The Long Weekend

Author: Rita Ann Higgins
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 1804582417
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 99

Book Description
From saints' days to Halloween and the many other celebrations on the Irish calendar, this collection of poetry from Rita Ann Higgins sets a tone for all seasons. Featuring bank holiday poems as heard on RTÉ Radio, such as 'Lúnasa' and 'Coming Out of Winter', and others like 'My Mother Loved Me in Red', 'The Púca', 'Visiting My Father at Christmas' and 'All Souls' Day', The Long Weekend leaves no question that Rita Ann Higgins is the people's poet. 'The people's poet. She's magic. She's a one-off.' Brendan O'Connor 'A haunting, beautiful collection of poems that commands attention and bears witness to life's struggle. This collection confirms Higgins as one of our greatest poets.' Elaine Feeney 'A work of immense thoughtfulness.'Susannah Dickey

In the Blood

Author: Pat Spillane
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717197530
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 295

Book Description
Pat Spillane is one of the best-known sportspeople in Ireland. Selected for the GAA's Team of the Millennium and winner of eight All-Ireland senior football medals, he is one of the greatest Gaelic footballers ever. Yet that isn't half of the Spillane story. He has also been one of the most controversial GAA pundits of all time, driving the agenda on The Sunday Game and in the Sunday World for thirty years. His analysis and criticism have been headline news everywhere Gaelic football is discussed, and the terms he coined, such as 'puke football', have entered the Irish lexicon. Here, Pat reveals the sadness of his childhood when his father died; his dazzling football career and encounters with other immortals, from Mick O'Dwyer onwards; the reality of life as a pundit under pressure from managers; and the huge stress of dealing with the machinery of government in the aftermath of his spell with CEDRA, the state advisory group on rural affairs. Like the man himself, In the Blood is uniquely frank, witty, honest and revealing – and a must-read for GAA fans everywhere.

Age is Just a Number

Author: Francis Brennan
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717196895
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 171

Book Description
Francis Brennan is getting older, but instead of slowing down, he's busier and more excited about life than ever. Yes, he's had a few knocks, from health scares to losing loved ones, but with the wisdom of his years under his belt, he is certain that his best years are ahead of him. In this guide to growing older gracefully, Francis speaks to the experts and shares practical advice based on his own experiences. It will show you how to stay connected to the world, continue to challenge yourself, maintain good health and psychological wellbeing, navigate change with a positive attitude and look after your finances. And naturally, Francis will also share his tips for staying stylish and having fun – whatever your age!

Who Really Owns Ireland

Author: Matt Cooper
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 071719602X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 511

Book Description
Through centuries of oppression, we were tenants in our own land. Today, despite our independence and new-found affluence, we are in the midst of a crisis. The question of who owns Ireland is once again taking on a sense of urgency. Is the land of Ireland still for the people of Ireland? In a deep and far-reaching investigation, journalist, broadcaster and No. 1 bestselling author Matt Cooper examines the power wielded by those who control the land where we live, work and play. Who are they, how did they acquire so much and what does it mean for ordinary citizens when the ownership of key resources like shopping centres, wind farms, forestry and data centres comes from outside? This is a story about how power and money influence and control the present and the future of Ireland ... sometimes for good and sometimes for bad. Filled with riveting detail, this compelling story of who really owns Ireland is an essential account of the issues that affect every single one of us living on this island.

Perfectly Imperfect

Author: Ellen Keane
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717196178
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 224

Book Description
Learn to love your imperfect, messy self just as you are. Ellen Keane spent most of her teens extremely uncomfortable with her limb difference and battling to hide her insecurities. It was only when she embraced her difference that she found her superpower. She started to believe in her unique abilities and gradually find the success that she had never dreamed possible. Perfectly Imperfect is for anyone struggling to accept who they are. With anecdotes from her own life, practical advice and good-natured humour, Ellen challenges you to let go of waiting until everything is perfect and instead embrace your imperfections and accept who you are, flaws and all. It might just change your life.

Something's About to Blow Up

Author: Sam Blake
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717197174
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 387

Book Description
When an explosion rips through the chemistry lab at Raven's Hill School and six girls are injured, the first thought is that it's an experiment gone wrong. Then the guards start investigating and suspect a bomb. But if so, who was it targeting – and why? Could toxic relationships have bubbled over into violence? The injured Frankie and Sorcha team up with Jess to try to find out what actually happened. But what they discover is far more sinister than even they could have imagined ...

Finucane & Me

Author: John Clarke
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717195538
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 201

Book Description
Marian Finucane was a trailblazing broadcaster, the first to champion women's issues on air, and respected for her fairness, empathy and doggedness. One of a small group of Irish people known simply by their first name, the nation mourned when she died suddenly, aged 69, in January 2020. But John Clarke, Marian's widower, doesn't use her moniker – instead, he calls her 'Finucane'. It highlights the gap between the woman so many felt they knew and the woman he loved – the real Marian – who was by turns curious, fiery, emotional, stubborn, charming and endlessly excited by life. When John and Marian first got together, they promised each other that they'd never be boring. What ensued was forty years of conversation and thousands of miles travelled. Finucane & Me is an unexpected love story: the story of two people who 'made a pact for madness'; the story of a never-ending search for meaning; the story of two people who lived life to its fullest.

Shades of the Soul

Author: Tinuviel Greenwood
Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
ISBN: 9358469293
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 362

Book Description
What is the true nature of man? And what if we have forgotten something fundamental to develop our abilities and potential? The story arises from the writer’s desire to bring to light an almost forgotten concept about humanity, addressing the introductory theme of this first book in a light and understandable way, and then delving deeper into the second and third books, in which the subject will be explored in greater detail, delving into the core of the message she aims to convey to as many people as possible. Her goal is to raise questions and doubts in the readers, the same inquiries that have always driven her own research and studies. Can concepts such as soul, death, rebirth, and the latent potential of man truly lead us to the discovery of a long-forgotten world? If everything were connected and human beings were to discover that they are truly part of this totality, what could happen to our reality? Would we truly be ready to be deeply shaken, perhaps even to question our beliefs? In this fantasy trilogy, through the intricate romantic plot involving the protagonists, they are pushed to face events that go beyond time and space, as well as the ideologies imposed by cultures. It tells the story of how a bond between souls can overcome any barrier, how harmony and unity can transcend our cultures and races, and how we are all connected to what surrounds us. A story that, starting from our present days, is able to dig deeper, probably surpassing the main images rooted in the collective scenario. The story is set in Ireland, a land particularly dear to the writer, who lived there for several years, continuing to hold the Emerald Isle close to her heart. A land that undoubtedly, thanks to its ancient roots and legends, evokes in a particularly impactful way what the plot will develop along its course.

From Malin Head to Mizen Head

Author: Joanna Donnelly
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 0717197379
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Book Description
Broadcast at 6 a.m. and midnight on RTÉ Radio 1, the Sea Area Forecast has come to occupy an almost sacrosanct place in the day for many. Its familiar (though often incomprehensible) language acts as a wake-up alarm for a proportion of the population and sends another swathe of them to bed at the end of the day. Yet few people truly understand its unique language and the significance of the romantic sounding headlands whose locations are central to revealing the incoming weather. From Mizen Head to Malin, Valentia to Loop Head, Carlingford Lough to Hook Head, rising or falling slowly, backing south-east to north-east or veering south-to-south-west – what does it all mean? Here, meteorologist Joanna Donnelly goes on a journey around Ireland's Sea Area Forecast. Visiting the places that are a familiar part of the daily broadcast and explaining the history, language and science associated with it, From Malin Head to Mizen Head fans our endless fascination with the weather while sweeping us away on a journey around Ireland's most remote headlands.

Leaning on Gates

Author: Seamus O'Rourke
Publisher: Gill & Macmillan Ltd
ISBN: 1804580384
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Book Description
In the sequel to award-winning playwright Seamus O'Rourke's popular first memoir, Standing in Gaps, this innocent Leitrim lad finally flees the nest, briefly sampling life in New York, Dublin and London, before inevitably returning to his beloved, duller-than-dishwater home, to a life which now includes alcohol, Dr. Hook and some low-budget romance. But man does not live on romance alone and Seamus needs to get to the bottom of his general uselessness, spurred on as always by his ever-the-realist father, who prophesied his mediocrity from an early age. Seamus continues to underachieve whilst struggling to interpret his Auld Lad's advice and watered down compliments – 'You weren't as bad as I often saw ya', 'They must be badly stuck, if they asked you' and the classic 'What kind of an eejit are ya?' – in a memoir that captures the innocence and the absurdity of rural life in 1980s and 1990s Ireland.