David McCullagh

The crown was the symbol of British power in Ireland, and in December 1921 opponents of the Anglo-Irish Treaty claimed that its terms tied Ireland to the Crown forever. The new Irish Free State would be within the British Commonwealth, with limited sovereignty. And some believed it would stay that way if the Treaty was accepted. And yet, within 16 years, Ireland had become a republic. A dozen years after that, it acquired the name as well and removed any ambiguity about its constitutional status by formally leaving the Commonwealth. And all without the firing of a shot. This peaceful revolution had been achieved by a succession of governments of different parties and a cast of characters that included a monarch prepared to surrender his throne for love; a British prime minister who made Irish neutrality possible and another who did his best to bully or bribe Ireland into World War II. What had seemed impossible in 1921 had been achieved through relentless pressure, considerable skill and no small amount of luck. This is the story of how it happened.

Join political buff David McCullagh and illustrator Graham Corcoran as they guide you through all the things that make our country work. Why do we have a president and a Taoiseach? What is the Seanad and why can only some citizens vote in its elections? Who makes the rules for Ireland and how are they enforced? And what do we do if we want to change them? Learn what it means to be a citizen and the positive role you can play by helping others, protecting what works and creating change in the world you live in. The latest book in the Gill Books series of important topics tackled by experts, this engaging guide demystifies political systems, elections, voting and government, and explores issues including human rights, freedom of speech and fake news. With clear text and bright illustrations, this book is for anyone who wants to understand

The concluding volume of David McCullagh’s new life of Eamon De Valera. In this, the concluding volume of David McCullagh’s monumental new biography of the revolutionary and statesman, we join de Valera in 1932 as he takes the reins of power in the first Fianna Fáil government and follow him as he confronts one challenge after another – the Economic War, the drafting of Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Emergency, the North, the declaration of the Republic, economic stagnation in the 1950s – and sets about gradually remaking a sovereign Ireland in his own image. Beautifully written and deeply researched, McCullagh’s De Valera is a provocative and nuanced portrait of Ireland’s most enigmatic leader, as well as a balanced assessment of his role in shaping our national self-image.