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Irish Emigrant Book Review, No.73 (Aug 2001)
ECHOES OF A
SAVAGE LAND by Joe McGowan
- In this wide-ranging look at the customs and traditions of the north-western
counties of Ireland, Joe McGowan reaches far beyond the immediate past
and far beyond our shores to place in context the different traditions
that have been nurtured and have evolved in his native Co. Sligo and its
neighbouring counties of Donegal, Mayo and Leitrim. Old enough to have
experienced as a child the old ways of living and working, he looks back
to an age which “provides contact with the raw elements, the untamed forces
that arrest and enthral the spirit”. At the same time he records his own
passage from boy to man in the gradual acquiring of skills handed down
from an earlier generation. Beginning with the season of Hallowe’en the
Sligoman chronicles the various customs associated with this period, delving
at the same time into the historical background of the celebrations and
underlining the pagan origin of much that was given a Christian gloss
in later years. Stories of the otherworld abound, whether concerning the
’good people’ or ghosts, stories fortified by the telling of personal
experiences of people known to the author. Through the chapters of this
book we learn of the methods of farming used until the middle years of
the last century, and of a way of life that has now vanished. Looking
at one of the realities of life, the author also highlights the problems
associated with growing into adolescence at a time when contact with the
opposite sex was frowned upon, when sin loomed large in the minds of the
young, and the girls in the Legion of Mary “marched in pious ranks of
moral rectitude”. His account of the ritual visit to the confessional
and the feeling of relief at absolution is followed by penance and “then
out the path of freedom - to sin again”. Linking the ways of Ireland with
ancient Greece, with the Aztecs of South America and with the Dyaks of
Borneo and illustrating his points with quotations from Chaucer and Shakespeare
as well as Yeats and Manley Hopkins, McGowan has produced a book that
is more than the usual chronicle of country life of long ago. In “Echoes
of a Savage Land” he has produced a work of depth which presents a picture
of Ireland in the twentieth century with both affection and a gifted use
of language.
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FOUR ROADS TO
DUBLIN by Deidre Kelly
- On the face of it this history of a part of Dublin is merely of local
interest but, given that it covers a part of the country’s capital which
has been home to a significant number of prominent Irishmen and women,
there is a universal appeal. The four roads in question are the road through
Ranelagh, originally known as the Dublin Way, Rathmines Road, Mount Pleasant
Avenue and Leeson Street-Morehampton Road and the book deals with the
area enclosed by these ancient routes into the city of Dublin. Of particular
importance to the development of this area was the River Swan, now completely
underground but at one time delineating the developing shape of Rathmines,
Ranelagh and Leeson Street. The threat from the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles
of Wicklow under which the early residents of this area lived is graphically
described in the section entitled “The Massacre at Cullenswood”. Easter
Monday was the scene of violence in Dublin long before 1916, for at the
beginning of the 13th century some five hundred citizens of Dublin were
massacred by dissidents descending from the Wicklow Mountains. The Battle
of Rathmines in 1649 between Royalists and Parliamentarians led to the
area around Cowper Road being dubbed the Bloody Fields, for the number
of the Duke of Ormond’s troops slain by the superior tactics of Parliamentarian
Colonel Michael Jones. The story of the four roads over the last two to
three centuries is a story of building and rebuilding and the gradual
absorption into the city of Dublin of an area rich in history both local
and national. Among the residents of Rathmines, Ranelagh and Leeson Street
Ms Kelly mentions James Joyce, who lived in Castlewood Avenue and whose
parents were married in the Church of Our Lady of Refuge in Rathmines.
The area also has many associations with those involved in the 1916 Rising
and its aftermath, most notably Padraig Pearse who founded his school
in Cullenswood House and nearby lived Thomas McDonagh and Eamon Ceannt.
The literary world was further represented with Palmerston Road having
been home to both the Cuala Press and George Yeats, the poet’s widow,
while George Russell (AE) attended Rathmines School and lived for a time
in Mount Pleasant Avenue. The meticulous research undertaken for this
volume will enliven an interest in local history that may perhaps be applied
to other areas of the country. There is no doubt that, with its attention
to detail and lively illustrations, it will appeal to more than local
residents, particularly as the area encompassed by the four roads has
been “bedsit land” for so many people over the years.
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GALLOWS SPEECHES
FROM EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IRELAND by James Kelly
- The practice of making a last speech was prevalent in both Ireland and
England during the early years of the 18th century, encouraged in many
instances as an example and a warning to young people, and the similarity
of wording in many is noticeable. The publication of such speeches also
attests both to the increasing literacy of the population and the development
of print as a medium of communication. There was much competition to claim
the publishing rights of such speeches and Mr Kelly’s book contains two
examples of last speeches issued by rival printers. The testimonies of
John McCoy, Thomas Barnet, John Smith and Owen Geoghegan, all executed
near St Stephen’s Green in 1725 for stealing, bear the imprint of both
Reign-Deer of Mountrath Street and C. Carter of Dublin. Indeed a number
of those about to be executed make a point of naming the printer who has
the correct version of their final words. Thus Edward Fox, pickpocket,
who was hanged in 1726, warns against the Mountrath Street printer, saying
that he “has a Speech ready to Print upon all occasions, and only changes
the Persons Names”. There would appear to have been a convention of forgiving
all one’s enemies, even those who bore the real guilt for the crime which
has brought the death penalty. When a man, or more rarely a woman, protested
his or her innocence of the crime for which he or she had been convicted,
very often the accused would give a list of other infringements of the
law which warranted their present predicament. Many laid the cause of
their criminal ways at the door of women; John McGurran goes so far as
to urge young men to “shun all bad Company, especially the Company of
Harlots, for they are the things the Devil beats his Hooks with”. Though
the title would suggest a rather macabre content, in only one instance
is there a graphic description of the actual carrying out of the death
penalty. When Captain Collmore was hanged at Dundalk “for being a Proclaim’d
Tory”, the manner of his death involving his being “Quarter’d and his
Intrals burn’d”, the account ends with the words, “He died very obstinately”.
One man attempted unsuccessfully to cheat the hangman. William Dickson,
condemned to death for coining, supplied himself with a thick iron collar
which he hoped would negate the work of the hangman’s rope, but the unusual
thickness of his neck was noticed by the Sheriff and High Sheriff and
the collar removed before the execution. The speeches range from the short
account of his life given by one Philip Malone, found guilty of stealing,
to the lengthy dissertation of James Dunbar who made use of Biblical quotations
in an effort to give guidance to the children he was leaving fatherless.
The inclusion of personal details gives an immediacy to these speeches
despite the repetition, and some seem particularly unjust. One 14-year-old
victim who was executed in 1731 for stealing, Will Henry, had already
been unlucky enough to break his leg while making his getaway. Similarly,
one can only imagine the desperation of Nicholas Cox, convicted of stealing
and selling cattle to feed his family after he had fallen behind with
his rent. Indeed the apparent triviality of many of the crimes gives the
reader of this interesting book an insight into the severity and unpredictability
of life in 18th century Ireland.
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GALLOWAY STREET
by John Boyle
- John Boyle has captured the essence of growing up Irish in Scotland,
the family focus constantly turned westwards and the word ’home’ denoting
a place visited both spiritually and actually by members of the family.
The author’s mother came from Achill to live in Paisley in the west of
Scotland where she married a Donegal man and raised a family of six children.
John Boyle nicely captures the restricted circle of Irish Catholics with
whom the family mixed, referring to his Aunt Margaret whose husband “never
comes near us because he’s a Protestant”. The deprivation experienced
by such families in the mid-20th century, often exacerbated by alcohol,
is vividly captured, as is the major part played by religion in their
lives. The annoyances of younger brothers, the ignominy of being the last
chosen for football teams and the first awareness that girls really are
different, all contribute to the reality of childhood. The young John’s
life was to change, however, when as a nine-year-old he accompanied his
Aunt Mary, his mother’s sister, home to Achill and spent almost a year
living and going to school on the island. While opening up a different
world to the young John, his time spent away from Scotland alienated him
from both family and friends through his change of accent and he laments,
“It’s a hard thing to come back home and feel like a foreigner in your
own country”. The narrative begins and ends on Achill, at the funeral
of John’s Aunt Mary, as he tries to understand the nine-year-old boy who
entered island life and the grown man who makes his living doing voice-overs.
Perhaps the dichotomy of being reared as an Irish child in Scotland can
be summed up by his feelings on returning to Paisley after his time on
Achill, “It seems to me I’m a foreigner wherever I go”.
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INK BOTTLE by
Kilkenny Writers
- Four Kilkenny-based writers were selected for inclusion in this collection
of poetry and prose subtitled “New Writing from Kilkenny”, while a fifth,
Mark Roper, also supplies the introduction. The solitary prose voice is
that of Brian Phelan, who has contributed four pieces dealing with the
search for love and its loss among young people in Ireland. The poetry
of Edward Power is a lament for loss in childhood, in war and, on a contemporary
note, the loss of farmers in “Springtime in England” who face “...yellow
diggers under an anguished sky” Mark Roper, an Englishman who has lived
in Ireland for the past twenty years, focuses on childhood and the fears
and uncertainties of that time in our lives. With humour he recalls his
young confusion with the words of a prayer which led him to imagine a
special polish for cleaning hearts; the literal view of words again misleads
him in “The Home for Fallen Women” where he imagines the inmates “...outside,
tied to canes, nurtured by the good, clean rain.” The poems of Gillian
Somerville-Large and Carmel Cummins complement each other, with those
of the former notable for their lyric description of distant place and
time, while for Ms Cummins the hallmark is a brevity that conceals layers
of thought.
PAGAN DANCES
OF CAHERBARNAGH by Bridget Horan O’Mahony
- The rather earnest introduction to this collection about Ireland and
Seattle is belied by the tenor of those stories which are far removed
from the idealistic picture of Ireland and the Irish that I had expected.
Bridget Horan O’Mahony has the facility of inviting the reader both to
laugh and to cry with her, and in equal measure. The desolation of a father
about to see his firstborn leave home for the first time, vividly evoked
in “A Day in the Bog”, is in sharp contrast to the memories of anticipation,
disappointment and pleasure contained in the title piece. This recalls
the days of the crossroads dances and their demise on the introduction
of commercial ballrooms. The chronicle of Christie, an immigrant to the
US, follows his progress on both sides of the Atlantic and includes a
wonderful portrayal of a traditional band in an Irish pub in Seattle.
The same Christie is the subject of a series of letters from his mother
and his sister, the former craving any kind of communication from her
son - “Write soon. Even a card would do.” - and his sister taking over
the mantle after their mother’s death. This is a rewarding book which
begs to be read in one sitting.
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WHAT MACHINES?
ed. Mari-Aymone Djeribi
- This collection of essays from Leitrim-based Mermaid Turbulence looks
at the way in which machines have affected both the economy and the lives
of individuals over the past few centuries. The contributors, predominantly
artists, craftsmen and architects, examine different aspects of our relationship
with machines and their ability to impoverish our lives to a greater or
lesser extent. Furniture maker Laura Mays questions the true marks of
craftsmanship and suggests that the act of eschewing machinery in favour
of hand tools can be an expensive indulgence on the part of the craftworker.
Economic journalist Richard Douthwaite gives a particularly chilling picture
of the future when mankind has used up all fossil fuel resources and states
quite baldly that “billions of people will probably die” while the world
is coping with the change in production systems necessary when fossil
fuel is no longer available. The effect of modern technology on both music
and architectural drawing is dealt with by Jurgen Simpson and Dominic
Stevens respectively and the book closes with an illustrated recipe for
toast from a 1965 French encyclopaedia.
THE SPANISH
SAILOR by Brid Mahon
- Brid Mahon has brought her expertise as a folklorist to bear on this
tale for children involving a brother a sister, a ’fey’ aunt, two villains
from a circus and three magic animals. Kathleen and Conor are in search
of treasure left behind by a young Spanish prince after his ship foundered
off the Blaskets during the failed Armada. In a series of adventures linking
a racing pig, a magic mirror, a leprechaun and two divers the children
realise their dream and bring peace to the shipwrecked prince.
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ROWDY IRISH
TALES FOR CHILDREN by Eddie Lenihan
- Clareman Eddie Lenihan is well known in Ireland as a storyteller and
is also the author of a number of books for children. In the two stories
included in this volume, featuring Boethius Clancy and Finn Mac Cumhail,
he has succeeded in transferring the vividness of the oral tradition to
the written word. Lenihan’s style makes use of many Irish words and for
those unfamiliar with the Irish language he has also included a glossary
of the words used.
CELTIC SAINTS
IN THEIR LANDSCAPE by Elizabeth Rees
- Encompassing the Celtic world of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall,
Northumbria and the Isle of Man, this beautifully illustrated book gives
details of some fifty saints of Celtic origin, drawing on both historical
and literary sources for those details of their lives that are available
to us. The well-known saints are, of course, included; the book opens
with a chapter on St Patrick, and Columba, David and Ninian are also prominently
featured. However it is the lesser known saints who fascinate; St Winifred
of Wales is remembered for her healing wells, as is St Madern, a Cornish
saint whose well includes a tree adorned with cloths. While the narrative
is carefully researched and intelligently presented, it is the illustrations
in this volume which capture the imagination; the ancient yew in Caerwent
churchyard, the wonderfully time-worn Celtic cross at Paul Churchyard
near Penzance, the sunset at Culross, legendary birthplace of St Kentigern
of Scotland, all give testimony to the strength of the Celtic church in
the years following the departure of the Romans from Britain.
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GUIDE TO HEMOCHROMATOSIS
ed. Cheryl Garrison
- Haemochromotosis, a condition in which excessive amounts of iron are
absorbed by the body’s organs, is particularly common in a number of North
European countries including Ireland, yet it is little understood by the
general public and often undiagnosed for long periods. In this guide published
by the Iron Disorders Institute the condition and its treatment is explained,
and both the difficulty in diagnosis and the hereditary aspect of the
disease are underlined in a series of personal case studies. What emerges
is a condition manifesting a wide range of symptoms which, if unidentified,
can prove and have proved fatal in many cases. As well as advice on relevant
treatment for the condition the authors have included a list of frequently
asked questions and a glossary of terms used, thus making their guide
easily accessible to the layman.
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