Irish Biography

Tom Crean was the indestructible farmer’s son from Kerry who sailed on three major expeditions to the unknown Antarctic a century ago. He was among the few men who served with both Captain Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. He spent longer on the ice than either and outlived them both. Everest conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary said he was a 'great man of immense strength and endurance and afraid of very little'.

Tom Crean became a national icon following the publication of the bestselling book An Unsung Hero. After rescuing Crean from obscurity, Michael Smith's remarkable story now forms part of the curriculum in Irish schools. An Unsung Hero has also been translated into Chinese - the first modern Irish book to earn the distinction.

Dorothy Macardle (1889-1958) was a political activist, journalist, novelist, broadcaster, playwright and influential historian. This first biography traces her life from her involvement in the War of Independence to her role as a leading civil libertarian in the 1950s, and discusses her literary career and her international human rights work.

A LIFE WORTH LIVING tells the story of Michael Smurfit and the company he built. From humble beginnings, through years of hard work, it documents the Smurfit Group's seemingly inexorable growth, the challenges faced and overcome, and the many deals that continually doubled the size of the business every three or four years.

In Vatican Council Memories, Bishop Smith revisits his own experiences at the Council and explores the many remarkable moments, debates and figures that shaped this most significant event in the life of the Church.

The story of the life of Henry Joy McCracken is fused with the history and environs of eighteenth-century Belfast.

The first detailed account of the life and work of Bishop Francis Hutchinson (1660-1739), author of one of the most important witchcraft texts of the early modern period, An historical essay concerning witchcraft (1718). This work has captivated readers for centuries and still a vital source for those investigating witchcraft trials of the period

Walking has never been a more popular pastime and nowhere is more beautiful for walkers to explore than Ireland.

One of Ireland's greatest sportspeople reflects on his life.