Read Ireland Book Reviews, March 1998

Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh
Set in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway, this play tells the darkly comic tale of Maureen Folan, a plain and lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag, her maniulative ageing mother, whose interference in Maureen’s first and possibly final chance of a loving relationship set in motion a train of events that leads inexorably towards the play’s terrifying denouement. The Beauty Queen of Leenane was first presented as a Druid Theatre Company and Royal Court Theatre co-production in January 1996 and is the author’s first play. It is the winner of the 1996 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Newcomer, 1996 Writers’ Guild Award for Best Fringe Theatre Play and the 1996 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright.

Our Double Time by Micheal O’Siadhail
This collection of poems by one of Ireland’s most popular poets ranges through tradition and renewal, lovemaking and gratitude, sufferings and secrets, birth and death, music and abundance. Like his earlier work, these poems resonate with a jazz-like vitality, both light and dark. Each poem is a motif expanding into movements that culminate in this glorious sumphony in double time. In this collection O’Siadhail measures how a life can be lived in the intensity of ‘our double time’, alert to its threats, ambiguities and frailties, seizing pivotal moments and tracing the intricacies of families and friends.

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The Corner Boys by Geoffrey Beattie
Incisive, moving and beautifully written, this is one of the most illuminating works of fiction to come out of Belfast. It is set in a loyalist working class neighbourhood in industrial decline. James is seventeen; he walked out of school with few qualifications, and few prospects. He’s on the corner with his mates, watching the Godfathers of the loyalist paramilitaries acting big, being somebody. He’s just trying to get by. James’s best friend gets sucked into one of the loyalist organisations, ‘for God and Ulster’, they tell him, and he is soon out on the streets, collecting protection money, growing up. James meets a girl from the other side, and they have a romance of sorts. But this is no Romeo and Juliet. This is just a tragedy of friends deceiving friends, a story about how people use the Troubles, and how the Troubles in the end use them.

Dictionary of Celtic Mythology by James MacKillop
This accessible new work explores the whole of Celtic mythology, legend, saga, and folklore. Subjects covered in the 4000 alphabetically arranged entries include: characters in Celtic myth; places, real and imaginary; creatures from folklore; gods and goddesses; tales cycles and narratives; real and legendary figures; animals and plants; Arthurian parallels; artefacts; regions and countires; archaeological sites; and vital concepts and ideas. These are not stories for the faint-hearted: bloody vengeance is wreaked upon treachery and real or imagined insults. Warriors jockey for posiitons of prestige and fall to blows over who deserves the champion’’ portion. Mysterious monsters prey upon the unwary at crossroads and on lonely hill= s. Adultery is common, and portrayed with an earthy sensuality, but cuckolded husbands find violent ways to avenge their injured pride. Yet love is sometimes fulfilled, in a world of unimaginable beauty and vivid detail. Boats of white bronze sail on glassy seas, and strange, seductive women entertain heroes for 300 years in what seems an instant. The fullness of the Celtic legacy, traced here from the evidence of ancient shrines to tales recorded in the late 20th century, is the fullness of life.

Strumpet City by James Plunkett
A masterpiece! This classic, powerful, highly acclaimed novel of life and hard times in Dublin is set during the angry years leading up to the First World War. It is a compelling story, bursting with memorable characters, caught up in the bitter struggle of the age, driven by love and hate, pride and devotion. It was lauded on its initial publication in 1978 as ‘’the finest work of fiction to come out of Ireland in the last fifty years,” and it remains so today. It is a ‘must-read’ for anyone interested in Irish history or Irish historical fiction. Granuaile: The Life and Times of Grace O’Malley by Anne Chambers (paperback; 6.99 IRP / 10.50 USD) Originally published in 1979, this superbly researched book is full of fascinating highlights of the life of Ireland’s pirate queen. It salvages the 16th century legendary figure with a historical reality, which is equally if not more compelling than the legend. Using state papers and manuscripts of the period, the author reveals the woman behind the legend and presents one of history’s most remarkable women against the turbulent political environment of her time. This portrait of Grace O’Malley is completely revised and rewritten in light of new research.

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There is an Isle: A Limerick Boyhood by Criostoir O’Flynn
In this book, the author, a well-known playwright and poet, gives the reader an account of a 1930s childhood spent on the Island Parish formed by a loop of the river Shannon. The family was ‘poor but happy’, with a devoted and sensible mother and an industrious father, the young Criostoir and his siblings bright, ambitious and eager to be educated. Respect for tradition and love of family and place shine through the story in spite of the poverty of the era. As well as being a warm account of a place and a lifestyle that have passed, this book is a vivid and vigorous excursion into local and Irish history and politics from a viewpoint boldly nationalistic and Catholic.

Up Close Ireland by Anto Howard
This guide gets the visitor to the heart and soul of Ireland. It is fun, smart, and informative. It gives the visitor quirky never-obvious facts about major sights as well as the lowdown on the minor ones. It’s in-the-know about what’s going on. It reveals the essence of the Emerald Isle and helps you get the most Ireland for your travel dollar.

Folktales from the Irish Countryside by Kevin Danaher
This book is a heart-warming collection of 40 stories that were told around Irish firesides long ago. Some of the stories were told by the author’s own family members; others were related to him by the last of the traditional storytellers in his townland. Included are stories of giants, of queer happenings and of the great kings of Ireland.

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Ancient Ireland: A User’s Guide by Conan Kennedy
The book brings together the three major strands in the story of the origins of Ireland and the Irish: Monuments and Artifacts, Magic Ritual and Religion, and Mythology and Folklore. Here is presented Ireland’s distant past with wit and style, plus lots of hints and questions, major themes and stories, descriptions of the Gods and goddesses, their ancient sacred places, and how all this fits in with the land and people of Ireland today.

Hope Deferred: Experiences of an Irish Unionist by Basil McIvor
Protestant liberals are not rare in Northern Ireland, but their conspicuous absence from active politics has been one of the most dispiriting, and damaging, aspects of the ongoing situation. There are, however, some honourable exceptions and Basil McIvor is one of them. Son of the manse, lawyer and family man, he entered the Stormount parliament as a Unionist MP in 1969 when that institution, with its record of Protestant privilege and anti-Catholic discrimination was about to fall apart. Eventually McIvor found himself in the hot seat of minister of community relations in Brian Faulkner’s cabinet, a post he was holding when Edward Heath’s government prorogued Stormont and introduced direct rule from Westminster. Subsequently he served as minister of education in the powersharing Executive and it was during this period that his interest in integrated education for Catholic and Protestant children was kindled. After the fall of the Executive he returned to the law, becoming a widely respected resident magistrate. Integrated education remained a passion, however, and he played a pivotal role in the formation of the pioneering Lagan College. The candour of his memoirs, written in retirement but at a time of unprecedented movement on the broader political stage, makes this quiet, thoughtful book an invaluable addition to the literature of the Troubles.

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Dying in Style by Michael Carson
Detective Inspector Dyer, the crumpled bisexual policeman, believes that publicity is the great sin of our age. Those caught in its shining lens are glorified and magnified, prior to being burnt up by a focused heat. Dyer’s contention is proved when Arthur Whiteworth, the author of Dying in Style, a thriller pilloried by critics, dies and his remaindered book takes on a life of its own. The characters of his book stolen from real life start dying in the manner described in his book. Dr. Edith Gonne Dyer’s estranged wife, a leading forensic pathologist cuts up the casualities, seeking truth, trying to make sense of religion, addiction and her errant husband.

A Little History of Irish Food by Regina Sexton
As Irish cuisine becomes ever more popular, Ireland’s leading food historian, Regina Sexton, has written a very timely book. It is filled with the richness of the land and warmth of Irish culture. Beautifully illustrated and researched with great care, this small book holds delights to please the eye, the heart and the tastebuds.

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Rebellion in Kildare: 1790-1803 by Liam Chambers
This book examines the politicisation and rebellion in County Kildare during the peiod from 1790 to 1803, a period of upheaval and turbulence which has witnessed a surge in historical interest in the past two decades. During the 1790s, a vocal liberal establishment centred on the duke of Leinster, Catholic and reformist politics, militant Defenderism and a large United Irish society involving prominent liberals, all contributed to the politicisation of the Kildare populace. Against this background a faction loyal to the Dublin government attempted to stablise and secure the county, with the increasing support of the administration. The 1798 rebellion engulfed Kildare, lasting two months and involving thousands of rebels. After initial success it evolved into a ‘fugitive’ war centred on the Bog of Allen where rebels held government forces at bay for weeks. During the post-rebellion period radicalism persisted at a local level and thousands of Kildaremen were prepared to participate in ‘Emmet’s rebellion’ in 1803. In examining Kildare in this period the book seeks to contribute to the wider debate on the forces of radicalism and reaction which polarised Irish society in the 1790s.

Walking Dublin by Pat Liddy
In 24 meticulously planned, original walks the streets and byways of Ireland’s capital city yield myriad surprises: from impressive Stone Age remains to Celtic reminders, and Georgian architectural gems to contemporary landmarks, each walk offer a tour of discovery, revealing the city’s hidden secrets as well as its famous sights. Experiences, too, the buzz of Temple Bar’s nightlife, the noisy socialibility of the ubiquitous pub, and explore the breathtaking mountain and coastal scenery at the city’s edge. All this and more are evocatively presented in this book. With affection and enthusiasm the author reveals Dublin as a truly cosmopolitan capital whose culture and citizens have enriched the world.

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Dublin: Mini Rough Guide by Dan Richardson
The ultimate pocket reference to the city of Dublin, featuring entertaining accounts of every sight from Trinity College and the Book of Kells to Temple Bar, insider’s reviews of the best accommodation, pubs, restaurants, shops, excursions to Newgrange, Powerscourt and other day-trip destinations, with full-colour maps.

The Trouble with Guns: Republican Strategy and the Provisional IRA by Malachi O’Doherty
This controversial new book combines the author’s personal retelling of the period which produced modern Irish republicanism with an astute account of how the movement’s political and military strategies have evolved. He argues that the central aim of the armed struggle has been to create conditions which render an internal Northern Ireland settlement impossible, thus forcing a progression towards Irish unification as apparently the only option for peace seekers. This book tests many of the myths about the republican strategy and provides a compelling insight into key periods of violence and political action, concluding with an analysis of the political implications of the current peace process.

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Artic Ireland: The Extraordinary story of the Great Frost and Forgotten Famine of 1740-41 by David Dickson
On the last day of 1739, Ireland awoke to find itself in the grip of what was in effect a mini Ice age. Rivers froze, mills seized up, and houses could not be heated above freezing point. Many were enchanted by the novelty of it all. Carnivals, dances, and sheep-roastings were held on the ice. But the euphoria proved fleeting. In its wake came an almost biblical ordeal by drought, flood, fire, famine and plague, that has few parallels in the recorded history of the island.

The French are in the Bay: The Expedition to Bantry Bay 1796 edited by John A. Murphy
This book comprehensively examines the dramatic events of December 1796. Scholars from various disciplines, leading experts in their fields, explore the many facets of the expedition the French strategy; the role of Wolfe Tone; the military and naval contexts in Britain and Ireland; popular beliefs and expectations; the perspective of political balladry; the Bantry dimensions; the wider social and political frameworks; and, not least, the role of the weather in political destiny.

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