The Rebels of Ireland

The Dublin Saga

By: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrated by: Richard Matthews

Length: 29 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The Princes of Ireland, the first volume of Edward Rutherfurd’s magisterial epic of Irish history, ended with the disastrous Irish revolt of 1534 and the disappearance of the sacred Staff of Saint Patrick.

The Rebels of Ireland opens with an Ireland transformed; plantation, the final step in the centuries-long English conquest of Ireland, is the order of the day, and the subjugation of the native Irish Catholic population has begun in earnest.

Edward Rutherfurd brings history to life through the tales of families whose fates rise and fall in each generation: Brothers who must choose between fidelity to their ancient faith or the security of their families; a wife whose passion for a charismatic Irish chieftain threatens her comfortable marriage to a prosperous merchant; a young scholar whose secret rebel sympathies are put to the test; men who risk their lives and their children’s fortunes in the tragic pursuit of freedom, and those determined to root them out forever.

Rutherfurd spins the saga of Ireland’s 400-year path to independence in all its drama, tragedy, and glory through the stories of people from all strata of society - Protestant and Catholic, rich and poor, conniving and heroic.

His richly detailed narrative brings to life watershed moments and events, from the time of plantation settlements to the “Flight of the Earls,” when the native aristocracy fled the island, to Cromwell’s suppression of the population and the imposition of the harsh anti-Catholic penal laws. He describes the hardships of ordinary people and the romantic, doomed attempt to overthrow the Protestant oppressors, which ended in defeat at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, and the departure of the “Wild Geese.”

In vivid tones Rutherfurd re-creates Grattan’s Parliament, Wolfe Tone's attempted French invasion of 1798, the tragic rising of Robert Emmet, the Catholic campaign of Daniel O’Connell, the catastrophic famine, the mass migration to America, and the glorious Irish Renaissance of Yeats and Joyce. And through the eyes of his characters, he captures the rise of Charles Stewart Parnell and the great Irish nationalists and the birth of an Ireland free of all ties to England.

A tale of fierce battles, hot-blooded romances, and family and political intrigues, The Rebels of Ireland brings the story begun in The Princes of Ireland to a stunning conclusion.

©2006 Edward Rutherfurd (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Ambitious in scope, teeming with a huge cast of finely drawn and realized characters, and dripping with authentic historical detail, this lengthy but eminently readable narrative will satisfy the appetites of discerning historical fiction aficionados." (Booklist)

“A giant, sprawling, easy-to-read story told in James Michener fashion.” (Maeve Binchy)

“A sweeping, carefully reconstructed portrait of a nation...Leaps through the centuries.” (New York Times)

Would listen to it again

Author carries forward themes and family lines from the Princes of Ireland very effectively. Well read. Interesting plot woven through known historic events and times. Though fiction, it prompted me to think about -- and even go read some real history about -- how the cultures, histories of England, Scotland and the U.S. interconnect with that of Ireland. Made elements of my own family and the Scots-Irish story come alive for me.

Surprisingly Addictive

I'd not expected to find myself as drawn into this story as I was. My knowledge of this history is not very thorough and I was hesitant, thinking I wouldn't grasp the story line. But the author is so detailed without it reading like a history book. It is narrated so well.

always the best

best writing and incredible story telling. I have read every on of this author's books

Better than the 1st Book in the Series

I found this book to be better than the first book in this brief series of books on Ireland, excluding the very beginning of the first book, the Pagan rituals and such were fascinating.

I learned a good amount of new information through this book, based on the time period it is set in. I learned so many new historical facts, like that the island that is Ireland, had a very diverse history steeped in religion & war.

If you've read the first book, this book is worth your time.

I found this book to be a masterpiece of history and of very secretive feeling anecdotal evidence of politics in general, and the chronologicality of politics via the individual churches through are intriguing in how they reshaped themselves to continue to try for intellectual religious relevance over time, however there were key planes of worship that were a distinctually, historically diverse reflection of the people of Ireland 🇮🇪.

I'd read it again, mainly to pick up on any information that was missed the first time one read part of the storyline, in order to take a deeper dive into the documented history.

Not an whirlwind book, yet full of juicy historical facts, seemingly lost on someone from the USA, like myself, where none of this was taught in school growing up in Florida. So, I learned plenty through these two books.

Educational, entertaining, engrossing

I learned a lot about the roots of Catholic/Protestant issues from this series - a FAR more complex confrontation than I'd imagined, with roots dating back to the 12th century. Carrying the family lines from "Princes of Ireland" helps tie it all together. The results of the inevitable intermarriages are at times heartbreaking. But there are incidents that made me chuckle as well. At times I found myself wishing that some chapters could have been longer; it wouldn't be hard to extend some of the periods into a book of their own.
Rutherford spins an excellent yarn.

The narrator deserves kudos as well - his wide range of intonations, inflections and accents bring the story to life. I want to listen to every book that he has read!

My husband was glad when I finished the books, as he had a hard time getting my attention while I had the headphones on...

DO read "The Princes of Ireland" before starting the Rebels - it will explain references in this book, and make the experience so much richer.

all history should be so interesting

This book and the companion Princes of Ireland are fantastic windows into the interesting past of Ireland. The narrator was great. Distinguishable voices and not annoying on the females. I've listened to this (Dublin Saga) as 1916 and The Greener Shore and found they complemented each other well. Good characters and good historical research in both events and details kept all four interesting. I really wanted to follow these characters on into their futures, so they must have been engaging!

Rebels of Ireland

Wonderful book that had me enthralled. Got a little long in places, but I stuck it out, and am glad I did. I tried reading Rutherford's "Sarum", not once, but twice, and could never get beyond the dragging, plodding pace of action. I anticipated a similar outcome on this book. But after reading other reviews, I decided to take a chance.

This book is for anyone with a big blank space in their knowledge of Irish history. Some chapters I had to read twice, they were so thrilling--the Siege of Drogheda, the Irish Rebellion of 1798, the story of Robert Emmett, the Great Potato Famine, the Easter Uprising. I understand the Irish weltangst a little better now,... and no wonder the enmity between the Irish and the British. I'm inspired to explore Irish literature and mythos further.

Wonderful history

Liked the story told through the centuries with the family lines continued throughout. Not to be missed, really helps you understand Ireland and the wonderful resilient Irish.

Slainte

A wonderful review of Irish history. Filled with full characters who wind their way into your heart regardless of your lineage.

Missed the mark

My parents came from Ireland, their parents, and their parents. I have read or listened to some excellent Irish History ( most recently " The Graves are Walking" available on Audible). I did not care for this book. Rutherford is ok at...times, but with so RICH a history, so many tragedies to write about, he so often skirts around it, and instead of telling Ireland's history through the characters, has them off on a side stage which is often, well, boring. I persevered through to the end ( almost giving up when Parnell was mentioned in passing, but by that point I was too close to the end, too invested in a 30 hr book) but that is only because I am compulsive, not because I was engaged. Disappointed. I will return to straight factual history when I next revisit the topic(s). Richard Matthews, on the other hand, was very good - i will look for him again soon