Connaught

Stephen Lucius GwynnProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 83K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Connaught by Stephen Lucius GwynnAuthor: Gwynn, Stephen Lucius, 1864-1950,Language: English, Class: DA: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Great Britain, Ireland, Central Europe, Release Date: Aug 16, 2013

Editor's review

This work is a historical essay on Connaught in the manner of a local chronicle by Stephen Lucius Gwynn, part of the tradition of writing the history of Ireland's four provinces. Its value lies not in providing systematic argumentation in the modern academic sense but in presenting, in a literary style, the mountains and seas, family genealogies, and local legends of Connaught, letting readers feel the regional character of western Ireland between historical fact and anecdote. The prose has the unhurried rhythm of early twentieth-century Anglo-Irish essay writing, and its descriptions of ancient tribes, monastic ruins, and town and country scenes are vivid. It is suitable as an introductory reading for understanding the history and culture of Connaught, and also for readers interested in Irish literary geography, Celtic culture, or travel literature to dip into. It is best read as a local narrative with a personal perspective rather than a strict gazetteer; for factual judgments, consult modern works on Irish history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the history and local life of western Ireland
Readers who enjoy the rhythm and style of early twentieth-century English prose
Those preparing to travel in Ireland who wish to understand the Connaught background
Beginning readers studying Irish literary geography and local writing

Not a good fit for

Academic researchers who need systematic data and the latest archaeological findings
Readers accustomed only to modern vernacular historical narrative and unfamiliar with English prose style
Readers expecting fictional plots or character stories

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and the opening first to establish a rough framework of Connaught's geography and historical periods, then move into specific chapters.
Look up place names and tribal names on maps and in Irish history materials as you go, forming illustrated reading notes.
It is also fine to read by theme, such as only chapters on landscape, monasteries, or family legends, without proceeding page by page.
After each chapter, retell the main points in two or three sentences to check whether you have distinguished historical narrative from the author's local legends.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a modern academic local history of Connaught?

No. It is closer to an early twentieth-century local historical essay with literary coloring, focusing on describing scenery, people, and legends rather than systematic verification and data support. It is suitable as an introduction and for interest reading; serious research requires modern works on Irish history.

How difficult is the English, and can non-native readers read it?

It is early twentieth-century English prose, with longer sentences and more formal vocabulary, but overall not obscure. Readers with university-level English reading ability can finish it with a dictionary; it is advisable to try one or two pages first to judge whether the rhythm suits you.

Do I need to know Irish history background in advance?

Having a foundation makes it easier to enter, but it is not essential. It is advisable to first learn the division of Ireland's four provinces and the approximate location of Connaught, then look up tribes and place names as you read; the reading burden will be noticeably lighter.

Is it suitable as background reading before traveling in Ireland?

It is suitable for building cultural atmosphere and helping understand western landscapes and local legends. But it does not provide practical travel information; itinerary planning still requires a separate guidebook and maps.

Comments

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About the author

Stephen Lucius Gwynn Author · Irish · 1864–1950

Stephen Lucius Gwynn (1864–1950) was an Irish journalist, biographer and poet, as well as a nationalist politician who served as a Galway city councillor from 1906 to 1918. He wrote biographies including The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke and The Last Years of John Redmond, served with the British army during the First World War, and later founded the Dublin publishing house Maunsel. His writing ranged from biography to works on local places; the volumes Leinster, Connaught, Munster and Ulster in the library reflect his interest in the history and character of Ireland's provinces, while Thomas Moore and Irish Books and Irish People address Irish politics, culture and figures.