The Story of the Irish Race

This is an interesting, readible history of Ireland from earliest times until after the British left. It is broken into historical periods and the reader can dip in and out of the book. The author, Donegal man, Seumas McManus was a gifted storyteller and wrote many other Folk tales and short stories. Buy this book!.

MacManus tells the story of the Irish race with a passion and fervor that highlights the intertwining of his own identity with that of his native land. Originally written just a few years before the successful separation of the 26 counties from British rule, the writing has an edge and agenda born of those turbulent times. It exposes the pain of a truly oppressed people and lets the reader feel at times the utter dispair of the Irish under English rule. Sometimes the only thing that kept me from being overwhelmed by the sadness of it was my own knowledge that Ireland is free, once and for all, and can never be oppressed so again. What I found most interesting was the absolute consistency between MacManus' descriptions of 18th-century Ireland and the family stories handed down from my Great-Grandfather and -Grandmother, who were refugees from Ireland during the potato famine; the accounts of the potato famine itself, and of the underground nationalist movement against the British, and so much more - it was brought to life in MacManus' account. The biggest challenge I had reading this book was not getting unreasonably upset with my English friends; I had to continually remind myself that they are much more enlightened than their Imperial British forefathers of only 85 years ago. This is not a book for the faint-of-heart; it does not have the lively tone and easy style of some of the more recent Irish histories. It reads more like a textbook most times, and its 700+ pages sometimes feel like they will never end. But it is an invaluable tome for anyone who is studying Irish history and heritage, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand the present-day Irish through their history.

For the past 5 years I have been working on writing the stories of my own Irish ancestors coming to America from 1860--1910. I have found The Story of the Irish Race to be a great resource for historical information, beautifully worded details, and the realities of the times. This book has been indispensable as a reference in writing the stories of my own ancestors in the context of the history they lived.

MacManus' work is essential for a full understanding of Irish history. I found it refreshing that I wasn't constantly assaulted with "in your face" revisionism, which seems to be the rite of passage for modern historical writers. MacManus does not try to push some political or social paradigm down your throat. He does exactly what he tells you he will do. He tells a story.