Goodly Barrow is a long-unavailable classic that charts the history and character of Ireland's second-longest river, from the Slieve Bloom Mountains to the sea in Waterford. T.F. O'Sullivan's riverine narrative embraces legend and song, literature and anecdote, viewing Irish history through the prism of the waterway: from the early tribal kingdoms of the Celts, to the Vikings and Normans who made passage up the estuary, leaving a legacy of castles, abbeys, monasteries and towns; from the T...

This book provides in succinct, accessible form, a thematic rather than strictly chronological account of Irish history. It begins with a comprehensive historical portrait which presents the whole fabric of three thousand years of Irish life. For subsequent chapters the author has selected for development the significant threads of the historical web, the themes of invasion, rebellion, the Black North, and aspects of the culture, especially literary, that make the whole of Ireland the cult...

This is the story of a part of Scotland that has played a huge role in the nation's history for thousands of years. The hunter-gatherers, who first discovered the bounty of the ancient Wildwood, the Celtic warlords, the Romans, the Northumbrians and the Reivers, who dominated the Anglo-Scottish borderlands for more than three centuries, have all had their part to play in the constantly evolving life of the area.It is the people of a place who make its history. Alistair Moffat's acc...

The unspeakable tragedy of the Titanic disaster can only be fully appreciated through the tales of the people who were aboard on the night the ship went down. The Irish Aboard Titanic gives those people a voice, focusing on the Irish who were aboard the 'unsinkable' liner. In it are stories of agony, luck, self-sacrifice, dramatic escapes and heroes left behind. Senan Molony also records the heartache that continued long after that fateful night. In her wake the Titanic cast a long shadow ...

From First Communions to CIÉ Mystery Tours – the heartwarming story of award-winning journalist Gene Kerrigan's childhood in Dublin in the '50s In his highly addictive style, Gene Kerrigan effortlessly reconstructs the Ireland of the 1950s and early '60s in which he grew up. An adult world of absolute moral certainties, casual cruelties and mass emigration; for children an age of innocence, but an innocence hemmed in by fear and guilt. In this brilliant and humorous memoir, Kerrigan tells ...

Have you heard the story of 'Bang Bang' Dudley, who roamed the streets of Dublin shooting anyone who caught his eye? Or of 'Lugs' Brannigan, the city's most famous detective? Do you know who the real Molly Malone was, or the story of Marsh's Library, or how the devil himself came to the Hellfire Club? These and many more accounts of Dubliners and Dublin City fill this book, as told by Brendan Nolan, a professional storyteller who has been recording these tales for decades....

It has been the belief of the Irish people that St. Patrick was the missionary that brought Christianity to Ireland, however this may have been the case. From ancient writings it would appear that Christianity was well established in Ireland hundreds of years before the purported arrival of St. Patrick and it is probable that St. Patrick is another instance of church propaganda to influence the minds of the people.

Thomas Crofton Croker (15 January 1798 8 August 1854) came from an English family who had lived in the south of Ireland since the reign of Elizabeth I, but while apprenticed to a merchant in Cork, he spent many hours wandering on foot out in the countryside, collecting legends and songs from the native Irish. He devoted the rest of his life to the collection of ancient Irish poetry and folklore, then went about publishing the stories in magazines. Finally, Croker put together the collection...

Michael Collins and the Women Who Spied for Ireland is the first book to concentrate on the crucial role played by women in Collins's personal and working life. From his boyhood in an overwhelmingly female household in West Cork, women brought out the best in him and he brought out the best in them. Susan Killeen, his first girlfriend, remained a steadfast ally throughout his life. From 1917, his girlfriend, Madeline (Dilly) Dicker, helped to ease the burden of his huge workload a...

Just under 200,000 Irishmen took part in the American Civil War, making it one of the most significant conflicts in Irish history. Hundreds of thousands more were affected away from the battlefield, both in the US and in Ireland itself. The Irish contribution, however, is often only viewed through the lens of famous units such as the Irish Brigade, but the real story is much more complex and fascinating. From the Tipperary man who was the first man to die in the war, to th...

A Walk Through Rebel Dublin 1916 is a comprehensively illustrated guide to the Rising of Easter Week 1916, based on the significant locations of the rebellion. Dealing separately with thirty buildings and sites throughout the city – including the GPO, Liberty Hall, Trinity College, the Four Courts and Dublin Castle – the author provides a brief, fascinating history of the events and personalities that dominated these locations during Easter Week. A contemporary photograph of each ...

Belmore: The Lowry-Corry Families of Castle Coole, 1646-1913 tells the fascinating story of two families who left Dumfries in the mid 17th century to settle in Fermanagh and Tyrone. The marriage of Galbraith Lowry to Sarah Corry united their considerable fortunes and political clout. Their only surviving son, Armar Lowry Corry, inherited some 70,000 acres and an income of £12,000 and moved up in the heady world of Irish society and politics as Baron Belmore with a marriage arranged to a be...