add To Basket]
"The High Society" subverts these usual images and stereotypes by presenting a wide and varied group of professional people who are drug abusers and recovering addicts. Their stories challenge our glib and mistaken assumptions. Some may anger and horrify you. These are people whom we respect and with whom we all come in contact - among them our law makers and law enforcers, politicians and accountants, doctors and surgeons, our priests and our nuns. The 'professional' drug abuser - of which there are very, very many - forces us to re-examine our attitudes towards, and our awareness of, the drugs and the addicted around us. "The High Society" lifts the lid on the reality of substance abuse in contemporary, affluent, professional Ireland. It reveals our unreported drug problem for the first time.
Cré Na Cille by Máirtín Ó Cadhain
Paperback 25 Euro/ 33 USD / 16 UK (Also available in Hardback 40 Euro) 345 pages [Add To Basket]
Mairtin O Cadhain's novel Cre na Cille (Graveyard Soil) won the Oireachtas literary competition in 1947. Recognized almost immediately as a classic, the book, set among the dead in a Conamara graveyard, was serialized in the Irish Press between February and September of 1949, the same year it was published in Dublin. This book has been out of print for nearly 10 years. A small reprint has just become available. This book is in the Irish language. Order immediately to avoid waiting another ten years!
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
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