Irish Emigrant Book Review, No. 26 (Sept. 1997)

The Siege of Derry in Ulster Protestant Mythology by Ian McBride
- Ian McBride follows the development of the ceremonies and traditions associated with the defence of the city by 13 young boys in 1688. He records the establishment of the first Apprentice Boys Club in 1714 and the first well documented account of commemorative celebrations almost 60 years later, in a local newspaper of 1772. At this time bells were rung and flags flown, and the civic dignitaries dined in the town hall after a service in the cathedral. Catholic clergymen took part in the procession to mark the centenary of the siege in 1788 and, interestingly, the sermon was preached by one Reverend John Hume, the dean of Derry. That year also saw the beginning of effigy burning as part of the ritual, a practice which has continued and which was even observed on the Western Front in 1915. It was in the early years of the 19th century, when the celebrations had become more military, that the first objections were made and by 1824 the Apprentice Boys had taken control of the Derry rituals. McBride dates the rise of nationalism in the 19th century, and the polarising of feelings, from the period of growth of the Catholic population in the city. The “siege mentality” emerged, fuelled by preachers such as the Rev Richard Barrington and “Roaring” Hugh Hanna of Belfast, and Derry became the symbol of rebellious loyalism. The author has produced a detailed and fascinating study of the way in which the historical event has been used by Protestants and the Orange Order to reflect both disillusionment and triumphalism. Today the “myth” has been brought into the marketplace with the introduction of the Tower Museum, the Captain Browning Cruelty Free Cosmetics Shop and the Roaring Meg Picture Gallery, all tourist attractions in the city of Derry.

Ancient Celtic Romances by P. W. Joyce
“Ancient Celtic Romances”, which Joyce translated from the Irish, was first published in 1894 and contains such well-known tales as The Fate of the Children of Lir, and The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne. With the eleven stories, Joyce also provided notes on the manuscripts from which they were taken.

Irish Local Names Explained by P. W. Joyce
- “Irish Local Names Explained” is a very much shortened version of Joyce’s “Irish Names of Places”, first published in 1923. In addition to giving an alphabetical list of common placenames and their meanings, Joyce also provides a guide to pronunciation and a list of common root words so that readers can attempt to translate the names of places not listed in the book.

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The Art of the Celts by Iain Zaczek
“The Art of the Celts” concentrates on the origins, history and culture of the tribal group whose work can be found all over Europe, but particularly in Britain, France and Ireland. Zaczek gives a short history of the Celtic people and describes their artwork as depicted in metalwork, jewellery, stonework and carving, and the text is accompanied by drawings and photographs of some of the artefacts.

The Book of Kells by Iain Zaczek
In this book Zaczek gives the background to the work, discusses the themes underlying the illustrations of the Gospel Books, and includes an interesting chapter on the techniques involved. Each page is set in an intricate border and contains a number of illustrations, and the result is an attractive and informative volume on one of Ireland’s great treasures.

The Granite Village by Seamas O Maitiu and Barry O’Reilly
- The County Wicklow village of Ballyknockan, situated close to Blessington Lake, is the subject of a book by Seamas O Maitiu and Barry O’Reilly. Ballyknockan, also known as The Granite Village, is the home of a stonecutting industry which dates from the beginnings of large-scale quarrying in 1824. The authors give an account of a working day at the quarry, the social life enjoyed by the stonecutters and their families and some notable historical events. A significant section is devoted to the different styles of houses and other buildings in the area, accompanied by both photographs and line drawings. Many notable Dublin buildings owe their stonework to the men of Ballyknockan, including the entrance to the RDS, and St Francis Xavier Church in Gardiner Street.

Stone Mad by Seamus Murphy
Murphy gives us a wonderful insight into the closed world of the “stonies”, many of whom wandered the country from quarry to quarry seeking work in a trade which suffered harsh physical conditions. The various characters inhabiting the Cork workshop are affectionately drawn, but pervading the work is the feeling that theirs is a doomed craft - the news that concrete is to be used in the construction of a church at Turners Cross causes organised protests. The immediacy of the use of the present tense in the narrative draws us into the author’s world, as does the humour which he extracts from the eccentricities of his fellow-craftsmen.

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