Ireland Nonfiction

It's exhausting being Irish. The constant self-flagellation is enough to put anybody off their breakfast. Why are we so hard on ourselves? Is it the postcolonial overhang following centuries of oppression at the hands of a litany of foreign invaders? Or is it collective guilt for sending Westlife out into the wider world? In Surviving Ireland, acclaimed comedy writer Colm Tobin takes the listener by the hand for a satirical romp through modern Irish life.

More than 40 million people consider themselves Irish American, and yet most of them do not truly understand the rich cultural history of their ancestors. From prehistoric times to the emigration of the Irish to Amerikay, this broad, yet comprehensive, history gives a general overview of the deep history of Irish Americans.

From the beginning of time the Irish have always fascinated the world. From their cheerful, happy demeanour to their conflicts with England and the tense North, South divide. Jump into this concise guide and learn all you need to know for your next visit to the Emerald Isle.

Ireland Vidal is the third generation to control Vidal Records, and she's on track to lead the recording company to greater heights. She's the youngest of an affluent, prominent family headed by her eldest brother, Gideon Cross—one of the richest men in the world. Despite her siblings' outsized shadows, Ireland has carved her own identity. But the clever, stunning beauty with fierce tenacity and a heart of gold has yet to find a man with whom to share her life—someone who doesn't need her connections to be successful.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NOW AN FX LIMITED SERIES STREAMING ON HULU NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER From the author of Empire of Pain—a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. One of The New York...

BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 2025 - AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARDS A shocking true story of heartbreak and survival by Sarah Corbett Lynch, daughter of Jason Corbett - an Irish Times Number 1 bestseller and the subject of NETFLIX documentary A DEADLY AMERICAN MARRIAGE. 'Honest and compelling' Sunday...

“Dramatic, adventurous, heroic, romantic. . . these historical chronicles, legends, myths, tall tales and fables, featuring warriors, kings, monks, explorers and clever common folk, imaginatively tell the history of Ireland.” — Philadelphia Inquirer This New York Times bestselling...

Weird but True Stories from Irish History: Bizarre, Shocking, and Unbelievable Tales from the Emerald Isle Ireland's past is filled with saints, scholars, and... flaming whiskey floods? Ghost ships? Phantom islands? In this captivating collection of true and historically verified tales, Weird but True Stories from Irish History explores the most bizarre, unsettling, and unexpected events ever to unfold on the Emerald Isle. From the medieval witch trial of Alice Kyteler to the whiskey-fueled infernos of Dublin and Tullamore, from ancient tsunamis and ghostly ships to the recent excavation of...

Cocaine Cowboys tells the story of Ireland's love affair with cocaine since it first washed ashore on Cork's rugged coast to the billion-euro trade it has become. From Ireland's first cocaine lord and his attempts to establish a direct route from Miami to Dublin, to the modern-day violence that led to the brutal dismemberment of teenager Keane Mulready Woods, the book will follow the stories and the increasing chaos that has engulfed those desperate for a slice of this modern day gold rush.

A heart-warming and hilarious family memoir of growing up as one of eleven siblings raised by a single dad in Northern Ireland at the end of the Troubles. Séamas O’Reilly’s mother died when he was five, leaving him, his ten (!) brothers and sisters, and their beloved father in their...

A brief history of Ireland from the earliest times to the present, illustrating how harmful religion has been, moulding the culture and dividing the people into warring factions and eventually dividing the island into two seperate states.

In 1978, the bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles, had reached a boiling point. Hundreds of members of the Irish Republican Army, determined to drive the hated British out of the province—killing soldiers and police, detonating bombs, while arming themselves with firearms and explosives—had been arrested and incarcerated in the notorious British prison known as the Maze.

A Popular History of Ireland, a detailed yet comprehensive look at Ireland’s Christian history, was written by Thomas D’Arcy McGee, a Canadian-Irish politician, journalist, and poet, whose private and professional life was as eventful and perilous as many of eras chronicled in this book. Being involved heavily in various Irish Catholic movements, the Irish Confederation, and the Young Irelander Rebellion throughout the mid-19th century, McGee’s insight into Ireland’s past is fascinating.

Margot Asquith was perhaps the most daring and unconventional prime minister's wife in British history. Known for her wit, style, and habit of speaking her mind, she transformed 10 Downing Street into a glittering social and intellectual salon. Yet her last four years at Number 10 were a period of intense emotional and political turmoil in her private and public life.

From the first prehistoric inhabitants of the island to the St Andrews Agreement and decommissioning of IRA weapons, this uniquely concise account of Ireland and its people reveals how differing interpretations of history, ancient and modern, have influenced modern Irish society. Combining factual information with a critical approach, Coohill covers all the key events, including the Great Famine, Home Rule, and the Good Friday Agreement.

Brought to you by Penguin. At the age of 16, a boy amongst men, Andy Farrell made his first-team debut for Wigan Warriors – and became a father for the first time. At 18, he won his first senior international cap. At 21, he won his first Man of Steel Award for the Super League player of the...

After the long period of cultural decline known as the Dark Ages, Europe experienced a rebirth of scholarship, art, literature, philosophy, and science and began to develop a vision of Western society that remains at the heart of Western civilization today. By placing the image of the Virgin...

A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time. The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ. What may at first seem to be simply...

After the long period of cultural decline known as the Dark Ages, Europe experienced a rebirth of scholarship, art, literature, philosophy, and science and began to develop a vision of Western society that remains at the heart of Western civilization today. By placing the image of the Virgin...

There are very few national relationships quite as complicated and enigmatic as the one that exists between the English and the Irish. For two peoples so interconnected by geography and history, the depth of animosity that is often expressed is difficult at times to understand. The History of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the 20th Century analyzes the tumultuous events that marked Irish history during the 20th century.