As a race, the Irish have the reputation of "doing death well". Taking its cue from this somewhat dubious distinction, this volume explores the relationship of the Irish people with death from the earliest times to the present day. In over seventy articles, it gathers together the expertise of historians, archaeologists, folklorists, sociologists, geographers, Celtic Studies scholars, dramatists, anthropologists, musicologists, theologians, liturgists, undertakers and palliative care specialists, in a wide-ranging and lavishly-illustrated collection, which is, at times, as humorous as it is poignant. Among the topics treated in this anthology is the following: the Galway girl who was buried with her horse in the fifth or sixth century; the account of the curious death of a little-known Irish saint in medieval Norway; the Black Death in Kilkenny; death and sexual transgression in medieval Ireland; grisly deaths from the Irish annals; the funerary monuments of clerical wives in early modern Ireland; the forgotten Connacht massacre of 1647; a seventeenth-century Belfast ghost story; an Irish story of cannibalism on the high seas; the records of an Offaly coroner during the Great Famine; the Derry ghost who imparted information on the missing Franklin expedition in the Arctic in 1849; Jewish burial customs in nineteenth-century Ireland; death and Irish freemasonry; the Irishman whose body was shipped back to Ireland from Italy in an upright piano; death in Irish folklore; the history of children's burial grounds in Ireland; the ritual of tobacco use at Irish wakes; memorial cards and Irish funerary culture; death in Irish sermons; funeral rites among the Irish Travelling community; death and dying in contemporary Irish pagan belief; the link between commemoration of the dead and humour; deathbed visions; attitudes towards death and dying in modern Ireland, including the impact of social media on the culture of commemorating the dead. This collection will be an indispensable resource for anyone with an interest in the social, cultural and religious history of the Irish.

Death and the Irish: A Miscellany

Literature & Fiction

World Literature

Wordwell Books

An inventory and history of gatekeepers' houses, in Leinster, Ireland. Lodges are present here in such quality and in such great quantity as to represent a massive as-yet-unrecognized contribution to Ireland's architectural heritage. There are descriptions of 3,136 gate lodges in the twelve counties, and more than 1,500 of them are illustrated

The Gate Lodges of Leinster: A Gazetteer

Arts & Photography

Dean, J.A.K.

Architecture

Of the 10,000 or more gate lodges built over a 200-year period since the mid-eighteenth century in Ireland, half have been demolished, and many of those surviving are derelict. The author's research has revealed the gate lodge's extraordinary significance as a building type, particularly in Ireland but also in a world context. Despite displaying detailed architectural sophistication to rival the `big house' to which it is a prelude, the gate lodge has received scant coverage in print. Hence this work is also an attempt to right that imbalance. There are descriptions of 2,775 gate lodges in the six counties and they are accompanied by 772 illustrations. Entries are numbered and listed county by county for ease of reference. The gazetteer is preceded by an extensive essay on the history of the gate lodge in Munster, and the book is fully indexed.

The Gate Lodges of Munster: A Gazetteer

Reference

A magnificent guide to Ireland's Garden County. Each chapter covers a new month and thoughtfully details the subtle changes to be observed in flora and fauna. With stunning color photographs from Chris Corlett and finely illustrated bird and nature imagery from Shay Connolly and John Murphy, this book is more than a seasonal guide: it is a vital resource for any lover of Ireland's great heritage beauty. With suggestions for walks, viewing points and information on areas of local heritage and history, this comprehensive guide brings the reader to a wide range of locations and sites throughout Wicklow, both lesser known and well known. The walking trails mentioned are accompanied by location details, points of interest and information such as route length and accessibility. The suggested itineraries in the appendices will be of great value to Wicklow residents, day-trippers and anyone journeying along the path of Ireland's ancient east.

Wicklow Bound: A Seasonal Guide

Travel

Ó Súilleabháin, Seán

Europe

This is the story of Irish nationalism and separatism from 1916 until 1922. Collins's footprint was on every street, laneway, and alley of Dublin, but especially of Dublin 1. This is the story of those locations, as well as of the men and women associated with Collins in Ireland's capital city from the time of the Rising until his untimely death in 1922. He once famously said that `Whoever controls Dublin controls Ireland'. With 32 pages of plates.

Michael Collins: Dublin 1916-22

Biographies & Memoirs

Connell, Joseph

Historical

A compilation assembled to shed light on Ireland's agricultural and rural past. It does not pretend to be systematically comprehensive, but we anticipate it will prove to be interesting and eye-opening. The articles assemble reasonably up-to-date information about the various archaeological traces, supported by images, a summary of diagnostic features, and a list of publications where additional information may be sourced.

Antiquities of Rural Ireland

History

Downey, Liam

Sauileabhaain, Muiris Ao

Living Legacies

Boyle Abbey, Co Roscommon: Conservation, Architecture and Archaeological Excavations1982-2018

Moore, Fionnbarr

Stour, Geraldine

Dublin Castle: From Fortress to Palace (Vol 1)

Duffy, Seán

MONTAGUE, John.

With volume one winning first place the Listowel Writer's Week Nilsson Local Heritage Award, this is the second of a three-volume series on Dublin Castle and the archaeological excavations carried out there between 1961 and 1987. Volume 2 focuses on the Viking-age archaeology that pre-dates the foundation of the Anglo-Norman castle. Significant evidence for Viking-age habitation, including post-and-wattle houses, was uncovered as part of the first archaeological excavation to be carried out in Dublin, at the Cross Block in 1961-2. Further evidence of habitation was excavated at the areas of the Cork Tower and Powder Tower in 1985-7, with elements of the eastern defenses of the Viking-age town recorded within the footprint of the latter tower. The extensive collection of artifacts discovered during the excavations and the analysis of environmental samples, faunal and human remains and metalworking debris throw much light on everyday living conditions and craft activity within the Viking town. Placing the findings of these excavations within their national and international context, specialist contributions by many experts ensure that this publication contributes significantly to an understanding of early Dublin.

Dublin Castle: From Fortress to Palace: Volume 2 - The Viking-age Archaeology (Dublin Castle: From Palace to Fortress)

Manning, Conleth

Lynch, Ann

Wiggins, Ken

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Wordwell Books publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wordwell Books