Ideas, Opinions, Genealogy, and Book Reviews
I have read and reviewed several of Anne Emery’s book on this blog. I have always found them enjoyable and interesting reads.
So I’ll start this review as I started the review of The Keening. “This book is both a good mystery novel and historical fiction.”
Continue reading “Fenian Street by Anne Emery”
An Irish thriller. The title comes from the inscription on the Four Courts building in Dublin, “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.” This is a wonderful book on many levels and I completely enjoyed it. It is billed as a thriller and it is. But is it much more.
“Though the Heavens Fall” by Anne Emery is the 10th and latest in the Collins-Burke Mystery Series. It was a new series for me so I can say for certain that you do not need to read this series in order. I started with number 10 and did not feel lost in the least.
Continue reading “Though the Heavens Fall by Anne Emery”
I’ve never been to Northern Ireland but I understand that it is beautiful. I’ve been to the Republic of Ireland but it has been many years and I’m ready to go back. So I think that when I do go, I will see both. And notice that I said “when” rather than “if”.
I can be a bit cynical at times. You may have noticed that in some of my more political posts. But when it comes to things like genealogy and travel I tend to be more optimistic. So I’m already planning my trip to Ireland. Continue reading “Great map of Ireland”
I was looking around the internet for an Irish Valentine. That is something appropriate for Valentine’s Day, Irish-style. And I found a new (for me) blog.
What could be better than giving an Irish Valentine for someone of Irish descent or someone fortunate enough to have a Valentine of Irish descent?
Also there is more interesting stuff on that blog. Look around
Most of us with an interest in Irish genealogy (or those who just want a nice vacation) frequently look at plane flights to Ireland. Usually the rates are high if you would like to go during the usual tourist season.
If you see a good rate on a flight to Ireland often there is some sort of exclusion like “good on flights during February”. We were very surprised a few nights ago when we saw Ireland flights on sale. The best prices were New York to Shannon but decent enough prices for flights with other origins and destinations.
So check out the Aer Lingus sale on Ireland flights as well as their offers to elsewhere in Europe. There may be a reasonably-priced vacation in your future.
Mix a bit of suspense with politics in a fast moving and very entertaining novel and you have Full Irish by Pete Morin and Susanne O’Leary.
I was quickly drawn into the story when an Irish politician was murdered on his way to a meeting to deliver a small but mysterious package. The action quickly switches to a Boston law office and Massachusetts politics. And then back to Ireland. The 2 stories quickly come together in a transatlantic web of political intrigue and corruption.
I read Kindle edition so had no idea as to the number of pages. I just checked the Amazon site and they say the paperback has 260 pages. But it is fast paced and a quick read. I read the book in a few sittings. I have linked to a page that has both the kindle and paperback editions listed. I recommend the kindle if you have one and enjoy it. It is considerable cheaper.
At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope you do too.
I had posted this months ago but thought I would update it. This website will give useful (but limited) information for those of us doing Irish genealogy research. The Calendars of Wills and Administrations, 1858 – 1922 at the National Archives of Ireland can be searched via a simple form. Continue reading “Calendars of Wills and Administrations, National Archives of Ireland”
I read All Standing: The Remarkable Story of the Jeanie Johnston, The Legendary Irish Famine Ship by Kathryn Miles because of an interest in Irish Genealogy. And then thought I should review this book since I enjoyed it and that is one of the things I do here. So that is how the book review got here and why it is listed under both Book Review and Genealogy.
I guess I should make clear than this is not a genealogy book but rather a history book about one of most important important events to Irish Genealogy.
I read the paperback version of the book and that runs to 214 pages excluding reference, acknowledgements, prologue and that type of thing. The book also comes as a hardback (if you want to spent a bit more) and a kindle version if you want to spend a bit less).
The ships the Irish traveled on to emigrate from Ireland during the potato famine were often called coffin ships because so many passengers died during the voyage. The Jeanie Johnson was an exception. It made many round trips between Ireland and North America carrying passengers one-way and cargo on the return voyage without losing a single passenger.
Although the Jeanie Johnston was called a lucky ship, this record was not just a matter of luck. The Irish passengers were usually malnourished and weak before beginning the journey. Conditions on the ship were not great and many succumbed to disease. But conditions on the Jeanie Johnson were better than usual and even more unusual was the presence of a ship’s doctor to care for the passengers. So the words remarkable and legendary in the subtitle are appropriate.
The book is about much more than the Jeanie Johnston. There is quite a bit on the Irish potato famine or the great hunger. And the inadequate relief efforts. The English who were in charge at the time did very little but did get around to apologizing about 150 years later.
There is also quite a bit about Tralee, the home port of the Jeanie Johnston and home of the owner. And a good bit of general information about ships of the time and the hazards they faced. Then whole story is interlaced with the stories of some of the passengers.
Unlike many history books which can have a tendency to bore you with too many detail, this is a lively history that reads well and quickly. I think in part that is because there is sufficient background to understand why this ship was so remarkable and then there are the remarkable stories of the ship and one of the families that traveled on it.
If your ancestors may have owned or leased property in Ireland you may want to check out the Registry of Deeds Index Project. There are over 110,000 records indexed now and with more being added by volunteers. The index is searchable by name, location, and other ways. This is a wonderful resource for those of us with an interest in Irish genealogy.
Based on a little known and disturbing aspect of Irish history and a mix of real and fictional characters, “Ratlines” by Stuart Neville is an intriguing story.
This is clearly a work of fiction. At the beginning he lays out a few historical events. And then tells you:
The rest is just a story
But what a story.
First, the historical events that inspired this story. As I said some facts are given in the beginning of the book and then in the Acknowledgements at the end, the author list a few sources of the history including a documentary you can find on YouTube
Or if you prefer reading about this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1538969/Ireland-welcomed-Hitlers-henchmen.html
So with a base of real characters, Neville adds fictional characters and fictional events and weaves a complicated tale of intrigue involving Nazis, the IRA, Irish intelligence, a love story, and much more. What makes it more interesting to Americans is that this story mainly takes place during the preparations for President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland.
As would be expected in a story involving Nazis, the IRA, and Stuart Neville, there is violence. But as in his previous books (reviewed here: The Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion), the violence seems to fit into the story which is more about right and wrong (often the lesser of two wrongs) and a complex character dealing with inner conflict.
In this book the complex character is Lieutenant Albert Ryan of Irish Intelligence, who left neutral Ireland to fight the Nazis for the British and now is asked by his government to protect Nazi war criminals in Ireland such as Colonel Otto Skorzeny (formerly an SS officer and now a well-connected resident of Ireland.)
I read the galley from netgalley on my Kindle and the book won’t be released until early January, 2013. I guess my only real disappointment is that the book won’t be available this year for gift giving.
Other reviews:
The book is published by Soho Crime. If you like good books, especially with an international flavor, you might want to check out Soho Press.
The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland starts slowly but it builds and does that well until you are totally engrossed in the story and never quite sure where it is going.
When I first started reading this, I was not impressed. After 10 pages or so I looked toward the end and figured I had another 300+ pages to go and really thought I might want to just give up at that point. But I decided to try a few more pages and then a few more and soon I was sure I wanted to read it all. Now that I’m done, I’m glad I gave this book a chance.
A well-told story has a certain quality. This book does not seem similar at all to the book I earlier reviewed about the French philosopher and essayist (see Montaigne: How to Live ) but the Montaigne book came to mind when I started this review. But when you think about it good stories are like Montaigne’s essays in that they are about “how to live”. A good story is entertaining but has a larger point.
Frank Delaney is a master storyteller. And this is a story about a storyteller. A group of stories within a story or perhaps a story next to other stories. Maybe both. At any rate, a good story. The story takes place in the Ireland of the middle 1950s, a time of great change. The narrator Ben MacCarthy of the Irish Folklore Commission is trying to record the old culture before it disappears. An important part of that culture was the seanchai or traveling storyteller.
The story is complex. It includes Delaney’s retelling of several traditional Irish stories through characters in his book. These tales are well told and are a very enjoyable part of the book. The story is also a love story. You see, Ben lost his wife to a rather vile character many years back and his quest involves not only storytelling but recovering this lost love. And getting to know his children born after he lost his wife. It is a long story and Delaney tells it much better than I could, so I’ll leave it there.
Give “The Last Storyteller” a chance; I think you’ll not regret that.
There are 2 interesting-sounding lectures on Irish Genealogy coming up. Here is the quote from the National Genealogical Society:
9 August 2009
Ottawa, Ontario – Everyone welcome to a Sunday afternoon of Irish heritage and genealogy starting at 1:30 pm. Two lectures by John Grenham, M.A., well known author and professional genealogist from Dublin, Ireland (www.Johngrenham.com). Topics: “Chasing Shadows: Irish Genealogy Online” and “Whatever you’re having yourself: Irish Census Substitutes.” Admission: $10/person at door. Free parking on site: Ben Franklin Place, 101 Centrepointe Dr., Ottawa, Ontario (Canada’s capital). Sponsor: British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa. Co-sponsors: Ottawa Branch/Ontario Genealogical Society; The Irish Society of the National Capital Region; Monterey Inn Resort & Conference Centre.
For more info, see www.bifhsgo.ca.
This a a quote from their blog at:
http://ngsgenealogy.blogspot.com/2009/08/events-around-united-states-as-of.html
This would be a good blog to checkout upcoming events of interest.
Those of us with ancestors from Ireland who may have owned or leased property should check out the Registry of Deeds Index Project. There are over 40,000 records indexed now and that number should grow. The index is searchable by name, location, and various other ways. So it is well worth a look if one of your interests is Irish Genealogy.