Books Ireland: May 2002

Interviews
Shirley Kelly, interview with Blanaid McKinney, in Books Ireland, May 2002, p.113-14. Raised in Enniskillen, dg. of dentists; ed. QUB, politics; undertook PhD on women in the linen industry; laid foundations of women’s studies courses at QUB but left degree unfinished; acted as tutor; entered civil service in London; Dept. of Trade and Industry, working on competition policy and resale price maintenance; moved to Aberdeenshire, where her sister was living; settled in Macduff for seven years, working as economic dev. officer; wrote Big Mouth (2000); possessed 2,000 movie-videos; sent stories to David Marcus, scouting for Giles Gordon at Curtis Brown; in The Ledge (2002), John Kelso is contemplating suicide at the beginning of the novel, hence ‘the ledge’, having been has been kidnapped by a script-writer to edit his film-script and becomes its owner when the malefactor Kenny is arrested and imprisoned in an asylum; but Kenny is seeking vengeance.

The Irish Crown Jewels formed the star and badge of the Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick, being the Lord Lieutenant; they were originally given to Lady Conyngham by George IV and returned to his widow Queen Charlotte, before being turned to their later use by William IV as being tainted.

Denyse Woods, Overnight to Innsbruck (Sitric), first novel, interview in Books Ireland, May 2002, p.117. Dg. of Irish consul in Boston who returned to Ireland to organise the Kennedy visit; later posted to the Vatican, 1975; mother d. in Rome; fell in love with Arabic; studied Arabic at UCD; worked as translator for Parc, Aer Lingus recruitment company in Iraq; contracted hepatitis and flown home; travelled in Syria with her husband; settled in Co. Cork, with husband and two children; wrote Innsbruck in draft, 1987.

Review
John Kirkaldy, review of Desmond Fennell, The Turning Point, The Postwestern Condition: Between Chaos and Civilisation, and Desmond Fennell: Life and Work, in Books Ireland, May 2002, pp.123-24: ‘Fennell fits into no neat little box; conservative, old-fashion and bigot are unfair or inadequate descriptions. He speaks several languages …’; ‘There is a touch of Swift about him, but also a little bit of Malvolio and Eeyore’ ‘The Turning Point is the weakest of thes books … at one level … cringe-making … a polemic of disgust ... [Fennell believes that] the whole wretched mess is the inevitable result of a liberal state … Fennell is grossly unfair to Sweden […].’

Fred Johnston, review of Pearse Hutchinson, Collected Poems, in Books Ireland, May 2002, pp.126-27; Hutchinson b. Glasgow, ed. Synge St. and UCD: Tongue Without Hands (Dolmen 1963); The Soul that Kissed the Body (Gallery); Collected Poems is … a wonderful, fulsome insight, apart form anything else, into the journeyman’s career; seen headings: Tongue Without Hands; Wathcing the Morning Grow (1972); The Frost is All Over (1975); Climbing the Light (1985); Barnsley Main Seam (1995) and New Poems - 1995-2001. Notes a poem ded. to Justin O’Mahoney. ‘Hutchinson’s breadth of vision, poetical and political - and his compasion, his wincing at the world’s indulgence of injustices big and small - is startling, given the narrowness of vision of too many younger poets here. He came up … whenthe jaggedness of the Spanish Civil War was still in the air and the pubs of Dublin were jagged too with the civil war poets, Kavanagh for one.’

Also reviewed, by Johnston, Pat Boran, As the Hand, the Glove (Dedalus), 86pp., and Nigel McLoughlin, At the Water’s Clearing (Mountain Press), 64pp.: ‘quiet mastery of straightforward technique’.

Yeats appt. to senate as cultural advisor, 1922; retired 1928 through deteriorating health.

Tom Nestor, The Blue Pool (Cork: Collins Press 2002), 336pp., reviewed by Sue Leonard, Books Ireland, May 2002, pp.128-29: called here ‘evocative, beautifully written tale’ told in the voice of Roderick Dawley, the youngest son of a mountain farmer … reminiscent of Dancing with [six] Lugnasa [sic]

Kevin Barry, The Dead (Cork UP), 138pp.; Lance Pettitt, December Bride (Cork UP), 104pp.; Fidelma Farley, This Other Eden (Cork UP), 104pp.; review by Eamon Kelly, Books Ireland, May 2002, p.129f.

Robert Greacen, Colm Toibin, Lady Gregory’s Toothbrush (Dublin: Lilliput Press), 128pp., in Books Ireland, May 2002, p.132-33; Lady Gregory deplored Miss Horniman’s ‘vulgar arrogance’ and called her ‘cracked’.

Kipling: ‘The Colonel’s lady and Judy O’Grady are sisters under the skin.’

Titles listed or reviewed
Michael Fewer, A Walk in Ireland (Atrium), 248pp.
Eileen Good, Knock: A Place Apart (Dublin: Veritas 2002), 96pp.
Charles Mollan, William Davis & Brendan Finucance, eds., Irish Innovators in Science and Technology (RIA 2002), 256pp. [publications@ria.ie]
David Cooper, ed., The Petrie Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland (Cork UP 2002), 280pp.
Roger Swift, Irish Migrants in Britain, 1815-1914: A Documentary History (Cork UP 2002), 360pp.
Feargal Cochraine & Seamus Dillon, People Power? The Role of the Colunteer and Community Sector in the Northern Ireland Conflict (Cork UP 2002), 222pp.
Peter Hart, British Intelligence in Ireland, 1920-21: The Final Reports [Irish Narrative Series] (Cork UP 2002), 96pp. [papers of Sir Ormonde Winter]
Emmet O’Connor & Trevor Parkhill, Loyalism and Labour in Belfast: The Autobiography of Robert McElborough, 1884-1952 [Irish Narrative Series] (Cork UP 2002), 96pp.
Ciarán Brady, A Viceroy’s Vindication? Sir Henry Sidney’s Memoir of Service in Ireland, 1556-1578 [Irish Narrative Series] (Cork UP 2002), 96pp.
Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, Vols. IV & V (Cork UP) [Oct. 2002]: www.corkuniversitypress.com
Mary Johnston-Lijk, ed., History of the Irish Parliament 1692-1800: Commons, Constituences and Statutes (UHF 2000), 450£stg.: 1: Political suvey; statures at large, 610pp.; II: Constituencies, members and elections, 474pp.; III: Members of the Irish House of Commons, introduction and Acheson Curtis, 580pp.; IV: Members, Dalrymple-Jones-Nevil; V: Members, Kavanagh-Osborne; VI: Members, Pacey-Zuylestein. Cover design Francis Wheatley painting of Grattan addressing the Irish Parliament.
William Kelly, ed., Sir Henry Dowcra’s Narration of the Service Done by the Army employed to Lough Foyle [Irish Narratives] (UHF 2002).
Peter Collins, Who Fears to Speak of ’98: The Continuing Impact of the United Irishmen (Ulster Hist. Foundation 2002)
Q. a., Loyalism and Labour in Belfast: The Autobiography of Robert McElborough 1884-1952 (Cork UP), 96pp.
Norman White, Hopkins in Ireland (UCD Press 2002), 256pp., 8pp. ills.
Hiroko Mikami, Frank McGuinness and his Theatre of Paradox (Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe 2002), 290pp.
Tom Stack, No Earthly Estate: The Religious Poetry of Patrick Kavanagh (Dublin: Columba Press 2002), 176pp.
Elmer Kennedy-Andrews, ed., The Poetry of Derek Mahon (Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe 2002), 356pp.
Cheryl Herr, The Field [Ireland into Film Ser.] (Cork UP 2002), 98pp.
Patrick F. Sheeran, The Informer [Ireland into Film Ser.] (Cork UP 2002), 98pp.
Luke Gibbons, The Quiet Man [Ireland into Film Ser.] (Cork UP 2002), 98pp.
Donal McCracken, Forgotten Protest: Ireland the the Anglo-Boer War (UHF 2002)[q.pp.]
Bruce Stewart, ed., Hearts and Minds: Irish Cultura and Society under the Act of Union (Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe 2002), 362pp.
Daire Hogan & Eamon Hall, eds, History of the Law Society of Ireland, 1851-2001 (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 256pp.
Paul Walsh and Nollaig Ó Muiráile [q. title] (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 500pp.
Colum Kenny, King’s Inns and the Battle of the Books: Cultural Controversy at a Dublin Library (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 192pp.
James Taylor, The Royal Irish Rifles in the Great War (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 320pp.
Christopher Fauke, William King and the Anglican Irish Context 1688-1729 (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 208pp.
Anthony Malcomson, Archbishop Charles Agar: Churchmanship and Politics in Seventeenth-century Ireland (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 680pp.
Daibhí Ó Croinin, Early Irish History and Chronology (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 388pp.
Ruth Whelan, Toleration and Religious Identity: Implications of the Edict of Nates for Britain, France and Ireland (Dublin: Four Courts Press 2002), 304pp.
W. J. McCormack, Roger Casement in Death or Haunting the Free State (UCD Press 2002), 256pp. & 4pp. photos. [June 2002]
Earl Storey, Traditional Roots: Towards an Appropriate Relationship between the Church of Ireland and the Orange Order (Dublin: Columba Press 2002), 96pp.
Ruth Dudley Edwards, Carnage on the Committee (London: HarperCollins 2002), q.pp. [her tenth detective novel]
Barry Shortall, Willie and Maud: A Love Story (Cork: Collins Press 2002), 250pp.

First Flush [books arrived in 2002]
David Annwn, Arcs Through: The Poetry of Randolph Healy, Billy Mills and Maruce Scully (Dublin: Coelancth Press), 40pp.
Morton P. Levitt, Joyce and the Joyceans (Syracuse UP), 22pp.
Christ Arthur, Irish Willow (Colorado: Davies Group), 250pp.
Joe McGowan, Echoes of a Savage Land (Cork: Mercier Press), 400pp.
Mairtín Ó Cadhain, An Ghaeilge Bheo - Destined to Pass (Baile atha Cliath: Coiscéim), 312pp.
Fank Delaney, At Ruby’s (London: HarperCollins), 368pp.
Susanne Leary, Diplomatic Incidents (Belfast: Blackstaff Beeline), 344pp.
Julian Gough, Juno and Juliet (London: Flamingo), 302pp. [reiss.]
Michael J. Carroll, March into Oblivion (Studio Publ.), 188pp. [O’Sulivan Bere after Kinsale]
Leo Cullen, Clocking 90 [… Cloughjordan], 17 stories.
Gerry Adams, The Street, 18 stories.