Latest News from The Collins Press

For many of us, the sea, or indeed any expanse of water, exerts a special fascination. We experience a thrill and excitement when venturing out on it. To do so, we build boats, an activity which has been a vital aspect of human endeavour for many thousands of years. For Ireland, an island nation, the sea has played a crucial role in our history and culture, giving rise to a remarkable variety of water craft.

from Traditional Boats of Ireland - History, Folklore and Construction

by Criostoir MacCarthaigh

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Click on these links for more information on The Collins Press books

TV tie-in - Ireland's Olympians The Show!

Special June Release! Ireland's Olympians - Beijing and Beyond by Niall O'Flynn

Readings by Alannah Hopkin

Now Available in Paperback

Transfer of Distribution

Now in stock ... June 2008 titles

Now in stock ... May 2008 titles

Now in stock ... April 2008 titles

Frame the Oscars 2008!

Our Polar Titles

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Special June Release!

Ireland's Olympians

Beijing and Beyond

Niall O'Flynn

Niall O'Flynn, author and producer with RTE TV's OB Sport, put together this book to accompany the 5-part TV series that is due to air in June 2008 and follows the build-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Who is this book for?:
It’s for the sports fan and the weekend warrior, the ambitious, the curious, parents, coaches, managers and athletes who strive to understand the workings of body and mind, seeking answers to questions such as:

What has Ireland done to help - and hinder - our athletes?
How can the GAA help develop the next generation of Olympians?
Why has no white man ever run under 10 seconds in the 100 m?
What’s the easiest gold medal to win?
Why are most of Ireland’s top athletes living and training overseas?
What sports should a young child be playing and what is the best age to start?
How does immigration help Irish sport?
Why do so few promising juniors go on to senior success? And why does Ireland miss so many late developers?
Can the length of toes and fingers or date of birth influence a child’s ability in sport?
How do great athletes override mind and body and push themselves to the limit?

Ireland' s Olympians - The Show

The first show in this 5-part series begins at 7.30 p.m. on Monday 30 June on RTE 2. See our athletes in action and learn just what Ireland is doing to help, and hinder, our existing and potential Olympians. Click here to check out the RTE website for more details.

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Now Available in Paperback

Christy Ring

Hurling's Greatest

Tim Horgan

This is the first full biography of Cork's hurling legend. It is a lively, affectionate account of Christy's lifelong commitment to hurling, embellished with memories of great players and personalities, and glorious games won and lost.

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Irish Wild Plants

Myths, Legends and Folklore

Niall MacCoitir

The ultimate guide to plants in Ireland, with original watercolours by Grania Langrishe.

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Transfer of Distribution

The Collins Press wishes to announce that from 1 May 2008 order processing, distribution and credit control will be transferred to:

Gill & Macmillan Distribution,
Hume Avenue,
Park West,
Dublin 12
Tel: +353-1-5009555, fax: +353-1-5009596
email sales@gillmacmillan.ie.

Arrangements will be made to transfer teleordering, back orders and dues.
All invoices prior to 1 May 2008 should be paid to Columba Mercier Distribution.
Returns should be sent to Columba Mercier Distribution until 30 April 2008, thereafter to Gill & Macmillan.

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Now in stock ... June 2008 titles

A Life Interrupted

Insights and Cure of a Depressive

Malachy Walsh

An honest and moving account of one man's battle with the darkness of depression and his ultimate cure.

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Traditional Boats of Ireland

History, folklore and construction

Criostoir MacCarthaigh, editor

This magnificent production has been years in the making and is well worth the wait. Contributors include historians, boat builders, sailors, former fishermen, and ‘classic boat’ enthusiasts. Lines and construction plans, archival and modern photographs and illustrations, historical documents, local tradition and folklore, all combine to piece together the story of Ireland’s traditional boats.

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Now in stock ... May 2008 titles

Michael Collins

Most Wanted Man

Vincent McDonnell

This action-packed biography for children is full of information about one of Ireland's greatest heroes. Written in Vincent's trademark approachable style, it is the perfect way to introduce young readers to Irish history.

The Launch

On Friday 25 April 2008, Michael Collins was launched as part of Eigse in Newcastle West library at noon with invited schools from the area.

Vincent also did a series of readings in primary schools in the west Limerick area on the same day.

And the winner is ...

Congratulations to Vincent who has just won The Golden Pen Short Story competition. Well done!

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An Emerald Odyssey

In Search of the Gods of Golf and Ireland

Paul J. Zingg

Paul J. Zingg travels Ireland by way of our golf courses and discovers a land of myth, culture and awesome beauty.

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Now in stock ... April 2008 titles

Eating Scenery

West Cork, the people & the place

Alannah Hopkin

West Cork is a vibrant community of diverse people with fascinating stories to tell and Alannah has captured these stories in a compelling and beautiful book.

The Launch - Thursday 22 May 2008

Acclaimed food writer John McKenna will launch Eating Scenery in Bantry House, west Cork at 6.30 p.m. on Thursday 22 May 2008. We're looking forward to the beautiful setting and meeting the West Cork people mentioned in Alannah's book.

Readings & Book-signings

Alannah will be out and about in west Cork over the summer months:

World Book Fest

Saturday 26 April 2008 at 4 p.m. in the Marquee, near the Central Library, Grand Parade, Cork.

Click here for more information.

Hosfords Garden Centre

Alannah will sign copies of her book at the beautiful Hosfords Garden Centre at 3.30 pm. on Saturday 6 July.

Click here to visit their website

Exhibition Opening

Alannah is opening an exhibition called Impressions of West Cork on 5 July at 7.30 p.m. at the Doswell Gallery, Roscarberry, West Cork.

West Cork Literary Festival

Thursday 10 July 2008 at 7 p.m. in the Organico Cafe, Bantry, Co Cork.

Click here for more more information.

Kinsale Arts Week Reading

Thursday 17 July 2008 at 6 p.m. in The Friary Space, Kinsale, Co Cork: Alannah will talk about her latest book.

Saturday 19 July 2008 at 1 p.m. in The Friary Space, Kinsale, Co Cork: Alannah will take part in a travel-writing panel with another Collins Press author, Paul Clements (click here for more information on Paul's book). Tickets are €10.

What's left to discover? – Travel writing today: Despite our carbon footprint we have never travelled so widely or so frequently. We consume guidebooks, devour travel supplements and are always online in search of that undiscovered and idyllic location. But who are the people behind these stories who so strongly influence our decisions? What is the role of the travel writer and how do they go about it? Join some of Ireland’s most esteemed and intrepid explorers in a topical discussion of travel writing.

Panel
Paul Clements (Facilitator) is a travel writer and former BBC correspondent. He is a contributing editor to Insight’s Ireland Guide, and Fodor’s Ireland. His travel book, The Height of Nonsense was highly acclaimed, and he edited an 80th birthday tribute to the travel writer Jan Morris.
Dervla Murphy has been regularly publishing descriptions of her journeys – by bicycle and on foot – in the more remote areas of four continents since 1964. She is currently writing a book on Cuba.
Tim Severin explorer/traveller, author, film-maker and lecturer, made his first expedition by motor cycle along the route of Marco Polo while still a student at Oxford.
Alannah Hopkin has worked in Ireland for Fodor’s since 1984. She wrote Insight's Cork and Southwest Ireland, and was consulting editor on Insight's new Ireland Guide. Her most recent book is Eating Scenery: West Cork, the People and the Place.
John Daly Insight

Contact the Box Office at Kinsale Arts Week for more information.

Kinsale Arts Week, Friars Lodge, Kinsale, Co Cork.
T: +353 (0)21 4700010
M: +353 (0)86 822 7588

Click here to go to the KAW website

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The Vatican Pimpernel

The Wartime Exploits of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty

Brian Fleming

He's a Kerryman and a hero of the Second World War but few have heard of him. Brian Fleming's thriller-like biography of this unsung hero will bring Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty's story to the prominence it deserves.

Bestseller!

Congratulations to Brian - The Vatican Pimpernel was listed as No.5 on The Irish Times' bestseller list for paperback non-fiction on Saturday 19 April 2008.

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Wild Plants of the Burren and the Aran Islands

Charles Nelson

This new expanded edition of Charles Nelson's extraordinarily beautiful field guide has even more of the wild plants of the intriguing Burren and Aran Islands. With space for the reader's own notes, this guide is unique and essential for all those interested in the plants of these fascinating regions.

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Frame the Oscars 2008!

Congratulations to Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova on their Oscar for Best Song, 'Falling Slowly' taken from the captivating film Once. To see more of Glen and The Frames, check out Zoran Orlic's photographic tribute to the band, The Frames - Behind the Glass. Zoran is a big fan of The Frames as well as an amazing photographer and this enhances the beautiful duotone photos which capture the band right from the beginning.

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Our Polar Titles

Here at The Collins Press, we're very proud of our polar titles. They are incredible stories of epic adventures and larger-than-life heroes. Click on the images below for more information.

An Unsung Hero - Tom Crean Antarctic Survivor

Tom Crean - An Illustrated Life

Michael Smith

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Michael Smith has also written for children.

Tom Crean - Ice Man: the Adventures of an Irish Antarctic Hero

Shackleton - The Boss: the Remarkable Adventures of a Heroic Antarctic Explorer

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Northabout

Sailing the North East and North West Passages

Jarlath Cunnane

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Back to School Time

Guide to Evening Classes in Cork City and County

2007/2008

Don't give up those New Year resolutions just yet. Now is the time to start that class that you've always wanted to take. Whether you want to be a yoga master, skipper your own boat or conquer those computer gremlins, you'll find the perfect evening class in our comprehensive and fully up-to-to-date guide.

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