Description
Left without a Handkerchief contains ten stories of destruction and loss during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War. Between 250 and 300 Irish country houses were burnt in the early 1920s during the course of the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War. The reasons behind their destruction were various, but because of their scale and prominence on the Irish landscape, setting fire to them was judged by perpetrators to be good propaganda. Hitherto historians have concentrated on the actions and motivation of those responsible for carrying out the burnings. Left without a Handkerchief will tell the other side of the story, of history seen from the perspective of the losers.
About the Author
Robert O'Byrne is a trustee of the Apollo Foundation and the Artists' Collecting Society. He is author of more than a dozen books, including Hugh Lane 1875-1915 (2018) and The Last Knight: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (2013). He writes an award-winning blog, The Irish Aesthete.
Reviews
'O'Byrne has a Marquezian sensitivity for weaving together the lineaments of a family's successes and crises into one compelling account: his dry, sometimes laconic style eloquently captures the passage of generations, providing just enough room for the reader to catch a glimpse of each individual's ferocious vitality before closing the window and moving on. The effect is highly entertaining, and as the Spiddal episode illustrates, these short narratives give the reader an unusual insight into the incipient years of the Republic.' - Tom Lordan, Irish Times ; 'Robert O'Byrne offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era of gilded splendour ... A thoroughly engaging romp through this vanished society and its grand spaces, Left Without a Handkerchief is the perfect primer for any lay student of the Protestant ascendancy as told through the prism of ten of its septs and their many larger-than-life characters.' - Donal Nolan, The Kerryman ; 'It makes for a fascinating-and often poignant-read.' - Country Life
Book Information
ISBN 9781843518181
Author Robert O'Byrne
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint The Lilliput Press Ltd
Publisher The Lilliput Press Ltd
About the Author
Robert O'Byrne is a trustee of the Apollo Foundation and the Artists' Collecting Society. He is author of more than a dozen books, including Hugh Lane 1875-1915 (2018) and The Last Knight: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (2013). He writes an award-winning blog, The Irish Aesthete.
Reviews
'O'Byrne has a Marquezian sensitivity for weaving together the lineaments of a family's successes and crises into one compelling account: his dry, sometimes laconic style eloquently captures the passage of generations, providing just enough room for the reader to catch a glimpse of each individual's ferocious vitality before closing the window and moving on. The effect is highly entertaining, and as the Spiddal episode illustrates, these short narratives give the reader an unusual insight into the incipient years of the Republic.' - Tom Lordan, Irish Times ; 'Robert O'Byrne offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone era of gilded splendour ... A thoroughly engaging romp through this vanished society and its grand spaces, Left Without a Handkerchief is the perfect primer for any lay student of the Protestant ascendancy as told through the prism of ten of its septs and their many larger-than-life characters.' - Donal Nolan, The Kerryman ; 'It makes for a fascinating-and often poignant-read.' - Country Life
Book Information
ISBN 9781843518181
Author Robert O'Byrne
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint The Lilliput Press Ltd
Publisher The Lilliput Press Ltd
