#traolach mac suibhne

[littlelonghairedoutlawllho]

@wheel-of-fish tagged me to share my TBR pile so this is just a preliminary look at it. Most of these books I have, a couple of them I’m borrowing in the very near future, and one or two I will track down if it takes me all year to do so.

Forgotten Lord Mayor: Donal Óg O’Callaghan 1920-1924 -- Aodh Quinlivan (I’m most of the way through this one and enjoying it immensely)

The Revolutionist: A Play in Five Acts -- Terence MacSwiney

Despite Fools’ Laughter: Poems by Terence MacSwiney -- ed. B.G. MacCarthy

Tomas MacCurtain: Soldier and Patriot -- Florence O’Donoghue

Muriel MacSwiney: Letters to Angela Clifford -- Muriel MacSwiney & Angela Clifford

Wounds: A Memoir of War & Love -- Fergal Keane

A Coward If I Return, A Hero If I Fall: Irishmen in World War I -- Neil Richardson

The Winter Soldier -- Daniel Mason

Grace -- Paul Lynch

Death and Nightingales -- Eugene McCabe

Time Present and Time Past -- Deirdre Madden

How Death Becomes Life -- Joshua Mezrich

The Secret History -- Donna Tartt

The Battle of the Four Courts -- Michael Fewer

The Táin -- trans. Thomas Kinsella

A Ghost in the Throat -- Doireann ní Ghríofa

Love Between Men in English Literature -- Paul Hammond

Terrible Queer Creatures: Homosexuality in Irish History -- Brian Lacey

the long way to a small angry planet -- Becky Chambers

Veiled Warriors: Allied Nurses of the First World War -- Christine E. Hallett

The Binding -- Bridget Collins

Selected Poems 1968-2014 -- Paul Muldoon

Graveyard Clay -- Máirtín Ó Cadhain (trans. Liam Mc Con Iomaire and Tim Robinson)

Traolach Mac Suibhne -- Diarmaid Ó Briain (this one’s completely in Irish so it’s going to be a Translation Adventure)

Remember...it’s for Ireland: A Portrait of Tomás MacCurtain -- Fionnuala MacCurtain

On Another Man’s Wound -- Ernie O’Malley

The Singing Flame -- Ernie O’Malley

Raids and Rallies -- Ernie O’Malley

Old Ireland in Colour -- John Breslin & Sarah-Ann Buckley

Guerilla Days in Ireland -- Tom Barry

Honestly I don’t know who to tag so tagging @madamefaust @notaghost3 and anyone else who wants to do it

#there are only 8 novels here #am i surprised? #i wish i was #books

[littlelonghairedoutlawllho]

For the history asks: 1, 2, 9, 17, 23? 💕

1. Who is your favourite historical person?

Can’t believe you’re out here asking me to choose just one when my wall is a collection of them, but I will choose the man most represented who is, as you might imagine, one Noël Browne. That mess of a man who makes me want to yeet myself into the past just so I can sit down with him and have a polite word about keeping his records in order. And get answers pertaining to very important mysteries that I can only theorise over. Though tbh “The Mysteries of Noël Browne” sounds like the title to a very intriguing novel. Anyway I love him, 10/10 absolutely stan, the sheer drama and stubbornness and love for his wife and determination to see his plans to the end

2. What is your country most famous for in history?

Honestly I have *no* idea what other countries might consider us famous for in historical terms. Maybe the Famine. Quite possibly our habit of ill-fated uprisings and stubbornness on the matter of getting independence

I do know though that for a while in the 20th Century the historical thing we were most famous for abroad was Terence MacSwiney’s hunger strike, to the extent that his Principles of Freedom was basically considered an essential text by the Indian independence movement and even Nelson Mandela cited him as an inspiration

9. Favourite historical film?

Part of me wants to say Michael Collins just because of the sheer Time that film is and how it’s much more enjoyable when treated as historical RPF as opposed to “based on a true story”, but let’s be real, my fave is Tombstone. Of course it’s Tombstone. The queer energy, the emotional devastation, the quality one-liners, the one time Val Kilmer was a joy in something. Tombstone will always win

17. What historical item would you like to own?

While I would desperately love to own the tapes that Noël Browne dictated Against the Tide into -- if only to hear the things that didn’t make it into the final edit -- I also know owning them really is the realm of fantasy. But yesterday in my ill-fated pursuit of a particular book, I found a sort of memorial card thing for Terence MacSwiney under his Irish name of Traolach Mac Suibhne, and I kind of want it.  

23. Favourite historical song / with such reference?

Oh God I’m torn. I have 3 big faves so I’ll name those 3 because I haven’t a hope of choosing between them.

No.1 is ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ by the Pogues, the proper 8-minute+ version because it is *gutting*. I first heard it when I was 11 and tbh I credit that song with my everlasting WWI fascination. I heard of Gallipoli and Suvla Bay long before I ever heard of the Somme or Ypres, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.

No.2 is ‘Grace’ by Jim McCann. My teacher told us about it when I was maybe 12? And we were learning about the 1916 Rising, but I didn’t fully make the connection until about 3 years later when it came on while I was in the calf shed, and I’d heard it loads of times by then and liked it but something just clicked in my head that *this* was the song about Joe Plunkett and Grace Gifford and their wedding in Kilmainham before his execution, and I haven’t gotten over it since. The desperation and the grief in those lyrics, the resignation and the love--it undoes me every time. Just undoes me.

No.3 is ‘The Black Diary Waltz’ by The Mariannes because the *emotions*. The EMOTIONS. *God* It’s such a stunning look at Roger Casement and his thoughts and feelings near the end and lines up so well with what we know of him. It’s a brilliantly researched song and it makes me want to *weep*

Three honorary mentions are ‘Banna Strand’ by the Wolfe Tones which is an excellent song to scream-sing to while typing an essay, ‘The Green Fields of France’ by The Fureys & Davey Arthur which is one of my go-to WWI songs, and a new one that has come to my attention for Reasons in the last few days, ‘Shall My Soul Pass Through Old Ireland’ by Seán Dunphy. It gives me some sort of an emotion now every time I hear it

Send me History Asks!

#shauna replies #bogglebabbles #thank you kim <3