Read Ireland Book News
Issue 99
Defending Ireland: The Irish State and Its Enemies Since 1922 by Eunan O'Halpin (Hardback; 30.00 IEP / 42.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
This fascinating and original book is the first to analyse the evolution of internal security and external defence policy and practice in Ireland from independence to the present day. The author begins by examining the very limited concepts of external defence understood by the first generation of Irish leaders and the impact that has had on the defence forces. He explores the state's defence and security relations with Britain and the United States and, drawing extensively on newly released records, he deals authoritatively with the problems of subversion, espionage, counterintelligence and codebreaking during the Second World War. In conclusion, the book analyses significant post-Second World War developments including anti-communist co-operation with Western powers, the emergence of the United Nations service as a key element of Irish foreign and defence policy, the state's response to the Northern Ireland crisis since 1969, and Ireland's difficulties in addressing the collective security dilemmas facing the European Union. It is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the development of independent Ireland since 1922.
The Spy in the Castle by David Neligan (Paperback; 10.00 IEP / 14.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
David Neligan, a native of Templeglantine, Co. Limerick, was recruited by Michael Collins to act as a spy with G Division's political branch (secret political police) base in Dublin Castle - the heart of the British intelligence system in Ireland. The precarious role placed him in the centre of crucial events and brought him into contact with key individuals from both side of the conflict. Despite living with the constant threat of discovery, Neligan nevertheless succeeded in providing Michael Collins with a stream of invaluable information. A genius in the 'grey' world of intelligence, Neligan would go on to build a controversial career that included Director of Intelligence for the National Army during the Irish Civil War and later serving as Head of Special Branch of the Garda Siochana (Irish Police). This book is his frank account of his extraordinary experiences which was originally published in 1968.
The Burning of Bridget Cleary: A True Story by Angela Bourke (Paperback; 12.00 IEP / 17.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
In 1895 twenty-six year-old Bridget Cleary disappeared from her house in rural Tipperary. At first, some said that the fairies had taken her into their stronghold in a nearby hill, from where she would emerge, riding a white horse. But then her badly burned body was found in a shallow grave. Her husband, father, aunt and four cousins were arrested and charged, while newspapers in nearby Clonmel, and then in Dublin, Cork and London attempted to make sense of what happened. In this lurid and fascinating book, we witness the collision of town and country, of storytelling and science, of old and new. The torture and burning of Bridget Cleary caused a sensation in 1895 which continues to reverberate more than a hundred years later.
Erin's Royal Blood: Dynasties of Ireland by Peter Berresford Ellis (Hardback; 20.00 IEP / 26.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book charts for the first time the amazing history of the survival of the royal Gaelic dynasties of Ireland, acknowledged to be amongst the most ancient in Europe. In 1541 there were some sixty prominent native Irish kings, dukes, counts, barons and other peers, collectively called 'Chiefs' by the English. Henry VIII, the first English king to proclaim himself 'King of Ireland', demanded that they exchange their titles for English earldoms swearing allegiance to him. In the ensuing Tudor Wars of Conquest few of those sixty Gaelic aristocrats survived. Today, only nineteen families maintain their ancient titles and are given 'courtesy recognition' by the Irish state. They live in Ireland and England, but also in Spain, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Australia and the United States of America. They still meet regularly in Ireland and play an active part in Irish cultural life. This book elucidates their extraordinary histories, the struggle for survival and their current lifestyles. With the full co-operation and approval of the families, the author is able to give not only the history but also a unique picture of the Gaelic aristocracy's role in today's world including their relationship to the modern republic.
A U.S. Spy in Ireland by Martin Quigley (Paperback; 9.99 IEP / 13.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
During World War II the United States sent several intelligence agents to Ireland, including the head of the whole operation, William J. Donovan. Three were sent undercover: two were promptly uncovered by the Irish government. The third, Martin S. Quigley, retained his cover in Ireland during the whole of his star in 1943. His job was to check out the beliefs that existed abroad about Irish neutrality and to corroborate or reject what previous agents had found. Several hundred pages of documents relating to Quigley's secret work in Ireland were declassified in 1997 and he decided to compile this book because his assessment of the Irish position was unhelpful to the Allies and was even pro-German. The American Minister, David Gray, was in the anti-de Valera camp. Quigley found that the Irish government, far from being pro-German, tacitly supported the Allied position while finding it politic to maintain the semblance of neutrality. Quigley's reports, reproduced in this volume, provide fascinating insights into the Ireland of 1943. It is the author`s hope that this book will dispel some of the myths that surround Irish neutrality.
Political Issues in Ireland Today 2nd ed edited by Neil Collins (Paperback; 15.50 IEP / 21.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This volume covers a wide range of policy areas in the Republic and Northern Ireland. It fills a major gap in the academic literature on Irish politics, providing readers with a comprehensive introduction to the issues dominating Irish political debates in both parts of Ireland. The book brings together senior political scientists to provide a reliable and up-to-date guide to current developments. These contributors explore Irish politics in a comparative manner, first addressing constitutional matters, and then discussing public policies. This thoroughly revised new edition also analyses the important new areas of corruption and ethics, and the marketing of public services.
Executed: Tom Williams and the IRA by Jim McVeigh (Paperback; 9.50 IEP / 13.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
Tom Williams was one of six IRA volunteers sentenced to death by hanging in 1942. A group of eight, including two women, had mounted a diversionary operation to take the attention away from three Republican parades held in Belfast to celebrate the 1916 Easter Rising. All such parades had been banned under the Stormont regime since the partition of Ireland and the introduction of the Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act of 1922. A police patrol managed to capture the group but not before an exchange of shots which resulted in the death of RUC constable Patrick Murphy. Although only 18 years old, Tom Williams was in charge of the unit and in a controversial statement to police he assumed full responsibility for the shooting. Following a remarkable international reprieve campaign, the colonial Governor of Northern Ireland commuted five of the six death sentences to terms of penal servitude. But the British decided that Tom Williams should hang. Although he is remembered in song, an exhibition and a recent play, his life story has never before appeared in print. The author, himself a republican prisoner, has pieced together a revealing account of the fateful operation and its aftermath. He has been ably assisted by leading Republican Joe Cahill, one of those sentenced to death with Tom Williams.
Irish Politics and the Spanish Civil War by Fearghal McGarry (Paperback; 15.95 IEP / 22.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book examines not only the response of the Irish Free State to the Spanish Civil War, but also tells the story of the military intervention of almost 1000 Irishmen who fought on opposing sides of the war - a story which has been the source of much curiosity and controversy. The political extremism which motivated this exodus is an area of increasing popular and historiographical interest, but these questions have more often been considered in an Irish context rather than as a part of the ideological struggle which gripped Europe in the 1930s. This is an important study which identifies many of the critical preoccupations of 20th century Irish politics. The Irish involvement in one of the pivotal European conflicts of the twentieth century was indicative of the divisions and historical complexity of Ireland itself. Those divisions, although transported momentarily to the European mainland, nevertheless indicate a sophisticated and passionate diversity of opinion during a crucial phase of Irish foreign policy.
Discover the Islands of Ireland by Alex Ritsema (Paperback; 14.99 IEP / 19.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
The islands of Ireland, mainly deserted now, once sustained thriving communities. Their legacy survives in the prehistoric monuments, the monastic sites, the medieval castles, the field patterns and the abandoned dwellings. This book is a superb companion to those beautiful and dramatic locations. Combining detailed research with original photography, this book forms a comprehensive guide to these fascinating and unspoilt locations. It is generously illustrated with maps as well as evocative photographs; it describes all aspects of the islands - landscape, history, wildlife, etc.; and it provides a thorough appreciation of island economies, cultures and people.
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