Read Ireland Book Reviews, November 1997

Brendan Behan: A Life by Michael O’Sullivan
In this comprehensively research biography of Behan, the first in over a quarter of a century, the author has teased out many of the contraditions surrounding the Behan legacy. He is the first writer to have had access to a major collection of prison correspondence and documentation hitherto buried in the confidential files in London and Dublin; and to a private collection of photographs published in this book for the first time. He has extensively interviewed family members, friends, fellow writers, Behan’s editors and producers.
Behan’s unusual childhood in Dublin’s tenement slums was dominated by the left-wing views of his family; his father’s literary interests; his mother’s republican idealism; and the formidable influence of his grandmother’s bohemian boudoir. By the age of 16, he was arrested for the possession of bomb-making equipment in Liverpool and sent to a British Borstal. Much of his early life was spent in and out of jail, a period that later helped shape his literary genius. Behan developed a unique, ebullient and sometimes angry voice.
Today, his stature as a celebrated writer and wit, rebel and rake has been firmly established and shows no sign of abating. His best known works include Borstal Boy, The Quare Fellow, and the Hostage. ‘God-branded’ is how his London publisher, Iain Hamilton, described Behan’s tempestuous personality. Yet, posterity tends to focus only on the hackneyed image of the archetypal Irishman and spectacular drunk. The controversial subject of Behan’s homosexual leanings and his extraordinary relationship with his wife Beatrice are sensitively explored. The author traces the rise and fall of Behan that ended tragically at the age of 41 after prolonged alcohol abuse. This book is an extraordinary exploration of the man behind the myth.

[ top ]

Violent Delights by Scott Graham
Scott Graham, the author of this remarkable book, was an SAS soldier. He was decorated for his heroism in Northern Ireland and the Falklands War, and he fought dozens of gun battles in which more than a dozen IRA terrorists were killed. Mairead Farrell was petite, young, darkly beautiful and a member of the Irish Republican Army. This book is the true story of this extraordinary romance, and of the killings that shocked the world. Their love affair begain in a Belfast bar when Mairead was an innocent Catholic schoolgirl and the author a young, idealistic British soldier with dreams of one day joining the SAS. He lied about his occupation and soon they became lovers. Mairead would become a heroine and a legend among the Republicans of West Belfast. She joined the IRA, running messages, ferrying arms and finally playing a key role in bombing missions. Scott went on to become a ‘badged’ member of the SAS. Together the two shared a deadly and terrible secret. For fourteen years, they loved one another with a relentless passion, against all the taboos of both their armies. Their clandestine love affair reached its crescendo with the shooting of three unarmed IRA terrorists on the Rock of Gibraltar, one of the most controversial incidents in the history of the SAS. This book is the amazing true story of the doomed love affair of two young people thrown together by accident in one of the world’s most violent societies, two people representing the opposite sides of the divide in Northern Ireland.

[ top ]

Slanguage: A Dictionary of Irish Slang by Bernard Share
This is an exceptional work of reference. It is a guide to the unofficial language of the 32 counties of Ireland, the language of the streets and pubs, but also of much of Irish literature from Swift to Roddy Doyle. It is the dictionary that lists and explains the words and phrases that Irish people actually use. Each entry is explained in normal dictionary style and the origin of each word or phrase is identified where possible. Subtleties of colloquial usage are illustrated by wide-ranging examples from many recorded sources. Whether you are a decent skin or a crawthumper, a horse-protestant, a hard chaw or a strong farmer, this book is for you. The book is full of fun, information, devilment and craic! It is also a unique piece of scholarship that captures and celebrates the vigorous and inventive world of Irish popular speech.

Introduction to Celtic Mythology by David Bellingham
This book takes the reader back to the pagan world of the Celts with later Christian and Romantic additions removed and the stories related as they were originally intended enthralling entertainments for cold winter evenings. The stories in this volume are beautifully illustrated with examples of ‘abstract’ Celtic art and craftsmanship at its finest: the helmets and words of warriors; the intricate jewelry worn by both men and women; the precious illustrations of medieval manuscripts such as the Book of Kells; and the occasional rare depictions of strange heroes and deities. The author introduces the reader to the wonderful culture with tales of Celtic heroes and heroines, great stories and tragic tales. Also included are a range of shorter tales told by the Irish bards: tales of magic and monsters, lovers and wizards. The narratives are interspersed with features on various aspects of the Celtic tradition. A comprehensive appendix lists the original sources for these tales, and full pronunciation tables are given.

Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History by James G. Ryan
This book is designed to facilitate Irish family history research by providing a comprehensive listing of the record sources available in each country in Ireland. In this revised edition, the author has included many new sources. In particular, the sections for each county on “Census and Census Substitutes,” “Miscellaneous Sources,” and “Research Services” have been expanded. The details of the Prebysterian, Church of Ireland and Catholic records have also been extensively amended. This new edition also lists all of the heritage centers which prvide search services, and it specifically indicates which parish registers, gravestone inscriptions, and other sources have been indexed by each. The growth of these centers is the most important development in Irish family history research in the last 10 years, and this book shows how this new resource can be used to greatest effect.

[ top ]

Hanna Sheehy Skeffington: A Life by Margaret Ward
Hanna Sheehy was born into a talented political family at the turn of the century. Her father was an Irish Party MP and her uncle a member of the insurrectionary Irish Republican Brotherhood. As Ireland waited for the passing of Home Rule it was expected that the younger generaton of Sheehys and their friends would form part of the new Irish ruling class. Hanna Sheehy Skeffington would never become a ruler, but instead chose to fight a range of battles with authority. She and two of her sisters were part of a pioneering generation of female university students determined to play an active role in political developments. In 1908 Hanna helped found the Irish Women’s Franchise League and by 1912 she had served her first term in prison for militantly campaigning for suffragism. With her husband, the feminist and pacifict Frank Sheehy who took her name and also become Sheehy Skeffington on marriage she helped to edit the long-running Irish Citizen. During the Easter Rising he urged non-violence but she sympathised with revolutionaries like James Connolly and took supplies to the rebels. Frank was to become one of the vicimts of those times, and she never forgace the brutality of the British in trying to cover up his murder. Later on she proved herself fearless in her fight for justice, confronting both the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States of America. She was a pivotal figure in feminist, labour and nationalist movements for almost half a century, supporting such cases as Sinn Fein, Russian solidarity, republicans in the Spanish Civil War, and opposing the 1937 Constitution. Intellectual, witty and warm-hearted, a devoted mother as well as an outspoken feminist, she was incomparable as propagandist, strategist and orator.

Do Lorg: Danta & Aortha Traces De Ton Passage: Poemes et Satires by Pol Breathnach
This unusual work won the Clo Iar-Chonnachta Literary Award 1997. It consists of some sixty short texts (prose and verse) in Irish, twenty-four prose versions of the texts in French, and eight colour reproductions of paintings by the writer’s friend, Mireille Geugant. It is the result of a five-year association of writer and artist, during which each provoked a response from the other through poems, paintings, letters, thought-transference and semi-annual meetings. In awarding the prize, the adjudicators remarked upon the writer’s powers of expression, the strong emotion in the textx, the effectivejuxtaposition of the two languages and two art-forms, and the beauty and unity of the whole work. The texts reflect, in their setting, the author’s personal history. Born in the United States, he has lived most of his life in central Dublin and in the Connacht Gaeltacht. He has also spent some years in Belgium and France. This is his first book. To order books from Read Ireland Book News - simply return the Newsletter with your mailing address and credit card details at the beginning of the message. Please be sure to tell us which books you want to order - or if you want them all! Slan agus beannacht! (Thank you very much.)

[ top ]

Sean Lemass: The Enigmatic Patriot by John Horgan
As a boy, Sean Lemass fought in the 1916 rising. He was a member of de Valera’s first cabinet, Minister for Industry and Commerce in every Fianna Fail government between 1932 and 1959, and as Taoiseach from 1959 to 1966 was the pivotal figure in the modernisation of Ireland. The Lemass that emerges from this fine book is an enigma and a passionate patriot; a protectionist who later became an apostle of free trade; a moderniser in what was often a party of traditionalists. Horgan’s biography is the work of a critical admirer who sees his subject as one of the most outstanding Irish political figures of the century. The only biographer to have had complete access to all the government papers for the full period of Lemass’s political career, the author provides the reader with a rounded, sympathetic yet critical examination of the life of one of 20th century Ireland’s most distinguished figures.

Dublin Stories 1997: A New Collection from the Inkwell Group and introduced by Vinnie Caprani
This most welcome collection contains a range of imaginative skills that reveal the commonplace as often the vesture of the wildly fantastic, where the most ordinary appearance may cloak the grimmest tradegy, and where comedy and humour frequently hides round the most unpormising corner. Like the Dublin landscape which so many of the tale evoke in this collection very little separates the most prosaic character from the bizarre, the comic from the inexplicable. Those who are inclined to be dubious about the present state of the short story in Ireland would do well to take note of the Inkwell Group writers who can spin their yarns briskly and neatly. (from the forward by Vinnie Caprani)

Exploring Dublin: Wildlife, Parks and Waterways by Christopher Moriarty
In this book the author invites the reader to wander with him along the banks of the Grand Canal, the Royal Canal, down by the Liffeyside, and through Trinity College, St. Stephen’s Green and many other smaller parks. Along the way, he draws our attention to a host of birds, wild flowers, trees, insects and animals. This book is packed with background information too, on topics ranging from the construction of the canals and bridges, to the growth of St. Stephen’s Green, the history of Trinity College and the development of College Park. It is a beautifully illustrated book for citizens and visitors alike, as well as lovers of nature.

[ top ]

Celtic Initials and Alphabets by Courtney Davis
In this book, renowned Celtic artist Courtney Davis reflects upon and celebrates the great work of those unknown Celtic scribes whose timeless work inspire him. He reinterprets, explains and depicts the richness of the decorated Celtic initials and the diversity of the alphabets. In their desire to produce beautiful and celebratory manuscripts, the Celtic style of art was adapted to versions of the existing universal Roman alphabet of the time; itself derived from the classic Greek script. In the inevitable incorporation of Celtic styles into written script which took place, there emerged in the Celtic Gospels and manuscripts especially, a distinctive Celtic style of lettering and of written alphabets a style which whether written, or even in typeset and printed adaptation, remains distinctive and recognizable to this day. The book is illustrated with black-and-white drawings throughout.

Celtic Designs: an Arts and Crafts Source Book by David James
This book is a collection of over 80 original pieces of artwork created privately by the author over 20 years, and inspired by a deep love and respect for the ancient Celtic traditions. These are nonetheless new designs presented in book form for the first time. They are ideal material for the artist, craftsperson, stitchcraft enthusiast, graphic designer, etc. who seeks fresh ideas that have both visual appeal and a spiritual integrity within a continuing tradition.

Pagan Celtic Ireland: Enigma of the Irish Iron Age by Barry Raftery
Our established impressions of early Celtic Ireland have come down to us through the great Irish myths and sagas, epic tales of heroic struggles between kings and warriors, outlandish gods and wise Druids. Drawing upon the most recent archaeological research, the author presents in this book a convincing and lucid account of the Irish Iron Age. A fascinating exposition on the social, political and religious impacts of the emergence of Celtic culture in Ireland, this book is the definitive statement of our current knowledge about the country’s shadowy origins. Generously illustrated with 223 illustrations throughout, the book will be read avidly by everyone interested in Ireland’s enigmatic past.

An No Bird Sang by Mary McCarthy
Eleanor Ross, a successful career woman, decides to take a much-needed rest from her overburdened work schedule. She chooses the quiet fishing village of Coill as her rural retreat. But no previous experience has prepared Eleanor for what she is about to encounter in this new world a world of gossip, rumour, and innuendo. Eleanor uncovers a strange tale of love, betrayal, revenge and ... murder. Ultimately, she learns a harsh personal truth: It can be dangerous to meddle with the past. This book is another contemporary romantic novel from the bestselling author of Remember Me.

[ top ]

Voices from the Sideline: Famous GAA Managers by Seamus McRory
This book recalls the Gaelic football careers of the managers who have contributed so much to the rapid development and popularity of Gaelic football during the last 30 years. It chronicles not only those who managed teams to all-Ireland Senior football glory but also those who brought their Senior County, Club, College, and Minor teams to new heights of achievement. The reader will savour and enjoy the exploits of Sean Boylan, Kevin Heffernan, Sean McCague, John Maughan, Billy Morgan and Paidi O Se. This book provides a rare and valuable insight into the plans, strategies and motivational qualities that drive them to seek the ultimate prize in Irish sport. The author recounts vividly the drama and excitement of the great matches conducted by these famous football managers. Semi-professional referees, match suspensions, the open draw, holiday vouchers for players, and indiscipline are just some of the important questions discussed. This book provides a penetrating analysis of the key issues in Gaelic football.

Irish Potato Cookbook by Eveleen Coyle
The most versatile and adaptable of all vegetables, the potato is indelibly associated with Ireland. In this handy book, the author gathers together a collection of delicious recipes including old favourites like colcannon, boxty and Dublin coddle as well as exciting new suggestions such as Parmesan potato cakes, new potatoes with olive oil and bay leaf, and even a delicious potato pizza!

[ top ]

Michael O’Hehir: My Life and Times
In 1938 a ‘schoolboy’s crazy notion’ became a reality when he was asked to become Radio Eireann’s newest sports commentator. Over 50 years on, the voice of the late Michael O’Hehir is as intimately linked with sporting achievement in Ireland as any of the greatest players. With accounts of his most famous broadcasts the 1947 Polo Grounds adventure, Meath’s Australian trip in 1968 and Foinavon’s Grand National win to name but a few the author both reminds the reader of these great sporting moments and details the fascinating history of sports commentary. Ring and the Rackards, Arkle and Shergar, the Dublin-Kerry clashes of the 1970s the author remembers them all, setting them against a backdrop of the events of the day and paying tribute to the players and managers, trainers, teams and jockeys, and of course, the fans.

John Hume: a Biography by Paul Routledge
From humble beginnings in the terraced streets of Londonderry, John Hume emerged as the only true statesman of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The undisputed leader of the nationalistic community, he is as much at home in the White House as he is in the Bogside of Derry, calming a tense people. This new biography, written with Hume’s full co-operation but entirely independent, explores his origins and charts his rise to influence throught he civil rights movements in the late 1960s. John Hume’s philosophy of non-violence became a key guiding influence in the minds of his people, and brought many reforms despite the terrorism that has disrupted life in Northern Ireland for nearly thirty years. Hume showed that power-sharing could work, but had to endure the tragedy of his government being wrecked by extremists. He refused to allow setbacks to divert him from the pursuit of his vision - a new Ireland, where both communities could live and work together in peace, and co-exist with the Irish Republic. This is the story of a man who rejected the politics of violence, who founded a modern outward-looking Social Democratic party with strong European links. A man who went the extra mile to persuade the IRA to lay down their guns, who gave his people the longest period of peace most of them have ever known, and who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. A man who still fights for what he believes in, because he is convinced he is right. The author of the book, Paul Routledge, is political correspondent for Independent on Sunday (England) and has covered the events in Northern Ireland since the late 1960s.

[ top ]

Man of War, Man of Peace: The Unauthorised Biography of Gerry Adams by David Sharrock and Mark Devenport
Gerry Adams is without doubt one of the most important and controversial figures in modern Irish politics. After years spent in the shadows he has made a remarkable journey from the safe houses of Republican West Belfast to the parlours of the White House, and has now been re-elected Member of Parliament for West Belfast. A man who was regarded as so dangerous that even his voice had to be banned now speaks with world statesmen such as Bill Clinton and Nelson Mandela. This book reveals, for the first time, the true man behind the jealousy protected and meticulously contrved public image. Using previously unavailable first-hand accounts of his life, from both friends and enemies, it explores Adams enigmatic journey from conflict to peace and beyond, asking how he and his party will respond to expanding political power and a new British government. This biography is unauthorised because Adams, his party and the peace process are still in flux, with Sinn Fein remaining by nature a conspiratorial group. Security sources, informers and those Irish Republicans who believe Adams has betrayed their cause all provide the revealing details the Sinn Fein leader’s own writings have deliberately left unsaid. This book is an important and timely history of the Troubles which uncovers the read Gerry Adams, showing how he rose to power and what he plans to do with it.

New Irish Cooking: Recipes from Dublin’s Peacock Alley by Conrad Gallagher
This book explains how this innovative chef’s new cooking style works, and how it can be adapted for home use. He starts with a respect for the produce, buying only the very best. Then he mixes flavours in stunning and unexpected ways. As he says: “I want to cook food that is interesting, I want four or five flavours on the plate - there are no boundaries.” In the course of preparing this book, the author and his partner Domini Kemp took the essence of his signature dishes, and tested them with the apparatus and equipment typically available in a domestic kitchen. Every recipe was adjusted and refined so it could readily be cooked at home, and yet reain the bravura and kaleidoscope of the originals. The result is a book for cooks, and also for those who simply like to read about food and cooking. The author has worked in some of the leading restaurants and hotels in the world - the Trump Plaze, Le Cirque and the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo where he worked with the famous Alain Ducasse. He has received numerous awards for his innovative cooking, and his Peacock Alley is one of Dublin’s leading restaurants. Contains over 20 colour pictures.

[ top ]

Sparrow’s Trap by Brendan O’Carroll
Dublin boxer Sparrow McCabe has the Spanish contender on the floor. The World Featherweight title is his for the taking. But something stops Sparrow from throwing that final punch and suddenly it’s all over. Fifteen years later Sparrow is working as a driver for gangster Simon Williams, trying to turn a blind eye to the scams, the extortion rackets and the rough justice handed out by Williams and his heavies. Then murder enters the picture and Sparrow decides to take a stand. This is one fight he cannon lose. O’Carroll is a natural storyteller. He came to fame as Ireland’s most outrageous comedian, and has achieved huge success as an author with his best-selling Mrs. Brown trilogy: The Mammy, The Chisellers and The Ganny. This morality tale will have a wide appeal.

Irish Churches and Monasteries: an Historical and Architectural Guide by Sean D. O’Reilly
From simple drystone oratory to imposing Gothic cathedral, the church building tradition in Ireland embraces fifteen centuries of Christianity, and is a proud and enduring monument to the religious dedication of the Irish people. But it is also a tradition bound in with the events of Ireland’s troubled history, a sequence that includes the contribution of potent outside forces. In this interesting and informative book, the author has selected for description forty venues from the monastic/church scene that are accessible to visitors, and that may be regarded as representative of the main trends in church building over the whole course of Ireland’s Christian era. The result is an introductory illustrated synthesis of the historical, architectural and descriptive aspects of the subject from the sixth century until today. The treatment of historical and architectural detail does not take from the fact that each venue described has its own unique features. Each church has its own decor, furnishings, and memorials; its own architects, patrons, sculptors and artists. All form an integral part of the story. Contains numerous black-and-white photographs throughout.

Paddy’s People by Paddy O’Gorman
Ashkey, the junkie prostitute of Dublin’s Benburb Street; Big John, the Connie, Armagh, and the rest of the building workers in Germany; Dee, West Cork’s tranvestite hippy; the perverts of Kilkenny; the drug-dealers of Cork and Belfast ... these are some of Paddy’s people. Since 1984, Paddy O’Gorman has had remarkable success and popularity as a broadcaster and journalist. He is never detached or disinterested. He is passionate, comical and prejudiced; his feelings show. Perhaps that’s why the poorest and most despised of Irish society talk to him as they will talk to no one else. This book contains their stories.

[ top ]

The Promise by Mary Ryan
Irish best-selling romance author Mary Ryan has written another powerful story: a novel which movingly explores thoughts, emotions and lives. Enjoying his student days in Florence, Colm becomes friends with Robin, a rootless American girl. In the intense embrace of youth they are able to help each other face the horror of their pasts. Before parting, they promise to meet again in Florence on Colm’s 50th birthday/ In the autumn of 1996 Colm is travelling back to Florence, nursing a failed marriage, burdened with the recall of events he wants to forget, and half remembering the promise of a tryst made 28 years earlier. This time, in the heat and shade of Florence, darker memories will stir. The mature man will see the city and its citizens particularly Paola, his calm and alluring landlady and her studious, ailing son with a different and more sensitive eye. His is a journey of self-discovery, love and absolution.

God and the Gun: The Church and Irish Terrorism by Martin Dillon
This book, astonishing and terrifying in its revelations, is the first of its kind to examine the role of religion in Northern Ireland by talking directly to those involved: to the churchmen and the terrorists. It shows how religious conditioning and history lead inexorably to political violence. It asks Roman Catholic and Protestant paramilitaries how they can reconcile murder with their Christian convictions, and what the men of God should or could do to stop the killing. The author talks to Kenny McClinton, a convicted murder who once advocated beheading Roman Catholics and impaling their heads on railings; to Billy Wright, loyalist hard man who spurned terrorism to walk with Christ until the ‘betrayal’ of the Anglo-Irish peace agreement turned him back to paramilitary activity whatever the cost to his soul; to motherly Eileen, a leading member of the women’s arm of the IRA; and to Father Pat Buckley prepared to break the confessional seal to save a Unionist Member of Parliament under threat of assassination but also to smuggle a Republican prisoner’s wife across the Irish border. Informed by his own experience, the author shows how historical injustices and religious divisions have led to the current situation. He charts the history of the paramilitary forces on both side of the political divide as well as the wavering attitudes of religious leaders and politicians towards them. Dillon exposes the shocking covert role of British intelligence in the conflict. He points the finger at those who he feels are to blame: the Church and governments who have failed their communities, allowing the men and women of violence to fill the vacuum with bigotry and bullets.

[ top ]

Atlas of Irish History edited by Sean Duffy
This is the first full-colour atlas of Ireland’s history from earliest times right up to the present day. Using a combination of colour illustrations and specially commissioned maps, it is a superb graphic illustrations of the Irish past. The text, written by six scholars all experts in their respective fields gives an integrated overview of Irish history. The maps and text combine to cover subjects as diverse as the spread of christianity; the nature of Norman colonialisation; the impact of the Reformation; the Elizabethan, Cromwellian and Williamite wars; the revival of the Catholic church; the Famine; the rise of nationalism; and the development of the Northern Ireland troubles. The maps do not simply illustrate the text: the complement it and make the information live for the readers. As a comprehensive and vital survey of the major events in Irish history this atlas has nothing to rival it.

Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams
Nicholas Coughlan is twelve when God speaks to his father, William, telling him to give up his job and devote his life to painting. Nicholas and his mother are left alone and adrift, as his father sporadically disappears to the other side of Ireland, where he daubs his canvases in the Atlantic light, obeying what he ardently believes to be God’s command. Across the country, on an island off the west coast, lives Isabel Gore with her parents and her brother, Sean, whose spellbinding musical gift has been silenced by a seizure which has left him unable to walk or speak. Isabel is sent away to convent school in Galway, but burdened by guilt at the fate of her brother, she takes the first opportunity to make what looks like an escape. Nicholas and Isabel were made for each other, but how will they ever know it? Four Letters of Love is a novel about destiny, acceptance and the tragedies and miracles of everyday life. Most of all it is an unforgettable tale about the illuminating power of love, and how all our stories meet in the end. Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He now lives in Kiltumper in the west of Ireland. He is the author of several plays and, with his wife Christine Breen, has written four non-fiction books about life in Kiltumper.

[ top ]

Reach for the Sky by Pat Falvey with Dan Collins
Pat Falvey, adventurer-guide and motivational lecturer, is the first person from Ireland to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents which includes Everest, the highest mountain in the world. His is a story of courage and triumph, of how to turn adversity to advantage. A millionaire by the age of 26, at 29 he was almost broke. But the tough times experienced in his childhood stood him in good stead. As he coped with personal and financial problems head on, he was also discovering the great outdoors. His incredible positive energy propelled him to new goals in the world of adventure. This culminated in his odyssey to the southern hemisphere from January to March 1997, during which he climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Mount Cook in New Zealand, and Mount Kosciusko in Australia, as well as exploring the jungles of Irian Jaya in New Guinea. The latter involved a period as a guest of the Dani tribe, currently in danger of extinction from the occupying Indonesian forces.

Rose and the Blade: New and Selected Poems, 1957-1997 by John Campbell
For over four decades, John Campbell has chronicled the rhythms of Belfast life - by turns tough, ironic, cruel, dark, tender and lyrical. In his previous books of poetry he has created a world at once uniquely his own yet familiar to us all: the real Belfast of bars and bookies, of ‘hard chaws and brass,’ of characters battered but not beaten by the hard life. Yet, running in tandem with this, is a more reflective, intimate world of daily routing, of home and family and domestic joys and sorrows. A former worker on Belfast Dock, his words speak straight to his audience, remembering and recovering the feel of times past, vividly portraying times present and looking forward with optimism to times future. Selected from his previously published poetry and including poems never before collected, this book firmly establishes the author as a poet worthy of his chose place and people.

[ top ]

John Stanislaus Joyce by John Wyse Jackson
Long before Nora Barnacle had found her singular place in the imagination of James Joyce, the influence of his father was apparent and profound. It is well known that James retold many of his father’s anecdotes in his writings, but, to an extent never before conceded, the lifework of James Joyce was an imaginative recreation not of his own life but of his father’s. This is the story of the father: John Stanislaus Joyce, only son of an only son of an only son and inheritor of an intensely proud family line. A heroic drinker, superlative swearer and ‘praiser of his own past’, with ambitions to become a Parnellite MP, he was a Corkman who becames the quintessential Dubliner and was the father of at least 16 children, almost all of who he tried to ignore. A nightmare to those children he denied, he was an inspiration to the imagination of his first surviving son, James. John Stanislaus was a prodigal father: prodigal with his money, his repartee, his love of music, gossip and controversy. He demanded that photographs of his former sweethearts be displayed alongside the family portraits on the piano, and on one occasion claimed to have cured himself of syphilis. Born just after the Great Famine in 1849, he was part of Dublin life during the era of great Irish renaissance as nationalism, literature and learning combined to make the city as volatile and as dramatic as any in Europe. He saw the social and political history of those exciting times from a perspective now almost lost, and by the time of his death in 1931 Dublin’s colonial days were over for ever.

[ top ]

Selected Writings of James Connolly edited by Peter Berresford Ellis
On 12 May 1916, James Connolly was executed by the British for his part in the Irish Easter Rising. A Marxist theoretician, historian, trade union organiser and revolutionary, he was a prolific writer. He is regarded as a founding father of the modern Irish state in spite of its rejection of his political ideals. Yet Connolly’s teachings have had a profound affect on recent generations of Irish nationalists and socialists, especially in the North of Ireland. This highly regarded edition of Connolly’s writings draws together some of Connolly’s most representative work and provides an accessible introduction to one of the major socialist thinkers of the 20th century. It is now reissued with the addition of a new preface by the editor.

The Lost Writings of James Connolly edited by Aindrias O Cathasaigh
James Connolly confronts us as one of the most important socialist thinkers of his time. His early activism in the Scottish socialist movement; his involvement in the American labour movement; his activity as a union organiser in Ireland; his revolutionary stand against the first world war; and his leadership of the 1916 uprising for Irish independence - all point to a crucial figure in the development of the workers’ movement during one of its most intriguing phases. Connolly was more than an activist, however: he was an outstanding and powerful essayist and polemicist who wrote books, tracts, articles and essays - and conducted a voluminous correspondence with ideological friends and foes of every persuasion. While his books have remained almost continuously in prince since his execution in 1916, much of his remaining literary output was, until now, effectively lost. This invaluable selection of previously uncollected articles and essays will for the first time make available to a wider audience - and an entirely new readership - some of Connolly’s most incisive, inspiring and illuminating work.

Legends of the Ash by Brendan Fullan
Author Brendan Fullan has researched, interviewed and written about hurling legends from all over the country for the past 18 years. In this book he brings to a culimination his unique record of the game of hurling with contributions from many of the 68 legendary players themselves, photographs, signatures, fascinating facts and ideal team selections. This book records the big names of the game of hurling over the last century. It captures the memories, nostalgia, fulfilment, skill, great games and friendship associated with a truly unique sport.

[ top ]

Irish Railways: 40 Years of Change, 1956-1996 by Colin Boocock
Over the last 40 years, railways in Ireland have developed from a collection of worn down, largely steam hauled by-ways to an impressively modern, though smaller, network. The old narrow gauge lines have now all gone, but the broac gauge (Irish lines are 5ft 3in between the rails) are at last receiving the investment they deserve. This book uses the photographs of Colin Boocock to chart the changes from the sometimes timeless scenes of the 1950s, through dieselisation and rationalisation, to the first electrification in Ireland and the latest developments that are setting the scene for decades to come. Though the books’s pictures come from a 40 year period, they give a flavour of Irish railway trains that have run throughout this century while still looking forward to those that will be in use well into the next. The book also highlights aspects of the industrial railway scene and the efforts to preserve the best of Irish railway heritage.

Voices of Cork buy Vincent Power
In this collection of colourful and compelling interviews, 18 of Ireland’s best-known personalities from Cork talk openly and frankly about their lives. Read the inside track on their remarkable achievements in politics, business, sport, media and the arts. Discover what made them who and what they are today. The author interviews: Ted Crosbie, Joe Lynch, Sonia O’Sullivan, Eilen Nolan, Noel C. Duggan, Peter Barry, Bill O’Herlihy, Brendan O’Brien, Darina Allen, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Barry Galvin, Niall Toibin, Professor John A. Murphy, Alice Taylor, Billy Morgan, Fergal Keane, Fiona Shaw and Ben Dunne.

[ top ]

A Year at Ballymaloe Cookery School by Darina Allen
Darina Allen is one of the world’s most charismatic and energetic cooks. Her approach is simple, her style refreshingly innovative. This book demonstrates her consummate skills which pay homage to good food and fresh produce, and celebrates the fertile statements of her creative talents - her gardens. This inspirational book records Darina’s achievements and evokes the changing scenery around the School. As we pass through the seasons from spring towards winter we are offered more than 125 recipes that reflect the bountiful harvest of the local countryside. We also get a vivid idea of the skill of her local producers and we catch glimpses of the animals which add their own particular character to the School - the hens in the ‘palais de poulets,’ Chervil and Rocket the donkeys, the Kerry cows and the pigs under the apple tree. This book focuses upon creative new ways with food, but it is more than just another cookery book. It is a celebration of an unprecedented talent. It records the dynamism and successes of a woman whose foresight and imagination have promoted culinary excellence in a small corner of Ireland.

Women and Irish History edited by Maryann Gialanella Valiulis and Mary O’Dowd
Written by leading researchers in the field, this book examines the public role of women from the 18th century through to the 20th century. Many of the articles raise serious questions about the traditional historical assumptions that women were passive agents in the political narrative. From philanthropic work in the 1700s to campaigning against de Valera’s Constitution in 1937, Irish women have a long history of public action. Concentrating on women challenges historians to explore new definitions of State, nation, citizenship and power - issues which have been central to the debate on Irish history. Moreover, this volume also examines the writing of women’s history and suggests innovative ways in which it can contribute to a reinterpretation of Irish history. This book demonstrates how our understanding of Irish historical experience changes with the inclusion of women.

[ top ]

Material Conflicts: Parades and Visual Displays in Northern Ireland by Neil Jarman
The deep and abiding sectarian division splintering Northern Ireland has been the focus of considerable attention recently. In particular, the role which parades and visual displays play in understanding opposition has come into the spotlight with the emergence of heightened tensions, close on the heals of a tentative peace. Providing penetrating insights into the historical roots of Northern Ireland’s ethnic hostilities, this timely book explores the role of images and material culture in shaping present attitudes. Ritual, identity, class and memory are shown to be potent forces informing trenchant animosities - animosities which are visually reflected in banners and murals for unionists and nationalists alike. The pivotal role of the Twelfth of July parade in Belfast, when an estimated 100,000 people either parade or watch the Orangeman, is highlighted. Anyone interested in the future of Northern Ireland and concerned about escalating conflict across the globe will warmly welcome this impressive study. The book has won the Katherine Briggs Folklore Award for 1997. The author is a research office at the Centre for the Study of Conflict, University of Ulster.

[ top ]

Great Irish Tales of Horror edited and introduced by Peter Haining
Drawn from 200 years of short story writing, these chilling Irish tales include some of the most powerful examples of horror ever conceived, many of them all the more terrifying because the looming dread is understated or unseen, food for the imagination. Several of the stories have been unobtainable for many years, never previously published in book form. The writers range from the giants of classic horror fiction - Bram Stoker, Sax Rohmer, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, and M.P Shiel - through such masters as George Bernard Shaw, J.M. Synge, and Dorothy Macardle to the sheer genius of the modern exponents of the genre, among them William Trevor, Brian Cleeve, Peter Tremayne, Jack Higgins, Neil Jordan, Brian Moore, and Catherine Brophy. Each brings his or her unique flair to the creation of an atmosphere that sends shivers up the spine or leaves the reader with the uneasy sense of being watched.

Edmund Spenser: A View of the State of Ireland edited by Andrew Hadfield and Willy Maley
Edmund Spenser’s A View of the State of Ireland is an exemplary text that participates in several historical moments. Since its first publication in 1633 it has been read as an anti-Irish treatise. As a critical intervention in the public sphere by a major canonical author it has been drawn upon by some of the most important writers of subsequent ages, from Milton through to Wordsworth and Heaney. It has formed a key text in the discussion of modern Ireland by distinguished critics such as Edward Said, Stephen Greenblatt and Declan Kiberd. This new edition of a founding document of English colonial culture promises to bring a compelling and controversial text to a larger audience than has hitherto been possible.

[ top ]

Roger Casement’s Diaries: 1910: The Black and The White edited by Roger White
Hanged by the British in 1916, Roger Casement is still regarded as a martyr of the nationalist cause. His ‘Black and White’ Diaries of 1910 provide an astonishing insight into the mind of an exceptional man. Born in Ireland in 1864, Casement acted as British Consul in various parts of Africa and Brazil, where he denounced atrocities among Congolese and Putumayo rubber workers. He was knighted in 1911 and retired from the consular service two years later. In 1914 he attempted to enlist support, in America and in Germany, for the Irish nationalist cause. Convicted of high treason, he was executed in London at the age of 51. A compulsive diary writer, his so-called ‘Black’ Diaries were finally released into the public domain in 1994. At the time of his trial, his diaries - detailing his promiscuous homosexual activities in Brazil - were used to condemn him and, subsequently, to poison his reputation. The corrected version of the ‘Black’ Diary for 1910, published here for the first time - as is his more public ‘White’ Diary of the same year - offers the reader the opportunity to judge its authenticity - still a matter of heated debate. Together they take the reader deep into the mind of the bravest, most selfless and practical humanitarian of the Edwardian age.

[ top ]

Boys in Green: The Football Association of Ireland International Story by Sean Ryan
This book tells the real story of the Republic of Ireland’s rise from obscurity to its position as one of the top football nations in Europe. Ever since the Football Association of Ireland was formed in 1921 following a split with the Belfast-based Irish Football Association, it has been an uphill struggle for the football people of Ireland. In the first half of the century, there were as many political battles to be fought as there were international matches to play. Then, it was the turn of the players to revolt - against the outdated Selection Committee system, which had long outlived its usefulness. When that battle was finally won in 1970, there was at last some hope for the future. Managers Liam Tuohy and John Giles helped restore pride and raise expectations, but it wasn’t until the unlikely figure of Jack Charlton took over that those expectations were finally realised. The fruit of exhaustive research, including exclusive access to the minutes of the FAI and countless interviews with the managers, players and legislators, this book tells the stories as they happened: about the time the British Foreign Office intervened on behalf of the FAI, about the player who was banned for stealing an opponent’s wallet, and the way Shamrock Rovers undermined Ireland’s first World Cup bid, right up to the modern-day controversies like the night Jack Charlton took on Kenny Dalglish - and lost, the breakdown of discipline which led to Charlton’s exit, and the reason why Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane didn’t hit it off. All the inside stories are here, along with much new information about the matches, the tactics, the players and the managers.

Ireland for Kids by Derek Mackenzie-Hook
Whether you live in Ireland or are just planning on visitnt, this treasure trove of ideas will help you make the most of your family’s leisure time. Covering every part of the country, this essential guide is packed with details of hundreds of places your kids will enjoy. With comprehensive sections on where to eat and stay, how to get there and what not to miss, this book is the ideal companion for every excursion.

Dublin Pub Life and Lore: An Oral History by Kevin Kearns
This book is an oral historical chronicle based upon the recollections of old publicans and regulars. The author has captured the folklore, customs, characters, and wit of the traditional Dublin public house. with black-and-white photographs.

[ top ]