A hole in the pocket
A Pocket History of the IRA
By Brendan O'Brien.
Published by O'Brien Press.
Price £4.99
This little book is now winging its way worldwide in the pockets
of thousands of recent visitors to our shores. It is the type of
relatively cheap, short and handy publication that seems to offer
instant knowledge. But beware.
Brendan O'Brien is one of those journalists who have built up an
undeserved reputation as an expert with inside knowledge on
republicanism and the conflict in the Six Counties. His
journalism has never really challenged the prejudices and
falsehoods of the political establishment, hardly a
recommendation for someone covering an insurrectionary movement.
Instead, he goes for the conspiratorial and the sensational, with
a keen eye to TV ratings and book sales.
This short survey comes in a very saleable format. There is a big
market for this subject but many readers are set to be
disappointed. The analysis is shallow, the historical and
political context of the IRA's development is undrawn. For
example, the absolutely crucial period of Civil Rights agitation
in the Six Counties, the unionist and British reaction to it, and
the consequent formation of nationalist attitudes is skipped
over. We are told that in 1965 ``nationalists were becoming more
at ease with the Northern Ireland statelet''. This at a time when
that whole community was still on its knees.
The author displays no deep political understanding of his
subject and those seeking more than the most cursory knowledge
would be well-advised to look elsewhere for their information.
BY MICHEAL MacDONNCHA
French intentions and the Irish weather
BY CIARAN HEAPHEY
The French are in the Bay. The Expedition to Bantry Bay 1796
Edited by John A Murphy
Published by Mercier Press
Price £8.99
This book is based on Wolfe Tone's failed French military
expedition to Ireland, one of the greatest ``might-have-beens'' of
Irish history. It comes after the expedition's bi-centenary in
December 1796 and on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the
United Irish Rebellion of 1798.
The book is a collection of lectures given at the Bantry Bay
Summer School in July 1996. Although edited by arch
anti-republican Professor John A Murphy, the work is an
interesting account by various lecturers and academics on the
events surrounding the near landing which could so easily have
changed the course of not only Irish history, but that of Europe.
All manners of disasters and setbacks are documented. Hugh
Gough's lecture analyses the failure of the expedition and its
background against the Revolutionary Wars, the French Revolution
of 1789, the turmoil of the following years and the formation of
the expedition.
The Weather and Political Destiny by John Tyrell argues that the
primary reason for its failure was the appalling weather
conditions. The attempted landing was one of the few important
Irish political and historical events to be affected by the
weather, with Tyrell re-constructing daily weather conditions
which prevailed throughout December 1796, taking his information
from various sources, including ships log books of the time.
In The Service of the French Republic? by Tom Dunne raises many
questions about French intentions at the time, whether they were
out to expand their own `empire' or liberate Ireland from English
rule and establish the Irish republic based on equality and the
Rights of Man sought after by Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen.
After being warned that the French envisaged ``direct interference
in any Irish government'', Wolfe Tone himself wrote: ``That stunned
me a little. What could he mean? Am I to begin but representing
the French Republic in Ireland, instead of representing the Irish
Republic in France?''
Other topics covered range from political balladry to travellers'
impressions of Bantry and the surrounding region of Southwest
Cork. Overall, the collection of lectures offers an excellent
insight into the background, make-up, personalities and
atmosphere of the time.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)
