Irish Interest

The Wisdom of Farmers

Liber — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:43:36 +0000

'There is hard-won wisdom here, and good cheer, and a reminder that the world is much wider, older and more interesting than you'd think' BILL McKIBBEN'Kind, wise and immensely readable' TIM FLANNERYA thoughtful, illuminating rumination on the life lessons we can take from those who work the land and the millennia of wisdom they draw upon when they go about their day, 'making a living by turning light and time into money'. As with his previous bestsellers, John Connell skilfully synthesises philosophy, art, literature and spirituality to bolster his thoughts on such topics as stoicism, the food chain and the role of community, leaving the reader convinced of the importance of connecting with their own inner farmer.

The Shortest History of Ireland

Liber — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:49:57 +0000

Hawes, James

Finding Joy

Liber — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:40:31 +0000

Description

Illustrated by Steve Doogan. AN INSTANT NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER,A PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY OCCASION. A poetry lover, a curator of joy and a wise woman with a deep sense of compassion, Dearbhla Mescal has inspired thousands online to slow down, savour the small moments and rediscover the beauty in everyday life. Now, in her first book, she invites you to join her on a journey of reflection and renewal through a tender and uplifting collection of poems and heartfelt musings.

Sophie’s Swaps

Liber — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:01:52 +0000

Sophie Morris takes the guesswork out of shopping, replacing ultra-processed foods with cleaner alternatives that don’t compromise flavour. Along the way, she shares 50 tried-and-true recipes that make cooking from scratch easy, delicious and budget-friendly.

For and Against A United Ireland

Liber — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:59:42 +0000

Description

The prospect of Irish unification is now stronger than at any point since partition in 1921. Voters on both sides of the Irish border may soon have to confront for themselves what the answer to a referendum question would mean - for themselves, for their neighbours, and for their society. Journalists Fintan O'Toole and Sam McBride examine the strongest arguments for and against a united Ireland. What do the words 'united Ireland' even mean? Would it be better for Northern Ireland? Would it improve lives in the Republic of Ireland? And could it be brought about without bloodshed?O’Toole and McBride each argue the case for and against unity, questioning received wisdom and bringing fresh thinking to one of Ireland’s most intractable questions.

Sligo and the Great Famine, 1845-52 Walking Skeletons and Shadows

Liber — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 11:59:38 +0000

Sligo offers a unique setting for a study of the Great Famine and the book investigates the period from the first appearance of the blight to the immediate aftermath. The shifting, inept and often heartless government policies reflected different attitudes to famine relief and this impacted on the people in a very direct and often catastrophic way.

Sligo experienced considerable death and emigration in the years from 1845 to 1852; the second worst affected county in the country after Mayo, losing a third of its population in just a few short years. The reaction of local landlords and landholders to the suffering was also varied and the study explored the lengths to which the Famine offered an opportunity to some landlords to impose long-term policies on their estates.

Padraig Deignan has previously published ‘The Protestant Community in Sligo, 1914-49’ in 2010, ‘Land and People in Nineteenth Century Sligo: from Union to Local Government’ in 2015 and ‘Sligo in the Eighteenth Century’ in 2021.

Ciara’s Catch

Liber — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 14:00:07 +0000

Food, and specifically seafood, has always been a major part of Shine Carlier’s life. She told Donegal Live that cooking had always been a passion for her, ever since the days of Shine’s Takeaway in Killybegs, which was sold in May 2016 after being in operation for 21 years. “I wanted the cookbook to be a promotion of Irish seafood and the benefits of our seafood, whether you buy it from your local fishmonger or from us,” commented Shine Carlier. “ We are an island nation, and we are quite low consuming of seafood.”

Frog Routes, Polka-Dot Newts

Liber — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:24:10 +0000

Description Beneath our feet, in our hedgerows, trees and under our seas lies a complex community of beings that goes unseen and unheard by us humans. Soil is the stuff of life itself, bustling with microbes, fungi, beetles and earthworms that soften seeds, nurture saplings and provide all the potential for spring’s bounty. Ferns, primroses, wild violet and canopy leaves of overhead trees are the framework for the hidden power behind a butterfly wing or the singing of a wren. Here, Anja Murray fills us with wonder for the wonderful world of Ireland’s wild plants and animals through the seasons. From fungi to the origins of feral pigeons, primroses to sea turtles, each piece contains elements of science, history and folklore. Witness the extraordinary mating rituals of frogs and hares. Discover the incredible secret language of mice in their epic daily battle to survive and avoid capture with the swoop of the sparrowhawk.

Ninety-Nine Words for Rain

Liber — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:24:10 +0000

Description

Meet the néaladóirí (cloud-watchers) and réadóirí (stargazers) from our past who, without the luxury of Met Éireann at their disposal, observed birds, trees, animals, as well as markers on land and sea for signs of weather change. The sheer richness and variety of terms they amassed reveal the closeness with which they observed the world around them. Swallows flying low foretold rain. The heron’s behaviour offered many hints: Aimsir chrua thirim nuair a bhíonn an corr éisc suas in aghaidh srutha chun na sléibhte (when the heron flies upstream to the mountains the weather will be dry but rough). Fearthainn nuair a thagann sí an abhainn anuas (when she goes downstream, it will rain). Evoking countless sodden, shivery experiences on this Atlantic-swept island of ours, this beautifully illustrated gift book uses Irish words to grasp an almost-lost world through the wisdom stored in the Irish language.

Great Irish Wives

Liber — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:21:24 +0000

Description

Throughout history, the stories of women’s lives and work have been overshadowed by those of men. Wives, especially, disappear, unacknowledged as patrons and champions of their husband’s work, as collaborators, muses, carers and managers of the family domain. Great Irish Wives shines a spotlight on ten such wives: Matilda Tone, Mary O’Connell, Constance Wilde, Charlotte Shaw, Emily Shackleton, Annette Carson, Sinéad de Valera, Margaret Clarke, George Yeats and Beatrice Behan. The men in this book are household names, from Wolfe Tone and Daniel O’Connell to Oscar Wilde and BrendanBehan, and they all have one thing in common: they married women who enabled them to pursue their dreams,even if that meant courting death or outrage. Nicola Pierce tells the stories of these truly remarkable women