Read Ireland Book News - Issue 37
<-- [Back To Main Menu] Gaff Topsails by Patrick Kavanagh (hardback; 19.10 IRP / 28.65 USD) [Add To Basket]
Set in Newfoundland, this marvelous story of an Irish Catholic community largely takes place on Midsummer's Day 1948. Yet in the breadth of its imaginative sweep it encompasses the events, both great and small, since the founding of the parish in the fifteenth century.
Father MacMurrough, newly arrived and in fear of the Devil, reflects on a failed love-affair. Young mute Michael Barron falls in love and is puzzled by the way that his life - like the tremendous iceberg he explores - becomes fraught with danger. His pious younger brother, Kevin, is terrorized by mysterious whispering monsters. Adolescent dreamer Mary invokes the pagan aspect of Midsummer. A woman sitting alone on a rooftop spends her waking hours on watch for the return of her fisherman-husband. Meanwhile old Johnny, the mad lighthouse-keeper, remains haunted by a horrifying experience - when his deceit saved others from a terrible death. Behind all these looms the founding father of the village, a castaway, the son of a monk in flight from an Irish famine, whose spirit still affects every soul in the community.
Irish Family Names Map (map; 4.10 IRP / 6.30 USD) [Add To Basket]
This colourful pictorial map illustrates the medieval coats of arms of Ireland's principal families, and shows the location of their lands from the 14th century to the 17th century, following the Anglo-Norman invasion.
The Irish in America narrated by Colm Meany (4 cassette tapes; 17.99 IRP / 25.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
On the 150th anniversary of the Irish Famine which sparked the wave of emigration that forever changed the face of Ireland and shaped the course of American history, these tapes celebrate the comprehensive and vibrant history. Through illuminating essays and contributions from noted Irish American personalities, the audiobook paints a vivid picture of the Irish experience in the United States of America.
This history is told through selections whose themes are taken from the most important institutions of Irish life: the Parish, the Precinct, the Work, the Players and the Family. The Irish identity in America is captured through the personal stories of families, workers, local churches, entertainers and many others, culminating in an unusually moving and modulated social, cultural, and political history of Irish Americans.
Contains essays written and read by Frank McCourt, Pete Hamill, Dennis Duggan, MaryHiggins Clark, Malachy McCourt, Peggy Noonan, and Roy and Patty Disney.
Celtic Designs: CD-ROM and Book (paperback with CD-ROM; 9.95 IRP / 15.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
Artists and craftspeople who want to enhance their projects with the magic of Celtic design will welcome this treasury of attractive motifs. The clip-art set contains one CD-ROM with 96 high-quality, black-and-white graphics scanned at 600 dpi and saved in six different formats. Also includes a large format book with every image on the CD-ROM printed large and clearly on one side of the page only for easy reference and direct cut-and-paste use. Designs are copyright-free featuring the sinuous interlacements, stylized mythical creatures, abstracts, geometrics and other elements that give Celtic art its distinctive look.
Celtic Mythology by Simon Goodenough (hardback; 7.90 IRP / 12.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
The myths and legends of the ancient Celts have fascinated and enthralled succesive generations for more than 2000 years. For centuries, these enchanting tales of magic, monsters, heroes, and villains were handed down by word of mouth, often changing in the repeated tellings. Then, in the middle ages, Christian monks, long intrigued by the stories they had heard, began to write them down in manuscript form, thus preserving these fascinating accounts forever.
The very word Celtic conjures up a mysterious world of Druids and their strange rituals, great warriors, star-crossed lovers, witches and warlocks, poets and musicians. This book brings together some of the best known myths and legends from the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and parts of mainland Europe. They include the saga of the mighty warriors, Cu Cuchlainn, the Hound of Ulster; Deidre and the Sorrows; the battle furies; the Prince of Dyfed' Tristan and Isolt; and Celtic versons of the Arthurian legend.
The myths and legends of the Celts come alive on the pages of this beautifully-illustrated volume. A complete history of Celtic lore is highlighted with over 100 colour and archival images, vibrantly capturing the history and drama of this mysterious, ancient civilisation.
Ireland at a Glimpse 1998 edition (paperback; 7.50 IRP / 11.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
This pocket-fitting guide gives visitors numerous ideas on how to enjoy their stay, and also enables them to save a great deal of money by providing special reduction coupons on admissions to over 100 attractions including castles, museums, historic houses, heritage and visitor centres, railways and trams, parks and gardens, caves and bear pits, interpretative centres, pottery and linen centres, aquariums, distilleries, zoo and nature reserves, and animal farms.
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