An Eye on Ireland


Book Description

'Jolts like jump-leads to the complacent heart ... an eye-opener. MIRIAM LORD FOR FOUR DECADES, JUSTINE MCCARTHY'S FEARLESS JOURNALISM AND COMMENTARY HAS HELD POWER TO ACCOUNT AS SHE, IN HER OWN WORDS, 'GREW UP ALONGSIDE MY COUNTRY'. The book opens with a long personal essay in which Justine recounts her early years as a fearful child who dreamed of being a writer, to cutting her teeth in the male-dominated newsrooms of the 1980s, where she faced down sexism and broke gender barriers in a determined career marked by excellence. From Mary Robinson making history as Ireland's first female president to a present-day RTÉ in crisis, over thirty years of stories are collected here. In her long career, Justine broke child sexual abuse scandals and reported from the frontline of the Northern Ireland Troubles; she documented political turmoil and charted the role of Ireland on the world stage. She followed the times the country let down its people, through its ailing health system, its legal system, the domination of the church, and its treatment of women. An Eye on Ireland maps a transformative era in Irish life towards a more progressive and just society, and one woman's extraordinary career at the forefront of change.




The Mystery of Ireland's Eye


Book Description

The first installment in the award-winning Dylan Maples series.




Death on Ireland's Eye


Book Description

A tragic death, a murder trial and a 170-year-old mystery – but what really happened? Shortly after Maria Kirwan died in a lonely inlet on Ireland's Eye, it was decided that she had drowned accidentally during a day spent with her husband on the picturesque island. This inquest verdict appeared to conclude the melancholy events that consumed the fishing village of Howth, Co Dublin, in September 1852. But not long afterwards, suspicion fell upon Maria's husband, William Burke Kirwan, as whispers of unspeakable cruelty, an evil character and a secret life rattled through the streets of Dublin. Investigations led to William's arrest and trial for murder. The story swelled into one of the most bitterly divisive chapters in the dark annals of Irish criminal history. Yet questions remain: Does the evidence stand up? What role did the heavy hand of Victorian moral outrage play? Was William really guilty of murder, or did the ever-present 'moral facts' fill in gaps where hard proof was absent? Now, this compelling modern analysis revisits the key evidence, asking sober questions about the facts, half-facts and fantasies buried within the yellowed pages of the Ireland's Eye case files.




A Colder Eye


Book Description

Hugh Kenner's theme is the Irish Literary Revival, that seizure of the English language by writers whose relation to it was oddly uncomfortable, even alien -- and their creation of a new idiom that would dominate and define International Modernism. His technique is anecdote and example. In his hands, biography jostles with critical insight, social history erupts into choice quotation, "facts" reveal themselves to be invention.




Ireland's Eye


Book Description

On August 22, 1922, near Macroom, County Cork, a single bullet from an unknown gunman killed Michael Collins, the Commander-in-Chief of the Irish Free State Army. The day Collins was buried, businesses across Dublin shut down as thousands lined the streets to pay their respects. And on that day, Michael Lyons, a cooper from the Guinness factory taking advantage of the day off, drowned quietly in Dublin's Royal Canal. In Ireland's Eye, Mark Anthony Jarman uses this confluence -- a famous death and an obscure death -- as the starting point for a meditation on the intertwined history of a nation and his pursuit of the circumstances of his grandfather's drowning. Thwarted by family gossip, aunts who can't drive shift, cousins more interested in pubs than lore, and his own fascination with the many Irelands that have been, Jarman finds what he's seeking despite, or perhaps because of, the antics and the unreliable histories. What he reconfigures is a revelation, and an enchanting and engrossing read.




Murder at Ireland's Eye


Book Description

On a fine calm morning in September 1852, a strikingly handsome man and his beautiful wife stepped onto a hired boat in Howth Harbour, Dublin, to set out on a day trip. The destination was Ireland’s Eye, a small uninhabited island less than a mile to the north of the harbour. He was an artist, she a keen and adventurous swimmer. By sunset, when the boat returned to fetch them, she would be dead. Despite certain gruesome features, the inquest ruled that it was a drowning, and Maria Kirwan was laid to rest. Then a startling secret emerged about the private life of her husband, the artist William Burke Kirwan. After an exhumation, he was arrested for her murder. The case caused a sensation, the public fascinated by its extraordinary elements. Added to this and almost eclipsing the murder was the scandal: a sexual triangle that aroused the full force of Victorian moral outrage. The trial was destined to become steeped in controversy and a veil of mystery has hung over the death of Maria Kirwan for the last 160 years. But now, at last, a forgotten medical paper has thrown light on what really happened on that fateful day.




Wild Irish Eyes


Book Description

Oh, to stop the voices in her head. Other people's voices, that is. As a pub owner with an extra special gift, all Cait Gallagher craves is a moment of silence. That, and to own the building her pub is housed in along with the heart of the building's landlord, Shane MacAuliffe. Though she is irresistibly drawn to Shane, her vulnerabilities cause her to put up a tough exterior. When the two butt heads, more than sparks fly, and Cait finds herself trembling on the precipice of love. Shane has watched Cait for years. Stubborn, beautiful, and with a trim body that he is dying to get his hands on, Cait is it for him. And yet, she continues to infuriate him by walking away from his kiss. Every time. At his wits' end, Shane doesn't know what to do to make Cait his own. Unapologetic and fiercely proud, Cait must conquer her insecurities and reveal her true self to Shane or face losing everything. From New York Times Bestselling author, Tricia O'Malley, comes a new romance series set on the rocky shores of Ireland.




A History of Ireland in 100 Words


Book Description

A history of Ireland in 100 words has been shortlisted for 'best Irish-published book of the year' at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2019. November 2019. Did you know that Cú Chulainn was conceived with a thirst-quenching drink? That 'cluas', the modern Irish word for 'ear', also means the handle of a cup? That the Old Irish word for 'ring' may have inspired Tolkien's 'nazg'? How and why does the word for noble (saor) come to mean cheap? Why does a word that once meant law (cáin) now mean tax? And why are turkeys in Irish French birds? From murder to beekeeping and everything between, discover how the Irish ate, drank, dressed, loved and lied. This book tells a history of Ireland by looking at the development of 100 medieval Irish words drawn from the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of the Irish Language. Words tell stories and encapsulate histories and this book captures aspects of Ireland's changing history by examining the changing meaning of 100 key words. The book is aimed at a general readership and no prior knowledge of the Irish language is required to delve into the fascinating insights it provides. The book is divided into themes, including writing and literature; food and feasting; technology and science; mind and body. Readers can explore words relating to particular concepts, dipping in and out where they please.




The Lost Girls of Ireland


Book Description

A heart-warming story about family secrets and one woman's escape to dreamy Sandy Cove on the stunning west coast of Ireland. The picturesque beach of Wild Rose Bay is the last place Lydia Butler thought she'd be. But having just lost everything, the run-down cottage she inherited from her Great Aunt Nellie is the only place she can take her daughter, Sunny. Hidden away in a tiny Irish village, she can protect Sunny from the gossip in Dublin, and the real reason they have nowhere else to live... The cottage is part of the old coastguard station and other eccentric residents are quick to introduce themselves when Lydia arrives. Lydia instantly feels less alone, fascinated by the stories they have about Nellie, and she's charmed by American artist, Jason O'Callaghan, the mysterious man who lives next door. But the longer Lydia relaxes under the moonlit sky, the more the secret she's keeping from Sunny threatens to come out. And as she finds herself running into Jason's arms, she knows she must be honest and face up to the past she has tried to forget. Has she finally found people who will truly accept her, or will the truth force her to leave the cottage for good? Will transport you to Ireland to relax on the shore and stare at the perfect emerald waters. The Lost Girls of Ireland is perfect for readers of Debbie Macomber, Sheila O'Flanagan and Mary Alice Monroe. What readers are saying about Susanne O'Leary: 'I couldn't put this down! Absolutely delightful!... Great read on a rainy day or a vacation read!!!! Loved this!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'I really wish I was still reading this book... I suppose I had to run out of pages at some point, at the rate I was devouring them... Perfect for these hot summer days... A pure joy to read... fabulous.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Stunning... once you begin it you won't be able to put it down... This heart-warming read is full of love, relationships and second chances.' Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars 'I soon became addicted to reading this beautiful story and I couldn't turn those pages fast enough... An emotional rollercoaster ride.' Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars 'A totally captivating book from the first page, I laugh




Ireland's Eye


Book Description

On August 28, 1922, the martyred Irish patriot Michael Collins was buried. Businesses across Dublin closed as thousands came out to pay their respects. On the same day, Michael Lyons, a cooper from the Guinness factory, drowned in Dublin's Royal Canal. This peculiar confluence is Mark Anthony Jarman's starting point for a meditation on the intertwined history of a nation and his family. Jarman's pursuit of the circumstances of his grandfather's drowning leads him through a modern Ireland that teems with ghosts from the past. Thwarted by family gossip, aunts who can't drive a stick shift, cousins more interested in pubs than lore, and his own fascination with the many Irelands that have been, Jarman finds what he's seeking despite, or perhaps because of, the antics and the unreliable histories. What he reconfigures is a revelation, and an enchanting and engrossing read.