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We Don't Know Ourselves

A Personal History of Ireland Since 1958

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We Don't Know Ourselves

By: Fintan O'Toole
Narrated by: Aidan Kelly
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About this listen

Fintan O'Toole, Ireland's leading public intellectual and author of Heroic Failure, tells a history of Ireland in his own time - a brilliant interweaving of memoir and historical narrative.

Fintan O'Toole was born in 1958. His life covers Ireland's journey out of underdevelopment and domination by the Church, to the country's transformation into the relatively prosperous and tolerant society that it is today. But, along the way, there was a sectarian civil war in the North, which cast a dark shadow over the whole island, and bitter struggles for intellectual, civil and sexual freedoms. The Church fought a long rearguard action to defend its entrenched positions in education, healthcare and childcare. The truth about child abuse and institutional cruelty emerged slowly, and women still had to die to make possible the liberalisation of Irish laws on contraception and divorce.

This is a very personal history by a writer who is considered by many to be the country's leading public intellectual. He was a participant in many of the controversies and arguments of the past 35 years and knew the leading literary, musical and political figures of those decades.

©2021 Fintan O'Toole (P)2021 W F Howes Europe War Law Socialism
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I find it hard to think of another memoir/ history of a country, of a period in its history that I admire as much as this. Sharp and nuanced insights matched by crystal clear and beautiful writing. A masterpiece of its kind.

A masterpiece

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Wonderful listen - what moving and generous insights. I didn't want this to end.

Thanks Fintan and Aidan!

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A great book with a very different modus operandi.

I’d thoroughly recommend this book if you are remotely interested in Irish history.

Very illuminating.

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What a brilliant writer! Harrowing…the list of heinous implements used to torture children and teens made me cry. If there is a hell I hope McQuaid is having a really tough time.

Great

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it's was like hearing my own life articulated in a way I couldn't even begin to and had forgotten half of and didn't know the other half - that half that shaped my travels and views.

bloody brilliant

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