Read Ireland Book Reviews, August 1998

Mary McGreevy by Walter Keady
After her father’s death, Sister Mary Thomas leaves her convent to reclaim the family farm in the Irish village of Kildawree. In 1950, her status as an ex-nun scandalises the women of the village, but her beauty, strength, wilfulness and wit attract every eligible man and a few who shouldn’t be so available. Mary has no interest in marrying, but she’s decided to have a child. As the town tries to identify the father, we see what attracts them to this passionate Irish woman, particularly as she appears to the parish priest. He knows her attractions, does his best by her, and then suffers the consequences of his light hand and unjudging clerical spirit. Written with characteristic charm and graceful humour, this is a moving, funny and forceful novel of the heart.

Hard Time: Armagh Gaol 1971-1986 by Raymond Murray
Raymond Murray was Catholic chaplain of Armagh Women’s Gaol from 1971 to 1986. The number of women political prisoners increased from two in 1971 to more than one hundred in the 1972-76 period. Thirty-two of these women were imprisoned without trial. Most of the political prisoners in the gaol were girls in their teenage years and one internee was in her sixties. In the 1972-76 period the prisoners had ‘special category’ or ‘political’ status. According to Murray, the implementation of internment and the removal of ‘special category’ status were major mistakes. The majority of male and female prisoners were convicted on allegedly voluntary confessions obtained in circumstances which are held to be gravely suspicious in the reports of organisations like Amnesty International. The author’’ own reports became more hard-hitting as injustices increased and oppression grew. Some prisoners in Armagh Gaol alleged beatings by male officers, strip-searches, denial of access to toilets, denial of laundry, denial of visits from concerned persons, the use of 23-hour lock-up and other degrading practices. His reports reveal that relationships between prisoners and staff varied according to the official policies pursued and the enlightenment, or lack of it, of successive authorities. This book tells the whole story.

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The Four Seasons of Mary Lavin by Leah Levenson
Mary Lavin, who died in 1996, is one of the major figures in Irish literature. Primarily acclaimed as a short story writer, she is also the author of two highly-regarded novel. This book stands as the first full portrayal of her life: the story of a women who was able single-handedly to support and rear three daughters and at the same time carve a niche for herself in the literary life of Dublin. The life of Mary Lavin, herself a fervent lover of nature, is portrayed in this biography as following the pattern of the seasons. Her spring encompassed her academic studies and the beginning of her career as a writer. In her summer she married solicitor William Walsh, had three daughters, and before her husband’s untimely death published two novels and four volumes of short stories. For the next fifteen years she continued to enhance her status as a writer and won many accolades, among them an honorary doctorate from University College Dublin. The autumn of her life saw her marriage to Michael MacDonald Scott, the regular appearance of collections of her short stories, and many requests for her readings in universities in the United States as well as in Ireland. Collections of her work continued to appear regularly in her later years her winter and she was granted the highest literary honour in Ireland by being elected Saoi of Aosdana, the state-supported body of writers and artists.

The Journeyman by Eamon Kelly
In this book, actor and seanchai Eamon Kelly takes up the story of his life where his first volume of autobiography, The Apprentice, ended. He trained as a woodwork teacher and was assigned to various outposts in Kerry during World War II, finally making his way to the Mecca of creativity, Listowel. Here he make the acquaintance of that charismatic figure, the late Bryan MacMahon, and here too he met the young amateur actress, Maureen O’Sullivan. With her as Pegeen, Eamon made his dramatic debut as Christy in the Playboy of the Western World. Soon he and Maureen were man and wife, employed by the Radio Eireann Repertory Players and living in a flat in Dublin’s Rialto. Later he joined the Abbey Theatre Company and performed with the finest actors of his day under all the leading Irish producers. This book is the story of Kelly’s long apprenticeship to the stage and also his travels: to New York for Philadelphia, Here I Come!, to London for The Well of the Saints, with the Abbey Players to Moscow and with his one-man theatre shows to venues all over Ireland. This book is a memorable evocation of a life, an era and a great dramatic tradition.

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Irish Records: Sources for Family and Local History by James Ryan
For the period of greatest interest to family history researchers, the late 18th and early-to-mid 19th centuries, Irish family records are sparse. During this period, most of the Irish population (and particularly those who emigrated) lived as small tenant farmers or labourers; these activities required few written records. Even such events and births and deaths and marriages were not generally recorded by the state until after 1864 and, for the majority of people, were not recorded by their church until after 1800. In light of this dearth of records, every source of information can be invaluable. This book is designed to facilitate Irish family history research by providing a comprehensive listing of the record sources available for each county in Ireland. Indeed, there are records which can answer vital questions about Irish ancestors: Where did they live? Who were their relatives? What were their occupations? Such sources as civil registers, censuses, land records, and church records are available to those who know where they can be found. In this revised edition, the author has included many new sources. In particular, the sections for each county on ‘Census and Census Substitutes,’ ‘Miscellaneous Sources,’ and ‘Research Services’ have been expanded. The details of Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, and Catholic records have also been extensively amended. This new edition also lists all of the heritage centres which provide search services, and it specifically indicates which parish registers, gravestone inscriptions, and other sources have been indexed by each. The growth of these centres is the most important development in Irish family history research in the last 10 years, and this book shows how this new resource can be used to greatest effect. This book is your guide to locating Irish family records in Ireland. Arranged by county, it describes civil, ecclesiastical, and printed primary and secondary sources for each county. It also provides important details about the heritage and genealogy centres which now exist in most Irish counties these have indexed many important record sources and provide valuable research services. This book is a direct route to your Irish ancestry.

Tracing Your Dublin Ancestors by James Ryan and Brian Smith
This new edition of the much-acclaimed guide to Dublin family history is well-written, concise, and easy to follow. It seeks to assist those who wish to establish their links with those Dubliners who defended, ran and worked the city over the ages; who inspired its writers, artists and leaders, built its great buildings and otherwise contributed to the city’s existence and fame. It lists records available for Dublin city and county, including individual church records.

Tracing Your Mayo Ancestors by Brain Smith
Mayo has had an interesting social history and its families are a mixture of native families, of other Gaelic families who migrated to the county from Northern Ireland in the 18th century, and of English and Scots-Irish settlers who came to Mayo from the 17th century onward. It is one of the Irish counties which experienced a high level of emigration both to North America, and also to Scotland and elsewhere in Britain. It comparison with most other Irish counties, Mayo has fewer records of value to family historians. This book sets out the records available for Mayo, where they can be accessed, and how they can be used to best effect in tracing Mayo families.

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Tracing Your Irish Ancestors by John Grenham
This book is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide for people who wish to trace their ancestors in Ireland. It recognises that the circumstances of each individual family can be very different and the book is structured to reflect these differences. Some areas of research will be important to the vast majority of people and so the most basic genealogical sources are gathered together in part one. A comprehensive series of maps covering all the Catholic parishes of Ireland is also included. Part two examines sources which have a narrower application, while part three is a reference guide which allows access to a range of research materials, including county by county source lists, printed family history, occupations and Church of Ireland records. The book can therefore be used by the widest possible range of researcher, depending on his or her individual circumstances. A person with no previous experience of genealogical research can pick up this book and find the necessary guidance and advice. In addition, more experienced researchers can concentrated on those parts of the book which deal with the more advanced sources. Throughout the book there is useful and clearly organised information for genealogical researchers at all levels and stages. It is the indispensable guide book in its field.

Tracing Your Cork Ancestors by Tony McCarthy and Tim Cadogan
Cork is the largest county in Ireland, with a population of mainly Gaelic and Norman origin. It has had a widely diverse social history ranging from the urban population of Cork city to some of the most remote and isolated agricultural communities in rural Ireland. The records available for the county are equally diverse. This makes it important to use these records to their best advantage. This book sets out the records available for Cork, where they can be accessed, and how they can be used to best effect in tracing Cork families.

Tracing Your Donegal Ancestors by Godfrey Duffy
Donegal families are an interesting mixture of native Irish families and of the ‘Scots-Irish’ who came to Donegal from the 17th century onward. It is one of the Irish counties which experienced a high level of emigration, both to North America, and also to Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. The county remained administratively remote from the rest of Ireland for much of its history, and the variety and scale of records available to the family historian is relatively low. This book sets out the records which are available for Donegal, where they can be accessed, and how they can be used to best effect in tracing Donegal families.

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Tracing Your Kerry Ancestors by Michael O’Connor
The Irish word for Kerry is Ciarrai of Ciarraige, the name of a tribe of Celts who were once prominent in the south-west of Ireland. This book represents a means for ‘exiles’ to establish or re-establish their Co. Kerry origins. The chapters of this guide describe the major historical records useful to a researcher of Co. Kerry ancestry. 

Book of Irish Families Great and Small by Michael O’Laughlin
This historic work contains information not available in any other single source. It contains information from the Archives of the Irish Genealogical Foundation and represents the largest collection of Irish Family names and Irish Coat-of-Arms ever bound together under one cover, including hundreds of Irish Coats of Arms not found in any Irish family book, thousands of Irish family names found nowhere else in print and contributions from thousands of Irish family researchers over the last 14 years. From the Irish Archives, based upon manuscripts both ancient and modern, it lists the old and noble families of Ireland, contains information on how to find your Irish family; source guides; origins and locations; families who settled in Ireland from Scotland, England, France, Wales, Holland, Scandinavia=85; ancient maps and illustrations.

Inside the Celtic Tiger: The Irish Economy and the Asian Model by Denis O’Hearn
Despite being one of the poorest states in the European Union during the 1980s, the Republic of Ireland’s economy grew rapidly in the 1990s. Echoing the ‘tiger’ economies of East Asia, this led many to dub Ireland the ‘Celtic Tiger.’ In this radical critique, the author set’s Ireland’s apparent economic success in an international context and contrasts and compares its economic growth with the other tiger economies. He addresses some difficult but crucial questions, such as whether Ireland’s apparent success is self-sustaining and what lessons can be learned from the downturn of the comparable East Asian economies. Focusing on the importance for Ireland’s rising economy of three US-led industrial sectors computers, electrical engineering and pharmaceuticals the author assesses who benefits and who loses from such foreign capital-led growth. The country’s significant economic achievements are shown to be dominated by growth in corporate profits and professional incomes but, he argues, there is, so far, little evidence of trickle-down to other sectors.

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Phoenix Irish Short Stories 1998 edited by David Marcus
This third annual anthology of Irish short stories reflects the healthy state of the Irish literary tradition: sixteen new stories demonstrate the excellence of the contemporary form. The authors are: Gillman Noonan, Katie O’Reilly, Mairide Woods, Mary Russell, Ned Lenihan, Emma Donoghue, Marie MacSweeney, Sean Ruane, William Wall, Katherine O’Donnell, Michael Mee, Gerard Beirne, Frank O’Donovan, Eilis Ni Dhuibhne, Desmond Traynor, and Blanaid McKinney.

Starting a Business in Ireland 3rd edition by Brian O’Kane
The best-selling step-by-step guide through all the stages of setting up your own business in Ireland, this book provides up-to-date information on the many forms of assistance available and advice on how to go about getting it. It also includes a listing of names and addresses of key organisations and individuals who can provide everything from expert advice to financial aid.

The Great Irish Rebellion of 1798 edited by Cathal Poirteir
To mark the 200th anniversary of the 1798 Rebellion, RTE Radio 1 commissioned 13 leading historians and writers to provide new insights into the reasons for the rebellion and the bloody events of the period. This ground-breaking collection of their essays set Ireland in the context of revolutionary Europe and traces the development of the United Irishmen’s political and cultural philosophy. The book provides a fresh and up-to-date analysis of the insurrection in the areas where the major battles were fought: Wexford, Antrim, Down, Mayo and Leinster. It also examines the significance of major personalities like Theobald Wolfe Tone, the frequently overlooked part played by women in the rising, and the importance of informers in state preparation for the rebellion and action against the rebels. It also paints a detailed picture of the condition of the common people on the eve of the rebellion and how they later recalled the events in a rich song tradition. It casts new light on the part the clergy played in major events and looks, for the first time, at the reasons why no significant rising took place in the north-west of the country. This major collection of essays draws together the latest research from many fields and perspectives and will be a lasting resource for the general and specialist reader alike.

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