Irish History Books

by Rory Carroll

€15.99

The new book from the author of the critically acclaimed KILLING THATCHER An extraordinary story that explores a pivotal moment in Anglo-Irish history that has implications for Europe and the wider world A narrative non-fiction that reads like a novel by an author at the top of his game Uses first class research to crate a page-turning history with a vast array of characters KILLING THATCHER was hailed as ‘non-fiction that reads like a first class thriller’ by Jonathan Freedland – and Rory’s new book promises to be a similarly exciting work of propulsive historical non-fiction From the master storyteller behind 2023’s critically acclaimed KILLING THATCHER A Rebel and a Traitor is the story of a rogue imperial consul who sought to forge a new nation in the middle of a war – and the mercurial spy chief who sought to destroy him by any means. The rogue consul was Sir Roger Casement, a decorated diplomat who turned his back on the British empire and instead joined the rising Irish cause at the turn of the 20th century. At the book’s centre is the manhunt for Casement led by intelligence officer Reginald ‘Blinker’ Hall, the legendary British spy chief who pioneered codebreaking, early mass surveillance and media manipulation. As he did for the critically acclaimed Killing Thatcher, master storyteller Rory Carroll has combed diaries, letters, police reports, memoirs, court transcripts, secret service archives and declassified government files in the US, Britain, Ireland and Germany to create a page-turning history, and a story that still echoes through Anglo-Irish relations. A Rebel and a Traitor raises profound questions about honour, courage and the price of patriotism. Ideal for readers who… love narrative non-fiction that reads like a thriller, with a manhunt at its core are fascinated by Anglo-Irish history and the figures who shaped (and shattered) empires want an immersive story of espionage, surveillance, propaganda, and early intelligence warfare enjoy character-rich history built from diaries, letters, archives, and court records like books that probe big moral questions about honour, courage, loyalty, and the cost of patriotism

by Ronan McGreevy

€21.99

The unheard voice of Seán Lemass - 22 hours of lost interviews reveal the private thoughts of Ireland's most transformative taoiseach Lemass never left any papers or an autobiography. Instead, he gave 22 hours of interviews to an Irish businessman Dermot Ryan in 1967 and 1968. The transcripts were given to The Irish Times and extracts from these interviews were published as a supplement in May 2018. They laid bare tensions in his relationship with long standing Taoiseach de Valera, his disdain for the IRA, his complicated relationship with Great Britain and much more.

by James Hawes

€14.99

James Hawes’s The Shortest History of Ireland is based at every step on the latest scholarship, but it’s all brought together, for once, as a fluent story, as captivating as a novel, galloping from the Ice Age to the present, using language, graphics and images accessible to all. It will change the way people see the Irish past, flipping usual practice on its head and placing Ireland at the centre not just of Irish but British and at times even European history. Hawes concludes by arguing that if Ireland can now sidestep the last, toxic wreckage of the British Empire, its eventful past will flow into a bright future. From the bestselling author of The Shortest History of Germany and The Shortest History of England , this is popular history at its thrilling best. Ideal for readers who… want a fast, vivid introduction to Ireland’s story from deep prehistory to the present day. enjoy history written with the pace and pull of a novel, without losing scholarly grounding. are curious about how Ireland shaped—and was shaped by—British and wider European history. like big-picture narratives that challenge familiar angles and re-centre the map. have loved The Shortest History of Germany or The Shortest History of England and want the next exhilarating ride.

by David McCullagh

€24.99

Ideal for readers who: Want Irish history that makes constitutional change feel immediate and clear. Are gripped by the political manoeuvres that followed the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Take an interest in Ireland’s changing relationship with Britain and the Commonwealth. Prefer narrative history shaped by pressure, personalities and high-stakes decisions. The crown was the symbol of British power in Ireland, and in December 1921 opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty claimed that its terms tied Ireland to the Crown forever. The new Irish Free State would be within the British Commonwealth, with limited sovereignty. And some believed it would stay that way if the Treaty was accepted. And yet, within 16 years, Ireland had become a republic. A dozen years after that, it acquired the name as well and removed any ambiguity about its constitutional status by formally leaving the Commonwealth. And all without the firing of a shot. This peaceful revolution had been achieved by a succession of governments of different parties and a cast of characters included a monarch prepared to surrender his throne for love; a British prime minister who made Irish neutrality possible and another who did his best to bully or bribe Ireland into World War II. What had seemed impossible in 1921 had been achieved through relentless pressure, considerable skill and no small amount of luck. This is the story of how it happened.

by Deirdre O'Neill

€22.99

We walk past remnants of our past every day without noticing. Our ancestors left echoes of themselves all around us, if we only know where to look and how to interpret the signs. These remnants lie all over Ireland, telling us of the lives they once touched. Understanding their story roots our knowledge in the foundations of our society and the customs that have shaped the Irish people over centuries. Remnants of Our Past tells the story of Irish people, their memories preserved in these forgotten places. What is now a cold hearth in a collapsing fireplace was once the warm centre where the family gathered and the fire was never allowed to go out. The tranquil parks in our villages were once bustling fair greens, echoing with the bellowing of livestock and the howls of faction fighters.

by Shane Lehane

€18.99

Foreword by Dáithí Ó Sé Step back into a world where turf fires warmed the hearth, water was drawn from the well, and stories told by flickering candlelight lit up the night. In Old Ways to New Days , folklorist Shane Lehane brings the soul of Ireland’s past to life in a beautifully woven tapestry of tradition, transformation and memory. From the magic of birth to the customs of death and mourning; from matchmakers and milking stools to butter charms and fairy lore, Lehane traces the arc of a society rooted in the land, as it evolved with the arrival of bicycles, electricity, cinema and the wireless. At once scholarly and deeply personal, this is a celebration of how the old ways still echo in Irish memory and lore, even as the new days roll on. Wonderfully illustrated with dip-pen drawings, this is a book to treasure and a poignant reminder of who we were, and how we came to be.

by Eoin O'Sullivan

€19.58

A century after the state's foundation, Ireland faces an acute homelessness crisis with families and children increasingly affected. This book uncovers how decades of housing policy, financial decisions and social factors have shaped today's housing insecurity. It is the first to take a historical approach, tracing the roots of homelessness back to key policy decisions taken over the past century. By understanding how we got here, it offers crucial insights into breaking the cycle. Essential reading for policy makers, scholars and anyone concerned about Ireland's housing future, with lessons for other jurisdictions, this book reveals why solving homelessness requires rethinking how we build and fund housing.

by John Ranelagh

€24.99

This captivating book delves into the secretive world of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) and its profound impact on Ireland's political landscape between 1914 and 1924. With the aid of new documentation, Ranelagh unravels the true influence of the oath-bound society without which the 1916 Rising might never have taken shape. For Michael Collins, the IRB was the true custodian of the Irish Republic, and the only body he pledged his loyalty to, but its legacy remains obscured by its intense secrecy. This book re-introduces the IRB as the organisation that created and furnished the IRA, influenced the result of the critical 1918 election, and changed the face of Irish history. From Éamon de Valera's recollections of how he first learned of the Treaty to narratives from Nora Connolly O'Brien, Emmett Dalton et al, testimonies from key figures paint a vivid picture of the IRB's inner workings and external influence. A fascinating exploration of secret societies, political manoeuvres, and personal sacrifices, The Irish Republican Brotherhood 1914-1924 casts new light on a pivotal chapter in Ireland's quest for independence.

by Brian Mercer Walker

€20.99

While knowledge of history can explain our contemporary situation, an awareness of the myths and misuses of our history can bring a broader and more conciliatory approach to current political and social challenges. History or, more correctly, 'views of the past' or 'historical myths' have shaped politics in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. These views served in part to cause and sustain the 'Troubles'. Eventually, many historical perceptions were challenged, which helped to promote the peace process. New ideas of revised and shared history were important. These changes are explored here.The public expression of history in Ireland through commemoration of important historical events and persons is investigated in a number of chapters. The impact of historical developments on identity is studied not just in Ireland, north and south, but also among the Irish diaspora, especially in America. In Irish History Matters, Brian M. Walker uses three decades of research to explore the effects historical events have had on Irish politics and society, and why they still have an important influence today.

by Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc

€12.99

In November 2023, the Dublin riots shocked Ireland and the wider world. They were sparked by a knife attack by an immigrant on three children. Inflammatory online rumours spread in minutes. Part of the north inner city were wrecked, cars and buses torched, and protestors wreaked havoc on the streets for hours. Until very recently, Ireland had prided itself on having escaped the wave of far-right, xenophobic populism now rampant throughout Europe. That complacency has been rudely challenged. In Burn Them Out!, Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc explores the long history that has led to this pivotal moment. He uncovers the pervasive anti-Semitism of the Irish political elite in the 1920s and 30s, the energetic efforts of Mosley and other British fascists to extend their movement to the North of Ireland, the IRA's alliance with Nazi Germany in the 40s and the many ultra-Catholic, anti-communist Irish movements that were millimetres away from fascism. He tells the story of exotic entities like the Fascio di Dublino, the Dublin branch of Mussolini's Fascist Party, and the Irish wing of Miss Rotha Lintorn-Orman's 'British Fascisti'. The openly-fascist Irish movement known as the Blueshirts, an offshoot and ally of the early Fine Gael, is looked at with fresh eyes, and its supporters' statements about Jews now make for hair-raising reading. Many of its proponents went on to become pillars of the Irish political and cultural establishment. And the Catholic and nationalist Ailtirì na hAiséirghe (Architects of the Resurrection), a post-war sect, was in many ways a precursor of today's Irish far right. This is an essential book about an aspect of Irish history all too often swept under the carpet.

by Arthur Edward Guinness

€17.99

The inside story of how the Guinness family created the largest brewery in the world. Arthur Edward Guinness, the 4th Earl of Iveagh and head of the Guinness family, explores the immense legacy of his extraordinary family in this narrative nonfiction book, published to coincide with a major Netflix television series titled House of Guinness. Guinness draws on family letters, archives, and photographs to tell, for the first time, the real story of how four generations of Guinnesses, starting from humble origins in Ireland, created the world's largest brewery and perhaps the most iconic beer ever. The earl explores the contrasting personalities of his forebears and the story of the Guinness family succession in the Victorian era, and explains how they made a difference in Ireland, Britain, and far beyond. This is the inside story of one of the great families of Ireland and Britain in its formative eras-a generational saga encompassing family drama, business innovation, public works, and charitable endeavors.

by Adrian Tinniswood

€32.99

'Tinniswood has created a tome of architectural brilliance, uncomfortable historical truths, and a complicated legacy of power and philanthropy.' - The Irish Times Step inside the historic homes of the Guinness family and enter a world of power, privilege and palatial living.   The Guinnesses became famous as brewers, philanthropists and socialites, but they also created some of the most distinctive homes in Britain and Ireland, where they lived, loved and entertained in high style.   Royalty was a frequent visitor to Ashford Castle and Elveden Hall. At Luggala Oonagh Guinness welcomed rock stars, actors and artists. At Biddesden Bryan Guinness lived the life of an urbane country squire, while at Kelvedon his cousin Honor left her husband Chips Channon to play the country gentleman while she ran off with her land agent. The family's Dublin mansions - Farmleigh, St Anne's and 80 St Stephen's Green - were a byword for grandeur and opulence. And the Guinnesses spent a fortune buying two spectacular country houses, Kenwood and Castletown, not to live in, but simply to save them from destruction and to give them away.   Adrian Tinniswood, the bestselling historian of the country house, opens the door to castles and mansions that once belonged to the greatest brewing dynasty the world has ever seen. 'Tinniswood … [is] an erudite historian of country-house life in all its anecdote-worthy vagaries.' - Financial Times 'We are in the company of a confident and skilled historian who understands the mores of his era and wears his learning lightly…' - Virginia Nicholson, The Times 'Few authors can combine serious social history with the sometimes sad and often hilarious narratives of country-house life in the way that Tinniswood can.' - Jeremy Musson

by Eoin O'Malley

€23.99

Ideal for readers who: Enjoy Irish political history shaped by rivalry and leadership Are interested in clashes of personality as well as policy Want to understand Ireland in the 1980s and its lasting legacy Like accessible nonfiction that turns politics into a gripping contest The two opposing political figures that shaped Irish life in the 1980s and beyond. In the 1980s, Irish politics was dominated by a fierce rivalry between Charles J. Haughey and Dr Garret FitzGerald, both leaders of their respective parties, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. Between them they each led all Irish governments in that decade; to say their two opposing personalities shaped Irish life during this era is an understatement. Eoin O'Malley has amassed an extraordinary body of research, including in-depth interviews with dozens of the most consequential public figures of the time, every Taoiseach, cabinet ministers, TDs, civil servants, and advisers. As political rivals with different approaches to public life and contrasting visions for Ireland, each enshrined in quite different personalities, the choice between Haughey and FitzGerald came to signify a great deal more than party loyalty or policy preference: it felt like a choice between opposing worldviews. And, as O'Malley's work finally makes clear through an accumulation of extraordinary insights, including interviews with Haughey and FitzGerald themselves, it was fed by a deep reservoir of personal insecurity and paranoia. Each was deeply preoccupied - obsessed even - with the strengths, appeal and threats of the other, to the extent that this rivalry itself became one of the decisive factors in Irish life that shaped Ireland well after they had left power.

by Philip Stephens

€19.99

A vital history from the award-winning Financial Times journalist Philip Stephens on the dramatic century since the Anglo-Irish Treaty and partition. These Divided Isles tells the story from both sides of the Irish Sea. Cutting through the layers of grievance and prejudice it explores the emotional intimacy and enmity of a relationship shaped by close familial ties and clashing national identities. It's a story written by big political leaders - David Lloyd George, Michael Collins, Winston Churchill and Eamon de Valera - and the millions of Irish emigrants who crossed from Ireland to Britain to begin new lives. Today demography, Brexit and political logic have brought the possibility of Irish unity into view. Grounded in decades of personal contact and interviews with key policymakers across Britain and Europe, Stephens maps this complex relationship and asks how Ireland might deploy its history to inform its future rather than hold it in place.

by Nicola Pierce

€19.99

Ideal for readers who: Want Irish history that brings overlooked women back into view. Are interested in the lives behind famous names and public achievements. Care about marriage, partnership and the hidden labour behind political and literary history. Prefer accessible biography that is thoughtful, revealing and easy to read. Throughout history, the stories of women's lives and work have been overshadowed by those of men. Wives, especially, disappear, unacknowledged as patrons and champions of their husband's work, as collaborators, muses, carers and managers of the family domain. Great Irish Wives shines a spotlight on ten such wives: Matilda Tone, Mary O'Connell, Constance Wilde, Charlotte Shaw, Emily Shackleton, Annette Carson, Sinéad de Valera, Margaret Clarke, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan. The men in this book are household names, from Wolfe Tone and Daniel O'Connell to Oscar Wilde and Brendan Behan, and they all have one thing in common: they married women who enabled them to pursue their dreams, even if that meant courting death or outrage. Nicola Pierce tells the stories of these truly remarkable women.

by Caroline West

€14.99

'I found it fascinating - it's an integral part of the history of Dublin that has been lost to time for too long' - Rick O'Shea Tucked away in Dublin's north inner city, Monto - purported to be Europe's biggest red-light district from 1860 to 1925 with up to 1600 sex workers at any one time - made headlines for wild tales of debauchery. However, what happened to the women and girls within its brothels in life and death is less clear. This account balances the historical origins of Monto's rise and fall with an investigation into the inhumane and heartbreaking reality of the treatment of the women that worked there, while delving into the impact of class, sexual violence and British colonialism on the women's survival. West explores the stigma and violence the women and girls of Monto endured, and investigates the shocking claims surrounding their treatment by medical professionals. Weaving together oral histories, historical records, fashion trends and family memories, this book brings the women of Monto to life within its pages as it explores how they lived, worked, loved, dressed, mourned and built a tight-knit community.

by Marian Broderick

€14.99

From every county in Ireland Bold, Brilliant & Bad draws together the stories of over 120 amazing Irish women. Marian Broderick is back to explore the histories of remarkable Irish Women in history. From creative craftswomen to singing sensations, poets to sporting champions.  From Lilian Bland to Maeve Binchy and from Anne O'Brien to Professor Sheila Tinney, these women paved the way for the future and made massive changes in their various fields. Meet the women from history who went against the grain and challenged the expectations of the world. There were and are a force to be reckoned with.  

by Louise Ryan

€19.95

From the inception of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948, Irish women and men were actively recruited to train and work as nurses in British hospitals. By the 1960s approximately 30,000 Irish-born nurses were working across the NHS, constituting around 12% of all nursing staff. While many Irish families produced at least one nurse and many of those emigrated, so far there has been little recognition of the enormous contribution of Irish nurses to health care in Britain. Based on 45 interviews, this book tells the stories of Irish nurses in their own words using rich oral history and photographs. From the rigours of training to the fun of dancehalls, the book explores their life experiences as nurses and also as Irish migrants in British society.

by Patrick Radden Keefe

€10.99

One night in December 1972, Jean McConville, a mother of ten, was abducted from her home in Belfast and never seen alive again. Her disappearance would haunt her orphaned children, the perpetrators of the brutal crime and a whole society in Northern Ireland for decades. Through the unsolved case of Jean McConville’s abduction, Patrick Radden Keefe tells the larger story of the Troubles, investigating Dolours Price, the first woman to join the IRA, who bombed the Old Bailey; Gerry Adams, the politician who helped end the fighting but denied his IRA past; and Brendan Hughes, an IRA commander who broke their code of silence. A gripping story forensically reported, Say Nothing explores the extremes people will go to for an ideal, and the way societies mend – or don’t – after long and bloody conflict.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€14.99

THE NUMBER 1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 An Irish Times Book of the Year 2024 Ireland is a strikingly different country now to the one it was in the mid-1990s. Dramatic economic, social and cultural changes, including the Celtic Tiger boom and increasingly secular debate about abortion, the status of women and same-sex marriage underlined the scale of the transformation. The new diversity of the population and literary and musical prowess also revealed a country experiencing rapid alteration. The road to peace - that saw an end to war in Northern Ireland and culminated in the first visit to southern Ireland of a reigning British monarch in 100 years - illuminated the new Anglo-Irish dynamic. Explosive revelations about deep betrayals from the past destroyed the credibility of the traditionally powerful Catholic Church. And in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, Ireland rebounded and rebuilt to great success, but remained plagued by health and housing failures. Economic recovery, the end of civil war politics, ever closer European involvement and Anglo-Irish highs were followed by Brexit lows and increasing talk of Irish unity. There is much to open people's eyes in this riveting account of contemporary Ireland. As the Republic enters its second century of independence, and the North continues to grapple with the legacy of the Troubles, Diarmaid Ferriter makes historical sense of post-1990s Ireland, and what lies in the darkest corners of its archives.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€12.75

THE IRISH BESTSELLER 'Ferriter has richly earned his reputation as one of Ireland's leading historians' Irish Independent 'Absorbing ... A fascinating exploration of the Civil War and its impact on Ireland and Irish politics' Irish Times In June 1922, just seven months after Sinn Féin negotiators signed a compromise treaty with representatives of the British government to create the Irish Free State, Ireland collapsed into civil war. While the body count suggests it was far less devastating than other European civil wars, it had a harrowing impact on the country and cast a long shadow, socially, economically and politically, which included both public rows and recriminations and deep, often private traumas. Drawing on many previously unpublished sources and newly released archival material, one of Ireland's most renowned historians lays bare the course and impact of the war and how this tragedy shaped modern Ireland.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€12.76

Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2019 'Anyone who wishes to understand why Brexit is so intractable should read this book. I can think of several MPs who ought to.' The Times For the past two decades, you could cross the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic half a dozen times without noticing or, indeed, turning off the road you were travelling. It cuts through fields, winds back-and-forth across roads, and wends from Carlingford Lough to Lough Foyle. It is frictionless - a feat sealed by the Good Friday Agreement. Before that, watchtowers loomed over border communities, military checkpoints dotted the roads, and smugglers slipped between jurisdictions. This is a past that most are happy to have left behind but might it also be the future? The border has been a topic of dispute for over a century, first in Dublin, Belfast and Westminster and, post Brexit referendum, in Brussels. Yet, despite the passions of Nationalists and Unionists in the North, neither found deep wells of support in the countries they identified with politically. British political leaders were often ignorant of the conflict's complexities, rarely visited the border, and privately disliked their erstwhile unionist allies. Southern leaders' anti-partition statements masked relative indifference and unofficial cooperation with British security services. From the 1920 Government of Ireland Act that created the border, the Treaty and its aftermath, through the Civil Rights Movement, Thatcher, the Troubles and the Good Friday Agreement up to the Brexit negotiations, Ferriter reveals the political, economic, social and cultural consequences of the border in Ireland. With the fate of the border uncertain, The Border is a timely intervention by a renowned historian into one of the most contentious and misunderstood political issues of our time.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€19.71

A ground-breaking history of the twentieth century in Ireland, written on the most ambitious scale by a brilliant young historian. It is significant that it begins in 1900 and ends in 2000 - most accounts have begun in 1912 or 1922 and largely ignored the end of the century. Politics and political parties are examined in detail but high politics does not dominate the book, which rather sets out to answer the question: 'What was it like to grow up and live in 20th-century Ireland'? It deals with the North in a comprehensive way, focusing on the social and cultural aspects, not just the obvious political and religious divisions.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€15.07

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ONSIDE NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 The islands off the coast of Ireland have long been a source of fascination. Seen as repositories of an ancient Irish culture and the epitome of Irish romanticism, they have attracted generations of scholars, artists and filmmakers, from James Joyce to Robert O'Flaherty, looking for a way of life uncontaminated by modernity or materialism. But the reality for islanders has been a lot more complex. They faced poverty, hardship and official hostility, even while being expected to preserve an ancient culture and way of life. Writing in her 1936 autobiography, Peig Sayers, resident of Blaskets island, described it as 'this dreadful rock'. In 1841, there were 211 inhabited islands with a combined population of 38,000; by 2011, only 64 islands were inhabited, with a total population of 8,500. And younger generations continue to leave. By documenting the island experiences and the social, cultural and political reaction to them over the last 100 years, On the Edge examines why this exodus has happened, and the gulf between the rhetoric that elevated island life and the reality of the political hostility towards them.It uncovers, through state and private archives, personal memoirs, newspaper coverage, and the author's personal travels, the realities behind the "dreadful rocks", and the significance of the experiences of, and reactions to, those who were and remain, literally, on the very edge of European civilisation.

by Diarmaid Ferriter

€17.39

Packed with violence, political drama and social and cultural upheaval, the years 1913-1923 saw the emergence in Ireland of the Ulster Volunteer Force to resist Irish home rule and in response, the Irish Volunteers, who would later evolve into the IRA. World War One, the rise of Sinn Féin, intense Ulster unionism and conflict with Britain culminated in the Irish war of Independence, which ended with a compromise Treaty with Britain and then the enmities and drama of the Irish Civil War. Drawing on an abundance of newly released archival material, witness statements and testimony from the ordinary Irish people who lived and fought through extraordinary times, A Nation and not a Rabble explores these revolutions. Diarmaid Ferriter highlights the gulf between rhetoric and reality in politics and violence, the role of women, the battle for material survival, the impact of key Irish unionist and republican leaders, as well as conflicts over health, land, religion, law and order, and welfare.

by Jonathan Bardon

€24.99

A shortened version of Jonathan Bardon's definitive tome, A History of Ulster, this book provides a comprehensive account of the province from the earliest settlements nine thousand years ago to the turmoil of the Troubles, and the fragile peace period that followed. A preface from the author includes the peace process that saw the region emerge from thirty years of brutal conflict. Covering social, political and economic life in the province, the book explores the Viking and Norman invasions, the plantations and the Penal Laws, the rise of the United Irishmen and Orangeism, the Act of Union, emigration and the Great Famine, the linen industry and shipbuilding, and the Home Rule Crisis and partition, right through to civil rights, the turmoil of the Troubles and the period of peace that has followed. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this accessible edition takes its place alongside Jonathan Bardon's hugely popular A History of Ireland in 100 Episodes.

by Folktale Authors

€19.99

This enchanting collection of stories once again gathers together legends and lore from across Ireland in one special volume. Drawn from The History Press' popular Folk Tales series, herein lies a second treasure trove of tales from a wealth of authentic Irish storytellers.From fairies, mermaids and enchanted caves to devils, witches and ancient gods, this collection honours the distinct character of Ireland's different customs, beliefs and dialects, and belongs on the bookshelves of all who enjoy a well-told story.

by Michael B. Barry

€23.99

The Emergency in Colour brings wartime Ireland to life in dramatic colour. Through extensive research, the photos presented here have been painstakingly hand-colourised by photographer John O'Byrne, showing what life on the island was like in extraordinary times. There are over 200 photographs from across the country, many of which have never been published before, all of them accompanied by fascinating and accessible captions from historian Michael B. Barry.

by Michael B. Barry

€23.99

For generations the Irish farm has been a way of life, anchoring communities, shaping traditions and instilling values passed down through the furrows of time. Rooted in fertile soil and a favourable climate, Ireland's farming heritage runs deep, tied to the rhythm of the seasons and the enduring bond between farmers and the land. In this richly illustrated book, the bestselling duo of Michael B. Barry and John O'Byrne bring the story of the Irish farm vividly to life, from the late nineteenth century to the close of the twentieth. Through over 200 colourised photographs, the book captures the hardship and the humour, and the toil and the togetherness of life on the land. A heartfelt celebration of the Irish countryside and those who shaped it is a tribute to the fields, the families and the fierce resilience at the heart of rural Ireland.

by Donal Fallon

€21.99

For centuries, the public house has been an important part of the social and cultural history of Dublin. Beginning with the taverns and ale houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this book brings the reader on a visual journey that passes through familiar institutions as well as much-lamented public houses that are no longer to be found. Along the way, we encounter characters as diverse and famous around the capital as Theobald Wolfe Tone, Nell McCafferty and Con Houlihan. Visitors to Dublin are here, as the photographer Lee Miller seeks out the city of James Joyce. The 'Plain People of Ireland' are present too, in chapters exploring everything from temperance to karaoke. The hidden histories of world-renowned public houses such as The Long Hall, Grogan's and The Palace feature, as do the stories of Dublin's early houses, gay bars and shebeens. Drawing from rich archival collections, The Dublin Pub includes previously unpublished photographs as well as oral recollections that bring the history of the Dublin pub to life. From the Irish revolution to social revolutions of more recent times, this is the story of the Dublin public house.

by William Bulfin

€21.99

In 1902, William Bulfin embarked on a cycling tour of Ireland, his musings along the way offering a fascinating glimpse into early 20th-century Ireland during a time of significant social change. Based on a series of articles originally published in nationalist newspapers, Bulfin's narrative is rich with encounters that reveal the character of the Irish people and their connection to the land. He reflects on sacred historical sites such as Tara and Vinegar Hill, agricultural practices, and the folklore that defines Ireland's cultural heritage. As he traverses the countryside, Bulfin's poignant commentary on the socio-political climate following the Land War emphasises his disdain for colonial rule and his hope for Irish freedom. A staunch nationalist and friend of Arthur Griffith, sadly he would not live to see the goals of Irish nationalism realised. With its vivid descriptions and evocative storytelling, Rambles in Eirinn serves as both a nostalgic tribute to a changing Ireland and an insightful exploration of its enduring spirit, making it a timeless read for lovers of travel literature and Irish history alike.

by Ciarán Murphy

€16.99

Hurling is Ireland’s national game – a source of fascination and pride, even to people who have never played it. Ciarán Murphy, a lifelong club footballer, used to be one of those people. Then he spent a summer trying to play hurling with a tiny club in the West Waterford Gaeltacht. Along the way he embarked on a quest to understand the history, geography and mystique of this extraordinary sport. Old Parish is the club of Ciarán’s father, a club where relatives of his are still deeply involved, and possibly the only place brave (or stupid) enough to take on a forty-one-year-old newcomer to the game. Predictably (and at times hilariously), Ciarán finds out just how difficult a sport hurling is to pick up when you’re in your sporting dotage, up against men who’ve played it since childhood. Ciarán also explores why hurling is played in only half the country; he investigates the origins of hurling clubs’ antipathy to football and the difficulties of establishing hurling in new areas; he looks into the mysteries of hurley-making; and he seeks to understand why, when a hurling legend refers to the sport as ‘the greatest game ever played by any man’, he has to be taken seriously. Anyone who has ever watched hurling knows that it is something unique and extraordinary. Old Parish explains why.

by Linden MacIntyre

€19.99

From the bestselling author Linden MacIntyre comes an engrossing exploration of one of the most significant, but nearly unknown figures of the Irish War of Independence, Sir Hugh Tudor. Appointed by Winston Churchill to lead the Royal Irish Constabulary, Tudor met civil strife and rebellion with indiscriminate state-sanctioned murder - changing the course of Irish history. After distinguishing himself on the battlefields of the First World War, Major General Sir Hugh Tudor was called on to serve in a very different kind of conflict - one fought in the Irish streets and countryside against an enemy determined to resist British colonial authority to the death. Soon he was directing a police force waging a brutal campaign, one he was determined to win at all costs, including utilising police death squads and inflicting brutal reprisals against the IRA and local communities. Tudor left few traces of his time in Ireland. No diary or letters explain his record as commander of the notorious Black and Tans or justify his role in Bloody Sunday, November 21, 1920. And why did a man knighted for his efforts in Ireland leave his family and homeland in 1925, moving across the sea to Newfoundland? In An Accidental Villain, Linden MacIntyre delivers a fascinating account of how events can bring a man to the point where he acts against his own training, principles and inclination in the service of a cause - and ends up on a long journey towards personal oblivion.

by Warren Farrell

€18.99

'Remember now as you go by, as you are now so once was I, and as I am now so you shall be, so prepare for death and follow me.' Every grave has a story to tell. Glasnevin Cemetery is the final resting place of over one million souls, with some of the most famous names in Irish history resting side by side with those buried in anonymity. The 'faithful departed', as James Joyce referred to the cemetery's population, are reanimated in this book through vivid retellings of their stories. From unmarked plots to striking monuments, Glasnevin Cemetery is a microcosm of Irish society over the last two centuries. Warren Farrell, having immersed himself in the cemetery's history as a tour guide for the past seven years, set out to celebrate the lesser known figures and their contributions to the Irish state. So Once Was I has a story for everyone, representing all threads of Irish society's rich tapestry. Embark on an intruiging tour through our national necropolis in these pages, and become acquainted with the famous and forgotten that once walked the streets of Dublin.

by Mike Cronin

€25.99

Ireland during the period 1913-1923 was a nation in constant flux. Spanning a pivotal era marked by the Dublin Lockout, the Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the birth of the Irish Free State, Revolutionary Times captures the full complexity of this transformative decade through contemporary-style reportage, timelines of key events and insightful essays. Emanating from the acclaimed RTÉ project, Century Ireland, and distilling its essence into a captivating print form, Revolutionary Times is meticulously researched yet accessibly written and beautifully presented. Alongside the political upheaval, the book also delves into the everyday realities of Irish life during this volatile chapter - from sports and fashion to housing debates and extreme weather. Offering a rich, nuanced portrait of a nation on the brink of a new dawn, this is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the tumultuous forces that shaped modern Ireland.

by Michael B Barry

€29.99

Using a wealth of illustrations and specially prepared maps, Michael B. Barry brings to life the story of the Spanish Armada from start to finish, written in an accessible style.

by Colum Kenny

€20.00

Dangerous Ambition P/B

by Clodagh Finn

€19.99

In June 1940, the fall of France prompted General Charles de Gaulle to make an impassioned rallying call to his fellow citizens to fight back against the Germans. His famous radio speech, broadcast from the BBC in London, was later credited with igniting a spark of resistance which eventually grew into a vast underground network of civilians who took a stand against Nazi occupation in Europe. In this collection of real-life stories, we meet the forgotten Irish men and women who joined the Resistance. Discover Janie McCarthy, a teacher from Killarney who was active in five different resistance networks in Paris helping allied soldiers to get to safety; Captain John Keany from Cork, who parachuted behind enemy lines to help the Resistance in Italy; and Catherine Crean, the Irish governess born on Moore Street in Dublin, who was arrested for helping the Belgian Resistance and sent to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp. These stories, and many more, chart the course of World War II and remind us of the power of individuals to make a difference.

by Fintan O'Toole

€12.99

The #1 Irish Times bestseller WINNER of the An Post Irish Book Awards 'A clear-eyed, myth-dispelling masterpiece' Marian Keyes 'Sweeping, authoritative and profoundly intelligent' Colm Tóibìn, Guardian 'With the pace and twists of an enthralling novel' Irish Times 'Evocative, moving, funny and furious' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'An enthralling, panoramic book' Patrick Radden Keefe 'A book that will remain important for a very long time' An Post Irish Book Award We Don't Know Ourselves is a very personal vision of recent Irish history from the year of O'Toole's birth, 1958, down to the present. Ireland has changed almost out of recognition during those decades, and Fintan O'Toole's life coincides with that arc of transformation. The book is a brilliant interweaving of memories (though this is emphatically not a memoir) and engrossing social and historical narrative. This was the era of Eamon de Valera, Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey and John Charles McQuaid, of sectarian civil war in the North and the Pope's triumphant visit in 1979, but also of those who began to speak out against the ruling consensus - feminists, advocates for the rights of children, gay men and women coming out of the shadows. We Don't Know Ourselves is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand modern Ireland.

by Fintan O'Toole

€25.00

100 artworks have been chosen for this beautifully illustrated book to represent each year from 1916-2015. They trace the story of Ireland's creative output from the revolutionary period until today. The story that emerges through these 100 works is not one of artists gradually finding their place of honour in the republic. Especially in the visual arts it is, on the contrary, a story of never-ending argument, of works that are disliked, rejected, fought over, even painted over. Instead of the artists supporting the state and the state supporting the artists, it is a case of the artists challenging and upsetting the community and the community looking warily at the artists. This is what makes Irish art, at its best, so edgy, so embattled and so vital. They were compiled by the Royal Irish Academy in partnership with The Irish Times. The visual artworks were chosen from the RIA's research project the five volume publication, Art and Architecture of Ireland. Most artists and writers featured in the series have been profiled in the RIA's Dictionary of Irish Biography which outlines the lives at home and overseas of prominent men and women born in Ireland, north and south, and the noteworthy Irish careers of those born outside Ireland.

by R. F. Foster

€22.04

Masterfully blending narrative and interpretation, and R.F. Foster's Modern Ireland: 1600-1972 looks at how key events in Irish history contributed to the creation of the 'Irish Nation'. 'The most brilliant and courageous Irish historian of his generation'   Colm Tóibìn, London Review of Books 'Remarkable ... Foster gives a wise and balanced account of both forces of unity and forces of diversity ... a master work of scholarship'   Bernard Crick, New Statesman 'A tour de force ... Anyone who really wants to make sense of Ireland and the Irish must read Roy Foster's magnificent and accessible Modern Ireland'   Anthony Clare 'A magnificent book. It supersedes all other accounts of modern Irish history'   Conor Cruise O'Brien, Sunday Times 'Dazzling ... a masterly survey not so much of the events of Irish history over the past four centuries as of the way in which those events acted upon the peoples living in Ireland to produce in our own time an "Irish Nation" ... a gigantic and distinguished undertaking'   Robert Kee, Observer 'A work of gigantic importance. It is everything that a history book should be. It is beautifully and clearly written; it seeps wisdom through its every pore; it is full of the most elegant and scholarly insights; it is magnificently authoritative and confident ... Modern Ireland is quite simply the single most important book on Irish history written in this generation ... A masterpiece'   Kevin Myers, Irish Times R. F. Foster is Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford. His books include Modern Ireland: 1600-1972, Luck and the Irish and W. B. Yeats: A Life.

by R. F. Foster

€15.08

R.F. Foster's Luck and the Irish: A Brief History of Change, 1970-2000 examines how the country has weathered thirty years of rapid transformation, and what these changes may mean in the long run. From 1970, things were changing in Ireland - the Celtic Tiger had finally woken, and the rules for everything from gender roles and religion to international relations were being entirely rewritten. By the end of the twentieth century, Ireland had become a global brand, and the almost completely unexpected wave of prosperity had brought with it upheavals in economics, sexual mores and culture, as well as a shift in North-South attitudes. Roy Foster also looks at how characters as diverse as Gerry Adams, Mary Robinson, Charles Haughey and Bob Geldof have contributed to Ireland's altered psyche, and uncovers some of the scandals, corruption and marketing masterminds that have transformed Ireland - and its luck. 'Examines our society with fierce intelligence and insight'   Colm Tóibìn, Irish Times Books of the Year 'Occasionally angry, sometimes whimsical and frequently hilarious ... Appeals both to those who know nothing and those who think they know everything'   Conor Gearty, Financial Times 'The brilliance of the writing places him as a historian in a league of his own ... A balanced work offering his own distinctive, original and elegant insights'   Diarmaid Ferriter, Times Literary Supplement R. F. Foster is Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford. His books include Modern Ireland: 1600-1972, The Irish Story and W. B. Yeats: A Life.

by R. F. Foster

€19.72

Under the editorship of R. F. Foster, a team of distinguished Irish historians has produced a challenging assessment of Ireland's history, invaluable for the student and general reader alike. Their approach stresses the ancient, rooted nature of Irish culture, but also looks beyond received ideas of Irish history to explore the patterns of fragmentation and change which have been characteristic of Ireland's past. The long-contested question of Irish identity and its relation to language is also fruitfully examined. The text of this book, originally published in The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland, is usefully supplemented with a chronology of Irish history, maps, and suggestions for further reading.

by Des Ekin

€19.99

The Bloody History of British Colonisation For centuries, a small island nation cast a shadow across the world. The British Empire's methods of expansion were often brutal, usually devastating. From Amritsar to Zululand, from the Opium Wars in China to the deliberate infection of Native Americans with smallpox and the cold-blooded treatment of the starving during the Irish Famine, Des Ekin lays bare the atrocities committed in the name of colonisation. With many nations worldwide still grappling with the legacy of British rule, Ekin explores the justifications used to dehumanise other people and rationalise their abuse, exploitation and slaughter. In this rigorously researched and eminently readable book, Des Ekin lifts the veil on the harrowing realities of colonial rule.

by Des Ekin

€16.99

In June 1631 pirates from Algiers and armed troops of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, led by the notorious pirate captain Morat Rais, stormed ashore at the little harbour village of Baltimore in West Cork. They captured almost all the villagers and bore them away to a life of slavery in North Africa. The prisoners were destined for a variety of fates -- some would live out their days chained to the oars as galley slaves, while others would spend long years in the scented seclusion of the harem or within the walls of the Sultan's palace. The old city of Algiers, with its narrow streets, intense heat and lively trade, was a melting pot where the villagers would join slaves and freemen of many nationalities. Only two of them ever saw Ireland again. The Sack of Baltimore was the most devastating invasion ever mounted by Islamist forces on Ireland or England. Des Ekin's exhaustive research illuminates the political intrigues that ensured the captives were left to their fate, and provides a vivid insight into the kind of life that would have awaited the slaves amid the souks and seraglios of old Algiers. The Stolen Village is a fascinating tale of international piracy and culture clash nearly 400 years ago and is the first book to cover this relatively unknown and under-researched incident in Irish history. Shortlisted for the Argosy Irish Nonfiction Book of the Year Award

by Des Ekin

€16.99

Bloodthirsty buccaneers and buried treasure, fierce sea battles and cold-blooded murders, Barbary ducats and silver pieces of eight. Des Ekin embarks on a roadtrip around the entire coast of Ireland, in search of our piratical heritage, uncovering an amazing history of swashbuckling bandits, both Irish-born and imported. Ireland's Pirate Trail tells stories of freebooters and pirates from every corner of our coast over a thousand years, including famous pirates like Anne Bonny and William Lamport, who set off to ply their trade in the Caribbean. Ekin also debunks many myths about our most well-known sea warrior, Granuaile, the 'Pirate Queen' of Mayo. Thoroughly researched and beautifully told. Filled with exciting untold stories.

by Des Ekin

€16.99

Kinsale, Ireland: Christmas Eve, 1601 As thunder crashes and lightning rakes the sky, three very different commanders line up for a battle that will decide the fate of a nation. General Juan del ¦guila has been sprung from a prison cell to command the last great Spanish Armada. Its mission: to seize a bridgehead in Queen Elizabeth's territory and hold it. Facing him is Charles Blount, a brilliant English strategist whose career is also under a cloud. His affair with a married woman edged him into a treasonous conspiracy - and brought him to within a hair's breadth of the gallows. Meanwhile, Irish insurgent Hugh O'Neill knows that this is his final chance to drive the English out of Ireland. For each man, this is the last throw of the dice. Tomorrow they will be either heroes - or has-beens. These colourful commanders come alive in this true-life story of courage and endurance, of bitterness and betrayal, and of intrigue at the highest levels in the courts of England and Spain. Praise for The Stolen Village '...a harrowing tale that sheds light on the little-known trade in white slaves ... a fascinating exploration of a forgotten chapter of British and European history' Giles Milton - BBC History Magazine

by Fergal Tobin

€13.56

An original and fascinating history of Dublin that tells the story of the city through its bridges. Dublin started life on the south bank of the River Liffey and for six or seven centuries that is more or less where the town stayed. In all that time, there was only one bridge across the river. Then, suddenly, in the twenty years after 1670, three more bridges were thrown up and the north side was born. Within a century, Dublin was being talked of as one of the ten largest cities in the whole of Europe. Built over a span of a thousand years, the twenty bridges that now traverse the tidal section of the Liffey have each contributed to the city's development, as it pushed through the open fields north of the river and east towards the bay, so much so that it is possible to piece together Dublin's history by tracing their construction in chronological order. Starting with Church Street Bridge, Dublin's first, which dates back to the Vikings, and ending with Rosie Hackett Bridge, erected in 2014, Fergal Tobin charts the rise of Ireland's capital city as never before and reveals how, perhaps more than any other city in the world, it has been truly made by its bridges.

by Finbar Dwyer

€13.56

The Instant Top 5 Irish Times Bestseller From the creator of The Irish History Podcast comes a fascinating look at Irish history through the lens of murder. In A Lethal Legacy, Fin Dwyer charts 200 years of Irish history, opening up our past as never before, by observing the grand societal changes of our times through the intimate lens of eighteen murders and the lives and communities they altered forever. From the creator of the critically acclaimed Irish History Podcast comes a ground-breaking exploration of the past, casting its gaze beyond the chambers of power and carnage of battle, and into the lives of the everyday people that lived through those violent centuries. From the desperate retributions of the Land War of the nineteenth century, through the unprecedented tumult of the revolutionary years, to the causes that helped to shape contemporary Ireland, these previously overlooked cases of human tragedy offer a fresh perspective on a history we think we know. Astonishing, illuminating and compelling, A Lethal Legacy chronicles Ireland's turbulent past through one of our most enduring fascinations - the act of killing - and in mapping the causes and aftermath of these cases, Dwyer offers us a fresh new understanding of the fires that forged modern Ireland.

by Eimear Chaomhánach

€19.99

Did you know that bees have been around for over 100 million years? Or that the Brehon Laws included judgments about the rightful ownership of swarms? And why Irish beekeepers plant bluebells around their hives? From the perfection of their hexagonal honeycombs to their ordered matriarchal society, bees have been revered for thousands of years. In this beautifully illustrated book, beekeeper's daughter and student of folklore Eimear Chaomhánach weaves folktales about bees with memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey. With legends about Aristotle and Irish saints and accounts of customs such as 'telling the bees', this is a fascinating look at the beliefs and traditions about bees and beekeeping.

by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire

€58.00

Beginning at the end of the Ice age, before reindeer, brown bears, and the giant Irish deer became extinct; this vital and brilliantly researched collection brings us forward from the introduction of farming and livestock, to the delicious world of medieval honey, banqueting, bog butter, whiskey distilling, to eighteenth century feasts, famines, and on to the modernisation, industrialisation, and eventual globalisation of food. Through analysis, storytelling, and mouth-watering descriptions, every dish and moment in time reveals ancient techniques, hidden gems, and innovative cooking seemingly far beyond its time, all of which have shaped Ireland's culinary landscape for centuries.

by Jp McMahon

€25.00

An Irish Food Story looks at history, culture and identity in Ireland through 100 foods. From farmhouse cheese to Findus Crispy Pancakes and everything in between, Jp McMahon shows that we truly are what we eat. It's a story about what we had and what we wanted, about what we got and what we ate, starting with the first settlers who arrived on the island 10,000 years ago to the people who call Ireland home today. The Irish food story is also about what we didn't eat. It's about how we sometimes ignored the very foods that are right in front of us. It's about how we still struggle to assert our native food culture and food identity due to a history of colonialism, famine and self-doubt. The high and the low, the good and the bad, feast and famine all have a place in the Irish food story. Jp McMahon invites us to explore it and celebrate it together.

by Harry McGee

€12.99

'An incredible and compelling story' MATT COOPER 'Gripping, unpretentious, brilliant and unputdownable' BUSINESS POST A Murderer. A Leader. The Scandal of an Era. In the summer of 1982, Irish aristocrat Malcolm Macarthur embarked on a brutal killing spree in a doomed plan to remedy his financial woes. Two weeks later, in a sensational turn of events, he was arrested in the home of Attorney General Patrick Connolly. The scandal attracted worldwide headlines and resulted in untold damage to then Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The words he used to describe the dark events - grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented - coined the era-defining phrase GUBU. Here, award-winning political journalist Harry McGee retraces the happenings of that long hot summer and beyond. From the cat-and-mouse game to track down an unpredictable killer to Macarthur's extraordinary capture, he considers both the life and psyche of a murderer, and that of the leading political figure of the time - a man similarly driven by greed, status and a sense of himself as existing above the law. Including previously unknown aspects of the trial and interaction with Malcolm Macarthur himself, The Murderer and the Taoiseach is a compulsive journey through tragedy and scandal. 'Brisk, illuminating, crackling with detail' TONY CONNELLY 'A brilliant account of shocking crimes and the dramatic political crisis they caused' DAVID McCULLAGH

by Stephen Walker

€25.99

David Trimble was one of the most influential figures in modern British and Irish history. A Nobel Laureate, he negotiated the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 that helped to secure peace in Northern Ireland. In this first biography to chart Trimble's life and death, award-winning journalist Stephen Walker vividly details how this shy Belfast academic changed the political landscape of Northern Ireland. With the cooperation of the Trimble family, Peacemaker offers unparalleled insights into the life of a history maker: the first person to be elected First Minister of Northern Ireland and the last Ulster unionist to hold that title. Using interviews with his widow Lady Trimble and their grown-up children, the book colourfully charts Trimble's story from the County Down city of Bangor, through the divisive world of unionist politics, to his crowning moment at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo. It is a tale of how the leaders of unionism and nationalism worked together to end decades of violence to compromise and share power.

by Stephen Walker

€28.99

Peacemaker, politician, Nobel laureate: John Hume was a titan of Irish political history and a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland after decades of conflict. But who was the real John Hume? What motivated the former history teacher to reach beyond political lines? What sustained him during the bloody years of violence and how did he convince the IRA to end its long-running campaign? How did he persuade presidents and prime ministers to take risks and back his vision for Northern Ireland? How should John Hume be remembered? Stephen Walker combines over 100 interviews with many of Hume’s colleagues, critics and family members, with never-before-published interviews with Hume himself to present a comprehensive portrait of one of the most significant political figures in Northern Ireland and around the world.

by Aoife Moore

€11.99

Inside the rise of the political party, once subordinate to the IRA, that is on the brink of taking power in Ireland Sinn Féin, long widely-regarded as the political wing of the Provisional IRA, is the most popular political party in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. A movement once synonymous with a paramilitary campaign is on the brink of taking real power through purely democratic means. But if Sinn Féin has mastered the art of electoral politics, it remains strangely opaque. Who really runs the party? How is it funded? And what can we expect of it as a party of government? Aoife Moore, Irish Journalist of the Year 2021. explores these and other burning questions in The Long Game. Drawing on exclusive interviews with current and former members of Sinn Féin, she builds up a picture of a party undergoing a profound, and still incomplete, transformation. She looks at the key individuals and moments that put the party on its present course, and she explores tensions within the party and the wider republican movement. Packed with revelatory details, The Long Game is a groundbreaking telling of contemporary Ireland's biggest and most elusive political story.

by Rob Cross

€20.99

aria-label="Book description" itemprop="description"> Breathing new life into Ireland's history once again, this carefully restored and colourised collection of wonderful black and white images captures the beauty of the nation's fascinating past. This sequel to the bestselling The Colour of Ireland presents a huge variety of captivating images from the 32 counties, from Dublin to Galway and Antrim to Cork, and inspires a new vision of Ireland's heritage. With incredible attention to detail, author Rob Cross has gained a worldwide following by using cutting-edge technology and careful historical research to accurately depict the colours of Ireland's history and tell the stories within these rich images. It's a collection to treasure, enjoy and reflect on for years to come. Ideal for readers who… love Irish history brought to life through striking, colourised archival photography enjoy browsing beautifully restored images from across all 32 counties are fascinated by the stories behind old photographs and the research that reveals their context want a giftable, coffee-table-style book to revisit and share over time already loved The Colour of Ireland and want more of Rob Cross’s meticulous, vivid work

by Tim Pat Coogan

€12.75

'The unofficial voice of modern Irish history' Economist When President of the Irish Republic Michael Collins signed the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, he remarked to Lord Birkenhead, 'I may have signed my actual death warrant.' In August 1922 at the height of the Irish Civil War, that prophecy came true - Collins was shot and killed by a fellow Irishman in a shocking political assassination. So ended the life of the greatest of all Irish nationalists, but his visions and legacy lived on. This authorative and comprehensive biography presents the life of a man who became a legend in his own lifetime, whose idealistic vigour and determination were matched only by his political realism and supreme organisational abilities. Coogan's biography provides a fascinating insight into a great political leader, whilst vividly portraying the political unrest in a divided Ireland, that can help to shape our understanding of Ireland's past, present and future. 'There have been several other lives of Collins, but none has assembled such wealth of detail' Independent on Sunday

by Manchán Magan

€19.99

Irish Book Awards Shortlist 2022 Odgers Berndtson Non-fiction Book of the Year Our ancestors developed a uniquely nature-focused society, centred on esteemed poets, seers, monks, healers and wise women who were deeply connected to the land. They used this connection to the cycles of the natural world - from which we are increasingly dissociated - as an animating force in their lives. In this illuminating new book, Manchan Magan sets out on a journey, through bogs, across rivers and over mountains, to trace these ancestor's footsteps. He uncovers the ancient myths that have shaped our national identity and are embedded in the strata of land that have endured through millennia - from ice ages through to famines and floods. Here, the River Shannon is a goddess, and trees and their life-sustaining root systems are hallowed. See the world in a new light in this magical exploration into the life-sustaining wisdom of what lies beneath us.

by Maresa Fagan

€15.07

Separating fact from fiction, this book re-examines the death of a priest in 1985. The events of that night fuelled speculation and allegations of a cover-up by the State and Church. His death still remains unsolved. TV producer Sharon Lawless, and journalist Maresa Fagan, delve further into the case to test evidence and follow the money trail.

by Myles Dungan

€13.05

The story of a single family during the Irish Revolution, Four Killings is a book about political murder, and the powerful hunger for land and the savagery it can unleash. 'A vivid and chilling narrative... Confronts uncomfortable questions that still need answering' Roy Foster 'Marries acute storytelling skills with scholarship, fortified throughout by the author's wry sense of humour' Michael Heney 'Narrative history, told through a unique prism' Irish Sunday Independent 'Dungan knows his history; he also knows how to tell a story... A gem of a book' RTÉ Culture 'Sober and intelligent... Dungan does a fine job of showing that little people can make history too' Business Post Myles Dungan's family was involved in four violent deaths between 1915 and 1922. Jack Clinton, an immigrant small farmer from County Meath, was murdered in the remote and lawless Arizona territory by a powerful rancher's hired assassin; three more died in Ireland, and each death is compellingly reconstructed in this extraordinary book. What unites these deaths is the violence that engulfed Ireland during the war of independence, but also the passions unleashed by arguments over the ownership of the soil. In focusing on one family, Four Killings offers an original perspective on this still controversial period: a prism through which the moral and personal costs of violence, and the elemental conflict over land, come alive in surprising ways.

by Fergal Tobin

€12.76

An Irish TImes Book of the Year 'The beauty of this book is in the telling: The Irish Difference lays out its themes and chronologies with impeccable clarity, and is full of fascinating detail... Exemplary.' Irish Independent For hundreds of years, the islands and their constituent tribes that make up the British Isles have lived next door to each other in a manner that, over time, suggested some movement towards political union. It was an uneven, stop-start business and it worked better in some places than in others. Still, England, Wales and Scotland have hung together through thick and thin, despite internal divisions of language, religion, law, culture and disposition that might have broken up a less resilient polity. And, for a long time, it seemed that something similar might have been said about the smaller island to the west: Ireland. Ireland was always a more awkward fit in the London-centric mini-imperium but no one imagined that it might detach itself altogether, until the moment came for rupture, quite suddenly and dramatically, in the fall-out from World War I. So, what was it - is it - about Ireland that is so different? Different enough to sever historical ties of centuries with such sudden violence and unapologetic efficiency. Wherein lies the Irish difference, a difference sufficient to have caused a rupture of that nature? In a wide-ranging and witty narrative, historian Fergal Tobin looks into Ireland's past, taking in everything from religion and politics to sports and literature, and traces the roots of her journey towards independence.

by Sean O'Driscoll

€12.75

'Fascinating . . . O'Driscoll's research is impressive' Ben Macintyre, The Times _____ The story behind the hit movie Baltimore, starring Imogen Poots. The astonishing story of the English heiress who devoted her life to the IRA. She grew up in a Chelsea townhouse and on a Devon estate. She was presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace as a debutante in 1958. She trained at Oxford as an academic economist and had a love affair with a female professor (who was on the rebound from Iris Murdoch). At thirty, she commenced giving her inheritance away to the poor. In 1972, the deadliest year of the Northern Irish Troubles, she travelled to Ireland and joined the IRA. Sean O'Driscoll's Heiress, Rebel, Vigilante, Bomber tells the astonishing story of Rose Dugdale, who went on to become a committed terrorist, participating in a major art heist and a bombing raid on a police and army barracks; who kept a pregnancy secret for nine months in prison and gave birth there; and who ended up at the heart of the IRA's bomb-making operation during its deadly final spasms in the 1990s. Heiress, Rebel, Vigilante, Bomber is both the page-turning biography of a remarkable woman and a groundbreaking account of the inner workings of a terrorist organization. _____ 'It would be hard to overstate how good this book is . . . a fantastic read' Sunday Independent 'Superb . . . an even-handed and thrilling gallop through [Dugdale's] improbable life' Daily Telegraph 'Excellent' Michael McDowell, Irish Times 'Possibly the most extraordinary book you'll read this year' Irish Examiner 'Jaw-dropping' Joe Duffy 'Well-researched' Irish Times

by Padraic Coffey

€13.49

You may know all about the Easter Rising and the Good Friday Agreement, but did you know that the hypodermic needle was invented in Tallaght? Or that Dublin was the first city in the world to have a woman stockbroker, decades before London or New York? Or that the formula used to create the video game Tomb Raider was sketched on a bridge in Cabra in the nineteenth century? With one entry for every day of the year, this book marks the anniversaries of momentous events in Irish history: in politics, medicine, music, sport and innovation. In this accessible, comprehensive and authoritative book, discover the moments that have helped to shape the national identity of Ireland. 

by John Creedon

€23.99

In this people’s history of Ireland, John Creedon introduces a fascinating collection of stories from the Schools’ Collection. This treasure trove of old stories, ways and wisdom, which could have been lost for ever, was collected by schoolchildren as part of a nationwide project set up in the 1930s to preserve Irish folklore. Published here for the first time, this ‘best of’ selection includes chapters on ghost stories, agriculture, forgotten trades, schooling and pastimes. The result is an incredible arc of folk history that tells us about ourselves and how we lived long ago.

by Jo Kerrigan

€19.99

Far more than just a faint echo of the past, Ireland's fairy forts are still vibrantly alive.  The traditions connected to them are so powerful that, even today, people rarely interfere with Irish fairy forts or fairy trees. They aren't built on; roads curve around them; farmers don't plough over them  The most numerous ancient remains in Ireland today, numbering up to 50,000 or more, these enigmatic mounds and grassy banks seem to call out to us from an earlier time. So, what are they, who built them and what were they for? And how have so many survived for so long? With evocative photographs by Richard Mills, master folklorist Jo Kerrigan explores the origins of these mysterious circular structures: the stories and legends, the history and archaeology, the living traditions and practices connected to them. And reminds us of the dangers of disturbing the ancient spirits dwelling beneath.

by Peter Waller

€12.60

In the second volume in the Lost Tramways series to feature Ireland, the history of the trams that served Dublin and its environs are recalled.

by Derek Scally

€11.59

The Number One Bestseller Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards 2021 'A great achievement . . . Brilliant, engaging and essential' Colm Tóibìn 'At once intimate and epic, this is a landmark book' Fintan O'Toole When Dubliner Derek Scally goes to Christmas Eve Mass on a visit home from Berlin, he finds more memories than congregants in the church where he was once an altar boy. Not for the first time, the collapse of the Catholic Church in Ireland brings to mind the fall of another powerful ideology - East German communism. While Germans are engaging earnestly with their past, Scally sees nothing comparable going on in his native land. So he embarks on a quest to unravel the tight hold the Church had on the Irish. He travels the length and breadth of Ireland and across Europe, going to Masses, novenas, shrines and seminaries, talking to those who have abandoned the Church and those who have held on, to survivors and campaigners, to writers, historians, psychologists and many more. And he has probing and revealing encounters with Vatican officials, priests and religious along the way. The Best Catholics in the World is the remarkable result of his three-year journey. With wit, wisdom and compassion Scally gives voice and definition to the murky and difficult questions that face a society coming to terms with its troubling past. It is both a lively personal odyssey and a resonant and gripping work of reporting that is a major contribution to the story of Ireland. 'Reflective, textured, insightful and original ... rich with history, interrogation and emotional intelligence' Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Times 'An unblinking look at the collapse of the Church and Catholic deference in Ireland. Excellent and timely' John Banville, The Sunday Times 'Engaging and incisive' Caelainn Hogan, author of Republic of Shame 'Remarkable ... Essential reading for anyone concerned about history and forgetting' Michael Harding 'Fair-minded ... thoughtful' Melanie McDonagh, The Times 'Very pacey and entertaining ... and it changed how I regard Ireland and our history for good. Fantastic' Oliver Callan 'Original, thought-provoking and very engaging' Marie Collins 'A provocative insight into a time that many would rather forget' John Boyne 'Challenging' Mary McAleese 'Explores this subject in a way that I've never seen before' Hugh Linehan, Irish Times

by Simon Smith

€22.03

"There is something prescient about this collection of essays…… Evocative, beautifully written."- Irish Times The Passenger collects the best new writing, photography, and reportage from around the world. Its aim, to break down barriers and introduce the essence of the place. Packed with essays and investigative journalism; original photography and illustrations; charts, and unusual facts and observations, each volume offers a unique insight into a different culture, and how history has shaped the place into what it is today.    Brimming with intricate research and enduring wonder, The Passenger is a love-letter to global travel.  IN THIS VOLUME, Catherine Dunne, Colum McCann, Mark O'Connell, and Sara Baume, among other Irish writers tell of a country striving to stay a step ahead of time.   On the centenary of the partition that split the island in two, The Passenger sets off to discover a land full of charm and conflict; a country that in just a few decades has gone from being a poor, semi-theocratic society to a thriving economy free from the influence of the Catholic Church; from a deeply patriarchal, conservative society to one that gives space to diversity, becoming the only country in the world to enshrine gay marriage in law through a referendum.   The Passenger explores Ireland's ramifications in politics, society, culture, and sport. Memory and identity intertwine with the transformations - from globalisation to climate change - that are remodelling the Irish landscape. 

by Michael Heney

€13.05

The number one Irish Times bestseller In 1970, Taoiseach Jack Lynch accused two cabinet ministers, Charles Haughey and Neil Blaney, of smuggling arms to the IRA in Northern Ireland. The criminal prosecution that followed was a cause célèbre at the time. All the accused were acquitted, but it generated a political crisis that would be one of the major events of modern Irish history. In the fifty years since, myth and controversy has surrounded the trial and its aftermath. Michael Heney has unearthed astonishing new evidence, raising serious questions about Lynch and his relationship with Haughey. The Arms Crisis of 1970 is the first comprehensive investigation into the arms trial prosecution, and how the jury came to their verdict of acquittal. Reviews: 'An indisputable, forensic interpretation of the events of 1970... Impressive for its methodology, and is indispensable for anyone interested in what actually happened 50 years ago' Colm Tóibìn, Irish Times, Books of the Year 'Persuasive... A real life whodunnit written with the pace and drama of a political thriller' Eilis O'Hanlon, Irish Independent 'Heney strips away the lies associated with the great Irish scandal of 1970... A ground-breaking book' Diarmaid Ferriter 'Brilliant de-bunking of the myths, heroes and villains of the Arms Crisis' Mary O'Rourke, Sunday Independent

by Michael Foley

€15.29

On the morning of 21 November 1920, Jane Boyle walked to Sunday Mass in the church where she would be married five days later. That afternoon she went with her fiancé to watch Tipperary and Dublin play a Gaelic football match at Croke Park. Across the city fourteen men lay dead in their beds after a synchronised IRA attack designed to cripple British intelligence services in Ireland. Trucks of police and military rumbled through the city streets as hundreds of people clamoured at the metal gates of Dublin Castle seeking refuge. Some of them were headed for Croke Park. Award-winning journalist and author Michael Foley recounts the extraordinary story of Bloody Sunday in Croke Park and the 90 seconds of shooting that changed Ireland forever. In a deeply intimate portrait he tells for the first time the stories of those killed, the police and military personnel who were in Croke Park that day, and the families left shattered in its aftermath, all against the backdrop of a fierce conflict that stretched from the streets of Dublin and the hedgerows of Tipperary to the halls of Westminster. Updated with new information and photographs.

by Eamonn Duggan

€17.99

Nearly 2,000 people gave detailed statements to the Bureau of Military History between 1947 and 1957 about their role in Ireland's fight for freedom. The statements are the recollections of many of those who participated in the 1916 Easter Rising and the War of Independence, 1919-1921.  Recently released to scholars and researchers, they allow a much broader view of what actually happened in the fateful decade that led to independence from the British Empire. They offer a remarkable window into a tumultuous era in Ireland's modern history when men and women rose up against British rule and demanded independence. The statements examined in the book reflect the views of republican men and women from all facets of society. They were urban and rural dwellers middle and working-class individuals, farmers, labourers and professionals, all of whom, came together in the pursuit of one common goal. Their statements confirm the commitment they gave to the independence cause and are testaments to the courage and determination they displayed in their efforts to achieve a free and independent Ireland.      Eamonn Duggan explores the individual contributions of these remarkable people, and what they add to the history we thought we knew. A fascinating view of a vital period in Irish history, from 1913 to Independence.

by John G. Breslin

€22.46

In  Old Ireland in Colour 2 , the much-anticipated sequel to their beloved bestseller, John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley have dug even deeper into Ireland’s historical archives to uncover captivating photographic gems to bring to life using a unique blend of cutting-edge technology, historical research and expert colourisation. Old Ireland in Colour 2 celebrates more of the rich history of Ireland and the Irish from all walks of life and from all four provinces, as well as the Irish abroad, throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the chaos of the Civil War to the simple beauty of the islands, from the iconic to the domestic, there is something new and inspiring to be gleaned from every single page.

by Richard Killeen

€5.39

The year 2022 sees the 100th anniversary of the death of solider and politician Michael Collins, the legendary leader of Irish republicanism. Born in Clonakilty, County Cork, in 1890, Collins joined Sinn Féin at age 18 and later took part in the 1916 Rising. In the 1918 General Election he won a seat for Sinn Féin in South Cork and was later appointed Minister of Finance in the newly formed Dáil Eireann in 1919. Following the War of Independence, in which he played an effective if at times ruthless role, Collins led the Irish delegation in London to negotiate the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which resulted in the partitioning of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. The Treaty would ignite civil war in Ireland, ultimately leading to Collins's assassination on 22 August 1922. Today, Collins is still seen as the man who has done more than any other to secure 'the freedom to achieve freedom' of Ireland. This is a compelling and accessible introduction to the legendary political hero.

by Mark O'Connell

€10.99

In 1982 Malcolm Macarthur, the wealthy heir to a small estate, found himself suddenly without money. The solution, he decided, was to rob a bank. To do this, he would need a gun and a car. In the process of procuring them, he killed two people, and the circumstances of his eventual arrest in the apartment of Ireland's Attorney General nearly brought down the government. The case remains one of the most shocking in Ireland's history. Mark O'Connell has long been haunted by the story of this brutal double murder. But in recent years this haunting has become mutual. When O'Connell sets out to unravel the mysteries still surrounding these horrific and inexplicable crimes, he tracks down Macarthur himself, now an elderly man living out his days in Dublin and reluctant to talk. As the two men circle one another, O'Connell is pushed into a confrontation with his own narrative: what does it mean to write about a murderer?

by John Crowley

€68.99

The great Irish famine is possibly the most pivotal event/experience in modern Irish history: in terms of mortality, it is now widely accepted that over a million people perished between the years of 1845 and 1852. This book provides readers with a broad range of perspectives and relevant insights into this tragic event.

by Kunak McGann

€9.49

Need a reason to feel mná-some ? Look no further! This book celebrates Irish women and their extraordinary achievements, one day at a time. From stone-throwing suffragists and brilliant scientists to daring adventurers, controversial writers, record-breaking athletes, and global music icons—these are the Mná na hÉireann who defied the patriarchy and shaped their own destinies. Discover the unsung heroes and fearless trailblazers who forged Ireland's past and continue to inspire its future. You'll be prouder than ever of these remarkable women and their hard-fought victories!