Colum Kenny Books

On the dramatic night of 5-6 December 1921, Irish Delegates at Downing Street signed an agreement for a treaty to end the War of Independence and to create a new Irish state. This is the story of that fraught midnight deal, and of the events and people that lay behind it. The story is told from original sources and eyewitness accounts, and brings to life the Treaty that sparked a Civil War but made modern Ireland. Irish negotiators were under great pressure, caught between an ultimatum from Prime Minister Lloyd George to sign or face outright war, and a refusal by the President of Dáil Éireann, Éamon de Valera, to lead them in London. For two months Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins, and three other delegates faced some of the most powerful men in the British Empire, including Winston Churchill and Austen Chamberlain. Kenny turns a spotlight on the key issues and the problems they faced.

This is the story of a remarkable man's efforts to help starving people during the Irish Great Famine. It reveals their terrible experiences inside and outside one of the national 'workhouses' and throws new light on the relationship between class, religion, and poverty in Ireland before independence.John O'Sullivan (1807-1874) was an independent-minded priest who clashed with bishops and landlords. He kept journals that have not been published. The author mines these and other sources, including eyewitness accounts, UK archives and Kerry's workhouse minutes, for new insights into aspects of Irish society, including politics, proselytism, and the status of women.

This book demonstrates that silence is eloquent, powerful, beautiful and even dangerous. It surrounds and permeates our daily lives. Drawing on a wide range of cross-cultural, literary and historical sources, the author explores the uses and abuses of silence. He explains how silence is not associated with solitude alone but has a much broader value within society. The main themes of The Power of Silence are positive and negative uses of silence, and the various ways in which silence has been understood culturally, socially and spiritually. The book's objectives are to equip people with a better appreciation of the value of silence and to enable them to explore its benefits and uses more easily for themselves.

The book explores the historical gap in legal education in Ireland from the Tudor period to the Victorian era, highlighting the absence of training for lawyers. It details the revival of legal training in the 19th century, emphasizing Tristram Kennedy's significant contributions, including his establishment of the Carrickmacross lace industry and his parliamentary representation for the Catholic electorate of Louth. The narrative also focuses on the Dublin Law Institute, founded by Kennedy with the support of educational reformer Thomas Wyse MP, framing their roles in the broader context of legal education reform.

Almost a century after his untimely death in 1922, this lively new assessment looks at the man Michael Collins described as 'father of us all', and reclaims Griffith as the founder of both Sinn Fein and the Irish Free State. Since his death when President of Dail Eireann, Griffith's role has often been misrepresented. Too radical for Fine Gael, he was not militant enough for opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Kenny argues that efforts to 'other' Griffith as 'un-Irish' raise uncomfortable questions about Irish identity. Griffith is also shown to have become a scapegoat for Irish anti-Semitism, which he rejected, and his courage in signing the Treaty to end the War of Independence, when Eamon de Valera refused to go to London, is highlighted. A dedicated nationalist and intellectual, as well as a skilled editor and balladeer, Griffith encouraged women to become involved in the struggle for national independence, and, unusually for his time, was able to distinguish between Oscar Wilde's private life and his work. His complex relationships with W.B. Yeats and James Joyce are also revealed in significant new ways. The Enigma of Arthur Griffith brings the real Arthur Griffith back into focus for a new generation.

In this challenging but fair account of the Irish Civil War, Colum Kenny sets out relevant tragic events of 1922 to 1923 in a clear and succinct way. He highlights in graphic detail the main moments of a war between former friends. Arguing that it is not possible to suspend judgment about a dispute that threatened the democratic foundation of the Irish state, and that gave solace to its enemies, he presents a balanced analysis of what happened during those two turbulent years. Referring to activists on both sides such as Michael Collins, Harry Boland, Mary McSwiney and Richard Mulcahy, the author explains that the Civil War was bubbling from early 1922. Reflecting on the lasting bitterness engendered by civil war, a bitterness that broke Arthur Griffith's heart and contributed to his early death in 1922, Kenny relates the Civil War to current tensions surrounding the future of Northern Ireland.