IRISH HISTORY
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I
left Ireland to seek a new life in Australia in 1969. Having spent the first
twenty years of my life in a small rural village in County Clare on the west
coast, I had a real appreciation of my Irish heritage. Not only was Irish
history a compulsory aspect of the education system it was still passed on in
the oral tradition from one generation to the next.
After
arriving in Australia I felt welcomed and accepted, as 40 per cent of all
Australians have Irish heritage, however, it was disconcerting to discover just
how little most Australians knew about the conflict in Northern Ireland despite
the fact that it was making headlines in most Australian newspapers. Firstly,
few were aware that when southern Ireland won its independence in 1921 that
Northern Ireland had remained under British rule. To
most Australians it was a religious war. The Catholics versus the Protestants
throughout the country. ‘A dangerous place to visit; a good place to be away
from’ they said. I found it impossible to explain the situation in the course
of a normal conversation. That is the reason for this book. It became a best-seller
and stayed in the top-ten until it sold out. Martin McMahon PO Box 290 SANDGATE 4017 Queensland Australia |
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