With co-operation from some of Ireland’s bestselling authors and leading publishers,
The Irish Book Review provides not only news and reviews of the latest Irish published
books available in the US, but also regular articles on a variety of topics to appeal to all
book lovers from the authors.

The Irish in America have long had a demand for the culture and comforts of Ireland,
from Irish food to Irish news; however there has not been a platform for bringing
information about the latest Irish books until now. The Irish Book Review maintains
close connections with the US distributors of Irish published books and the publishers, to
ensure that the latest titles are available to the US audience.

Ireland produces scores of high quality titles in all categories each year, yet these titles
gather little awareness across the ocean due to a lack of contacts, and rely solely on word
of mouth. The Irish Book Review was created to provide a platform for readers to learn
about the latest books, and to build relationships with the media and other outlets, so that
the Irish in America don’t miss out on Ireland’s bestsellers.

In addition to news, The Irish Book Review provides a place for lovers of Irish literature
and history to learn more, and even connect with the authors. Author participation is a
key element of the site, bringing fascinating articles from a variety of writers, such as
Tom Mahon, author of Decoding the IRA, and William McKee, author of the bestselling
Governor – Inside the Maze. As the list of authors grows, it provides a haven of interest,
which is constantly changing and even shedding light on many areas with their exclusive
topics. Readers can even contact the authors through The Irish Book Review, to ask
questions, and further educate themselves.

The Irish Book Review was founded by Liam Moroney, a Cork born former employee of
some of Ireland’s leading publishing houses; Gill & Macmillan, The O’Brien Press and
Mercier Press. Following a marketing degree in Cork Institute of Technology, Liam
moved to New York in 2008 to work as a marketer for their US distributor, The James
Trading Group. According to Liam, “I started The Irish Book Review because, while
there is a clear demand for high quality Irish books on true Irish interest topics, there is
little awareness, and virtually no access to this information, and the US market deserves
better than that.”

Author Biography

Vanessa Greenwood is a founding Director of Cooks Academy Cookery School. In addition to teaching at the school, Vaness has written a monthly food column for Image magazine. She has made many TV appearances and performs coookery demonstrations at food exhibitions. She has works in the catering industry for a number of years and have travelled extensively both to educate her palate on many of the world’s finest cuisines and to experience the best of cookery schools worldwide.
This great title is a brand new publication and will be available in the next few weeks from Irish Books & Media.

For more information, email liam@thejamestradinggroup.com

For those that are unfamiliar with Slanguage, let me give you a little insight:

Hiberno-English is the common speech of Ireland at all social levels. Its continuing vigour and individuality is triumphantly illustrated in Bernard Share’s invaluable Dictionary of Irish slang and colloquial English in Ireland. With upwards of 500 new entries and an almost equal number of additions to existing headwords, this third edition of Slanguage offers a clear challenge to those who argue that there is little to distinguish Hiberno-English as an idiom in its own right.

From the reviews of previous editions
‘This is worth its weight in gold-dust, for at last we have a proper, and often improper, dictionary of Irish slang.’ Hugh Leonard, Sunday Independent

‘Joyce would have loved it.’ John Boland, The Times (London)

‘The book can take its place on the shelf beside the great Eric Partridge himself and there is no greater tribute.’ Sean McMahon, Irish Independent

‘Slanguage is an exceptionally well researched work of reference.’ John Slevin, RTE Guide

‘Much of the book is a joy to read.’ Brian Griffin, International Journal of Lexicography

‘This is quite simply an outstandingly brilliant piece of Sherlock-Holmesing, characterised by both authenticity and wit.’ Aubrey Malone, Books Ireland

So watch this space, because the brand new version will be available soon!

Best,

Liam Moroney

Irelands history was certainly not set in stone, much of it was the result of good luck and great timing. Now I’m certainly not telling you that the heroes of the 1916 Rising don’t deserver every bit of credit they’ve earned, but I am saying that Ireland is country not only influenced, but dependant on outside forces.

What would have happened if Ireland had been invaded during the war? Or what if there had been no Easter Rising? It deals with the less obvious questions too though. What if Ireland never had the Late Late Show, renowned for it’s effect on the change in Irelands mentality. There are 20 interesting and each very different scenarios looked at, each one posing a very different angle.

This book is not just for the historically aware though, it is written in a very accessible way. Diarmaid Ferriters writing is both interesting and entertaining, and thoroughly worth a read. Check out What If, available now.

If you stock Irish books, or would like to, then you’ve found the right place. IB&M can help your Irish book business grow.

Quality Titles

The Best of John B. Keane

I think you’d agree with me, that there is certainly no shortage of books about and related to Ireland on the market. Yet in this vast collection, not all meet the quality level that we’d hope. I’m sure that in your decision to stock Irish books, you’ve looked around to find the highest calibre of titles that were available to you. Yet did you know that IB&M is the official distributor of the leading Irish publishing houses? After reading this, I hope that you’ll look to our About IB&M page, to get a better idea about who we distribute for.

Our selection is made up of many award winning titles, bestsellers, and school and college curriculum books. The authors are widely respected, and many are even prestigious professors in some of the best universities and colleges in Ireland, including Trinity College, Dublin.

Wide Variety

Our titles span a great array of subjects:

• History
• Childrens
• Politics
• Irish Language
• Folklore
• Irish Crafts
• Humor

That’s to name just a few. Check out the full range at Irishbook.com

US Based

Oil has gone through the roof, thats for sure, and it’s having a major effect on the botton line of many companies. Shipping and Handling is without question becoming a phrase that evokes pain as soon as it is mentioned. One of the major problems we’ve seen our customers face when stocking good from Ireland is the cost of getting it here. That’s where we’re different. We’re based in New York, and we handle the task of getting our books to the US. There’s no waiting weeks for your order, there’s no worrying about difficulties at customs. Your order is just days away. We’re only a local call away, and you don’t have to check your watch every time you make a call to us.

Great Discounts

We offer generous discounts on out titles, so that you can keep your bottom line in tact.

Contact sales@irishbook.com to get more information on these discounts.

I sincerely hope that we can help you to keep the quaility of your Irish books high, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Liam

One sad difference between the USA and Ireland, in my own humble opinion, is the way in which stories of the most profound people in our countries’ history are portrayed to kids.

In the US, kids grow up reading and learning great stories of the founding fathers, such as George Washington’s cherry tree incident. Yet in Ireland, there is becoming a tragic lack of storytelling about our important historical figures. They are left to learn it instead in the considerably less exciting surroundings of history class, where a test on their knowledge follows shortly. This disappoints me greatly, as these men and women should be known to every Irish child, and should be the stuff of legend, not the stuff of continuous assessment.

That’s why I’m so glad to see this The Story of Michael Collins come along. I will warn you that I’m a native Corkman, so the name Michael Collins, for me, carries with it a reverence of almost biblical proportions. Even past my own county pride, I still think that we should be letting our children feel the sense of pride in how we got to where we are, and who the brave men and women were who got us there. Sadly, this sense of honor and heroism is so quickly becoming scarce, even though it hasn’t even been 100 years. I warmly welcome this book, and I sincerely hope it is followed by more.

Best,

Liam

Newly decoded secret documents reveal the mindset of the IRA in the years following the civil war.

Historian Tom Mahon and code breaker James J. Gillogly have spent the past few years breaking the IRA’s communications code. The code was used for the organisation’s most secret messages, including those sent back and forth to undercover agents in Britain and America. The results are explosive, and expose IRA secrets that have been concealed for over 75 years.

Featuring facsimiles of the actual coded documents, the discussions delve into nearly every matter conceivable for a paramilitary organisation, ranging from the importation of explosives to the use of IRA informants in the Gardaí. Documents detail the IRA’s secret agreement with the Soviet Union and its attempts to provide military assistance to China; military espionage for the Soviets in America; plans to stage a gas attack on Dublin; the IRA’s infiltration of the GAA and control of the Kerry football team and the struggle with Eamon de Valera and Fianna Fail. The book provides anunnerving insight into how the IRA saw itself and conducted its dangerous business in secrecy.

With the eye of a historian and the tools of a professional code breaker, Tom and James have together exposed a treasure trove of new information to create a wonderful and engrossing read.

Sounds an interesting topic doesn’t it? I’m certainly looking forward to it, I just love this kind of thing.

Best,

Liam

I’m excited to announce that Munster will be playing an exhibition game in Hartford, Connecticut on August 23rd. Check out http://www.usarugby.org/default.asp for more details about tickets. I would certainly urge any would be fans out there to get hold of tickets, as they are going quickly. You never know, you may even see me there!

Another reason for my excitement is beacuse our Irish publishing friends, Gill & MacMillan, are releasing a book in August, called Munster: Champions of Europe.

It is sure to be a fantastic read, as it follows a story that itself is so fantastic, it could easily be mistaken to have come from fiction!

Munster Rugby Team were up against truly monumental odds to win the Heineken Cup, and played against some of the most grueling of competitors. This really is a story of triumph and glory, and I don’t mind admitting to being a bit biased as I’m from Munster!!

It began with the toughest draw that a team could ask for. They were up against the defending Heineken Cup and English champions, London Wasps, the side that had beaten them in the quarter finals in 2007, Welsh team Llanelli Scarlets, and certainly not least, the new powerhouse of French rugby ASM Clermont Auverge.

Back to back wins in Stradey Park and crucial losing points in Coventry and Montferrand saw them emerge Pool winners only to face the prospect of away games in both the quarter-final and semi-final. They became the only team in the history of the Heineken Cup to win quarters and semis away from home, defeating Gloucester and Saracens.

And finally, there was the never to be forgotten 24th May at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, when they defeated Toulouse, the most successful team in the history of the tournament, to become champions of Europe for the second time in three years.

It has been a fantastic year for Munster, and I think that credit is more than due for their tremendous efforts. Lets hope that I’ll be able to catch a bit of the excitement in Hartford this August!

Best,

Liam

Having grown up there, I’ve no doubt that there is an endless supply of funny stories to be found, I’m sure I could nearly fill the book from things I’ve heard myself!

So I’m hoping you’ll join in the cause to show that us Corkonians can match up to the Dubs, and visit www.overheardincork.com, and post your story.

Irish Books & Media are very much looking forward to this book, and as soon as I get some more information about the upcoming dates, I’ll keep you posted.

Best,

Liam