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…
The battle between good and evil is a reality in life and a staple source of plots in fiction. The struggle is particularly prominent on the Lord of the Rings universe. The second season of the spin-off Rings of Power (Amazon Prime, Thursday) came to an end last week. I stuck it out to the…
October and eyes and ears turn to Wexford where the town’s seventy-third Opera Festival runs from October 18 until November 2. Now, one might be forgiven in thinking the most often performed composers in Wexford might be either Verdi or Puccini but, in fact, the honours fall on Gaetano Donizetti. Born in Bergamo in 1797,…
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…
It would be great to live in a world where life was valued. At the moment, the right to life is undermined so often, whether through war, capital punishment, euthanasia or abortion. And that’s not an exhaustive list. The news during the week featured a man, Marcellus Williams, who was executed in the USA despite…
A young woman wants to save the planet. But can she save herself? Rona (Saoirse Ronan) is an alcoholic. The condition has cost her dearly. Friends have deserted her. Her boyfriend Deynin (Paapa Essiedu) has fled. She becomes a victim of violence. She enters the 12-Step Programme to try and deal with her problem. For…
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
Brendan O’Regan
Aubrey Malone