Read Ireland Book Review
Issue 212
Roger Casement in Death, Or Haunting the Free State by W.J. McCormack
Paperback; 21.50 Euro / 25.00 USD / 18.50 UK; UCD Press, 240 pages [Add To Basket]
Forensic tests commissioned in 2001 by W.J. Mc Cormack on the so-called 'black diaries' of Roger Casement have confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt that they were indeed written by Casement, and not forged by British intelligence, either in part or wholly. How then did the idea take hold that the diaries were bogus? This book provides a fascinating answer. The story is centred on W.J. Moloney, whose 1936 book, 'The Forged Casement Diaries', brought the topic to the attention of the Irish public. Mc Cormack raises questions about intelligence work, archival engineering, IRA unofficial action, and Nazi propaganda. He reveals an Irish-American campaign to influence the domestic politics of the Irish Free State, and sheds new light on such figures as Eamon de Valera and W.B. Yeats, as well as on a cast of colourful bit players. A final chapter explores the 'economies of writing' practised by Casement in keeping his private diaries. This is an important book for anyone interested in Irish history.
Irish Folk and Fairy Tales edited by Gordon Jarvie
Paperback; 9.00 Euro / 10.00 USD / 8.00 UK; Blackstaff Press, 254 pages [Add To Basket]
Emerging from a people with an absolute belief in 'the little folk', the fairy tales of Ireland are part of one of the richest folk literatures in the world. In this wonderful collection of stories by writers like Carleton, Yeats and Lady Wilde, a legion of fairy folk - giants, leprechauns, witches and mermaids - help, hinder, charm and terrify their mortal neighbours. Much-loved tales include the story of the farmer who offends the fairies by building on their dancing ground, the king who loses his wife in a chess game and the smith who learns his skill at working brass and iron during his seven-year apprenticeship to the Giant Mahon MacMahon. The heroes and saints of the Celtic sagas are here as well, in beautifully written versions of the old bardic stories of Finn, Deirdre, Cucuhulain and Brigid
The Quiet Man by Luke Gibbons
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 11.00 USD / 9.00 UK; Cork University Press, 121 pages [Add To Basket]
John Ford's 'The Quiet Man' (1952) is the most popular cinematic representation of Ireland, and one of Hollywood's classic romantic comedies. For some viewers and critics the film is a powerful evocation of romantic Ireland and the search for home; for others, it is a showcase for the worst stereotypes of stage-Irishry. Much of Irish cinema since the development of an indigenous film industry in the 1980s has set its face firmly against these mythical images of Ireland, but no film has yet attained the enduring appeal of 'The Quiet Man'. In this radical reappraisal of Ford's Oscar-winning film, the author traces its development from Maurice Walsh's original story (1933), and argues that its romantic excesses are a symptom of much darker undercurrents in the literary text. Moreover, the author ably demonstrates how the film, rather than indulging in escapism, actually questions its own romantic illusions and the dream of returning to an Irish paradise lost.
Snow at the Opera House by Liz McSkeane
Paperback; 10.00 Euro / 11.00 USD / 9.00 UK; New Island, 64 pages [Add To Basket]
Liz McSkeane's debut collection of poems introduces a new voice to Irish poetry that is probing, incisive, at times playful and always deeply original. Paring away all that is superfluous, McSkeane skillfully distils moments of personal experience down to their essential core, often richly imbued with universal resonances. Her subtle tapestry gradually expands to examine the hidden tensions behind the social and historical landscape of our times. Whether rooted in Dublin's Botanic Gardens or in the real or imaginary landscapes of Europe, or delving into the lives of Zola and Franz Liszt, the poet is both innocent and knowing, present and absent, as she creates these remarkable fables. In exploring the tension between the differing definitions of freedom, the gulf between personal and public experience, and the complexities of human identity, McSkeane has created a deeply open and accessible poetry that resonates in the purest sense. This is a work of a complex and challenging imagination.
Old Woman of Irish Blood by Pat Andrus
Paperback; 12.00 Euro / 13.00 USD / 11.00 UK; Open Hand Publishing, 80 pages [Add To Basket]
Clean, crisp, and without poetic excess, this collection of poems, lush with imagery from the natural world, explores the mysterious roots of the writer's artistry, gender and Celtic ancestry. Fiercely feminine and passionate, the poet traverses a tumultuous journey to discover the great freedom and power of self-awareness. This book reflects the author's Irish-American heritage and has the ring of early Irish poetry.
A Conversation Piece: Poetry and Art edited by Adrian Rice and Angela Reid
Paperback; 25.00 Euro / 28.50 USD . 21.50 UK; Abbey Press, 158 pages, with colour illustrations throughout [Add To Basket]
This book is a major new anthology featuring fifty poems based on fifty artworks (all reproduced in full colour) from the collection of the Ulster Museum in Belfast. Poets and artists include: Seamus Heaney, Barrie Cooke, Derek Mahon, William Scott, Michael Longley, Gerard Dillon, Brendan Kennelly, Sir John Lavery, Paul Muldoon, Tony O'Malley, Tom Paulin, Jack Butler Yeats, John Montague and Patrick Scott.
The Big Fight: Muhammad Ali vs. Al 'Blue' Lewis, Croke Park, Dublin July 19th, 1972 by Dave Hannigan
Paperback; 15.00 Euro / 17.50 USD / 12.50 UK; Yellow Jersey Press, 178 pages, with b/w photo insert [Add To Basket]
On July 19, 1972, it took Muhammad Ali 11 rounds to defeat Al 'Blue' Lewis at Croke Park, Dublin. A mere footnote in the larger Ali story, this fight against a game ex-convict from Detroit marked the culmination of an extraordinary week in Ireland's sporting and cultural history. From the moment the world's most charismatic athlete touched down at Dublin Airport and announced his maternal great-grandfather Abe Grady had emigrated from County Clare more than a century before, the country was in his thrall and, of course - being Ali - he loved it. It was to be a most extraordinary week for both him and the people he met. Ali was both charming and charmed by those who came to pay homage - among them, the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, civil rights campaigner Bernadette Devlin, Oscar-winning director, John Huston, actor Peter O'Toole and an old lady who invited him into her house for a cup of tea. Through interviews with dozens of those whose paths Ali crossed and many centrally involved in the planning and promotion of the event, the author has knitted together an enthralling narrative about one incredible boxer and the remarkable impact of his visit on the country of his ancestors.
Ogulla Well by Conan Kennedy
Paperback; 13.00 Euro / 14.50 USD / 11.50 UK; Morrigan, 364 pages [Add To Basket]
Based on actual historical events, this novel is the story of Eithne and Fidelma, two high born women on Tara. They vanished in the wild parts of the country in the west. An official is sent to find out what happened to hem. This is his journey.
The Quiet Man and Other Stories by Maurice Walsh
Paperback; 10.95 Euro / 12.50 USD / 9.50 UK; Appletree Press, 240 pages [Add To Basket]
In the 1930s Irish novelist Maurice Walsh placed the moors and mountains of north Kerry firmly on the map of the Irish literary landscape with this celebrated collection of stories. Since then, readers have continued to be charmed by his accounts of the simple and common activities of his characters in rural Ireland.
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