The Irish Story surveys the history and culture of the Emerald Isle, beginning from the Celtic Sagas and the coming of Christianity to the penal years and the Easter Rising of 1916. In these pages, Curtayne uncovers the roots of the Irish experience, traces its evolution from pagan outpost to the heart of Western civilization, and testifies to its trials and tribulations as an English colony and its struggle for independence.

The history of Ireland opens on a note of mystery…

Conscientious and uncompromising, Curtayne focuses on the characters of Ireland: the “Irish story” is drawn from the particular people, the flesh-and-blood men and women, whose faith, fervor, and creativity lent Ireland its shape and its spirit.

Originally published in 1960, The Irish Story is an absorbing and rewarding narrative of Ireland from its earliest documented days to the mid-twentieth century, introducing its key people and places and presenting its myths with heartfelt honesty.

Alice Curtayne (1898–1981) was an Irish author, critic, journalist, and lecturer. In 1935, she married fellow author Stephen Rynne, with whom she raised four children and tended their family farm. Curtayne’s rich bibliography comprises histories and hagiographies, fiction and biographies, all of which demonstrate her keen intellect and vivid imagination.