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ITT lecturer Dr Patrick McGarty with Mary McAleese and his new book.
INSTITUTE of Technology Tralee lecturer Dr Patrick McGarty has become the latest author in Four Courts Press’ Irish Revolution series with the launching of ‘Leitrim, The Irish Revolution 1912-23’.
McGarty, a native of Leitrim received the accolades of former President of Ireland Professor Mary McAleese who launched the IT Tralee lecturer’s book last week, just days before the launch of her own memoirs’ Here’s the Story’.
Congratulating the author and the publishers on the timely publication of the book, Professor McAleese lauded the book as a ‘great piece of work’, ‘fascinating’ and a story ‘incredibly well told’.
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Killorglin native and Dublin City University lecturer Dr Daithi O’ Corrain and Professor Mary Ann Lyons of Maynooth University are the editors of the Irish Revolution series which aims to bring scholarly studies of the Irish Revolution experience at a local level to a wider audience.
The series coincides with Ireland’s Decade of Centenary and traces events from the ill-fated Home Rule bill and growth of paramilitarism in 1912 to the end of the civil war in 1923.
Beginning with an overview of the social, economic and political background of each county, each volume in the series assesses the strength of a number of themes including the many strands of Irish nationalism, unionism as well as levels of labour and feminist activism.
During the War of Independence, counties such as Kerry, Leitrim and Roscommon were constantly berated by IRA leaders nationally about low levels of political violence against the RIC and British Army.
Dr McGarty presents new insights into the different modes of resistance employed by republicans against crown forces include wide levels of boycott and intimidation against RIC men and their families thus frustrating the normal operation of civil society.
At the launch, the IT Tralee lecturer stated “for too long commentators have almost focussed exclusively on political violence during the Irish revolution without recognising the role played by many other counties who employed a variety of modes of resistance during that period”.
Commenting on the publication President of IT Tralee Dr Brendan O’Donnell said; “I’d like to congratulate Dr McGarty on the publication of his book on behalf of the Institute community. Pat has worked on this project diligently and passionately and while it is a huge personal achievement for him, it is also an achievement for the Institute to be associated with this new approach in highlighting that violence was not the only method utilised to affect change on our island.”
The launch is available to view on YouTube and the book is now available to purchase in bookshops nationwide.
