Irish Doctors in the Second World War by PJ Casey, KT Cullen, and JP Duignan (Merrion Press, €29.99/£25.99) This is a comprehensive account of the Irish doctors who served with the Allied forces in World War II. This is for all intents and purposes an untold story, but one that needed to be told for…
Dane Jeross: The Irish Private Eye who Operates Hollywood Noir Style, by Cyril McHale (Available from Amazon Media Eu: kindle edition, £9.99; paperback, £11.00.) Every classic Hollywood film is essentially a story and all of human life is to be found in those stories. They range from stories about the ‘Wild West’ to accounts…
John Moriarty: Grounded in Story, Edited by Amanda Carmody and Mary McGillicuddy (The Lilliput Press, €25.00 / £21.50) The mystic John Moriarty is one of modern Ireland unique writers, but he achieved this position through a life of varied and equally unique experiences. John Moriarty was born in Moyvane, near Listowel, Co. Kerry, on…
This book is a labour of love. At the outset the author reveals how he first became aware of the existence of Gordon Brewster.
Autumn Blooms: A Selection of Stories, Poetry and Parable by Paddy Glavin, Cyril Kelly, John Fitzgerald (Copies are available from Woulfe’s Independent Bookshop, 7 Church Street Listowel, Co. Kerry; email: woulfesbookshop@gmail.com; phone (068) 21021; €12, with a special postage rate of €6.80). Listowel Writers Week, the premier locally led and sustained literary festival in Ireland is…
Consecration to St Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, by Donald H. Calloway MIC (Marian Press, £13.60) This is a book promoting devotion to St Joseph, making it very suitable reading in this week after the celebration of the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. The steadfast member of the Holy Family, Joseph…
Going for Glory, Irish Style Chasing Sam Maguire; The All-Ireland Football Championship 1928-1977 by Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys, foreword by Larry McCarthy (The O’Brien Press, €34.99 / £32.99) This is a comprehensive account of the All-Ireland Senior Football finals from 1928 to 1977. On each occasion the teams competed for the Sam Maguire Cup.…
A love of home, ‘one’s own place’, is said to have characterised Irish people from the earliest days. These days, when people remove themselves to as far away as the Antipodes, there is still, even in the sunshine of Bondi Beach, that melancholy longing for the old place at home. How we lived in the past is…
Kerry from Maps and Charts, by Noel Kissane (Killiney Press, €30.00 / £24.00) Maps are nearly as old as mankind itself. They are treasured by historians, as they can provide important information in a variety of ways. The author of this book was a librarian at the National Library, a well informed and helpful scholar…
In writing my selection of a ‘Book of the Year’ before Christmastide descended on us all, I ended up writing about what was for me was a special book of importance, but was not the one I first intended to celebrate. But because of that change of plan, always inherent in writing for a weekly…