With this scholarly, beautifully illustrated book, David Sweetman, chief archaeologist with Duchas - The Heritage Service - has undoubtedly achieved his stated ambition of updating and upgrading Harold Leask's pioneering Irish Castles and Castellated Houses, published in 1941 and widely regarded as the definitive work on the subject. Sweetman's deeply researched and authoritative book, based on 30 years' experience in medieval archaeology, must now replace Leask's as the most valuable work on Irish castles.
Differentiating between the early Norman earth and timber fortifications, their stone fortresses, tower-houses, later medieval stone fortresses, tower houses and fortified houses and stronghouses, the author makes this a study not just for the antiquarian but also for the keen amateur. The striking photographs, many in full colour, add to the general interest and all are fittingly married to the relevant text. If, as the author says, there is still work to be done on other stronghouses, then who better to tackle that task than David Sweetman himself?
Celtic and Early Christian Wexford, by Ed- ward Culleton. (Four Courts Press, £19.95)
In this competently written and well-illustrated book, Dr Culleton explores an era (AD 400 to 1169) in Wexford history that has for too long remained neglected. He has brought together the fruits of intensive research in several disciplines to give us the most comprehensive overview of the period during which Celtic druidism conceded sway to Christianity amidst the power-struggles of the Ui Cheinnsealaig - a period that saw massive social, economic, political and religious change in the area. The author marshals much fresh material in orderly fashion, listing early Christian sites, the origins of Ferns parishes and descriptions of Wexford's monasteries and convents. The book is especially valuable for its examination of the sources of the `Lives' of the four saints associated with Ferns diocese - Ibar, Abban, Aidan and Munnu - and includes informative appendices and an excellent bibliography and source-list. This is a work that will stand the test of time and any further analysis of the subject.
Memory and Mission - Christianity in Wexford 600 to 2000 AD. Edited by Fr. W. Forde (Diocese of Ferns History and Archive Committee, £10)
This is a less ambitious project, a collection of essays published to mark the 1400th anniversary of the Diocese of Ferns, embracing records dealing with the history, experience and development of Christianity in the diocese and county. The historical essays overlap in places, leading to replication of information, though the many other contributions, including articles on interchurch relations, women in ministry, the local media trust and a series on "being a Christian in the Diocese of Ferns", encapsulate the story of Christianity in this corner of Ireland down to the present day.
History of the Diocese of Derry from the Earliest Times. Edited by Henry Jefferies and Ciaran Devlin (Four Courts Press, £19.95)
The celebration of 2,000 years (or thereabouts) of Christianity seems to be spawning a number of diocesan histories and books about the churches' development in Ireland. Derry's must be one of the longest and most turbulent stories, though it appears not to have merited a commensurate degree of attention up to this. Editors Henry A. Jefferies and Ciaran Devlin, with their team of expert contributors, are now putting this right with a fine collection of essays dealing with the Diocese of Derry from its dim beginnings in Colum Cille's time to "the Troubles". Within these boundaries there are studies of the Church over 15 centuries, focusing on such related aspects as the early Church, the formation of the diocese, some episcopal lives, the first Protestant bishop of Derry, the Penal Days and the diocese of Derry in the 20th century. Bishop Seamus Hegarty contributes a perceptive foreword and there are some useful maps. This is a book for the Derry lay person as well as the committed Church historian.
100 Years of Derry. By Roy Hamilton (Blackstaff Press, £10.99)
A photographic dander through the last 100 years of Derry's history, with an informative introduction, excellent monochrome photographs and lively captions. These focus on the "little people" as well as the great and glorious personalities and occasions and constitute a valuable record of a critical century in the city's long and colourful history.
Antiquities of Old Rathdown. By Chris Corlett (Wordwell, £29.99)
What a wealth of historical and archaeological treasures lies within this area of south county Dublin and north Wicklow - some of it, alas, now buried beneath Greater Dublin's urban sprawl yet some more, literally, in our own back gardens. Who better to delve into this treasurehouse than a native of the area who holds a Master's degree in Archaeology - Chris Corlett, who is chairman of Wicklow Archaeological Society.
This is the first illustrated account of the rich heritage of Rathdown, and there are 67 full-colour photographs as well as many other monochrome pictures, maps and drawings. For the illustrated gazetteer of the sites and monuments of the area alone, this magnificent book is worth having. Take it with you on your rambles around this historic neighbourhood. You may be surprised by what lies all around you.
Richard Roche is a writer, historian and author of several books on local history.