See our Interview with Martin below this news piece.
NEWS FROM MARTIN !
Prepublication Notice of an exciting New Book on the MacNamara Family History
Hi again to all members of the MacNamara Clan, and indeed to all who may be interested in such things.
This note is to let you know that I expect to republish another rarebook on the MacNamara family which I located recently. I hope that you might wish to support this project.
The book is by the noted historian, Robert W. Twigge, FSA. He was married to a daughter Colonel MacNamara of Ennistymon House towards the end of the nineteenth century, and spent the rest of his life researching the history of the MacNamaras of East Clare. He died in 1915 just as his book, 'The History of Clann-Cuilein', was ready for publication.
Much of his research still lies unpublished in the British Museum, though part of it is on microfilm in the Local Studies section of the Clare Library. I have used this microfilm of his hand-written notebooks over the years for my own research into the castles of Co. Clare. It contains volumes of historical material, pedigrees, wills, deaths etc.,
Until recently I was unaware that he had ever actually published any of his work, until, that is, I came across this little volume, privately published in a very limited number by himself in 1908 for close family members.
The book is called, 'The Pedigree of John MacNamara, Esquire, with some Family Reminiscences', and was a chapter from his unpublished 'History of Clann-Cuilein'. The book deals with the early history of the MacNamaras and follows several lines of descent of the main lines of the Co. Clare family, as well as some interesting material on the MacNamaras of France, England and Wales.
If you feel you would be interested in having a copy of this rare book, you can email me for further details at:mbreen.ennis@eircom.net, and I will keep you abreast of progress.
Regards,
Martin Breen
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Here is a Personal Interview with Martin especially for this website's readers .
New photographs included.
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Hello Martin , nice to speak with yourself , thank you for sparing us a little time . I think it would be great for the Clan to see a bit more of you so we are hoping you might let us have a recent photo for the site please ?
No problem, I will attach a photo for you.
Do you think you may be able to send us a picture of yourself at work perhaps or surrounded by books as you work ?
The photo was taken last year on one of my usual field trips. I spend a good bit of my time checking the out-of the way places of interest. There is so much to see in Co. Clare, and in Ireland in general, that I always have some place to explore. I usually go for the places with a bit of history, or a bit of a story behind them. More often, there will be a castle or a towerhouse involved.
Could you tell us what actually drew you into the world of Publishing and what do you actually DO each day ?
Well, on the publishing side, which I do in my spare time, I got involved in this because of a scarcity of old research material. I have been working on a book on the castles and towerhouses of Co. Clare for about 20 years. (There are, or were, about 230 castles and towerhouses in the county from the fifteenth century onwards). I have completed about 200 or so and each of them requires a fully researched history. My friend and colleague Risteard Ua Croinin has been working with me since the start, and as we were both doing the same work, and met purely by accident, we decided to amalgamate and produce a book on out topic together. Risteard is an archaeologist and he writes on the structure and does the line drawings and floor plans. I do the historical research and the photos of each, so for every castle, we have a 4 part study. The book will be very big when it is completed, so I hope we can get all the information into it. It is amazing how much material one can collect in 20 years!
Sorry to be digressing. The publishing is really a work of love as I will never get paid for the amount of time I have to put into it. I just feel that these books should be out there for the public who are interested in their past and nobody else has gone to the trouble of trying to get funds to reproduce them. Luckily I have been helped and encouraged by the OBrien and MacNamara clans who have supported the venture. I suppose if I had not gone to the trouble of republishing in the first place, I would have my book on the castles completed by now, but then there are always diversions in life. As I said, I do a lot ofresearch, and because I could not get the reference books to fully research the castles, I decided to republish. The first book, The Story of an Irish Sept The Origin and History of the MacNamaras was only printed in a limited number in 1896 for close family members of the author, N.C. MacNamara. As can be expected, such a rare book would fetch a high price at auction, and so it would be out of reach to the general public. Needless to say I had to wait a few years before one came along at a price that was not completely out of reach. I got in touch with the MacNamara Clan who were actually planning a reunion in 2000 here in my home town of Ennis. The response was great so I went ahead and republished, and it was supported as promised by the clan. The second book, Historical Memoir of the OBriens The Origin and History of the OBrien Clan from 1860 progressed in much the same manner with support from the OBrien Clan. My current book project is another MacNamara book called Pedigrees of the MacNamara Family from 1908 was a little volume which I was lucky enough to locate and it is just now available. Again the MacNamara Clan have supported the project.We see lots of interesting and Historical Books coming through your Company Martin , as an avid reader myself I have to ask how you get through a day without burrowing deeply into some fascinating story and losing the world around you ?
I do that all the time I'm afraid. At this stage I have so many books in the house that I will have to build some place to hold them all. I love reading about local characters and events, and we are rich in this material here in Co. Clare. Books bring the past to life and in our minds eye we can create such pictures while reading that we can easily get lost in thought, which is a good thing and allows the mind and body to relax and renew itself. I think with the advent of television we have lost some of this ability.
In the process of Publishing , do you get to see many old manuscripts or photographs of people long gone ? How do you go about your research ?
Yes. I do spend a lot of time in libraries and looking at unpublished manuscripts, probably never been read in hundreds of years.
I do most of my research in my own library at home, but of course I do have to go to various libraries for access to the most rare volumes (the ones which I have not managed to republish, well, not yet!!)
For people like myself who have pride in their Bloodline and Heritage but are more interested in the daily culture of the minutiae of people's lives long ago rather than the military side of their lives - whilst still respecting their achievements - have you any advice as to which are the most useful type of Books to read to gain any accuracy with a combination of a lighter touch to avoid heavy reading ? We are not all University students!
One book springs to mind when you ask this: A Social History of Ancient Ireland by P.W. Joyce. It gives great details on all aspects of Irish life for hundreds of years. Every topic is covered such as dress, food, laws, animals, warfare, etc., etc.
I know you have joked with myself previously about not daring to take home more books in case the house disappears under them !...are the rest of the family as keen on books as yourself ?
The answer to this Im afraid is , No. Though they all read something, they are not interested in history to the same extent as myself.
How do you like to relax in your spare time Martin ? Do you have any non-book-related hobbies ?
Yes, I play Irish music a few nights a week and travel quite a bit. I have probably been to most countries in the world at this stage playing Irish music. It is very popular in the Eastern countries due to its depth and rhythm. There are actually quite a few Chinese people playing very good Irish Traditional music.
Do you ever wear a Kilt ? Would you wear a Kilt ?
No and No and No again!!!
(Chuckles here from Margaret !)
Can you share with us an ambition you would like to achieve -
Or maybe a dream you should like to bring into fruition ?
I suppose to see the book on the castles completed. 20 years is a long time to spend on a project, but it is now over 80% complete. My problem is that I always go away on a tangent and so my deadline has to be extended.
Thank you Martin, for your kindness in sparing us some of your valuable time and letting us get to know you a little better , really appreciated.
No problem, and thank you for giving me your time and attention.
For anybody who wishes to get more information on my publications you can go to: