Life
1870-? [err. Randall], b. Dublin, ed. TCD; member of the McDonnell’s of Antrim; wrote handbooks on engineering and several novels incl. Kathleen Mavorneen (1898) and When Cromwell Came to Drogheda (1906); served as assistant lib. at Marsh’s Library (St. Patrick’s Close, Dublin). IF DIW OCIL
Works
Kathleen Mavourneen (Dublin: Sealy, Bryers 1898); When Cromwell Came to Drogheda (NY: Benziger 1906); My Sword for Patrick Sarsfield (q.pub. 1907); Ardnaree (Dublin: Gill 1911); also Songs of Seaside Places and Other Verses (Dublin: Talbot Press 1932), 101pp.
Commentary
James Calahan, The Irish Novel: A Critical History (Boston: Twayne Publishers 1988), lists him with others are examples of the growing appetite for historical novels during the late nineteenth century, and refers for further details to his own Great Hatred Little Room (Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1984).
References
Stephen Brown, Ireland in Fiction (Dublin: Maunsel 1919), Kathleen Mavourneen (Dublin: Sealy, Bryers 1898) [Tone’s visit to America and ‘vivid’ account of outbreak of Rebellion in Wicklow, fight at Tubberneering, b. of New ross, and capture of Lord Edward]; When Cromwell Came to Drogheda (NY: Benziger 1906) [supp. ‘edited from the record of Clarence Stranger’, an officer in army of Owen Roe O’Neill; incl. defence of Clonmel]; My Sword for Patrick Sarsfield (n.pub. 1907) [Phelim O’Hara follows Sarsfield and witness Derry, the Boyne and sieges of Limerick] ; Ardnaree [sic] (Gill 1911) [English girl in Connaught tells her tale of tea-parties and mild love-making against background of French landing at Killala]. See also Irish Book Lover, Vols. 4, 5, 6.
COPAC lists Randal McDonnell, Arnaree [sic] (Dublin, 1911), held in Trinity College Library.
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