History of Ireland (2 volumes)

This two-volume work is an edited version of O'Grady's great achievements: ''History of Ireland: The Heroic Period,'' ''History of Ireland: Cuculain and His Contemporaries'' and ''A History of Ireland: Critical and Philosophical.'' Professor McNamara has edited the works not only in order to provide the scholarly reader with insights into O'Grady's subjects and methods but also to help restore the luster due to the progenitor of the Irish Revival (in the opinion of W.B. Yeats and many others). Original introductory material by Professor McNamara is included together with extensive notation and emendation. In nineteenth-century Ireland, Irish myth and legend were considered to be the interests of the uneducated poor living in remote rural areas. Standish James O'Grady, a young Anglo-Irish aristocrat, changed that. He complied fragmentary material into a comprehensive work and gave Irish legends a place of eminence and distinction they had lacked. Although he presented mythical/legendary/fictional events as historical fact, he reawakened in Irish people of all ranks an appreciation of the rich tradition and linguistic vitality of their native land. McNamara's editing and informative research will be indispensable for university and scholarly collections.Academica Press is an independent scholarly press specializing in publishing monographs and reference material in the humanities and social sciences. We are particularly interested in producing works of scholarly interest English language studies, literary history and criticism ,drama, sociology, education and Irish studies. (Our dedicated imprint, Maunsel & Co., specializes in scholarly research in Irish studies.) We have recently developed projects in African and Afro-American research areas as well as Theology and Legal Studies. Some select areas where we publish include: -American 19th- and 20th-Century Language and Literature -British 19th- and 20th-Century Language and Literature -Irish Studies -African Studies and African-American Studies -Law, including Sports Law -Higher Education -English Church History