“What are we if not our stories?” – Enda Walsh, Playwright Stories. Life stories. Stories of love and loss. Success and failure. Stories about people and place. Stories about the magical spark of creativity. Life stories that make us feel and that make us think. Stories that are stirring and inspirational. With a particular emphasis on the role of landscape and environs, The Art of Place brings together 30 captivating personal stories by some of the most creative people in Ireland, who all live in or come from County Clare. Featured contributors include writers and visual artists, musicians and composers, sculptors and crafts people, photographers and filmmakers. Their compelling and deeply personal stories will resonate not only with people from the West of Ireland, but with people worldwide who are enthralled by the creative process. Beautifully designed and including 30 specially commissioned photographic interpretations by award-winning photographer John Kelly, The Art of Place is a work of art itself, and a magnificent testament to the artistic spirit for which Ireland is justifiably famous.

A quarter of a century ago, Canon Hilary Wakeman became the Rector of a Church of Ireland parish in the far southwest of Ireland, a very different world from her English home in Norwich. This book is Hilary’s record of her memorable first year in West Cork.It was 1996, but it seemed like going back years in time. There was very little traffic on the roads, only one television channel, and many household goods were difficult to find and expensive. There was considerable poverty yet mountains of homemade cakes at every gathering and wonderful good humour. It was not all plain sailing however. Hilary was well aware of the history of the area and keen not to open up old Catholic–Protestant wounds in West Cork. Fortunately, her ecumenical approach was welcomed by most. During Hilary’s eventful year there were challenges and setbacks, and even tragedies: drownings, a suicide, the fatal road accident of a young boy, and a brutal murder that received international coverage. But there was also great joy and even romance: two weeks after arriving, Hilary’s daughter meets a handsome Catholic fisherman, though not everyone approves… A Different World ends with a jubilant Catholic–Protestant, homemade wedding. The marriage service is conducted by Hilary in the Famine Church by the sea, and the reception held in the beautiful garden of the nearby Rectory. It was a wonderful day.

This revised paperback edition of Harry Kernoff: The Little Genius updates the first full-length biography of one of Ireland's leading artists. Born in London, Harry Kernoff moved to Dublin in 1914 and from 1923 until his death in 1974 was a full-time artist when it was neither "profitable nor fashionable". Against the odds, Harry Kernoff has left a more encompassing visual record of the Irish experience during the twentieth century than any contemporary painter through his empathic interest in the ordinary people, and especially rank-and-file Dubliners. Kevin O'Connor provides a revealing look at an extraordinary artist, emphasising Kernoff’s humanity, his art and his prolific output.Artist and writer John Ryan says that Kernoff "issued a continuous flow of paintings of the great, the curious, the famous and the notorious.… No metropolis was ever better served by a graphic recorder: He is our Boswell in paint." The value of Kernoff’s work has risen dramatically in recent years, as has his reputation. This lavishly illustrated paperback edition is a fitting tribute to an exceptional artist. "...fans of Kernoff, old and new, will be delighted to see his work gathered in one place and in such a beautifully produced volume." - Katrina Goldstone, The Irish Times

The Trinity College VIII is a light-hearted account of how the 1977 Dublin University Boat Club raced the best university crews in the world in an attempt to win the cherished Ladies Plate at the Royal Henley Regatta – almost exactly 100 years after their last win at the prestigious event. Trinity College Dublin has a rich academic and sporting history, and similarly has produced talented undergraduates with mischievous minds and a healthy disregard for establishment rules. In The Trinity College VIII the two fuse together perfectly. Author and crew member David Hickey describes their prowess on the water and misadventures on land, from his awkward meeting with an Egyptian General who he told to f**k off on the telephone, to the explosive results one gets when trying to open a beer keg in the bath tub without the proper tools. But Hickey also takes an in-depth look at the reality of competitive rowing. He describes what actually happens in a race, what it feels like in the boat, the tactics involved and choices that have to be made. He also explains why he and his teammates were willing to spend the many gruelling hours of training required in order to be competitive. Above all, The Trinity College VIII is a story of discipline, camaraderie, fitness, self-belief, teamwork, student antics and hard work as seen by one Trinity College undergraduate who joined the Boat Club to pursue the Ladies.

This entertaining work by Donal O’Sullivan tells how the National Yacht Club developed, from its beginnings as a rowing club, comfortably set down in the northeast corner of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, how it nearly went under on a couple of occasions, was threatened with forced migration to a less salubrious part of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour and ultimately grew into one of the finest yacht clubs in Dublin. Donal has called the work chronicles because he is uneasy about calling it a history. A yacht club, a building, is not something you can easily put a history on, not least this one which lost over 100 years of its records in two disastrous conflagrations. So what is presented here is a narrative of the club’s evolution not so much by way of its physical or organisational structure but by particular reference to some of the people who featured in the club’s story, or who gave the club a perceptible quality which might be thought characteristic of the National Yacht Club. The Greek word ethos would be too grand to describe it. Rather it’s a certain singularity, a disinclination to be too predictable or over respectful to convention or the accepted way of doing things. This is not to say that dramatic events did not occur at the NYC, not the least of which was the homecoming party for Annalise Murphy after she won a Silver Medal in the 2016 Summer Olympics. As the Commodore, Martin McCarthy notes, ‘As temporary custodians of the club, this history reminds us of how the many previous Commodores, Flag Officers and members adapted their policies and operations to meet the ever-changing requirements of Dublin and Ireland’s sailing fraternity…. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Donal O’Sullivan for his … engaging and entertaining writing style [and] breathtaking knowledge of who, what, where and when, which captures many of the milestones on the lifetime of the club in the last 150 years.’

In these particularly stressful times, many people are struggling with their mental health. Some are caught up in their painful past, others are fretful about an uncertain future, and even more are anxious about their current circumstances. While the worries and concerns are real, practical steps can be taken to make them more manageable. In this insightful book, David Delaney draws on his own experiences to provide a welcome handbook on resilience and mindfulness. Becoming almost completely blind at eight years old, David struggled to fit in, and was hampered by his insecurities, doubts and low self-worth until he learned the skills to embark on a path to lasting confidence, health and happiness. For over twenty years David has researched resilience, meditation, Tai Chi, mindfulness, Yoga, Qi Gung movements and other techniques. He then studied modern scientific research on their efficacy and started applying their helpful practices and stories to his own life and in the meditation classes he taught. He now wants to share what he has learned. This step-by-step guide can set you free by breaking the chains of your past and helping you to embrace a bright new future. By making simple changes in your everyday world, you can make a huge difference to your life. So, here’s the question: what’s stopping you from taking the next step? It’s your life – why not get the most from it? Come join David on your own heroic journey of self-discovery.

So Far, So Good recounts the story of an ordinary man who has enjoyed extraordinary adventures throughout his life. Trained as a civil engineer, Paddy Barry managed to combine raising a family with exploring remote parts of the world, often on his Galway Hooker sailing boat. From Siberia to Tierra del Fuego, Connemara to Malawi, Greenland to Ethiopia, on mountains and on sea, Paddy has endured hardships and visited places very few could match. In this revised and updated memoir, Paddy describes sailing his leaking Galway Hooker across the Atlantic Ocean to a triumphant arrival in Boston Harbour; a near ‘wipe out’ while successfully recreating Ernest Shackleton’s exploits in Antarctica; capsizing near Mount Brandon on the night of the Fastnet Race disaster; accomplishing the first westward circumnavigation of the North Pole in a small boat, winning the Blue Water Medal; completing the hazardous journey through the Northwest Passage, one of only a handful of boats to do so; his recent remarkable journey to Greenland on an old Irish ketch; and a few less perilous journeys such as sailing across the Bay of Biscay to trade Irish woollens and whiskey for Spanish wine and cheeses – though even then they nearly collided with a tugboat and its tow – and retracing the remarkable journeys of Irish monks in Iceland. On land Paddy had further adventures building bridges in the fierce heat in Malawi, and later in life worked for the Rapid Response Team for the United Nations World Food Programme in Ethiopia. And in Ireland he worked on the construction of the iconic Poolbeg Stacks which still dominate the Dublin skyline, and which his children always referred to as ‘Daddy’s Chimneys’.But he was always drawn back to the sea. So Far, So Good is a rollicking, delightful account of a life truly well lived, and a striking example of a work/life balance that is much to be envied.

By any account Paddy Murray has had a remarkable life. From meeting entertainment and sports celebrities like John Wayne, Pele, Madonna, Eric Clapton, Richard Harris, Elton John, George Harrison, Eric Cantona and Eddie Irvine, to reporting on Ireland’s heroic loss in the World Cup at Italia ’90, to writing about Irish political scandals, tragedies, heinous crimes and much more over 40 years in the Evening Herald, Irish Daily Star, Sunday World and The Sunday Tribune, Paddy has seen it all. Along the way, Paddy managed to write gags for the Two Ronnies, performed comedy in front of a live audience, erected a plaque commemorating The Beatles’ only Irish performance at the Adelphi Cinema in Dublin, battled with Lymphoma for over 20 years and became a father at 50+. Looking back on a colourful life while now struggling with more health challenges - Stage 4 COPD - Paddy is adamant that the highs far outweigh the lows, that his marriage to Connie and the love of his daughter Charlotte make every painful treatment worthwhile.So come along on an entertaining journey recalling one journalist’s extraordinary life in 250 stories!

Poet John Wakeman told The Irish Times that he thought "it would be exciting to start a poetry magazine out of the wilds of West Cork in Ireland." Within a few years THE SHOp became one of Ireland’s most highly-regarded poetry magazines, not only for its contents but for its looks. "Unquestionably the most beautiful poetry magazine now in existence," Bernard O’Donoghue said. Seamus Heaney described himself as a "confirmed SHOp-lifter." The title was inspired by W.B. Yeats' "foul rag and bone shop of the heart." The idiosyncratic lower-case 'p' was a whim of the early magazine designer, Joakim Säflund. Over the period between 1999 and 2014, THE SHOp published the work of internationally recognised poets such as Seamus Heaney, Paul Muldoon, Medbh McGuckian, Brendan Kennelly, Paula Meehan, Theo Dorgan, John F. Deane, Derek Mahon and John Montague. Significantly, it also provided a welcome and much needed space for emerging talents. Gradually, international poets began to contribute work. Each issue contained at least one poem in Irish, by poets such as Gabriel Rosenstock and Michael Davitt, with a translation. When John died in 2018 the poetry editor of The Irish Times, Gerard Smyth, wrote, "John Wakeman and his wife Hilary created a communal home for Irish poetry." The President of the Irish Republic, Michael D. Higgins, himself a poet, sent his condolences to Hilary and her family. One of the first women rectors of the Church of Ireland, Hilary had retired in 2001 and became co-editor and designer of THE SHOp. When Hilary Wakeman suggested producing an anthology to celebrate THE SHOp's legacy, it was met with such enthusiasm she knew she had to make it happen. So with the help of her co-editor, the poet Hilary Elfick, together they identified 285 poems from the 840 poets published in THE SHOp during those 15 years. The result is this collection of some of the finest Irish and international poetry ever assembled in one volume. The former Director of Poetry Ireland, Theo Dorgan, stated that "THE SHOp is a part of Irish literary history. That John and Hilary managed to produce such a rich and eclectic journal … from the side of a hill in West Cork was a source of wonder to us all."

The world economy had barely recovered from the global financial crisis when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and knocked it back to the floor. Governments already struggling with low growth and high debt have, once again, been forced to take extraordinary measures to protect businesses and jobs. The future looks grim. The pandemic swept across the globe in 2020 as quickly as confidence in the banking system had vanished in 2008. In Ireland, only the tough decisions of a small group of regulators and officials kept the country from collapse, though the price of salvation was a huge national debt and years of lost opportunities. As a key insider to the Irish bailout, Jonathan McMahon was at the heart of the response, witnessing what it takes to manage a crisis that threatens a nation. Battle-hardened by his experiences at the top of UK financial regulation during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jonathan's advice on how to deal with crises is invaluable as countries all around the globe grapple with the effects of COVID-19. Jonathan does not have all the answers, but as Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Jonathan argues that we have to attend to the real, underlying causes of crises, not expediently dodge the difficult choices to be made. The bitter truth is that even if a vaccine is found to eradicate the virus, the huge challenges facing political and business leaders will persist. Post-Pandemic is essential reading as we make decisions about our future. It is a book for our times. "… a magnificent book. McMahon brings his policy experience … to give us key lessons of looking at the data, making judgements, and acting quickly before the problems become unmanageable. … [W]ritten in a fun, racy style … in the post-pandemic world of pervasive uncertainty, it carries profound messages." – Ashoka Mody, Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at Princeton University, former Assistant Director with the International Monetary Fund and author of EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts "Can our reactions to the previous crisis help us navigate the post-pandemic economic recovery? Drawing on a shrewd interpretation of his experience in Ireland a decade ago, and illustrating the discussion with vivid cameos, Jonathan McMahon makes a persuasive case that they can. A lively and instructive read." – Professor Patrick Honohan, former Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland and author of Currency, Credit and Crisis: Central Banking in Ireland and Europe. "The Covid 19 pandemic has produced an economic crisis which, as usual, is quite unlike its predecessors. But Jonathan McMahon shows that there are some enduring principles which should govern crisis management. He has drawn on his experience in the eye of the storm in the euro zone banking crisis to write an entertaining and extremely useful book." – Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland and former Director of the London School of Economics.

Ireland is home to some of the world’s oldest astronomically-aligned structures, giant stone monuments erected over 5,000 years ago. Despite their apparent simplicity, these megalithic edifices were crafted by a scientifically knowledgeable community of farmers who endeavoured to enshrine their beliefs in a stellar afterlife within the very fabric of their cleverly-designed stone temples. Finally back in print, this reissued edition presents evidence suggesting the builders of monuments such as Newgrange and its Boyne Valley counterparts were adept astronomers, cunning engineers and capable surveyors. Their huge monuments are memorials in stone and earth, commemorating their creators’ perceived unity with the cosmos and enshrining a belief system which resulted from a crossover between science and spirituality. As investigation of this awe-inspiring civilisation of people continues on many levels, evidence is emerging that significant archaeological sites dating from deep in prehistory are linked – not just through mythology, archaeology and cosmology – but through an arrangement of complex, and in some cases astonishing, alignments. Some of these alignments of ancient sites stretch from one side of Ireland to another.While the accounts of the lives of some prominent Irish saints appear to be steeped in folklore and mystery, it seems from new interpretations of the literature that the cosmic world view which existed in Neolithic Ireland experienced a continuity right into the Early Christian period. Join us on this fascinating exploration of stones, stars and stories. "The sheer amount of information contained within the book is mind-boggling. It is well thought out and structured… The more you read the evidence the more convinced you become." – Astronomy& Space magazine "Refreshing and fascinating . . . a wonderful magical book, sumptuously illustrated and a must for anyone who loves to delve deep into our past." – Kenny’s Irish Bookshop "A fascinating insight into Ireland’s ancient burial sites" – Irish Independent "A monument" – Drogheda Independent “It is a beautiful book and very well written. The information that you collected is outstanding.” – Barbara Carter, co-author, The Myth of the Year and The Goddess and the Bull “The authors… reach interesting and challenging conclusions about the significance of ancient astronomical knowledge. The book is jammed with colour illustrations, maps and photographs. A thoroughly interesting read!” – Archaeology Ireland "An essential book that demonstrates just how much the beliefs and practices of our ancestors were influenced by the movement of the stars, in particular those of the constellation Cygnus - the celestial swan and Northern Cross - once seen as a source of life and the destination of the soul in death. A must have tome for all those passionate about what remains of our fast disappearing ritual monuments of the prehistoric age." - Andrew Collins, author of The Cygnus Mystery

Jean has painted scenes from all corners of Ireland, but her signature style evolved from architectural impressions of familiar Dublin landmarks and cityscapes – in oil, pen and ink, and watercolour. She has preserved the mood of “Old Dublin” for posterity in many of her works. Her paintings include views of Howth Harbour, Raheny Village, Trinity College Dublin, the Ha’penny Bridge, Custom House, St Anne’s Park, Dublin Bay, O’Connell Street, St Stephen’s Green, Clontarf Castle and many more.

“It’s really a horror to live in a war”, Antoine Makdis told me in Aleppo. And over the next ten days we were witnesses to that horror. “The war has aged me not just psychologically but in my way of thinking. It aged me in my body. I have pain when I walk. I have pain when I’m sleeping. I’m not wiser but I’m older.” Featuring stories of human rights violations and struggles in a world of human- and earth-destroying globalised capitalism, the RTÉ What in the World? television series has filmed in over fifty countries across Africa, Asia and The Americas. This is the second book published by The Liffey Press based on the award-winning series. With a focus on war and its consequences, this book tells profoundly moving stories of how conflict has convulsed the lives of people caught up its insidious grip, plunged people into the depths of despair and crushed the hopes and dreams of whole generations. None of this is accidental. Wars don’t just happen. They are the inevitable result of the military industrial complex, the colonial legacy, the economic dividends of war. War, Suffering and the Struggle for Human Rights describes the suffering of ordinary people in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mexico, Russia, South Sudan, Syria, Uruguay, Western Sahara, Palestine/Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Somalia and Timor Leste. Above all, the reader will be left with an understanding of how wars live on in the lives and bodies of the injured and the traumatized long after they are deemed officially over.

The motorcar changed Ireland irrevocably. The Motorcar in Ireland offers an overall historical assessment of the development of the motorcar within Ireland and its role as a modernising force impacting and influencing change on the island between the years 1896-1939. It also discusses the nature of the relationships that developed between the motorcar, the state and the motor industry during this period, and how these groups encouraged or discouraged the development of car culture within Ireland. Demonstrating the impact that the motorcar had, the author examines the role it played during the First World War, the Civil War and the Emergency. She also shows how the popularisation of the car influenced legislation around road construction and the development of industries subsidiary to the motor industry, including oil. The Motorcar in Ireland includes photographs and stories researched from a variety of private and public archives from across Ireland and the UK, including the Royal Irish Automobile Club (RIAC), which brings the fascinating story of the early years of the motorcar to life with great colour and humour.

In July 2018, Anthony Murphy and Ken Williams discovered a giant previously unknown monument close to Newgrange while flying their drones over the Boyne Valley. They found what archaeologists believe to be a Late Neolithic henge monument, measuring 154 metres (just over 500 feet) in diameter, and a number of other mysterious and intriguing features. Their discoveries became an internet and media sensation and made headlines all around the world. In the days, weeks and months that followed, there was intense interest in these gigantic relics of the prehistoric world. Archaeologists pored over the drone imagery and the National Monuments Service conducted their own helicopter flights over Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site to capture the features in more detail. In Dronehenge, Anthony Murphy tells the story of the remarkable discovery of this monument, and attempts to unravel some of its mysteries. Anthony describes the events that followed the first social media post about the discovery and how he spent three weeks doing little else but taking phone calls, answering emails and engaging in Skype calls with media all around the world. Lavishly illustrated, Dronehenge includes discussion of how this monument might have been constructed and what it might have been used for, and includes 3D models of its likely appearance. Anthony explains how the henge, along with the other features discovered, completely changes our view of the Brú na Bóinne landscape, and why it will have archaeologists and historians studying them for many years to come.

The boundless and miraculous is what Vincent van Gogh believed we should all seek – and to be satisfied with nothing less. This is exactly what he achieved in his art, despite many profound difficulties which he recorded in his letters. These letters later became recognised for their literary virtues, such as simplicity, clarity, spontaneity and rich imagery. Such qualities are among those most prized in poetry. In The Boundless and Miraculous, extracts from Van Gogh’s letters are presented as ‘found poems’ – writing not originally intended to be a poem, reinterpreted as such – mainly in the form of sonnets. They record many of the pivotal moments in Van Gogh’s life and his struggles and emotional state at these times are evident in the content and tone of the writing. There are also his views on the work of other artists, both his contemporaries and those who went before him. In particular, the poems encapsulate much of the thinking behind the way van Gogh’s art developed, and notably the thought processes behind some of his most iconic paintings. With 87 colour plates, The Boundless and the Miraculous celebrates Van Gogh’s spectacular art as well as his wonderful writing in what could be considered a series of brief autobiographical sketches. A fabulous gift book aimed at all lovers of Van Gogh’s work, this volume will also make a major contribution to our understanding of his short and amazing life. To TheoYou must understand how I regard art.One must work long and hard to arriveat the truthful. What I want is difficult,and yet I don’t believe I’m aiming too high. I would like to reach the point where peoplesay of my work, that man feels deeply, feels subtly.What am I in the eyes of most people?A nonentity or an oddity. Very well – assuming that, I’d like to showwhat there is in the heart of such an oddity,such a nobody. This is my ambition,based less on resentment than on love. Even though I’m often in a mess, inside methere’s still a calm – pure harmony.The Hague c. 21 July 1882