Pedro Aruppe SJ: Mystic with Open Eyes by Brian Grogan SJ, with an introduction by Peter McVerry SJ (Messenger Publications, €4.95) The cause of beatification of Fr Pedro Arrupe, the historical Superior General of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983, is now official. In a letter to the Jesuits at large, the current superior Fr Artuso…
The Rosary Priest: A Biography of Patrick Peyton CSC by Tom Mulligan (Veritas, €15.00) I had the privilege of meeting Fr Patrick Peyton, CSC. A handsome man, standing at six feet four inches, he was a refreshingly simple person. And yet there was an aura about him. It was the same aura one sensed in the…
The Border: The legacy of a century of Anglo-Irish politics by Diarmaid Ferriter (Profile Books, €15.99 / £12.99) Felix M. Larkin On the very first page of this book, Prof. Ferriter speaks of the Border being “imposed” on the island of Ireland – by implication, against the will of the people of the island. This reflects what…
Mainly About Books by the Books Editor We are all aware of the major shrines of Ireland, and of the customs associated with them: Knock, Croagh Patrick and Lough Derg are part of Irish culture. Then there are the holy wells, and the little places associated with more local saints, well favoured across a…
Forgetful Remembrance: Social Forgetting and Vernacular Historiography of a Rebellion in Ulster by Guy Beiner (Oxford University Press, £35.00) Ian d’Alton Troublesome memories, or memories of troubles? This fascinating book is about memory, and how the contemporary inevitably colours perceptions of the past. In that context, pinning down memory is always aiming at a moving…
Making their Mark: Irish Painter-Etchers 1880-1930 an exhibition curated by Anne Hodge (NGI) and Dr Angela Griffith (TCD) National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square, Dublin – runs to 30 June 2019. Admission free. A current exhibition at the NGI explores an almost forgotten aspect of modern Irish art, the activities of a small but influential…
Buck Whaley: Ireland’s greatest adventurer by David Ryan (Merrion Press, €16.95 / £14.99) Andrew Carpenter This is a highly entertaining, well-written account of the life of one of 18th-Century Ireland’s most famous characters, Thomas ‘Buck’ Whaley. Born into a wealthy Anglo-Irish landowning family in 1765 – he was the heir of landowner, magistrate and former Member…
Saint Patrick: The Legends and History of Ireland’s Patron Saint by Roy Flechner (Princeton University Press, £22.00) The feast of Ireland’s national apostle is upon us, in all its curious modern forms. And here just in time for the world-wide celebrations is a new inquiry into the history and the legends that surround St Patrick. But…
Dublin: The Chaos Years by Neil Cotter (Penguin Ireland, €18) This is a refreshingly honest account of the interactions between the managers, players and fans of the Dublin senior football team from 1996 to 2010. It records the behind-the-scenes abuse, backchat, disloyalty and other challenges faced by the managers of that period. Pat O’Neill led the…
Mainly About Books by the books editor Travelling round the city as I do, largely by bus and tram, and graced with the benefit of not carrying any kind of phone or tablet, I have the leisure to observe other people’s interaction with their media devices. I find it very suggestive, and believe that…
Peter Costello