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Irish Emigrant Book Review, No.54 (January 2000)
The Irish Empire
by Patrick Bishop
- This well-presented book is an accompaniment to the recent international
television series of the same name, and allows the reader to consolidate
what he or she has gleaned from the documentary. Beginning in the fourth
century, when the Irish began to make raids on the Scottish and Welsh
coasts, the author covers the ecclesiastical migration of such innovators
as St Colmcille and suggests that the monks “left something in the folk
memory of the Irish race that made emigration and exile a not totally
alien, and therefore perhaps a slightly more easily borne, ordeal”. Patrick
Bishop balances his description of migration with an account of the many
immigrant groups which made up the people of Ireland over the centuries,
citing the arrival of the Normans as a major threat to the unique culture
of the country extant in the mid-12th century. The introduction of a Protestant
Ascendancy, the mass emigration of fighting men who became known as the
Wild Geese, and the first wave of emigrants to America are examined, with
individual stories enlivening the script such as that of soldier of fortune
Peter Drake, and the tenacious Murphy family from Co. Wexford who became
major landowners in California. The causes of the distinct periods of
emigration are placed in a historical context, and three major chapters
are devoted to the Irish experience in North America, Britain and Australia,
with some reference also to New Zealand and Argentina. The ability to
rise within their new communities is particularly noted among the women
who emigrated, while mention is also made of the negative effect of leaving
their homeland on the mental health of both men and women, as evidenced
by the 1998 report in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
However prominence is also given by the author to a number of highly successful
emigrant families including three signatories of the Declaration of Independence,
the Kennedys and Grace Kelly, and draws a contrast between the emigrants
of today and their predecessors. For today’s generation are able to emigrate
without being exiled, they move easily back and forth between the continents
as part of an empire that is measured not in land conquered but in the
achievements of a nation dispersed throughout the world. Augmented by
prints, cartoons and photographs taken from the television series, “The
Irish Empire” gives a comprehensive and positive view of “the curse of
emigration”.
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The Companion
to Irish Traditional Music ed. Fintan Valley
As one whose exposure to traditional Irish music has been not of my own
choosing, but rather parental loyalty, I approached this book with a degree
of wariness. However I am pleased to report that Fintan Vallely’s compilation
has enough in it to please those with a general interest in the subject
as well as true aficionados. Arranged alphabetically, the longest sections
unsurprisingly concern the different instruments connected with the genre,
including the human voice; the whole subject of recording music; and ceili
bands. Thus we range from a detailed examination of the different styles
of harp-playing to shorter entries such as that for the RIC, which earns
its place for the way in which the members of the force “helped cross-pollinate
repertoires and playing styles” during their different postings around
the country. All the well-known names from the world of traditional music
have their place in this collection, from Turlough O’Carolan to Sharon
Shannon, and it is noticeable how often County Sligo appears as the birthplace
of the musician or of his/her ancestors. Areas such as Sliabh Luachra,
Muskerry, South Sligo and Donegal are treated at length, while attention
is also given to the traditions of Scotland, the US, the Isle of Man and
other places which have influenced the present condition of the music.
This Companion is written in an easy and approachable style and has the
added virtue of not taking itself too seriously. Some unusual facts emerge,
such as the discovery that the mellifluous-sounding Ewan McColl began
life as plain Jimmie Miller in Salford. There is also a mischievous reference
to Michael Flatley who apparently appeared in a dance piece entitled “Lord
of the Dance” at his dancing school in Chicago, “in which he played a
Jesus Christ role”.
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Ordinary Decent
Criminal by Gretta Curran Browne
- A novel produced from a film script, rather than vice versa, is new
to me and I have to say that I’m not sure the exercise is very successful.
I haven’t seen even a clip from the Kevin Spacey film, so I can’t compare
it with “The General”, but Gretta Curran Browne’s derivative novel seems
to lack the depth one would expect, judging by her previous work. Although
there is a routine disclaimer at the beginning, this story very obviously
deals with Dublin criminal Martin Cahill, but deals with him in an Enid
Blyton-ish way. He inhabits a world in which he constantly outwits a bungling
police force so that the protagonist is not only glorified, he is portrayed
as the comic king of the underworld. The characters are familiar to us,
Cahill himself, his wife and her sister, and the members of his gang,
but none is drawn with any detail and one is left with a mixture of the
farcical and the terrible. Cahill leading the surveillance car into the
mountains until both are low on petrol, and then ostentatiously retrieving
a can from the boot to fill up his own car, is set against his cruelty
to the dole office clerk who had the misfortune to be on duty the day
Cahill’s payments were stopped. Although the story itself could be better
constructed, it is enjoyable on a certain level and Gretta Curran Browne
has produced a readable novel from fairly thin material.
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The Border,
Personal Reflections from Ireland, North and South ed. Paddy Logue
- Diversity is the hallmark of this collection of thoughts on the border
between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Paddy Logue has cast his net
wide to garner all opinions on what some see as a scar across the country
and others see as a safeguard. Memories of border crossings before the
latest troubles began in the 1960s are a common theme, explored by such
as Polly Devlin and Terence Larkin, as is the notion that the Border represents
more than a physical entity. According to Sr Stanislaus Kennedy and Ruairi
Quinn, among others, borders of race, religion and culture are in the
mind and possibly more difficult to erase than the physical border. Living
in the border region means different things to different people - bandit
country, having to travel miles to visit neighbours, understanding both
sides. Many contributors come from cross-border and cross-community families,
and have difficulty identifying with either. Some, like Dervla Murphy,
have modified youthful feelings on the subject while others are entrenched
in their beliefs. Gerry Adams, Bernadette McAliskey, Gregory Campbell
and Derek Reaney put forward a political view while the economics of the
Border is examined by Geoff McEnroe and Sir George Quigley. Both optimism
and pessimism come through in relation to the Border, and a number take
the opportunity to grind their own particular axes, for example; Bishop
Pat Buckley on the decline of the Church’s power in the Republic; Eamonn
McCann, who proposes that the Border will go only if the country is rid
of capitalism; and Ardal O’Hanlon, who takes the opportunity for a side
swipe at the Country and Western singers of his Monaghan home, “A species
of big-haired, big-hatted, big-hearted balladeers, they sang loudly and
often of the pain of living in places like Castleblayney...”. With as
many interpretations of the Border as there are contributors, this collection
gives those of us living far from its reality an idea of the part it has
played in the development of those who lives have been affected to a lesser
or greater degree by its proximity.
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The Irish Constabularies
by Donal J. O’Sullivan
- The author is a retired Chief Superintendent of the Garda Siochana and
the writing of this book has obviously been a labour of love. As a former
policeman himself, it might not be surprising that he shows a great admiration
for the professional work of the various police forces which operated
in Ireland since the early 19th century. He shows a number of episodes
in our history from a perspective which has rarely been mentioned; that
of the ordinary policeman caught in the middle during periods of civil
unrest. He brings us from the beginnings of formal policing in Ireland
through to the Patten Report on reform of the RUC. (It is enlightening
to read his account of the disbandment of the RIC in the 1920s while this
latest reform begins.) O’Sullivan expresses considerable appreciation
of the role of Peel in the early 19th century in the development of the
Irish police, an experience which he used to good effect in London. The
author goes on to describe in some detail the later legal developments
in relation to the police during the rest of the century and into the
20th. In addition, he refers to their recruitment, training, housing and
equipment, the changes over time and the reasons for them, including the
input of the various personalities involved. He examines developments
in different specific areas of the country and shows the progression locally,
regionally and nationally. He outlines some of the famous and less well-known
cases which the forces dealt with, including some long-forgotten local
affairs as well as the political issues of the time. He is eloquent, for
example, on the efforts of the police to alleviate the suffering of the
famine victims and their personal difficulties in having to assist at
evictions. O’Sullivan evokes very well the plight of the RIC during the
1919-1922 period. These were men mainly from a small farming background
who were simply trying to do an essential job for their own Irish community,
which they had been carrying out with no thought of supporting the British
Empire. They were in an unenviable position when the War of Independence
started. O’Sullivan gives instances of their losses at the hands of their
fellow countrymen. And when it was over, many had to emigrate because
they could not even return to their place of birth for fear of assassination.
Nor was their fear unfounded; many were murdered while visiting elderly
parents. The author’s style of writing reflects his background. Facts
are stated clearly; the evidence is presented concisely. He might well
be back in court, setting out the issues for consideration by judge and
jury. In general his style makes for pleasurable reading, with no misunderstanding
of his meaning or intention. Overall the author has done no little service
in drawing our attention to men (and they were all men then, of course)
whose memory has been almost erased but who did their best to serve the
needs of their fellow-countrymen in circumstances which were often difficult
and sometimes impossible.
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Religion in
Ireland Past, Present and Future by Denis Carroll
- This collection of essays should be required reading for all those living
in this country who are entrenched within their own religion, with little
knowledge or understanding of the place of other roads to salvation. Many
of the different traditions are given an opportunity to tell of their
experiences and their current problems as minority groups in a largely
Catholic community. Thus Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath
and Kildare, gives an overview of the part played by his church over the
past centuries and claims for it that it is the “only Christian division
of any size which does not have a predominantly nationalist or unionist
tradition as part of its psyche”. The decline of the Presbyterians is
charted by former Moderator John Dunlop, while Dermot Keogh, Professor
of History in Cork, describes the Jewish contribution to Irish life and
laments the present drop in numbers. The two I most appreciated, and I
have almost always appreciated their writings, are Fr Colm Kilcoyne, who
deplores the “clericalism” of former years and makes a plea for a culture
of co-operation between Church and laity; and Bishop Willie Walsh of Killaloe
who calls for authenticity in the Church “that must in some way relate
to the actual lives that people live”. He cites a number of examples where
the clergy might have failed in this respect, including the cliche that
a handicapped child is a blessing to a family, whereas in reality caring
for such a child poses an enormous problem for many families.
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New Century,
New Society by Dermot Lane
- A second book of reflective essays to mark the 2000th anniversary of
Christianity is edited by Dermot Lane, a contributor to “Religion in Ireland
Past, Present and Future”, and includes an essay by that book’s editor,
Denis Carroll. While a number of contributors look at the place of the
Church in Ireland as we enter the 21st century, the diversity of topics
includes Garrett Fitzgerald dealing with the state of marriage in the
country, and Aidan Matthews’ giving a very personal reflection on the
Stations of the Cross. The position of women in the Church, the future
direction of Christian education, and the Church’s attitude to the environment
are some of the other topics covered in this collection.
The Irish American
Pub Quiz by Liam McAtasney
- While primarily produced for the American market, with a number of questions
specifically linked to Irish-American achievers, this book of questions
could be adapted for use by any group with a fair knowledge Ireland and
the Irish. The questions are arranged in categories under such headings
as “From Mizen Head to Malin Head: Irish Geography” and “Name that Film:
The Irish Connection” and all the answers are given in the concluding
pages.
The Crucifixion
in Irish Art by Peter Harbison
- A series of 50 photographs of crucifixions dating from the ninth century
to the present day are each accompanied by a page of explanatory text,
and all presented in chronological order. The cover picture, of Harry
Clarke’s stained-glass windows in St Joseph’s Church in Terenure, is particularly
striking, as is the very modern-looking wooden figure from the Augustinian
Priory in Ballyhaunis. A notable feature of the book is the variety of
materials represented, including manuscripts, metalwork, wood, stone and
glass, and one aim, as expressed by the author, is that the book might
“act as an inspiration for Irish artists to look at some of the better
examples of earlier centuries”.
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Mapping the
Great Irish Famine by Liam Kennedy, Paul Ell, E.M. Crawford & L.A.
Clarkson
- The authors, all from Queen’s University, Belfast, have succeeded in
bringing statistics to life by the simple expedient of conveying all the
data into a series of maps. Giving information at both county and barony
level, the maps range from density of population to average age of marriage
to the amount of eggs and bacon eaten, and each section is prefaced by
a brief history and explanation of the topic. Under many headings we are
given three or four representations, covering the years from the 1840s
to the 1870s, so that pre- and post-Famine conditions are obvious. The
distribution of some diseases is also interesting, with scarlatina being
particularly concentrated in the Dublin area while smallpox affected more
people along the Western seaboard from Kerry to Mayo. “Mapping the Great
Irish Famine” is a good idea well executed, and will be of immense help
to students of history as well as being of interest to the general reader.
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