Whose Past is it Anyway? The Easter Rising, the Ulster Covenant and the Battle of the Somme

Ireland is on the cusp of what has become known as the ‘Decade of Centenaries’. In this unique book, we gain an insight into three of these centenaries – the signing of the Ulster Covenant, the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme – from across the spectrum of political allegiances and perspectives.

Including interviews with An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Fr Brian D’Arcy, Niall O’Dowd and Roddy Doyle amongst many others, this collection of discussions touches upon the ethereal nature of our history, and the constantly shifting sands upon which we build our shared past. But what emerges as a consistent theme throughout these conversations is the degree of understanding that can be offered for our future in reflecting on how these events continue to shape our reality.

About the author: Jude Collins is an author, broadcaster and political commentator. His previous book with The History Press Ireland, Tales out of School, was a similar series of interviews with notable Northern Irish figures including Nobel Prize-winner John Hume. For this book he has been granted access to a wide variety of senior political and artistic figures who have spoken candidly and insightfully about their own take on the nature and significance of these major Irish historical events.