Conference tallis::celt

    Robert Kee (originally Irish, I think) "wrote" a book of a British
    TV series, "Ireland, a Television History" a few years ago.   Seem
    to remember it was an interesting set of programs, and some of Kee's
    other written and TV work is pretty good.

    Thanks Alan for your contribution, yes I aggree that the television
    series was very interesting and at least gave people in Britain
    a chance for the first time to see something.
    
    Thanks again Alan
    
    Rene

    
    	BOOK				AUTHOR
    "THE STORY OF THE IRISH RACE	SEAMUS MACMANUS
    
    OPINION: RATHER BIASED, BUT A GOOD COMPENDIUM OF IRISH HISTORY.
    THE AUTHOR HAS SOME FASCINATING INFORMATION IN HIS FOOTNOTES, AND
    ALSO PROVIDES BIBLIOGRAPHIES FOR PURSUIT OF A PARTICULAR SUBJECT
    BY THE MORE SERIOUS READER.
    

    A relatively new bunch of books by Morgan Llewellyn has hit the
    market recently, and while they do describe Irish history, they
    do not describe current Irish history.  _Lion of Ireland_ is a novel,
    based on the life of King Brian Boru.  Considering her bibliography
    in that novel, I would guess it's pretty factual.  Two more, _Bard_
    and _The Horse Goddess_ go back to the time before the Irish even
    inhabited the Emerald Isle.  Not exactly contemporary history, but
    makes for very interesting reading as they answer some questions
    about Irish tradition.  Both are very descriptive of the Druidic
    way of life.
    
    My fiance (a Dublin man) recommends _Strumpet City_, author unknown.
    Also recommended for light reading, two novels by Maeve Binchy,
    _Light a Penny Candle_ which takes place during and after World
    War II, and a later one, the title of which escapes me at the moment.
    If I remember it, I'll add another reply.  The second unnamed one
    takes place in a small seaport town during the 1950's.  I understand
    this author has written several other novels (including _Victoria
    Line_, _Central Line_ and _Dublin 4_), none of which I have read,
    but will.
    
    One other, which is a contemporary history of the IRA, _The Centre
    Cannot Hold_, unfortunately I don't know the author of that one
    either.  
    
    Of the ones I have read: I love Ms. Llewellyn's, like Maeve Binchy's,
    and found _Strumpet City_ too boring to finish (don't tell my fiance,
    please, he loves it).
    
    Happy reading!
    
    Robin
    
    

     The course of Irish History by moody and martin published by mercier
    
    Gives a pretty good, but shallow, overview of irish history from
    earliest times to the late 50's. It also provides a much more objective
    view of things than some of the books written by the various
    participants though I think Tom Barry's book is really worth reading.
    
    The Civil War in Ireland  by eoin Neeson
    
    A very detailed discussion of the civil war. Its years since I read
    it and cant remember who publishes it.  Not a novel.
    
    

    Re .4
    
    The Maeve Binchy novel whose name escaped me earlier is called _Echoes_
    and is set in a small seaport town during the 1950's.  It appears
    to be historically accurate; unfortunately, it's found in the Gothic
    romance section of the bookstore--don't let that fool you.  It's
    neither Gothic nor terribly romantic.
    
    _Strumpet City_ is written by James Plunkett.  I don't know where
    my fiance found it.  (Confidentially, if I knew, I'd put it back.)
    
    The factual book I referred to is actually _The Centre Cannot Hold;
    Britain's Failure in Northern Ireland_ by Tom Collins.  It contains
    many graphic photographs, including executions, bombings, etc.,
    which is why I haven't yet read it.  My fiance bought this in Ireland,
    so I don't know if it's available in the United States.
    
    Robin
    

    Two good books which deal with recent events are:
    
    The Politics of Irish Freedom.	Author:  Gerry Adams
    
    [Gerry Adams is President of the Sinn Fein party and an elected
     member of the British Parliament for Belfast]
    
    Ten Men Dead	Author: David Beresford
    
    The book deals with the 1981 hunger strike and it is by far the
    best account I've read of that awful time.  The author is a British
    journalist who was stationed in Ireland during the period.

    	--Dermot

    If anyone is interested in the influence the Vikings had on Ireland
    and Scotland.  There is a very good book on Viking history that
    has an extensive section on the Vikings in Ireland and Scotland.
    
     "The Vikings in History" by F. Donald Logan. 
    
    U.S. publisher:

       Barnes and Noble
       81 Adams Drive 
       Totowa, NJ 07512

    British publisher:

        Hutchinson House
        Social History Department
        17 / 21 Conway Street
        London W1P6JD
        England

    In re .4, I thought "Strumpet City" was gripping, if a bit grim.
    It gives a graphic account of the life of the "poor" man in the
    slums of Dublin and, in my opinion, should be read by everyone who
    wants to learn the hidden woes of the common man in the slums of
    Ireland during the 19th and early 20th century in Ireland. There
    is a most enjoyable "sequel" to this novel entitled, "Farewell
    Companions." This is an account of a number of families living in
    Dublin in the period between (approx) 1919 and 1947. It covers the
    lives of all the members of these families, both young and old
    and the accounts of the growing-up of the young people is both
    poignant and fascinating. I grew up in Cork City during approx.
    the same period and the adventures of these Dubliners could very
    well have been my own except for the changes in locale. I highly
    recommend it. As for other publications that, indirectly, give
    keen insights into Irish living and customs, I recommend the books
    of O'Connor, O'Faolain and O'Casey which are available in most
    libraries and book stores. Daniel Corkery - "A Munster Twilight,"
    "The Hounds of Banba" - is a little harder to find, but well worth
    the search. My current reading is a little "off-beat". at the
    moment; I am ploughing my way, fairly successfully, through
    "Fice Bliadhain ag Fas," by Muiris O'Suilleabhain and "An
    tOileanac," by Tomas O'Criomthain. ("Twenty Years a Growing" and
    "The Islander.")
    

If you will excuse me for a diversion, I'd like to recommend a fantasy
work called "Too Long a Sacrifice", by Mildred Downey Broxon.  The book
is about two people from 6th century Ireland who are trapped by the Sidhe 
and escape into the 20th century, only to be caught up in the Troubles.
The book is a strange mixture of myth and reality - I'd be interested
to know what someone who knows Irish mythology thinks of it.

	Enjoy,
	Larry

    re: .9
    
    Call it nit-picking, but the correct spelling of the authors surname
    is O'Criomhthain, not O'Criomthain.
    
    
    Slan,
    Micheal McCriomhthain
    
    

    re:11 Sorry!! I missed the seimhiu!! Been a long time since the
    Gaeltacht in Ballingeary.
    
    

    A beautiful new book, just published is 
    
    	"Under the eye of the clock"	By Christopher Nolan
    
    		The Author is totally handicapped and cannot speak.
    The book is semi autobiographical and is a compelling reading
    
    			MBr

    With regard to Irish History, the best book I have read is "The
    Green Flag" by Robert Kee, published by Quartet books. It is in
    fact a trilogy and appears in 3 volumes:
    
    	"The most Distressful Country"
    	"The Bold Fenian Men"
    	"Ourselves Alone"
    
    Although it only deals with events up to the civil war, its strength
    lies in the fact that Robert Kee is NOT Irish and does not look
    back on the past through rose tinted glasses. He is not afraid or
    ashamed to admit that his fellow countrymen were guilty of some
    horrendous crimes, but nor does he skim lightly over irish crimes
    either.
    
    Jimmy

 >        Green Flag" by Robert Kee, published by Quartet books. It is in
 >    fact a trilogy and appears in 3 volumes:

 	Dont all trilogy's appear in 3 volumes?!?!?!!? 8-)
    
    	Ann
    
    	p.s. well maybe with the exception of Hitchhikers guide to the
    	     Galaxy??!   
    

.15� 	Dont all trilogy's appear in 3 volumes?!?!?!!? 8-)

    No they can also appear in three ACTS !!!
    

 ------ Forwarded mail received on 27-JUN-1991 at 12:39:27 ------

From:	DECWRL::"GAELIC-L%[email protected]" 
	"GAELIC Language Bulletin Board"
To:	Craig Cockburn <SYSTEM::cockburn> 
Subj:	Cro� Cine le Se�n de Fr�ine 

 
Bh� m� ar an gcomhluadar in �ras Bhord na Gaeilge tr�thn�na inn�,
nuair a sheol M�ire Bean Mhic R�ib�n, Uachtar�n na h�ireann, an
d�olaim "Cro� Cine" le Se�n de Fr�ine (Cl�chomhar). Is � at�
sa chnuasach seo, sleachta as litr�ocht na Gaeilge ag dul siar m�le
c�ig ch�ad bliain (na c�adta bliain sular buna�odh ollscoileanna
i bP�ras, in Oxford) � aimsir "T�in B� Cuailgne" go dt� litr�ocht
na linne seo.  An t� ar mhaith leis l�argas ginear�ta a fh�il ar
stair na litr�ochta agus blaisedh de thraidisi�n scr�bhneoireachta
na Gaeilge a fh�il ina theannta sin, chomh maith lena dh�thain eolais
i dtaobh an lucht liteartha lena lonn� i gcomhth�acs staire a linne, ba
mhaith ab fhi� d� an leabhar seo a cheannach (IRL9.95).
 
         <I was present yesterday evening when the President of Ireland>
         <launched Se�n de Fr�ine's book "Cro� Cine" (published by>
         <Cl�chomhar Teoranta), a select anthology of writings in the>
         <Gaelic literary tradition going back one thousand five hundred>
         <years (hundreds of years before universities were founded in>
         <Paris or in Oxford) from "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" right>
         <through to our own time. Anyone wanting a general overview of>
         <our literary inheritance, a taste of the actual writings, and>
         <enough basic background info to place the writers within a>
         <historical framework will get good value here at IRL9.95.>
 
Ar �c�id na lainse�la, l�igh Se�n de Fr�ine dh� litir
�n 16� haois n�r chuir s� isteach sa chnuasach seo. D�irt s� go raibh
aif�ala air anois n�ch chuir s� isteach ina leabhar iad. M�s buan mo
chuimhne, seo mar a d'inis s� an sc�al:

Litir #1:
        "T� c�os agam ort. Cuir cugam �, n�, mara gcuirfir -
         Is mise,
         � D�naill"
Litir #2:
         "N�l aon ch�os agat orm! Agus d� mbeadh -
         Is mise,
         � N�ill"
 
         <On the occasion of the launch, Se�n de Fr�ine read aloud>
         <two letters from the sixteenth century he said he now regrets>
         <leaving out of his anthology. If my memory serves me aright,>
         <this is what he read out:>
<Letter #1:>
         <"You owe me rent. Send it to me. Else, if you do not,  ->
         <I am,>
         <(the) O'Donnell">
<Letter #2:>
         <"I owe you no rent. Even if that were true ->
         <I am>
         <(the) O'Neill">
Marion
PS. T� cro� agus inneach na staire sa sc�al beag sin!
   <The very essence of history is contained in that little story!>
 
% ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ======
Received: by enet-gw.pa.dec.com; id AA05485; Thu, 27 Jun 91 04:17:27 -0700
Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP R1.2.2MX) with BSMTP id 6824; Thu, 27 Jun 91 07:17:08 EDT
Received: by UGA (Mailer R2.07) id 6568; Thu, 27 Jun 91 07:16:25 EDT
Date:         Thu, 27 Jun 91 12:11:10 GMT
Reply-To: GAELIC Language Bulletin Board <GAELIC-L%[email protected]>
Sender: GAELIC Language Bulletin Board <GAELIC-L%[email protected]>
From: Marion GUNN <MGUNN%[email protected]>
Subject:      Cro� Cine le Se�n de Fr�ine
To: Craig Cockburn <SYSTEM::cockburn>

    Emigrants and Exiles -- Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America
    
    	by Kerby Miller
    
    
    Published 1985 by Oxford University Press
    

    Miller
         Is the book sold only in USA ? I would like to buy it. Can you
    give me more information. thank you Jos�

    RE: .19
    
    >Is the book sold only in USA ? I would like to buy it. Can you give me
    >more information. thank you Jos�
    
    Emigrants and Exiles -- Ireland and the Irish Exodus to North America
    
    	by Kerby Miller
    
    ISBN 0-19-503594-1     
    Published 1985 by 	Oxford University Press
    			Oxford, London, New York, Toronto
    
    			Oxford University Press, Inc.
    			200 Madison Ave.
    			New York, NY 10016
    684 pages	$35

Mod - I couldn't make my mind up whether this belongs in this topic or not
feel free to move it if it's in the wrong place.
----------------------------------

isbn 0 00 627801 9
Harper Collins

Anne Maguire, Why me? One woman's fight for justice and dignity
[Jim Gallagher is the co-author]
Contains a forward by Cardinal Basil Hume.
UK 4.99, CAN $9.95

Anne Maguire is one of the group of people who became known as the
'Maguire Seven', who were falsely accused of involvement in the
Guildford pub bombings in 1974.

The book broadly falls into three sections; a short section on who she is
and how she came to live in London, the arrest and trial and the impact
being in jail had on their family.

The chapters on the Arrest and Trial are tough reading. Her ordeal was 
worse than that meeted out to the alleged bombers. She describes how
the children were subject to the same violence and how it continued
for several months after the arrest.

She has forgiven those who put her thru her ordeal.

M