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This site includes the postings from the Irish Aires email list. This includes a listing of Irish/Celtic events in the Houston area and other information that the Irish Aires radio program posts.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Read Ireland
Read Ireland Book News - Issue 303
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Sunshine & Shadows by Emily Sage
(Paperback; 9.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 380 pages)
Eileen Brady – flame-haired, loving, a true Irish mother –
willing to give up her dreams for her love at first sight, Paddy
McNab, a kind-hearted and gentle man. Reader of books and singer
of songs, his world revolves around Eileen and their brood of
young children. Mick Devlin – a man with the devil in his name
and blood on his hands. In his wake comes unimaginable tragedy,
and life for Eileen and Paddy will never be the same. Coral, the
beautiful wife he brought back from England, has survived the
Blitz but, spurned by her neighbours, will she survive the
loneliness of life in the West of Ireland? And what does it feel
like to be married to a murderer? John-Joe Brady – his mistake
was falling for Bernie McBride. Her mistake was returning that
love. They planned to marry – then a shot rang out . . .
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Just Business by Ber Carroll
(Paperback; 9.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 388 pages)
As head of Human Resources, Niamh enjoys her work with the
Australian subsidiary of HDD but on a social level the job is
less than fulfilling. Now Niamh has to deliver the bad news that
there will be heavy redundancies and finds herself at the centre
of the anger and legal threats.
Scott Morgan is looking for compenation and as he and Niamh grow
closer she realises that the single father has a genuine
grievance.
What went on between Helen Barnes and her boss? Was the
attraction mutual? Where has engineer Denis Greene found the
money to employ a top legal team to fight his redundancy and how
has he convinced HDD's hot-shot lawyer, Lucinda Armstrong, that
he should be reinstated?
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Dancers of Fortune by Lee Dunne
(Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 14.00 USD / 7.70 UK; 584 pages)
When the beautiful Miss Victoria Brewer witnesses the heroics of
a dashingly exotic man risking life and limb in the capital's
raging river, she is struck by an immediate attraction. The
unlikely pair recognise something in each other and become
passionate lovers. Sam is an ambitious building contractor and
Victoria heiress to her family’s brewing fortune. Victoria's
twin Arthur becomes Sam's firm friend and together they prosper
in business. Sam will stop short of nothing on his road to
prosperity, but when he meets and falls for the beautiful and
devout Jewish actress Gloria he realises how far away from his
Jewish faith and life he has come.
As the years pass and the Irish Republican Brotherhood exposes
the discontent of the Irish people, Sam and Arthur come to
realise their complicity in the system which keeps Irish people
poor.
Three of a Kind by Alison Norrington
(Paperback; 9.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 516 pages)
HELLY’S life is complete.Two gorgeous sons,a hunky husband, a
fab London home and an antique clothes shop on Portobello Road.
But her life is turned upside down when she opens her door to
someone from the past.Will she risk everything?
CHARLEY,Helly’s older sister,is an advertising copywriter in
Dublin who claims to have got drunk only once – but it’s lasted
eighteen months!With a dark secret in the past,will she open her
heart to someone who really cares?
FIONA,their little sister,is miserable in Lisbon with her young
daughter. Trapped in Portugal by her ex, Luis, Fiona can’t see a
happy future.
Unaware of Helly’s personal traumas,her sisters arrive on her
London doorstep and when all three find themselves living
together for the first time in years,the sparks really start to
fly.
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The Will to Win by Suzanne Higgins
(Trade Paperback; 16.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 370 pages)
Samantha White has it all – looks, intelligence and Ireland’s
most eligible bachelor waiting for her at the top of the aisle.
When her estranged mother staggers into the Hello!-style wedding
and stops the whole show, life takes a serious downturn.
Sam’s mother has been carrying too many dark secrets for far too
long.
Rose Judge, the mother of the groom, is the only one who knows
the whole truth but she would rather die than reveal it.
While the groom heads to the beautiful white sands and turquoise
seas of Barbados, Sam runs away to the Rioja region of Spain
where she uncovers more truths that throw an entirely different
slant on her life.
When Sam returns to Ireland she soon discovers who her real
enemies are and what sort of battle she has on her hands. The
question is, can Sam take on the full might of the Judge
dynasty? Does she have The Will to Win?
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Anyone But Him by Sheila O’Flanagan
(Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 600 pages)
Andie and her sister Jin have never seen eye to eye. Andie
doesn't envy Jin her marriage to a wealthy businessman, while
Jin can't believe Andie's happy with her man-free existence (if
only she knew!). But when their widowed mother Cora comes back
from a Caribbean cruise with more than just a suntan, Andie and
Jin are united in horror. Who is this gorgeous young man who's
swept their mother off her feet? What the women really need is a
friend to set the world to rights with – but can they be friends
with each other?
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All In! All In! by Eilis Brady
(Trade Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 7.00 UK; 196 pages)
Children’s traditional streetgames play an important part in the
folklife of a country. This classic Irish folklore book assists
parents and teachers in realizing how happy children are when
given the opportunity to use their imagination and to create
their own amusements, even in a restricted locale. It show how
traditional street games and rhymes flourished and how children
adapted traditions to a modern environment.
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Trapping a Ghost by Nessa O’Mahony
(Paperback; 12.00 Euro / 15.00 USD / 8.00 UK; 82 pages)
This new collection of poetry by the award-winning poet explores
the tensions that exist in the boundaries between past and
present, flesh and spirit, poetry and narrative, inheritance and
self-determination, family and artistic identity. In this
poetry, ghosts exist alongside the living, reminding them of
their ancestry. Stories abound, of civil war romances and
heroic exploits, of old religions and new beliefs, of past love
affairs, of future lives.
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Available Again:
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In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster and the Price of Neutrality,
1939-45 by Robert Fisk
(Trade Paperback; 30.00 Euro / 40.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 650 pages)
First published in 1983 to outstanding reviews, this book
remains the most detailed and reliable study of Ireland during
the Second World War, or the ‘Emergency’ as it was known then.
It is superbly researched and documented and sheds new light on
an all important but much neglected period in the long, sad
history of Anglo-Irish relations.
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Irish Music Audio CD
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Say What You Feel by Paul Brady
20.00 Euro / 26.00 USD / 14.00 UK
"Paul Brady's Say What You Feel stirs the listener the same way
David Gray's White Ladder did on the first time through. Brady's
passionate vocals and musical textures draw you into the stories
his songs tell - stories that relate to any walk of life." Jack
Barton –FMQB
“It’s easy to understand Brady’s appeal as both a performer and
a tunesmith…his voice is infused with a heartfelt passion.” –
People Magazine
“Everyone I’ve played this album for,” says Paul Brady of his
new album Say What You Feel, “uses the word ‘free’ when
commenting on the vocal performances. I think they’re right: I
felt completely free making the record, in every way.”
Upon listening to Say What You Feel, it becomes clear that Brady
has rediscovered a more spontaneous side of himself, foregoing
thick studio production, endless overdubs, and confining click
tracks in a return to making music “the old-fashioned way.”
Brady’s knack for insightful, soulful compositions - first
displayed on classic albums like Trick or Treat and Spirits
Colliding – is finally brought to the forefront. Say What You
Feel frames an insightful new batch of Brady originals in airy,
uncluttered surroundings that allow the songs, along with some
of Brady’s most unguarded singing, to shine through clearer than
ever.
Track listing:
1. Smile
2. Don’t Try to Please Me
3. Love in a Bubble
4. I Only Want You
5. Living For the Corporation
6. Say What You Feel
7. Locked Up in Heaven
8. Sail, Sail On
9. The You That’s Really You
10. Doin’ It In The Dark
11. Beyond The Reach of Love
12. The Man I Used To Be
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Highlights from the Previous Issue:
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Nineteenth-Century Ireland : A Guide to Recent Research edited
by Lawrence Geary and Margaret Kelleher
(Trade Paperback; 1904558283; 25 Euro / 31 USD / 17 UK; 340
pages)
Interest in nineteenth-century studies has never been greater,
and contrasts sharply with previous neglect of many aspects of
that century's history and culture. These essays by leading
scholars assess and interpret developments from 1990 onwards in
the field of nineteenth-century Irish studies, and from a wide
range of disciplinary perspectives. The book covers political,
social, religious and women's history and historical geography
as well as anthropological and sociological studies of
nineteenth-century Ireland. Further chapters cover
nineteenth-century music, art history, literature in English,
Gaelic culture and language and the Irish diaspora. This will be
an invaluable research tool and reference book for many years to
come.
Contents:
Preface
- 1 Political history, Gearoid O Tuathaigh
- 2 Social history, Gary Owens
- 3 Irish women's history, Maria Luddy
- 4 Religious history David W. Miller
- 5 Historical geography, Matthew Stout
- 6 Anthropological and sociological studies, Joan Vincent and
Marilyn Cohen
- 7 Literature in English, Sean Ryder 8 Gaelic culture and
language shift, Niall O Ciosain
- 9 Art history, Fintan Cullen
- 10 Musicology, Harry White
- 11 The Irish diaspora, Joseph Lee
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
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Murphy’s Revenge by Colin Bateman
(Trade Paperback; 16.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 11.00 UK; 300 pages)
If you found the person who brutally murdered a loved one, what
would you do? Forgive and forget? Or take the law into your own
hands? Detective Martin Murphy is the law and he's back with a
vengeance...Someone has started killing the killers - who just
happen to have been under the surveillance of 'Confront', a
support group for relatives of murder victims who believe that
therapy comes through 'empowerment'. Suspecting the group of
revenge killings, Murphy goes undercover and joins them. But it
seems that 'Confront' have been doing their own detective work
and before Murphy realises, the group is forcing him to face the
harrowing events of his own past. Now Murphy must come to terms
with the past whilst also bringing the killers' killer to
justice. The only problem is he's starting to think that
whoever's doing the killing may have a point. After all, revenge
is sweet...isn't it?
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The Year of the French by Thomas Flanagan
(Trade Paperback; 16.00 Euro / 22.50 USD / 10.00 UK; 520 pages)
In 1798, Irish patriots, committed to freeing their country from
England, landed with a company of French troops in County Mayo,
in westernmost Ireland. They were supposed to be an advance
guard, followed by other French ships with the leader of the
rebellion, Wolfe Tone. Briefly they triumphed, raising hopes
among the impoverished local peasantry and gathering a group of
supporters. But before long the insurgency collapsed in the face
of a brutal English counterattack.
Very few books succeed in registering the sudden terrible impact
of historical events; Thomas Flanagan's is one. Subtly
conceived, masterfully paced, with a wide and memorable cast of
characters, The Year of the French brings to life peasants and
landlords, Protestants and Catholics, along with old and abiding
questions of secular and religious commitments, empire,
occupation, and rebellion.
It is quite simply a great historical novel.
---------------------------------
There You Are: Writings on Irish & American Literature and
History by Thomas Flanagan
(Hardback; 25.00 Euro / 32.00 USD / 17.00 UK; 485 pages)
Thomas Flanagan became famous as the author of a trilogy of
novels, starting with The Year of the French, about Ireland from
the rebellion of 1798 to the civil war of the 1920s. But the
novelist who began by reimagining the mental and physical world
of eighteenth-century County Mayo had long been immersing
himself, as a scholar, essayist, and reviewer, in the literature
and history of his ancestral land.
In the nonfiction writings collected here, many of them
unpublished in his lifetime, Flanagan brings what Christopher
Cahill calls his "keen eye and strong gaze and sharp tongue" to
reassessments of key figures of Irish culture. They range from
Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, through W.
B. Yeats and James Joyce, Charles Stewart Parnell and Michael
Collins, to contemporaries and friends like Brian Moore and
Frank O’Connor, and American Irish like the Molly Maguires and
the director John Ford.
Flanagan probes the tragically intertwined origins of celebrity
and literary modernism in the careers of Irish-American writers
such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Eugene O’Neill, and John O’Hara. He
reflects on what his own novels have taught him about the
possibilities of historical fiction. And his thoughts on
Irish-American identity sum up the long-pondered mixture of
experience and scrutiny he brought to his heritage.
Witty, lively, and learned, this collection reveals that Thomas
Flanagan was not only as a master of the historical novel but a
writer who meditated broadly and deeply on the Ireland he once
described as "a complex, profound, historical society, woven of
many strands, some bright and some dark."
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