Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Outer Edge of Ulster is the evocative memoir of Hugh Dorian, a country schoolmaster from County Donegal. Dorian’s Narrative looks back to the years surrounding the Great Famine and weaves a richly textured tapestry of people and landscape that transports us to another place and time. It remains one of the very few first-hand accounts of this tumultuous era written through the lens of ordinary people. It is also an engaging introduction to the social history of Ireland in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. For years it was forgotten and remained unpublished. Editors Breandán MacSuibhne and David Dickson have done us an invaluable service in resurrecting this work. Their illuminating introduction, rich contextualization, and informative footnotes provide the reader with an invaluable lens from which to view Dorian’s world. This engaging memoir has something for everyone." —Irish Literary Supplement
“This is a riveting view of traumatic social change in Ireland, recorded with pithy eloquence by a combative local schoolteacher, enhanced by a masterly introduction and notes.” —Times Literary Supplement
“A fascinating account of a world which has passed away . . . It should become a classic." —Irish Independent
“Aside from a few (understandable) intemperate moments, Dorian’s ‘true historical narrative’ is a considerable achievement. . . . Whatever his failings may or may not have been, Hugh Dorian was a servant of his people, the people of the Outer Edge. And his work endures.” —LA Review of Books
“Rich and beautifully-written evocations of a time and a place. Dorian’s hitherto unpublished memoirs will delight anyone interested in the life of the ‘rude people’ — the resilient poor of 19th century Ireland.”—The Sunday Tribune
“A remarkable testimony . . . to the cruel hardships suffered by the native Irish peasant under landlordism and British rule.”—Ireland on Sunday
“Students of Irish history are now fortunate to have this important work available in a superbly edited format. Mac Suibhne and Dickson provide a lengthy introduction that sketches Dorian’s career and provides abundant information about the context and setting of the manuscript. Extensive documentation and illustrations enhance the quality of the book. It will be of use to anyone interested in the social history of 19th-century Ireland and Europe.” —Choice
