GIFT BOOK BESTSELLERS
CHRISTMAS 2023
MERRION PRESS
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2023
Old Ireland in Colour New Edition John Breslin & Sarah-Anne Buckley
PUB DATE: 19th Oct 2023 PRICE: €19.99 / £17.99 ISBN: 9781785374319 FORMAT: PB w F Flaps 220 x 182mm EXTENT: 304pp ILLUS: 200 full-colour photographs CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Irish History Photography
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New edition of THE ground-breaking and bestselling Irish colourised photo-book
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Winner of Irish Published Book of the Year at the 2020 Irish Book Awards
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Featuring almost 200 intricately colourised photographs of Ireland and the Irish from the past two hundred years
Old Ireland in Colour brings to life the rich history of Ireland and the Irish through the colour restoration of these stunning images of all walks of Irish life throughout nineteen and twentieth century. From the chaos of the Civil War to the simple beauty of the islands; from legendary revolutionaries to modest fisherfolk, every image has been exquisitely transformed and every page bursting with life. Using a combination of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology and his own historical research, John Breslin has meticulously colourised these pictures with breath-taking attention to detail and authenticity. With over 250 photographs from all four provinces and accompanied by fascinating captions by historian Sarah-Anne Buckley, Old Ireland in Colour breathes new life into the scenes we thought we knew and brings our ancestors back to life before our eyes.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Professor John Breslin is a Professor at NUI Galway, where he has taught engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship over a twenty-year period. He has written over 200 publications and co-authored two books. He is co-founder of boards.ie, adverts.ie, and the PorterShed. Dr Sarah-Anne Buckley is a lecturer in History at NUI Galway and President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland. She has published two monographs, four edited volumes and numerous articles. She is co-founder of the Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class and Senior Research Fellow in the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre. Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | SEPTEMBER 2021
Old Ireland in Colour 2 John Breslin & Sarah-Anne Buckley
PUB DATE: 15 Sept 2021 PRICE: €24.95 / £21.99 ISBN: 9781785374111 FORMAT: Hardback 230 x 190 mm EXTENT: 272 pp ILLUS: 170 colour photos CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Irish History Photography
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The follow-up to the phenomenal 2020 bestseller Old Ireland in Colour which has sold over 90,000 copies to date.
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Major advertising and promotional campaign
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Volume One won Best Irish Published Book of the Year 2020
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Volume 2 now features images from all 32 counties of Ireland!
In Old Ireland in Colour 2, the much-anticipated sequel to their beloved bestseller, John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley have dug even deeper into Ireland’s historical archives to uncover captivating photographic gems to bring to life using a unique blend of cuttingedge technology, historical research and expert colourisation. Old Ireland in Colour 2 celebrates more of the rich history of Ireland and the Irish from all walks of life and from all four provinces, as well as the Irish abroad, throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. From the chaos of the Civil War to the simple beauty of the islands, from the iconic to the domestic, there is something new and inspiring to be gleaned from every single page.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: John Breslin is a Professor at NUI Galway, where he has taught engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship over a twenty-year period. He has written over 200 publications and co-authored two books. He is co-founder of boards.ie, adverts.ie, and the PorterShed. Sarah-Anne Buckley is a lecturer in History at NUI Galway and President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland. She has published two monographs, four edited volumes and numerous articles. She is cofounder of the Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class and Senior Research Fellow in the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | SEPTEMBER 2021
CONTENTS 1. Politics and Revolution 2. Children and School 3. Working Life 4. Sport and Leisure 5. Ireland and the World 6. Urban and Rural Scenes
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2023
Old Ireland in Colour 3 John Breslin & Sarah-Anne Buckley
• The authors of the phenomenally successful Old Ireland in Colour series are back with more newly discovered and colourised images of Ireland in bygone years • Extensive print and online media campaign • ‘Its magic captivated readers with the first book and no doubt will do so again.’ – Irish Independent
PUB DATE: 12 October 2023 PRICE: €24.99/£21.99 ISBN: 9781785374715 FORMAT: Hardback, 230 x 190mm PAGE EXTENT: 272pp ILLUS.:Fully illustrated in colour CATEGORIES: Gift Irish History
Due to overwhelming popular demand, John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley are back with the third installment of their record-breaking Old Ireland in Colour series. Often imitated but never equalled, the Old Ireland in Colour books are beloved by Irish readers at home and abroad, and in this, the third book of the series, the authors have uncovered yet more photographic gems and breathed new life into them in glorious colour. All of Irish life is here – from evictions in Connemara to the mosgt elegant drawing rooms in Dublin. Famous faces from politics and the arts appear alongside humble labourers and farmers and impish children from all kinjds of backgrounds light up this book’s glorioius pages. With endless surprising details to pore over in every picture, and captivating and illuminating text, Old Ireland in Colour 3 is a winning addition to this spectacular series of bestsellng books.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS John Breslin is a Professor at NUI Galway, where he has taught engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship over a twenty-year period. He has written over 200 publications and co-authored two books. He is co-founder of boards.ie, adverts.ie, and the PorterShed. Sarah-Anne Buckley is a lecturer in History at NUI Galway and President of the Women’s History Association of Ireland. She has published two monographs, four edited volumes and numerous articles. She is cofounder of the Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class and Senior Research Fellow in the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2023
CONTENTS Introduction Politics Childhood Working Social Global Place
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2022
A History of the GAA in 100 Objects Siobhán Doyle
PUB DATE: 11 Oct. 2022 PRICE: €27.95 / £25.99 ISBN: 9781785374258 FORMAT: Hardback 245 x 210mm EXTENT: 240pp ILLUS: 100 full-colour photographs CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Sport
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Fully illustrated celebration of the history of Gaelic Games since the early medieval era
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Objects range from the fourteenth century to the present day, and represent all four provinces and international GAA strongholds
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Written by historian and curator Siobhán Doyle, who is a regular contributor to national broadcast and print media
The GAA is a part of the Irish consciousness and plays an influential role in Irish society that extends far beyond the sport itself. In popular imagination and experience, the GAA is often evoked in terms of its objects: medals passed down from generation to generation, jerseys worn in All-Ireland finals, Michael Cusack’s blackthorn stick, a pair of glasses damaged during the events of Bloody Sunday. The objects of the GAA range from the informal to the formal and are key to the construction of both personal and official histories. This book repositions a range of objects, originating from the GAA, into the expanded field of Irish history by placing them as central to our understanding of past ideas and experiences. A History of the GAA in 100 Objects acts as a signpost to significant moments in GAA history, offers fresh perspectives on a previously overlooked area of enquiry and presents new ideas not available elsewhere.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Siobhán Doyle completed her PhD research in Museum Studies, Death and
Commemoration in the Dublin School of Creative Arts at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) in May 2020 and currently works in collections management in the National Museum of Ireland and as a Tutor at TU Dublin. Her research has been published by Four Courts Press in 2016, European Remembrance and Solidarity Network in 2018, Arms and Amour journal in 2019, The Irish Times and History Ireland in 2020, the Imperial War Museum in 2021 and Éire/Ireland journal forthcoming in 2022.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2022
Clockwise from top left: •
Hair Hurling Ball (Early 15th century)
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Wooden Mether (Medieval)
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Cap signed by Christy Ring (1952)
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‘John 3:7’ Sign (1999)
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Hand-knitted Cardigan (1960s), Newry. Co. Down
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | NOVEMBER 2022
Abandoned Ireland Rebecca Brownlie
PUB DATE: 1 Nov. 2022 PRICE: €27.95 / £24.99 ISBN: 9781785374326 FORMAT: Hardback 245 x 210mm EXTENT: 256pp ILLUS: 150 full-colour photographs CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Photography
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Featuring over 150 haunting colour photographs of abandoned houses, churches, schools, prisons and more, from all over Ireland
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As featured in The Daily Mail and The Irish Times
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Brownlie has an impressive and highly engaged online audience, with 58k social media followers to date
Abandoned Ireland travels the length and breadth of the island of Ireland visiting and documenting our forgotten buildings, highlighting their social importance, and bringing their stories back to life through the medium of photography. From Big Houses to humble cottages, schools to prisons, churches to dance halls, these buildings may now be abandoned, but they are far from empty. As a photographer, Brownlie’s instincts are remarkable. In the seemingly ruined and mundane she finds diamonds in the rough; her images of the ordinary ephemera of past lives – dusty love letters, rusting spectacles, photographs yellowed and curled with age – paint the pictures of real people and full lives. Rebecca Brownlie's photography reverberates with the echoes of our ancestors. Bursting with engaging and often surprising details, each haunting photograph is an invitation to immerse yourself in history, and an Ireland long gone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Brownlie grew up in a small rural village in County Down, Northern Ireland.
When she was just twelve years old, she won her first camera on a TV game show and her love of photography was sparked. From that day on, a camera is rarely far from her side. Her passion for abandoned buildings and love of photography have led her to appear on several local television shows featuring some of Ireland's lost buildings. She is an avid adventurer, and can be regularly found hiking up mountainsides with her four-legged friend and children in tow! . Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | NOVEMBER 2022
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2023
A Place to Play
The People and Stories Behind 101 GAA Grounds Humphrey Kelleher • A richly illustrated and vibrant history of GAA grounds around Ireland and beyond • With all 32 counties extensively covered, as well as NY and London, this book will appeal to GAA fans everywhere • Featuring all-new photography and wide-ranging and hugely entertaining historical information about each stadium and the individuals for whom they are named In every province and county in Ireland, GAA grounds are cornerstones of culture and community. They are imbued with history and their terraces echo with the sounds of decades, even centuries, of spirited sporting battles. PUB DATE: 26 October 2023 PRICE: €24.99/£21.99 ISBN: 9781785374807 FORMAT: Hardback 240 x 200mm PAGE EXTENT: 264pp ILLUS.: Fully illustrated in colour CATEGORIES: Gift Sport
In this book, the first of its kind, Humphrey Kelleher has created a vibrant record of 101 GAA county grounds in every corner of the country. Each GAA ground featured has served as a county ground at some stage in its lifetime. Named for saints, landowners, political figures and more, every one has a unique and absorbing history. Alongside this fascinating information, the author chronicles the development of the grounds over the years, and the often surprising ways that funds were raised to do so. All thirty-two counties feature, and it doesn’t stop there; the book also takes us to London and to New York, where the grounds reflect the lasting and far-reaching influence of the GAA beyond these borders. With stunning new aerial drone photography by the author, this exceptional book offers an insightful new perspective on the places our GAA clubs and counties call home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Humphrey Kelleher is a GAA man to the core, with a particular passion for hurling. He managed the Dublin senior hurling team in 2004 and 2005, and has successsfully coached a number of Dublin club hurling teams. He represented his native Waterford in hurling and football at various levels, and spent most of his working life in Dublin with the Bank of Ireland. He was co-author of the ‘Dublin Hurling Blueprint’ (2001) and author of GAA Family Silver: The People and Stories Begind 101 Cups and Trophies (2013).
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2023
CONTENTS
Connacht
Munster
Galway – Kenny Athenry – Duggan Ballinasloe –
Clare – Ennis – Daly Tulla – Miltown Malbay Cork – Páirc Ui Chaoimh – Páirc Uí Rinn – Fermoy – Mallow Kerry – Killarney – Listowel – Tralee Limerick – Páirc na nGael Limerick – Askeaton – Sean MacGerailt Kilmallock Tipperary – Clonmel – Thurles – McDonagh Nenagh Waterford – Walsh Park Waterford – Fraher Field Dungarvan
Leinster Carlow – Bagenalstown – Dr Cullen Park Carlow – Tullow Dublin – Croke Park – Parnell Park – O’Toole Park Kildare – Geraldine Park Athy – Naas – Newbridge Kilkenny – Nowlan Park Kilkenny – St Lachtain’s Freshford – Locke Callan Laois – O’Moore Portlaoise – Fr Breen Abbeyleix – Kelly Daly Rathdowney Longford – Pease Park Longford – Leo Casey Ballymahon Louth – St Mary’s Ardee – St Brigid’s Dowdallshill Dundalk – Drogheda Meath – Páirc Tailteann Navan – Colmcille Kells – St Loman’s Trim – Kilmessan Offaly – Páirc Park Tullamore – St Brendan’s Birr Westmeath – Pairc Chiaran Athlone –Mullingar Wexford – Wexford Park – Enniscorthy – New Ross Wicklow – Arklow –Aughrim –Ashford
Pearse Stadium Galway – Tuam Leitrim – St Mary’s Cloone – Sean O’Heslin’s Ballinamore – Sean MacDiarmada Carrick-on-Shannon Mayo –Castlebar – O’Hara Charlestown – Stephens Ballina Roscommon – Hyde Park – Athleague – St Brigid’s Kiltoom Sligo – Markievicz Park Sligo – Kilcoyne Tubbercurry – Corran Ballymote
Ulster Armagh – Armagh – Davitt Lurgan – Crossmaglen Antrim – Casement Park Belfast – Loughgiel – Corrigan Park Belfast – McQuillan Ballycastle Cavan – Breffni Park Cavan – Cootehill – Kingscourt Derry – Celtic Park Derry – Owenbeg – Ballinascreen – O’Donovan Rossa Magherafelt Donegal – MacCumhaill Ballybofey – O’Donnell Letterkenny – Ballyshannon Down – Newry – Newcastle – Ballycran Fermanagh – Brewster Enniskillen – Lisnaskea – St Molaise Irvinestown Monaghan – Clones – Castleblayney – Emmett Carricmacross – Iniskeen Tyrone – Fr Campbell Coalisland – Healy Omagh – Plunkett Pomeroy – Dungannon
International New York – Gaelic Park, Bronx London – McGovern Park Ruislip
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | JUNE 2023
Girls Play Too
Inspiring Stories of Irish Sportswomen
Jacqui Hurley, RTÉ Sports
PUB DATE: 1 June 2023 PRICE: €9.99/£8.99 ISBN: 9781785374661 FORMAT: 240 x 170mm Hardback EXTENT: 64pp ILLUS: full colour CATEGORIES: Children’s Sports
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New paperback edition of the bestselling debut by RTÉ’s leading female sports presenter, Jacqui Hurley
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Hardback edition sold over 25k copies
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Inspirational stories for 8-12-year olds, beautifully illustrated in colour, featuring Ireland’s most accomplished sportswomen Irish sportswomen have been breaking the mould for a long time. From Maeve Kyle becoming Ireland’s first female Olympian in 1956, to motorsport pioneer Rosemary Smith breaking the landspeed record in 1978. Through the 1990s and 2000s we had world champions in Sonia O’Sullivan, Derval O’Rourke and Olive Loughnane. More recently, the success of Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington and Annalise Murphy has kept Irish sportswomen on the global map. But amidst their success stories, the battle for recognition continues. Female athletes still receive only a small proportion of the media coverage their male counterparts receive. This book will break the mould with a first ever compendium of stories for young girls, based on interviews with the featured athletes and illustrated in colour, about our most accomplished contemporary sportswomen. With a fairy-tale touch, RTÉ’s Jacqui Hurley tells the real-life stories of women who have proved that gender is not a barrier to success. Each story in Girls Play Too is one of overcoming adversity, and the role models celebrated here are sure to inspire the next generation of Irish sportswomen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jacqui Hurley is one of Ireland’s leading sports broadcasters. In 2009, she became the first ever female anchor of Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio One. She presents the daily sports bulletins on RTÉ’s Six One News and is also a regular anchor of RTÉ’s soccer output on television. She lives in Dublin with her husband Shane and her children, Luke and Lily. THE ILLUSTRATORS: Sinead Colleran, Rachel Corcoran, Jennifer Farley, Jennifer Murphy, Lauren O’Neill Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | JUNE 2023 CONTENTS 1. Katie Taylor (boxing) 2. Susan Moran (basketball) 3. Sarah Rowe (GAA/Aussie Rules/soccer) 4. Katie Mullan (hockey) 5. Olive Loughnane (athletics) 6. Cora Staunton (GAA/Aussie Rules) 7. Jenny Egan (canoeing) 8. Ciara Mageean (athletics) 9. Nicci Daly (hockey/motorsport) 10. Denise O'Sullivan (soccer) 11. Derval O’Rourke (athletics) 12. Rena Buckley (GAA) 13. Leona Maguire (golf) 14. Ellen Keane (para swimming) 15. Annalise Murphy (sailing) 16. Kellie Harrington (boxing) 17. Joy Neville (rugby) 18. Rachael Blackmore (horse racing) 19. Lindsay Peat (basketball/GAA/rugby) 20. Katie George Dunleavy (para cycling) 21. Stephanie Roche (soccer) 22. Natalya Coyle (modern pentathlon) 23. Sanita Puspure (rowing) 24. Fiona Coghlan (rugby)
25. Briege Corkery (GAA) Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | SEPTEMBER 2021
Girls Play Too 2! More Inspiring Stories of Irish Sportswomen Jacqui Hurley
PUB DATE: 6 Sept. 2021 PRICE: €14.95/£13.99 ISBN: 9781785374081 FORMAT: Hardback, 238 x 170 mm EXTENT: 64 pp ILLUS: full colour CATEGORIES: Children’s
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Sequel to the 2020 bestseller and An Post-nominated title Girls Play Too, which sold over 20,000 copies.
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Extensive national publicity campaign guaranteed.
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Packed with inspirational stories for 8–12-year-olds and beautifully illustrated throughout in colour.
Irish sportswomen continue to make headlines! Whether it is Katie Taylor’s continued dominance in the boxing ring, or Rachel Blackmore’s phenomenal success in 2021 – as champion jockey at Cheltenham and the first ever female Grand National winner – Irish women are leading the way with their sporting achievements. Based on interviews with the featured athletes and fully illustrated in colour, the second volume of Girls Play Too continues from where the first book left off. Spoilt for choice, Hurley’s selection includes some of the most successful athletes to ever grace a GAA pitch, pioneering horse-racing jockeys, elite figures from the athletics world, trailblazers of the Irish football team, stars of the hugely successful hockey team, and a host of women who are excelling in their chosen codes. With her popular fairy-tale touch, Hurley tells the real-life stories of women who prove that gender is no barrier to success. Each story is one of empowerment and overcoming adversity, and the role models celebrated here are sure to inspire every reader.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jacqui Hurley is one of Ireland’s leading sports broadcasters. In 2009, she became the first ever female anchor of Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio One. She presents the daily sports bulletins on RTÉ’s Six One News and is also a regular anchor of RTÉ’s soccer output on television. She lives in Dublin with her husband Shane and her children, Luke and Lily. Her first book, Girls Play Too, was shortlisted for Best Children’s Book (Senior) in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2020. Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | SEPTEMBER 2021
CONTENTS 1. Valerie Mulcahy (GAA) 2. Katie McCabe (soccer) 3. Sene Naoupu (rugby) 4. Katie Walsh (racing) 5. Easkey Britton (surfing) 6. Niamh McCarthy (para athletics) 7. Nikki Symmons (hockey/cricket) 8. Aileen Reid (triathlon) 9. Gemma O’Connor (camogie) 10. Nicole Turner (para swimming) 11. Ursula Jacob (camogie) 12. Orla O’Dwyer (Aussie Rules/GAA) 13. Emma Byrne (soccer) 14. Fionnuala McCormack (athletics) 15. Anna Geary (camogie) 16. Lynne Cantwell (rugby) 17. Nicole Drought (motorsport) 18. Grainne Dwyer (basketball) 19. Rianna Jarrett (soccer) 20. Nina Carberry (racing) 21. Chloe Magee (badminton) 22. Sinead Goldrick (GAA/Aussie Rules) 23. Elena Tice (hockey/cricket) 24. Caroline O’Hanlon (netball/GAA) 25. Phil Healy (athletics)
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | AUGUST 2023
Cures of Ireland A Treasury of Irish Folk Remedies Cecily Gilligan
• A fascinating new book celebrating Ireland’s rich tradition of folk cures, medicines and charms • Featuring warm interviews with a broad range of Irish healers who continue to help people with their ailments • An absorbing record of a fading tradition that reflects an Ireland that is slipping further and further from memory
PUB DATE: 31 Aug 2023 PRICE: €21.99/£19.99 ISBN: 9781785374753 FORMAT: Hardback PPC 234 x 153mm PAGE EXTENT: 320pp ILLUS.: 20 B&W illustrations CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Folklore Gift
It’s said that almost everyone in Ireland, particularly in rural communities, will know of someone with a ‘cure’. It might be for the mumps, a stye in the eye, or a sprain. Indeed the author of Cures of Ireland, Cecily Gilligan was herself cured of jaundice and ringworm by a ‘seventh son’ in her local Sligo during her childhood. Cecily Gilligan has been researching the rich world of Irish folk cures for almost forty years and, given the tradition has largely been an oral one, has been interviewing a broad range of people from around the country who possess these mystical cures, and those who have benefited from their gifts. One has a cure for eczema that comprises herbal butter balls, another ‘buys’ warts from the sufferer with safety pins. There are stories of clay from graves with precious healing properties and pieces of cords from potato bags being sent across the world to treat asthma. While the Ireland of the twenty-first century continues to develop at lightning speed, there is something deeply comforting and reassuring in the fact that these ancient healing traditions, while fewer in number, do survive to this day. Cures of Ireland is an exquisitive book that will be treasured by many generations to come.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cecily Gilligan grew up and lives in rural County Sligo. She has a degree in Social Science and a Masters in Women’s Studies from UCC, and is a primary school teacher. As well as a lifelong interest in folklore, much of which she learned from her grandmother, Cecily is a keen hill-walker, sailor, world traveller, and a strong supporter of Irish culture and language. She is also a campaigner for the protection of human rights and the environment, locally and globally.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | AUGUST 2023
CONTENTS Prologue 1. Cures in Ireland Past 2. Cures in the 19th & 20th Centuries 3. Cures in Ireland Today 4. Faith Cures ~ Hearts, Strokes, Heads, Sprains & Healers 5. Faith Cures ~ Bleeds, Asthma, Hernias & Pains 6. Seventh Daughters & Sons 7. Herbal Cures ~ Cancer, Shingles, Jaundice, Gallstones & Skin 8. Independent Cures ~ Burns, Eczema, Shingles, Whooping Cough & Warts 9. Cures for Animals & Bone-Setting 10. Acquisition of Cures 11. Ritual ~ Secrecy, Healing Days, Transference & Number 12. The Process & Atmosphere 13. Faith, Success, Source, Motivation for Making & Passing On Cures 14. Payment & Exchange, Modern Medicine & Cures 15. Healing Threads, Clays, Cloths & Stones 16. Holy Wells 17. Pilgrimage 18. The Future for Cures Epilogue
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | FEBRUARY 2024
Dublin
In Sketches and Stories NEW IN PAPERBACK Róisín Curé • New paperback edition of the bestselling Dublin volume by the hugely talented Róisín Cure • Curé is a leading figure in ‘urban sketching’ – a global community of artists that practice drawing on location, in the moment. • The perfect gift book for Dubliners and visitors alike, full of the life, humour and colour of the capital city.
PUB DATE: 8 February 2024 PRICE: €19.99 /£18.99 ISBN: 9781785375057 FORMAT: Paperback 215 x 225 mm PAGE EXTENT: 184pp ILLUS: over 100 colour prints CATEGORIES: Irish Interest Tourism Art
Róisín Curé sketches what she sees, wherever she is, from the mundane to the magnificent, and everything in between. With her ears and eyes open, she immerses herself in the urban scene and creates a snippet of the world around her in words and pictures, with nothing more hi-tech than a fountain pen and a small box of watercolours. The bustling, busy city of Dublin is captured here in all its grit and glory, through its historic buildings and people along with conversations with its inhabitants. You won’t find these stories in any guidebook, as they ebbed and flowed like the ink and paint used to create this very intimate portrait of Dublin and its people. And in this perfect coffee-table book, Roisin Cure has done just that. Whether the genteel grandeur of Merrion Square or the raw vibrancy of Moore Street, Curé has it covered. With more than 100 lively new artworks, Dublin in Sketches and Stories is a joyous snapshot of the beating heart of the Fair City.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Róisín Curé has drawn all her life and is the author of two books on urban sketching. This is her third. She currently teaches the mindful and colourful practice of urban sketching to students through workshops all over the world, and online; the latter is always live, in keeping with the spirit of urban sketching, which is about living life in the now. She is based in Co. Galway..
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | FEBRUARY 2024
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | MARCH 2020
A Natural Year The Tranquil Rhythms and Restorative Powers of Irish Nature Through the Seasons
Michael Fewer Foreword by Eanna Ni Lamhna
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Irresistible new nature book from the author of the best-selling children’s book, Naturama (Gill Books)
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Delicately illustrated nature diaries track the extraordinary natural world all around us and through the seasons
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Timely publication as our natural world is under increasing threat
PUB DATE: 2nd Mar 2020 PRICE: €18.95 / £16.99 ISBN: 9781785373183 FORMAT: Paperback with flaps 215 x 135mm EXTENT: 250pp ILLUS: black & white line drawing and colour photographs CATEGORIES Nature Ireland
In A Natural Year, critically acclaimed travel writer Michael Fewer celebrates the everyday wonder of Irish nature in these beautifully written diaries in which he delights at the startling beauty and extraordinary complexity of the natural world through the tranquil rhythms of the passing seasons. Fewer’s infectious passion for his subject simply inspires our own observation and suggests how careful study of the natural world around us can be a sure antidote to the stresses of modern life, and a harmony with the restorative powers of nature. At a time when it’s critical for us to understand the crisis that faces our wildlife and natural environment, we need to know more about the natural world around us, the treasures that are being needlessly lost, and the threat to our very way of life. A Natural Year will open eyes and hearts to a greater understanding of the natural world, and its innate beauty and fragility.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael Fewer combined architecture with academia for many years before focusing on writing about history, the environment, landscape, travel and walking. Author of more than 20 books about walking and nature in Ireland and over 400 articles, he is a regular Irish Times columnist and contributor to numerous television and radio programmes. Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | MARCH 2020
Sample Text Glendoher, 14 January The goldfinches have finally returned to Glendoher. Last year when we put the nyjer seeds out, by some magical communication system known only to birds, goldfinches, which rarely grace our garden, turned up within a day, and feasted on the seeds for a week, three and four at a time perched on the feeder. This winter we hung the feeder out again in November, but except for one visit by one bird, we saw no goldfinches at all until last week. As if they have just arrived in the neighbourhood, three pairs have been constantly coming to the feeder, with three queuing in the Himalayan birch tree while the other three feed. It is such a joy to see such bright colours against the garden’s drab background, but it is impossible to fully appreciate the wonderful plumage of the male goldfinch unless you see it up close, through binoculars. Glendoher, 27 February The beautiful, delicate purple crocuses that appeared in the lawn a couple of weeks ago are almost gone now, but the daffodils are finally bursting forth and spreading their colour and warmth. For the last few days, squirrels have continued to harvest the flowers from one of our camellias. They don’t eat the whole flower, but nibble some of the petals, leaving the top of the wall behind the camelia scattered with rejected petals. This morning I looked out the window to see a pair of squirrels perching on the wall, as I watched, they started mating. I raced downstairs to get my camera and was back with the lens out the window before they were finished. Kilcop, 24 April The sunsets here in Kilcop have been very beautiful, and at most times over the last two days the blue-grey undulations of the Comeragh Mountains have been visible to the west. The mornings have been mild and misty with sun breaking gloriously through from time to time. For my sixtieth birthday, my children bought me a covered timber garden seat, a kind of tiny gazebo, and I love to sit out there in the morning, drinking my breakfast tea while butterflies flit about my head, and hover-flies and bees buzz about to and fro. Early this morning, while I was drinking my morning tea, I heard an early cuckoo deep in the valley through which a stream meanders. We saw our first swallows this week, and the earthen banks of the hedges are laden down with posies of primroses. At the bottom of the field, near the gable of an old stone shed, I found an interesting hybrid flower. It had a cowslip stalk, with the usual spread of flowers at the top, except the flowers are like primroses. Coloured slightly yellower than the adjacent primroses, the flowers also seemed slightly smaller. Later I found that this hybrid is not uncommon and is called the oxlip. It’s always wonderful to be finding new things in nature and learning a little more.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | NOVEMBER 2023
A History of Rugby in Leinster David Doolin
• A lavish, fully illustrated history of rugby in Leinster and its wide-reaching influence in Ireland • The first comprehesive glossy coffee-table book about arguably Ireland’s most iconic sports team A History of Rugby in
DAVID DOOLIN
PUB DATE: 2 November 2023 PRICE: €24.99/£21.99 ISBN: 9781785374784 FORMAT: Hardback, 240 x 170mm PAGE EXTENT: 388pp ILLUS: Fully illustrated in colour CATEGORIES: Gift Sport
• Full marketing support and extensive promotion by Leinster Rugby and their current stars
Leinster is one of the most successful and influential Irish sporting teams of all time. The team boasts a dazzling roster of players, past and present, including Brian O’Driscoll, Johnny Sexton, Jamie Heaslip and current captain James Ryan. But there is so much more to rugby in Leinster, and, for the first time, this book compiles the rich history of the sport in the province, from its origins in the school and university teams, through the amateur years, with the growth of clubs throughout the province, to the dawn of the professional age and the many spectacular championships won by the province in the twenty-first century, when the national love for rugby kicked up a gear. Doolin celebrates all the breathless victories enjoyed by Leinster teams at every level, but it’s not just about the silverware. He looks at the challenges that rugby faced in surviving and growing province-wide since it was first played in Dublin in the nineteenth century. He also ruminates on the sport’s relationships with politics and class, which reflect the complexities of politics and identity in Ireland as a whole. A History of Rugby in Leinster is a vibrant celebration of sport-ing greatness and of Leinster’s enduring commitment to teamwork, integrity and community.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr David Doolin is currently lecturer above the bar in transdisciplinary learning at the University of Galway. David has a diverse and eclectic research and teaching record, in which he has explored the history of Irish America, Revolutionary Technologies, Sports History, Public History and Intercultural Encounters. His book, Transnational Revolutionaries: The Fenian Invasion of Canada, 1866, was published in 2016.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | NOVEMBER 2023
CONTENTS Introduction 1. Rugby Comes to Ireland 2. Leinster Rugby and the Centrality of the Schools 3. Steady Progress: Leinster Rugby, 1880–1900 4. Leinster Rugby in Turbulent Times, 1900-1925 5. Leinster Rugby and Irish Revolution 6. An Inter-war Rugby Surge 7. World War Two, the Irish Republic, and Leinster Rugby: 1939–69 8. Rugby’s Progress and the Coaching Boom 9. Leinster Rugby, New Foundations 10. Building Broader, Widening Rugby’s Base 11. The Re-invention of Leinster Rugby, 1995–2005 12. Creating Club Leinster 13. Consolidating a Professional Leinster Rugby FC 14. Leinster Conquering Europe Epilogue
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | OCTOBER 2021
Dark Beauty Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass Lucy Costigan and Michael Cullen
PUB DATE: 20 Oct 2021 PRICE: €29.95 / £24.99 ISBN: 9781785370755 FORMAT: Paperback 232x192mm EXTENT: 256pp ILLUS: 325 colour CATEGORIES: Irish Art Art History
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Sumptuously illustrated follow-up to Strangest Genius by the same authors, focusing on the intricate detail in Harry Clarke’s stained glass
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Now available in paperback, following the hugely successful 2019 hardback edition Dark Beauty focuses on the minute detail in Harry Clarke’s stainedglass windows, particularly in the borders and lower panels of his work. Clarke’s brilliance as a graphic artist is clearly visible in his book illustrations, which are imbued with precise attention to intricate designs, and he applied the same lavish focus to every facet of his stained glass. The title ‘Dark Beauty’ refers to the duality of Clarke’s work that sees delicate angels juxtaposed with macabre, grotesque figures, and represents the partially hidden details that dwell in the background of his windows – motifs, accessories, flora, fauna and diminutive characters – which may be missed in light of the dominance of the central subjects. The authors spent many years photographing Clarke’s windows in Ireland, England, America and Australia, and the resulting 60,000 photos have been carefully whittled down to 325 glorious images. Dark Beauty will provide lovers of Clarke’s stained glass with the opportunity to view previously obscured or unnoticed details in all their unique beauty and inspire their own travels to view Clarke’s work.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Lucy Costigan is from Wexford. Strangest Genius: The Stained Glass of Harry Clarke, by Lucy Costigan and Michael Cullen, was shortlisted for Best Irish-Published Book of the year by the Irish Book Awards in 2010 and for Book of the Decade by Dublin Book Festival in 2016. Lucy’s biography, Glenveagh Mystery : The Life, Work and Disappearance of Arthur Kingsley Porter, was a national bestseller in 2012 for Merrion Press. Michael Cullen is a photographer and cinematographer from Wexford. He photographed the entire stained-glass work of Harry Clarke worldwide from 2008 to 2010 for Strangest Genius.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
CONTENTS 1 Master of Colour and Light 2 Fashion and Accessories 3 Flora and Fauna 4 Settings and Décor 5 Borders, Tracery and Decorative Panels 6 Diminutive Characters 7 Adding Those Extra Details Endnotes Bibliography Image References Catalogue of Work Glossary Index by Location and Window
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | APRIL 2021
Life in Ireland A Short History of a Long Time Conor W. O’Brien
PUB DATE: 19 Apr. 2021 PRICE: €16.95/£14.99 ISBN: 9781785373848 FORMAT: PB with Flaps 215 x 135 EXTENT: 272 pp ILLUS: colour & B&W illustrations CATEGORIES: Natural History Irish History
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Eagerly awaited second book by the author of Ireland Through Birds, shortlisted for 2019 An Post Irish Book Awards.
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In his warm and engaging style, O’Brien guides the reader through millennia of amazing Irish natural history and how the landscape and all natural life evolved.
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Comprehensive but conversational, this is a must-read for fans of the popular science genre.
This is the story of life in Ireland – a story half a billion years in the making. With its castles, crannogs and passage tombs, Ireland is a land where history looms large, but the saga of life on this island dates back millions of years before the first people set foot here. In Life in Ireland, Conor O’Brien guides the reader on a journey around the island to explore the history of natural life here, from the Jurassic Coast of Antrim to the great Ice Age bone-beds of Cork. Along the way, we’ll meet some of the astonishing creatures to have called Ireland home through the ages: shelled monsters; huge marine lizards; armoured dinosaurs; giant deer; mighty mammoths. Vital strands in the story of life on Earth have left their mark here, including some of the first creatures to crawl onto land or take to the wing. This epic journey will take us from the first fossils to the present day, to see how our wildlife has adapted to the human age and explore what the future might hold for life in Ireland.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Conor W. O’Brien has been interested in wildlife and nature from a very early age, and it is a passion that has since taken him around the world. He’s a member of Birdwatch Ireland and has presented at member meetings of the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT). His first book, Ireland through Birds: Journeys in Search of a Wild Nation, was shortlisted for Best-Irish Published Book at the 2019 An Post Irish Book Awards.
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie
NEW TITLE | APRIL 2021
CONTENTS Introduction Part I: From the Dawn to the Dinosaurs The First Life in Ireland Footprints in Stone: The Tracks of Valentia Island Sharks, Shells and Swamp Monsters: Carboniferous Ireland Dinosaurs: The Reign of the Reptiles The Sea Dragons of Ulster Part II: The Beasts of Ice Age Ireland The Coming of the Ice Ice Age Ireland One Giant Tooth The Giant Irish Deer The Woolly Mammoth The Other Herbivores of Ice Age Ireland The Predators of the Plains The End of the Ice Age Mega-Beasts Part III: Life in the Human Age The Coming of Man To a Forest Primeval: Ireland’s Lost Woodlands Hidden Oases: Ireland’s Bogs and Uplands Life in the Grass: The Fauna of Ireland’s Farms Ireland’s Urban Wildlife In the Heart of the Sea: The Life in Ireland’s Oceans The Tragedy of the Great Auk Rewilding Ireland A New Frontier: Bringing Back the Ice Age Mega-Beasts Bibliography
Merrion Press, 10 George’s Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare ~ +353 45 432497 ~ info@merrionpress.ie ~ www.merrionpress.ie Distribution: Gill Distribution ~ Tel: +353 1500 9555 ~ sales@gill.ie