Read Ireland Book News - Issue 69
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Irish Houses: Eclectic and Unique Interiors by Ianthe Ruthven (Hardback; 19.99 IRP / 29.99 USD) [Add To Basket]
Irish houses have a special, elusive quality often celebrated in literature but rarely captured in photographs. This book explores the moods and perspectives suggested by these houses, reflecting the country's political legacy, economic fortunes and remarkable literary and cultural heritage. The author's evocative photographs capture the fluctuating moods of Irish domestic interiors, from the grand aspirations of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy embodied in Castletown House in County Kildare, to the rustic simplicity of the traditional cottage such as the home on Gola Island and the ancient and romantic Ballinterry in Country Cork. They are accompanied by her absorbing commentary which places the exuberant variety of Irish interior design in its wider historical and social context. (Contains over 200 full colour photographs)
By Swerve of Shore: Exploring Dublin's Coast by Michael Fewer (Hardback; 12.99 IRP / 19.99 USD) [Add To Basket]
As a small boy, the author of this traveller's tale was fascinated by the vastness and power of the ocean, and how the very skeleton of the land was exposed in layers along sea cliffs. His fascination and interest grew over the years, and he longed to explore the coastline by foot. Six years ago, he walked his native Waterford coast, keeping a diary as he went. He found the experience an exhilerating one, and was determined to walk the coast of Dublin where he now lives. Starting at the Meath border, he walked along the entire Dublin coast, finishing up where the Dublin coast meets the Wicklow coast. As he walked, he observed the landmarks, the seashore, the flora and fauna. He found a coast rich in history, topographically diverse, with a mixture of urban and rural landscapes. He recounts his meetings and conversations with local people and other walkers along the way, and records the constant visual surprises that enliven and often shorten journeys. This is a unique book, told with all the enthusiasm and excitement of discovery.
Revolutionary Imperialist: William Smith O'Brien 1803-1864 by Richard Davis (Paperback; 17.95 IRP / 23.99 USD) [Add To Basket]
By 1848 all peaceful means of giving Ireland an equal place within the British Empire seemed exhausted and William Smith O'Brien found himself a reluctant revolutionary generalissimo. An aristocratic Protestant landlord, O'Brien nevertheless commanded unrivalled respect amongst all Irish classes. This scion of an ancient dynasty and tireless campaigner for Catholic Emancipation and Repeal of the Union had advocated a host of improving laws and policies in a parliamentary and political career spanning more than twenty years. Disillusioned by parliament, dismayed at Ireland's imminent disintegration during the Great Famine, and pressured by Young Irelanders of the Irish Confederation, O'Brien strove to reunite with fellow-nationalist loyal to the memory of Daniel O'Connell. The author traces O'Brien's domestic, political and nationalist life, showing that, despite sympathy with British imperialism, he resorted to armed protest to win self-government from Britain without a class or civil war.
The Fenians in Context: Irish Politics and Society 1848-1882 by R.V. Comerford (Paperback; 14.99 IRP / 23.95 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book is an outstanding piece of research, elegantly written, constantly maintaining a delicate balanace between world context and local detail. It is a major contribution to 19th century Irish historiography. The author restores fenianism to its original context and explains it as a product of its own time. He examines Irish politics and society over a period that is often covered very unevenly, and provides the first sustained interpretation of many major political and social developments in the years 1848 to 1882. The result is a new perspective not just on fenianism but on the whole political and social history of mod-Victorian Ireland.
The Lost Theatres of Dublin by Philip Ryan (Paperback; 16.99 IRP / 24.99 USD) [Add To Basket]
The Theatre Royal, The Queen's, the old Abbey, the Capital, Dan Lowry's Music Hall … names that evoke not just a vanished Dublin but an era during which Ireland began to takes its place in the vanguard of both world theatre and popular entertainment. In this book, Richard Brinsley Sheridan jostles with Cecil Sheridan, and the author takes the reader on a fascinating and eclectic journey from the licensing of the first Theatre Royal, in Smock Alley in 1662, through to the restoration of the Olympia in 1977. Along the way he charts the rise of Peg Woffington from Dublin street urchin to thespian superstar, takes a fresh look at W.B. Yeats and the political intrigue at the heart of the Abbey Theatre, considers the value of the 'Fit-Up' as a training ground for performers, and explores Ireland's relationship with ostensibly non-native forms like Pantomine and Music Hall. This book has as its centerpiece the most comprehensive history yet written about the most famous and lamented lost theatre of all, the third Theatre Royal which, before is was demolished in 1962, was a bustling, vibrtant venue in which international stars alternated with homegrown talent. The book is illustrated throughout, often with unique photographs from the estates of the performers and theatre staff.
Irish Theatre Handbook from the Theatre Shop (Paperback; 10.00 IRP / 15.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book is the first comprehensive information guide to the drama and dance scene in Ireland, both North and South. It is the bible of the professional theatre industry and an invaluable resource for Arts Managers and anyone with a professional or general interest in Irish theatre. It contains extensive listings on all theatre companies, venues and festivals; funding opportunities; educational opportunities; numerous companies and individuals who supply services to the industry. It also contains a unique and comprehensive account of all new Irish plays, dance works and operas produced by the professional subsidised sector over the past ten years.
An Age of Innocence: Irish Culture 1930-1960 by Brian Fallon (Hardback; 19.99 IRP / 30.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
Irish life between 1930 and 1960 is normally presented as a sort of cultural wasteland. In a radical re-examination of the period, the author challenges this stereotype and argues that Ireland's cultural and artistic life was vigorous, continuous and fertile. He argues that the effects of literary censorship, while onerous and vexatious, were greatly exaggerated and that they did not have a stultifying effect on the cultural vitality of the country. Despite the censorship, literature flourished and in the visual arts many diverse artists established or consolidated their careers and reputations. In addition, the period saw the establishment of a public broadcasting service and its sponsorship of a national symphony orchestra. And in 1940, the establishment of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies represented a major development in the intellectual life of the nation. The author's provocative and passionate survey of this period rescues it from the cliché-ridden neglect into which it has fallen. This book will prompt a lively reassessment of these important decades in Irish history.
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