The Redmonds and Waterford: A Political Dynasty, 1891 – 1952 by Pat McCarthy (Four Courts Press 2018, €29.95 pb) John Redmond inaugurated the Redmond political dynasty when he was returned to the House of Commons for New Ross in December 1881. It would remain in place until 1952. A native of Wexford, he was…
The GAA Immortals: 100 Gaelic Games Legends by John Scally (Black & White Publishing, €21.00) This is a compilation of biographical sketches of footballers, hurlers and team-managers who were household names in the GAA world during the last 100 years. The list of 55 footballers begins with Dick Fitzgerald. He won five All-Ireland championships for Kerry…
The Life and Times of Daniel Murray: Archbishop of Dublin 1823 – 1852 by Thomas J. Morrissey SJ (Messenger Publications, €27.00) Tom Morrissey’s latest book is one which everyone interested in Irish Church history has long looked for. It was as a pastoral bishop that the great Daniel Murray excelled. It is no exaggeration to claim…
A Time of Our Lives: How We Grew Up From the 1940s to the 1960s by Gerald Rice (Order from A Time of Our Lives Ltd., 11 Mornington Green, Trim, Co. Meath; €10 + €2.95 p&p; e-mail: atimeofourlives@gmail.com) This is an unusual autobiography which will resonate with Gerald Rice’s contemporaries both in Ireland and the…
All the Red Ties: From Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland in Donnybrook 1927 to Scouting Ireland 2017 by Dermot Lacey (Carrowmore, €15.00) The development of Scouting in Ireland was shaped by the major cultural, political and religious traditions in the country. The Irish B-P scouts traced their beginnings to Lieut-General Robert Baden-Powell and the…
A Lost Tribe a novel by William King (Lilliput Press, Dublin, 2017). This novel derives from William King’s experiences as a clerical student and priest in the archdiocese of Dublin during the last fifty years. Through his character Fr Tom Galvin, a 70-something parish priest, he narrates the story of the Catholic Church in Ireland as…
Gooch: The Autobiography by Colm Cooper (Transworld, €20.00) At the outset Cooper explains the origin of his nickname. It arose because when he was eight years old he had a passing resemblance to red-haired ‘Goochie’ dolls popular at that time. The real heroes in this book are Colm’s parents, Mike and Maureen. They began their…
The Kilderry Files a novel by Maurice Manning (Currach Press, €14.99) This novel is set in the pre-and post-Vatican II period. An elderly Irish bishop dies and his successor discovers in his papers US stocks and shares worth millions of dollars. Wishing to dispose of these without questions being asked as to their source,…
Quality Time at St Chinian by Patrick Masterson (Liberties Press, €14.99) Many people have enjoyed Ronald Searle’s The Terror of St Trinians and its sequel of comedy films. With an unmistakable reference to it in the title, Masterson provides a foretaste of this debut novel. Just as Searle described the eccentricities and idiocies of the staff…
Journey of Ten Thousand Smiles by Patricia Keane (Rebuild for Bosnia, Monasterevin, €16.95; for over the phone sales call 045 532 410) In November 1996 I accompanied Fr Kevin Doheny, CSSp, on a journey from Medjugorje to Sarajevo. He had been a missionary in Biafra, where there were thousands of displaced people and refugees after…
