The Life of Captain Robert Halpin
By Jim Rees
184pp; 17 b/w illus. Paperback €14.95; isbn 0 9519239 0 0
The biography of one of the best known Irish seamen of the nineteenth century. Went to sea at age 11, shipwrecked twice by age 22, ran supplies to the Confederate ports in the American Civil War, but best known as the commander of the ss Great Eastern, the greatest ship on the planet at that time. His later life was involved in local politics and contested the 1892 general election in the wake of the Parnellite split.
Gay Byrne Radio Show: “a spanking good read”.
Published by Dee-Jay Publications 1992 reprinted 1994, 1996, 2000, 2009.
A Farewell To Famine
by Jim Rees
174pp; 50 b/w illus., Paperback €14.95; isbn 0 9519239 1 9
In 1850 an ageing priest led a group of over 1000 people from their homes in south-east Ireland to start new lives in the American Mid-West. This was no blind flight from famine, but a concerted attempt organised by the Bishop of Little Rock to establish an Irish Catholic colony in Arkansas. A series of setbacks broke the cohesion of the group which splintered into six, settling in places as diverse as New Orleans, Arkansas, Texas, Missouri and Iowa. This book follows their progress, showing the other side of the famine emigration experience - what happened when they got to America. The names of 847 of those people form a fascinating appendix to this story.
Sunday Press (Dublin): “A gem of a book”.
Irish Times: “ ...a brave and audacious adventure... this account is timely and necessary ...”
Books Ireland: “An Irish Schindler’s List ..... a highly readable account of one community’s transplantation..”
Irish Echo (New York): “A valuable document for students of Irish-American history”.
Published by Dee-Jay Publications 1994; reprinted 1995, 2005
The Trial of Billy Byrne of Ballymanus
80pp: Paperback €9.95: isbn 09519239 2 7
Billy Byrne was one of the most romantic figures of the 1798 Rebellion. His monument in front of the courthouse in which he was tried in Wicklow symbolises the noble figure of folklore. But just what was his role in the rebellion? Shortly after his trial in 1799 an edited version of the transcript was published in Dublin. The testimony of crown and defence witnesses, Byrne’s summation of the case against him, along with his own testimony, have provided historians with primary source material ever since. Now, for the first time in almost two hundred years, that transcript is re-issued to give a wider readership an opportunity to judge for themselves Byrne’s role in the rebellion.
Sunday Tribune: “.. gives a fascinating flavour of the proceedings that led to Byrne’s execution ...”
An Phoblacht/Republican News: “A filmscript waiting to be taken up”.
Enniscorthy Echo: “.. a valuable and important work ...”
Published by Dee-Jay Publications 1996
Arklow – the story of a town
By Jim Rees
347pp; 69 b/w illus. Paperback €18.95; isbn 0 95192393 5
It is not possible to say how old Arklow is. Evidence of human activity in this area goes back thousands of years, and much of that activity has been recorded in books and journals. For anyone who wants to know more about Arklow’s story the problem is where to begin. This book gives a comprehensive overview of how Arklow became the town we know today. It is written specifically for the general reader, but includes extensive source notes for anyone who would like to dig that bit deeper.
Published by Dee-Jay Publications 2004
All For A Game – the history of Arklow Town FC 1948-1998
By Brian Rees
276pp; 70 b/w illus. Paperback €14.95
Excellently researched and well written history of a club which has become a model for others to emulate. This history, particularly the early chapters are as much a social history as they are a sporting history.
Wicklow People: “… an excellent publication”.
Published by Arklow Town Football Club 1998
Exploring Wicklow’s Rebel Past 1798-1803
By Ruán Ó Donnell
71 pp. colour illus. Paperback €10.00; isbn 0-953492-20-6
The events which took place between 1798 and 1803, when Irish rebels attempted to seize power from the colonial government, has left a lasting mark on the people and the landscape of County Wicklow. The rugged mountains formed a place of refuge for the United Irishmen, from where they could organise raids on the lowlands that surrounded them. Rebel leaders such as Billy Byrne, Joseph Holt and Michael Dwyer became heroes during this time. Many landmarks from the uprising remain to be seen today, and in several locations covered by this volume one can almost hear the pikemen charging down the hill or the crack of a musket. This book brings the Wicklow landscape of 1798-1803 to life. With 24 sites of interest listed, both in the towns and the mountains, and easy to follow maps, you can plan a route around the county which will suit you. All the memorials commemorating the Rebellion period are listed, with photographs of many. The history and folklore of each site is given, as are clear directions to the area.
Published by the Wicklow County Council ’98 Committee 1998
The Fishery of Arklow, 1800-1950
By Jim Rees
64pp; 8 b/w illus. Paperback €10.00; isbn 978-1-84682-118-9
Surprisingly few Irish coastal towns have looked to the sea for their economic well-being. Arklow was one of those exceptions. The fishermen of Arklow were deemed ‘a race distinct’, occupying an area which is still, but decreasingly, known as the ‘Fishery’. But where was it? How did it come into being and what brought about its demise? This study investigates the 150-year lifespan of this town-within-a-town, exploring its economy, work patterns, its social conditions and the remarkable independence of its women.
Books Ireland: ‘... a detailed study of his native town ...’
(Published by: Four Courts Press)
By Colin Stewart and Jean Costelloe
98pp; 32 illus. Paperback €10.00; isbn 0 95406140 3
The story of a man and a ship - Charles Stewart and the USS Constitution - their names forever linked in the history of the American navy. From helping to mould America’s embryonic navy in the days of Washington to his commendations from several U.S. presidents, the life of Charles Stewart makes fascinating reading. His courage, tenacity, and his brilliance as a strategist gained him an international reputation. These traits would later be displayed to great effect by his grandson, the future Irish leader Charles Stewart Parnell. As Ironsides shows, Charles Stewart’s influence on Parnell should not be under-estimated.
Published by Cornerstone Publishing 2001