Great Irish

Sophisticated wit and intense emotion, religious fervor and erotic sensuality, delight in life’s pleasures and fascination with death, are all to be found in the paradoxical poetry of John Donne. One of the foremost metaphysical poets, Donne’s ingenious metaphors and inspired use of language has earned him affection and reverence in near equal measure to Shakespeare.

The Great Famine which afflicted Ireland from 1845 to 1849 was one of the most catastrophic events in Europe during the 19th century. More than one-quarter of the population of Ireland died of starvation or associated disease, or were forced to emigrate...The Great Famine left a legacy of distrust and animosity between large segments of the population of Ireland and Great Britain, and this in part led to the movements which finally produced Irish independence.

The Partition of Ireland and the Troubles: The History of Northern Ireland from the Irish Civil War to the Good Friday Agreement analyzes the tumultuous events that marked the creation of Northern Ireland, and the conflicts fueled by the partition. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Northern Ireland like never before.

Grace O'Malley, daughter of a clan chief in the far west of Ireland, went from marriage at fifteen to piracy on the high seas. She soon had a fleet of galleys under her commander, but her three decades of plundering, kidnapping, murder and mayhem came to a close in 1586, when she was captured and sentenced to hang. Saved from the scaffold by none other than Queen Elizabeth herself—another powerful woman in a man's world—Grace's life took another extraordinary turn, when it was rumored she had become intelligencer for the queen's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham.

The saga of English predominance in Ireland began in the 12th century following the Norman invasion of England, when a band of Norman adventurers, established on the Welsh mainland, set off across the Irish Sea to test their prospects on the shores of England’s western neighbor. Ireland at the time was ruled in provinces by local kings, each with limited power and authority, and often at war with one another.

From the first prehistoric inhabitants of the island to the St Andrews Agreement and decommissioning of IRA weapons, this uniquely concise account of Ireland and its people reveals how differing interpretations of history, ancient and modern, have influenced modern Irish society. Combining factual information with a critical approach, Coohill covers all the key events, including the Great Famine, Home Rule, and the Good Friday Agreement.

As much about the life of the city as it is about a life lived, sometimes, in the city, John Banville's "quasi-memoir" is as layered, emotionally rich, witty, and unexpected as any of his novels. Born and bred in a small town a train ride away from Dublin, Banville saw the city as a place of enchantment when he was a child, a birthday treat, the place where his beloved, eccentric aunt lived.

From 1845 to 1852, the Great Hunger, also referred to as the "Potato Famine", was a period of a lot of starvation and illness in Ireland. The period was known in Irish at the time as a "Drochshaol"—loosely translated as "the hard days", or actually "the bad life"—with the most badly affected districts in the west and south of Ireland, where the Irish language was popular. The year 1847, at times called "Black '47", was the absolute worst year of the period. Around one million people died, and over a million left the nation throughout the Great Famine.

Since the fighting Irish first took to the field in 1887, Notre Dame has developed an incomparable level of tradition and achievement - both on the gridiron and in the classroom. With a record 96 All-American players and seven Heisman Trophy winners, it's no wonder several of Notre Dame's stars have gone on not only to star in the NFL, but also to successful careers and accolades in all walks of life. Notre Dame: Where Have You Gone? catches up with Fighting Irish players.

In this audiobook, you are invited on a journey back to the 1840s, to the heart of Ireland’s darkest hour. Witness the profound impact of the Great Famine, an event that reshaped not only Ireland but also the world.

Being repeatedly burned out of his home is not something anyone gets used to, but Paul and Maggie Cowan came to know how to survive such events in the Borders area of 16th-century Scotland. Danger and hunger were their constant companions as repeated border wars between the English and Scots continued for centuries. To add to their miseries, general lawlessness by cattle thieves and robbers was the order of the day. This family saga recounts the lives of four generations of Cowans as they struggle for survival in a time of great upheaval. You will read about how decisions made by English ...

Although the adventurous Brim family are scattered around the world, they have one thing in common. It is the amazing Great Aunt Alicia and her two crazy Dalmatian dogs. But trying to find out what makes her tick is proving impossible. She always seems to be doing something scary somewhere else in the world. The adults just clam up when the kids ask questions! But could a breakthrough be just round the corner?

This pioneering study, first published in 1995, retains its rank as one of the most powerful histories ever written about Irish involvement in World War One. This year, the centenary of the war, sees its timely re-publication as the Irishmen who fought in that war re-enter the national memory after decades of indifference and hostility. The gradual softening of attitudes over the last twenty years amid great historic change on the island of Ireland, is due in no small part to the efforts of historians, such as Myles Dungan, to tell thousands of forgotten stories. Drawing on the diaries, ...

Different Worlds Father says that all the time, that I shouldn’t smile at “those boys” because they’re from “different worlds.” But who could resist Melvyn’s smile? Certainly not me. It’s 1939, not 1839 for heaven’s sake. I earn a paycheck, I’m finished with school, who I date, or smile at, is my business. Father is determined to keep us apart. It doesn’t matter that he’s an honorable fellow, he’s the wrong everything, from church and family background to education, to choice of sports. Where does the power lie? With Father? Would he use his power to keep us apart?...

In their long history of suffering, nothing was ever so terrible as what the Irish endured during the Great Potato Famine that struck the country in the 1840s and produced massive upheaval for several years. While countless numbers of Irish starved, the famine also compelled many to leave, and all the while, the British were exporting enough food from Ireland on a daily basis to prevent the starvation. Over the course of 10 years, the population of Ireland decreased by about 1.5 million people, and taken together, these facts have led to charges as severe as genocide.

Janessa: I’ve been in love with Seamus since the day I met him, even though I’d been fourteen at the time. Now that I’m an adult, I’m ready to go claim my man. Maybe I was stupid thinking he’d wait for me, or maybe I just really wanted a fairytale ending. Seeing another woman in his arms hurt like hell, so I ran…straight into trouble.

The year is 1917 and the United States has just declared war on Germany. What is called “The Great War” has been raging for quite a while, but seems to have ground to a stalemate between France, Great Britain and Germany. But now, with the USA joining the fight, the Allies are confident that what they call ‘The Hun” will be defeated once the American “doughboys” arrive in France. Bucky Riley, a Burlington, Vermont, native, is eager to be part of the action—a big reason being that his father, a Rough Rider hero of the Spanish-American War back in 1898, believes Bucky is a “...

He leaves his homeland to protect his family. She flees her hometown to abandon hers. At a remote mountaintop retreat, an optimistic triple amputee British Special Forces veteran meets a pessimistic American beauty in the valleys of their lives. In his valley of determination… Highly decorated for his heroism in fighting terrorism on behalf of his grateful nation, Keenan has sacrificed enough for his country. Yet, his enemies are going after him and his former team members as an act of personal vengeance. To protect his family, Keenan leads a trail away from Britain. Off the grid, he is ...

A gripping collection of over 50 of the greatest short stories written by great British writers. 1."The Missing Years" by Barry Pain, 2. "His Brother's Keeper" by W. W. Jacobs, 3. "A Madman's Manuscript" by Charles Dickens, 4. "The House of Cobwebs" by Barry Pain, 5. "Old Fags" by Stacy Aumonier, 6. "A Long-Ago Affair" by John Galsworthy, 7. "August Heat" by W. F. Harvey, 8. "The Dabblers" by W. F. Harvey, 9. "Rose Rose" by Barry Pain

Inspired by the 1931 Macy’s balloon release, this Thanksgiving memoir tells the story of an impoverished immigrant boy during America's Great Depression. Life presses hard on the Apple family living in a poor tenement house in the Lower East Side. Known for his quick-fist and even faster temper, twelve-year-old Jack Apple struggles to earn money to help feed his family. While selling newspapers, Jack reads about the upcoming Macy's Day Parade. On Thanksgiving Day, the giant parade balloons will be released, and a $25 reward will be given for each balloon returned to Macy's. Determined to ...