Irish Emigrant Book Review, No.77 (Dec 2001)

CASSA’S CHOICE by Lilian Roberts Finlay
- In this sequel to her 1998 novel, Lilian Roberts Finlay follows the eponymous Cassa to her new life on the banks of the Shannon in Co. Leitrim, a life that has been soured by two losses, those of her husband’s brother, a missionary in Peru, and of her stillborn child. Struggling to cope, she takes a break in Dublin where she is reunited with her brother-in-law, Dermot Tyson, and so begins a gently sensitive relationship with no certainty of its outcome. Always in the background is Cassa’s overbearing sister, Nicole, separated now from Dermot but still having the ability to instill real fear in her younger sister. Returning to her home, Cassa again faces the desolation of her loss, for she had loved Father Frank as she had loved her husband, but she resolves to make a commitment to her marriage nonetheless. John, however, has so resigned himself to the distance between them that he has found consolation elsewhere, and thus begins the dance of deceit which leads to the end of their marriage. Many things have to happen before this occurs, not the least astonishing Cassa and John’s journey to Peru to be reunited with the priest they thought had perished in the earthquake. Here Cassa faces her greatest rejection, when Father Frank confirms that his life is in the priesthood, but circumstances lead her back into the arms of her erstwhile brother-in-law, Dermot, who has always loved her. As a romantic novel “Cassa’s Choice” works to a certain extent, but without the authenticity of the original “Cassa”. The heroine seems too easily to shift her affections between her two brothers-in-law and, while the character of husband John has a certain reality to it, Father Frank Gowan and Dermot Tyson are less than credible.

IT’S A LONG WAY FROM PENNY APPLES by Bill Cullen
- In this autobiographical novel Bill Cullen has proved that it is possible to grow up in poverty in mid-20th century Ireland and to survive without bitterness. Born into a large family in Dublin’s inner city, young Liam Cullen’s life was dominated by strong women in the form of his mother, Mary Darcy and his maternal grandmother Molly Darcy, both of whom spent their lives selling fruit and other goods on Moore Street. This is not to say that Billy senior was totally overshadowed; the ex-soldier commanded respect to a certain degree but his position within the family was terminally undermined by the greater earning power of his wife. What was perhaps his shining hour is recalled in the account of his rescue work after the bombing of the North Strand, a graphic description of the injuries suffered bysome of the victims and the stoic way in which Billy and his colleagues dealt with the catastrophe. However it is Liam’s mother Mary who guides him throughout his life, balancing the need for him to gain an education with her need for him, as the eldest son, to contribute to the family business. His obvious intelligence was nurtured by others as well, until he committed the cardinal sin of turning down an offer of a job at Guinness’ Brewery, then viewed as the best employer in the city. Knowing the value of money from an early age, Liam decided he could do much better than the gradual and slow increment in wages leading to a secure pension, and he was proved stunningly right. A self-confessed workaholic, he made his mark in the motor trade in Ireland until the event that gave the author his title. He had to borrow extensively when he took over the Renault distribution franchise and, having told his mother, she replied, “You’ve borrowed eighteen million pounds. God bless you, son. That’s a long, long way from penny apples”. By choosing to write of his early years in the third person, Bill Cullen has avoided the twin dangers of sentimentality and self-congratulation, and has given us a glimpse of life in pre-Celtic Tiger Dublin, rich in the reality of hardship, rough justice, wisdom and the warmth of a close family brought up to look out for each other. And in remembering all the help he himself received as a boy growing up in Dublin, he has donated all the royalties from the sale of the book to the Irish Youth Foundation, of which he is a director.

ONCE IN A GREEN SUMMER by Thomas F. Walsh
- Thomas Walsh is the compiler of a series of collections of the favourite poems we learnt at school and this account of his childhood reflects his love of language and his feel for the lyrical phrase. The youngest of a large family living on a small farm near Headford in Co. Galway, the young Thomas’ “early view of the world was full of female forms”. In addition to his mother, there were four older sisters and his father’s sister, “a barely moving black shape by the fire”. He specializes in vivid description of his family; his father, “big, tall and strong as a stallion. . . fought all his working life to be first, to be cleanest, to be tidier than anyone else”. To this end his children were pressed into sometimes unwilling service on the farm from a very young age to ensure that crops were gathered and fields kept neat. His sister Julia he describes as “simple and guileless and fun-loving - the eternal mirror and reservoir of our childhood innocence”. An epileptic at a time when the condition was not fully understood nor treatment available, Julia moved to “a rhythm that was set on another plane above and beyond our understanding”. The author’s mother, Annie Lee, came from a family better off than most in the area and passed on to her children her own love of poetry and literature. And so Thomas grew up in a secure, loving and hardworking home with his brothers and sisters, and he describes for us the seasonal events so often featured in such reminiscences, the killing of the pig, the footing of turf and weeding the beet, all vividly and for the most part affectionately recollected. He suffered, as so many children did, from a teacher devoted to corporal punishment, he endured the terror of the Bishop’s question at Confirmation and the mortification of genuflecting on his first visit to the cinema. However the overriding atmosphere of his childhood is of wonder and discovery, of reaching out beyond the farmhouse to a gradual knowledge of the world around him. “Once in a Green Summer” is a delightful memoir and a pleasure to read.

IRISH WOMEN IN LANCASHIRE 1922-1960 by Sharon Lambert
- Ms Lambert has undertaken this study as part of her PhD thesis, filling a gap in sociological studies which have focused predominantly on the men who emigrated to Britain from this country. Interviewing a total of forty women who now live in Lancashire, she has managed to bring to life their differing experiences, though none of the women is positively identified. Although coming mainly from rural areas of Ireland, a significant number of the women had experienced urban dwelling before emigrating; indeed two had spent some time in the US. We hear their experiences of trying to settle in to a new environment, socializing in the main with other Irish people and most marrying Irish Catholics. The author explores their sense of nationality and the extent to which their attitude to the rules and mores of the Church was modified by emigration, comparing her findings with those of other studies. In some cases she points up a definite contradiction, for example in the perception that Irish men are less interested than their wives in maintaining religious practices. An interesting appendix details the routes taken by the emigrants, with only five having gone from their homes to their final destination with no intermediary stops.

W. & R. JACOB by Seamas O Maitiu
- Local historian Seamas O Maitiu has compiled a history of the famous biscuit factory covering one hundred and fifty years, taking as his starting point the purchase of the lease of a property in Peter’s Row by William and Robert Jacob. After giving a background to the emergence of the Quaker family in Waterford, he then traces the development of the company and follows its expansion until the factory occupied an entire block, and its move to its present premises in Tallaght. Along with details of the baking process, the acquisition of up-to-date machinery and the generally good working conditions, we also hear of the birth of the Cream Cracker and the unrevealed mystery of the fig roll. Attention is given to the role played by the factory during the 1916 Rising, and the provision of First World War troops with Jacobs biscuits. This book, which is generously illustrated, will appeal particularly to those who have a family connection with the Jacobs factory or who are familiar with the Liberties area of Dublin.

ANTIQUITIES OF WEST MAYO by Christiaan Corkett
- Archaeologist Christiaan Corkett, who has already produced a similar volume on Rathdown in Co. Wicklow, here concentrates on an area stretching from Killary Harbour to Mulranny. What first strikes the reader is the remarkable quality of the photographs which are sharp and detailed for artefacts and buildings, while being dramatic and atmospheric to convey the grandeur of much of the landscape. The author takes a chronological approach to his subject, setting the antiquities in their historical context. In addition to the text, many of the photographs carry a paragraph of particular local interest, often using quotations from outsiders visiting Mayo for the first time. A glossary of terms used and a more detailed guide to the location of each monument complement this attractively presented book.

MAYO ASSOCIATION YEAR BOOK 2002 ed. John F. Higgins
- Still in the county of Mayo, but from a very different perspective, is this nineteenth Year Book produced by the Mayo Association. Focusing very much on the present, it is filled with photographs of Mayo people at home and abroad and a wide range of articles which highlight both the joys and the problems experienced by residents of the county. County Councillor Gerry Murray writes on the Waste Management Bill while John Melvin of the Connaught Telegraph records the county’s first national title at senior level for thirty-one years. Poetry, humour, folklore and reminiscences fill the pages of this substantial publication which will stir the memory of any Mayo man or woman.

BASKETMAKING IN IRELAND by Joe Hogan
- Joe Hogan has recorded in his book the many different traditions in basketmaking in this country since he feared the skills would be lost as the use of the traditional baskets declined. In doing so he has written of basketmaking in such a way that the uninitiated can begin to understand the intricacies of the craft, while those more proficient can learn from the detailed instructions and very clear illustrations. The narrative is interspersed with photographs of baskets old and new, many in the process of being constructed, which illustrate the differing regional styles. What first attracted the author to the world of basketmaking was its all-embracing nature, from the gathering of the willows to the finished article, and his book conveys this complete self-sufficiency as experienced by those who used their basketmaking skills for their everyday needs, whether it be for a creel, a lobster pot or a baby’s cradle.

DANNY BOY by Malachy McCourt
- Malachy McCourt delves into the history and tradition of perhaps the best-known Irish ballad, presenting the uncertainty of the origin of the air. Although noted down by Derry woman Jane Ross, there is a belief that it might have originated in the Scottish Lowlands. The provenance of the lyrics is, however, more firmly rooted. These were produced by a prolific songwriter, Frederick Weatherly, who was also a barrister on the English circuit. McCourt’s narrative wanders off at tangents on several occasions, for example chronicling Weatherly’s rather tenuous association with a famous British murder case. He also contrives to include a number of references to Britain’s maltreatment of Ireland, again a rather tenuous connection to the subject in hand. However the book is not meant to be taken too seriously and the first chapter, which gives a hypothetical introduction to “Danny Boy” by an American folksinger, sets the tone.

BELFAST by Chris Hill & Jill Jennings
- The two photographers, who work from a studio beside the City Hall in Belfast, have beautifully captured the changing mood and seasons of the city. The photographs, of buildings, people and places, are accompanied by minimal text, acknowledging the truth that the images speak for themselves. Churches, hospitals, shipyards and pubs are all featured, as well as local beauty spots such as Belfast Castle and McArt’s Fort on Cavehill. A particularly eye-catching series of images follows the changing appearance of a tree over twelve months at the Giant’s Ring near Edenderry, while a similar exercise is carried out showing a tree at the Upper Malone Roundabout. This book is a must for anyone wishing to renew acquaintance with Belfast, and a particularly pleasing introduction to the city for those who have never visited.

PENS FOR PEACE ed. Noel Flannery & Matt Cannon
- Published under the auspices of the Irish Peace Institute, this is a collection of reflections on the meaning of peace and the different ways it might be achieved. Fraser Agnew and May Blood point out the alienation felt by many members of the Ulster Unionist community, while John Cushnahan affirms his optimism for the future, having given an account of the path to the present position in the North. Ruth Dudley Edward’s essay is critical of the Southern government’s policy of appeasement which she says “has left us with triumphalist republicanism, nihilistic loyalism, sullen unionism and nervous nationalism”. Some contributors chose to submit poems, notably Seamus Heaney and Brendan Kennelly, and the book presents a wide spectrum of views on the subject of peace and the best way in which it can be achieved in our country.

RORY GALLAGHER - A BIOGRAPHY BY Jean-Noel Coghe
- This tribute to the legendary Cork guitarist, who died at the age of forty-seven in 1995, has been translated from the French by Lorna Carson and Brian Steer. Noted journalist Jean-Noel Coghe has presented a music-centred view of Gallagher, short on personal details but imbued with the feelings of adulation the musician inspired. Concentrating on Gallagher’s concerts in France and Belgium, where the author is based, there is evidence for the comradeship of musicians worldwide, for the relentless strain of touring and for Gallagher’s dedication to his art. This is a biography for the enthusiast, for those who are knowledgeable about and keenly interested in Irish rock and blues.