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IHB April 2024 Newsletter

IHB April Newsletter 2024

Anglicizing Tudor Connacht - Book Launch

The launch of “Anglicizing Tudor Connacht” by Dr Joseph Mannion (published by Four Courts Press) took place during April at The Irish History Bookshop in Cong.

The book charts the expansion of English rule into the south Connacht lordships of Clanrickard and Hy Many in the sixteenth century.

We are very grateful to Joe Mannion for giving a very interesting and informative talk about his latest book.

Copies of the book are available for sale here.

Genealogy on Sale

Searching for your ancestry or families history in Ireland is made more complicated by the absence of many of the civil records for Ireland prior to 1922.

During the opening salvoes of the Irish Civil War the bombardment of the Four Courts in Dublin led to the destruction of 700 years of records in the adjacent Public Records Office.

Thousands of records were saved and a restoration project is underway to preserve and recover as much information as possible from the salvaged records. More information about the process is available at The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland.

In the meantime a wealth of information for those looking for their Irish ancestors is available in local and national records and other sources.

Guides to the content and location of the sources is available in a range of books about Irish genealogy and to get you started we have put all of our genealogy books on sale.

Check the titles here

Three Forthcoming Titles from UCD Press

UCD Press will be publishing three new titles at the beginning of May which are available to pre-order through our website.

Wild-Looking But Fine: Abbey Theatre Actresses of the 1930s by Ciara O’Dowd

The discovery of an archive of letters from the actress Aideen O’Connor in the James Hardiman Library in Galway led Ciara O’Dowd on a journey to discover more about the lives of the women of the Abbey Theatre. “Wild-Looking But Fine: Abbey Theatre Actresses of the 1930s” traces the lives of Aideen O’Connor and Ria Mooney from their debuts on the Abbey stage, to performing in New York in 1937, and the lives they made for themselves after that tour.

O’Dowd grapples with their artistic theories; their economic situations; their personal dilemmas. These biographies offer a new perspective on Ireland in the 1930s, on the treatment of women at the Abbey Theatre and in Hollywood, and on theatre practices in Ireland and America. It charts an internationalism in Irish acting and directing, connecting it with the work of feminist artists overseas and paints a vivid portrait of the artistic and inter-personal cultural milieu of the Abbey Theatre of the era.

Illustrated with original black and white images from the period, the book is a reflection on how we can construct life stories from the disparate traces left behind.

More information about the origins of the book and the Abbey Theatre Actresses of the 1930’s is available on Ciara O’Dowd’s blog at https://chasingaideen.ie/.

Foreign Tongues. Victorian Language Learning and the Shaping of Modern Ireland by Phyllis Gaffney

Back in 2022, Paul Lay, in his final editorial comment in “History Today” magazine, cited languages as key to engaging with the history of our world – “if historians are to see the world through the eyes of others, now and then, as they must, they are the essential tools of the task”.

“Foreign Tongues. Victorian Language Learning and the Shaping of Modern Ireland by Phyllis Gaffney” draws on multiple sources to cast a fresh light on aspects of Irish history, viewed through the complex lens of language education.

Starting with the premise that “history shifts languages; languages shape history” Gaffney considers the revitalisation of continental influences on Ireland during the 19th century. She describes the development of language learning in the expansion of university education and in the development of the Gaelic League alongside the involvement of the Irish in European colleges and the British colonial service. Finally, she links the development of language learning in the 19th century to the shaping of Irish identities and the Ireland of the twentieth century.

John Redmond And Irish Parliamentary Traditions edited by Martin O’Donoghue and Emer Purcell

This multi-disciplinary collection of essays considers the Irish Parliamentary tradition with Redmond at its heart. Ranging from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century the essays consider the emergence of the Irish Parliamentary Party; the relationship between Redmond and Charles Stewart Parnell and between Redmond and Edward Carson; an analysis of gender and politics in independent Ireland through a reassessment of Redmond’s attitudes towards the cause of women’s suffrage and the career of Bridget Redmond and finally a consideration of the legacy of the Irish Parliamentary Party.

The essays together situate Redmondism and the Irish Parliamentary Party within the context of the politics of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the British Empire, Home Rule, Nationalism, Unionism, World War I and the 1916 Rising.

Bookfinding Service

Are you looking for a book about Irish history that is out of print or hard to find? We provide a specialist bookfinding service at no charge.

To use the service please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

Title of the book;
Author of the book;
ISBN (if the book has one);
Edition or publication date you are looking for;
Your Name, Telephone Number and Address.

Please include the word “Booksearch” in the subject line.

If we are successful in locating a copy of the title we will contact you with the price and the cost of postage. If we are not successful in locating a copy immediately we will keep the details on file and notify you if a copy becomes available.

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Launch of Anglicizing Tudor Connacht

The launch of “Anglicizing Tudor Connacht” by Dr Joseph Mannion (published by Four Courts Press) will take place at 7:30pm on Friday 26 April 2024 at The Irish History Bookshop, Main Street, Cong.

The book charts the expansion of English rule into the south Connacht lordships of Clanrickard and Hy Many in the sixteenth century.

The author is a former primary school principal, who holds a PhD in history from the University of Galway. He has published widely on the medieval and early modern history of the Connacht region.

All are welcome to attend.

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March Newsletter

IHB March Newsletter

The Irish: Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism

“The Irish: Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism” by Turtle Bunbury (now available in paperback) examines Irish emigration through over 40 case studies. From the 7th century travels of Columbanus to the White House connections of the twentieth century, the book charts the formation of the Irish diaspora.

Turtle Bunbury will be one of the speakers at a special history weekend at Ashford Castle which will run from the 19th to the 21st April. If you plan to attend the history weekend why not call into our bookshop in Cong. We are located just ten minutes walk or a two minute drive from the Castle.

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick’s Day has just passed us by but what do we really know about Saint Patrick?

His life has been the subject of many thousands of books and journal articles but the earliest and only writings that can be ascribed to Saint Patrick are the Confessio and the Epistola (Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus). Both composed in the fifth century they have passed down to us today from Latin documents dating from the ninth century.

We stock a selection of titles about Saint Patrick ranging from T.F O’Rahilly’s controversial lecture on the Two Patrick’s to Roy Flechner’s contemporary reassessment of the life of Saint Patrick “Saint Patrick Retold”.

Copies of all of our titles about Saint Patrick may be found here.

Irish Women's History

In celebration of International Women’s Day we have featured a new title from UCD Press – “The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn” edited by Mary McAuliffe and Harriet Wheelock.

Lynn was born near Killala in North Mayo in 1874, the daughter of Robert Lynn, a Church of Ireland clergyman and Catherine Wynne from Co. Sligo. She moved to Cong at the age of 12 when her father was appointed Rector of the Parish. She became a boarder at Alexandra’s College in Dublin which at the time was under the patronage of Lady Ardilaun of Ashford Castle.

Lynn’s political views developed while she was at the Royal University of Ireland studying medicine. She became involved with a number of suffragist and nationalist organisations. After postgraduate studies in the United States she became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1909.

She was passed over for medical positions because of her gender but succeeded in obtaining a post at Sir Patrick Duns Hospital. Subsequently she became a resident at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital. During this period she became politically involved with the labour movement during the Dublin lockout. She joined the Irish Citizens Army and was Chief Medical Officer of the Irish Citizens Army during the Easter Rising.

During the Rising she was based at the City Hall but was arrested and detained in Dublin until June 1916 when she was deported to England. She kept a diary of the events and aftermath of the Rising which give a unique insight into the treatment of prisoners after the Rising. This is the starting point of the diaries which extend until 1955 and chronicle Lynn’s medical and political career during the first three decades of the new Irish state.

Copies of "The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn" may be purchased here at the reduced price of €40.00

A selection of our titles related to Women's History in Ireland may be viewed here

Who said: Love, Honour and Carry Water?

Who said: “Love, Honour and Carry Water”? — The story behind Ireland’s Group Water Schemes is written by John Hynes, whose company Group Waterworks Ltd opened ground and laid thousands of miles of piping throughout the country in the 45 years from 1968 to 2013.

For anybody who remembers growing up in rural Ireland 60 years ago the daily chore of fetching water to the house was one of the many hardships to be endured.

The ESB ran an advertising campaign to sell electric pumps with the tag line “Who said “Love, Honour and Carry Water” – a parody of the wedding vows. At the beginning of the 1960’s, 75% of rural households had no piped water supply and for many women in rural Ireland, to whom the task of water carrying most often fell, it was far from being a joke.

This book tells the story of the author’s involvement in the evolution of the Group Water Schemes and the supply of piped water throughout rural Ireland. A biography, a social history and most importantly a chronicle of bureaucratic hurdles and community determination the book casts light on a hitherto neglected history of one of rural Ireland’s most enduring institutions.

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Saint Patrick’s Day

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

The earliest and only writings that can be ascribed to Saint Patrick are the Confessio and the Epistola (Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus). Both composed in the fifth century they have passed down to us today from Latin documents dating from the ninth century.

However, from the hagiographies of the medieval era to the biographies and historical re-examinations of the twentieth and twenty first centuries, the life of Saint Patrick has been the subject of thousands of books and Journal articles.

We offer a selection of titles about the life of Saint Patrick in The Irish History Bookshop and as a special offer for Saint Patrick’s Day we are offering 10% off all orders until midnight on Monday 18 March. Just use the offer code Patrick10 at the checkout.

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International Women’s Day

Women's History for International Women's Day

Friday March 8 is International Women’s Day and we are celebrating women’s history with three great offers on books related to women’s history and a focus on our women’s history titles which can be found here.

RRP: €45:00 – Our Price €40.00*

RRP: €19.95 – Our Price €17.95*

RRP: €15.00 – Our Price €13.50*

Kathleen Lynn

Kathleen Lynn is featuring widely in national media at the moment due to the publication of a new book “The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn”. However she has long been well known in the village of Cong, the home of the Irish History Bookshop.

Lynn was born near Killala in North Mayo in 1874, the daughter of Robert Lynn, a Church of Ireland clergyman and Catherine Wynne from Co. Sligo.She moved to Cong at the age of 12 when her father was appointed Rector of the Parish.She became a boarder at Alexandra’s College in Dublin which at the time was under the patronage of Lady Ardilaun of Ashford Castle.

Despite her comfortable background and aristocratic links (her mother was descended from Owen Wynne of Hazelwood House in Co. Sligo and she was distantly related to Countess Markiewicz), Lynn was aware of the land agitation and rural poverty around Cong at the end of the 19th century. At the time Cong was a focal point for the Land League. The parish priest Father Patrick Lavelle was a prominent Land Leaguer and author of “The Irish Landlord since the Revolution”. He hosted many political meetings in Cong and Michael Davitt and many other Land Leaguers were frequent visitors to the village at the time.

During this period she became politically involved with the labour movement during the Dublin lockout. She joined the Irish Citizens Army and was Chief Medical Officer of the Irish Citizens Army during the Easter Rising.

During the Rising she was based at the City Hall but was arrested by British soldiers and detained in Dublin until June 1916 when she was deported to England. She kept a diary of the events and aftermath of the Rising which give a unique insight into the treatment of prisoners after the Rising.

Lynn returned to Ireland at the end of 1916 and re-established her medical practice as well as returning to involvement with nationalist politics. Her political activities led to a split with her father in Cong although she resolved her difficulties with her father before he died in 1923. Lynn became vice-president of Sinn Fein in 1917 and was elected to the Dail in 1923 although she did not take her seat in accordance with the abstentionist stance of the anti-treaty Sinn Fein.

Much of her later life was devoted to medical care in inner city Dublin. She co-founded St Ultan’s Hospital for Infants in 1919 and supported international research on tuberculosis eradication. She worked closely with Noel Browne on TB eradication and the National TB Vaccine Centre was set up in the grounds of St Ultans.

Kathleen Lynn died in 1955 and was given a full military funeral. She is buried in Deansgrange Cemetery, Dublin.

To commemorate the life of Kathleen Lynn and her connection to Cong, a memorial garden is being developed in the village.

More information about the life of Kathleen Lynn is available in Margaret O hOgartaigh’s book

“Kathleen Lynn: Irishwoman, Patriot, Doctor”.

*While Stocks Last

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February Newsletter

IHB February Newsletter

Remembering Peasants

It was a great pleasure to launch “Going to My Father’s House” by Professor Patrick Joyce in The Irish History Bookshop back in 2022.

At the time Patrick mentioned that another book was being completed and we are very pleased to now receive copies.

“Remembering Peasants. A Personal History of a Vanished World” chronicles a way of life that is vanishing in one of the greatest transformations of our time: the eclipse of the rural world by the urban.

Patrick Joyce challenges stereotypes surrounding peasants, revealing a rich and intricate culture across Europe from Poland to Ireland. He meticulously narrates traditions, songs, celebrations, and revolts from the 19th century to today.

Incorporating personal stories, including his own Irish family’s, Joyce emphasizes the importance of recognizing and respecting peasant experiences in human history. He contends that, in the face of climate crisis and industrial agriculture, understanding our agrarian roots is crucial. The book serves as an enlightening and timely tribute to a vanishing culture with lasting relevance to our past and future.

Patrick Joyce is Emeritus Professor of History at Manchester University, and one of the leading social historians of his generation. He has long been a radical and influential voice in debates on the politics and future of social and cultural history.

Copies of the book are available for sale here

Featured Books

The bestselling “Bad Bridget” has just been reprinted by Penguin in paperback. The book is a captivating blend of social history and true crime, offering a previously unexplored perspective.

In 19th and early 20th century Ireland, many young Irish women emigrated to North America in search of a better life. The authors Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick, creators of the ‘Bad Bridget’ podcast, unveil a hidden world where Irish women outnumbered men in prison. The book explores the astonishing scale of troubles faced by these women through stories that are often tragic and moving.

The spectre of ‘the Disappeared‘, those abducted, secretly executed and their bodies buried in remote locations, has overshadowed the debate around the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland for the last two decades. Yet what most people don’t realise is that ‘forced disappearances’ have been part of violent political conflicts in Ireland for over 200 years.

This groundbreaking book, the first of its kind, looks at the history of this practice in Ireland and identifies all known victims over the last century, from the North King Street Massacre in 1916 right up to 2003.

Mercier Press books back in print

Mercier Press celebrates 80 years in Irish publishing this year. Over the decades they have published many significant books related to the history of Ireland. Recently they made available selected out of print titles from their back catalogue as print of demand books. This is a great opportunity for you to catch up on old favourites and classic titles. We are stocking some of the most popular history titles and will add to the list in coming months.

We also stock many new and out of print titles from Mercier which can be seen here.

Recently added out of print titles

Our newsletter often focuses on newly published books about Irish History but we regularly add many out of print titles to our online catalogue. Details of some of our recently added out of print titles can be found here.

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January Newsletter

IHB January Newsletter

The Year Ahead

Now the festive season is over it’s time to look forward to the coming year. While meeting and greeting customers in the shop this Christmas I have been scanning the publisher’s lists for 2024. While some publishers have yet to send out details of their forthcoming titles, I have tracked down around 100 planned publications and present here a few highlights of what we may expect in the next twelve months. Our monthly newsletters will highlight forthcoming titles in more detail as they are published.

Eagerly awaited are two books which consider Ireland’s history from a personal perspective.

“Southern Irish Protestants: Histories, Lives and Literature” by Ian D’Alton is described by the author as “a reflection of – and on – my own personal journey of discovery through the medium of history. I am a ‘southern Irish Protestant.’ In these three words – somewhere, somehow – lie my own sense of identity. In truth, it tells more of what I’m not than what I am. Most of my fellow-citizens are quite simply ‘Irish.’ It would never occur to them to describe themselves as ‘southern Irish Catholics.’ But as Edna Longley remarked in 1989 if Catholics are born Irish, Protestants have to ‘work their passage to Irishness.’ Ian D’Alton is Visiting Research Fellow in the Centre for Contemporary Irish History at Trinity College, Dublin and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has published widely on the subjects of southern Irish unionism and Protestantism.

Fergal Keane is the author of many fine books based on his experiences as a journalist in war zones around the world. His book “Wounds” won many awards and told a personal story of those who found themselves caught up in the events that followed the 1916 Rising, and in the violence of civil war in north Kerry after the British left in 1922. “The Golden World: A Personal History of Ireland” is scheduled to be published in 2024. Details from the publisher are scarce but will be provided as soon as they become available.

Two reprints are worthy of attention. “Imagining Ireland’s Pasts: Early Modern Ireland through the Centuries” by Nicholas Canny will be published in paperback this year. The book describes how various authors addressed the history of early modern Ireland over four centuries and explains why they could not settle on an agreed narrative. As an important work of historiography, it sets into context the evolution of Irish historical writings from the Renaissance to the 19th century. At one third of the price of the hardback edition this important text will hopefully reach the wide audience it deserves.

“Iona, Kells and Derry: The history and hagiography of the monastic familia of Columba” by Maire Herbert will appear this year. First published in 1988, the book outlines the history of the ecclesiastical familia of Colum Cille in Ireland and Scotland in the era between the sixth and twelfth centuries. The reprint will include an afterword from the author, surveying research developments in the interval since the book was first published and suggesting further research.

Focusing on a slightly later, if overlapping, period of early Christian Ireland, “Monasticism in Ireland, AD 900-1250” by Edel Bhreathnach is a major study of the men and women who followed a monastic life and who maintained a universal monastic ideology while incorporating monasticism into their own cultural environment.

For the archaeologist, a number of excavation reports will be issued throughout the year but two publications relevant to archaeology caught my eye. “Boyne and Beyond: Essays in Appreciation of George Eogan” is a selection of papers from the National Monuments Service 5th annual archaeology conference. “Medieval Irish Architecture and the Concept of Romanesque” by Tadhg O’Keeffe challenges the 19th century concept of the Romanesque in the Irish and European context and will appeal to archaeologists and medieval historians.

Irelands connections to the world from the early medieval period to early modern Ireland are well presented in three forthcoming titles: “The Irish-Scottish World in the Middle Ages” edited by Seán Duffy, David Ditchburn & Peter Crooks; “Ireland and the Renaissance Court” by David Edwards; and “Mendicants on the Margins. Geographical, social and historiographical margins in the study of medieval and early modern mendicant orders” edited by Dr. Malgorzata Krasnodebeska D’Aughton and Dr. Anne-Julie Lafaye.

The history of the Irish in America is comprehensively examined in “The Routledge History of Irish America” which gathers over forty scholars to explore the dynamics that have shaped the Irish experience in America from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries.

Into the 19th century “Land is all that Matters” by Myles Dungan examines two hundred years of agrarian conflict in Ireland and promises to be “a sweeping, immersive story that captures both the human experience and the global relationships at the heart of Irish history.”

Two new books will focus on the famines of the 19th century from the perspective of philanthropy on both sides of the Atlantic. “The Mansion House Fund 1880” by David O’Regan examines the response to the famine of 1880 while “Aiding Ireland: The Great Famine and the Rise of Transnational Philanthropy” by Anelise Hanson Shrout considers the politics of international aid and considers the role of the Irish famine as a foundational moment for normalizing international giving.

As we move forwards from the centenary of decades two new biographies of key figures who went on to play an important role in independent Ireland are to be published. “General Eoin O’Duffy : The Political Life of an Irish Firebrand” by Jack Traynor promises a fresh look at the controversial character based on new material. “Gerald Boland: A Biography” by Stephen Kelly looks at the life of a key figure in Irish political life who until now has been overlooked.

As Northern Ireland moves past it’s centenary two new books “Northern Ireland and the UK Constitution” by Lisa Claire Whitten and “Northern Ireland Beyond 100” by Dr. Desmond Bell and Dr. Liam O’Dowd consider its history and development from partition to post Brexit.

After the publication in 2023 of the wide ranging “Belfast: The Story of a City and It’s People”, a new book about the city – “Representing Belfast’s Pasts” by Raymond Gillespie – will be published later this year. The book is a collection of essays which considers how the city’s past was reimagined through the voices of historians, writers, travellers and many more who have contributed to the narrative of the city.

A number of recently published books about Northern Ireland will also be appearing in paperback in 2024 including “Making Sense of a United Ireland: Should it happen? How might it happen?”, “The Northern Ireland Peace Process : From Armed Conflict to Brexit”, “Operation Chiffon : The Secret Story of MI5 and MI6 and the Road to Peace in Ireland”, “Migrants, Immigration and Diversity in Twentieth-century Northern Ireland : British, Irish or ‘Other’?”, “Bloody Sunday: A Fifty-Year Fight for Justice” and “H Blocks: An Architecture of the Conflict in and about Northern Ireland”

Finally, not a history book but a book about making history.

Tom Reilly is well known for his approaches to the history of the role of Oliver Cromwell in Ireland. His forthcoming book “Making a Massacre: Cromwell, Ireland and the Slaughter of Innocents Scandal (Not a Real History Book)” describes his mission to change the accepted view of Cromwell.

In the words of his publisher:

“Imagine for a moment that Cromwell is completely innocent of these charges of genocide: the overwhelming verdict of history thus far. Imagine also a scenario in which this anomaly in the teaching of Irish history were discovered by a non-historian, an amateur who failed second-level history. This is that story. This is an accurate (and sideways) account of one man’s lone battle to overturn this miscarriage of historical justice – two middle fingers to mainstream academia. Most significantly, this is the story of the pushback the author has encountered from academics, in general, who have closed ranks in their reluctance to embrace incontrovertible facts.”

Perhaps the title tells all.

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Saint Brigid’s Day or Imbolc

Saint Brigid's Day or Imbolc

It is only a few weeks until Saint Brigid’s Day or Imbolc. Celebrated on February 1st, Saint Brigid’s Day traditionally marks the first day of spring.

Saint Brigid, also known as Brigid of Kildare was born in the 5th century in Ireland and holds a special place in Irish and Christian tradition. Imbolc, the ancient Celtic festival is believed to predate the Christianization of Ireland and is intertwined with the seasonal cycles of agriculture.

A new book from Four Courts Press “Two Lives of Saint Brigid” by Philip Freeman examines the two Latin Lives of Saint Brigid written a century or so after her death.

This book for the first time presents together an English translation of both the Life of Brigid by Cogitosus and the Vita Prima, along with the Latin text of both, carefully edited from the best medieval manuscripts. With an Introduction by Professor Freeman, this book makes these fascinating stories of St Brigid accessible to general readers, students and scholars. This book is being offered at a special reduction of 10% off until February 6 2024.

A more general insight into the life of Saint Brigid and the folklore surrounding her is available in “Brigid: Goddess, Druidess and Saint” by Brian Wright and “The Book of Brigid” by Colm Keane and Una O’Hagan.

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IHB Christmas Newsletter 2023

Special Offer

Mayo: The Irish Revolution 1912-23

20% Off While Stocks Last

A Look Back at 2023

One of the many perks of being a bookseller is having access to so many excellent books about Irish history. The downside is having to recommend just a small number for our round up of the year!

I will start with a recommendation of two books by the late Fergal Tobin – a stalwart of Irish publishing and writer of many Irish history books who sadly passed away earlier this year.

January saw the publication of the paperback edition of “The Irish Difference”. The hardback was an Irish Times Book of the Year and now available in paperback it is an accessible and entertaining consideration of Ireland’s relationship with Britain during the 400 years prior to independence.

“A City Runs Through Them” was published in November and provides a unique history of Dublin told through its bridges. From the Viking era to the opening of the Rosie Hackett Bridge in 2014 it charts the development and expansion of our capital city.

As the decade of centenaries draws to a close, “A Nation is Born” takes a look at the period from 1923 to 1938. Michael B. Barry documents the days of the Irish Free State while John O’Byrne’s hand colourised photographs bring to life an age we normally only see in black and white.

Our bookshop in Cong is surrounded by pre-Christian archaeology. Court tombs and burial cairns abound across the isthmus between Lough Corrib and Lough Mask. I was therefore pleased to come across “Death in Irish Prehistory” by Gabriel Cooney. The book explores the substantial archaeological evidence of ritual and practice associated with death from 8000 BC to AD 500 available in Ireland. Although written in an Irish context, the analysis draws on the wider European experience as well as considering change and continuity in practice and ritual. Most importantly the book sheds light on the lives lived by our prehistoric ancestors and brings meaning to their monuments dotted across the Irish landscape.

There are few histories of the Irish Defence Forces but “The Irish Defence Forces – 1922-2022” by Eoin Kinsella fulfils that role well. The book gives a comprehensive account of the Defence Forces from the pre-State origins in the founding of the Irish Volunteers. Fully illustrated throughout, the book examines the role of the Defence Forces at home and overseas as a vital component of the United Nations peacekeeping force.

Four Courts Press continued their excellent series on the Irish Revolutionary Decade with the publication of a number of county level histories of the period. This year we were pleased to host the launch of “Mayo: The Irish Revolution 1912-23” by Joost Augusteijn which highlights the unique circumstances in County Mayo in the lead up to the War of Independence and the Civil War.

Finally, I would like to wish all our customers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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October 2023 Newsletter

IHB Newsletter October 2023

A busy month in the Irish History Bookshop with lots of new titles coming out to appeal to all those interested in Irish History.

We also have another book launch coming up towards the end of the month and to mark Black History Month we are offering 10% off “Black and Irish” – a celebration of black identity which has just been published by Little Island.

New titles for October 2023

Featured Books

10% off featured books for newlsetter subscribers until the end of October. Coupon code is in this months email newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter here

John Hume

by Stephen Walker

Stephen Walker, veteran journalist and former political correspondent with BBC Northern Ireland has written a landmark book exploring the life of John Hume. Based on interviews with Hume’s colleagues, critics and family members along with never-before-published interviews with Hume himself the text explores questions about who John Hume was, what motivated him, and how he managed to persuade the IRA to end its long running campaign. An important contribution to our knowledge of a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement and major figure in the history of Irish Politics.

Buy Here

Old Ireland in Colour 3

John Breslin & Sarah-Anne Buckley

The third instalment of the highly successful “Old Ireland in Colour” series, uncovers and revitalizes historical photographs in vibrant colour. This volume showcases a diverse range of Irish life, capturing moments from evictions in Clare to floods in Strabane and snapshots of working life in Dublin. The book features famous figures from politics and the arts, alongside everyday people from all corners of Ireland. Each image is filled with fascinating details and complemented by informative captions.

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The Operations of the Irish House of Commons, 1613–48

Bríd McGrath

This new book by Brid McGrath, an acknowledged authority on early modern Irish parliaments and towns, provides a detailed operational account of the Irish House of Commons during the early Stuart period, a pivotal era in Ireland’s history. It looks at the establishment of parliamentary structures and operations that endured until the Act of Union. The book describes the structures, powers, personnel, culture and operations of the lower house of the Irish parliament and examines how the parliament evolved under the governance of Lord Deputies Arthur Chichester and Thomas Wentworth and during the period of the Confederation of Kilkenny.

Buy Here

Black History Month

10% off Black and Irish

A landmark publication in Irish History from Little Island

Christmas... 'tis getting earlier every year.

Although still several months away the publishers are already gearing up for the Christmas season. This month we feature three new titles – the first is about the Christmas traditions in an Irish island community, the second is a new book by Myles Dungan for children and finally there is a history of the Sam Maguire for sports fans.

An Island Christmas – Nollaig Oileanach’

Micheal O Conghaile

“An Island Christmas – Nollaig Oileanach” by celebrated Irish author Micheal O Conghaile is a nostalgic journey into childhood memories of Christmas on the now-deserted island of Connemara’s Inis Treabhair. The memoir goes beyond the holiday season, intertwining stories of Christmas joys with broader memories of friendships, and the vibrant personalities of the island community. The author recalls the unique traditions and customs of his island upbringing in the 1960s and 70s offering readers a captivating social history of the period.

The book also gives an inspiring insight into the life of an enthusiastic artist and driving force behind the revival of Irish language writing and publishing, tracing O Conghaile’s journey from a young boy with a typewriter to the founder of the renowned publishing house, Clo Iar-Chonnacht. Translated from the Irish by Micheal O hAodha.

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The Forgettables : Remarkable Irish People (and Animals) you’ve Never Heard of

by Myles Dungan

This new book for children celebrates lesser-known Irish figures who’ve made significant contributions across diverse fields, from astronomy to zoology. Notable individuals include Valentine Greatrakes, a 17th-century healer, Miler McGrath, a controversial bishop, and Paddy the Pigeon, a WWII messenger. Be inspired by their stories and maybe one day, you can be forgettable too!

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Chasing Sam Maguire : The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977

by Dermot Reilly (Author) , Colm Keys

This book commemorates the first fifty years of the Sam Maguire. Since its inception in 1928, it has become a cherished symbol in Irish sport. Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys provide thrilling accounts of each final and player details. A captivating read for GAA enthusiasts, “Chasing Sam Maguire” explores the highs and lows of pursuing Ireland’s premier sporting honour.

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A round up of more new titles for October

A History of Ireland in 100 Episodes: Ancient, Medieval and Modern Ireland

Jonathan Bardon

“A History of Ireland in 100 Episodes” spans Ireland’s entire history, from the Ice Age to the Peace Process, in 100 concise episodes. The author weaves together cultural, literary, political, and social aspects, making it an authoritative yet succinct resource for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of Ireland’s history. Each episode, designed for quick reading, offers a snippet of Irish history, and reading them sequentially forms a complete history of Ireland.

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Dirty Linen: The Troubles in My Home Place

Martin Doyle

Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times, offers a personal and intimate history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, focusing on a single rural parish. He shares the stories of neighbours and classmates affected by the conflict and skilfully shows how the once dominant local linen industry serves as a metaphor for communal division but also for the solidarity that transcended the sectarian divide.

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Visitors to the Country House in Ireland and Britain: Welcome and Unwelcome

Terence Dooley and Christopher Ridgeway

Country houses have long drawn visitors, from social elites to royalty. The advent of railways and cars led to mass visits and the modern heritage industry. This book delves into the diverse range of visitors, including unwelcome ones like looters and revolutionaries, and how they documented their experiences, be it through sketches, journals, fiction, or photography.

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Irish Follies and Whimsical Architecture

George Munday

Photographer George Munday explores Ireland’s eccentric and picturesque follies in this book. These unique structures adorn the Irish landscape. Munday’s stunning photos accompany the intriguing tales behind these eye-catching landmarks.

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Magnates and Merchants in Early Modern Kilkenny

Jane Fenlon & Sarah Maguire

This book considers Kilkenny’s growth and prosperity from c1200. It highlights the merchant elite’s pivotal role in the town’s development, connecting it to European humanist trends. The essays cover a wide time span and explore various aspects of urban life, including wealth, art patronage, houses, and social networks.

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Moygara Castle, County Sligo and the O’Gara’s of Coolavin

Kieran O’Conor, editor

Moygara Castle is one of the most impressive masonry-built monuments in north Connacht. Constructed in the late fourteenth/early fifteenth century by the O’Garas, the castle functioned as a centre of their lordship of Coolavin.

This study of Moygara Castle marshals various fields of expertise – history, archaeology, architecture, geography, genealogy, geophysical survey and DNA analysis – to provide much-needed information about life in later-medieval Gaelic Ireland.

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