Did an Irish monk discover America? Which rebel died of having a feckin' tooth pulled? And who in the name of Jaysus was responsible for the Pledge? If you've ever wondered how much of our rabble-rousing history is true, and how much a load of wojus oul' bull, then look no further. From the great to the gormless, this book is a hilarious parade of the life stories of Ireland's favourite heroes and gougers. Gathered in a collection of the best anecdotes from our chequered past, it will tell...

"The approach of mixing the factual with the fictional works brilliantly in delivering a spectacle that pulls off the difficult task of being both hugely entertaining and yet remains, a rigorous work.” - Sunday IndependentColin Murphy is one of Ireland's most significant writers for stage, screen and documentary. In his first published play collection his work shows a history of Ireland from 1916 through to 2010, taking in significant moments of political ...

Bestselling author, Colin Murphy, explores the historical figures and events that have existed for centuries in the fringes and brings them out into the open for the reader. Full of historical stories which will intrigue you, captivate you, revolt you and even make you laugh! Colin Murphy welcomes you into the fringes of history where shocking stories and compelling facts await you...Fierce History is a collection of bizarre, grotesque and unexpected episodes from history ...

Ever lose the head when the country grinds to a halt after two centimetres of snow?Do the parish-pump politicians, perennially pathetic health services and practically useless road signs drive you to drink?Are all these and a million other maddening quirks of Irish society sapping your will to live?In the Name of Jaysus is a hilarious rant about all things exasperating, irritating and downright infuriating in Ireland today. If you're Irish – or if you just ...

The country's on fire! The Klan on the march again. Fascists organising - in America!And books are being burned.It's 1933, and James Joyce's sexually explicit Ulysses has been banned in the US for a decade. But now a hungry young publisher and an ambitious lawyer have teamed up to take on the puritans. Can they convince the judge that Ulysses is not obscene? And what will happen when Ulysses gets under their skin-...

A fascinating investigation the lives of four priest hunters – Sean na Sagart, Edward Tyrrell, Barry Lowe and John Garzia.Ireland in the aftermath of Cromwell – during this period Catholicism and Irish nationalism became inexorably linked and priests were outlawed. The Priest Hunters shines a light on these men who hunted them. Sean naSagart was Irishman who was been condemned to death for horse stealing but was reprieved on condition he become a priest hunter. Ed...

The Emerald Isle has something for everyone, from the stupendous coastline and cliffs of the Wild Atlantic Way in the west to the culture and cuisine of the Ancient East; from the castles and forts of the historic north to the famed golden beaches of the beautiful south – and not forgetting the mighty craic and decent watering holes to be found everywhere in between!Humorous information about 50 key tourist attractions in Ireland, accompanied by photographs and illustrations. A lig...

STORIES OF ADVENTURE & ACHIEVEMENTINVENTORS, GOLD-DIGGERS, MILITARY LEADERS, SPIES, RABBLE-ROUSERS, SOLDIERS, COURTESANS, ACE PILOTS DETECTIVES, ATHLETES, HEROESIrish people have left their mark on virtually every corner of the globe. This fascinating book tells the stories of the Irish who are justly celebrated in their adopted homelands, but virtually unknown in Ireland.William Melville from Kerry, the First Head of MI5Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty fro...

You think this is dignified? A bunch of students playing with someone's medical records?Why did 20th century Ireland lock up so many people?After all the scandals about Ireland's institutions - the industrial schools, the mother and baby homes, the Magdalene laundries - why have we still barely investigated the largest institutions of them all: the psychiatric hospitals?Today, Grangegorman is home to the newly opened campus of Technological University Dubli...

In October 1921, a delegation of the Dáil left by boat and train for London, where they were to negotiate with the British government for peace, unity and a republic. They came back with just one of those; and that peace didn't last long, as war with Britain was replaced by war with their own.Were the Irish outclassed or outgunned? Were they lied to? Did they lie to their own colleagues back in Dublin? Or did they achieve the best that could be achieved, an incremental step on the ...

A housing crisis, a hung Dáil and an unlikely alliance.Haughey|Gregory follows the deal made between Tony Gregory and Charles Haughey in 1982, when Gregory took a surprise Dáil seat - and suddenly found himself holding the balance of power.Dublin's Inner City is devastated by unemployment and addiction – and the planners' solution is simply to bulldoze it. But the general election results in the novice TD, Tony Gregory, holding the balance of power.

There's a million in the middle - and they might go either way.On May 22nd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted resoundingly for marriage equality - making Ireland the first country in the world to introduce gay marriage by popular vote.Little about Ireland's 20th-century history suggested that the country would find itself at the vanguard of LGBT+ rights. “Homosexual conduct may lead a mildly homosexually-orientated person into a way of life from which he may never ...