1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion

This book became harder to put down the more l read, your mind wanders as you put yourself in Ned's shoes and live the moments he shares with a who's who of Irish Patriots.His life story is wonderful as is the work of the Author .l won't give anymore away.......Enjoy Folks...Slainte

I enjoyed this novel very much, and not only because of its strong characters and riveting plot. Morgan Llywelyn entertains while she teaches, and I learned a great deal about Irish history and the fundamental reasons for the fractious state of affairs that exist today in the north. After reading 1916, I went on to read the other two books in Llywelyn's series, 1921 and 1949. Readers who enjoy 1916 are likely to enjoy the other two books as well.

This is a powerful novel of the events surrounding the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin Ireland. The book opens in 1912 as Ned Halloran and his parents are on a journey from Ireland to America to visit Ned's sister Kathleen. Fate has intervened and they make their voyage on the Titanic. Ned survives the sinking, however his parents as well as new friend Dan Breen, are all lost to the sea. Kathleen and her fiancé, Alexander Campbell, urge Ned to stay in New York but his heart is in Ireland and he returns to County Clare and his family farm where his older brother and two younger sisters are left to mourn the loss of their parents. Meanwhile, Lord Inchpin of nearby Dromoland Castle, to make up for what young Ned has been through, has offered him a rare opportunity for a farm lad from County Clare - further education at a private school in Dublin. The school chosen turns out to be St. Enda's, the school run by Padraig (Patrick) Pearse, south of downtown. Pearse, as those familiar with early 20th C. Irish history know, is one of the heroes of the 1916 Easter Rising. This is a fictionalized account of events leading up to that fateful week. Ned interacts with many historical figures during this time including all the principals of the Irish Rebellion in which he becomes a courier for the eventual heroes. During this time, too, he runs into Sile (prounced "Sheila") Breen, Dan's sister, who has run off to Dublin and is how working in the world's oldest profession. The naïve Ned isn't aware of this at first and is, instead, stunned by her beauty although he is side-tracked by another woman he clearly has a crush on. Important too, is secondary character Henry Mooney, the young journalist from county Limerick Ned meets on the train on his way to Dublin.Even though the reader may already be aware of the events of April and May 1916 in Ireland, the emotions evoked by this novel, become very real - as if they happened yesterday instead of 85 years ago. Llywelyn portrays the Pearse brothers, Joseph Mary Plunkett, Thomas Clark, James Connolly, Sean MacDermott, Thomas MacDonagh, and others in such away as the reader feels the same love for Ireland and has the same desires as they do.In the sequel to this book, 1921, Morgan Llywelyn has one character say to another "History tells what happened; literature tells what it felt like." This is exactly how I feel about 1916. Despite reading history books relating the events, reading this novel has made this very personal. I could feel the pain of these characters, I could feel their fervor and enthusiasm for the cause they believed in, and in the end I could feel the need to keep the memory of these brave people alive as the country fights for home rule and freedom from British oppression.When you are finished reading this book, and I highly recommend that you do, pick up the sequel 1921, which relates the events of the next six years in Ireland's struggle for independence and although it is Henry Moo

From the sinking of the Titanic to the bloody climax of the Irish rebellion, Morgan Llywelyn,gives an up close account of events leading up to the Easter Uprising. "1916" gives a historical account of the rebellion through the eyes of a fictional character, up to par, and much in the same way as James Michner does in his historical novels such as "Hawaii." For people who like a good story I would give "1916" an eight, for history fans a ten.

This book is probably one of Llywelyn's best. Taking the reader into history, it provides the emotional background and commitment of the characters found in the history books. The use of Ned Halloran as a vehicle to visit and get into the minds of the leaders of the uprising in 1916 was inspired. Anyone interested in the Irish independence movement, past or present, should read this book.By the end of the novel, I did not want to put the book down and hope that Ned's experiences will be continued. After all, the story of Irish independence did not end in 1916.

I read this book at the end of a year studying in Ireland, primarily studying Irish History made this book particularly poigniant. My knowledge of early twentieth century Ireland was both helpful and enhanced by the experience of Ned's journey through this most important of Irish watersheds. By having Pádraic Pearse, Eoin MacNeil, James Connolly, the Countess, etc. as such integral characters and literally lifting them from the realm of historical jargon into breathing gives a reality to this maturing process that the story is. Those people who do not know the story of the 1916 Easter Rising will benefit even more by the fact that this was a real event, these people existed, and hear them speak.