Great Irish Heroes retells the stories of six great Irish heroes: St Patrick, Granuaile, Brian Boru, Brendan the Navigator, Fionn MacCumhaill and Cú Chulainn. Illustrated in full colour.

From Collins to Cú Chulainn and from Dev to Daniel O'Connell, this is a collection of short biographies of some of the most admirable Irishmen and women in history. The heroes range across time and offer an exceptional overview of Irish history, including well-known figures from the worlds of medicine, science, politics, the Arts and education, as well as some of the lesser-known but equally brave and heroic characters from our history. Designed to inform and entertain both the new reader and those familiar with Irish culture, it features: Michael Davitt, Constance Markievicz, Charles Stewart Parnell, Mary Aikenhead, Éamon de Valera, Patrick Pearse, Brian Boru, George Boole, James Gandon, Henry Joy McCracken, Patrick Sarsfield, Betsy Gray, St Brendan, Henry Grattan, Nano Nagle, Michael Collins, Douglas Hyde, Daniel O'Connell, James Connolly, Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa, Jonathan Swift, Cú Chulainn, Liam Lynch and Theobald Wolfe Tone, among others.

How did the Irish independence movement lead directly to the invention of the modern submarine? Who was the Irish 'Queen' of Paraguay whose delusions of grandeur caused the destruction of her adopted country? Who escaped execution for participating in the Easter Rising of 1916, only to go on and be elected to the UK Parliament in London? Whose belief in reform through non-violent means became the inspiration for Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King? The answers to these questions and more can be found in the pages of Great Irish Heroes, covering over a thousand years of Irish history and encompassing outstanding leaders in a broad range of pursuits, including literature, mathematics, sport, religion, entertainment and politics. Ireland has for centuries produced a great number of exceptional, heroic men and women far out of proportion to the island's small population and geographical size. It is also true to say that few nations have been so shaped by their history, a history with which the country still resonates today. In this companion volume to his Great Scottish Heroes, Stuart Pearson examines the lives and careers of fifty of the greatest Irishmen and women from St Columba to Brian O'Driscoll, Brian Boru to Pierce Brosnan. In doing so, he shows how this remarkable island race has contributed so much to our world, and continues to do so to this day.

A stirring anthology of 50 speeches""eulogies and damnations, new beginnings and last words, threats of war and demands for peace""that have shaped Irish historyFiftyof the most stirring and memorable speeches in Irish history are collected here""from the political oratories of Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, and Eamon De Valera to emotive addresses by the nation s celebrated poets, writers, and musicians. All of the included speeches have had a remarkable impact on the course of Irish and world history.The oratorical skills of the greatest names in Irish politics and culture are here: Henry Grattan, Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, W. B. Yeats, Eamon de Valera, John F. Kennedy, and Seamus Heaney, to name but a few. Each speech is preceded by an introduction, which places the address in context and underlines its historical significance, as well as an iconic photograph of the speaker. Presented chronologically, the collection provides tremendous insight into Irish history."

Brian Boru King of Munster, was among the most successful of all medieval Irish monarchs. This is a biography of the most famous of Ireland's High Kings.

In Ireland's Call BBC journalist Stephen Walker charts the fascinating stories of 40 Irishmen who swapped the sports field for the battlefield - household names who gave up their blossoming careers to volunteer for the Great War. Using rare archive letters, memoirs and newspaper reports, this compelling book features the stories of sportsmen whose lives were tragically cut short in the mud of the Somme, the despair of Ypres and the heat of Gallipoli. It chronicles the remarkable achievements of Irish international footballers and rugby players, athletes, GAA stars, cricketers, hockey players and a record-breaking Irish champion golfer. A century on, their sacrifices and those of a generation of Irish sporting heroes, are finally and faithfully recorded in this unique and evocative account.

This engaging book traces the history, archaeology, and legends of ancient Ireland from 9000 B.C., when nomadic hunter-gatherers appeared in Ireland at the end of the last Ice Age to 1167 A.D., when a Norman invasion brought the country under control of the English crown for the first time. So much of what people today accept as ancient Irish history—Celtic invaders from Europe turning Ireland into a Celtic nation; St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland and converting its people to Christianity—is myth and legend with little basis in reality. The truth is more interesting. The Irish, as the authors show, are not even Celtic in an archaeological sense. And there were plenty of bishops in Ireland before a British missionary called Patrick arrived. But In Search of Ancient Ireland is not simply the story of events from long ago. Across Ireland today are festivals, places, and folk customs that provide a tangible link to events thousands of years past. The authors visit and describe many of these places and festivals, talking to a wide variety of historians, scholars, poets, and storytellers in the very settings where history happened. Thus the book is also a journey on the ground to uncover ten thousand years of Irish identity. In Search of Ancient Ireland is the official companion to the three-part PBS documentary series. With 14 black-and-white photos, 6 b&w illustrations, and 1 map.