Ireland A Concise History

There is a tragic inevitability about Irish history which this book brings out with clarity, impartiality and compassion. From the first Protestant settlements in Elizabethan times to the barricades of the Bogside it has been, for the most part, a story of 'hatred answering hatred,' as Lady Gregory wrote, 'death answering death through the generations like clerks at the mass.' In Yeats' striking phrase, four bells are heard, 'four deep, tragic notes in Irish history.' - the Catholic revolt in Elizabeth's reign - the battle of the Boyne - the impact of the French Revolution on Ireland - the fall from power of Charles Stuart Parnell, when the chain of events started which led to partition. In this revised edition of a book which has been widely read and praised, bring Irish history to the end of the twentieth century. Dr and Mrs Conor Cruise O'Brien were uniquely qualified to write of their country's history. Maire O'Brien is the daughter of Sean Mac Entee, veteran of the Rising of 1916 and deputy prime minister in successive de Valera governments, Her husband, after a distinguished career in the Irish foreign service and Irish politics, was Editor-in-chief of The Observer from 1978 to 1981. His many books include Parnell and his Party, Conor Cruise O'Brien Introduces Ireland and an acclaimed study of Edmund Burke, The Great Melody. Conor Cruise O'Brien died in 2008.O'Brien, Conor Cruise is the author of 'Ireland A Concise History' with ISBN 9780500273791 and ISBN 0500273790.