Reviews

Images Of Ireland: Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown

Pat Walsh

The History Press

9781845885007

€15.30

A new and updated version of this rich visual record of one of Dublin's most famous suburbs.

Pat Walsh has worked with the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Libraries to compile this collection of over 200 old postcards, posters, newspaper clippings and photographs stretching back into the late 19th Century. This book celebrates the rich culture of this Dublin area by giving its reader a visual tour through the past. From the Dublin Mountains down to the sea, the area's history, heritage and people are captured through a collection of over 200 archive images. Through an excellent collection of images, this book brings to life Dun Laoghaire's daily life, work, leisure and entertainment history. The collection should be of interest to social historians, students and locals living in this historic suburb. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown is one of the four Local Authority areas in Dublin County and stretches from the border with Wicklow in the south to the sea coast to the east and North as far as Booterstown and Milltown. It includes areas like Dalkey, Killiney, Foxrock, Dundrum, Ballybrack and Dun Laoghaire itself.

"A great book with stunning old photos..."

Elizabeth's Irish Wars

Cyril Falls

Constable & Robison

978-0-09477-220-5

£12.99

Though slightly old fashioned, this book has stood the test of time rather well. It gives a clear account of the period which can be, at the best of times, confusing especially when it comes to names and relationships between clans and families. It offers a reasonably balanced account of events and is certainly better on the detail than many other books of the era. It can be and has been bettered but not I think by general audience titles.

Twists Of Fate: The Stories Behind Irish Battles And Sieges

John McCormack

Mentor

978-1-84210-244-2

€14.95

In Irish history, the outcome of major events was often completely altered by minor incidents.

• Why did Oliver Cromwell’s discovery of a silver bullet seal Clonmel’s fate in 1650?
  
• How did Brian Boru lose all in the midst of his greatest triumph?

. . . and many more strange events and coincidences which changed the course of Irish history.

I think this is a very undersold book. I found it fascinating when I picked it up from the wonderful RavenBooks second hand. The contents, while on occasion treating the reader as if they lacked any knowledge at all (which seemed odd given that it is effectively military history rather than trivia and by dint of that a more specialised topic in which the read is likely to have knowledge), actually does a good job of placing the battles in content if not giving the detailed battle outlines one might have expected.

Nonetheless a good addition to the topic and a book that will keep a place on my shelf for some time.

The Christmas book: Christmas in the olden time, its customs and their origin : the holly and ivy, sports of the eve, Yule log, boar's head, the dinner, mummers, Lord of Misrule, Saturnalia, carols, mysteries and plays, boxes, &c. &c

Free on Google Books (to stream of download)

A really wonderful book that contains just about anything one might need for researching Christmas traditions. The beauty of the Google Books platform makes it searchable and open to investgation too, which really helped for this topic It also opens the eyes to other works that might be of use and for that alone it is worthwhile.