Read Ireland Book Reviews
Issue 461
17/18 October 2009
Bertie Ahern: Autobiography
Hardback; Publishers Suggested Retail Price: 25 Euro. Read Ireland Sale Price: 21 Euro / 28 USD / 16 UK; 368 pages
Bertie Ahern, three times Irish Taoiseach, is often described as an enigma. The Old IRA man's son who delivered peace in Northern Ireland. A working class boy responsible for the Celtic Tiger. The man of faith who ushered in progressive, cosmopolitan secular Ireland. An ardent nationalist admired by European leaders. 'I know 25 per cent of Bertie Ahern', said his finance minister, Charlie McCreevy, 'and that's 24 per cent more than anyone else.' Now in this frank and revealing autobiography, Ahern gives his own account of a remarkable political life and the personal story that accompanies it. He shows the cost to his family of a life played out in the public eye and, for the first time, discloses what really happened in his final weeks in power. Here for the first time is the truth behind the man who is Bertie. Ahern has been at the cutting edge of Irish politics for over three decades. He was first elected to Dail Eireann in the Fianna Fail landslide victory in 1977 that saw Jack Lynch returned as Taoiseach. In 1982, Charles Haughey appointed him Government Chief Whip. In volatile political times, he strongly supported Haughey during three challenges to his leadership of Fianna Fail. In 1987, Bertie Ahern received his first cabinet portfolio as Minister for Labour. It was a time when the Irish economy was in crisis. Ireland had a higher debt per head than Ethiopia or Sudan. Unemployment stood at 16%. Ahern negotiated Ireland's first social partnership agreement, which underpinned economic recovery and put in place the foundations for a period of sustained growth. In 1991, he was appointed Minister for Finance. International commentators first began to refer to 'Ireland's Tiger economy' in this period. When Bertie Ahern left the Department of Finance in late 1994, for the first time in almost 30 years, Ireland had a budget surplus. Bertie Ahern succeeded Albert Reynolds as leader of Fianna Fail in November 1994. Following the General Election in 1997, he became Ireland's youngest ever Taoiseach. The Ahern Era was a time of unprecedented progress in Irish society. Over the course of his tenure in office, Ireland's economy out-performed that of every other European country. For the first time ever, the number of people in employment in the State reached 2 million. Working closely with Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, Ahern won widespread acclaim for his perseverance and skill in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement, which has provided the political framework for a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. On the international stage, he was a respected figure who enjoyed an acclaimed Presidency of the European Council in 2004. He presided over the completion of the largest ever expansion of the EU and concluded negotiations on a European constitution. He is one of only five visiting statesmen to have addressed both the United States Congress and the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. At home, Ahern enjoyed phenomenal electoral support. He was the first Taoiseach since 1944 to win three successive General Elections. Bertie Ahern resigned on 6th May, 2008. He had served for ten years, ten months and ten days as Taoiseach.
My Father the General: Richard Mulcahy and the Military History of the Irish Revolution by Ristead Mulcahy
Large Format Paperback; 18 Euro / 24 USD / 13 UK; 264 pages [Add To Basket]
My Father, the General: Richard Mulcahy and the Military History of the Revolution by Risteárd Mulcahy is an in-depth biography of the often controversial and hitherto neglected figure and Free State leader. Featuring rare and unseen material from the family archive, this book is a marvellous insight into the man behind the uniform who played a major role in running the War of Independence. Born in Waterford in 1886, Richard Mulcahy was a member of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Second-in-command to Thomas Ashe during the 1916 Rising, he was interned and on his release became commandant of the Dublin Brigade of the Irish Volunteers. He was elected to the First Dáil in the 1918 general election. In March 1919 he became IRA chief of staff and along with Michael Collins was responsible for directing the military campaign against the British during the War of Independence. Heretofore his role has been overshadowed by the almost exclusive attention to Collins. Mulcahy supported the Treaty and became commander of the Provisional Government's military forces during the subsequent Civil War. His order to execute anti-Treaty activists found carrying guns made him a figure of controversy during the Civil War when a total of 77 anti-Treaty prisoners were executed by the Provisional Government. Despite the Free State government's mandate being renewed in the following election, Mulcahy's perceived severity during the Civil War was later to prove a stumbling block to his elevation as Taoiseach of the first Inter-Party government in 1948. Mulcahy selflessly stepped aside to allow John A. Costello to become Taoiseach of a coalition that, as leader of Fine Gael, Mulcahy had skilfully organised. Drawing on the official Mulcahy archive as well as family and personal recollections and material, My Father, the General is an in-depth portrait of a dedicated and principled patriot, soldier and politician. In to-day's era of cynicism - sometimes justified - towards politicians, Richard Mulcahy's story is characterised almost entirely as the ideal of public service, integrity and commitment to democracy.
The Munster Republic: The Civil War in North Cork by Michael Harrington
Large Format Paperback; 17 Euro / 24 USD / 12 UK; 190 pages
This title follows the course of the Civil War in North Cork, and the crucible of events in 'the Munster Republic'. The fall of Limerick and the Free State victory during the pitched battle at Kilmallock started a new phase of the Civil War. Although the towns of North Cork were occupied by Free State troops, the IRA brigades under officers like Liam Deasy, Tom Barry and Liam Lynch were still active until 15 May 1923 when HQ Cork No. 4 Brigade issued orders warning all officers who failed to obey the ceasefire order that they would face court-martial. This book follows the action that took place in the 'Munster Republic' from the start of the war, including the brief period of Republican ascendancy in the autumn and winter of 1922-23 and assesses the factors that enabled the Free State forces to gradually and generally peacefully take control of North Cork in the spring and early summer of 1923.
The Donegal Awakening: Donegal and the War of Independence by Liam O Duibhir
Large Format Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 15 UK; 350 pages, with an 8-page black-and-white photo insert [Add To Basket]
This book offers a new evaluation of the struggle for Irish Independence in Donegal. In this new book, Liam O Duibhir charts the struggle for independence, both militarily and politically, in Donegal from before the events of Easter 1916 until the truce in 1921. Donegal has long been seen as one of the quietest counties during the War of Independence but this reputation belies an intriguing story of how republican sentiment grew in the county. From the first mention of Sinn Fein, through the conscription crisis and the success of the 1918 elections, O Duibhir charts the rise of the new political leadership in Donegal and how they built their own system of justice and local government. Alongside the practical politics, he also highlights the role of the IRB and the activities of the volunteers in resisting and thwarting the British efforts to retain control and impose order. Featuring new information and a fresh look at events of the period, "The Donegal Awakening" offers an updated account of this crucial period.
Belfast Boys: How Unionists and Nationalists Fought and Died Together in the First World War by Richard S. Grayson
Hardback; 32 Euro / 40 USD / 25 UK; 250 pages [Add To Basket]
This is the compelling story of West Belfast's involvement fighting on the Western Front throughout the First World War. This is the story of men from either side of West Belfast's sectarian divide during the Great War. This dramatic book tells the story of the volunteers of the 36th and 16th divisions who fought on the Somme and side-by-side at Messines. Grayson also brings in forgotten West Belfast men from throughout the armed forces, from the retreat at Mons to the defeat of Germany and life post-war. In so doing, he tells a new story which challenges popular perceptions of the war and explains why remembrance remains so controversial in Belfast today.
Repeal and Revolution: 1848 in Ireland by Christine Kinealy
Large Format Paperback; 25 Euro / 32 USD / 20 UK; 320 pages [Add To Basket]
"Repeal and Revolution. 1848 in Ireland" examines the events that led up to the 1848 rising and examines the reasons for its failure. It places the rising in the context of political changes outside Ireland, especially the links between the Irish nationalists and radicals and republicans in Britain, France and north America. The book concludes that far from being foolish or pathetic, the men and women who led and supported the 1848 rising in Ireland were remarkable, both individually and collectively. 1848 is frequently referred to as 'the year of revolutions': a year when revolutionary fervour spread through most of Europe. It is generally assumed that Ireland was not involved in the political upheavals that were a hallmark of this period. Although a small uprising did take place in Ireland in July 1848, it is widely assumed to have been a 'small and ill-conceived rising'. As soon as it was over, the British Government was characterizing the rising and its leaders as foolish and pathetic. This book argues that despite the failure of the July rising in Ireland, the events that let to it and followed played a crucial part in the development of modern Irish nationalism. Moreover, far from being a feeble challenge to the authority of the British government, for months the authorities were introducing measures to deal with what they perceived to be an enormous challenge: their tactics ranging from swearing in thousands of Special Constables, to jury-packing, to suspending Habeas Corpus.
Ballykilcline Rising: From Famine Ireland to Immigrant America by Mary Lee Dunn
Large Format Paperback; 30 Euro / 38 USD / 24 UK; 220 pages [Add To Basket]
In 1847, in the third year of Ireland s Great Famine and the thirteenth year of their rent strike against the Crown, hundreds of tenant farmers in Ballykilcline, County Roscommon, were evicted by the Queen s agents and shipped to New York. Mary Lee Dunn tells their story in this meticulously researched book. Using numerous Irish and U.S. sources and with descendants help, she traces dozens of the evictees to Rutland, Vermont, as railroads and marble quarries transformed the local economy. She follows the immigrants up to 1870 and learns not only what happened to them but also what light American experience and records cast on their Irish rebellion. Dunn begins with Ireland s pre-Famine social and political landscape as context for the Ballykilcline strike. The tenants had rented earlier from the Mahons of Strokestown, whose former property now houses Ireland s Famine Museum. In 1847, landlord Denis Mahon evicted and sent nearly a thousand tenants to Quebec, where half died before or just after reaching the Grosse Ile quarantine station. Mahon was gunned down months later. His murder provoked an international controversy involving the Vatican. An early suspect in the case was a man from Ballykilcline. In the United States, many of the immigrants resettled in clusters in several locations, including Vermont, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, and New York. In Vermont they found jobs in the marble quarries, but some of them lost their homes again in quarry labor actions after 1859. Others prospered in their new lives. A number of Ballykilcline families who stopped in Rutland later moved west; one had a son kidnapped by Indians in Minnesota. Readers who have Irish Famine roots will gain a sense of their own back story from this account of Ireland and the native Irish, and scholars in the field of immigration studies will find it particularly useful.
Death or Canada: The Irish Famine Migration to Toronto, 1847 by Mark G. McGowan
Paperback with Endflaps; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 16 UK; 166 pages
Large Format Paperback with 8 page full colour photo insert; 12 Euro / 16 USD / 10 UK; 300 pages [Add To Basket]
This important book about the Irish famine of 1847 and its impact on the city of Toronto tells a story that is still relatively unknown to most of Toronto’s citizens. Historian Mark McGowan delves beneath the surface of statistics and brings to light the stories of men and women who had to face a desperate choice: almost certain death from starvation in Ireland, or a perilous sea voyage to a faraway place called Canada.
Cissie’s Abattoir by Eichear Walshe
Paperback; 10 Euro / 14 USD / 7 UK; 150 pages [Add To Basket]
This autobiographical sketch of a child growing up in Waterford in the Ireland of the 1960s and 1970s recounts his personal voyage in parallel with the story of the most entertaining adult in his life, his glamorous grandmother, the abattoir owner Cissie. From childhood to university, from fear to pride and self-confidence, we are presented with the central character s very particular perspective on his hometown, the buildings of his childhood city, his grandmother s abattoir, the Mental Hospital where his father works, and the Folly Church where he serves as an altar boy. As the boy matures things begin to happen and school and college days are thoughtfully evoked. Written as an Irish gay coming-of-age story, this is the story of a city and a self-proclaimed Nancy boy, who emerges into a meaningful and happy existence. But the most important character throughout is the entertaining, fashion-conscious, poker-playing Cissie, his lively and witty little grandmother who taught him by example how to survive and prosper, how to live with style and verve.
Petticoat Rebellion: The Anna Parnell Story by Patricia Groves
Large Format Paperback; 15 Euro / 19 USD / 12 UK; 256 pages [Add To Basket]
This is the captivating story of Charles Stewart Parnell's sister. In the late nineteenth century, before women had the vote, a group of respectable ladies operated outside the law to fight for the rights of the landless poor in Ireland. These women were feared by both the British government and Irish Republicans. They were considered too militant, even by the militants, and because they were women, even the law couldn't stop them. They were the Ladies' Land League, founded in January 1881 by Miss Anna Stewart Parnell. When the male leaders of the original Land League were imprisoned by the British, the Ladies League took over their work. Exploiting loopholes in the law, they soon became more successful than the men, establishing over 400 branches in Ireland. But when Anna started questioning the men's political strategies instead of merely distributing alms, she became a threat to more than the British - she became a threat to the Republican movement itself. There was only one man who could silence her: Her brother, Charles Stewart Parnell. And he did.
Courage & Conflict: Forgotten Stories of the Irish at War by Ian Kenneally
Large Format Paperback; 17 Euro / 22 USD / 12 UK; 374 pages [Add To Basket]
The Irish people have had a long history of emigration and it is no surprise that those emigrants have found themselves involved in wars throughout the world. For many, a career as a soldier was the last hope for a better life and the great armies have always been a home to those on the bottom rungs of society. This book tells some of those stories. Courage and Conflict is based around extraordinary people and events, revolutionaries, inventors, soldiers, sailors and mutineers. Some of these histories are more famous than others, many have been forgotten and some are being told for the first time. This thrilling book tells the story of John Barry, the father of the United States Navy, the brutal tale of the San Patricios, deserters from the US Army who fought for Mexico, the forgotten history of the Irish Battalion of the Papal Army in Italy and the epic history of Irish involvement in the American Civil War, for both the North and the South. Also included within its pages is the story of the Irish soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the tale of the Connaught Rangers Mutiny in India, the story of John Philip Holland and the development of the modern submarine as well the incredible exploits of the British army officer John Henry Patterson in what is modern day Kenya. Courage and Conflict is also the first book to tell the complete story of Dublin s Bloody Sunday. The book is an exciting and eclectic mix that provides a glimpse of the triumphs and the tragedies of the Irish at war.
Hearts & Mines: The British 5th Division, Ireland, 1920-23 by William Sheehan
Large Format Paperback; 15 Euro / 19 USD / 11 UK; 316 pages [Add To Basket]
The 5th Division has fought in almost every theatre of every war since its formation in 1906. It suffered considerable casualties in the First World War and few lived to serve in Ireland. It remains in service today, based in Shropshire. During the Irish War of Independence it controlled most of Central and Western Ireland. This book, the third in a trilogy based on primary sources, makes available for the first time the history of the 5th Division in Ireland from 1920 to 1921, their account of the War of Independence and how they fought it. It outlines the work of British cavalry as they combed the countryside for the IRA, generally perceived as despicable murderers, and the role of the RAF and aerial reconnaissance in the campaign. The attempt to put Royal Navy launches on the Shannon and the use of carrier pigeons may come as a surprise to some. In December 1920 the destroyer HM Leamington landed troops at Inishmore (Aran Islands) who arrested ten IRA officers and shot dead another. The British view on famous encounters such as the Partry Ambush, the burning of Ballinlough RIC Barracks, and of famous IRA leaders, such as Sean McEoin, the gallant blacksmith of Ballinalee , makes fascinating reading. This is another unique history, backed up with appendices containing a wealth of information and previously unpublished photographs.
Ballycotton Lifeboats: 150 Years of Gallantry by Mary Leach
Large Format Paperback; 18 Euro / 34 USD / 14 UK; 144 pages [Add To Basket]
Ballycotton lifeboat station is one of the most famous in Ireland, and one of the best known of any in the whole lifeboat service. First established in 1858, the station has a long and proud history of rescuing those in peril off the coast of County Cork. The celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the station's founding took place in September 2008. This new publication provides an up-to-date history of the station with comprehensive details of all the lifeboats that have seen service over the past century and a half. This book includes many black and white photographs and approximately 32 colour images of more recent boats.
Inspector Mallon: Buying Irish Patriotism for a Five-Pound Note by Donal P. McCracken
Large Format Paperback; 20 Euro / 28 USD / 15 UK; 250 pages [Add To Basket]
He was a farm boy from republican south Armagh who rose to become Ireland's most famous detective and most feared secret policeman, the first catholic to rise as high as assistant commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police. For decades Inspector Mallon and the detective G men at Dublin Castle hounded the Irish Fenian revolutionaries. Walking daily through the cobbled streets of Dublin; chatting with the gentry or greengrocers; holing up in seedy smoky bars in the Liberties and Temple Bar; or leading his men on night raids, this bear of a man came to know Victorian Dubliners as few others did. Always courteous and never violent in his own methods, his policing philosophy was one of deterrent and intimidation rather than entrapment. Generally contemptuous of his enemy, Mallon maintained an extensive network of poorly paid informers. He is notorious for having said, 'A good deal of that kind of patriotism can be bought for a five pound note in this poor country'. Often described as catlike for his cunning, and backed by only 30 G men, for a generation Inspector Mallon kept a lid on the Irish revolution in Dublin, gaining the respect of moderate nationalists and unionist alike, but also the fear of most republicans. It is not surprising that he was the subject of numerous assassination plots. He is most noted for bringing to the gallows the Invincibles, the members of the 'murder society' who carried out the Phoenix Park assassinations. Lord Lieutenant Spencer, the head of the British government in Ireland, once commented, 'Without Mallon we have no one worth a row of pins'.
Please note: Prices were correct at time of original posting but are subject to subsequent change without notice.
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