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,…
Faith Finding a Voice by Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Bloomsbury, £12.99) The new book by the Cardinal Archbishop of London will undoubtedly find a wide audience. How encouraging it is, too, that a senior prelate sees it as part of his mission to devote time to composing such a book. It does not happen everywhere. His hope…
Make My House a House of Prayer: Reflections on the Family Rosary by Gabriel Harty OP (Veritas, €3.99) This little book is by a veteran Dominican priest now in his 90s. Known as ‘the Irish Rosary Priest’, he has passed his vocation establishing prayer groups all over Ireland. The key element of his new publication is…
Maria Edgeworth’s Letters from Ireland selected and edited by Valerie Pakenham (Lilliput Press, €40.00hb, €25.00pb) The landed gentry and the great houses of Ireland have not had a great reputation in general. But many of those for whom the traditional nationalist narrative has long sufficed, might well have their minds, if not changed, at least refined…
World of Books We may be about to see major changes in the way the major books shops in Ireland – mostly now the property of British companies – are run. Quite how all of this will work out for readers anxious to stay in touch, not just with Britain, as these companies imagine, but…
It was good to see Unreported World back on Channel 4 last Friday night – these short documentaries highlight various unfamiliar stories from around the world, often focusing on justice issues. The first episode in the new series featured the inspiring and moving story of a free ambulance service and voluntary paramedics serving the vulnerable…
Pat O’Kelly Described as ‘unpredictable’ and ‘anarchic’ as well as having ‘expressive intensity’, it may not be surprising to find Gerald Barry’s compositions have something of a controversial streak in them. Born in Clarecastle in Co. Clare in 1952, Barry’s introduction to music came from hearing Handel’s opera Xerxes on the radio. He was…
Ships of Mercy: The remarkable fleet bringing hope to the world’s poorest people by Don Stephens (Hodder & Stoughton, €9.99) The United States is the wealthiest country in the world. Among its citizens are some of the most charitable and generous persons to be found anywhere. This is clear from this memoir by Don Stephens [pictured],…
The National Gallery now has on display the newly restored Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph (c. 1620) by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as Guercino. This is a baroque masterpiece with an interesting history, for it was the very first painting purchased by Sir Denis Mahon, the connoisseur and scholar in 1934 for £120.…
Win: Proven Strategies for Success in Sport, Life, and Mental Health by Brent Pope and Jason Brennan (Hachette Ireland, €16) Peter Hegarty ‘What’s wrong friend?’ said the Samaritans volunteer at the other end of the line. Brent Pope poured out his sadness, describing how low, helpless and lonely he had been feeling. Since his childhood he…
Peter Costello
Brendan O’Regan