Irish Politics & Current Affairs

by Ronan McGreevy

€18.99

The unheard voice of Seán Lemass - 22 hours of lost interviews reveal the private thoughts of Ireland's most transformative taoiseach Lemass never left any papers or an autobiography. Instead, he gave 22 hours of interviews to an Irish businessman Dermot Ryan in 1967 and 1968. The transcripts were given to The Irish Times and extracts from these interviews were published as a supplement in May 2018. They laid bare tensions in his relationship with long standing Taoiseach de Valera, his disdain for the IRA, his complicated relationship with Great Britain and much more. Anyone who reads this landmark publication will put it down feeling they know the father of modern Ireland significantly better. The Irish Times This book captures the intellect and vision of a truly remarkable man who laid the foundations for our modern state. Micheál Martin Ideal for readers who: Enjoy archival non-fiction that reveals a major public figure in his own words Are drawn to lost interviews with one of Ireland’s most transformative taoisigh Want modern Ireland seen through politics, nation-building and hindsight Like thoughtful, revealing books about Irish public life and leadership

by Pádraig ag a Ruairc

€11.49

In November 2023, the Dublin riots shocked Ireland and the wider world. They were sparked by a knife attack by an immigrant on three children. Inflammatory online rumours spread in minutes. Part of the north inner city were wrecked, cars and buses torched, and protestors wreaked havoc on the streets for hours. Until very recently, Ireland had prided itself on having escaped the wave of far-right, xenophobic populism now rampant throughout Europe. That complacency has been rudely challenged. In Burn Them Out!, Pádraig ag a Ruairc explores the long history that has led to this pivotal moment. He uncovers the pervasive anti-Semitism of the Irish political elite in the 1920s and 30s, the energetic efforts of Mosley and other British fascists to extend their movement to the North of Ireland, the IRA's alliance with Nazi Germany in the 40s and the many ultra-Catholic, anti-communist Irish movements that were millimetres away from fascism. He tells the story of exotic entities like the Fascio di Dublino, the Dublin branch of Mussolini's Fascist Party, and the Irish wing of Miss Rotha Lintorn-Orman's 'British Fascisti'. The openly-fascist Irish movement known as the Blueshirts, an offshoot and ally of the early Fine Gael, is looked at with fresh eyes, and its supporters' statements about Jews now make for hair-raising reading. Many of its proponents went on to become pillars of the Irish political and cultural establishment. And the Catholic and nationalist Ailtirì na hAiséirghe (Architects of the Resurrection), a post-war sect, was in many ways a precursor of today's Irish far right. This is an essential book about an aspect of Irish history all too often swept under the carpet.

by Rory Carroll

€15.99

The new book from the author of the critically acclaimed KILLING THATCHER An extraordinary story that explores a pivotal moment in Anglo-Irish history that has implications for Europe and the wider world A narrative non-fiction that reads like a novel by an author at the top of his game Uses first class research to crate a page-turning history with a vast array of characters KILLING THATCHER was hailed as ‘non-fiction that reads like a first class thriller’ by Jonathan Freedland – and Rory’s new book promises to be a similarly exciting work of propulsive historical non-fiction From the master storyteller behind 2023’s critically acclaimed KILLING THATCHER A Rebel and a Traitor is the story of a rogue imperial consul who sought to forge a new nation in the middle of a war – and the mercurial spy chief who sought to destroy him by any means. The rogue consul was Sir Roger Casement, a decorated diplomat who turned his back on the British empire and instead joined the rising Irish cause at the turn of the 20th century. At the book’s centre is the manhunt for Casement led by intelligence officer Reginald ‘Blinker’ Hall, the legendary British spy chief who pioneered codebreaking, early mass surveillance and media manipulation. As he did for the critically acclaimed Killing Thatcher, master storyteller Rory Carroll has combed diaries, letters, police reports, memoirs, court transcripts, secret service archives and declassified government files in the US, Britain, Ireland and Germany to create a page-turning history, and a story that still echoes through Anglo-Irish relations. A Rebel and a Traitor raises profound questions about honour, courage and the price of patriotism. Ideal for readers who: Appreciate narrative non-fiction on Irish independence, empire and espionage. Follow a fugitive manhunt with political betrayal at its centre. Are interested in Anglo-Irish history shaped by spies, courts and wartime loyalties. Value meticulous research with the pace and tension of a thriller.

by J. P. O'Sullivan

€16.99

In 1985 John Corcoran, a garda informer within the ranks of the Cork IRA, was abducted and brutally executed by the IRA. No one has ever been charged with his murder, but for decades, speculation was rife that gardaì of the highest rank allowed Corcoran - a father of eight - to be murdered to protect Sean O'Callaghan, the state's most prized IRA informer during the Troubles. Now, for the first time, J.P. O'Sullivan, Corcoran's Special Branch handler, breaks his silence. He reveals the chain of events leading to the killing, including detailed reports he filed warning of potential threats to his informant's life that were systematically ignored by garda intelligence. He recounts how he was inexplicably sidelined from the investigation into Corcoran's murder and later framed and convicted for a crime he did not commit in order to silence him and bury the truth.O'Sullivan's account is a damning indictment of garda complicity in covering up an IRA murder. It exposes murky manoeuvres, a flawed investigation, and the devastating cost paid by a detective who refused to back down. This is a story of betrayal and justice denied in a state under siege, and one man's quest for justice. Ideal for readers who: Seek Irish true crime rooted in the Troubles, informers and institutional failure. Are interested in a first-hand account from John Corcoran’s Special Branch handler. Need non-fiction that treats violence, silence and accountability with seriousness. Prefer real investigations where political history has human consequences.

by Shane Kenny

€27.59

From late 1994 to June 1997 Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left were a coalition government led by John Bruton, arguably the most left-wing government in the history of the state. Shane Kenny provides the reader with the ultimate fly-on-the-wall insider account of this crucial period in Irish politics: one which contained highly significant breakthroughs in the Northern Ireland peace process, the most high-profile murder in the history of the state (Veronica Guerin), the establishment of the 'payments to politicians' tribunal which finally exposed the sources of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey's wealth, and a divorce referendum which heralded a changing Ireland. This is also a story of tragedy, both political and human; of those who died and were injured needlessly by the resumption of IRA violence; of a government with good potential which fell; of timing which was wrong, and of an economic disaster that could have been averted, or at least substantially mitigated.

by Ronan Lyons

€17.99

Over 50% of Irish people under 40 are either living with their parents or in share accommodation, unable to live either by themselves or with partners despite that being their preference. The housing crisis is often spoken of as a bubble, but economics professor Ronan Lyons argues that this metaphor is outdated. Rather, Ireland suffers from a brittle housing system, one that has lost the ability to respond to change. This groundbreaking book shows what that brittleness is doing to society, how it emerged and, most critically, how a healthier housing system can be built. Ideal for readers who… Want to understand why housing in Ireland is so expensive — and why it got this way — Ronan Lyons has spent fifteen years researching the Irish housing market, producing the Daft.ie House Price Report and publishing academic work on Irish housing in international economic journals. This isn't commentary: it's analysis from the person who has studied the data most closely. Are renting in Ireland and feel like something has gone fundamentally wrong — they're right, and this book explains exactly what. Lyons traces the policy decisions, planning failures, and structural choices that created the crisis, without the vagueness of political debate or the simplification of newspaper opinion columns. Want to know if the housing crisis can actually be fixed — and how — the second half of the book's subtitle is "and How To Fix It." Lyons doesn't stop at diagnosis. He sets out the specific policy changes that could resolve Ireland's housing shortage, grounded in international evidence and comparative analysis. Follow Irish politics and economics and want the expert account — housing has dominated Irish political debate for a decade. Lyons has been the most consistently cited economist on housing throughout that period. This is the book that puts the full argument in one place, from the person whose research has shaped the policy conversation. Are interested in urban economics, planning, and why cities work the way they do — Brittle is not just about Ireland. The mechanisms Lyons describes — how planning restrictions, tax treatment of land, and construction costs interact to constrain housing supply — apply across Europe and beyond. Irish readers will recognise the specific consequences; international readers will recognise the pattern. Are buying a gift for someone who cares about Ireland's future — this is the rare economics book that is also urgently relevant to everyday life. Anyone who rents, owns, or is trying to get onto the property ladder in Ireland will find something in here that explains their experience. It is accessible enough for a general reader and rigorous enough to satisfy someone with an economics background.

by Siobhán Fenton

€17.99

What really goes on behind closed doors in Ireland’s most secretive political party? Long defined by message control and secrecy, Sinn Féin has rarely allowed outsiders a glimpse behind the curtain. Ourselves Alone, by former communications adviser and party spokesperson, Siobhán Fenton, is therefore a unique insight into its inner workings. Fenton’s recruitment in 2020 reflected Sinn Féin’s ambition to broaden its appeal as it pushed toward government in the Republic. A Belfast native with a career in Northern Irish and British media, and no republican pedigree, Fenton was an unlikely insider. What she found – watching the leadership shape policy and strategy, dealing with the fall-out when these unravelled – was not the slick political machine many assumed, but an organisation grappling with the same pressures, misjudgements, and human frailties as any other, stresses that would eventually prove ruinous for its hopes. Charting the years when Sinn Féin seemed poised for power, with Mary Lou McDonald set to become Ireland’s first female Taoiseach, Fenton traces how its momentum faltered. Particularly revealing is her account of the party’s ham-fisted response to the Dublin riots, a critical turning point. With nuance and candour, she recounts strategic missteps, the strains on its leadership, and her own role in a project that lost its way. Part political memoir, part insider history, Ourselves Alone is an illuminating portrait of a pivotal moment in modern Irish politics—and of a party confronting the limits of its own myth-making. Ideal for readers who: Follow modern Irish political nonfiction with memoir, access and insider perspective. Look at how strategy, message control and leadership pressure shape a party. Understand Sinn Féin’s recent public momentum through someone inside the operation. Prefer candid political writing that explains systems without losing the human strain.

by Gary Murphy

€21.99

An insightful, searing and clear-eyed account of Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his time as leader of the country during Ireland's greatest crisis From the author of the bestselling Haughey, Gary Murphy returns with a major reassessment of Ireland's most turbulent political era. In this richly textured account of Brian Cowen's inexorable rise to the office of Taoiseach and his dramatic fall, Murphy offers a ground-breaking portrait of a man and an era that defined modern Ireland. This rigorously researched study examines the decisions, pressures and circumstances that shaped Brian Cowen's 1,036 days as Taoiseach, a period that coincided with the collapse of Ireland's banking system and the state's entry into an EU-IMF programme. Drawing on extensive interviews, documentation and contemporaneous accounts, Murphy explores the context surrounding the bank guarantee, the loss of economic autonomy and the path that led to external intervention. Balanced, detailed and accessible, this book offers a comprehensive analysis of how government, institutions and global forces interacted during a crisis that transformed modern Ireland.

by Vincent Browne

€26.99

A fearless, incisive biography of Charlie Haughey by one of Ireland's most formidable journalists, Vincent Browne. Vincent Browne turns his renowned intellect and investigative skill to the life and legacy of Charles J. Haughey, one of the most controversial and influential figures in modern Irish politics. This standalone biography offers a penetrating exploration of Haughey's rise to power, his complex personality and the political landscape he helped shape. Drawing on decades of experience in political commentary and broadcasting, Browne brings a sharp, uncompromising lens to the story, illuminating the tensions, triumphs and scandals that defined Haughey's career. Rich in historical detail and personal memories, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in Irish history, politics or the enduring impact of charismatic leadership.

by Gavan Reilly

€11.99

What is it like to run for election? How do public representatives deal with the cut-throat competition from their rivals – and their own running mates? What’s the Dáil bar really like? And why, given the almost constant abuse that now comes with the job and the demands it places on those who make it their lives, would anyone want to do it? Who better than Virgin Media’s Political Correspondent Gavan Reilly to take us inside the house of political power in Ireland to answer these questions and more? His clever illustration of Ireland’s electoral system (using Smarties on a viral video that has been viewed over 1.7 million times!) demystified the complexities of Irish political power for many. Now, in The Secret Life of Leinster House, he shows what it takes to make it as a politician in Ireland and gives readers a ringside seat at the Cabinet table. Meet the whips, lobbyists and special advisers pulling the strings. Discover exactly how leaked minutes from parliamentary party meetings end up on the Six One News. With unprecedented access to political insiders, The Secret Life of Leinster House lifts the lid on what really goes on, revealing what politicians want you to know about them – and what they don’t!

by Mark O'Connell

€10.99

In 1982 Malcolm Macarthur, the wealthy heir to a small estate, found himself suddenly without money. The solution, he decided, was to rob a bank. To do this, he would need a gun and a car. In the process of procuring them, he killed two people, and the circumstances of his eventual arrest in the apartment of Ireland's Attorney General nearly brought down the government. The case remains one of the most shocking in Ireland's history. Mark O'Connell has long been haunted by the story of this brutal double murder. But in recent years this haunting has become mutual. When O'Connell sets out to unravel the mysteries still surrounding these horrific and inexplicable crimes, he tracks down Macarthur himself, now an elderly man living out his days in Dublin and reluctant to talk. As the two men circle one another, O'Connell is pushed into a confrontation with his own narrative: what does it mean to write about a murderer?

by Harry McGee

€12.99

'An incredible and compelling story' MATT COOPER 'Gripping, unpretentious, brilliant and unputdownable' BUSINESS POST A Murderer. A Leader. The Scandal of an Era. In the summer of 1982, Irish aristocrat Malcolm Macarthur embarked on a brutal killing spree in a doomed plan to remedy his financial woes. Two weeks later, in a sensational turn of events, he was arrested in the home of Attorney General Patrick Connolly. The scandal attracted worldwide headlines and resulted in untold damage to then Taoiseach Charles Haughey. The words he used to describe the dark events - grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre and unprecedented - coined the era-defining phrase GUBU. Here, award-winning political journalist Harry McGee retraces the happenings of that long hot summer and beyond. From the cat-and-mouse game to track down an unpredictable killer to Macarthur's extraordinary capture, he considers both the life and psyche of a murderer, and that of the leading political figure of the time - a man similarly driven by greed, status and a sense of himself as existing above the law. Including previously unknown aspects of the trial and interaction with Malcolm Macarthur himself, The Murderer and the Taoiseach is a compulsive journey through tragedy and scandal. 'Brisk, illuminating, crackling with detail' TONY CONNELLY 'A brilliant account of shocking crimes and the dramatic political crisis they caused' DAVID McCULLAGH

by Malachi O'Doherty

€15.08

'Deeply researched and often revelatory... variegated and sensitive' Literary Review It is twenty-five years since the Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the terrible violence that rocked Northern Ireland for decades. Yet, in this controversial and provocative new book, Malachi O'Doherty argues that it completely ignored the real reason behind the conflict and instead left a festering wound at the core of society. Part memoir, part history and part polemic, How to Fix Northern Ireland shows how the country's deep division is simply not about whether it should be governed as part of Ireland or as part of Britain - as presumed by the agreement - but rather is fundamentally sectarian, an inter-ethnic stress comparable to racism. O'Doherty reveals how the split between catholics and protestants continues to invade everyday life - from education and segregated housing, from street protests, bonfires and parades to the high politics of power sharing and Brexit - and asks what can be done to solve a centuries-old social rift and heal the relationship at the heart of the problem.

by Fintan O'Toole

€12.99

The #1 Irish Times bestseller WINNER of the An Post Irish Book Awards 'A clear-eyed, myth-dispelling masterpiece' Marian Keyes 'Sweeping, authoritative and profoundly intelligent' Colm Tóibìn, Guardian 'With the pace and twists of an enthralling novel' Irish Times 'Evocative, moving, funny and furious' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'An enthralling, panoramic book' Patrick Radden Keefe 'A book that will remain important for a very long time' An Post Irish Book Award We Don't Know Ourselves is a very personal vision of recent Irish history from the year of O'Toole's birth, 1958, down to the present. Ireland has changed almost out of recognition during those decades, and Fintan O'Toole's life coincides with that arc of transformation. The book is a brilliant interweaving of memories (though this is emphatically not a memoir) and engrossing social and historical narrative. This was the era of Eamon de Valera, Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey and John Charles McQuaid, of sectarian civil war in the North and the Pope's triumphant visit in 1979, but also of those who began to speak out against the ruling consensus - feminists, advocates for the rights of children, gay men and women coming out of the shadows. We Don't Know Ourselves is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand modern Ireland. Ideal for readers who: Love sharp non-fiction about modern Ireland and rapid national change. Appreciate history told through lived experience, culture and memory. Prefer political writing with clarity, bite and a strongly personal perspective. Read books that make recent Irish history feel immediate and readable.

by John Crawley

€15.26

April 1975. A young Irish-American from New York is on a mission to enlist in an elite unit of the US Marine Corps. His goal: to receive the most intensive military training possible, and then move to Ireland to join the IRA and fight to end British occupation. In this powerful and brutally honest memoir, John Crawley details the gruelling challenges of his Marine Corp boot camp; after moving to Dublin to join the IRA Crawley, now known with the movement as ‘The Yank’, is sent to Boston to work with notorious American mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger to amass an illegal shipment of weapons. Ordered to return to Ireland with the arms, Crawley is then captured on the Marita Ann gun running trawler off the Kerry coast, imprisoned, and upon release became one of the masterminds behind an operation to knock out London's electrical system. Crawley is blisteringly candid about those he worked with, including fascinating portrayals of IRA leader Martin McGuinness, and of the psychopathic Whitey Bulger. Crawley is unflinching in his commentary on IRA leadership and their tactics, and through it all comes the steadfast voice of a man on a mission, providing an evocative and passionate account where that mission led him and why. To this day, he remains committed to the establishment of all-Ireland Republic

by Derek Scally

€11.59

The Number One Bestseller Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards 2021 'A great achievement . . . Brilliant, engaging and essential' Colm Tóibìn 'At once intimate and epic, this is a landmark book' Fintan O'Toole When Dubliner Derek Scally goes to Christmas Eve Mass on a visit home from Berlin, he finds more memories than congregants in the church where he was once an altar boy. Not for the first time, the collapse of the Catholic Church in Ireland brings to mind the fall of another powerful ideology - East German communism. While Germans are engaging earnestly with their past, Scally sees nothing comparable going on in his native land. So he embarks on a quest to unravel the tight hold the Church had on the Irish. He travels the length and breadth of Ireland and across Europe, going to Masses, novenas, shrines and seminaries, talking to those who have abandoned the Church and those who have held on, to survivors and campaigners, to writers, historians, psychologists and many more. And he has probing and revealing encounters with Vatican officials, priests and religious along the way. The Best Catholics in the World is the remarkable result of his three-year journey. With wit, wisdom and compassion Scally gives voice and definition to the murky and difficult questions that face a society coming to terms with its troubling past. It is both a lively personal odyssey and a resonant and gripping work of reporting that is a major contribution to the story of Ireland. 'Reflective, textured, insightful and original ... rich with history, interrogation and emotional intelligence' Diarmaid Ferriter, Irish Times 'An unblinking look at the collapse of the Church and Catholic deference in Ireland. Excellent and timely' John Banville, The Sunday Times 'Engaging and incisive' Caelainn Hogan, author of Republic of Shame 'Remarkable ... Essential reading for anyone concerned about history and forgetting' Michael Harding 'Fair-minded ... thoughtful' Melanie McDonagh, The Times 'Very pacey and entertaining ... and it changed how I regard Ireland and our history for good. Fantastic' Oliver Callan 'Original, thought-provoking and very engaging' Marie Collins 'A provocative insight into a time that many would rather forget' John Boyne 'Challenging' Mary McAleese 'Explores this subject in a way that I've never seen before' Hugh Linehan, Irish Times

by Aoife Barry

€17.24

A David and Goliath story about Ireland’s role as prime real estate for the world’s largest tech multinationals, and the considerable impact it has had on us as individuals. Since the arrival of Google to Dublin’s docklands in 2003, Ireland has experienced a ‘tech sprawl’, with some of the world’s largest social media multinationals like Facebook and Twitter following suit –all taking full advantage of Ireland’s attractive corporate tax rate. Their presence has changed the landscape of Ireland significantly, both physically and economically: pressed up against the sleek, gargantuan offices of these tech firms are some of Dublin’s oldest communities, inhabited by the dedicated users of the products these companies are touting. But the promises of opportunity and enterprise initially posited by Ireland’s policy-makers have exposed infrastructure and legislation woefully underprepared to keep up with the rate of expansion of the tech giants. With over 75% of the population using social media sites, and an increase in online harassment, trolling and misinformation campaigns, how do we live offline if they live next door? In The Tech Dilemma, investigative journalist Aoife Barry does a deep-dive into the butterfly effect the presence of these tech companies has had on the nation and exposes the real-life consequences it has had on us as individuals.