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  "DOWN MEMORY LANE"

                       A new and exciting book by Limerick author Mary A. Moloney.

                      This is what Frank Prendergast had to say in his Foreword of the book:
 
When I was invited to write the foreword for this facinating book I was delighted to use the opportunity to praise
one of the great social institutions in Irish Society - the seanchai.

Ireland is particularily fortunate in that the folklore tradition has a venerated place in our culture with our own National Folklore Commission.
Our national archives in this field are recognised as being amongst the best in the world due to them and the wisdom and vision of our scholars over the last two hundred years or so.
In all countries and cultures the seanchai is of course the primary source for the academics and social historians in this field - most notably Peig Sayers of the Kerry Gaeltacht. Although unable to read or write, she was recognised as the greatest story teller of her kind and tradition tells us that it was from such unlearned peasants that Homer wrote two of the greatest epics in world literature; the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey"

Certainly Mary A Moloney in her way has made a significant contribution to this area of study in her wonderful collection of stories  about the lives in her own district, neighbouring parishes, Limerick City and beyond in the twentieth century.
She has the unsleeping eye and ear of the true artist and has gathered in this magnum opus a trove of invalueable social history from the age before television, radio, mobile phones and computers changed our lifestyles forever.

We are inspired with their recall of the epic of their parish heroes, the Mackeys, Herberts, Ryans, Hickey, McMahon, Enright et al., of the incomparable Ahane GAA Club, the nonpareil of hurling glory in their era.

We can empathise vicariously in their troubles during our Economic War with Britain, when "The hide of the calf wwas worth more than the calf itself", in their shock at the untimely shooting of the daughter of thehdaughter of the Big House at Glenstal, the Barringtons, who were always such great benefactors over the centuries; their joyous recall of carefree schooldays and holidays and their honest toil whether in forge or creamery, sandpit or quarry or thatching their homesteads. Above all we can savour the balm of their religion which was so central to their daily lives and perennial values which sustained them in good times and bad..
The stores are especially piquant because the author very wisely, has written them as they were articulated to her, "in order that we would have an actual historical document of how people conversed in the past". She points out that, "Some of the English spoken in this book by the older generation is very close to the way of expressing oneself in Irish.

This Gaelic influence is further savoured in the ancient, melliflous, meaningful place names that greet us throughout the book - Clyduff, Killeennagarriff, Coolboreen, Ahane, Ballyvarra, Castleconnell, Murroe, Annacotty, Lisnagry.
Mary Moloney recalls again for us the ogres of earlier piseogach or supersticious generations of not so long ago, the mischievous puca, the sorrowful bean-si and the terrorising Coiste Bodhar or headless coach..
Seldom can the old Irish seanfhocal, "Molann an saothar" - the work praises the woman have been more opposite than in the care of the erudite author of this book, Mary A Moloney of Clyduff.
She has placed us all and future social historians in her debt. Gura fada buan i agus a saothar ro- 

For a copy of "DOWN MEMORY LANE" send a cheque or postal order to value 20 Euro or £17 to Mary A Moloney, Clyduff, Lisnagry,
Co. Limerick, Rep. Ireland.             

 

  "NOT WHILE I HAVE AMMO"

BIOGRAPHY OF CAPTAIN CONNIE MACKEY BY HIS GRANDSON JIM CORBETT.

THIS PUBLICATION IS A MUST FOR LIMERICK NATIVES AT HOME AND ABROAD.
For further information on the availability of this much in demand book log on to  www.conniemackey.com  

  "A CHILD OF SORROW"

 BY PATRICK J FAHY.