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MERCIER PRESS NEW TITLES 2017
The Great Famine in Tralee and North Kerry • Events depicted resonate with current news stories on the migrant crisis. • Author features regularly in both local and national media and has contributed to several other publications. • A valuable addition to famine studies literature that will provoke extensive interest in Kerry and its diaspora. Bryan MacMahon focuses on human stories rather than statistics as he depicts the unprecedented events, upheavals and challenges of the famine years through the eyes of those who were there and reveals information which has lain hidden and untapped for 170 years.
HISTORY JUNE 2017 384 PP 234 x 156mm HARDBACK 15 ILLUSTRATIONS, BLACK & WHITE 978 1 78117 467 8 €35.00 / £29.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST This is the most wide-ranging series of essays ever published on the Great Irish Famine and will prove of lasting interest to the general reader. Leading historians, economists and geographers – from Ireland, Britain and the United States – have assembled the most up-to-date research from a wide spectrum of disciplines, including medicine, folklore and literature, to give the fullest account yet of the background and consequences of the famine. Contributors include Dr Kevin Whelan, Professor Mary Daly, Professor James Donnelly and Professor Cormac Ó Gráda. Cathal Póirtéir has been broadcasting on RTÉ Radio 1 for thirty years. Cover: ‘The Discovery of the Potato Blight in Ireland’ by Daniel McDonald (1821–53), courtesy of the Department of Irish Folklore, University College, Dublin.
www.mercierpress.ie
MERCIER HISTORY
Irish Publisher – Irish Story
RTÉ/ MERCIER
9781856350914 9781856351119 9781856357531
This book gives an account of incidents in Tralee and North Kerry. It gives a detailed overview and a moving insight into the suffering endured by thousands in the area. The contemporary accounts allow the reader to relive the shocking events, and to understand the stark dilemmas faced by those who were not themselves directly affected by hunger or disease. Here too are the names and inquest details of some of the dead, and poignant descriptions of life in the workhouses of Tralee and Listowel. Included are stories of scandals and possible sexual abuse in the workhouse but also many examples of selfless humanitarian work. Bryan MacMahon is originally from Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry, and now lives in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, where he was a secondary school teacher for thirty years. He has contributed to The Irish Times (Irishman’s Diary columns), the Irish Independent, History Ireland, ‘The Irish Sword’, ‘The Holly Bough’ and many local historical society publications in Kerry and Dublin. He has also featured on ‘Nationwide’ (RTÉ TV), Sunday Miscellany and The Business (RTÉ Radio 1), and on Talking History and The Moncrieff Show (Newstalk). He has published six books on local and general history.
Cork’s Revolutionary Dead: 1916-1923
An overview of events in Cork city and county during Ireland’s revolutionary period, with a comprehensive list of the lives lost on all sides between 1916 and 1923 and the circumstances in which the deaths happened. • Comprehensive account includes IRA members, British forces, all sides in the civil war and civilians caught in the crossfire. • Over 700 deaths are detailed and each of these will have many interested family members. • Of huge interest to the Cork media and wider Cork diaspora. • Of great interest to the families of British soldiers who know nothing of how and why their loved ones died.
HISTORY JUNE 2017 448 PP 234 x 156mm HARDBACK 18 ILLUSTRATIONS, BLACK & WHITE 978 1 78117 495 1 €35.00 / £29.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781856358057 9781781171370 9781781174654
In Part 1 Keane gives a brief introduction to the period and outlines the most important events that took place during the course of the fight against the British in Cork from 1916 to 1921 and during the Civil War of 1922–23.This includes the burning of Cork city, the ambush at Kilmichael (which is examined in great detail), Crossbarry and the story of Tom Barry’s trench coat. In Part 2 Keane uses a wealth of new sources to reconstruct every death that can be ascribed to the war, including those caught in the crossfire and some accidental deaths that can be directly linked to one side or the other. Some individuals who did not die in the county, but who were central to the conduct of the war there, are also included. One such example is Terence MacSwiney, who died in Brixton prison in London in October 1920, but was both head of the IRA in Cork and lord mayor of the city, having assumed the role after his predecessor, Tomás MacCurtain, had been assassinated earlier that year. Barry Keane is a Corkonian, a history and geography teacher, and the author of a number of books and articles covering many subjects, most recently Massacre in West Cork (Mercier Press, 2014), the definitive account of the controversial killings in Dunmanway between the signing of the Treaty and the start of the Civil War.
Fakeaway:
Fast Food Made Healthy The rising star of Irish chefs shows you how to enjoy your favourite indulgent treats – without the guilt! • Author appears regularly on RTÉ and TV3, has an extensive schedule of events around the country and a very high profile. • He is a fully trained chef and spent six years working with Neven Maguire at MacNean House. • Enjoy all the flavours of takeaway treats without the negative health consequences.
FOOD & DRINK JUNE 2017 224 PP 220 x 155 mm PAPERBACK 50 ILLUSTRATIONS, COLOUR 978 1 78117 490 6 €16.99 / £14.50
AS SEEN ON CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781856356299 9781781173824 9781781173695
Everyone loves a takeaway, but we have never been more aware of their impact on our health and our wallet. Adrian Martin has made it his mission to prove that you can enjoy your favourite treats with much less work than you might expect and for a fraction of the price. Using tips and tricks he has picked up from working in some of the top restaurants in Ireland and from many late nights of trial and error, Adrian’s recipes let you recreate your favourite fast foods using easily accessible and healthy ingredients. From Chinese crispy duck to fish and chips, curries to burgers, pizzas to chicken wings and some sweet treats too – a night in has never looked so good! Adrian’s cheeky grin and infectious enthusiasm have made him many fans during his appearances on TV3’s The Six O’Clock Show and his slots on RTÉ with Fakeaway and Chef Adrian Eats Ireland. Adrian Martin is originally from Co. Cavan. He has a degree in culinary arts from the School of Tourism in Killybegs. He worked in the award-winning restaurants, MacNean House in Cavan and Bon Appetit in Malahide. He currently travels the country giving food education talks in schools and hosting demonstrations for charities, GAA clubs, ICA groups, festivals and schools. He appears fortnightly on TV3’s Six O Clock Show Joe.ie voted him as one of the 15 rising stars of 2015 and he has been voted in the top 26 people to follow on Snapchat by Lovin Dublin. His recipes have been published in Woman’s Way, the RTÉ Guide and Easy Food magazine.
No Way Out :
The Irish in Wartime France, 1939-1945 The compelling experiences of many of the 2,000 Irish people, ranging from bohemian writers and artists to governesses, nuns and priests, who were trapped in occupied France during the Second World War. • A uniquely Irish angle on the perennially fascinating subject of the Second World War. • Revelations of Irish involvement with the Resistance and those who compromised themselves with Vichy and the Germans. • Outlines the successes, failures and moral dilemmas of the Irish diplomatic corps in France. The experiences of the Irish in France during the war were overshadowed by the threat of internment or destitution. Up to 2,000 Irish people were stuck in occupied France after the defeat by Nazi Germany in June 1940. This population consisted largely of governesses and members of religious orders, but also the likes of Samuel Beckett, as well as a few individuals who managed to find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up in internment camps (or worse).
HISTORY JULY 2017 352 PP 215 x 135mm PAPERBACK 978 1 78117 487 6 €19.99 / £16.99
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST A handful of Irishmen fought for Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Of those, very few are known to have sworn the oath of the notorious Waffen-SS. James Brady and his friend, Frank Stringer, originally joined an Irish regiment of the British Army and but for a twist of fate would have ended up fighting against the Nazis. Instead, having been captured by the Germans in Guernsey, they switched sides and were trained by German military intelligence. The pair were recruited to the German special forces, and even had the distinctive blood group tattoo of the SS.
The book examines the engagement of the Irish in various forms of resistance. It also reveals that the attitude of some of the Irish towards the German occupiers was not always as clear-cut as politically correct discourse would like to suggest. There are fascinating revelations, most notably that Ireland’s diplomatic representative in Paris sold quantities of wine to Hermann Göring; that Irish passports were given out very liberally (including to a convicted British rapist); that, in the early part of the war, some Irish ended up in internment camps in France and, through the slowness of the Irish authorities to intervene, were subsequently sent to concentration camps in Germany; and that a couple of Irish people faced criminal proceedings in France after the Liberation because of their wartime dealings with the Germans.
Under the command of Otto Skorzeny, the man who had rescued Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from a mountaintop prison, they were involved in some of the most ferocious fighting of the war during the last days of the Third Reich. This account draws heavily on the men’s own accounts and on state papers which have only been released in recent years. Terence O’Reilly is a former artilleryman who completed several tours of duty with the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon. He is currently a member of staff of the Defence Forces library, specialising in military history.
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MERCIER HISTORY
Irish Publisher - Irish Story
9781856356626 9781781173886 9781856355896
Isadore Ryan is a financial journalist and editor, resident in Paris for over 20 years. He studied languages in Trinity College, Dublin and completed a Master’s Degree in War Studies at the University of London.
The Cookery School, Donnybrook Fair The man behind Dublin’s highest profile cookery school demystifies the art of cooking great food. • The Donnybrook Fair brand is synonymous with food excellence. • More than 1,500 people attended courses at the Cookery School in 2016. • Five shops in the greater Dublin area.
FOOD & DRINK AUGUST 2017 288 PP 240 x 168mm HARDBACK OVER 90 ILLUSTRATIONS, COLOUR 978 1 78117 473 9 €22.99 / £19.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781174777 9781781173664 9781781173343
When Joe Doyle, MD of Donnybrook Fair, recruited Niall Murphy to run the cookery school at his flagship Donnybrook store in 2010 it was the start of a fruitful partnership that has seen the DF ethos – ‘a gourmet food company dedicated to excellence’ – combined with Niall’s philosophy that ‘simple food, brilliantly done is unbeatable’ to triumphant effect. Since then, Niall and the many high-profile guest chefs the school has featured have shared this message with thousands of people of all ages who have attended the regular demonstrations and hands-on classes at the cookery school. In this book the most popular recipes from the courses have been collected together for the first time in one place. Topics covered include: greatstart breakfasts, the art of breadmaking, stunning starters, cooking meat to perfection, easy seafood, winter and summer soups, sensational sauces, tapas, one-pot wonders, curry nights, sushi and chocolate heaven. Niall Murphy worked in the motor industry for many years, but one day in the height of the recession had a ‘road to Damascus’ moment that led him to return to his childhood passion for food and to retrain as a chef. A circuitous route led him to a serendipitous meeting with Joe Doyle, who was looking for someone who combined a passion for food with business experience to run the DF Cookery School. This has given Niall perfect vehicle to fulfil his new-found mission in life: to encourage you to cook simple recipes, with great ingredients, that cover a wide variety of cooking techniques, and to take the mystery out of cooking.
I Die in a Good CauseThomas Ashe: A Biography
The classic biography of the Irish revolutionary rereleased to coincide with the centenary of his death on hunger strike. • Extensive national commemorations planned for Summer/Autumn 2017. • New introduction by renowned historian, Professor Joe Lee. • Unavailable for many years and much sought-after by those interested in the period. • Will be especially topical in Ashe’s home county of Kerry.
HISTORY AUGUST 2017 352 PP 215 x 135mm PAPERBACK 16 ILLUSTRATIONS, BLACK & WHITE 978 1 78117 505 7 €14.99 / £12.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781856358842 9781781174784 9781781172780
Originally from west Kerry, Thomas Ashe was a schoolteacher in north County Dublin and a founding member of the Irish Volunteers. During the 1916 Rising he commanded the Fingal Battalion of the Volunteers, who were tasked with destroying the communications network of the British establishment north of Dublin city. This culminated in the Battle of Ashbourne, where the tactics used were a precursor of the guerrilla warfare techniques that were to be so effective in the War of Independence. Ashe was sentenced to death alongside Éamon de Valera, but their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment. He led a hunger strike in Lewes Prison in May 1917 and was released under a general amnesty in June. Ashe was re-arrested in August for a speech he made in Co. Longford. He was imprisoned in Mountjoy, where he went on hunger strike in September for prisoner-of-war status. He died on 25 September, having been force-fed by the prison authorities. Michael Collins delivered the oration at his funeral and the circumstances of his death and funeral became one of the key factors in tipping public opinion towards supporting the cause of the 1916 rebels. Seán Ó Lúing was born in Ballyferriter, west Kerry in the same year that Thomas Ashe died. He worked as a primary teacher before joining the translation staff of the Dáil, where he rose to become head of the department. He was the author of books in Irish on John Devoy, Arthur Griffith and Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa and in English of The Fremantle Mission.
The Art of Hurling:
insights & success from the sideline What makes a great hurling manager, who can turn a team around? Daire Whelan has interviewed some of the best to find out. • Gripping analysis of the evolution of modern hurling. • Based on interviews with some of the greatest managers of recent decades. • Author is a well-known journalist and broadcaster. • Cover quotes provided by former All-Ireland winners Clare’s Jamesie O’Connor and Tipperary’s Eoin Kelly.
SPORT OCTOBER 2017 320 PP 215 x 135mm PAPERBACK 16 ILLUSTRATIONS, COLOUR 978 1 78117 481 4 €16.99 / £14.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781171554 9781781175088
How are some hurling managers able to transform losing teams to All-Ireland champions in a short space of time? What is it about their philosophies and beliefs about the game that makes them unique and successful? What are their thoughts on the future of hurling in this period of unprecedented focus on the game and its development? In this book, author, journalist and producer Daire Whelan uncovers the ideas and methods of some of the game’s most successful managers.Tracing the evolution of hurling managers from the 1970s up to the present day, he has spoken to some of the game’s most enlightened thinkers from that period, including Eamon O’Shea, Anthony Daly, Justin McCarthy, Eamonn Cregan, Babs Keating, John Allen, Cyril Farrell, Liam Griffin, Ger Loughnane, Diarmuid Healy and Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton. They are the ones who not only won All-Irelands or provincial titles, but who did so in unique circumstances, often ending decades-long losing streaks and usually bringing success within a season or two. They provide an insight into the traits and techniques of the greatest hurling managers. Daire Whelan is an award-winning producer, journalist and author. He has been launch editor of joe.ie, producer of Off the Ball, weekend editor of Newstalk and producer of RTE’s Drivetime Sport. His previous books have been about the League of Ireland, Dublin GAA and Gaelic football managers. He was also ghost-writer for the Bord Gáis Sports Book of the Year shortlisted Donal Lenihan: My Life in Rugby.
NIKKI HAYES ING CRY
INTO THE SAUCEP
ess
l illn ‘Menta ce is not a
choi
pe is’
But ho
AN
‘Sharing my hell and showing my scars Is the most frightening
‘Im not the
kind of girl
You can easily
understand’ “I live in a vicious circle of self
hatred
I create it and it
consumes me”
rewarding experience
ever’
Someone who suffers with BPD isn’t locked up with the key thrown away, its not a spoilt child kicking the wall – its me,
I’m BPD.
MEMOIR SEPTEMBER 2017 256 PP 215 x 135mm PAPERBACK 978 1 78117 499 9 €14.99 / £12.50
Crying into the Saucepan High-profile radio personality Nikki Hayes details her ongoing struggles with her mental health in a frank and revealing memoir and offers hope to those affected and their loved ones • Will get lots of media coverage due to highprofile author and cover reviews by celebrities including Louis Walsh. • Mental health issues are increasingly common and people are more willing to talk about them. • Provides inspiration and hope for those affected and their families. Well-known DJ Nikki Hayes has lived most of her life with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a serious mental disorder marked by a pattern of on-going instability in mood, behaviour, self-image and functioning. BPD is also associated with severe functional impairment and high rates of suicide. Nikki should have been diagnosed aged fifteen the first time she came in contact with the mental health services with anorexia, or aged nineteen, after an attempted suicide; or aged twenty-eight following a breakdown after her father’s death, and if not then aged thirty-four when she was diagnosed with postnatal depression. Instead, each time she was given a different diagnosis, none fully explaining her symptoms or actions. Nikki believes her illness went undetected for so long because a lot of how she was feeling and acting was easily explained away by lumping it under the umbrella term of ‘depression’, or, by simply attributing it to attention seeking or just being a little out of control. By sharing her story Nikki hopes to help others see that they are not alone and encourage greater support for people suffering with mental health issues in Ireland.
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781174067 9781781172339 9781781173206
Originally from Bray, Co. Wicklow, Nikki Hayes was a DJ with 2FM from 2003-2010. She is currently a DJ on Spin 103.8, 4FM and East Coast FM. Nikki is also an agony aunt on Evoke.ie. She has suffered from various mental health issues, including anorexia and depression since she was a teenager and was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in 2015. She has worked with several mental health charities to raise the profile of the issues they deal with.
Sam Maguire:
The Man and The Cup The full story of the Irish patriot and the football trophy that was named after him. • Everyone knows the name but very few know the story behind it. • Maguire was the man who recruited Michael Collins to the IRB and later became his chief intelligence officer in London. • A key piece of GAA and Republican history.
HISTORY SEPTEMBER 2017 224 PP 198 x 129mm PAPERBACK 978 1 78117 509 5 €12.99 / £10.99
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781856354806
9781781171486
Originally from a Church of Ireland family in west Cork, Sam Maguire played a leading role in the GAA and the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) in London before and during the War of Independence in 1919–1921 when he was the main agent of Michael Collins in London. This book describes his role in the GAA and the IRB. It tells of his tragic final years when he returned to Ireland in 1923, was later dismissed from his job in the post office and died penniless from TB in 1927. However, his friends recognised his significant contribution and decided to give a cup to the GAA to perpetuate his memory: the Sam Maguire Cup. The book recounts who they were, the origins of the design of the cup and the story of its creation. The final chapters describe the most notable All-Ireland football finals and interesting facts and figures about them such as the first penalty, players who have been presented with the cup twice and players who have played in four finals without winning one.
Kieran Connolly is, like Sam Maguire, a native of Dunmanway in West Cork though he has lived a stone’s throw from Croke Park and worked in Dublin since the late 1970s. He is a keen GAA fan and an enthusiastic history buff. This is his first book.
Rebel Cork:
A Photographic History 1913-1923 ‘Rebel Cork: A Photographic History 1913-1923’ tells the story of the Cork people and events in words, pictures and documents. • Huge local interest in Cork and surrounding areas. • Packed with photographs, many of which have not been seen before. • Well-known author, popular on the history talks circuit.
HISTORY OCTOBER 2017 288 PP 240 x 168 mm HARDBACK OVER 200 PHOTOGRAPHS 978 1 78117 397 8 €24.99 / £20.99
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781172889 9781781171325 9781781170519
Between 1913 and 1923 Ireland underwent a revolution that would change the political geography of the island and the course of Irish history.The people of Cork city and county played a pivotal role in many of the events that took place, both in Cork and on the national stage during those tumultuous years. Rebel Cork: A Photographic History 1913-1923 tells the story of those people and events in words, pictures and documents. It traces the transformation from ‘Loyal Cork’ to ‘Rebel Cork’. It also tells the story of the formation of the Cork Brigade of Irish Volunteers and what happened in Cork during the 1916 Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War. The story of Irish Volunteers such as Tomás MacCurtain, Terence MacSwiney, Tom Barry and Michael Collins and key members of the forces of the crown who opposed them is also covered, as is the aftermath of the revolution. Gerry White is a military historian who served forty-three years in the Irish Defence Forces and is also a member of the Western Front Association. He lectures nationally on aspects of Irish military history and is a regular contributor to national and international military journals. He is the co-author of Baptised in Blood: The Cork Brigade of Irish Volunteers 1913–1916 and The Burning of Cork amongst other books. Daniel Breen has been a curator with Cork Public Museum since 2002, where he has worked on almost 100 exhibitions of various sizes as well as being involved in the cataloguing and preservation of a collection of over 100,000 items. He is co-author of Cork City Through Time’and West Cork Through Time and Cork International Exhibition 1902/3: Snapshot of Edwardian Cork as well as other titles.
THE DEAD BESIDE US:
a MEMOIR OF growing UP IN DERRY Tony Doherty, author of This Man’s Wee Boy continues his journey growing up in Derry in the midst of the ‘Troubles’. • Sequel to the hugely popular This Man’s Wee Boy. • A first-hand account of the most tumultuous and horrifying period of our recent history, including death coming to the young narrator’s door • Author is a well-known figure in the northwest and is well connected to local and national media
HISTORY OCTOBER 2017 320 PP 198 x 129mm PAPERBACK 978 1 78117 512 5 €14.99 / £12.50
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781174586
The follow-up to This Man’s Wee Boy this book chronicles the life and times of teenagers who were born in Derry in the early 1960s. Written from a child’s/teenager’s perspective it evokes the emotions, sights, sounds and smells of events in real time. Tony doesn’t offer analysis, commentary or any other explanation of these events, he simply tells this own story from when he was nine until he was twenty with the characters presented to the reader in the way they were known to him at the time. The mainstay of the book is Tony’s description of his family and the impact of his father’s death. Tony Doherty grew up in the Brandywell area of Derry, a small, Catholic, working-class community where both his mother and father were from. His father’s death on Bloody Sunday, where the book starts, had a profound effect on his life. He grew up knowing that his father was murdered but could only comprehend its basic wrongness more fully as he grew older. Tony became involved in the republican movement later and was imprisoned. Tony Doherty was instrumental in setting up the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign in 1992, which led in 2010 to the exoneration of his father and the others killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday, and to a public apology from the British Prime Minister in the House of Commons. He published his first book, the hugely popular The Man’s Wee Boy, in 2016.
FAIR FACES Stunning black and white images of uniquely Irish characters taken at a variety of traditional fairs and festivals around the country. • In a similar vein to the Vanishing Ireland series. • Excellent material for newspaper and magazine features. • Will appeal to locals and tourists alike.
PHOTOGRAPHY OCTOBER 2017 288 PP 240 x 168mm HARDBACK OVER 200 BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS
John Hall has travelled to traditional horse fairs, steam rallies, religious ceremonies, fleadhs and festivals around Ireland over the last few years and has captured these wonderful, candid, blackand-white photographs of people engaged in traditional activities and pastimes in a manner little changed since the 1950s,1960s and 1970s. He shows that the traditional ways have not yet vanished. It is a valuable photographic record of a uniquely Irish way of life that is rapidly being swallowed up by the trappings of modern living, and will soon be lost to future generations. This book awakens nostalgia, records what it means to be uniquely Irish and captures our cultures and traditions.
978 1 78117 515 6 €24.99 / £20.99
CAN’T MISS BACKLIST
9781781172438 9781781174661 9781781170427
John Hall grew up on the north side of Cork city during the 1960s and 1970s. He bought his first camera in the 1980s and began a lifelong passion for photography. After 20 years of focusing on Irish landscapes and seascapes a trip to Innishannon Steam Rally prompted him to start taking the photographs that became this book. A trip to Puck Fair in Killorglin followed, and he was soon scouring the local press for notices of festivals, fetes and fairs to add to the portfolio he was building. He has exhibited his photographs at many local exhibitions and was featured in a major exhibition at Cork Airport in 2015.