Launched in March of this year the Cambridge History of Irish Literature is both worth the 250 euros it is being sold for but perhaps more. It spans fifteen centuries of Irish literary achievement and should be on the shelf of any scholar, it should be noted here that the excellent Dr Margaret Kelleher, NUI Maynooth, was the editor.
The contents of the book is as following:
Volume I: Chronology; Introduction; 1. The literature of medieval Ireland to c. 800: St Patrick to the Vikings Tomás Ó Cathasaigh; 2. The literature of medieval Ireland, 800-1200: from the Vikings to the Normans Máire Ní Mhaonaigh; 3. The literature of later medieval Ireland, 1200-1600: from the Normans to the Tudors A: Poetry Marc Caball; B: Prose literature Kaarina Hollo; 4. Literature in English, 1550-1690: from the Elizabethan settlement to the Battle of the Boyne Anne Fogarty; 5. Literature in Irish, c.1550-1690: from the Elizabethan settlement to the Battle of the Boyne Mícheál Mac Craith; 6. Prose in English, 1690-1800: from the Williamite wars to the Act of Union Ian Campbell Ross; 7. Poetry in English, 1690-1800: from the Williamite wars to the Act of Union Andrew Carpenter; 8. Literature in Irish, 1690-1800: from the Williamite wars to the Act of Union Neil Buttimer; 9. Theatre in Ireland, 1690-1800: from the Williamite wars to the Act of Union Christopher Morash; 10. Irish Romanticism: 1800-1830 Claire Connolly; 11. Prose writing and drama in English, 1830-1890: from Catholic emancipation to the fall of Parnell Margaret Kelleher; 12. Poetry in English, 1830-1890: from Catholic emancipation to the fall of Parnell Matthew Campbell; 13. Literature in Irish, 1800-1890: from the Act of Union to the Gaelic League Gearóid Denvir; 14. Historical writings, 1690-1890 Clare O'Halloran; 15. Literature and the oral tradition Donna Wong. Volume II: Introduction Margaret Kelleher and Philip O'Leary; 1. Literature and politics Declan Kiberd; 2. The Irish Renaissance, 1890-1940: poetry in English Patrick Crotty; 3. The Irish Renaissance, 1890-1940: prose in English John Wilson Foster; 4. The Irish Renaissance, 1890-1940: drama in English Adrian Frazier; 5. The Irish Renaissance, 1890-1940: literature in Irish Philip O'Leary; 6. Contemporary prose and drama in Irish: 1940 to 2000 Máirín Nic Eoin; 7. Contemporary poetry in Irish: 1940-2000 Louis de Paor; 8. Contemporary poetry in English: 1940-2000 Dillon Johnston and Guinn Batten; 9. Contemporary prose in English: 1940-2000 George O'Brien; 10. Contemporary drama in English: 1940-2000 Anthony Roche; 11. Cinema and Irish literature Kevin Rockett; 12. Literary historiography, 1890-2000 Colin Graham; 13. Afterwords: A: Irish-language literature in the new millennium Bríona Nic Dhiarmada; B: Irish literature in English in the new millennium Fintan O'Toole.