Kirjahaku

In 1922 the fledgling Irish Free State decided to replace the RIC with the Civic Guard (An Garda Síochána). This new Irish police force found itself dealing with an unsettled population, many of whom were suspicions of law and order after centuries of forceful policing by the British. It was decided that the Gardaí would uphold the law with the consent of the people however, and that they would remain unarmed. This brave decision may have been popular with ordinary Irishmen and women, but it left members of the force vulnerable to attack and even murder. Many Gardaí met their death in the first decades of the Irish State. This is their story.

Today, Galway is home to over 250,000 people and plays host to over a million tourists per year, who come from all over the world to admire and learn about the culture and history of this beautiful county.Galway has not always been so tranquil, however, and The Little History of Galway takes a look at the struggles of the county's people across the centuries, from the arrival of Stone Age man through the coming of the Normans and their conquest of the city, to Galway's eventual battle for independence.Examining pivotal moments such as the siege of Galway by the feared Oliver Cromwell, the Penal Laws and the Famine, Colm Wallace also explores the writers, artists and thinkers that have called the area home, as well as the local people who have worked hard over generations to make Galway the welcoming place that it is today.

We all know of of the various wars, the Famine and the pivotal events which have made the Ireland what it is today, but few know the stranger aspects of the nation's past. From body snatchers, to pirate queens and Celtic vampires, Ireland’s hidden history is explored here in a book bound to thrill and astound you from the first page.