Voices from the Great Houses of Ireland: Life in the Big House

Did you ever see a big house in the countryside and wonder who used to live in such a property? Have you ever wondered about the story behind such an old and historic house? This book reveals the story behind some of the greatest houses in Ireland. Maurice O'Keefe has interviewed the surviving members of many of the Anglo-Irish and old Irish families who lived, and in many cases still live, in these great houses. They have talked about their family histories, their links to the communities in which they are based and about the fascinating details of life in these houses. For the first time the families still living in and descendants of families that once lived in these houses speak about the ups and downs of life in Ireland from as far back as the 1600s. With previously unpublished photographs and untold stories, this is a must have book for those interested in the social history of Ireland.

Since 1990 Jane O'Keeffe and her husband Maurice have worked on the writing and cataloguing of oral history collections, the recordings for which total over 3,000 and can be found at www.irishlifeandlore.com. Originally from Bandon, Co. Cork, Jane has lived in Tralee since her marriage in the mid 1970s.