Irish History Books
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The Ancient Celts by Barry Cunliffe
(paperback; 17.95 IEP / 25.00 USD)
In this erudite and engaging illustrated history, Professor Cunliffe
explores the archaeological reality of the bold Celtic warriors and skilled
craftsmen of barbarian Europe who inspired fear in the Greeks and Romans.
He investigates the texts of the classical writers and contrasts their view
of the Celts with current archaeological findings. Tracing the emergence
of chiefdoms and the fifth- to third-century migrations as far as Bosnia
and the Czech Republic and into Turkey, he assesses the disparity between
the traditional and contemporary information on the Celts. Other aspects
of Celtic identity, such as the cultural diversity of the tribes, their
social and religious systems, their art, language and law, are also
examined. From the picture that emerges, the author is able to distinguish
between the original Celts and tribes which were 'Celtized', thus giving
the reader a new insight into the true identity of this ancient people.
The Sinn Fein Rebellion as They Saw It edited and introduced by Keith
Jeffrey
(Hardback; 16.50 IEP / 22.00 USD)
Mary Louisa Hamilton Norway's account of the Easter Rising was first
published in 1916 and consists of family letters containing 'a faithful
record of the Sinn Fein Rebellion as I saw it.' Living in the Royal
Hibernian Hotel in Dawson Street, she was especially well-placed to observe
events. Mrs. Norway's husband, Arthur, was Secretary of the General Post
Office in Ireland – it was his office, literally, which was occupied and
used as the insurgents' headquarters – and here published for the first
time his is own reminiscences of the period, Irish Experiences in War.
Together these accounts provide a vivid and revealing picture of both the
official response to events and their impact on the civilian population of
Dublin. The narrative also includes Norway's schoolboy son Nevil, who
served with the Red Cross during the Rising. Later he achieved worldwide
fame as the novelist Nevil Shute.
Last Days of Dublin Castle: The Diaries of Mark Sturgis edited and
introduced by Michael Hopkinson
(Hardback; 27.50 IEP / 40.00 USD)
The five volumes of the Mark Sturgis' Diaries provide a rich and
entertaining source for Anglo-Irish history during the final stages of the
Irish revolution between July 1920 and February 1922. Sturgis was a
leading British Civil Servant seconded to Dublin Castle in the summer of
1920 as a consequence of the radical administrative reforms implemented at
the time. In effect, he served as the main assistant to Sir John Anderson,
the Joint Under-Secretary and effective leader of the administration.
Sturgis played a key role in decisions made in the final stages of the
Anglo-irish War and was actively involved in the peace negotiations. The
volumes contain vivid and interesting descriptions of life in Dublin Castle
and of Sturgis' liaison work with London. There are portrayals of leading
figures of the period on both the British and Irish sides. The Diaries are
valuable not only as a historical source but also as social history with
much revolving around Sturgis' affection for the world of horses and
country houses. Most importantly, they give a unique insight into the
relations between civil servants and politicians at a time when civil
servants were to a large extent in control of British policy in Ireland.
The Irish in Victorian Britain: The Local Dimension edited by Roger Swift
and Sheridan Gilley
(Paperback; 17.50 IEP / 23.50 USD)
This volume of essays presents the fruits of recent research on the
experiences of Irish men and women in Victorian Britain. In particular, it
illustrates the diversity of the Irish experience by reference to studies
of specific towns – including Birmingham, Camborne, Hull, London and
Stafford – and regions – including South Wales and the North-East – which
have hitherto received little attention from historians of the Irish in
Britain during the Victorian period. It also addresses and examines a
range of themes which are critical to our understanding of the Irish in
Britain during the period but which have been relatively neglected by
historians. As such, this collection of essays, penned by both established
scholars and representatives of a new generation of historians, not only
represents a major contribution to the burgeoning historiography of the
subject but also illustrates the current 'state of the art' in Irish
Studies in the 1990s.
Mausolea Hibernica by Maurice Craig and Michael Craig
(Hardback; 15.95 IEP / 20.50 USD)
This collaboration between celebrated architectural historian Maurice Craig
and his son Michael, a master draughtsman, will stand for most readers as
both an introduction to his fascinating subject and the last word upon it.
In 33 exquisitely rendered plates, Michael Craig illustrates the pyramids,
chapels, classical and oriental temples, follies and pillar-boxes in which
the grandees of Georgian and Victorian Ireland interred themselves. If the
inhabitants of these extraordinary tombs have not in every instance
achieved the immortal fame the mausolea were intended to bestow, the
structures themselves – now increasingly suffering from vandalism – are
immortalised in these plates in all their macabre splendour. Maurice
Craig;s commentaries on the plates are much more that mere captions, and
his introductory essay is a tour de force of scholarship lightly worn,
examining the mausolea in all their architectural and socio-cultural
mutations.
Germany and Ireland: 1945-1955 Two Nations' Friendship by Cathy Molohan
(Paperback; 15.00 IEP / 20.00 USD)
German and Irish relations have been characterised by a wide variety of
contacts throughout the centuries. These included ago-old religious,
scholastic and, since the beginning of this century, military and economic
links. This book sets out to explore a decade of these relations as yet
undocumented. The time from 1945 to 1949 was a period of difficult
decisions and complicated diplomatic activity following the end of World
War Two, with Ireland having to decide on the fate of over 300 German
citizens in the country – soldiers, spies and diplomats – who were wanted
by the Allies. At the same time the Irish people, thankful for having been
spared the horrors of this war, set about helping those affected by it.
The period after 1949 is notable for the normalisation of relations with
Germany on a political, diplomatic and economic level. These many moves
towards stronger personal, economic and cultural links with Germany were
among the first tentative steps towards Europe taken in the primarily
isolationist Ireland of the 1950s.
A History of Meath County Council, 1899-1999: A Century of Democracy in
Meath by Denis Boyle
(Paperback; 12.50 IEP / 16.25 USD)
The centenary of the establishment of county councils in Ireland under the
Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898 is an occasion of celebration for
all local authorities and those admirers of democratic structures in
Ireland. It is especially so for Meath County Council which has often been
referred to as the 'Premier Council' during the past 100 years. As part of
its celebrations, it commissioned this history of its first hundred years.
It records the men and women who were prominent in making Meath County
Council what it is today. It also deals with the obstacles and problems
which successive councils had to overcome to provide efficient and
economical administration for the county. The book is a fascinating look
at the local history of one of Ireland's counties.
Irish Rebel: John Devoy and America's Fight for Ireland's Freedom by Terry
Golway
(Paperback; 11.99 IEP / 17.00 USD)
In 1871, John Devoy, a young Irishman fighting for Irish independence, went
to the United States in exile. Yet even while across this ocean, this
Fenian greatly influenced Irish affairs. Terry Golway's suspenseful and
assiduously researched biography of Devoy chronicles a lifetime of activism
in which he garnered tremendous financial and moral support for the cause
in Ireland. Devoy was instrumental in both the Easter Rising of 1916 and
the creation of the Irish Free State. Intimate details of Devoy's life and
his work are artfully interwoven as the author captures Devoy's valiant
role in Ireland's struggle for freedom.
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books reviewed by Gregory Carr
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