Leabhar Breac

The author is widely recognized as an authority on the poetry of the bards from Early Irish literature to the present day, and in particular for her research into the poems in their historical context. This books adds greatly to our understanding of the changes that came about with time in the poets’ undertanding of the nature of human interaction. The book is greatly enriched by the author’s highly-readable style throughout, and by her commentaries on poems well known to all who are interested in the tradition of Irish poetry.

Bailiúchán nua aistí ar an bpleanáil teanga, agus diagnóis bhríomhar agus prognóis dhearfach ar cheist na nGael atá sa leabhar seo. Cuirtear beartais úra, thacúla agus phraiticiúla chun cinn do phobal na féiniúlachta Gaeilge.

A collection of traditional stories collected in Seanadh Farracháin in the Joyce Country during the 1930's, and edited by Ailbhe Nic Giolla Chomhaill, along with a fine account of the rich folkloric storytelling tradition of the area.

What are the best novels, most important novels or most central novels in Irish? What are the Irish-language novels that ought to be in the public eye and on the cultural platform? What are the major novels that we should read, should study in universities? What is the literary canon of Irish novels in the 20th century? What are the major classics in the Irish literary canon? What is the value of any literary canon? A seminar which was held in Dublin in 2015 discussed this topic and examined these questions. Sixteen novels were chosen to represent the Irish-language literary canon and this book contains a selection of the discussions. 

In this beautifully presented book, not only is Stanford's music and Gaelic music examined, but also Stanford's cultural background. Indeed, it is not often we get an Irish book which examines Englishness, as is done in this book which gets to grips with both the Irish and the English question, and what it means to be an anglophonic Englishman, and what it means go be a Gael.

The editors of An Chonair Chaoch examine the language specifically in the context of the Gaeltacht and bilingualism. Unsurprisingly, the view of parents, legal issues, language planning, education, and their effect on a very fragile linguistic region, are studied in great detail here.... Many of the conclusions make for stark reading and give the lie to the oft-repeated slur that Irish speakers live in cloud cuckoo land when it comes to Irish.

William Desmond's essay in intellectual autobiography is the fourth in a series of research papers commissioned by the Centre for Irish Studies at the NUI Galway. "This idea of being in the middle or 'being between', of moving between different sets of extremities — between countries (Ireland and America), between religion and science, between philosophy and poetry, between knowledge and perplexity, between the particulars of reality and the universals of thought, between receding youth and approaching age — is a constant motif throughout his work." — Thomas Duddy, NUIG.

A view of the life and times of Pearse Ferriter, and especially the part played by Richard Boyle, the Earl of Cork. A new work by one of the greatest poets of our time, and an unusual book which casts the light of scholarship on the lives and the minds of the Gaelic gentry in the time of great change in the 17th Century. History and folklore are combined with a detailed account of the poet's milieu and an insight into literary and social conventions of the time. The author's detective work succeeds in adding blood and meat to the bare bones of history. “This Beautifully illustrated book concerns a romantic interlude in the shared history of early 17th-century Ireland and England. At the heart of the matter is a graceful syllabic poem in Irish by Piaras Feiritéar (1653), accomplished poet of Catholic Old-English stock in West Kerry. Feiritéar wrote it in honour of Meg Russell, the ógh Ghallda or “foreign girl” identified therein as a relation of the contemporary earl of Bedford. This was Francis Russell, the 4th earl. Máire Mhac an tSaoi makes the case that she was in fact a daughter of Francis Russell. She details the circumstances in which a poem in Irish by a person of “middling rank” might conceivably have been presented to an earl’s daughter born and raised in England.” —Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha, The Irish Times "An Irish-language book about a remarkable Irish woman written by a remarkable Irish woman". —Marc Coleman, Sunday Independent A link to a review in the Sunday Independent A link to an article about the author on the Irish Studies site, NUI Galway