Bøker av Cormac Moore

The turbulent revolutionary period in modern Irish history from 1912 to 1923 had a profound impact on the political, economic and social make-up of Laois. The issue of land that had dominated the landscape of Laois from the late nineteenth century onwards, continued to do so during the Irish revolutionary years, often intertwined with the major political developments of the era. Cormac Moore's book explores how seismic national events from the Third Home Rule Crisis, through to the First World War, the 1916 Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War affected Laois. Moore's book provides a comprehensive extensively researched account of how the Irish Revolution impacted on all sections of Laois society at the time, with its effects reverberating for years after.

In a new book entitled The Irish Soccer Split, Cormac Moore provides the most comprehensives analysis on the reasons why we have division in soccer in Ireland today unlike in sports such as rugby and cricket. Soccer in Ireland was governed for the whole island from 1880 until 1921 under the auspices of the Irish Football Association (IFA). The Leinster Football Association seceded from the parent body in 1921 and formed the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). Although politics played its part in fomenting the rupture, a power struggle was at the heart of the split in Irish soccer. Utilising an extensive array of primary sources and contemporary newspaper reports, Moore shows that the main reason why soccer became and remained divided in Ireland was due to Leinster's refusal to being governed from Belfast. It was felt the IFA was biased towards teams from Belfast, it rarely chose Dublin over Belfast as a venue for internationals and the IFA council and its sub-committees were dominated by representatives from the North-East. Once soccer was divided, genuine attempts were made in the 1920s and early 1930s to bring about a fair settlement. They all broke down as the IFA was unwilling to concede too much control to the nascent body and the FAI was opposed to accept anything other than total quality on everything to do with soccer on the island.The book recounts the FAI's attempts to gain international recognition from the British associations and FIFA in the early 1920s, attempts that were far more fruitful with the latter body than the former bodies who stood steadfastly by the IFA. The FAI was unable to secure any international fixture against England, Scotland or Wales until 1946, when an FAI-selected international team played England for the first time. The book also compares soccer to most of the other major sports who remained or became united after partition and analyses why soccer took such a different course.No serious attempts were made from 1932 to the 1970s to bring about a settlement between the IFA and FAI. As Northern Ireland was engulfed in the Troubles, a series of conferences were held to heal the division between the two bodies, prompted by international stars such as George Best who wanted one international team for Ireland at the very least. For the first time, the story of these efforts, carried out against the backdrop of violence in Northern Ireland, is revealed.

The 1921 partition of Ireland had huge ramifications for almost all aspects of Irish life and was directly responsible for hundreds of deaths and injuries, with thousands displaced from their homes and many more forced from their jobs. Two new justice systems were created; the effects on the major religions were profound, with both jurisdictions adopting wholly different approaches; and major disruptions were caused in crossing the border, with invasive checks and stops becoming the norm.And yet, many bodies remained administered on an all-Ireland basis. The major religions remained all-Ireland bodies. Most trade unions maintained a 32-county presence, as did most sports, trade bodies, charities and other voluntary groups. Politically, however, the new jurisdictions moved further and further apart, while socially and culturally there were differences as well as links between north and south that remain to this day.Very little has been written on the actual effects of partition, the-day-to-day implications, and the complex ways that society, north and south, was truly and meaningfully affected. Birth of the Border: The Impact of Partition in Ireland is the most comprehensive account to date on the far-reaching effects of the partitioning of Ireland.