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Thursday, November 30, 2006
BookView Ireland
___________________________________________________________________
BookView Ireland :: November 2006 :: Issue No.136
From Irish Emigrant Publications, the free news service for
the global Irish community http://www.IrishEmigrant.com
Editor: Pauline Ferrie :: Copyright 2006 Irish Emigrant Ltd
___________________________________________________________________
This monthly supplement to the Irish Emigrant reviews books
recently published in Ireland, and those published overseas which
have an Irish theme. A searchable database of all books reviewed
by us over the last six years is now available at
http://www.bookviewireland.ie
___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________
____CONTENTS
Bestseller Lists
- Paperback Fiction
- Paperback Non-fiction
- Hardback Fiction
- Hardback Non-fiction
Reviews
- From Borroloola to Mangerton Mountain - Micheal O Muircheartaigh
- The Lebanon Diaries =96 Martin Malone
- A Different Journey =96 Brian D'Arcy
- Galway and the Great War =96 William Henry
- Should Have Got Off At Sydney Parade =96 Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
- The Blackbird's Nest =96 ed. Frank Ormsby
- Kate - Siobhan Parkinson
- A Sloping Meadow =96 Sean Crowe
- Admiral William Brown =96 Marcos Aguinis, translated by Bill Tyson
- A Guide to Dublin Bay =96 John Givens
- A Place to Go =96 Maureen Taylor
- In the Claws of the Eagle =96 Aubrey Flegg
- In the Bestsellers but not reviewed
General News
- Launch of second edition of poetry publication in Kilkenny
- Glen Dimplex New Writer Awards
- Two Irish authors in IMPAC longlist
- Manuscript marks Bishop O'Doherty centenary
- Launch of new poetry collection
- McGrath's book wins sports award
- Award nomination for Irish-American book
- Sonia O'Sullivan launches Guide Dogs book
- Author seeks Black and Tan stories
- Book Club Festival for Ennis
- Minister donates books to Vietnamese library
- Other newly published books not featured in the review:
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____BESTSELLERS LIST
Paperback Fiction
1. False Impression, Jeffrey Archer - Pan
2. My Fabulous Divorce, Clare Dowling - Headline
3. The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger =96 Harper Collins
4. Exclusive, Andrew O'Connor - Poolbeg
5. If You Could See Me Now, Cecelia Ahern =96 Harper Collins
Paperback Non-fiction
1.Every Single Ball: The Brian Corcoran Story, Brian Corcoran and
Kieran Shannon - Mainstream
2. The Pope's Children, David McWilliams =96 Gill & Macmillan
3. A Different Journey, Brian D'Arcy =96 Sliabh Ban
4. Kerry Katona: Too Much Too Young, Kerry Katona - Ebury
5. Party Animals, Olivia O'Leary =96 O'Brien
Hardback Fiction
1. Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade, Ross O'Carroll Kelly
=96 Penguin Ireland
2. A Place Called Here, Cecelia Ahern =96 Harper Collins
3. Yours, Faithfully, Sheila O'Flanagan - Headline
4. Echo Park, Michael Connelly - Orion
5. Cross, James Patterson - Headline
Hardback Non-fiction
1. Guinness World Records 2007 - Guinness
2. From Borroloola to Mangerton Mountain, Micheal O Muircheartaigh
=96 Penguin Ireland
3. Trinny and Susannah: The Survival Guide, Susannah Constantine
and Trinny Woodall - Weidenfeld
4. Back from the Brink: The Autobiography, Paul McGrath - Century
5. Rachel's Favourite Food at Home, Rachel Allen - Collins
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____REVIEWS
________________________________________________________________
From Borroloola to Mangerton Mountain =96 Micheal O Muircheartaigh
Micheal O Muircheartaigh is a consummate communicator and
his expertise in the commentator's box moves easily to the written
word in this selection of characters he has met on his travels over
the years. In a neat symmetry the book opens and closes with
portraits of two John Moriartys, set thousands of miles apart but
each brought to us with the author's inimitable style and
perception. Where most of us would hear someone interesting and
make a pious aspiration to find out more, or to follow up with a
meeting, Micheal O Muircheartaigh actually carries out the
intention. Thus he arranged a meeting with John Moriarty from
Sydney, the child of an Aboriginal mother and a Kerryman father who
became part of The Stolen Generation, the Australian attempt to
"breed out the Aboriginal culture and identity".
The second John Moriarty, with whom O Muircheartaigh closes
his book, is the eminent philosopher and neighbour of the author,
described by him as "the most extraordinary person" he has ever met.
And being so immersed in the world of sport, the author has compiled
his own "team of the century", but it is a team comprising those who
have helped to improve life in Ireland. He places John Moriarty,
philosopher, as captain of the team, which also includes Ken
Whitaker, Brendan O'Regan of Shannon Airport, and Waterford hurler
Tom Cheasty.
Micheal O Muircheartaigh's sporting career has taken him to
all corners of the world, in the course of which he has met many
interesting people and heard stories of some long since dead. In
Australia he was particularly taken with the story of Charles
Yelverton O'Connor, whose vision brought water to the western part
of the continent. The author also acknowledges the huge part paid
by loyal sports supporters in his profiles of Joan O'Sullivan from
Co. Mayo and Crossmaglen's Margaret McConville. At the same time he
does not neglect the more controversial issues of the day and
addresses the topics of professionalism in football and hurling, the
problems of alcoholism among young people, and the decline of the
Church in Ireland.
Micheal O Muircheartaigh is a past master in the art of
storytelling, engaging with his readers with the same facility with
which he engages with his listeners.
(Penguin Ireland, ISBN 1-844-88121-0, pp280, Stg18.99)
___________________________________
The Lebanon Diaries =96 Martin Malone
Martin Malone, who has based his novels on his experiences
as part of the UNIFIL contingent in Lebanon, here gives what the
cover describes as "A unique warts and all insight into Irish
military life, at home and abroad". A veteran of five tours of duty
in Lebanon as a member of the Military Police, Malone experienced
both the beauty and the horror of the war-torn country, the sheer
tedium of many of the duties and the camaraderie and rivalry among
the different armies. The constant fear with which they lived, of
mines and of snipers, contrasts with the more mundane aspect of
Malone's work on traffic accidents and the prevention of smuggling.
More interestingly he gives an insight into the mental anguish, the
guilt experienced by family men who repeatedly volunteer for
overseas duty.
He is scrupulously honest in his assessment of his own
motives for pestering the top brass for a tour abroad. Many
soldiers, Malone included, certainly opt for the experience for
financial reasons =96 his tours paid for a number of house
improvements =96 but a number also use the overseas tour of duty as a
means of escape from domestic problems. It is a moot point,
however, whether the constant absences cause more marital friction
than they cure. In Malone's own circumstances he missed large
sections of his older son's childhood, and stumbling across a group
of youths drinking alcohol among the bushes of the Curragh brings
home to him that this could be the fate of his own son. In fact it
was the arrival of Barry, ten years after Colin's birth that really
brought home to him the sacrifices he was asking of his family.
Barry's presence is a recurring theme throughout the book; the small
boy seems to have the knack of grounding his father, both literally
and figuratively, and his response to the frequent absences shows a
depth of feeling and an insight remarkable in one so young.
During Malone's army years the hearing issue among serving
soldiers came to the fore and he was one of those who took his case
to court and won, having suffered from tinnitus for a number of
years. Although the controversy over compensation awards was well
documented in the media, Malone reveals another side to the story
when he gives an account of the extent to which soldiers were
vilified in public when the publicity surrounding the cases was at
its height.
As a new detachment of soldiers set out for Lebanon, this is
a timely reminder of the almost impossible task they will face in a
country which has known little peace.
(Maverick House, ISBN 1-905379-25-0, pp255, EU13.99)
__________________________________
A Different Journey =96 Brian D'Arcy
Brian D'Arcy has written a book of two parts, a book which
sets out all the wrongs inflicted on young priests and on the
priesthood in general, but also a book which chronicles his life as
chaplain to the entertainment industry in Ireland. One of the best-
known priests in the country, particularly for his column in the
Sunday World, Father Brian D'Arcy joined the Passionist order in his
native Fermanagh at the age of seventeen, and from the day he
entered to the time of writing this latest book he has suffered from
doubts as to whether he had made the right choice. His grappling
with this problem and the honesty with which he reveals his
shortcomings, his fear for his family's reaction were he to leave,
and the help and advice he received from clergy and lay people, give
a vivid portrayal of the realities of the priestly life.
The author's views on the present state of the Church, and
his list of remedies, pop up at least twice in the narrative and are
on the predictable and now fairly widely accepted lines of married
clergy, women priests and a much greater involvement of the laity in
the administration of the parishes. Some of the suggestions give
rise to greater misgivings, such as that both priests and laity
should have a say in the selection of bishops. It is notable that
Fr Brian was a close friend of the late Fr Michael Cleary who, with
Bishop Eamon Casey, became a focal point in the 1990s when it
emerged that each had fathered a child.
The other side of Brian D'Arcy, the journalist and
broadcaster who, when a young curate in Dublin, attended dances
seven nights of the week, makes for more difficult reading as,
despite some forty years as both chaplain and friend of the likes of
Terry Wogan, the showband musicians and Gay Byrne, does not seem to
have overcome an almost naive awe at being able to call such people
his friends. In one instance of ultimate name-dropping he reels off
the names of twenty broadcasters with whom he can claim close ties.
He also, it has to be said, claims some credit for the organisation
of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland, and the emergence of
Riverdance as a stage spectacular.
The deeper side of Brian D'Arcy's nature does, however,
manifest itself when, acknowledging that there will be little change
in his lifetime (and Pope Benedict's recent pronouncement on
priestly celibacy would seem to confirm this), he uses a number of
images to explain why he perseveres in his ministry. Taking Van
Gogh's "The Sower" as his guide, he aspires "to go on planting the
green shoots" which will be harvested after he is gone. Similarly
he explains the purpose of religious life as a desire to "leave an
ember in the ashes" from which future generations can kindle their
own fire. Brian D'Arcy the priest beset by doubts is a more
sympathetic figure than the Brian D'Arcy who loves to be
photographed with the stars.
(Sliabh Ban Productions, ISBN 0-9545829-5-0, pp332, EU14.99)
________________________________________
Galway and the Great War =96 William Henry
No matter how many books one reads on the subject of the
First World War, the recording of the number of lives lost on both
sides never fails to shock, and William Henry's account of the
Galway dimension of the conflict is no exception. As an instance,
he tells us that between the signing of the armistice at 5.10am on
November 11, 1918, and the ceasing of hostilities some six hours
later, men continued to die at the rate of five hundred every hour.
Many Galwaymen were also to die, including a large number of
fishermen from the Claddagh who had answered the call to join the
navy.
A Galway-based historian and archaeologist, William Henry is
well placed to record the city and county's contribution to and
reaction to the Great War, a time of conflict at home and abroad
that caused dissent among the citizens of Galway. The author
devotes a major part of the book to the process of recruitment, of
the appeal to fight for King and Country, and to defend the honour
of small nations. The campaign was not confined to the men of
Galway, as every woman was asked to persuade her "best boy" to join
the army or navy. The conflict between nationalists and those who
followed John Redmond, and the political implications of
conscription are well documented, but perhaps the most telling part
of the narrative is contained in the letters and reports from the
front; those from superior officers consoling bereaved parents with
the 'glorious' death of their sons now have a hollow ring. Two of
the letters were sent by Walter Macken, the father of the author,
who was killed in action in March 1916.
While focusing on the major battles of the war in which the
Irish regiments were involved, the Somme, Ypres, Neuve Chappelle and
Gallipoli, Henry does not forget those at home. A chapter is devoted
to the increase in employment when munitions factories were opened
up in Galway, giving regular employment to women. The author also
deals with the many fundraising efforts that were begun to send
'comforts' to the troops overseas, and the welcome given to a group
of Belgian refugees who arrived in Galway in 1914.
"Galway and the Great War" succeeds in reducing to the local
a global conflict, without belittling the horror or its impact on
the lives of all those who lived through "the war to end all wars".
(Mercer Press, ISBN 1-85635-524-1, pp134, EU20.00)
___________________________________________________________
Should Have Got Off at Sydney Parade =96 Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
Having not read any of O'Carroll-Kelly's previous books (as
told to Paul Howard), I was not entirely certain as to what to
expect from the latest offering. Initially I found the language
difficult, with the distortion of the vowels to emulate the Dublin 4
"Dart" accent, not to mention the rather convoluted rhyming slang.
And several times I almost gave up but would then come across a gem
of humour which prompted me to persevere. The first of these was
Fionn's explanation to Ross of the similarities between the
Rastafarians of Jamaica and the denizens of the Northside of Dublin;
explaining how the Rastafarians looked on Haile Selassie as the
Messiah he tells Ross, "So who is the equivalent for Dublin Scobies?
... Joe Higgins TD, obviously". As the book progressed the "gems"
increased so that it was possible to be carried along by the story
despite the occasional difficulties in comprehension.
The cast of characters includes Ross' long-suffering wife
Sorcha whose pregnancy is an integral part of this story; the
Northside "skobie" Marty, who becomes the subject of a PhD and
through whom the vast gulf between Dublin 4 and those living north
of the Liffey is explored; he, however, has the last laugh on Ross
and his friends; the incredible Ronan, Ross' eight-year-old son who,
though he lives with his mother on the Northside, attends Ross' old
school; and Oisinn, a friend who has conceived an interesting line
in new perfumes. The sheer lunacy of the plot keeps the narrative
flowing, from the arrest in Paris of the Nazi-inspired principal Fr
Fehily to Sorcha's scheming and Ross-hating granny, who masters
modern technology in a bid to prove that Ross is unfaithful. But
throughout all the womanising, the verbal abuse of his father and
the obsessions with rugby past and present there is a growing
feeling that Ross might just be on the verge of the tiniest bit of
maturity, and it will be interesting to see where the self-obsessed
woman chaser goes from here.
(Penguin Ireland, ISBN 1-844-88091-5, EU14.99)
_______________________________________
The Blackbird's Nest =96 ed. Frank Ormsby
This collection of poetry by poets who are graduates of or
who are in some way connected with Queen's University Belfast has
been published in association with the Seamus Heaney Centre for
Poetry, and the Nobel Laureate has provided the foreword to the
volume. Philip Hobsbaum, who lectured in English at Queen's, is
remembered for his establishment of the Belfast Group of young poets
in the 1960s, and many of these are among the contributors. Works
by Seamus Heaney, Joan Newmann, Stewart Parker, Medbh McGuckian and
Paul Muldoon are among those featured, as are Cathal O Searcaigh and
Ciaran Carson; the latter, who was the first director of the Centre
for Poetry, provides the afterword to the volume. This is a
wonderful selection and representation of the development of
Northern poetry over the last century and in particular the
important role played by Queen's University.
(Blackstaff Press, ISBN 0-85640-796-8, pp152, Stg9.99)
________________________
Kate - Siobhan Parkinson
"Kate" is not just a story of a young girl's ambition to be
an Irish dancer, for it includes the realities of life as
experienced by a young girl growing up in the Liberties' area of
Dublin in the 1930s. The extended family comes to the fore when
Kate's mother becomes sick, with her young Aunt Polly coming to the
rescue in a number of guises. The author has achieved an authentic
depiction of life in a much poorer Dublin, a life influenced by the
Church and by faith, and a life in which it is sometimes necessary
to make compromises. She has also included in the narrative
valuable lessons in self-worth which act as an antidote to today's
almost epidemic bullying in schools.
(O'Brien Press, ISBN 0-86278-993-1, pp158, EU7.95)
_____________________________
A Sloping Meadow =96 Sean Crowe
Sean Crowe's story of Tom and Kate, set in the rich farming
country of County Tipperary, is itself rich in detail of the
minutiae of life in mid-twentieth century Ireland. The 'good safe
job', life in a boarding house for the single man, the problems of
alcoholism and the alienation caused by forced emigration all
feature in this tale of love and infidelity. The details, however,
tend to distract the reader from the main thrust of the story which
is the traditional one of love found, love lost and love regained.
The author has, nonetheless, provided a sufficient number of
interesting twists and turns in the narrative to hold the reader's
attention, a series of mostly credibly characters, and a story that
reflects the unchanging nature of the human condition.
(Trafford, ISBN 141208365-6, pp356, EU16.50)
___________________________________________________________________
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Admiral William Brown =96 Marcos Aguinis, translated by Bill Tyson
It is a fact that until the recent unveiling of a statue of
Admiral William Brown at Sir John Rogerson's Quay in Dublin, there
was only one monument in the country, a bust in his home county of
Mayo; and this was a present from Argentina. In contrast there are
some five hundred statues in Argentina, two towns have been named
after him as well as a city and several football clubs. This volume
represents a campaign by J.J. O'Hara, president of the Admiral Brown
Society, to redress the imbalance. The book, related in the present
tense, tells of the emigration of the young William with his father,
his father's subsequent death and William's embarkation on a career
at sea. It was a career that was to culminate in a series of David
and Goliath battles for the liberation of Argentina from the
Spanish, although a career that was also marked by controversy.
Known in Ireland as the founder of the Argentinian navy, Admiral
William Brown is seen as a liberator in South America. Though he
suffered from personal tragedy and from bouts of mental illness, his
courage and integrity were undiminished. The boy from Foxford
devoted his life to the South American continent, where he is still
looked upon as a hero.
(Admiral Brown Society (http://www.admiralbrown.com) ISBN 0-95196-
249-3, EU17.95)
___________________________________
A Guide to Dublin Bay =96 John Givens
John Givens' "Guide to Dublin Bay" is as much a plea for its
conservation and preservation as it is a guide, though as the latter
it does an admirable job. With a starting point of a potted history
of the bay from the first Mesolithic inhabitants to the present day,
he then travels the length and breadth of the bay, visiting each
area and giving an account of its facilities, its good points and
its drawbacks. Givens also tackles a number of different aspects of
the bay, the shipwrecks, the building of the Bull Walls, and the
different leisure facilities on offer. However each account is
peppered with sideswipes at various features =96 he is somewhat
scathing about Clontarf Castle =96 although he is also quick to praise
places that please him, and the amenities of Clontarf Green and St
Anne's Park receive his seal of approval.
Givens avoids any danger of crankiness by writing in a
conversational style and with humour, though he is deadly serious in
his final chapter entitled "The Future of the Bay", in which he sets
out developments that have been proposed and suggests ways forward.
However his final judgement is rather neutralised by an editing
oversight: "Perhaps Dublin has reached the point where preserving
Dublin Bay will become a de-facto stance and greedy pomposity will
illicit (sic) only mockery. Perhaps".
(Liffey Press, ISBN 1-905785-08-9, pp270, EU19.95)
______________________________
A Place To Go =96 Maureen Taylor
Maureen Taylor suffered from a disfiguring and limiting
hereditary disease, a disease which, she was told by a doctor, was
progressive and incurable. In "A Place To Go" she sets out the road
she travelled in meeting the challenge of scleroderma and tells her
story simply and with an underlying humour. Born into a farming
family in Ireland, Maureen's childhood was not a particularly happy
one; her mother was distant, her primary school teacher terrorised
her, and at the first opportunity she emigrated to America, after
having trained as a nurse. It was after her marriage to a widower
and while she had a successful second career in real estate, that
the disease which she realised had afflicted her Uncle James took
hold of her.
Maureen gives an account of the journey on which she then
embarked, combining conventional medicine with whatever alternative
routes seemed to offer some relief, and stresses the support she
received from both practitioners and friends. She also focuses on
the reaction of her husband who had already lost one wife to
illness; he was unable to cope with her deterioration and chose the
path of denial. The marriage eventually broke up though she and Bob
continued to share the same house for a further ten years. All the
therapies, from diet to yoga to herbs to meditation and T'ai Chi
Chih, brought about what her doctor described as a miracle, and all
signs of the illness disappeared. Scleroderma is a little known
disease which attacks the body's connective tissue, and the book has
been written to offer hope to sufferers and their families; in this
I believe it will succeed.
(iUniverse, ISBN 0-595-40530-4, pp124, $13.95)
________________________________________
In the Claws of the Eagle =96 Aubrey Flegg
The third in a trilogy with a unifying theme of a painting,
"In the Claws of the Eagle" is a beautifully told tale of the life
of a young violin prodigy caught up in the 'final solution' of the
Nazi era. In a totally engaging opening chapter we meet the young
Isaac as a three-month-old lying in his pram and trying to gain the
attention of Louise, the subject of the painting. It is the
interaction between Isaac and Louise, an interaction also
experienced by friends of the musician, which gives to the story a
magical quality.
The beauty of the painting, and of the music played by
Isaac, is placed in sharp contrast with the horrors of Kristelnacht,
the fate of Isaac's family and his own time in a concentration camp.
The period is placed in an interesting perspective by Louise, who
has seen more than enough war and conflict in the two hundred years
since her portrait was painted in Holland, and who also understands
the heartbreak of lost love. The plunder of European art by the
Germans, the establishment of a camp for musicians who were allowed
to practise their art in a limited way, and the way in which young
people were willingly recruited into the Nazi machine are all
covered in this absorbing book for teenagers; it will appeal equally
to adults.
(O'Brien Press, ISBN 0-86278-827-7, pp278, EU9.95)
___________________________________
In the Bestsellers but not reviewed
Of books mentioned in the Bestsellers list which we have not
featured, "My Fabulous Divorce" and "Exclusive" are the latest
novels from Clare Dowling and Andrew O'Connor respectively; "Every
Single Ball: The Brian Corcoran Story" is an account of his sporting
career by the Cork hurler, with Kieran Shannon; and "Party Animals"
is Olivia O'Leary's continuation of her look at politicians in
general and party leaders in particular.
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____GENERAL NEWS
__________________________________________________________
Launch of second edition of poetry publication in Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council's Arts Office has announced the
launch of the second edition of Rhyme Rag, a poetry publication
featuring the work of young Kilkenny writers aged between 12 and 21
years. Close to 250 poems by 218 young people, with little or no
previous writing experience, were submitted for inclusion in edition
two of the Rhyme Rag, and 31 poems were selected. This year's Rhyme
Rag, edited by Rosemary Canavan, takes the form of a comic book,
with the illustration being undertaken by artist Ale Mercado.
_______________________________
Glen Dimplex New Writers Awards
The winners of the Glen Dimplex New Writers Awards, run in
association with the Irish Writers' Centre, were announced at the
beginning of the month. The Glen Dimplex New Writer of the Year
2006 is Alice Hogge for her historical work "God's Secret Agents",
which also received the Biography/Non-fiction Award; Philip O
Ceallaigh took the Fiction Award for his novel "Notes from a Turkish
Whorehouse"; the Award for Poetry went to Iggy McGovern for "The
King of Suburbia"; Stephen Davies was awarded the Children's Book
Award for "Sophie and the Albino Camel"; and Philip Cummins received
the Duais teanga na Gaeilge Glen Dimplex award for "Nealta".
___________________________________
Two Irish authors in IMPAC longlist
Among the 138 novels included in the longlist for the 2007
International IMPAC Literary Award are two Irish authors. John
Banville receives a nomination for "The Sea", while "A Long Long
Way" by Sebastian Barry is also among the chosen titles. The full
list may be seen at http://www.impacdublinaward.ie and the winner
will be announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin in June, 2007.
__________________________________________
Manuscript marks Bishop Doherty's centenary
The centenary of the death of Bishop John Keys O'Doherty,
which falls next year, will be marked by the publication of a
manuscript researched by Derry-born Rev. Bernard J. Canning of St
Thomas's Presbytery, Main Street, Neilston, Glasgow. Bishop
O'Doherty was the first and last native of Derry City to become
Bishop of Derry, according to Fr Canning.
_______________________________
Launch of new poetry collection
Colette Nic Aodha's new collection of poetry, "Between
Curses - Bainne Gear" was launched by writer Mike McCormack in
Galway during the month. "Between Curses - Bainne Gear" is a new
departure in Irish poetry publishing, being a dual language
collection which doesn't consist of translations.
________________________________
McGrath's book wins sports award
"Back from the Brink", the autobiography of footballer Paul
McGrath, has been named as the inaugural winner of the William Hill
Irish Sports Book of the Year. Written with the assistance of Irish
Independent journalist Vincent Hogan, it is published by Century
Press.
________________________________________
Award nomination for Irish-American book
"It May Be Forever =96 An Irish Rebel on the American
Frontier" by David M. Quinn has been named as a finalist in the
historical fiction category by USABOOKNEWS.COM. See
http://www.emigrant.ie/article.asp?iCategoryID=3D49&iArticleID=3D56376
for a review.
_________________________________________
Sonia O'Sullivan launches Guide Dogs book
In Galway during November Sonia O'Sullivan was on hand to
launch the 30th anniversary book of the Irish Guide Dogs for the
Blind. "Independence" is a collection of interviews, conducted by
Caroline O'Doherty, with people who have supported the organisation,
have used its services or have been an integral part of the IGDB.
__________________________________
Author seeks Black and Tan stories
John Waller, author of "Irish Flames"
(http://www.emigrant.ie/article.asp?iCategoryID=3D48&iArticleID=3D58951)
is collecting stories on the Black and Tans and will, in time,
publish them as "A People's History". If you have a story of the
end of British rule in Ireland please email him on
mailto:blackandtanstory@aol.com or send it to Yiannis Books, 101
Strawberry Vale, Twickenham, TW1 4SJ, UK.
____________________________
Book Club Festival for Ennis
Book lovers from across Ireland and Britain have been
invited to take part in the inaugural Ennis Book Club Festival in
Ennis, Co. Clare from March 2-4 2007. The event, which is being
supported by Clare County Library, will be a social and
literary gathering to bring together some of the 150 Library Book
Clubs and 300 Private Book Clubs that exist nationwide. See
http://www.ennisbookclubfestival.com for further details.
____________________________________________
Minister donates books to Vietnamese library
Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources
Noel Dempsey has presented 160 books of Irish interest to the
National Library of Vietnam. The books will form part of a wider
exhibition of European Union literature which will take place in the
National Library in Hanoi from December 4. Mr Dempsey, who
presented the books to the library's director, Mr Pham The Khang,
was in Hanoi to attend the AASEM ICT Summit.
_______________________________________________________
Other newly published books not featured in the review:
- "A Gaelic Experiment: The Preparatory System 1926-1961 and
Colaiste
Moibhi" =96 Valerie Jones (ISBN 905094-01-9
- "Causes for Concern: Irish Politics, Culture and Society" =96
Michael
D. Higgins (ISBN 1905483090)
- "The Yellow Nib Volume 2" =96 Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry
(ISBN 0-85640-791-7)
- "The Sheep Breeders Dance" =96 Aine Greaney (ISBN 1-886-226-11-3)
- "The Gentle Art of Rotting" =96 Ross Hattaway (ISBN 0-9552757-4-1)
- "Parsons Bookshop" =96 Brendan Lynch (ISBN 1-905785-11-9)
- "New Hibernia Review" =96 ed. Thomas Dillon Redshaw" (ISSN 1092-
3977)
___________________________________________________________________
BookView Ireland/Irish Emigrant Publications
Editor: Pauline Ferrie
a: Unit 4, Campus Innovation Centre, Upper Newcastle, Galway,
Ireland,
t: +353 (0)91 569158
e: ferrie@emigrant.ie
w: http://www.IrishEmigrant.com
___________________________________________________________________
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Sydney ,referred by the local Aborigines as "Warrane",has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years.50,000 year old grindstones been found in the area recently, predating any previous finds worldwide...read more
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