A review by jrquinlisk
Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland by Malachy McCourt

4.0

Not really a history, but an engaging read nonetheless.

McCourt spins yarns of some of the more famous, influential, and generally representative figures in Irish history, exploring common themes of intellectualism, struggle, and passion in constructing his story of Ireland. Discussing Irishmen and Irishwomen as varied as saints, scholars, warriors, landlords, rebels, and rock stars, McCourt's work serves as a fairly thorough and compelling exploration of Irish-ness.

It is not without its faults, however. The work is shot through with Irish nationalist sentiment that any competent historian would immediately recognize as bias. For example, Oliver Cromwell — a much loathed figure in Irish history — is mentioned by name only twice over the course of a single chapter spanning two-thirds of a single page. There are also several points where McCourt willfully eschews factual accuracy in favor of a more entertaining narrative, though to his credit, he admits this multiple times. The book also focuses disproportionately on the late 19th and early 20th centuries — historic times for Ireland, to be sure, but disappointing for someone looking for more thorough coverage. There are also a number of typographical errors which can occasionally prove distracting.

Ultimately, Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland is not much of a history. But McCourt goes to great lengths to remind the reader that it was never supposed to be one. As McCourt himself puts it at the end, "I never intended this brief history to be an academic work, and it hasn't been written as such. I think of it more as a collection of stories that one might share across a kitchen table about people we once knew." In this respect, it succeeds admirably. As long as the reader keeps in mind the biases and inaccuracies, McCourt's tales will easily engage and entertain anyone with an interest in the story of Ireland.