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Irish Republic

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The Irish Republic by Dorothy Macardle. Published by Wolfhound Press. Price #40 hardback. "Whether the Irish Republic ever existed has been disputed not only by jurists and not only with words. For the Irish people the Republic was, for a few tense years, a living reality which dominated every aspect of their lives. its existence was a fact of human history, if not of logic or of law." With these eloquent words, Dorothy Macardle begins her monumental work on the history of the Irish struggle for freedom between the years 1916 and 1923. Its republication this week is an event in itself and is long overdue. The Irish Republic is a book which has been neglected for over 30 years, last reprinted in 1968 and frowned upon ever since by 'revisionist' historians. You will not find this book on most academic bibliographies. Because it views events from a frankly republican standpoint it was deemed out of bounds by the anti-republican historians who dominated history writing and history teaching. Yet the same historians used this book in the quiet of their university libraries as an invaluable source of information not to be found elsewhere. The great value of Dorothy Macardle's book is its attention to detail and its strict chronological approach. Add to that the 32 documents and speeches in its appendices and its biographical notes and you have by far the most comprehensive survey of the period. The book was written soon after the events it describes with the benefit of the author's personal experience and wide circle of friends and acquaintances who were centrally involved. The book, and Macardle's reputation, have suffered because of de Valera's association with it. De Valera wrote the preface and the book has been described by Tim Pat Coogan as a "hymn to de Valera". But to drag down this book along with the reputation of de Valera would be a travesty. It is not an apologia for any one person but is the testimony of a people in struggle. Dorothy Macardle was an independent-minded feminist republican. She played her own part in the national struggle, was for long an admirer of de Valera but, like so many others, became disillusioned with his regime in the 1930s. She was among the prominent republican women who publicly deplored the anti-woman 1937 Constitution and urged de Valera to change it. He ignored their demands. This book, the major achievement of Dorothy Macardle's writing life, deserves to be reclaimed and rediscovered. For anyone interested in Irish history it is essential reading. The cult of Michael Collins has distorted the view of the Civil War period and this book is especially important in understanding the republican perspective of that time. But equally, its carefully documented account of the Home Rule crisis, the 1916 Rising, the growth of Sinn Fein and the Tan war has to be read for a thorough understanding of those revolutionary years. All public and school libraries should be encouraged to obtain it. Hopefully a more accessible paperback edition will follow fairly soon so that many more people can add it to their personal libraries. By Micheal MacDonncha

Dorothy MacArdle's "The Irish republic", first published in 1937, was written from personal experience as she was an historian before the events started and a participant during the events that led to Ireland's freedom from British rule. The book is full of documentation gathered at the time by someone who knew what to save and what to look for to interpret history as it happened.

She is oft quoted by a multitude of writers on Irish republicanism, now I can see why and wonder why I had never heard of her while growing up in Dublin in the 50's and 60's. This book is the perfect companion to anyone who wishes to understand the multi-complexities of Irish politics from the turn of the 20th century until the formation of the country now know as Eire or Ireland.

The latest compilation produced in 1999 by Wolfhound Press Ltd in Dublin is over 1000 pages and one continually re-reads the passages and notations that almost every book on the period have used to prop up their various claims.

I strongly recommend "The Irish Republic" as essential reading and trust that the current occupants of the United Kingdom read it to remind themselves as to the reasons behind the Irish drive for freedom from British influence and lead them to understand that the Irish are a separate and unique race who only want to live in their own country run by their own politicians for their own good.