HALPINE, Charles Graham; “Private Myles O’Reilly.” Born in Oldcastle, Co. Meath, 1829. Son of Rev. N. J. Halpin (sic). Ed. T.C.D. Took up journalism and went first to London, where he came to know some of the young Irelanders, and thence to America. Became a well-known journalist. Fought through the Civil War. His songs became very well-known throughout the Union. D. 1868. Publ. also a series of prose sketches, Baked Meats of the Funeral, and a vol. of reminiscences.
⸺ MOUNTCASHEL’S BRIGADE; or, The Rescue of Cremona. Pp. 151 (close print). (Dublin: T. D. Sullivan). Fifth ed., 1882.
Episodes in the story of the Irish Brigade in the service of France. The narrative is enlivened with love affairs, duels, and exciting adventures very well told.
⸺ THE PATRIOT BROTHERS; or, The Willows of the Golden Vale. (Dublin). Sixth ed. 1884. One ed., pp. 173 (small print), n.d., was publ. by A. M. Sullivan.
Sub-title: A page from Ireland’s Martyrology. A finely written romance dealing with the fate of the brothers Sheares, executed in 1798. Their story is followed with practically historical exactitude, a thread of romance being woven in. A good account of the politics of the time, especially of the elaborate spy-system then flourishing, is given, but not so as to interfere with the interest of the tale. There are fine descriptions of the scenery of Wicklow, in which the action chiefly takes place, and especially of the Golden Vale between Bray and Delgany.
HAMILTON, Catherine J. Born in Somerset of Irish parents, her father being from Strabane and her mother from Queen’s Co. Ed. chiefly by her father, a vicar of the Ch. of England. At his death, in 1859, removed to Ireland and lived there more than thirty years. Publ. at twenty-five her first story, Hedged with Thorns. Wrote verse for the Argosy and Irish stories for the Graphic; contributed regularly to Weekly Irish Times and Ireland’s Own, including several serials. At present resides in London. Author of Notable Irishwomen (1904), Women Writers, their Works and Ways (1892), &c.
⸺ MARRIAGE BONDS; or, Christian Hazell’s Married Life. Pp. 439. (Ward, Lock). n.d. (1878).
First appeared in The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine. An unhappy marriage of a sweet, loving, sensitive nature to a man of a hard, selfish character, who treats his wife with studied neglect and discourtesy. Christian comes from her native English manor house to live with Alick Hazell in an ugly, ill-managed Irish country house, among disagreeable neighbours somewhere on the S.E. coast of Ireland. He hates the people, and is a bad landlord. She has no friend until the arrival of his brother Eustace, whose mother was Irish and who loves Ireland. Almost unawares they fall in love, but E. is a man of honour, and C. is faithful to her husband to the very end. The author is on Ireland’s side, though somewhat apologetically and vaguely. Good picture of bitterly anti-Irish narrow-minded type of minor country gentry.
⸺ THE FLYNNS OF FLYNNVILLE. Pp. 250. (Ward, Lock). 1879.