It is well written and the material is well organised under various thematic headings.
It concisely traces the history of the area from early times and documents its rise and fall as an industial centre. It gives a great feel for the area and its characters. It also refers to current attempts to revitalise the area by replacing its vanished industry with artisan and historical tourist attractions. The potential here is enormous and its development would be nothing less that this area deserves.
[This review appears under the Kindle edition, but I am in fact reviewing the hardcopy edition.]
When I was growing up, the Independent was seen as an unexciting, conservative, Fine Gael and Roman Catholic clerical paper. Subsequently it turned into a rag and the wonder is that it still has some good journalists writing for it.
My own connections with the paper are simply that I was offered a job as a sub when I left school but went on to university instead. I was also interviewed by Hector Legge at some stage in connection with an essay competition. So was Maurice Manning. He got the prize.
My current connection is a newly found interest in Gordon Brewster, who was Independent Newspapers' chief artist and who contributed some wonderful cartoons to the papers. The… Read more
