In Search of Ireland's Heroes: The Story of the Irish from the English Invasion to the Present Day Review

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In Search of Ireland's Heroes: The Story of the Irish from the English Invasion to the Present Day ReviewDon't be deceived by this book. In Search of Ireland's Heroes is not a "popular history," but it is an intensely intimate history. The author, Carmel McCaffrey, has fashioned a unique and intimate historical look at her native Ireland. What emerges in this second volume of her two volume series (the first, In Search of Ancient Ireland), is history from the inside out. This is not history written by the conquerors, but history as seen through the eyes, the reflections, and documents of those who participated in the events.
In fact, a distinctive feature of this book - the story of Ireland from the Anglo-Norman invasion up to the late 20th century - is its dependence on original sources. It cites the words of Geraldus Cambrensis, a 12th century Norman scribe. It makes the reader feel the cutting edge of the Penal Laws as they restrict the "superstition of Popery" by declaring that pilgrimages to St. Patrick's Purgatory were considered to be "riots and unlawful assemblies."
The organizing structure of the book includes military, political, and social history, but the book - true to its title - organizes the story around an extraordinary line of heroic figures; women and men who emerged at critical moments and who symbolize the struggle for Irish identity and independence. "Heroic figures" may be a little misleading, for these figures are not distant or exaggerated personalities, but an instantly accessible gallery of characters who gave voice to Irish ideals and often gave their lives and fortunes rather than submit to an oppressive alien rule. There are family tribal leaders (the Fitzgeralds, the O'Neills), 18th century Protestant nationalists (Grattan, Tone, and Lord Edward Fitzgerald); and the usual 20th century suspects like Eamon DeValera and Michael Collins. But there are also less known but fascinating characters like Robert Briscoe, arms runner and later Lord Mayor of Dublin.
One of the journalistic oversimplifications when reporting Irish events and history is the tendency to view them in terms of the struggle between Protestant and Catholic factions in the country. The point McCaffrey makes over and over again is that religion is indeed a theme in Ireland but that the issue is much more complex and nuanced than the Catholic/Protestant dichotomy. She notes that Irish Catholicism has had a long-term dispute with Roman Catholicism over its unique communal and ritual expressions. Some of the most articulate voices of Irish nationalism were Protestant. Even the term "Protestant" is not univocal with the Church of Ireland and the northern Presbyterians having a strained relationship. And McCaffrey reminds the reader that the early Irish Republic in its constitution recognizes the Jewish presence and the contribution of that community to Irish life. An untold part of the long-term Irish story is about religious tolerance not religious conflict.
Perhaps the most engaging feature of this comprehensive history is the rhythm and style of the author's prose. It is hard to define an "authentic voice." But you know it when you hear it. Read some random passages of this book out loud and you will hear vivid detail, subtle irony and humor, a gripping feel for time and place, and, yes, deep sadness over the loss of life, land, and language.
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