This book seeks to distil the essence of the Boston College/RTÉ Century Ireland project, an online historical newspaper telling the main events in Ireland during the period covered by the “Decade of Centenaries”. The big events focused on are the 1913 Lockout, women’s suffrage, the passage of the Home Rule Bill, the first World War, the Easter Rising, the conscription crisis, the War of Independence, partition, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, the Civil War and the Free State’s accession to the League of Nations.
Each chapter analyses a single year, from 1913 to 1923 inclusive, with a timeline of central events and contemporary-style newspaper reportage, followed by two supplementary essays addressing particular themes. This approach allows for coverage of the main events, but also a broader view on everyday happenings, such as cultural, sporting and leisure activities, extreme weather incidents, debates on social issues (eg, housing) etc.
The contemporary-style newspaper reportage, which constitutes the bulk of each chapter and therefore of the book, is very impressive and so well done that it really does feel like reading contemporary reports. Such occurrences as flooding, temperance rallies, Christmas religious ceremonies, foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, Irish toy exhibitions, tourism trends, and dentists using cocaine as a local anaesthetic jostle for space alongside the big events of the day. Also highly commendable is the extent, variety and quality of the illustrations in a lavishly presented format.
Generally speaking, the supplementary essays set contexts well and are interesting and insightful, all the more so because some of the themes explored might be considered unexpected, such as the role of religion in the Irish revolution, hunger strikes and the separatist struggle, and the evacuation of the British military from the Irish Free State. However, the essay entitled Wading Through Irish Blood, which is about the Civil War, is disappointing on what ultimately sparked its outbreak, as the reason proffered is debatable. It is also curious that of the list of the generation of political leaders lost as a result of the conflict, only one is pro-Treaty.
The 100 best Irish books of the 21st century: No 25 to No 1
The 100 best Irish books of the 21st century: No 50 to No 26
The 100 best Irish books of the 21st century: No 100 to No 51
Sally Hayden on We Came By Sea: Stories of a Greater Britain - ‘It feels comforting and right to have a writer of Clare’s skill turn attention to this topic’
But these are perhaps minor quibbles about a piece of work that spans what was almost certainly the most pivotal decade in modern Irish history, that is based on meticulous research and presented in an accessible, readable manner.
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