It is the barbed wire entanglement that tortures yet frees in the long story of this small island on 'the dark edge of Europe'. It defined the national struggle for independence far more than any other single issue. The famine between 1845 and 1850 killed a million of the island's population of 8 million and drove another million into exile. This event chopped Irish history in half, demonstrating as nothing else could that without security of tenure for a normal life span you were at the mercy of landowners. This book is not about the famine, but about the key event that followed it: the extraordinary redistribution of land from mainly aristocratic landed estates to small farmers. This redistribution took over 150 years, from famine's end to the closure of the Land Commission in 1999, and was achieved with some civility and far less violence than the actual independence struggle itself. Who Owns Ireland is a startling expose of Ireland's most valuable asset: its land. Kevin Cahill's investigations reveal the breakdown of ownership of the land itself across all thirty-two counties, and show the startling truth about the people and institutions who own the ground beneath our feet.

THE HISTORY OF IRELAND IS LACERATED, TOP TO BOTTOM, BY LAND. It is the barbed wire entanglement that tortures yet frees in the long story of this small island on ‘the dark edge of Europe’. It defined the national struggle for independence far more than any other single issue. The famine between 1845 and 1850 killed a million of the island’s population of 8 million and drove another million into exile. This event chopped Irish history in half, demonstrating as nothing else could that without security of tenure for a normal life span you were at the mercy of landowners. This book is not about the famine, but about the key event that followed it: the extraordinary redistribution of land from mainly aristocratic landed estates to small farmers. This redistribution took over 150 years, from famine’s end to the closure of the Land Commission in 1999, and was achieved with some civility and far less violence than the actual independence struggle itself. Who Owns Ireland is a startling expose of Ireland’s most valuable asset: its land. Kevin Cahill’s investigations reveal the breakdown of ownership of the land itself across all thirty-two counties, and show the startling truth about the people and institutions who own the ground beneath our feet.

A startling expose of Britain's most valuable asset - its land. Kevin Cahill's investigations reveal how the 6000 or so landowners -mostly aristocrats, but also large institutions and the Crown - own about 40 million acres, more than half the country, and have maintained their grip on the land right throughout the 20th century.

Through centuries of oppression, we were tenants in our own land. Today, despite our independence and new-found affluence, we are in the midst of a crisis. The question of who owns Ireland is once again taking on a sense of urgency. Is the land of Ireland still for the people of Ireland? In a deep and far-reaching investigation, journalist, broadcaster and No. 1 bestselling author Matt Cooper examines the power wielded by those who control the land where we live, work and play. Who are they, how did they acquire so much and what does it mean for ordinary citizens when the ownership of key resources like shopping centres, wind farms, forestry and data centres comes from outside? This is a story about how power and money influence and control the present and the future of Ireland ... sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. Filled with riveting detail, this compelling story of who really owns Ireland is an essential account of the issues that affect every single one of us living on this island.

King, warrior, and lover Brian Boru was stronger, braver, and wiser than all other men-the greatest king Ireland has ever known. Out of the mists of the country's most violent age, he merged to lead his people to the peak of their golden era. His women were as remarkable as his adventures: Fiona, the druidess with mystical powers; Deirdre, beautiful victim of a Norse invader's brutal lust; Gormlaith, six-foot, read-haired goddess of sensuality. Set against the barbaric splendors of the tenth century, Lion of Ireland is a story rich in truth and legend-in which friends become deadly enemies, bedrooms turn into battlefields, and dreams of glory are finally fulfilled. Morgan Llywelyn has written one of the greatest novels of Irish history. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Who Owns the World is the first ever compilation of landowners and landownership structures in every single one of the world's 197 states and 66 territories. It covers the history of landownership as far as written history will allow and shows the division of landownership in every region of the globe. Packed with revelatory information, the book: * identifies the person who owns the largest proportion of the world's land and documents that person's landholdings; * provides details of the next 25 top landowners; * reveals that aristocratic families own over 60 per cent of Europe's land mass and receive most of the EC's agricultural subsidy allowance; * documents the vast landholdings of the four largest religious groups: the Catholic Church and the other Christian churches, the Islamic trusts, and the temple possessions of the Hindus and Buddhists; * details the landownership structure of all the countries of the British Commonwealth; * contains a complete survey of the historic record of landownership, starting in Mesopotamia/Iraq in 8000 BC; * lists many of the world's great Domesdays, going back to the earliest, in Ptolemaic Egypt; * includes an analysis of the legal structures that have reduced 85 per cent of the earth's population to serfdom. This is a breathtaking tome of huge political, economic and social importance. It will revolutionise our understanding of our planet, its history and its land.