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Tag: history

Posted on January 24, 2023February 16, 2023

We don't know ourselves by Fintan O Toole. Reads of 2023. This is a rather


We don't know ourselves by Fintan O Toole.
Reads of 2023.
This is a rather big volume of a book.
This is non fiction. This is a bit memoir and a bit history. It's Fintan O Toole telling the story of Ireland from the late 50s, when he was born until recent present day.
This book was recommended by @littlecassreads and I do take her recommendations seriously especially when we are on such a strong agreement of a page with regards to state separation and education.
This book tells all about Northern Ireland, the Christian brothers, Gay Byrne (who Fintan seems to not love), Fianna Fail( lots of Haughey and Ahern), Bishop Casey, Annie Murphy and the story and truth of how badly we have treated children and women in Ireland. Some of the history would make you retch.
I absolutely loved this book. It reads easily enough despite history being quite a serious thing. I loved remembering parts of this like how strong I thought Annie Murphy was during the Late Late interview with Gay Byrne and thinking, at the time how snotty and rude Gay Byrne was being to her. I rewatched that interview last week and am still so impressed by her.
If you want to see how far Ireland has come yet really see how little progress we have made, that we should have made then pick up this book.
The history of the church and its deep rooted connections with FF cannot be denied, even now, I'm afraid.
It took me about two weeks to read. Set myself 40 pages a day which was about 90 minutes reading as the content can get you down so you have to stop and take a break every so often.
Fintan also comes across as a lovely moral and kind person, which while irrelevant, counts as a big thing when you read the awful, awful people in our history.
There are plenty good people in Ireland and have been in our history but read this to realise fully that..
We don't know ourselves.

Rozz's books

Tender
3 of 5 stars
Tender
by Belinda McKeon
Davy Byrnes Stories 2014
4 of 5 stars
Davy Byrnes Stories 2014
by Sara Baume
Foster
5 of 5 stars
Foster
by Claire Keegan
Superb, perfect short story telling from the genius of the form.
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
4 of 5 stars
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned
by Wells Tower
hilarious and dark and funked up!
The Good House
1 of 5 stars
The Good House
by Ann Leary

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