Monthly Book Review by John Gerrard Carey

Across The Water
By John Carey

For the last one hundred and fifty years,thousands of Irish people have crossed the sea to Scotland,and nowadays you are more likely to find them enjoying a long weekend shopping or watching a football match unlike the previous generations of Irish who were forced to emigrate through poverty and lack of work.Many found seasonal work in the tattie squads around Ayrshire and then some moved on up to the cities like Glasgow finding work navying on the new building sites of Castlemilk, and Rutherglen as described by Sean O'Ciarain in his book "Farewell To Mayo". Most people would return home for a few weeks in the summer and at Christmas
while others met local girls, settled down got married and started new lives with some not returning to Ireland at all.Much has been written about their lives in Scotland over the years by O'Ciarain,Behan,and McGill and recently a new book was launched in Glasgow at Waterstones book shop called "Across The Water"which is an anthology written by people of Irish birth or OF Irish decent.The book shows how their lives have been influenced by their Irish origins.Most of the contributors have an Ulster background which is mixed with Catholic,Protestant,and Presbyterian roots.There are forty five writers in this collection and some like Pat McGill and Matt Mc Ginn have passed away long since but most of the people in this book are still under fifty years of age with the exception of Co Monaghan born author and poet Freddie Anderson who is now seventy eight and is currently finishing the follow up book to his novel "Oiney Hoy."This book also presents a growing number of new women writers like Anne Donnavan,Ann Mc Leod, and broadcaster Susie Maguire.It also includes more well known authors Dublin born Roddy Gorman,and Bernard MacLaverty from Belfast,whose story "The Wake House "which is a comical recollection of a typical wake still held in some parts of Ireland today.This book also shows a dept of feeling that still remains on both sides of the religious divide,what is good about it is that it reflects an image of Ireland of the past and shows the similarities that still prevail in Irish and Scots culture.It must be highlighted and not forgotten that the ancestors of this anthology worked hard in their new country most without education and against the odds to seize any opportunities to create a better future for their descendants across the water.The book is published by Argyll and is on sale at £10.99.

These Ladies are having some fun at the launch of the new book "Across The Water " at Waterstones in Glasgow