Irish Language And Culture

"The wearing of green on March 17 to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is one of those customs that is followed with little understanding of the Irish history and culture behind it. This collection of historical events corrects that omission. The editors made a conscious effort to limit the number of biographies in the volumes, but one finds the major politicians. The article on the Irish language traces the attempt to reestablish Irish as the national language. The more than 400 signed articles with "see also" references and bibliographies include black-and-white photos, illustrations, maps and charts that are easy to read and understand for high school students. The second volume has the text of many primary documents. If you have a great many students with Irish names or a world history teacher with a deep interest in Ireland who covers the country in depth, this set is highly recommended. It is an excellent resource that might be a shared purchase with the public library."
–Reviewed by Blanche Woolls,Oneota Reading Journal, January 2005

Remembering the Irish Revolution chronicles the ways in which the Irish revolution was remembered in the first two decades of Irish independence. While tales of heroism and martyrdom dominated popular accounts of the revolution, a handful of nationalists reflected on the period in more ambivalent terms. For them, the freedoms won in revolution came with great costs: the grievous loss of civilian lives, the brutalisation of Irish society, and the loss of hope for a united and prosperous independent nation. To many nationalists, their views on the revolution were traitorous. For others, they were the courageous expression of some uncomfortable truths.