1588: The Spanish Armada and the 24 Ships Lost on Ireland’s Shores by Michael B. Barry (Andalus Press, €23.99 / £19.99) Legends of “Spanish gold” haunt the western shores of Scotland and Ireland, from Tobermory to the Blasket Sound. As his subtitle indicates a good part of Michael Barry’s space in his latest book is taken…
Another Day in Paradise: Stories of Transformation from the Camino and other places by Eddie Gilmore (Brimstone Press, £10.99 / €12.99) Eddie Gilmore will be known to many Irish people through his work with Irish emigrants, travellers and seniors in England, in addition to his activities with L’Arche, his principal vocation. His most recent publication last…
Every Day is a Fresh Beginning: Meaningful Poems for Life edited by Aobhín Garrihy (Eriu / Bonnier Books, £12.99 / €9.99) Once out of school and the demands of exams, most adults have little time for poetry. They are aware of Ireland’s poetic tradition, how could they not be. But these days most poetry seems to…
Monasticism in Ireland AD 900-1250, by Edel Bhreathnach (Four Courts Press, €45 / £51.50) This volume arises from the Monastic Ireland project begun in 2011 and is a follow-up to Monastic Europe (Brepols, 2019), edited by the author. It provides an extremely wide-ranging overview of academic developments in the almost hundred years since John…
Rathfarnham Castle Guidebook, by Jane Fenlon and others (OPW, €5.00) There must be thousands of living Dubliners who have memories of Rathfarnham Castle as it was back in the last century under the auspices of the Jesuits, when it was a noted Jesuit seminary and retreat centre. The Jesuits, who had taken over the…
In Our Day: An Oral History of Dublin’s Bygone Days, by Kevin C. Kearns (Gill Books, €24.99 / £18.99) Back when the world was young I had “a friend next door” who always referred to “the olden days”, not referring to the Middle Ages, but it transpired to the days when his parents were…
Visualising the Celtic Revival: The Arts and Crafts movement in Ireland selected writings by Nicola Gordon Bowe, edited by Róisín Kennedy (Four Courts Press, €55.00 / £50.00) The late Nicola Gordon Bowe was one of the most distinguished art historians of her time in Ireland. She was widely admired for her books about the stained glass…
The Amergin Step: An Exploration in the Imagination of Iveragh by Paddy Bushe (Dingle Publishing Services, €30.00 / £25.00; contact Árd na Caithne, Ballyferriter, Tralee, Co Kerry; email: info@dinglepublishing.com; tel: +353 89 483 3793) Gabriel Fitzmaurice Paddy Bushe, one of Ireland’s outstanding poets both as Gaeilge and in English, has with this, his latest book, The Amergin Step, gifted…
Unladylike: A History of Ladies Gaelic Football by Hayley Kilgallon (New Island, €24.95 / £19.50) Beginning in the final quarter of the twentieth century, despite medical, religious and social objections, there was a remarkable increase in the number of girls and women participating in what were traditionally regarded as men’s sports. This trend was particularly noticeable…
Dublin: The Irish Revolution 1912-23 by Brian Hughes (Four Courts Press, €24.95) This book is the latest in a series where historians were invited to update “a seminal period” in Irish history on a local basis. So far 15 counties have been covered availing of the new archival material. This latest one on Dublin by history…
Peter Costello