The Little Book of Kildare is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this historic county. Here you will find out about Kildare's great houses and historic towns, its monastic heritage, its literary traditions and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Kildare and its and colourful vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient country.

The enigmatic Robert Barton was a central figure in Irish Revolution. From an Anglo-Irish ascendancy background, he joined the British army in 1915. He was sent to Dublin to guard Republican prisoners after the 1916 Easter Rising. Within two years he underwent a political conversion and joined Sinn Féin. He was elected to the Dáil and incarcerated during the War of Independence, but was released to help negotiate the truce which ended the conflict. He was a member of both Irish delegations to London in 1921, and was one of the plenipotentiaries who reluctantly signed the Anglo-Irish treaty in December. He voted for the treaty at Cabinet and Dáil level, but when he had done so, he switched his allegiance to the anti-treaty side in the Civil War, during which he was imprisoned again. After Irish independence, he enjoyed a long life of public service and died in 1975.

The Little Book of Wicklow is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Wicklow, the last Irish county to be created and one of the most beautiful, the 'Garden of Ireland'. From the stark grandeur of the Wicklow Mountains to the fertile coastal plains, this book takes the reader on a journey through the county and its vibrant past. Here you will find out about Wicklow's castles and great houses, its monastic heritage and heroic leaders. You will also glimpse a darker side to Wicklow's past with a look at crime and punishment and Wicklow's wicked women. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient county.

The Little Book of Kildare is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this historic county. Here you will find out about Kildare's great houses and historic towns, its monastic heritage, its literary traditions and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Kildare and its and colourful vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient country.

Canon Frederick Donovan served as a parish priest in the village of Dunlavin between 1884 and 1896. He recorded many of the changes in his diary, used here to portray life as experienced by the locals as well as how Canon Donovan perceived it himself. Other sources are also used to reveal political, religious and social divisions within the community. Such divisions were particularly evident with religion and politics.