On August 2, 1922 the Lady Wicklow steamed into Tralee Bay. On board was the author, then 21, who wrote an enthralling personal account of the landing at Fenit and of the Battle for Tralee. Later he gathered factual accounts from the opposing IRA, ma
Kerry was the scene of some of the bloodiest and most protracted fighting during the civil war. When Free State troops landed dramatically by sea, taking the anti-treaty forces by surprise, the initial fighting was intense. Soon resistance by large groups became rare and the sides settled into a prolonged period of guerrilla conflict.The Civil War in Kerry builds an insightful picture of the conflict and its principle participants. Looking at both sides and their motivations, their challenges and also their similarities, it draws a complete picture of the county during this troubled period.By following events to the general election in 1923 when a degree of normality returned, it also shines a light on how the noncombatants of Kerry judged the conflict and how the war shaped the future of politics in the county for decades to come.
This book tells the story of the lives and deaths of 162 Kerrymen who died for the ideal of an independent Irish republic of 32 counties. Many were killed in action but others were executed or died while in captivity as a result of brutality or neglect. In telling their stories Tim Horgan has provided an intriguing social history of the county and a snapshot of life in Ireland. They range from the story of Thomas Ashe whose funeral was attended by over 100,000 people to that of seventeen year old Tom Moriarty who was buried secretly by his comrades. They include people like the First World War marksman, Con Healy, who though dying of tuberculosis went on to become a hero fighting for his own country and the contrasting stories of Patrick Lynch who was shot dead at his doorstep and of Tim O'Sullivan who was executed in faraway Donegal, though they were born in neighbouring parishes in South Kerry. This book will certainly be a collectors item and will make a wonderful gift for anyone with Kerry connections.