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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, March 18, 2006
Read Ireland
Advertisement:
So Mammy Said, by Patrick Burke.
Publisher: Publish America (August 8, 2005)
207 pages; €18.63 available to order from Read Ireland and all
other bookshops
So Mammy Said is a powerful chronicle of a young boy's life
growing up in a poor Catholic family of sixteen in a small Irish
village. In describing the trials he faces and the triumphs he
enjoys along the way to adulthood, the author makes wonderful
use of humor to add levity to some desperate conditions. This
book is storytelling at its best.
-------------------------------------
Read Ireland Book Reviews - Issue 336
-------------------------------------
Star Sullivan by Maeve Binchy
(Paperback; 5.00 Euro / 6.50 USD / 4.00 UK; 106 pages)
Molly Sullivan said that the new baby was a little star. She was
no trouble at all and she was always smiling...so she became
known as Star and no one remembered that her name was Oona. Star
Sullivan just wanted everyone to be happy - her father to stop
gambling, her mother not to work so hard, her brother to stay
out of trouble, her sister to stop worrying about every little
thing she ate. Then the Hale family moved in next door, and from
the moment Star saw 23-year-old Laddy Hale, everything began to
change - until Star was no longer the sweet, thoughtful girl
everyone loved and no one worried about...
--------------------------------------
Irish Poems chosen by Matthew Sweeney
(Paperback; 7.00 Euro / 9.00 USD / 5.00 UK; 220 pages)
This is a sparkling collection of the very best Irish poetry. It
is a beautiful gift book featuring a sumptuous and uplifting
range of Irish poetry. Matthew Sweeney has chosen classics, such
as 'Cockles and Mussels'; poems from such celebrated poets as
Seamus Heaney and W.B. Yeats; and lesser-known gems that he has
discovered on his journey through Ireland's rich poetic
heritage.
---------------------------------------
Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children illustrated by P.J. Lynch
(Paperback; 7.00 Euro / 9.00 USD / 5.00 UK; 112 pages)
Includes Oscar Wilde's tales: "The Happy Prince"; "The Selfish
Giant"; and more. This title contains illustrations by an
award-winning illustrator P J Lynch.
------------------------------------
Dublin: 1001 Intriguing Facts by Gill Davies
(Hardback; 8.00 Euro / 10.00 USD / 6.00 UK; 414 pages)
Celebrates Dublin in its antiquity and its diversity. Both
visitors to Dublin and Dubliners themselves will find this
cocktail of history, geography, myth and legend a useful read.
--------------------------------------
Phoenix Park: A History and Guidebook by Brendan Nolan
(Large Paperback; 19.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 14.00 UK; 255 pages,
with black and white photos throughout)
The Phoenix Park, one of the biggest enclosed parks in the
world, provides a breath of fresh air amid the urban sprawl of
modern Dublin. Brendan Nolan's comprehensive guide to the
Phoenix Park covers its origins and history, buildings and
monuments, wildlife, literary associations, local lore, military
use, sports, self-guided walks, and its future in an urban
environment. The author provides detailed histories and
descriptions of all of the landmarks in the Park, including the
Zoo, Aras an Uachtarain, Farmleigh, Ashtown Castle, the American
Ambassador's Residence, Garda Headquarters, etc. He touches on
such historical events as the infamous murders of 1882, the
Eucharistic Congress of 1932, and the visit of Pope John Paul II
in 1979. This book will be of interest to tourists and visitors,
to locals and Dubliners in general, and to anyone interested in
this most historic and scenic park.
---------------------------------------
North Dublin: City and Environs by Dillon Cosgrave
(Large Paperback; 19.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 14.00 UK; 128
pages_Read Ireland Book Reviews – Issue 336
Star Sullivan by Maeve Binchy
0752879545 – Paperback; 5.00 Euro / 6.50 USD / 4.00 UK; 106
pages
Molly Sullivan said that the new baby was a little star. She was
no trouble at all and she was always smiling...so she became
known as Star and no one remembered that her name was Oona. Star
Sullivan just wanted everyone to be happy - her father to stop
gambling, her mother not to work so hard, her brother to stay
out of trouble, her sister to stop worrying about every little
thing she ate. Then the Hale family moved in next door, and from
the moment Star saw 23-year-old Laddy Hale, everything began to
change - until Star was no longer the sweet, thoughtful girl
everyone loved and no one worried about...
Irish Poems chosen by Matthew Sweeney
0330415840 – Paperback; 7.00 Euro / 9.00 USD / 5.00 UK; 220
pages
This is a sparkling collection of the very best Irish poetry. It
is a beautiful gift book featuring a sumptuous and uplifting
range of Irish poetry. Matthew Sweeney has chosen classics, such
as 'Cockles and Mussels'; poems from such celebrated poets as
Seamus Heaney and W.B. Yeats; and lesser-known gems that he has
discovered on his journey through Ireland's rich poetic
heritage.
Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children illustrated by P.J. Lynch
0340894369 – Paperback; 7.00 Euro / 9.00 USD / 5.00 UK; 112
pages
Includes Oscar Wilde's tales: "The Happy Prince"; "The Selfish
Giant"; and more. This title contains illustrations by an
award-winning illustrator P J Lynch.
Dublin: 1001 Intriguing Facts by Gill Davies
1904919731 – Hardback; 8.00 Euro / 10.00 USD / 6.00 UK; 414
pages
Celebrates Dublin in its antiquity and its diversity. Both
visitors to Dublin and Dubliners themselves will find this
cocktail of history, geography, myth and legend a useful read.
Phoenix Park: A History and Guidebook by Brendan Nolan
1904148786 – Large Paperback; 19.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 14.00 UK;
255 pages, with black and white photos throughout
The Phoenix Park, one of the biggest enclosed parks in the
world, provides a breath of fresh air amid the urban sprawl of
modern Dublin. Brendan Nolan's comprehensive guide to the
Phoenix Park covers its origins and history, buildings and
monuments, wildlife, literary associations, local lore, military
use, sports, self-guided walks, and its future in an urban
environment. The author provides detailed histories and
descriptions of all of the landmarks in the Park, including the
Zoo, Aras an Uachtarain, Farmleigh, Ashtown Castle, the American
Ambassador's Residence, Garda Headquarters, etc. He touches on
such historical events as the infamous murders of 1882, the
Eucharistic Congress of 1932, and the visit of Pope John Paul II
in 1979. This book will be of interest to tourists and visitors,
to locals and Dubliners in general, and to anyone interested in
this most historic and scenic park.
North Dublin: City and Environs by Dillon Cosgrave
(1845885333 – Large Paperback; 19.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 14.00
UK; 128 pages)
Originally published in 1909, this book explores the Dublin of
the early 1900s. The narrative stretches from Church Street out
to Howth by way of Clontarf, Fairview, Marino and the Phoenix
Park. The author displays an impressive knowledge of the people,
places and happenings of the city and its surrounds over the
centuries that preceded publication. A comprehensive study of
the city and county north of the Liffey this book provides a
fascinating view of Dublin from the eyes of an Irishman in the
early twentieth century. A re-publication of a classic history
text widely quoted and referred to and not reprinted since 1977.
The book covers a broad swathe of the city and county north of
the Liffey; features interesting local content; and offers a
fascinating perspective on the image of Dublin held by our
predecessors and ancestors.
--------------------------------------
Dublin 1745-1922: Hospitals, Spectacle & Vice by Gary Boyd
(Large Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 25.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 224 pages,
with black-and-white photos and illustrations throughout)
This innovative book interprets architectural spaces in the
light of the underlying tensions between 18th-century Dublin as
a fashionable resort and the attempts by the authorities to deal
with some of the results of its apparent profligacy. These
include the creation of new institutions as well as other
measures designed to remove ugly realities from the street and
purify urban space.
Based mainly on 18th- and 19th-century archival material from
the Rotunda Hospital, the Lock (venereal) Hospital and the
Hospital for Incurables, this book challenges the vision of
18th-century Dublin as an ideal Protestant city by investigating
the hidden world behind its wide streets and magnificent Georgian
facades. The decision to establish the British Isles' first
maternity hospital on the northern edge of Sackville Street
(today's O'Connell Street) was grounded in a series of
imperatives where obstetrics and medicine were only part of the
overall story. The adjacent Pleasure Gardens, created ostensibly
to provide funds for the hospital, introduced new types of social
engagement and an increase of commodified forms of entertainment
to the city. The Gardens, characterised by acts of spectacle and
display, soon acquired an additional reputation as a site of
sexual adventure and louche behaviour, one which ultimately
would be extended to the city.
---------------------------------------
Wexford; A History, A Tour and a Miscellany by Nicky Rossiter
(1845885287 – Large Paperback; 18.00 Euro / 22.00 USD / 13.00
UK; 160 pages, with black-and-white photos throughout)
This book will give the resident and the visitor a broad as well
as an intimate picture of the town or "ancient and historic
borough" of Wexford as local politicians delight in calling it.
It is filled with interesting, amusing, revealing and
educational stories. Featuring three sections, A History, A
Miscellany and a Tour, this book offers a sample of the unique
flavour of Wexford. This is Menapia, Loch gCarman, Weisfiord,
Wexford. Nicholas Rossiter is a financial Advisor based in
Wexford Town. The history bug bit in the 1980s when he produced
some very popular publications in association with several other
local historians. "Wexford: A History, A Tour and A Miscellany",
is the product of research, built up knowledge and commitment to
local heritage. It features: nearly 200 images of Wexford, its
sights and people; engaging tone. The author's excellent local
knowledge lends itself well to the narrative.
--------------------------------------
A History of Newtownbutler by Barbara Chapman
(Trade Paperback; 18.00 Euro / 22.00 USD / 13.00 UK; 100 pages,
with black-and-white photos throughout)
Newtownbutler is a rural town on the south east of County
Fermanagh, steeped in colourful history and tradition. In this
publication of the local history of Newtownbutler, Barbara
Chapman gives a fascinating account of the history of her town,
gathers statistical facts and interviews many of the local
characters. The book is nicely illustrated with old and new
pictures of the town through her many changing phases.
---------------------------------------
Tales from the Banks of the Erne by John Cunningham
(Trade Paperback; 18.00 Euro / 22.00 USD / 13.00 UK; 100 pages,
with black-and-white photos throughout)
A place of great scenic beauty, Loch Erne has long been the
inspiration for artists and draws tourists from far and wide.
This is a unique collection of tales capturing the experiences
and memories of people around the Loch Erne area through the
last century, many of which have since passed away. These tales
are charming in their humour and simplicity and touching in
their honesty.
---------------------------------------
A Thousand Years of Church Heritage in East Galway by Peter
Harbison
(Trade Paperback; 20.00 Euro / 25.00 USD / 15.00 UK; 140 pages,
with endflaps, full colour photos throughout)
East Galway, between Corrib and Shannon and Clare and Roscommon
contain a treasure of major and minor church gems. The area
includes earlier and late medieval monuments such as Kilmacduagh
with its famous leaning tower and the attractive ruined fairies
of Kilconnell and Ross Emily among others. But the major
surprises of this book are the rich and largely undiscovered
heritage of stained glass which can be explored there. Labane
and Loughrea respectively saw the genius and the high point of
‘Celtic Revival’ stained glass in Ireland with some of the most
famous products of Sarah Purser’s An Tur Gloine (Tower of Glass)
studio.
-------------------------------------------
Voices of Trim by Tommy Murray
(Trade Paperback; 18.00 Euro / 23.00 USD / 13.00 UK; 100 pages,
with black-and-white photos throughout)
Featuring entries from the culchie of the year, local
politicians, ordinary workers and FCA men and characters known
throughout the town, Voice of Trim displays the colour and life
of Trim at its remarkable best. Featuring images and postcards
from the authors own collection and photographs and pictures
from other collections, this book will appeal to all those who
live in or know Trim. Tommy Murray is a well known author and
poet living in Trim. He has produced numerous successful books
and publications and has received many prizes and awards for his
work and poetry. It features: Local Content; Engaging tone;
Excellent collection of postcards and images.
----------------------------------------
Voices of the Donegal Corridor by Joe O’Loughlin
(Trade Paperback; 17.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 12.00 UK; 90 pages,
with black-and-white photos throughout)
"The Donegal Corridor", based along Lough Erne in County
Fermanagh and up the Donegal coast, was a key contribution to
the Allies in World War II. A place where ally soldiers trained
for combat, where planes landed and refuelled and where many
crashed and lost their lives. This intriguing book brings
together a collection of memories, from home and abroad, of the
Donegal Corridor. Joe interviews local people, family members
and former comrades. The book is beautifully illustrated with
pictures of many of these lost heroes, their aircrafts and the
memorial sights of those who never made it home. This book will
have a local as well as an international appeal.
----------------------------------------
A Class Apart: The Gentry Families of County Kildare by Con
Costello
(25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 128 pages, with a 16-page
full colour insert)
The landed gentry played a significant role in the history of
Kildare. The highly impressive houses throughout the county
stand as testimony to this. There has always been a deep
fascination in 'The Big House' - the families living there,
their treatment of the peasants, and their eventual fall. The
Gentry of Kildare is a fascinating exploration into the lives of
a number of gentry families, their rise and their demise. This
study of the landed gentry is a wonderful read from both an
historical as well as a local point of view.
-----------------------------------------
Newgrange: The Mystery of the Chequered Lights by Hugh Kearns
(Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 18.00 USD / 10.00 UK; 142 pages, with
endflaps)
5,000 YEARS AGO, AN EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE LIVED IN IRELAND. THEY
WERE FARMERS, HUNTERS AND BUILDERS. WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE
WHEEL, AND WITH TOOLS MADE ONLY OF FLINT, THEY CARVED THEIR
CULTURE INTO HISTORY. ALONG THE BANKS OF THE RIVER BOYNE, THEY
BUILT IRELAND'S BIGGEST AND BEST-KNOWN NECROPOLIS, REPOSITORIES
TO THEIR SPIRITS - MONUMENTS TO IMMORTALITY.
At ten minutes to nine on the morning of the shortest day of the
year, a pale and weak sun slowly rises above a ridge in the Boyne
River valley. As its rays penetrate the dawn mist, a solitary
building sits atop the hill waiting - Newgrange, waiting as it
has every year for over fifty centuries to shine once again as a
beacon to the Spirit of Man.
In this dramatic new book, Hugh Kearns postulates that the
Neolithic structure at Newgrange is even more sophisticated than
the current archaeological establishment is prepared to accept.
Everyone knows that the solstice sunrise is captured by the
structure to illuminate a corbelled chamber deep in the interior
of the huge mound. But what did the Neolithic engineers do with
the captured sunbeam? The answer to that intriguing question
illuminates some of the darkest passages of Irish history,
validating even the most exotic of Irish legends as actual,
prehistoric facts.
---------------------------
New in Paperback This Week:
---------------------------
Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion by Charles Townshend
(12.00 Euro / 15.00 USD / 9.00 UK; 442 pages)
Before Easter 1916, Dublin had been a city much like any other
British city, comparable to Bristol or Liverpool and part of a
complex, deep-rooted British world. Many of Dublin's inhabitants
wanted to weaken or terminate London's rule, but there remained a
vast and conflicting range of visions of that future: far more
immediate was the unfolding disaster of the First World War that
had put home rule' issues on ice for the duration. The
devastating events of that Easter changed everything. Both the
rising itself and - even more significantly - the ferocious
British response ended any sense at all that Dublin could be
anything other than the capital of an independent country, as an
entire nation turned away in revulsion from the British artillery
and executions. As we approach the 90th anniversary of the
rebellion, it is time for a new account of what really happened
over those fateful few days. What did the rebels actually hope
to achieve? What did the British think they were doing? And, how
were the events really interpreted by ordinary people across
Ireland? Vivid, authoritative, and gripping, "Easter 1916" is a
major work.
-----------------------------------
Highlights from the Previous Issue:
-----------------------------------
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry: The Families Speak Out edited by
Eamonn McCann
(Paperback; 16.00 Euro / 20.00 USD / 11.00 UK; 183 pages)
The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has been epic in its scale and
implications. This is the story of how it came about and of the
hopes and suspicions which surround it, told from a uniquely
personal point of view.
Twenty-one wounded survivors and relatives of the dead describe
the campaign which led to the establishment of the Inquiry under
Lord Saville. They reveal their bitterness at the 'whitewash' of
the first inquiry under Lord Chief Justice Widgery, and describe
the frustrations and elations of their long struggle to force the
British Government to launch a new search for the truth.
The relatives comment sharply on Saville’s performance, and on
the attitudes of British and Irish politicians, the media and an
array of celebrity lawyers. They reflect on whether soldiers and
leading politicians should now be prosecuted for murder, and
discuss whether the outcome of the Inquiry is likely to hinder
or enhance the peace process. Will the truth about Bloody Sunday
raise more ghosts than it sets to rest?
This is the story of the longest legal proceedings in British or
Irish history in the raw words of those most intimately involved.
What they have to say puts a new focus on the significance of
State atrocities in shaping perceptions of the past and
aspirations for the future in Ireland.
----------------------------------------
Chaos at the Crossroads by Frank McDonald and James Nix
(Large Paperback with Endflaps; 25.00 Euro / 33.00 USD / 19.00
UK; 410 pages)
This book is a catalogue of the sloppy thinking, political
chicanery, bureaucratic incompetence and pandering to vested
interests that characterise so much of what is happening in
Ireland today! It charts how the country is being wrecked by
half-baked policies that fail, and are known to fail. Whether
it’s the urban-generated housing in rural areas, the relentless
sprawl of our cities, the madness of the motorway programme, the
scatter-gun approach to decentralisation, the contempt for our
heritage, or the failure to observe our international
obligations to combat climate change, the Government has made a
mess of it. Evidence that would underpin sensible decisions is
either blithely ignored or never gathered in the first place.
There is an alternative, but the lack of political leadership
has thwarted its adoption to date. It’s the idea of closely
knit cities, with Galway, Limerick, Cork and Waterford working
together to counterbalance Dublin. This book also puts forward
proposals on how to make urban life work better, how to get
around cities and travel between them. It gives a warning of
what is likely to happen if the current blasé
to-hell-with-the-next-generation approach is allowed to prevail:
chaos! (Also available in Hardback price at 40 Euro)
-------------------------------
Torn Water by John Lynch
(Hardback; 17.00 Euro / 21.00 USD / 13.00 UK; 265 pages)
Set in his native Northern Ireland, John Lynch's debut novel is
a lyrically told and exquisitely tender story of innocence and
loss. 'He remembers when he was very young standing by water!
How he had got there or where the pond was he couldn't remember,
but he can vaguely recall a larger hand on his and being led
through the high rooms of a large building, to a large garden,
where bees wove dozy patterns in the air. At the bottom of this
garden lay the large pond, and he remembers a face bending to
meet his and whispering that he would be back in a little while.
So he stood where he had been left, his small feet pointing at
the stonework of the pond's rim. He remembers a wind brewing in
the tops of the trees and tearing at the water of the pond for a
moment, before subsiding, his face blurring into focus like a TV
channel being tuned.' When James Lavery's father is blown to
bits by a bomb he intended to maim and kill others with, the boy
keeps him alive in his imagination as a superhero, escaping the
daily grind of school, his mother's drinking and his own acute
loneliness by inventing extraordinary adventures for them both.
---------------------------------------
Easy Entertaining by Darina Allen
(Hardback; 30.00 Euro / 36.00 USD / 24.00 UK; 306 pages, with
full colour illustrations throughout)
Almost everybody would like to entertain more often - but it's
just too daunting. Planning an exciting, well-balanced menu
which won't require a week of preparation and three nervous
breakdowns is the first hurdle. Next there are the wines to
consider. And what about - flowers, lighting, table decorations?
In this much-needed book, cookery writer Darina Allen smoothes
away the stress of entertaining with over 250 recipes that cover
everything from three-course dinners to tapas and one-pot
suppers. Chapters include Starters, Finger Food, Brunch, Formal
Dinners, Family Desserts and Festive Meals and the recipes are
balanced so that you can prepare some dishes in advance and
include modern recipes from around the world as well as
vegetarian options. Be inspired by Darina's styling ideas for
decoration and place settings to help you create the perfect
atmosphere, whether it is a romantic dinner for two or a lively
evening with friends. Darina uses her own experience to show how
you can use sea shells as butter dishes, shot glasses for soup
and a sari as a tablecloth for an Indian feast. Or throw it over
your table lamp to soften your lighting. There are also extensive
menu planners to help you plan your event and practical advice on
wine and other drinks.
Darina covers everything from tapas to three-course dinners and
from canapés to casseroles in this bible of entertaining. She
includes chapters on Brunch, Prepare-ahead Meals, Picnics,
Romantic Dinners, Finger Food, Formal Dinners, Festive Meals and
many more as well as providing extensive menu planners and
practical advice on wine and other drinks to complement your
food. Style tips and ideas for table settings, flowers, lighting
and even party games will ensure your soirée looks as sensational
as it tastes. She also includes options for vegetarian and vegan
guests throughout the book.
----------------------------------------
Under the Spotlight: Conversations with 17 Leading Irish
Journalists by Roger Greene
(Trade Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 18.00 USD / 9.00 UK; 217 pages)
"Under the Spotlight", by Newstalk 106's Media Matters programme
presenter Roger Greene, is a collection of 16 radio profiles of
leading figures from Irish media which reveal the personal and
professional motivations behind the people who bring news and
entertainment to the public. Among the people interviewed in the
book are Conor Brady, Fergal Keane, Lara Marlowe, Paddy
Prendiville, Gene Kerrigan, Kevin Myers, Joe Mulholland, Vincent
Browne, Hector O hEochagain and Tom Paulin. Each interviewee
discusses their childhoods and upbringing and reflects on the
journey that has brought them to their present position at the
top of their profession. They deal with the reasons they chose
the media, their career progress and the impact their chosen
profession has had on their private lives. For instance, Fergal
Keane describes his journalistic journey from Ireland to the BBC
and onward to the world's war zones. He speaks about his
upbringing with his alcoholic father and the subsequent break-up
of the family. He talks about the emotional, elevating and
terrifying experiences of being a war correspondent for the BBC
and reveals that he has now lost the courage to cover wars
---------------------------------------
Ireland: Railways Past and Present by Michael Baker
(Trade Paperback; 27.00 Euro / 32.00 USD / 18.00 UK; 146 pages,
with black-and-white photos throughout)
Presents a past and present tour of Ireland's railway network,
which embraces not only the main lines around Belfast, Dublin
and Cork and developments in stock, services and
electrification, but also the remote narrow-gauge outposts of
the Far West, gone for ever.
-------------------------------------
The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin by Christine Casey
(Hardback; 45.00 Euro / 55.00 USD / 30.00 UK; 756 pages, with
colour photos)
This book is a uniquely comprehensive guide to the buildings of
central Dublin, in the great tradition of the Pevsner series.
Churches, public buildings and streets are described for every
district, each full of new discoveries and lively detail.
Illustrations include numerous maps, plans and specially taken
colour photographs. The entire area within the canals is
covered, along with the Phoenix Park. The grand 18th-century
set-pieces - Custom House, Four Courts, Bank of Ireland - are
offset by a graceful Georgian cityscape, much of which remains
intact. The astonishingly rich and varied house interiors are
also treated in full, many for the first time. Civic and
commercial Victorian architecture features in strength, together
with the highs and lows of post-war building, which culminate in
some sensitive and resourceful buildings by a new generation of
Irish architects. Two fine Gothic cathedrals remain from the
medieval city, whose history is traced in a scholarly
introduction that runs down to the present day. This is the
third volume in the Buildings of Ireland series. For all who
share an interest in the fabric of Dublin - architect or
historian, tourist or armchair traveller.
--------------------------------------
Ireland in the World: Further Reflections by Garret FitzGerald
(Hardback; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 255 pages)
Ireland in the World - Further Reflections is a collection of
essays, many of which have not previously appeared in print, on
Irish history and politics, contemporary Irish society and world
affairs by the former Taoiseach and respected columnist Garret
FitzGerald.
What strikes the reader most forcefully is the breadth of Dr
FitzGerald's interests, the range of his expertise and the
clarity with which he presents his arguments, which are
sometimes controversial and always compelling.
-----------------------------------------
Fond Memory: Consoling Words from the Irish Tradition edited by
Ide Ni Laoghaire and Mary Webb
(Gift Hardback; 13.00 Euro / 16.00 USD / 9.00 UK; 180 pages)
For times of sorrow and remembrance or to be read at funerals.
In times of sorrow, grief or loss we often look to our poets and
songwriters, to our heritage and tradition for words of comfort,
hope and inspiration. We look too for those words that reflect
our sense of place, of belonging, words that sum up our deepest
feelings about a loved one. Here, for the first time, is a
collection specific to the Irish experience. Old and modern -
poetry, prayers, songs, phrases, blessings - fitting words to
express your heartfelt grief and to bring solace and healing.
----------------------------------------
GAA: The Glory Years – Hurling and Football 1991-2005 by Ronnie
Bellew
(Hardback; 22.00 Euro / 26.00 USD / 17.00 UK; 276 pages with
full coloutr illustrations throughout)
During the past fifteen years, the GAA has gone through a
renaissance. Despite the rising popularity of other sports, it
has revolutionised itself to take its place centre stage in the
Irish sporting arena, enjoying a greater groundswell of support
than ever before. The developments have been astounding. The
emergence of Ulster football and the revival in the West. In
hurling, the men from Clare and Wexford and the domination of
D.J. Carey. The amazing development of Croke Park and the rise
in supporters' fanaticism. 'Jayo-mania' in 1995 heralding the
era of the GAA superstar. The strikes and revolts of the Cork
and Offaly hurlers and the emergence of player power. In "GAA:
The Glory Years", Ronnie Bellew tells the story of these
remarkable fifteen years - of the events, on and off the field,
the breakthroughs, the controversies and the personalities
behind a golden era that has seen the GAA reinvent itself to
become the hottest ticket in town. This is the story of how the
GAA got from there to here.
-----------------------------------------
The IRB: The Irish Republican Brotherhood from the Land League
to Sinn Fein by Owen McGee
(Large Paperback; 30.00 Euro / 36.00 USD / 24.00 UK; 380 pages)
This book analyzes the ideology and organizational traditions of
the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), its role in Irish
politics and its place in Irish history. While the IRB has long
been associated with the insurrections of 1867 and 1916, Owen
McGee argues that it was never primarily an insurrectionary
conspiracy; rather it was a popular fraternal organization and
propagandistic body, committed to bringing about popular
politicization in Ireland along republican lines. Focusing
primarily on the new departures in Irish politics between the
land war of 1879 - 81 and the outbreak of the First World War,
this study identifies this period as being a critical phase in
the evolution of modern Irish republicanism, as well as being
the pivotal stage in the history of the IRB itself. It throws
fresh light on the social and political origins of the Irish
revolution of 1912 - 23, as well as the IRB's intended political
role during that eventful epoch. Prominent members included:
Michael Collins, James Stephens, Arthur Griffith, Bulkmer
Hobson, Eamonn Ceannt and Edward Daly (the latter two fought in
1916 and were executed as a result of their involvement).
---------------------------------------
The Lemass Era: Politics and Society in the Ireland of Sean
Lemass edited by Brian Girvin and Gary Murphy
(Large Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 30.00 USD / 20.00 UK; 270 pages)
This new book focuses on the impact of Seán Lemass on Irish
politics and society between 1945 and 1973. It covers politics,
economic policy, emigration, foreign policy (including the
negotiations to join the EEC), cross-border co-operation with
Northern Ireland, the Church, education, film and television
policy.
The Lemass Era shows that Lemass was the pivotal figure in the
transition from the conservatism of de Valera's Ireland to the
more open, progressive and modern society that takes form during
the 1960s.
Lemass was a 1916 veteran, a founder member of Fianna Fáil and a
long serving Minister for Industry and Commerce, but this did not
prevent him from ruthlessly questioning the state of Ireland
after 1945. During the 1950s he sought to meet the challenge of
economic crisis while also attempting to open up discussion on a
moderate and realistic policy towards Northern Ireland. However,
it was only in 1959 that Lemass had the opportunity to implement
his new thinking. He became Taoiseach at the age of 59, but
showed a capacity for new thinking and hard work that would have
been impressive in a younger person.
If de Valera characterised the main features of the first half
of the twentieth century, then Lemass is the most formidable
influence over the second half: it is his vision that has
prevailed in the modernisation of Irish society and its economic
success since the 1960s.
----------------------------
Strumpet City by James Plunkett
(Paperback; 11.00 Euro / 14.00 USD / 8.00 UK; 550 pages)
The classic, powerful novel of life and hard times in Dublin
during the angry years leading up to World War I. A story
bursting with memorable characters caught up in the bitter
struggles of the age, driven by love and hate, pride and
devotion.
----------------------------------
Roman Ireland by Vittorio Di Martino
(Trade Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 18.00 USD / 11.00 UK 208 pages)
Imagine Ireland untouched by Roman influence when Britain was
part of the Roman Empire, a time when the distance was nothing
for sailors routinely navigating the entire Mediterranean. Yet,
the accepted view has been there was no Roman expedition to
Ireland. The Irish lived in Celtic purity with little outside
influence until St Patrick brought Christianity. Yet, many sites
have produced Roman objects indicating a Roman presence in
Ireland. "Roman Ireland" is a fresh reconsideration of Roman
influence in Ireland. It outlines the influence of Latin on the
Irish language, the Roman contribution to Irish art and the new
contacts trade opened between the Irish and Roman worlds. Roman
influence on social life, craftsmanship and farming is
disclosed. Finally, new insights are provided on
Christianisation as a vehicle of Romanisation in Ireland and the
likely occurrence of at least one Roman military invasion of
Ireland.
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