⸺ RIDGEWAY; by “Scian Dubh.” Pp. xx. + 262 (close print). (Buffalo: McCarroll). 1868.
“An historical romance of the Fenian invasion of Canada,” June, 1866. Introd. (pp. xx. close print) gives a view of Irish history and politics from a bitterly anti-English point of view. England has been “a traitor, a perjurer, a robber, and an assassin throughout the whole of her infamous career.” Append. gives in 5 pp. an “Authentic Report” of the invasion of Canada, Fenianism is fully discussed, especially in ch. vi. Career of Gen. O’Neill, ch. vii. A love story of an ordinary kind is used as a medium for politics and historical narrative.
⸺ ROBBER CHIEFTAIN, THE. Pp. 342. Post 8vo. (Duffy). 2s. [1863]. Still in Print.
Scene chiefly Dublin Castle. Cromwellian cruelties under Ludlow depicted, and early years of Restoration. The Robber Chieftain is Redmond O’Hanlon, the Rapparee. The Ven. Oliver Plunket is also one of the characters. Some incidents suggest Catholic standpoint, but in places the book reads like a non-Catholic (though not anti-Catholic) tract. The hero and heroine are Protestant. Full of sensational incidents, duels, waylayings by robber bands, law court scenes, tavern brawls. Also many repulsive scenes of drunkenness among the native Irish, and of murder, wild vengeance, and villainy of all kinds. Hardly suitable for young people.
⸺ ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, THE. Pp. 298. (Curry). One illustr. by Kirkwood. 1827.
A Catholic boy, Doyle, risks his life and saves a Protestant boy from drowning. The boy’s father out of gratitude offers to send Doyle to T.C.D., guaranteeing that “he will not have to make even a temporary renunciation of his religion.” But the priest refuses, and soon Doyle becomes a Protestant.
⸺ SAINT PATRICK: a National Tale of the Fifth Century; by “An Antiquary.” Three Vols. (Edin.: Constable). 1819.
A romance of love and vengeance and druidical mysteries into which St. Patrick enters as one of the dramatis personæ. There are plenty of exciting incidents, some fine scenes, and a very good picture of druidism in the fifth century. Very well written but for the unfortunate introduction of modern Irish brogue and Scotch dialect. The religious point of view is Church of Ireland, and there is an effort to represent the Christianity of those days as essentially different from the Catholicism of these. Scene: chiefly Tara, Dunluce, the Giant’s Causeway, the Bann.
⸺ SEPARATIST, THE; by “A New Writer.” Pp. 323. (Pitman). 6s. 1902.