Out of the Dark, 1914-1918

This timely and compelling book records the experiences of Irishmen from South County Dublin who fought in World War I, while also accounting for the lives of their families who remained at home. Principally a social history, the main body of the book is broken up into seven chapters that each disclose the history of a particular district in South Dublin. These local histories expand upon the background of the families subsequently related, providing a fascinating portrait of the lives that soldiers left behind. The Roll of Honor covers individuals with riveting life stories and tales of anecdotal intrigue. Families of interesting power and wealth are included, such as the great merchant families of Dublin at the time: the Dockrells, Findlaters, Lees, Martins, and McCormicks. The book also provides an illuminating history of Ireland's involvement in World War I generally, and how the war and its fighters have been subsequently recognized within Irish society. Reasons for enlistment, the effect of Gallipoli and the Easter Rising, as well as examples of how ex-British servicemen were treated when they returned home to Ireland following the end of the war - all are accounted for in this fascinating history that highlights the enduring contentions related to Ireland's involvement in 'the Great War.'