Search results for ""The Liffey Press""
The Liffey Press Killester Garden Village: The Lives of Great War Veterans and Their Families
One hundred years ago this year, the largest Irish WWI ex-servicemen housing estate on the island of Ireland was completed, the Killester Garden Village. Comprising 247 bungalows, it was the flagship estate for returning Irishmen from what some dubbed ‘the war to end all wars’.So who were those men who lived in Killester Garden Village? In their mid-twenties, more than likely poor, living in tenements or urban dwellings, unskilled or working as casual labourers, they enlisted in the British forces at the outbreak of WWI. Then, having survived the terror of that war, they came home to a hostile Ireland that had politically changed in their absence.In fact, the Irish men and women who served in the British forces during WWI came home to a different country. During their absence in the battlefields of France, Flanders and Gallipoli, a terrible beauty had been born. And during the ensuing War of Independence, Irish ex-servicemen had to keep their heads down. Of the 196 civilians killed by the IRA between 1919 and 1921 for alleged spying activities for the British forces, between 100 and 120 were ex-servicemen.Possibly even worse, as the Irish ex-service men and women died off years later, so too did their place in the narrative of modern Irish history. They were largely forgotten.But now, in this brilliantly researched book, profiles of 300 of these brave Irish men and women bring them back to life so that their stories can finally be told.
£25.16
The Liffey Press The Art of Place: People and Landscape of County Clare
“What are we if not our stories?” – Enda Walsh, PlaywrightStories. Life stories. Stories of love and loss. Success and failure. Stories about people and place. Stories about the magical spark of creativity. Life stories that make us feel and that make us think. Stories that are stirring and inspirational.With a particular emphasis on the role of landscape and environs, The Art of Place brings together 30 captivating personal stories by some of the most creative people in Ireland, who all live in or come from County Clare.Featured contributors include writers and visual artists, musicians and composers, sculptors and crafts people, photographers and filmmakers. Their compelling and deeply personal stories will resonate not only with people from the West of Ireland, but with people worldwide who are enthralled by the creative process.Beautifully designed and including 30 specially commissioned photographic interpretations by award-winning photographer John Kelly, The Art of Place is a work of art itself, and a magnificent testament to the artistic spirit for which Ireland is justifiably famous.
£27.00
The Liffey Press Making Sense of Mental Health: A Practical Approach Through Lived Experience
Mental health difficulties bring us face to face with our vulnerability as human beings, and after two years of struggling with the effects of Covid-19 concerns about mental health worldwide have never been higher. But our discussions are still fraught with issues of language and understanding. Are we all on a ‘spectrum’ of mental wellness? Is ‘well-being’ about ‘being well’ or about coping? Mental health problems can be frightening when we experience them ourselves, or see them in others. And despite all the talk, most of us find it hard to decide when or where to seek help.What is often missing from these discussions is the most valuable resource of all – the personal accounts of those with lived experience of mental health difficulties. Making Sense of Mental Health is centred on hours of in-depth interviews with adults coping with mental health issues. The author follows their journeys from the origin of their distress to their lowest moments to eventual recovery and a sense of moving on. These lived experiences show how in times of crisis people can move forward amidst the chaos, vulnerability and uncertainty brought on by mental health problems.There are no quick fixes or miracle cures to serious mental health issues. This book shows that ‘what works’ is whatever helps an individual make sense of what is happening to them. A problem entwined with the human condition, mental health difficulties can best be treated by understanding the experiences of those who have lived through them, and as a society by finding a way to ascribe meaning to the complex reality of mental health.
£17.95
The Liffey Press Atlantic Tabor: The Pilgrims of Croagh Patrick
For five consecutive years Dublin-based photojournalists Tomasz Bereska and Tomasz Szustek have travelled to Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday to take photographic portraits of some of the 20,000+ pilgrims who climb the ‘Holy Mountain’, focusing on the incredible diversity and different backgrounds of the participants. In Atlantic Tabor they present 60 stunning colour portraits of the pilgrims, plus an additional 60 atmospheric B&W photos that add to the story. To complement the beautiful images, the photographers invited Dr Patrick Claffey, Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department for Study of Religions and Theology at Trinity College Dublin to contribute to the project. Dr Claffey provides a brilliant analysis of pilgrimage phenomena in general terms worldwide, as well as more detailed exploration of Croagh Patrick in particular. He explains how pilgrimages were once primarily sacred but increasingly have become secular; he lists many of the holy mountains of the world and their associated pilgrimages; he describes the myths, prehistory and early history associated with Croagh Patrick; he defines the role ‘the Reek’ has played over the centuries in Connaught Catholicism; and he shows in detail the various paths one can take to climb Croagh Patrick and what to expect at the summit.
£17.06
The Liffey Press Oops! Why Things Go Wrong: Understanding and Controlling Error
In this ground-breaking book, Niall Downey – a cardio-thoracic surgeon who retrained to become a commercial airline pilot – uses his expertise in medicine and aviation to explore the critical issue of managing human error. With further examples from business, politics, sport, technology, the civil service and other fields, Downey makes a powerful case that by following some clear guidelines any organisation can greatly reduce the incidence and impact of human error.While acknowledging that in our fast-paced world getting things wrong is impossible to avoid completely, Downey offers a strategy based on current best practice that can make a massive difference. He concludes with an easy to use, aviation-style Safety Management System that can be hugely helpful in avoiding preventable catastrophes in organizations of all kinds.An acknowledged expert in error management, Niall Downey advises governments, major corporations and the health industry on how to develop a systemic approach to controlling for human imperfection. Arguing that prevention is far preferable to denying responsibility after the fact, he gave an influential TEDx talk outlining how healthcare could use aviation's experience to reduce tragic outcomes and improve patient safety.Oops! Why Things Go Wrong seeks to understand and navigate error. It shows how we have become particularly vulnerable to blunders due to new technologies and today’s pressurised work environments. But it also shows how we can fight back against our own inherent fallibility to live in a safer and less error-strewn world.
£22.95
The Liffey Press The Boundless and Miraculous: Found Poems in the Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
The boundless and miraculous is what Vincent van Gogh believed we should all seek – and to be satisfied with nothing less. This is exactly what he achieved in his art, despite many profound difficulties which he recorded in his letters. These letters later became recognised for their literary virtues, such as simplicity, clarity, spontaneity and rich imagery. Such qualities are among those most prized in poetry. In The Boundless and Miraculous, extracts from Van Gogh’s letters are presented as ‘found poems’ – writing not originally intended to be a poem, reinterpreted as such – mainly in the form of sonnets. They record many of the pivotal moments in Van Gogh’s life and his struggles and emotional state at these times are evident in the content and tone of the writing. There are also his views on the work of other artists, both his contemporaries and those who went before him. In particular, the poems encapsulate much of the thinking behind the way van Gogh’s art developed, and notably the thought processes behind some of his most iconic paintings. With 87 colour plates, The Boundless and the Miraculous celebrates Van Gogh’s spectacular art as well as his wonderful writing in what could be considered a series of brief autobiographical sketches. A fabulous gift book aimed at all lovers of Van Gogh’s work, this volume will also make a major contribution to our understanding of his short and amazing life. To Theo You must understand how I regard art. One must work long and hard to arrive at the truthful. What I want is difficult, and yet I don’t believe I’m aiming too high. I would like to reach the point where people say of my work, that man feels deeply, feels subtly. What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity or an oddity. Very well – assuming that, I’d like to show what there is in the heart of such an oddity, such a nobody. This is my ambition, based less on resentment than on love. Even though I’m often in a mess, inside me there’s still a calm – pure harmony. The Hague c. 21 July 1882
£18.95
The Liffey Press Views of Dublin… and Beyond: Paintings by Jean Shouldice
Jean has painted scenes from all corners of Ireland, but her signature style evolved from architectural impressions of familiar Dublin landmarks and cityscapes – in oil, pen and ink, and watercolour. She has preserved the mood of “Old Dublin” for posterity in many of her works. Her paintings include views of Howth Harbour, Raheny Village, Trinity College Dublin, the Ha’penny Bridge, Custom House, St Anne’s Park, Dublin Bay, O’Connell Street, St Stephen’s Green, Clontarf Castle and many more.
£13.95
The Liffey Press Post-Pandemic: 12 Lessons in Crisis Management
The world economy had barely recovered from the global financial crisis when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and knocked it back to the floor. Governments already struggling with low growth and high debt have, once again, been forced to take extraordinary measures to protect businesses and jobs. The future looks grim. The pandemic swept across the globe in 2020 as quickly as confidence in the banking system had vanished in 2008. In Ireland, only the tough decisions of a small group of regulators and officials kept the country from collapse, though the price of salvation was a huge national debt and years of lost opportunities. As a key insider to the Irish bailout, Jonathan McMahon was at the heart of the response, witnessing what it takes to manage a crisis that threatens a nation. Battle-hardened by his experiences at the top of UK financial regulation during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jonathan's advice on how to deal with crises is invaluable as countries all around the globe grapple with the effects of COVID-19. Jonathan does not have all the answers, but as Henry David Thoreau said, "It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Jonathan argues that we have to attend to the real, underlying causes of crises, not expediently dodge the difficult choices to be made. The bitter truth is that even if a vaccine is found to eradicate the virus, the huge challenges facing political and business leaders will persist. Post-Pandemic is essential reading as we make decisions about our future. It is a book for our times. "… a magnificent book. McMahon brings his policy experience … to give us key lessons of looking at the data, making judgements, and acting quickly before the problems become unmanageable. … [W]ritten in a fun, racy style … in the post-pandemic world of pervasive uncertainty, it carries profound messages." – Ashoka Mody, Visiting Professor in International Economic Policy at Princeton University, former Assistant Director with the International Monetary Fund and author of EuroTragedy: A Drama in Nine Acts "Can our reactions to the previous crisis help us navigate the post-pandemic economic recovery? Drawing on a shrewd interpretation of his experience in Ireland a decade ago, and illustrating the discussion with vivid cameos, Jonathan McMahon makes a persuasive case that they can. A lively and instructive read." – Professor Patrick Honohan, former Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland and author of Currency, Credit and Crisis: Central Banking in Ireland and Europe. "The Covid 19 pandemic has produced an economic crisis which, as usual, is quite unlike its predecessors. But Jonathan McMahon shows that there are some enduring principles which should govern crisis management. He has drawn on his experience in the eye of the storm in the euro zone banking crisis to write an entertaining and extremely useful book." – Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland and former Director of the London School of Economics.
£16.95
The Liffey Press The Trinity College VIII: Rowing for the Ladies Plate
The Trinity College VIII is a light-hearted account of how the 1977 Dublin University Boat Club raced the best university crews in the world in an attempt to win the cherished Ladies Plate at the Royal Henley Regatta – almost exactly 100 years after their last win at the prestigious event.Trinity College Dublin has a rich academic and sporting history, and similarly has produced talented undergraduates with mischievous minds and a healthy disregard for establishment rules. In The Trinity College VIII the two fuse together perfectly.Author and crew member David Hickey describes their prowess on the water and misadventures on land, from his awkward meeting with an Egyptian General who he told to f**k off on the telephone, to the explosive results one gets when trying to open a beer keg in the bath tub without the proper tools.But Hickey also takes an in-depth look at the reality of competitive rowing. He describes what actually happens in a race, what it feels like in the boat, the tactics involved and choices that have to be made. He also explains why he and his teammates were willing to spend the many gruelling hours of training required in order to be competitive.Above all, The Trinity College VIII is a story of discipline, camaraderie, fitness, self-belief, teamwork, student antics and hard work as seen by one Trinity College undergraduate who joined the Boat Club to pursue the Ladies.
£17.95
The Liffey Press Charles Frederick Ball: From Dublin's Botanic Gardens to the Killing Fields of Gallipoli
When Charles Frederick Ball was killed at Gallipoli in 1915 The Irish Times called him ‘one of the best known botanists and horticulturists in Ireland’. Fred Ball (to friends and family) trained in horticulture at Kew Gardens in the UK, moved to Dublin in 1906, became Assistant Keeper at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, and was editor of the journal Irish Gardening. A skilled plant breeder, he could have expected, in time, to succeed Sir Frederick Moore as Keeper of the Botanic Gardens. Instead, he responded to the call to serve king and country, enlisting in the famous 7th Battalion, Royal Dublin Fusiliers. This book describes Fred Ball’s life and achievements up to his tragic death at Suvla Bay in September 1915, shedding new light on his contribution to Irish horticulture as well as his time as a soldier. It is also the story of Fred Ball’s relationship with Alice Lane, the youngest daughter of a well to do Anglo-Irish family, who was the love of his life. They were married in Dublin in December 1914, just after Fred had joined up. The author, Alice’s grandson, discovered among his mother’s papers a small metal box containing over 100 letters that Fred wrote to Alice between 1911 and 1914. These letters, combined with further research in libraries and archives in Ireland and England, provide a captivating account of Fred Ball’s life in the Victorian and Edwardian worlds of which he was a part. Richly illustrated with historical photographs, Charles Frederick Ball offers a moving testament to a life tragically cut short. “A fascinating story, beautifully told. And what a wonderful collection of photographs.” – Jeff Kildea, author of Anzacs and Ireland “Excellent ... [a] really valuable reference … It is a sad though exciting story.” – Seamus O’Brien, Head Gardener, National Botanic Gardens, Kilmacurragh
£16.95