The Copybook: Readings in history and literature

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St Patrick of Ireland by Clay Lane

After escaping from six years as a slave in Ireland, Patrick wanted only one thing: to go back.

1

The Politics of Language by John Lynch

John Lynch, exiled to France by Cromwell’s men, lamented the way that Irish was being labelled as a language of sedition.

2

Beyond the Pale from The Statutes of Kilkenny

Lionel of Clarence, Edward III’s younger son, went to Ireland as his Lieutenant in order to stop English expats becoming like the Irish.

3

Twelve Good Men and Tory by Francis Wharton

In 1844, Daniel O’Connell was hauled before a Dublin court to answer charges of seditious conspiracy, and he didn’t stand a chance.

4

Bread and Scorpions by Robert Dunlop

In 1846, Daniel O’Connell stood up in the House of Commons to draw attention to the Great Hunger in Ireland, and to plead for a swift response.

5

The Vision of St Fursey by Clay Lane

Fursey was a 7th-century Irish monk whose visions of the afterlife made a great impression on St Bede.

6

Ireland’s First Railway by Clay Lane

The Dublin to Dun Laoghaire line opened in 1834, and proved a remarkable testimony to the speed of technological progress.

Irish History