3 comments about Irish-English/English-Irish Easy Reference Dictionary, New Edition.

1. It is very easy to use and it can be a life saver when you are not sure about a certain word as you are learning irish.It contains about 24,500 entries. This is the main irish dictionary that I use. :) Although, it is best to buy this with an Irish course or at least have some knowledge about the pronunciation of irish words because the pronunciation is not listed with the word. But has proved to be very very useful, helpful, and invaluable as I learn about Gaelic Irish!



2. This is my first dictionary for learning Irish, and so far it's been pretty good. It is fairly complete in terms of entries, and often has examples of how words are used. It doesn't have pronunciations, which is a bummer on the Irish side but, in some ways, even more so on the English side because when I want to look up the Irish word for "live", for example, so I can talk about where I live, there is also an entry for "live" as in live music. So I have to go back and forth a bit. But overall I like this dictionary.



3. A great quick reference book. Convenient size, light weight, a perfect choice for the student of Irish Gaelic.

5 comments about Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782.

1. I was originally attracted to this book out of a simple curiosity about the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence (Charles Carroll outlived Adams and Jefferson by about six years, or about 56 years after 1776!). On a deeper level, I hoped to learn more about the kind of early capitalist that would be attracted to signing on to the American Revolution in general. What this book helped me discover was a family that had over time become focused, almost obsessed, with making a buck under fairly adverse circumstances (namely, continuing in their Roman Catholic faith that made it difficult for them to thrive, even in an enclave as seemingly sympathetic as colonial Maryland, with its relatively large Catholic population). But when the time came for this family to rise above its simple wealth building and to champion the cause of the Revolution, it did indeed rise to the occasion, however brief and painful the process might be. (Hoffman attends to both the private and public lives of the Carrolls.) The history of the Carrolls is a part of the history of the magic that was the American Revolution. It is not surprising that the book ends abruptly with the death of Charles Carroll's father and his wife, about 10 days apart from one another in 1782 (though there is a brief summing up of Carroll's remaining 50 years and the attention attracted by his death in 1832). The story is told, the dynasty pretty much complete.

   What's the book like? At times it seems downright willfully prosaic, and the story proceeds much like a carefully written doctoral dissertation - all conclusions fully supported and made in as logical a context as possible, all contentions politically correct for our time. Hoffman's goal is of course to be scholarly and thorough, not to be entertaining or controversial. Thus the sweep of this history must emerge and coalesce in the mind of the reader. Leave being beaten over the head with the broader conclusions inherent in the narrative to more popularly written histories.

   Suffice it to say, if you're a municipal library and you need to beef up your Revolutionary War material, this is a prime buy. If you're a true history buff, this would be an excellent choice to work into your reading list. It has the effect of immersing you into the spirit of the times and providing you with detail you could not have imagined you would find interesting (but you do). If you're a casual reader, just be advised - this is heavy stuff. It's not an easy read, but it is ultimately a rewarding one.




2. Ronald Hoffman is an excellent historian who has brought great knowledge of Chesapeake social and cultural history to this biographical work that places three generations of the Carroll family within their colonial context. It is a wonderful biography that gets the reader into the minds and lives of these three Charles Carroll's. But for me the best thing was the number of times it made me think, "Oh, that's how it was." I have read enough colonial history to know that there were lots of tenant laborers and not just slaves in the region, to know that Catholic Maryland quickly became Anglican Maryland, and to know that the Revolution was not just about ideas but also about social change. Ronald Hoffman's narrative, however, really brings these facts home. His book is not about any one of these issues in particular, but in telling the story of three generations of Carroll's in Maryland he brings home the greater circumstances of the colony better than many historians who have set out to make a case for one of the above arguments, or many of the other fascinating takes on early Chesapeake society contained in this highly readable book. I have not read any book lately that I enjoyed more.



3. Traditional patriotism demands that we believe that the founding fathers of America were all great democratic idealist. Although this may have been true for some, many others had no problem with the idea of an elite ruling class, so long as they were considered the elite. Thus the victory over England can be viewed as less of an American Democratic Revolution and more of a power transition from the English crown to the new American aristocracy.
   
   A primary example of this American elite class was Maryland representative Charles Carroll of Carrollton. A signer of the American Declaration of Independence, Charles of Carrollton was a wealthy planter and businessman who became such not by his own doings but primarily through the inheritance and molding of his father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis. Ever mindful of his Irish and Catholic roots and the persecution therein by English aristocrats, the elder Charles did everything in his power to equip his son to fend off those who would attempt to cripple him politically and economically. In so doing, the elder Charles created a mindset of elitism within his son.
   
   This irony is highlighted by Ronald Hoffman in his book, "Princes of Ireland, Planters of Europe," in which he examines the Carroll family and traces how a persecuted family from Ireland in 1500 came to be one of the prominent families in America by the time of the American Revolution



4. This is perhaps the most pleasurable "academic" history I have come across. Although it provides an extensive account of life in the Chesapeake through the lives and business dealings - and there are plenty of those enumerated - of the tenacious Carroll family, I was also struck by Ronald Hoffman's major theme of family continuity, of purpose driven by recollection and ambition that the Carrolls had in spades. The very tightly researched accounts of the family history in Ireland, and of all the other families like them in the chaos of the 17th century, is little short of astonishing. I'll admit to an enduring interest in Irish history, but this one illustrates why Carrolls and others left their broken aristocracy. That continuity touches on my own forebearers, one of whom was a first cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton's. She married another Irish immigrant Marylander and set out in 1796 to populate the then frontier in Kentucky with other Catholics, I am sure at direction of one of their neighbors in Upper Marlborough, MD, Fr. John Carroll, first Catholic bishop in America and also Charles' first cousin. A great read on many levels.



5. Purchased this book for my Grandmother. Apparently we are related on her side of the family. Thought she would enjoy reading. I purchased one years ago when my daughter had to do a report on someone famous in your family. I found the book very interesting and informative.

3 comments about The Coburg Conspiracy: Royal Plots and Manoeuvres.

1. The Coburg Conspiracy
   
   The title is indeed well chosen for the book is written dossier style, much as an MI6 file might read. It is quite amazing that Alexandrine Victoria, Queen Victoria, would have been allowed to marry an impoverished obscure German first cousin, a second son at that, from her Mother's side of the family unless there were some very powerful hands at play. I read this short book in one sitting for it held my interest throughout until the very last page. A review should not give away the story so all I will say is that I enjoyed it tremendously and the premise upon which the book is based is very believable. One thing is for sure, the Coburgs were a very money and position hungry lot. This is a very good book to read for anyone interested in English History.



2. The book is well-researched and yet presents its information in a storylike format. The first four chapters are tougher to get through as the author presents numerous names - similar to a film opening showing you glimpses of all the characters involved. But after Chapter 4 the story takes off and its remarkable to think how this one family truly conquered Europe by connecting (often marrying into) to the royal lines across multiple nations. A fascinating read and one that you enjoy learning from as its well-written, easy to pick up and get into.



3. The other reviewers aren't exaggerating - this is a five starrer.
   
   The term "Coburg conspiracy" refers to two different things. Firstly, the Coburg dynasty's attempt - orchestrated by Leopold of Belgium and his mother - to turn itself from a minor German ducal family into one of the most powerful dynasties in Europe. Suffice to say, they succeeded.
   
   The second "conspiracy" surrounds Prince Albert's paternity. (Warning: I'm about to give away some of the story, so if you want it to all be a suprise, please stop reading now!)
   
   I'd always thought the stories of Prince Albert's illegitimacy were bunkum, because of the strong resemblance he bore to his Belgian cousins - the descendants of his Uncle Leopold (whom he resembled even more than he did his father and brother). In particular, I'd seen pictures of Leopold's grandson Albert of Belgium in middle age, where he looked the image of the prematurely-aged Prince Albert in his last few years. I had also seen a picture of Albert of Belgium as a young man, where with his serious, thoughtful, melancholic expression, he looked the spitting image of the stiff, formal, humourless young Prince Albert. If Prince Albert bore such a strong resemblance to a Coburg cousin who was only his first cousin once removed, why would anyone suggest he wasn't a Coburg at all?
   
   Everything, however, falls into place if Sotnick's theory - that Albert was illegitimate, but that his father was probably his `uncle' Leopold - is correct (which would make the two Alberts uncle and nephew). According to Sotnick, Albert's parents' marriage didn't break down when his mother fell in love with another man when Albert was five, but broke down while she was pregnant with him. Sotnick also says that a year-and-a-half after Albert's birth, his father humiliatingly "returned" his wife to her father - a strange thing to do to the mother of his two sons. He conveniently waited until both her father and uncle were dead and she had inherited the duchy of Gotha and great wealth until he divorced her, and pretty much kept the lot (including her children, whom she never saw again). Sotnick finds it strange that Louise submitted to such a bad deal without a fight - unless, of course, she felt she'd done something to deserve it.
   
   Funnily enough, he seems to be unaware that David Duff put forward the exact same theory in his 1972 work `Albert and Victoria'. Certainly, he makes no mention of it - and though one of Duff's other books is listed in the bibliography, this one is not.
   
   Duff quotes a historian, Gerald Hamilton, as having written that when he was in Coburg in 1932, he was taken to view the ducal archives, and saw documents about Albert's parents' separation that left him "in no doubt" that Louise had an affair, and that Baron von Meyern, sometimes put forward as a candidate, was Albert's father. Duff, however, puts forward Leopold as more likely, writing, "It seems scarcely credible that, with Prince Leopold a guest in her house, Duchess Louise could have been taking Baron von Meyern as her lover. That would have been hard to hide from a man as astute as Leopold and he certainly had too many plans for the Coburgs to have countenanced it. So what, then, was the answer to the rumour that [Lord] Melbourne only agreed to the marriage of Victoria and Albert when he learned that Albert was not the son of Duke Ernest? Melbourne may have turned to Leopold for enlightenment. Leopold may have told half of the truth and used the name of the Chamberlain as a necessary convenience. Meyern was known to be fond of the ladies."
   
   Duff also writes that all Queen Victoria's letters to Leopold are preserved, except for those in 1862, the year after Albert's death - perhaps suggesting that she found out after Albert's death that Leopold had been his father. He also notes that in his official biography of Prince Albert, Sir Theodore Martin wrote that Leopold was not in Coburg at the time of Albert's conception, but stayed in England after his first wife's death (1817) and didn't leave until 1820. As Duff points out, "Both Sir Theodore, and Queen Victoria who worked in close concert with him, knew better than that."
   
   Of course, none of this proves anything. But if another historian independently reached the same conclusion as Sotnick, this gives it extra credibility.
   
   As is unfortunately often the case, the book as quite a few typos. There are also two minor factual errors: Sotnick writes that "Alfred's daughter Marie married Ferdinand, King of Romania, whose son Carol became King of Yugoslavia" - actually, their eldest son Carol became King of Romania, and it was their daughter Marie (Mignon) who became Queen of Yugoslavia. He also writes that this same Alfred inherited the duchy of Coburg, and that when he died without an heir (his only son died in 1899, the year before he did) the claim passed to his brother Leopold: "But before he could collect his prize, Leopold died, and in 1905 the duchy passed to his son Carl Edward." Leopold had actually died back in 1884, while his wife was pregnant with this son, Carl, who inherited Coburg when Alfred died in 1900.
   
   It doesn't, however, seem worth lopping off a star for this - maybe half a star, if that were possible - so I'm still giving it five stars. It really does deserve them.

1 comments about Tracing Your Irish Family History.

1. In my 35 years of researching Irish families I've never encountered as helpful a book as Anthony Adolph's. It's very informative, well written, vividly illustrated and inspirational. I highly recommend this book to beginners as well as experienced genealogists.

2 comments about Irish Family Names Map (Collins British Isles and Ireland Maps).

1. Our Irish heritage group searched high and low for this item for years and years. The single mounted copy that we had was a source of endless fascination for members and for visitors when we set up at the local highland games and other festivals. It is also a good, basic map of Ireland and its counties. We bought two.
   Note to the Scottish: Collins publishes a similar map for Scotland with clan crests instead of coats of arms. A must buy for any convener or clan commissioner.



2. The map is a must for anyone who is tring to put together a family tree. It is well laid out and clear. Gives one a solid grasp on where the family lived/originated. I found it very helpful

5 comments about O'Baby: The Irish Baby Name Book.

1. If you are looking for a Traditional Irish name this is a great book, but by traditional I mean one no one will be able to pronounce or spell correctly. There are old Irish names, with a few common ones mixed in, 90% of this book I found useless.



2. My husband's from Ireland, so we got this book thinking it would help to make our baby name decision easier. Half the names are made up, or last names used as first names (which no one does in Ireland). A lot of the pronunciations were wrong, as well as a lot of the meanings of the names. I haven't tried any of the other Irish baby name books out there, but if you're looking for an Irish name, I'd just use Google and check out a couple websites.



3. I am Irish and get very annoyed at the names people mistakenly take to be Irish, including many in this book! Just from reading some of the names suggested, you will NEVER find an Irish person called Shannon, Erin, Darcy, Duane, Keegan, Kennedy etc. I could go on...
   The Shannon is Ireland's principal river and Erin is the Gaelic for Ireland (though it's actually spelt Éireann) and the others are either invented or they are surnames, NEVER given as first names in Ireland. If you came to Ireland with a name like Delaney or Magee, you would be ridiculed.
   One important thing to note is that in the Irish (Gaelic) alphabet, there is no J.K,Q,V,W,X,Y or Z so any names with these letters are usually not properly Irish or sometimes they are an English translation. This book also seems to encourage the irritating habit Amercians have of lumping Scottish and Irish names in with each other - they are NOT the same thing!!!
   There are many beautiful Irish names (particularly pleasing are the ones that non-Irish people find difficult to pronounce) but this book does not appear to be the place to find them! If you want to call your child an Irish name or if you like a name and want to know if it's Irish, ask an Irish person - a real Irish person living In Ireland I mean!



4. THIS WAS A GIFT FOR MY SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WHO ARE EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD. IT WAS NEVER RECEIVED, HOWEVER THE SELLER WAS NOTIFIED ON APRIL 29 AND A NEW SHIPMENT WAS SENT AND RECEIVED WITHIN ONE WEEK. WE WERE PLEASED WITH THAT RESULT. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO RATE THIS TRANSACTION OTHER THAN TO SAY WE WERE INITIALLY DISAPPOINTED AND THEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE FOLLOW-UP SERVICE WE RECEIVED SO I GUESS I WILL GIVE IT 3 STARS.



5. We got pregnant in Ireland, so wanted an Irish name. This book had a few, mostly older names that I can't pronounce. Wasn't too impressed. Celtic Names for Children was a better buy and included most of the same names.

5 comments about Stalking Irish Madness: Searching for the Roots of My Family's Schizophrenia.

1. A friend told me about this book and I am so very glad he did. Patrick Tracey's work is the quintessence of a memoir and all-encompassing - history, journey, quest, confession, expository, literary. The story he tells is gripping from the very start; his work opens with a setting in a cave which I read as a metaphor informing the rest of the book. Tracey explores the dark, seemingly unknown world of schizophrenia - debunking myths and educating the reader; he cites many studies including a fascinating and promising genetic approach to understanding and, hopefully, treating this terrible illness. Aside from the science and medicine, Tracey tells a compelling story that is sad, painful and even frightening (his "toothless" grandmother springs immediately to mind), yet his book is not a dark work; there is hope and Tracey finds it. He takes the reader on a journey through the Irish and Irish-American past and to Ireland itself, and this is yet another powerful feature of the book - we travel along with Patrick, his journey becomes ours. Such a book as this could easily fall into a sentimental and depressing gloom but Tracey does not allow this to happen. His writing is personal and heartfelt; it is a literary narrative replete with allusions to James Joyce and other Irish writers. This informative and eclectic work is a must read and deserves more recognition for society needs to better recognize and devote more resources to the study, treatment and cure of schizophrenia. By confronting his family's struggle with schizophrenia, Patrick Tracey also gives all sufferers and their loved ones a voice; he advocates for them, champions their plight, and offers a truly memorable work.



2. This is a decent biography but gets boring now and then. It doesnt speak much medically of the disease as I would have liked. It doesnt tell so much about how he dealt with the disorder in his family...except his travel to Ireland 'tracing his roots'. This book is more about him actually in Ireland than the disease itself. I cant be mad-that is what the title says. If youre interested in Ireland then I recomend it. If you want to learn about Schizophrenia then I do not recomend it.



3. I really enjoyed this book immensely. It was so sad and it hit home with my own feelings. I was impressed with his writing and the history was great and the best part was his love for his sisters. It was shared already with several people that have children affected by this disease by far the worst disease on earth. It robs young people of a life. I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it.



4. I absolutely love this book! So interesting and well written! My husband is reading it now and is enjoying it just as much. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.



5. Well, this certainly explains my family, all my uncles, my father, the one aunt, my cousins, all coming from my father's side. Irish to the core. Protestant Irish, but I guess that doesn't matter. Actually, I feel pretty good knowing that there is a reason for this. And why the Irish are known for drinking. Keeping something away . . .I don't know what, though. Most of us are agoraphobic and about a third of us have hearing/deafness problems. I can't wait to buy this book and I'm actually feeling better and calmer about myself just by reading the reviews. So, I am crazy, but not crazy . . .so it's not me, there really is a reason. Still, even Protestants from the Ulster area believe, like me, in the "little people." Leprauchans? I wouldn't bet against them. Thank you for the book.

5 comments about A New Genealogical Atlas of Ireland, Second Edition.

1. Now in a new and expanded second edition, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland by genealogical expert Brian Mitchell has added maps detailing the location of Roman Catholic parishes in all thirty-two counties of Ireland, and Presbyterian congregations in the nine counties of Northern Ireland. A complete geographical picture of the three major religious dominations in Ireland during the middle years of the 19th century is another newly added feature. An invaluable reference and guide for doing genealogical research for an Irish ancestry, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland continues to be an indispensable, core addition to personal, professional, and genealogical society reference collections.



2. Now in an updated second edition, genealogy research expert Brian Mitchell's A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is a very straightforward, accessible reference, presenting maps of each Irish county. Each county has five maps: one depicting the Church of Ireland parishes, one showing the baronies and Church of Ireland dioceses, one of the poor law unions and parishes included within probate districts, one of Roman Catholic parishes and dioceses, and a fifth set of maps for the nine counties of Northern Ireland shows Presbyterian congregations. Since civil registration for everyone in Ireland didn't begin until 1864, A New Genealogical Atlas Of Ireland is an extremely useful reference for tracing ancestors who lived prior to 1864. An invaluable contribution to genealogical reference and resource materials.



3. This book doesn't give me all the answers I needed, but it has been a trememdous help in getting closer to finding my Irish Ancestors. Worth adding to my bookshelf.



4. This book is just what it is called: an atlas. It does not give advice or information about irish history, genealogy, or anything of the sort (which is what I had mistakenly hoped for). It is a very, very detailed atlas of the counties, parishes, and every other conceivable subdivision of the land of Ireland over the last 200 years. It could be a valuable resource for anyone who has their genealogical research within Ireland already. If you are like me, and have traced the family to the boat ride but no further, this will not help you quite yet.
   
   Thank you still to the author for the extensive research that must have gone into this!



5. This publication perfectly fills my need as a tool to visually orient myself with Ireland's complicated system of local area boundaries. Invaluable when sorting through parishes, townlands, poor law unions and baronies.

5 comments about The Irish Pub.

1. This stunning book on The Irish pub is sumptuous and gorgeous - if you have an interest in pubs, Ireland, history, interior decor or indeed anthropology then you should get this book for your self as well as for as many others as you see fit - engaging text - seriously beautiful photographs - this is a very important book that will become a collectors must. I can't recommend this more.



2. If you have an interest in visiting Ireland for the first time, you are a frequent visitor or a resident of Ireland, this book is a must read. The author managed to capture the flavor of the Irish Pub with his historical discriptions, and the photographer captured the vision. In the course of reading the book, I could see my relatives sitting in a number of the featured pubs debating current issues, tossing a few pints back and wondering what tomorrow will bring.



3. The Irish Pub is a terrific book with wonderful pictures, descriptions, and stories of several historic pubs in Ireland.



4. "The Irish Pub" captures the warmth and charm of this vanishing mainstay of Irish culture. The book invites you into its pages with beautiful photographs and histories of urban and rural pubs.



5. We were in a pub in Wexford called the Sky and Ground Pub. Great place. Johnny, the owner bought this place after it had burned to the ground with intentions to rebuild. When he first walked through the door, all he could see was the sky and the ground. So he named it that. He recommended this book, which we ended up buying the next day and using as our tour guide. It was a very good recommendation. We ended up hitting about 11 pubs out of the 38 or so that are in the book. We had the pub owners sign their respective pages. They were very excited by the idea. Most said none had asked them to do that before. This book is fantastic. If you have any interest in Ireland or pubs at all this book is a must, there is a ton of info in here, with a map to plan your route. Plus the photography is fantastic.

5 comments about Tracing Your Irish Ancestors, Third Edition.

1. This handy paperback is the first place to start for Irish research.

   Irish ancestors can be very elusive due to a variety of factors. Don't get frustrated - get educated. You CAN hunt your Emerald Isle ancestors successfully when armed with the knowledge in this book.

   While covering all of the standard civil, church, census, and land records, Grenham's book also covers wills, deeds, newspapers, directories, and other less-used records. The final third of the book is a county-by-county reference guide describing extant censuses and substitutes, available local histories, monumental inscriptions and other sources for each county.

   One of the outstanding features of the book is the Catholic parish maps for each county. These were drawn by the author's father and give the date of the earliest records available for each parish.

   A researcher with Irish heritage must be as indefatigable and adaptable as their own Irish forebears were in order find them in the existing records. This book is one of the tools you need to start with.




2. I live in Ireland and I bought this book about October, 2001. It's an updated version of the 1993 book. Having looked through many books in libraries, I found this to be the ultimate guide to Irish genealogy. I have succeeded in tracing my family back to the eighteenth century from information about parish records, census records etc, as John lists them so well. It gives details of sources county by county in chronological order. The church record listing is also excellent. This is definitely the Irish genealogy bible.



3. This book is a great help for anyone trying to trace an Irish ancestor. It is very well organized, giving the reader both general information and information specific to localities. Many internet sites are listed. I would highly recommend this book to any Irish researcher.



4. I am so pleased with this book, as I just discovered my roots are with the Irish. Such a wealth of information, I am so impressed.
   from a Scottish born native, now USA citizen.



5. This is the absolute best book for Irish genalogy. If you can only buy one book this should be it.