Irish History

‘After the massacre, the GAA became even more important to us as a real sense of identity. It’s difficult to explain but we could cling to it in a sense, and say this is ours, this is us.’ – Clare Rogan, wife of Adrian Rogan, kill…

Ballybunion to the River Kwai is the remarkable story of Don Kennedy’s harrowing experience as an Irish prisoner of war under the Japanese from 1942–45. Vividly narrated by Don’s son Fergus, this is the first account of an Irish c…

On 26th May 1986, the body of an undercover British agent was found by the side of a muddy lane, with a rope tied around its wrists and tape over each eye. Years later, it was reported that this murder might have been carried out …

Irish history is often fast and furious and nowhere more contentiously than when discussing religion. This book is designed to be read with equal profit by those who know a little and those who know a lot about the role of religio…

For over four decades the story of the extraordinary evil that occurred at the Kincora Boys’ Home in East Belfast in the 1970s and the shocking attempts by MI5 to cover it up have haunted our political and social terrain for decad…

Described by Ulster Unionist leader James Craig as the ‘root of all evil’, the Boundary Commission that convened in 1924 was a symbol of hope for nationalist Ireland and fear for unionist Northern Ireland. Offered to Sinn Féin ple…

In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe everyone lived ‘off the land’ in one way or another. In Ireland, however, almost everyone lived ‘on the land’ as well. Agriculture was the only economic resource for the vast majority o…

The true story of one of the biggest bank heists in Irish and British history – and the questions that remain. On a Sunday evening in December 2004, two young men were at home with their families. Both worked for the Northern Bank…

In the Prohibition era, the speakeasies of New York City provide some much-needed respite, particularly for the likes of Michael Malloy, an isolated Irish immigrant. But times are tough and for an unlikely group of associates – a …

Liam O'Callaghan's revelatory Blood and Thunder shows that the rise of Irish rugby is inextricable from the tensions, debates and divisions – of politics, religion and class – that have defined modern Irish history. Despite the po…

On 12 June 1922 King George V received at Windsor Castle representatives of the six disbanded Irish regiments. While five had long and distinguished service records, the South Irish Horse (SIH) had only been raised in 1902, as a r…

As the War of Independence began to rage in Ireland in 1920, the British, embarked on a major shake-up. They established publicity offices in Dublin to promote their version of events. In this fascinating book Michael B. Barry tel…

Discover the long and rich history of the island of Ireland, from the very earliest Mesolithic inhabitants to Vikings and Celts and the modern 21st-century nation of today. Encompassing stories of some of Ireland’s best-known cha…

Discover the timeless flavours of Ireland in Essential Irish Farmhouse Recipes, a collection of classic recipes that celebrate the rich culinary heritage of Ireland’s countryside. This beautifully crafted cookbook brings together…

Lorraine Mulholland has penned an encyclopedia of Irish women from all walks of life who made a place for themselves in the annals of history as saints, scholars, healers and more! Staying true to the original stories as much as …

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…

In this unrepentant and revealing memoir, Dan Mulvihill, a leading figure in Irish republicanism recounts his fight for an Irish Republic over several decades and his central involvement in key events throughout the twentieth cent…

Northern Ireland, 1975. Violence has erupted on the streets of Belfast. After years as a sleepy guerilla army, the IRA is clashing with Loyalist gangs and heavily armed British soldiers.But the Troubles have spilled beyond the sma…

This addictive, fascinating and humorous book is an indispensable collection of Irish trivia, history and uncommon knowledge. Presented in short, digestible entries and engagingly written throughout, this revised edition contains …

In the 1800s, as Britain became the world's most powerful industrial empire, Ireland starved. The Great Famine fractured long-held assumptions about political economy and 'civilisation', threatening disorder in Britain. Ireland wa…

Ireland played the central role in maintaining European culture when the dark ages settled on Europe in the fifth century: as Rome was sacked by Visigoths and its empire collapsed, Ireland became 'the isle of saints and scholars' …

Sergeant Maurice McCabe never set out to be a whistleblower. When, in 2008, he complained of shoddy investigations into serious crime in County Cavan, nothing could have prepared him for what was in store. For exposing gross incom…

Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Martin Dillon shines a light on the impact of the Troubles on the lives of women, amplifying voices long silenced by the din of history. Through raw and compelling testimonies, he ex…

A revised illustrated edition of this landmark 1988 biography of one of the great women of Irish history, and Europe’s first elected female politician.

The dramatic round tower is a unique feature of the Irish landscape. Dating to early medieval times, over seventy now remain, scattered across the four provinces. From Wicklow’s Glendalough to Tipperary’s Rock of Cashel and from A…

A feminist history of Europe's largest red-light district and an examination of the lives of the women who worked there. Tucked away in Dublin's north inner city, Monto - purported to be Europe's biggest red-light district from 18…

On Every Tide explores both an Irish story and a chapter in world history. Irish emigrants fled a society blighted by poverty and lack of opportunity, seeking new lives in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.In d…

A way of life that once encompassed most of humanity is vanishing in one of the greatest transformations of our time: the eclipse of the rural world by the urban. In this new history of peasantry, Patrick Joyce tells the story of …

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 t…

Once in a while comes a collection of photographs that have the power to alter and broaden our perceptions of a particular time. This first collection of the photographs of TW Murphy is just such a collection opening a window on t…