Achill: The Island poems by John F. Deane, paintings by John Behan (Currach Press, €19.99 /£14.99) John F. Deane is that rarity, a modern Irish poet deeply inspired in his poetry by what he calls in his introduction “the wonders of the Christian faith”. He himself was born on Achill Island in 1943, and his childhood…
Mystics: the beauty of prayer by Craig Larkin SM (Columba Press, €12.99) This is book was originally published two years ago in New Zealand under the title Inner Music: Living a Life in God. The title of the splendid new Irish edition gives a better idea perhaps of what the book contains – short essays on…
The Rivers of Dublin, new revised edition by Clair L. Sweeney, revised by Gerard O’Connell & Michael Curtis (Dublin City Council / Irish Academic Press, €24.99) There is a lovely saying, by an unidentified street poet, that has long echoed in my mind, as a description of the modern city: “The fields lie dreaming underneath.” No…
Why We Go to Mass, a comic book by Fr. Pat Seaver & Hugh McMahon (€5.99 postage included; for copies contact Paul Flynn at Kyle House, Henry St, Limerick, tel: 061-313377) Having to sit on so many Sundays to sit beside families with their small children, even some of communion age, are running around the aisles,…
World of Books by the Books Editor The other day emerging from my oculists in Grafton Street, I was trying out my new distance glasses. Coming towards me down Nassau Street was a No. 11 bus, bound for ‘Wadelai Park’. Thankfully I could see this quite clearly, but it set my memory going, for…
Memoir: Remembering Krzysztof Joseph Romanowski by J. Anthony Gaughan (Kingdom Books, €15.00; available from Veritas branches) Today Polish is now the second most spoken language in Ireland (as Joe Carroll observes elsewhere on this page). Fr Gaughan’s new little book goes some way to explaining why this is. It consists of a brief, but moving memoir,…
Generous Love in Multi-Faith Ireland: Towards Mature Citizenship and a Positive Pedagogy for the Church of Ireland in Local Christian–Muslim Mission and Engagement by Suzanne Cousins (Church of Ireland Publishing, €6.00 / £5.00; available from the Theological Institute, Braemor Park, Dublin 14. ) The Rev. Suzanne Cousins was ordained to the Church of Ireland ministry in…
Our Father: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer by Pope Francis (Rider, £9.99) This little book, which is issued to mark the fifth anniversary of the Pope’s election, is like so many of the publications which bear his name, drawn from an interview, or rather conversation, with a friendly interlocutor. This was Fr Marco Pozza, a priest…
World of Books by the Books Editor I was struck the other day, while reading Anthony Dent’s book Lost Beasts of Britain, by a remark in his preface. He is explaining that he deals largely with the extent of Britain known to the “good emperor” Antoninus Pius, builder of the Antonine Wall in 142 AD,…
Kerry: The Beautiful Kingdom written and photographed by John Wesson (O’Brien Press, €24.99) John Wesson is an English professional photographer who divides his time between Derbyshire and Valentia Island in Kerry. Though this is his first book I suspect we can expect many more. He has a fine eye for both the beauties of the landscape,…