Work of author honoured by Fethard Historical Society

The Fethard Historical Society hosted the Tipperariana Book of the Year Award 2022 on Saturday, November 4 in the ICA Hall, Fethard.

Michael Mallon, Chairman, Fethard Historical Society, began by welcoming those present.
“To mark the presentation of the Tipperariana Book of the Year Award for 2022 to Mr Gerard Shannon for his wonderful book, Alderman Joseph MacDonagh TD, - Tipperary’s Forgotten Revolutionary Politician? (1883-1922), it is my great pleasure to extend a warm Tipperary welcome to Mr Gerard Shannon, his partner Cathleen Geist, and friends, and also to welcome Seán Hogan, editor of the Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution series of books.”

Mary Hanrahan, MC for the evening outlined the evening’s programme, explaining that the Tipperariana Book of the Year Award was scheduled to take place, as usual, last January.

However, due to a combination of unforeseen circumstances, the event was delayed until this month. The award is given to a book that is “quintessentially of Tipperary and which adds to the county archive in a particular way.”
All the previous winning books were on display and Terry Cunningham, Vice-Chairperson, speaking of how the book award came into being, referred to the wide variety of subject matter and the different formats in which they were presented.

Three volume local histories sit alongside a beautifully designed graphic depiction of Cromwell’s siege of Clonmel.
Michael Coady’s One Another and Patrick Bracken’s Foreign and Fantastic Field Sports: Cricket in County Tipperary reflect the diversity of award winners to date.

The Tipperariana Book of the Year Award takes a different form each year. When the committee has made their selection, they commission local ceramicist, Dóirín Saurus, to create a unique piece that pays tribute to the chosen book.
This year Dóirín crafted a beautiful pottery candlestick with the image of Joseph MacDonagh blazoned on the front.
Michael Mallon called on Dóirín to make the presentation of the 21st Award to Gerard Shannon before the lecture began.

Gerard is an historian from Skerries in North County Dublin. In 2017, he organised the Centenary Weekend to mark the tragic death of Muriel MacDonagh, Tomás’s widow. Hence his interest in and connection with the MacDonagh family.
Seán Hogan, editor of the Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution series of books, of which Gerard Shannon’s book is one, explained that his group was set up to remember people of the revolutionary generation, many of whom are well and truly forgotten a century later.

Seán himself is a former recipient of the Tipperariana Book of the Year award in 2013, for his insightful book The Black and Tans in North Tipperary: Policing, Revolution and War1913-19222.
MacDonagh is a name synonymous with Cloughjordan, synonymous with Tipperary and, of course, synonymous with the fight for Irish freedom but Gerard Shannon’s book features not Tomás MacDonagh 1916 leader and signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, but his younger brother Joseph.

FASCINATING TALK
Gerard gave a fascinating talk on the life and times of this patriotic young man who gave such dedicated service to the national cause from 1916 onwards to his untimely death on Christmas Day 2022 at the age of thirty-eight.
In the discussion that followed it was suggested that maybe Joseph was forgotten because he chose political service, which doesn’t seem to attract the same public adulation as do military exploits.

The evening drew to a close with light refreshments and a chance to engage with the author.
Gerard hopes to return to Fethard for the Tipperariana Book Fair on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase his award-winning book on Joseph MacDonagh as well as his recently published book on General Liam Lynch.