Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 109
History
Civil War in Ulster by Joseph Johnston (Paperback; 13.95 IEP / 20.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book, originally published in 1913, analyses the events leading up to the massive arming of the Orangemen which followed the Larne gunrunning. Joseph Johnston, an Ulster Protestant writing as a Liberal supporter of Home Rule, debunks the supposed dangers to Protestantism, analyses the role of Church and State in various European countries and exposes how the people of Ulster were used as pawns in the armed Tory conspiracy to undermine the then Liberal government. He gives the book's target Protestant readership an outline of recent Irish history, making the case that Home Rule had many positive features, and that none of the perceived negative features would be worth fighting a civil war to avoid. Although Johnston's objective in writing the book was unsuccessful and the point of view has been largely forgotten, his highly readable book provides a fascinating insight into the thoughts and fears of the population of Ulster at a critical time in Irish history.
Irish Act of Union by Patrick Geoghegan (Hardback; 19.99 IEP / 27.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
The Act of Union has dominated Irish history for almost two centuries. Symbolically, it is the defining event of modern Ireland, a focal point for the swirling issues of nationalism and political identity. The union of Great Britain and Ireland was a genuine if flawed attempt to create a new Anglo-Irish relationship. It failed because of the protracted circumstances of its birth, the corruption that accompanied its passing and the inability of Pitt's government to carry Catholic emancipation with it. This book examines two key areas which although inextricably linked have previously been separated by historians: the passage of the Act of Union and the resignation of Pitt in 1801. Uniquely, the author argues that the two events are part of the same story.
Frank Henderson's Easter Rising: Recollections of a Dublin Volunteer edited by Michael Hopkinson (Paperback; 8.95 IEP / 13.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
Frank Henderson, who became Commandant of the Second Battalion of Dublin's Irish Volunteers, was brought up in Fairview, an inner northside suburb of Dublin. Both parents had imbibed Fenian sentiments in Manchester, although the Henderson line had Scottish, Protestant and even Orange antecedents. In a family memoir originally in Irish, Frank Henderson reveals the influence of his parents and the Christian Brothers in moulding his militancy and pride in Irish culture. His second memoir related the wartime growth of the Irish Volunteers, Henderson's contacts with leaders such as Pearse and de Valera, and his experiences in, on and beyond the General Post Office. Equally fascinating is his account of internment in Stafford and Frongoch. The editor surveys Henderson's subsequent involvement in armed resistance against Britain and later the Irish Free State. The publication of these recollections will illuminate the mentality and outlook of the revolutionary generation.
The 1916 Proclamation by John O'Connor (Paperback; 5.99 IEP / 8.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, the tricolour flag was hoisted over the General Post Office. Shortly after noon Padraig Pearse, standing beneath the high portico, read the Proclamation publicly proclaiming Ireland a republic and a sovereign independent state. In this classic book, first published in 1986 and recently updated, the author recounts the birth of this historic document which was to become one of the cornerstones of the new state.
Ireland in the 1930s edited by Joost Augusteijn (Paperback; 12.50 IEP / 18.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
The history of independent Ireland and in particular the somewhat shadowy period of the inter-war years has so far mainly been dealt with in a general manner. Much of the existing work has concentrated on the constitutional relationship between Ireland and Britain. This volume brings together some of the wealth of exciting research on the 1930s which has been done in recent years. Contents include chapters on: Holy crosses, guns and roses: themes in popular reading material; Cultural imperatives: the Irish language revival and the education system; Root them in the land: cottage schemes for agricultural labourers; Dr. Dorothy Price and the elimination of childhood tuberculosis; Ireland, the pope and vocationalism; General O'Duffy, the National Corporate Party and the Irish Brigade.
Irish Prehistory: A Social Perspective by Gabriel Cooney and Eoin Grogan (14.95 IEP / 21.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book is an important study of the process of social change in the prehistoric period. It pulls together the links between different kinds of archaeological evidence and data, and analyses the major social transitions that occurred, resulting in the dramatic changes that were a feature of Irish society over the course of prehistory.
Prelude to Restoration in Ireland: End of the Commonwealth, 1659 -1660 by Aidan Clarke (Hardback; 45.00 IEP / 65.00USD) [Add To Basket]
This study fills a major gap in the mainstream narrative of Irish history by reconstructing political developments in the year before the restoration of Charles II. It is the first treatment of the complex Irish dimension of the king's return. The issue of the monarchy did not stand alone in Ireland. Entangled with it was the question of how the restoration of the old regime would affect a Protestant colonial community which had changed in character and fortune as a result of the Cromwellian conquest, the immigration that had accompanied it, and the massive transfer of land that followed. As the return of Charles became increasingly probably, Cromwellian and pre-Cromwellian settlers were united in their determination to ensure that the restoration of Charles did not deprive them of their gains. This account discloses how the leaders of the Protestant establishment protected its interests by managing the transition back to monarchy.
Irish Men and Women in the Second World War by Richard Doherty (19.95 IEP / 27.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
Almost all the Irish men and women who took part in World War Two were volunteers - the greater proportion of them from the Irish Free State, a country that was officially neutral. Using personal interviews and memoirs, the author provides a vivid account of their experiences. This is what the war was like for those who won decoration and also for the unsung heroes, men and women, service personnel, medics, chaplains, and nurses.
A New Day Dawning: A Portrait of Ireland in 1900 by Daniel Mulhall (Hardback; 19.99 IEP / 27.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book describes the political and cultural ferment that gripped Ireland the last time a century turned. Based on contemporary books and newspaper sources, and copiously illustrated with photographs from the period, this book offers a stark insight into the conditions that prevailed in the Ireland on 1900. There is an account of the crimes that captured public attention at a time when urban and rural poverty were rife, the emigrant ship remained a common experience and the workhouse often provided a last refuge for the poor and the old. Readers are offered an opportunity to contrast Ireland's plight with its current situation. A final chapter draws conclusions about Ireland's advancement during the twentieth century.
A Candle in the Window: A History of the Barony of Castleknock by Jim Lacey (Paperback; 9.99 IEP / 13.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
The Barony of Castleknock lies six miles from Dublin on the Navan Road. Its first castle was built by the Norman Hugh Tyrell but it was the rallying point for the forces of the last High King of Ireland, Rory O'Connor, in his vain attempt to drive the Gall from the village of Dublin in 1171. And that was only the beginning. The author's family has lived in the area for four generations. His sparkling text is enhanced by the photographs and paintings of the local parish priest, Father Eugene Kennedy. The story of the unquenchable candle of the title is one of many fascinating tales from the area. His coverage is extensive, taking in Luttrellstown, Porterstown, Coolmine, Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown, Dunsink, Cabra, Ashtown, Chapelizod, Clonsilla, Corduff and Phoenix Park.
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