Irish Non-Fiction

Ireland is home to some of the most dramatic and beautiful outdoor swimming spots in the world. Whether you are an experienced swimmer or just starting to discover the joy of wild dips, this comprehensive guide will inspire you to…

Over the course of seven difficult years Miriam Mulcahy lost her mother, father and sister, each grief threatening to drown her. But instead of going under she discovered the lessons of the sea, letting the water teach her how to …

In 1983 twenty-four-year-old Catholic taxi driver Kevin Barry Artt was convicted and sentenced to life for Miles’ murder, falsely named by an IRA member-turned-jailhouse-informant. On his way to the Maze in handcuffs, Artt resolut…

A provocative look at how grassroots GAA interacts with life in Ireland, from the wittiest Gaelic games pundit at work today.  The GAA is Ireland's largest civil society organisation, woven into the fabric of families and communit…

In Ireland, a pint – having one, going for one, buying one – is a cultural institution. It’s about so much more than 568ml of beer in a glass. But how did a simple pint become such a phenomenon?  In A Compendium of Irish Pints, Al…

Discover Ireland’s must-do adventures that represent all that’s great about the island. These 100 activities include relaxing walks in beautiful places, wild swims in Ireland's rivers, lakes and seas, and unforgettable pit-stops f…

The Constitution of Ireland is the fundamental law of Ireland. It asserts the national sovereignty of the Irish people. It guarantees certain fundamental rights, along with a popularly elected non-executive president, a bicameral …

Inside the rise of the political party, once subordinate to the IRA, that is on the brink of taking power in Ireland Sinn Féin, long widely-regarded as the political wing of the Provisional IRA, is the most popular politica…

A monastic outpost in the Celtic Sea, a fortress built to defend an Empire, a prison established to intern a nation; Spike Island's remarkable 1300-year history far exceeds its modest acreage. No other place better encapsulates th…

The Dublin-born dramatist, essayist, poet and novelist, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900), was as unconventional as he was brilliant. He studied at Trinity College, Dublin and at Magdalen College, Oxford, displaying…

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) was a prolific dramatist, critic, essayist, pamphleteer and social reformer. The shy, idealistic Irishman separated himself from his opinionated public persona, and his eccentric alter ego and his w…

Irish novelist, short-story writer and poet, James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (1882-1941) is regarded as one of the greatest, most innovative literary talents of the twentieth century. Joyce revolutionised the structure of the moder…

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century. A writer of verse since his teenage years, it was the publishing of The Wanderings of Oisin (1889) that brought him his first…

There are violent events and murders in the history of every country and Ireland is no exception. Through the years, it has had its share of violent murders including the murder of its most famous victim, Ellie Hanley or the 'Coll…

It is twenty-five years since the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the terrible violence that rocked Northern Ireland for decades. Yet, in this controversial and provocative new book, Malachi O'Doherty argues that it comple…

An immersive memoir about a groundbreaking surfing career, and a stunning portrait of Ireland as one of the world’s most captivating big-wave surfing destinations. Born and raised in Bundoran, with the waves of the west coast of I…

A David and Goliath story about Ireland’s role as prime real estate for the world’s largest tech multinationals, and the considerable impact it has had on us as individuals. Since the arrival of Google to Dub…

The definitive biography of Shane MacGowan, fully updated to include Shane's final months and the response to his passing. Punk protagonist, legendary drinker, Irish musical icon. The complete and extraordinary journey of the Pogu…

What is it like to be female in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play with the boys, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. Playing with other girls or women means you have to accept smaller audience…

Ireland’s landscape is steeped in folklore and history, and the untamed Atlantic seaboard is no exception. Stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Kinsale in Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way encompasses 2,500 kilometres o…

Born in Cloughjordan in Co. Tipperary, MacDonagh was a poet and playwright, an educator and political activist. Appointed to the IRB Military Council he became a member of the Provisional Government of the Irish Republic and was a…

In the twenty-first century there are two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, and two very different heads of state represent the populations of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively: the elected presidency of the republic…

Executed in Kilmainham Gaol on 8 May 1916, Michael Mallin had commanded a garrison of rebels in St Stephen's Green and the College of Surgeons during Easter Week. He was Chief-of-Staff and second-in-command to James Connolly in th…

Joseph Mary Plunkett (1887-1916) from Dublin was one of the leaders of the 1916 Rising, the designer of the military plan and the youngest signatory of the Proclamation. A recognised poet, he was already dying of TB when, aged 28,…

I have become the common myth. Mother. The sleepy hum of early memories.The smell of shampoo, of Olay, of lavender. The feeling of safety. The absence of fear.When poet Alice Kinsella becomes a mother, she finds herself utterly lo…

By turning off the main highway and discovering old routes, some of which have been travelled for thousands of years, you will see Ireland in an entirely different way. Follow the Old Road will take you on a tour of a variety of p…

After a forty-year career in the gardaí Christy Mangan knows how hard it is to solve a murder. Now, in Cracking the Case, he takes a deep dive into how investigations are run.The book includes infamous and iconic cases such as tha…

'A personal journey into the prehistory and heritage of West Cork and surrounds. Over 140 sites with colour photographs and supporting text. Tombs, stone circles, standing stones, inscriptions, Ogham stones, caves and lots more'. …

Laura de Barra, queen of the home hack, is here to help you shop for, care for and repair your clothes. New or vintage, online or high street – Laura has the tips that will ensure you buy right to begin with and maintain well for …

In its landscape, history and folklore, Connemara is a singular region: ill-defined geographically, and yet unmistakably a place apart from the rest of Ireland. Tim Robinson, who established himself as Ireland's most brilliant liv…