The Princes of Ireland

Beginning in pre-Christian Ireland, the novel follows recurring families whose fortunes become entwined with the growth of Dublin and the contests for power across the island. Their stories pass through the mission of Saint Patrick, Viking settlement, monastic culture, the reign of Brian Boru and the Anglo-Norman intervention before reaching the Tudor crisis of the sixteenth century. The book presents Ireland's early history through private loyalties, religious change, warfare and the gradual expansion of English authority.