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A swift, pure cry
Author: Siobhan Down ISBN: 9780099488163 DDC: 823.92 LibraryThing | Wikipedia | Siobhan Dowd Trust The place brought to mind a sinking ship. Wood creaked on the floor, across the pews, up in the gallery. Around the walls, a fierce March … Continue reading
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Tagged 6 Stars, A swift pure cry, An Infamous Army, Celtic Tiger, coming of age, Kerry Babies, pregancy, teenage pregnancy
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Christine Falls
ISBN: 9780330445320 Book 1 in the Quirke series See also: MetaCritic ; Grumpy Old Bookman ; PopMatters ; She was glad it was the evening mailboat she was taking, for she did not think she could have faced a morning … Continue reading
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Tagged 5 Stars, average, Christine Falls, Irish author, orphan, Quirke 'verse
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1916
Ned awoke with a start.
The atmosphere in the darkened cabin was warm and close, smelling of lavender wax and fresh linen.
Ned Halloran has just survived the sinking of the Titanic. Traumatised by the loss of life, including that of his parents, he returns home to Ireland. His older brother takes over the running of the farm and Ned is lucky enough to be sent to school. The school chosen for him is St. Edna’s, or Scoil Eanna, a secondary school set up by Padraig Pearse. There he becomes caught up by the nationalist feelings and teaching and becomes involved in the Easter Rising of 1916. Continue reading
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Tagged 1916, 1916 Rising, 6 Stars, Irish author, Irish history, revolutionaries, US author
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On Raven’s Wing
The atmosphere surrounding the little boy vibrated with tension. He could not see the stifled anger and baffled desire, but he sensed their residue accumulating like dustballs in the corners of the fort. Unspoken recriminations crowded the silences; bitter glances were hurled like spears over small Setanta’s head.
When I first read this book I wrote the month and year inside the cover, so I know that I first read it in February 1994, but I’ve reread it plenty of times in the past 13 years. It has been one of my favourite books ever since. That might possibly be because it is based on the Irish legend of the Táin Bó Cúalnge, or Cattle-Raid of Cooley. The Táin is made up of a collection of stories, based around the heroes of the Red Branch, the warriors of Ulster, and especially Cúchulainn.
Boy Eats Girl
You know the old story; Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Something gets in the way of true love, but they over come it to live happily ever after? Well, I suppose this fills all those clichés … Continue reading
The Third Policeman
ISBN: 0586087494 See also: Scriptorium ; Ted’s Thoughts Not everyone knows how I killed old Phillip Mathers, smashing his jaw with my spade; but first it is better to speak of my friendship with John Divney because it was he … Continue reading
Borat
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan It is pretty impossible to review this film, because it is, in essence, just some fucked up shit happening across the “US and A”, but is hilarious. I don’t … Continue reading
The Squad
Michael Collins is frequently cited as the originator of modern urban terrorism. The British characterised his Squad as ‘the murder gang’ and had they knowingly captured members of of the Squad they would almost certainly have exectued them.
Irish history is full of revolutionaries and failed rebellions, of informers giving information to the English, and spies infiltrating Irish organisations. Michael Collins recognised the importance of the intelligence network and so in 1919 he formulated a plan to blind the eyes of Dublin Castle by ensuring that the police force were as terrorised and demoralised as possible. Continue reading
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Tagged 9 Stars, hero, IRA, Irish history, Irish revolutionaries, Irish war of independence, Michael Collins, military history, spies, The squad, The Treaty, witness reports
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Irish Voices
An Informal History 1916-1966 ISBN: 0712665323 Early on Easter Sunday 23 April 1916 in Liberty Hall, the painter Christopher Brady carried out his commission of printing the document that would proclaim the Irish Republic As the subtitle says, this is … Continue reading
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Opening with a hurling scene in Cork in the 1920′s this film lives entirely within the experience of the main character, Damien. A young doctor about to leave Ireland for a career in London he is pulled into the Irish War of Independence. And this film is about his fight. The film starts without any introductory text, there is no attempt made to make the viewer aware of the wider world, this is Damien’s story and only his story. Continue reading
