Although the late 20th Century has brought historic changes to Ireland, keep in mind that this book was publihsed in 1913. From the Preface: "The story of our native land, from weary age to age, Is writ in blood and scalding tears ou many a gloomy page." My idea, in compiling this book, was to get away from "the blood and scalding tears" as much as possible, to avoid the horrible and gruesome, those detestable cruelties and inhumanities which have too long made Irish history a nightmare to all, which must fill the minds of even adult readers with sickening horror and bitter resentment, and the recapitulation of which today can serve no good purpose, but merely keep alive racial hatreds. I have sought, on the other hand, to display in the most glowing colours all the romance and glory bound up in the history of a land which, I assert, is perhaps more entitled to be called one of romance than any other on the face of the earth, and that from earliest times up to the present. And my object in doing so is to awaken a deep and true love of our country and her heroic past in the hearts of the rising generation. If a perusal of this book inspire the student of Irish history to prosecute deeper research, the author will feel that his task a labour of love on the whole has not been labour wasted, has not been vain. - John G. Rowe ............................................................................... PART I. THE GOLDEN AGE OF ANCIENT ERIN I. The Coming of the Milesians II. The Red Branch Knights and Cuchullain III. Finn MacCool and the Ancient Fenians -- Nial of the Nine Hostages IV. The Introduction of Christianity by St. Patrick V. The Coming of the Danes - How Malachy Won "The Collar of Gold" and Brian Boru Broke the Danish Power at Clontarf PART II. THE ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION VI. How Dermot MacMurrough Brought the English Over VII. The Bruges in Ireland VIII. King Art MacMurrough, the Dread of the Pale PART III. THE GERALDINES IX. Silken Thomas X. Shane the Proud XI. Granua Uaile -- Glenmalure -- The Fall of the Geraldines PART IV. THE TWO HUGHS XII. The Kidnapping of Red Hugh O'Donnell XIII. Clontibret and the Yellow Ford XIV. Kinsale -- The Defence of Dunboy -- O'Sullivan's Famous Retreat PART V. THE CONFEDERATE WAR XV. How Owen Roe O'Neill Gave His Sword to His Sireland; and His Great Victory at Benburb XVI. Cromwell in Ireland -- His Repulse at Clonmel PART VI. FOR JAMES OR WILLIAM? XVII. The Defence of Derry XVIII. The Boyne War -- Sarsfield's Ride -- The Women of Limerick XIX. How They Held the Bridge at Athlone PART VII. THE IRISH BRIGADE XX.- Sarsfield's Death -- How the Irish Saved Cremona XXI. Lacy and Wogan -- The Crowning Victory of Fontenoy -- Count Lally PART VIII. THE DAYS OF GRATTAN XXII. Thurot's Raid -- The Irish Volunteers -- Grattan and Flood XXIII. Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen -- The French Invasion of 1796 -- "Remember ORR" XXIV. The Capture of Lord Edward -- "Ninety-Eight ' -- Wexford Rises XXV. Peasant Victories -- Ross -- Arklow -- Vinegar Hill -- Ballyellis XXVI. Humbert's Invasion -- The Fate of Tone -- Holt and Dwyer XXVII. How the "Union" was Passed XXVIII. Robert Emmet PART IX. MORAL OR PHYSICAL FORCE ? XXIX. Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator XXX. The Young Irelanders XXXI. James Stephens and the Fenian Movement XXXII. The Rising of the 5th March, '67 XXXIII. The Manchester Rescue PART X. HOME RULE XXXIV. The Home Rule Agitation -- The Phoeniix Park Tragedy XXXV. Parnell's Dramatic Triumph and Fall XXXVI. In Sight of Home Rule XXXVII. Hone Rule on the Carpet Ireland, the land of Eire, called also by the ancients Inis fail or the " isle of destiny," can claim, perhaps better than any other country, to have been, from the earliest times, a land of romance.
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