Irish Emigrant Book Review, No.51 (October 1999)

CATCH THE MAGPIE by Cristina Pisco
- In her second novel Ms Pisco again chooses a West Cork setting, but the narrative is largely taken up with life among the beautiful people of New York, before its denouement in the hills above Bantry. Catherine Richardson is the only surviving member of a family headed by her great-grandfather, a multi-millionaire East Coast businessman. The necessity for her to take over the family business when the old man becomes ill coincides with her meeting with a down-to-earth Australian, and her first forays into a world of out-of-body experiences and strange hauntings. Her discovery that her mother’s death was not all it seemed leads Catherine to retreat from a life she can no longer handle and chance, or fate, brings her to a small village near Bantry where her questions are answered in a series of glimpses into the past.
“Catch the Magpie” is well written and a pleasure to read, but I found it difficult to reconcile the different worlds into which the author has led us in this novel. From the upper echelons of New York society to a voodoo experience in a Spanish quarter of the city, to the New Age world of Maggie and Ciara in West Cork, seemed too large a canvas on which to tell the tragic story of Catherine’s mother. Some parts of the story were left seemingly unresolved, while the final tying of all the knots, her mother’s peaceful death, her business partner’s suicide, the Australian’s imminent arrival in Ireland, stretched the credibility of this reader, particularly as all these events were “seen” by the fey heroine in the fragment of a mirror once owned by a female ancestor.

GHOSTS IN SUNLIGHT by Gretta Curran Browne
- Moving away from the historical themes of her two previous novels, Gretta Curran Browne here tells the story of a family, of the love of two mothers for their sons which have far-reaching consequences for their future. Moving from Paris in 1940, after the Germans have taken over the city, to Boston and London in 1960s, to New York and London in the ’90s, it is a tale of love and fidelity, of evil and revenge, of legacies both monetary and literary. It is also a virulent attack on the policies of Lyndon Johnson which led the US into the Vietnam war. The central figures, Marc and Marian, come from two vastly different backgrounds but find their own happiness, before it is shattered by Marc’s scheming and jealous mother. Following the death of his mother, their son Phil resolves to find the man responsible and destroy him, and at the same time he exacts revenge on his father’s family for their treatment of his mother.
“Ghosts in Sunlight” succeeds in combining the genres of thriller and romance into a fast-paced tale involving vast sums of money, immense power, women both wounded and wounding, and a variety of credible male characters from the traumatised Vietnam veteran Jimmy Overman to the seedy publisher, James Duncan. The inclusion of one John Houlihan, an Irish writer whose literary expertise declines when he stops drinking, was the only discordant note in an otherwise excellent book.

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DERRYCLONEY by Tom Phelan
- In this, his third novel, Tom Phelan has taken a small rural community in the Ireland of the 1940s and has created a range of characters who will be instantly familiar to anyone with an acquaintance with this time and place. Using the unusual device of having each character give his or her point of view, chapter by chapter, the author has brought to life the dreams and aspirations, the kindness of neighbours, the humour, the hard work of the farming year, as well as the mean-mindedness and begrudgery inherent in any such group of people. The life of the lane in Derrycloney is introduced by nine-year-old Liam Glanvil who corresponds with his aunt, a nun, and writes essays for her to read. In this way we are given an account of each of the inhabitants of the lane in an essay entitled “Our Road”, as well as detailed descriptions of traditional country events such as the threshing and the killing of the pig.
Liam’s father, Johnnie, who never wastes anything and works from morning till night, his mother Kate who tries to keep the peace among all her neighbours, and the brow-beaten Bill Bates, the spoilt priest who lives at the mercy of his uncle, are all brought vividly to life through first-person narratives. The unfortunate Missus Brady, who manages to keep a sense of humour despite all that life has thrown at her, is one of the more glorious occupants of Derrycloney Lane, while Paddy Burns and his scheming wife, Lizzie are the villains of the story.
Although each character has his or her own priorities in life, all are drawn into the drama unfolding around the orphaned Benny Cosgrove which finishes with a demonstration of the traditional virtue of good neighbourliness still extant in Ireland then and, to some extent, still true today. However the other side of life in a small Irish community is also evident, the begrudgery, the secrecy, the negative outlook on life summed up in the words of Bill Bates: “Never tell a man how good he is - only tell him how he could be better. That’s the way it is around here”. This is a book filled with incident, with humour, with unforgettable characters which I can heartily recommend.

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ALWAYS IN MY MIND by Lilian Roberts Finlay
- If it were not stated that this is an autobiographical novel one could be forgiven for thinking that no one person could have had such an eventful early life. However we can accept at face value Lilian Roberts Finlay’s harrowing story of a child whose father died in the First World War without their ever meeting, of a step-father who sexually abused her, of a mother who died in a mental asylum, of a first love who became a victim of the holocaust. Set against this background of horrors is a range of characters who came to the aid of the young Lia, foremost amongst them being her Gran, Mrs Brabazon, and Phyllis Daly, the domestic help who worshipped Lia’s mother. Both these women gave Lia the love she failed to receive from her mother, and in a similar fashion her stepfather Burton initially gives her the paternal love she has never known. Her most constant feelings, however, are for Tadek, a local Jewish student, who comforts her when she is boarded out in a neighbour’s house after the death of her father. This love, akin to that between Heathcliff and Catherine in “Wuthering Heights”, is a thread running throughout the narrative, sometimes almost breaking but somehow surviving until death separates them.
Perhaps the author’s most remarkable achievement is to convey in a convincing fashion the awful attraction which remains for Lia towards her erstwhile abuser, Burton. Despite herself she is drawn sexually to him whenever their paths cross and her ability to resist him is aided by a combination of fate and her own determination. As in real life there is no happy ending to this tale, though there is a degree of contentment brought about by the heroine’s ability to compromise.

HOOKED by Re O Laighleis
- This is a translation of the author’s original work in Irish, “Gafa”, which is now on the syllabus for the Leaving Certificate. “Hooked” tells the story of a family break-up occasioned not only by the son’s involvement in the Dublin drug scene, but also his father’s infidelity. O Laighleis has cleverly linked the two so that Alan’s drug habit is financed by the =A350 a week paid to him by his father Brendan, who is determined to keep his liaison secret from his wife. The narrative is mainly from the point of view of Sandra, the distraught wife and mother who first finds evidence of her son’s involvement with drugs and then has to watch his gradual deterioration despite many efforts to help him. The author has painted a chilling picture of the reality of drug addiction, and highlights such associated problems as the constant lying by the addicted, the self-delusion brought on by the inability of some parents to face up to the truth and the effect on the addict’s entire family. Sandra feels herself alone in her efforts to rescue her son, Brendan is trying to cope with his own problems at the same time, and only Naomi, Alan’s 13-year-old sister, appears to emerge from the trauma with some degree of equanimity. The shocking finale to this cautionary tale appears to be a beginning rather than an end for this troubled family.

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CIVIL WAR IN ULSTER by Joseph Johnston
- This book was first published in 1913 and was written by a Northern Protestant who was educated at Trinity College Dublin and at Oxford. It is now forgotten that there were (and still are) Northern Protestants who do not fit the media stereotype of thoughtless anti-Catholic and anti-Irish bigots. This book was written by a man who gave considerable thought to the political issues of his day and is a topical reminder that such stereotyping is dangerous. The author’s purpose was polemical. He wished to make a logical case in response to the whipping up of emotion against the Home Rule Bill which was then progressing through Parliament and which was vehemently opposed by the Tories. It is very interesting to see this man’s ideas and expectations, before they were all brutally swept aside by World War One. In this respect it is reminiscent of William Shirer’s “Berlin Diary”, written just before World War Two. Both remind us that, when we look back, we should not assume that people of their time had any more ability to foresee the future than we have. To have such a contemporary view of affairs as they appeared at the time is very valuable.
Naturally, the language is not modern but to some eyes that is no bad thing. It is still pleasing (at least to this reviewer) to see the allusions of a classical scholar used to illustrate very clearly some contemporary issue. And this is not to say that a classical education is necessary to understand the references; they appear in situations where their appropriateness brings abundant clarity. It is a great pity that to read the book is to confirm that logic is no answer to mischievous and rabble-rousing politicians. The author’s logic is impeccable and his scathing presentation of facts lay bare the unfounded arguments of the Tory and Unionist establishment. He warns that the Tories have no real interest in anything other than the recovery of power. Certainly they have no interest in the ordinary man of Northern Ireland. He takes us through all the issues of the time and in every case he clearly illustrates that the approach of the Tories was purely tactical. Randolph Churchill’s remark about “playing the Orange card” is the perfect example.
Yet the Tories got away with their high treason. And Johnston is very clear that this was exactly what they were doing. If this was “loyalism” what was treason? He gives the answer; treason is the actions of those opposed to the Tories. It is particularly poignant to note Johnston’s mis-reading of the attitude of the army top brass. He could not conceive of a situation where they would actually rebel or resign. He sets out how such a scenario might be handled but it is clear that he does not really contemplate the occurrence.
This book might be read with benefit in our present situation. However it would be a mistake to simply take it as confirmation that the Unionists have always been wrong and, therefore, should now be ignored. The situation is not now that of 1913. Then the Unionists were being fed propaganda about the terrible fate which they faced if they were subjected to the rule of the majority in Ireland. Today the Unionists object, not to an unreasonable fear of the unknown, but to their having to accept those who have spent thirty years actually murdering them. This book is a valuable and well-written aid to our appreciation of the situation early this century. It is not a prescription for dealing with the present position.

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THE GAA, A HISTORY by Marcus de Burca
- This second edition of Marcus de Burca’s history of the Gaelic Athletic Association includes events in the movements over the past twenty years or so. de Burca was commissioned by the GAA to compile the history as part of the its centenary celebrations and the original covers not only the games promoted by the association, but dwells at length also on the part played by the GAA in the nationalist struggle of the early years of this century. This revised edition includes the introduction of the “back door” route into championship, the gradual development of a mixed GAA-Australian rules game, and the work being carried out at Croke Park to bring it up to international stadium standard. With a new index and bibliography, the second edition of de Burca’s book provides a comprehensive view of the country’s largest sporting body.

SCATTERING THE PROUD by Sean O’Conaill-
Sean O’Conaill’s book is based on the opposing lifestyles of the upward journey, which supports the social pyramid, and the downward journey which, in the words of Jean Vannier, is the journey we must take “to meet and walk with people who are broken and in pain”. In the present social climate most of us are intent on reaching the top of the social pyramid and our self-esteem is based on our success in this endeavour. O’Conaill quotes from St John’s gospel in which Jesus tells us, “You look to each other for glory” as an example of the way in which we have lost our purpose in life. Jesus himself had difficulty persuading his apostles to abandon the idea of the social pyramid, when St Peter rejects the notion that his feet should be washed by the Master. Such a subversive act went against all that Peter believed in. The author’s comment on Peter’s inability to understand reflects his views on today’s hierarchy, “Two millennia later Peter still doesn’t quite get it. Hierarchy is extraordinarily tenacious”. Other points emphasised by O’Conaill include the inviolability of human freedom, the dangers inherent in both individualism and nationalism, and the dominant position of mimetic desires, or covetousness in our lives as we enter the 21st century.

MIGRANTS ALL by Lucy Brennan
- In her first collection of poetry Lucy Brennan draws on her own experiences as an emigrant, now living in Canada, to tell a story which combines fact and myth. In this series of verses we are given a sense of rootlessness, of moving without purpose from one place to another until we reach the poet’s beginnings in Ireland and the poems become autobiographical. She remembers separation from her parents, her grandmother’s house where
“You could, but you wouldn’t have dared, eat off the fine-scrubbed deal.”
The Christmas when the family were back together again she helps her father tidy the garden and sees the symbolism in the act:
“As I pick up stones and pull tough weeds with him, we recover some ground together.”
The final section of “Migrants All” is imbued with the spirit of the mythical figure, Mad Sweeney, with whom Ms Brennan identifies in his homelessness. There is a sadness running through the verses which is tempered by the prospect of new beginnings.

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IRISH MEN AND WOMEN IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Richard Doherty
- In what has of necessity become the first of two books, given the scope of the subject, Richard Doherty has set out to examine first the motives which led the citizens of Ireland to fight in the armed forces of a traditional foe, and then to look in detail at some of the more distinguished members of that group. Contrary to popular belief the overriding motive was not financial, since military pay was not particularly high. While some did enlist for the steady wage, others came from families with a strong British Army connection, a few signed up from a sense of gratitude to a country which had given them the employment they couldn’t find at home, and for a significant number of young men there is no doubt that the excitement of war was the attraction. Among those Irishmen and women who most distinguished themselves during the war was Brendan Finucane, a twice-decorated fighter pilot with the RAF, and Fr Dan Kelleher, who became army chaplain and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in saving his comrades at Monte Cassino. Indeed an entire chapter is devoted to the chaplains of all denominations who gave their services. The final chapter deals with the number of Irishwomen who served in the Armed Forces, some overseas and some, like Maeve Boyle in Derry, who worked in their own home towns. The author, whose own father fought in the Second World War, gives detailed accounts of the operations in which the various personalities were involved, though, on a personal note, I preferred reading about who they were and their motives for enlisting, rather than what they did during the conflict.

MACBRIDE’S BRIGADE by Donal P. McCracken
- Another group of Irishmen who formed a fighting body, in this instance to oppose the British, is the subject of Donal McCracken’s book. This John MacBride is the same man who died with the leaders of the Easter Rising sixteen years after his campaign in South Africa. He became leader of a brigade which fought with the Boers against the British and took part in such legendary actions as Ladysmith. However the author reveals much more than just the part played by the brigade in the Boer War at the turn of the century, since MacBride was not the only prominent Irishmen in South Africa during this period. Both Michael Davitt and Arthur Griffith spent some time in the province, and the latter was subsequently involved in the foundation in Dublin of the Irish Transvaal Committee. From this group he later founded Cumann na Gaedheal from which developed Sinn Fein, and a direct link was thus forged between the Boer struggle against the British and the subsequent nationalist struggle at home. The author has lightened the narrative by the insertion of a number of verses relevant to the subject, including Arthur Griffith’s own “Song of the Transvaal Irish Brigade”.

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BLOODY WOMEN by David M. Kiely
- While male murderers greatly outnumber female murderers, in Ireland the percentage of murders carried out by women is three times that of the US, and in “Bloody Women” David Kiely has given details of 17 of these. Covering a period from 1849 to the early ’90s, he introduces a varied collection of women whose motives for the killings they perpetrated ranged from greed, through jealousy to self-defence. The earliest is the case of Kate Webster, a Wexford woman who went to extraordinary lengths in the disposal of her victim in London, and she was one of those who paid the ultimate price for her crime; in many cases the death sentence was commuted to imprisonment. Another case in which the disposal was bizarre is that of the murder of Pat O’Leary in 1924, for which his brother and sister were found guilty. Parts of the body were found scattered around the County Cork farm with apparently no attempt being made at concealment. One of the most poignant cases must surely be that of the two Flynn children in Co. Laois, murdered by their mother’s servant, 14-year-old Mary Cole, simply because she resented interference with her social life. The final two cases are ones many will remember, that of Noreen Winchester, who killed her father after a lifetime of both physical and mental abuse, and the killing of Penny McAllister by her husband’s lover, Susan Christie, which happened only eight years ago. Very satisfyingly, the author tells us in each case what became of those involved in the various crimes who escaped the hangman’s noose.

THEOLOGY AND MODERN IRISH ART by Gesa E. Thiessen
- The author, associate lecturer at the Milltown Institute and All Hallows College, has taken ten Irish artists who have an international reputation and, studying three works from each, has set out to examine the spiritual and theological views of the artist as apparent in their work. The author has chosen for her study Mainie Jellett, Jack B. Yeats, Louis le Brocquy, Gerard Dillon, Colin Middleton, Patrick Collins, Tony O’Malley, Patrick Scott, Patrick Graham and Patrick Hall, all of whom have worked primarily in Ireland, with the exception of Louis le Brocquy. As a result of her study the author argues that the church must begin to value the artistic image as a source of theology in today’s world, where visual images have come to dominate society.

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