In this insightful
investigation of the dynastic phenomenon in Irish politics, journalist and
writer Owen O’Shea sheds new light
on the extraordinary grip that a few families – the Springs, the McEllistrims,
the Ferrises, the Healy-Raes and others – have maintained on politics in Kerry,
some of them for generations.
Heirs
to the Kingdom
reveals the excitement and bitterness of the inter-dynastic battles for
political supremacy in the county since the foundation of the State and before,
and assesses why voters in Kerry, and Ireland in general, continue to create,
sustain and nurture ‘family seats’ on local authorities and in the Dáil.
The book is the first from the Kerry-based journalist and includes a foreword by The Irish Times parliamentary correspondent, Michael O’Regan.
‘One of the most tightly-written and
informative books on Irish politics to appear in some time. This is
high-quality political analysis and, in an era when it is being rapidly
overhauled, a book invaluable for those who want to know what makes the Irish
political system tick.’ Politico.ie
‘O'Shea's text is diverse in content ... providing arguably the first comprehensive account of the divisive split in Labour in Kerry South in the early 1990s ... An eye-opening report of the inside story of the long-standing battles between a clutch of families for political control in Kerry, Heirs to the Kingdom is an informative and occasionally controversial study of power on a local and national level.’ Irish Men’s Tatler
‘O’Shea illustrates the accuracy of the Tip O’Neill dictum that all politics is local.’ The Irish Times
‘O’Shea’s book provides a fascinating insight into dynastic politics in that most political of counties.’ The Irish Times
‘Author Owen O’Shea succeeds in showing why political culture and the electoral system contribute to the creation of political dynasties in Kerry.’ Evening Echo
‘... full of little gems of information.’ Newstalk: Tom Dunne Show
‘O'Shea's text is diverse in content ... providing arguably the first comprehensive account of the divisive split in Labour in Kerry South in the early 1990s ... An eye-opening report of the inside story of the long-standing battles between a clutch of families for political control in Kerry, Heirs to the Kingdom is an informative and occasionally controversial study of power on a local and national level.’ Irish Men’s Tatler
‘O’Shea illustrates the accuracy of the Tip O’Neill dictum that all politics is local.’ The Irish Times
‘O’Shea’s book provides a fascinating insight into dynastic politics in that most political of counties.’ The Irish Times
‘Author Owen O’Shea succeeds in showing why political culture and the electoral system contribute to the creation of political dynasties in Kerry.’ Evening Echo
‘... full of little gems of information.’ Newstalk: Tom Dunne Show
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