Local writers leave mark across a range of genres

For those who received book tokens for Christmas and want to continue the practice of supporting local, there is no shortage of material out there – in Irish and in English. Even without tokens, the prospect of buying a good book and getting stuck in is an inviting one at this time of year.

First up in our collection is The Hardiman: An Amazing Story, about the Hardiman Hotel (still known to most of us as the Great Southern). It’s the latest from the prolific  William Henry. The hotel, which first opened in 1852 as The Railway Hotel, has dominated Eyre Square since then, hosting dignitaries from the world of entertainment and arts as well as everyday folk in need of a treat.

More importantly for local people, it’s provided employment for 150 years and the book’s many photos capture the faces of those who worked there through the decades, right up to the present. It’s a fascinating glimpse into local history.

Equally fascinating is Áine Ní Chonghaile’s account of life in An Ceathrú Rua and its hinterlands in the 19th century, published by Cló Iar-Chonnacht. An Cheathrú Rua agus na hOileáin sa Naoú hAois Déag offers an extraordinary insight into the lives of people from South Connemara during that time. It’s based on research Áine did for a PhD in history at NUIG but isn’t an academic tome.

The book documents the area and its residents during a turbulent time in Irish history,  examining how they made their living on land and sea, the benefits and disadvantages of living in an Irish-speaking area so far from the centre of British government, and how locals were regarded by officialdom. It wasn’t always negative, which can be seen from an observation made in 1882 by WP Gaskell, who was involved in an assisted emigration scheme from Conamara. He wrote: ‘Intellectually and physically a superior race, infinitely capable.’

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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