Mike Carney, the oldest living native Blasket Islander, was born on The Great Blasket Island off the southwest of Ireland in 1920. Raised under challenging circumstances in that unique, isolated Irish-speaking community, Mike left in 1937 to seek a better future in Dublin - and eventually in America. A first-person saga, recounting one man's life but relating the experience of many, this memoir chronicles a lifetime devoted to family, community and legacy.
Tells, for the first time, the full story of Tomas's life, with its many
triumphs and travails. Also describes the forces that influenced his work and
details his impressive legacy. More than eighty years after his passing, he
remains the famed `Blasket Islandman' and, to paraphrase the man himself, the
like of him will never be again.
There is something magical about the notion of a king on a small isolated
island. Few would look at the ruins on the Great Blasket and imagine a king
had lived there. Yet the King was a very forceful presence on this island. The
last was Padraig O Cathain, 'Peats Mhici,' who served for about twenty-five
years until his death in 1929.
“That lad’s more of a Bowton fan than tha’ll ever be.” Jim Hayes April 1953. “Your pride and love for your family shine through – second only to your love of sport – definitely in the right order!” Janet Covacic Gerald, born in the industrial North West during the 1930s, describes his early life and experiences, and the effect on the family of moving from Bolton to rural Oxfordshire when he was 15 years old. The book illustrates his passion for Bolton Wanderers, which was initiated by his father at a young age. His vivid memories of the Bolton Disaster in 1946 graphically illustrate the differences that have occurred for supporters over the last 70 years. As well as being a family man, Gerald had a successful career as an accountant in the Public Sector and was extensively involved in football activities; his experiences as a football referee are eloquently documented. At the age of 58 he was struck down with meningitis and not expected to survive. He and his wife now spend more time at the family home in Spain enjoying the warmer weather.
Vita Sackville-West was infatuated with her. Virginia Woolf hated her. Sir John Reith resented her but couldn't do without her skills: she transformed the BBC into a broadcaster for the people. Lady Astor was her close friend, making a way for her into the heart of Britain's political, cultural and intellectual aristocracy. Hilda Matheson was one of the most important women behind the scenes in Britain's public life between the wars and an influential networker between feminist, media and political powers. The life of Hilda Matheson is told by her first biographer Michael Carney and by BBC producer Kate Murphy. Her letters to Vita Sackville-West and the Astor papers form the heart of her story, revealing her candid and devoted nature.
