1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State

Irish Century Novels #3

by Morgan Llywelyn

Morgan Llywelyn's masterly epic, The Irish Century , continues in 1949 , a sequel to 1916 and 1921 . The struggle of the Irish people for independence is one of the compelling historical dramas of the twentieth century. 1949 tells the story of Ursula Halloran, a fiercely independent young woman who comes of age in the 1920s. The tragedy of Irish civil war gives way in the 1920s to a repressive Catholic state led by Eamon De Valera. Married women cannot hold jobs, divorce is illegal, and the IRA has become a band of outlaws still devoted to and fighting for a Republic that never lived. The Great Depression stalks the world, and war is always on the horizon, whether in Northern Ireland, Spain, or elsewhere on the European continent. Ursula works for the fledgling Irish radio service and then for the League of Nations, while her personal life is torn between two an Irish civil servant and an English pilot. Defying Church and State, Ursula bears a child out of wedlock, though she must leave the country to do so, and nearly loses her life in the opening days of World War II. Eventually she returns to an Ireland that is steadfastly determined to remain neutral during the war. 1949 is the story of one strong woman who lives through the progress of Ireland from a broken land to the beginnings of a modern independent state. The Irish Century Novels
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion
1921: The Great Novel of the Irish Civil War
1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State
1972: A Novel of Ireland's Unfinished Revolution
1999: A Novel of the Celtic Tiger and the Search for Peace

Genres: Historical Fiction, Ireland, Fiction, Irish Literature, Historical, 20th Century, Audiobook

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 22, 2003

About the author

Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937) is an American-born Irish author best known for her historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction. Her fiction has received several awards and has sold more than 40 million copies, and she herself is recipient of the 1999 Exceptional Celtic Woman of the Year Award from Celtic Women International.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an Irish independence series that keeps getting better, Morgan Llywelyn lays further groundwork for readers to better understand the struggle and plight that pervaded much of the 20th century. In what would later be called the inter-war years, Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom are in a somewhat peaceable state. However, the thorn remains of Northern Ireland not being part of the independent Ireland, a theme not lost on the ever-maturing Ursula Halloran. After completing her studies, she leaves Ireland for a time before returning with a thirst to relay the news while promoting all that is Ireland. Securing a position at 2RN, the Irish National Broadcaster, Ursula begins to see the world’s reaction to the Irish question, as well as the build-up of European aggression with a few strong political leaders in Germany, Spain, and Italy. The IRA is still holding firm that it will stop at nothing while the North remains under British rule, but Ursula is not part of any formal plan to force the question. As Western leaders stand by and allow Hitler to march across the continent, claiming spoils without reaction, she cannot help but wonder if the sentiment would have been the same had Ireland tried this approach. After an accidental tryst leaves Ursula questioning her own integrity, she flees for Switzerland under the auspices of covering the League of Nations. War explodes across Europe and Ursula bears a son, nicknamed Barry. She wishes never to tell anyone of his father and remains stoic and vague, even when pressed. While Ireland stays neutral in the Second World War, there is a push to shake off the final shackles of British servitude; renunciation of their place in the Commonwealth. This will surely be the first item on the agenda when all fighting has been concluded. Once Ursula returns to her native Ireland and sets her sights on further independence, an apparent stranger darkens her door. Ned Halloran is back and very ill. He has come home to make amends with those with whom he created a schism during the Irish Civil War. Allowing Barry to meet and learn about his grandfather, Ursula can only hope that she will be as strong a fighter as her father came to be in the Irish fight for independence. Ireland stands as a Republic, but what is next on the agenda? Llywelyn presents another stunning tale not to be missed by those who enjoy the series, as well as readers with an interest in modern Irish history.

Morgan Llywelyn does well in this book again to show that things were anything but simple or straightforward with the Irish Question, leaving the reader to learn and ask some of the poignant questions. In what is becoming a true multi-generational series, Ursula Halloran takes the spotlight, having evolved from the orphaned Precious into a woman with both grit and determination as she seeks to fulfil more of the passions her ‘parents’ raised her to hold. Mixing the best attributes of Ned Halloran and Henry Mooney from the previous books, Ursula finds herself reporting the news and watching the world react to others who sought to turn their respective countries over in their own images, with little interference, especially by the British. Llywelyn contrasts this nicely with the Irish Question, both bluntly and subtly through Ursula’s thoughts and actions, a brilliant effort. Add to that the arrival of Barry and his veiled parentage, which is sure to propel the story forward in the fourth novel the series has to offer. Many others grace the pages of this piece, historical figures and those created by Llywelyn, offering varied flavours to the complex narrative. Llywelyn effectively builds the Irish sentiment throughout, leading to the 1949 declaration of its being a republic and no longer part of the Commonwealth. This novel was again a strong piece, full of history and great development, with a lighter feel to it. The attentive reader will enjoy a mix of longer and quick chapters. There is much to be learned in this neutral perspective as the world rushes to its own political and social fires. I am eager to see what comes next in this great series, sure to offer added twists and turns as history marches onwards.

Kudos, Madam Llywelyn, for never losing momentum in a century that saw a great deal of torment and maturity for the Irish Free State.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[David Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgan Llywelyn's continuation of the Irish Century series, this time covering the years between partition and the declaration of the Republic of Ireland, when the 26-county Free State was still part of the British Dominion, years which included the rise of fascism in Europe and WWII. This time the focus in Ursula Halloran, the adopted daughter of Ned and herself an ardent Republican. A strong-willed young woman determined to make her own way in the world, she despises the conservative turn Irish govt. and culture takes under the influence of the Catholic Church, as married woman cannot hold jobs and divorce is illegal. It's sad see what the Government of the day had become, compared to the dreams that Eamon de Valera shared with Padaric Pearse in the 1916 Rising. It was as if the inspirations, dreams, and idealism of the past had been deflated only to be replaced with reality of politics. The IRA still exists but it's main focus is trying to defend Nationalists and Catholics stranded in Northern Ireland. Ned Halloran spends most of his time in this effort, only occasionally returning home, and finally goes off to Spain to fight in the International Brigades in their valiant but failing effort to defend the Spanish Republic. Meanwhile, Ursula manages to get with a job with the fledgling Irish broadcasting service, 2RN. But she becomes pregnant out of wedlock and rather than suffer the fate accorded to such women and their children in Ireland at that time (Magdalen Sisters home and their ilk), she uses her govt. contacts to get a job with the League of Nations and flees to a Europe on the verge of it's greatest conflagration. Llywleyn's series is among the best historical fiction I've read. Once started, I can't put her books down as I can't wait to see what happens next to her characters as they navigate the currents of history. I'm looking forward to her novel covering the years leading up to Bloody Sunday and the Troubles, 1972: A Novel of Ireland's Unfinished Revolution.

[Wagrobanite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been the best so far of the series! It read a lot faster than the first two and I don't know if that's because it's more in a time frame that I'm more familiar with or because WWII is a passion of mine or what, but it did. In addition to learning about Irish history, I learned stuff about WWII that I didn't know which is really fascinating!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

1949 by Morgan Llewelyn is the 3rd book in the Irish Century Novels series. I enjoyed reading about Ursula Holloran's perspective in a time period where women were almost equal once again—until the Irish government became an ultra-Catholic country.

YouTube review link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bzmn...

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series and this book is was even better than the last. Great characters and full of historical and cultural detail and this one had a very strong female heroine. I enjoyed it immensely!

[Viola Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel continues the saga of the Irish struggle for independence and unity! It is truly a great read with wonderful characters. Ursula is a wonderful protagonist, and this brings the story of Ned Halloran to completion.

[Sansa snark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wilddddd Irish rosssssse, the sweetest flower that grows…

[A. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Morgan descriptive writing and her winding the Irish struggles. Excellent❤️

[Patrick McCarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book from a wonderful series. Highly recommended.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Irish Century Novel Series by Morgan Llywelyn did not disappoint. It definitely holds up to the standards that it's predecessors had set for me.

There were many things I deeply loved:

- Ursula as the main character. Man, I just love strong, developed female characters. This is not to say that Ursula as a person is perfect - her political views tend to be extreme, she is quite hotheaded and at times unwilling to change her opinion. But she does develop and mature alot. I love that she is opinionated, fiercely independent and incredibly practical. That woman gets shit done! I found this to be incredibly inspirational, as she is exactly how I would like to think of myself in crisis mode - though that is probably not quite the reality.

- Almost all characters get a somewhat happy/peaceful ending. Now I know, I know. That is probably not realistic at all. I deeply believe that we all deserve happy endings, and I know that not all of us will get one. But these poor people have suffered enough, and I am confronted every single day with the horrors of this world, so I think these characters deserve good things happening to them. After all, I am reading this for entertainment purposes, not educational ones. And there were by far enough horrible, heartbreaking things in this book.

- Ursula does not end up in a romantic relationship, neither by choice nor by force. I just love that she independent and self-reliant, and that she is allowed to keep her principles even when her situation changes dramatically. I love that becoming a mother does not bring unto her the realisation that she was wrong all along and surprisingly, all she really wants to be in life is a housewive (though there is nothing wrong with that in general! I just enjoy seeing female characters that are not defined by their relationships to men.

There were also some aspects of this book that irritated me a bit (which is why this book gets 4 and not 5 stars):

- The book covers a very long time span, from 1925 until 1949. However, the book is only 400 pages long. I just did some basic math: that leaves us with about 16,6 pages per year. While some years are covered in greater detail than others, it is at times disappointing that some parts are just brushed over (because I want all of it! Every single year in great detail would have been really interesting to read and would have helped to understand Ursula's development even better).

- The title. Now I understand why it is titled '1949', because that is the year the Irish republic was finally officially founded (/the free state ended) and all books in the series are named after the years of important landmarks in the history of Ireland. However, guess how many pages actually take place in 1949. the final five. The first two books covered a much shorter time span (five years each), ehich meant that a significant amount of time was actually spend in that year. Now I know this point is not really relevant because the title doesn't change the contents of the book (which I greatly enjoyed), but I will say that I expected something a bit different.

- While some experineces Ursula makes are described in great detail and really fleshed out in a beautiful, realistic way that pulls the reader in, other events that I deemed equally if not more relevant and influential to her live were brushed over a bit. The main thing I'm talking about here is Ursula's reaction to being a new mother who also has to rely on herself for the most part and starts working again almost immediately. While it becomes obvious that Ursula loves her son, her emotions toward him and her new role are not really described, ever. Which is sad! It woul be interesting to witness her feelings more clearly here, because I don't think that becoming a mother was something that Ursula would have ever wanted or planned for herself (largely because she does not want to ever get married and isn't interested in being in a relationship. She just isn't very traditionally feminine, which is obviously not the same as not wanting to become a mother. But I think her struggle to come to terms with her new role would have been an interesting plot point.

Now I know that that looks like a lot of criticism, but the things I disliked are really only minor and do not take away from the great experience that was reading this book.

Trigger warnings: death of relatives, death of a pet, pregnancy, birth, miscarriage, mention of suicide, mention of Nazi propaganda, mention of Nazi crimes, execution, becoming blind, alcoholism, domestic violence, sexual assault, adultery, discrimination by the catholic church, discrimination based on religion

I'm sorry if I missed any trigger warnings, those were all I could think of off the top of my head.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Irish Century Series and I was pleased to see that this one did a better job of balancing the fiction in the context of history. The first book in the series “1916” belonged to Ned, the second “1921” to Henry Mooney and the third “1949” belongs to Ursula Halloran formerly called “Precious” or “Little Business”.

Llywelyn brings us up to date, quickly reviewing where she left off in the last novel. The Civil War is now over and Eamon de Valera is now in charge of a repressive Catholic state. Divorce is illegal, woman cannot hold jobs and the IRA continue to roam the country as outlaws, devoted to an independent republic and committed to protecting Catholics trapped in the Protestant North. There is much unfinished business and terrible violence as many men still need or want to fight and the lust for blood always seem to lie just beneath the surface.

Ursula has gone to Switzerland to attend school, a gift from Ella the wife of Henry Mooney. She stays for two years and is exposed to a completely different world. It opens her up to new ideas, questions her values and prejudices and teaches her how to conduct herself among polite society. Returning to Ireland with a new vision of the world, with international friends and more tolerant ideas, she is distressed to see that Ireland has not changed. There is still the grinding poverty, the diets based on cabbage, potatoes and bread and a troubling lack of sanitation. And she also returns to people with fixed ideas of good and evil, Catholic and Protestant, and Republic and Free State. Dublin remains much as she had left it, rowdy and idiosyncratic, a place where people lived and died impoverished and where tuberculosis, typhus and enteritis cast long shadows. There seem to be no long term plans, and although economic recovery is the goal, with bridges and roads blown up and never repaired, the country still looks desperately to Britain.

Eventually Ursula is able to get a job with the Irish radio service, but she is not considered for anything but a menial clerical position. All the other jobs are reserved for men. She considers herself a career woman, is not interested in dating or marriage and she even drinks the occasional Guinness in the pub. She remains a committed Nationalist, doing whatever she can to help the Republican cause.
There are two men in her life, one who adores her and who she considers a comfortable friend and the second, a dashing and handsome English pilot who captures her heart, but does not know about her past.

Meanwhile Ned continues to appear and disappear like a ghost. He was angry at Ursula’s decision to go to school outside the country and does not answer her letters. He remains a bitter man whose health is failing. His sight is growing dim, his body is frail, he has constant headaches from his old wounds and his mental health is fragile, yet he remains indifferent to death and continues to devote himself to a war that cannot be won. Ursula believes he will probably die somewhere in battle and perhaps that is the only proper end for a warrior. It seems he has just left her to her own devices and although this breaks her heart there is nothing she can do. He has never repaired his friendship with his best friend Henry Mooney, who has now left for America with Ella to build a new life for himself. Ned decides to leave for Spain to assist in the Spanish Civil War and there are long periods of time when Ursula does not know if he is alive or dead.

When Ursula becomes pregnant out of wedlock, she goes to Switzerland to work with the League of Nations and to deliver her baby. She loves being in the midst of all the exciting action generated by international affairs as the world ramps up for the war. And all the while, she is learning important lessons about leaders from the examples of Hitler and Mussolini. Hitler has quietly morphed from the legal German Chancellor of Germany to the legal German Dictator. The Gestapo encourages informers and any threat to the new order is dealt with quickly. Thousands are sent to concentration camps. Ursula now more clearly understands that there are no perfect leaders and no perfect parties. And everyone gets a look at the nightmarish vision of a totalitarian world when H.G. Wells publishes his novel, “A Brave New World”.

As things heat up with war about to be declared in Europe, Ursula returns to the safety of Ireland, a country determined to remain neutral in the conflict. Shortly after her arrival she learns she has inherited the old farm which is now in terrible condition. But she works hard to bring it back to life, converting it to dairy cattle and horses. Meanwhile back in America, Henry and Ella suffer through the Crash and the Depression and although they have lost a lot of money, they are holding on.

Ned returns to the farm a changed man. His experience in Spain and several months spent in an English hospital have transformed him. He is no longer bitter nor does he hate everyone. He has come to realize that the fighting was becoming more important than the winning and that everything has been on a downward slide since the rebel’s victory in 1921. He knows now that violence and fighting had just become a part of the culture. Deaths on both sides have continued to climb but nothing has really improved, the hatred, excised in blood has just grown deeper. He wonders what would happen to his comrades in the IRA if peace were declared, believing they would not know what to do with themselves. He also wonders why it has taken him so long to realize all this. And so he reconciles with both Ursula and Henry, focuses on his grandchild and tries to write about his experiences despite the fact he is now almost totally blind.

It is sad but also interesting to see how the passionate dreams of the early rebels in the 1916 Rising have had to be moderated. Leaders had to learn to play the game of politics, to make compromises and take what they could. Continued fighting only led to little progress and more death and destruction.

I am finding this series fascinating.
Lleywelyn has tried to reconstruct the past for us by piecing together many different people’s memories of what actually happened. There are fragments of hundreds of different lives woven into the fabric of the narrative and so these books provide the details lacking in most history books.

I enjoyed this installment of the series much more than the last one, and will move on to the next one which picks up the story from here. It is titled 1972 and covers the period up to Bloody Sunday and The Troubles.
Llywelyn has even left us with an intriguing hint of who will be the character featured in the next book.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in the Irish Century series, this installment revolves around young Ursula Halloran, Ned Halloran’s adopted daughter. Staunchly pro-Republic, and steadfastly independent, Ursula navigates the difficult political times following the Irish Civil War, the Partition of the six northern counties, and the creation of the Irish Free State. After a stint at a Swiss finishing school, provided by a benefactor, Ursula takes a job at the newly created Irish Radio which gives her access to the exciting and frightening news in Europe. Llywelen has an excellent way of drawing the reader in, an eye for details, and an outstanding understanding of Irish history. My only complaint with the story was how Ursula very uncharacteristically falls for an upper class Englishman, a complete louse, no less. But even that storyline is used to its advantage by the author. A well-written and highly informative book.

[Martina Capps · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book. There’s some kind of dissonance in the fact that you listen to a book outlining how the British disparaged the establishment of Ireland as its own country whilst the narrator can’t even be bothered to research how to pronounce not just town names, but the name of the actual country itself.
It’s 2021. The words Taoiseach, tanaiste, garda siochana and aras an uachtaran have been used in Ireland for many, many years.
The most egregious error has to be the pronunciation of Éire. It is not now, nor has it ever been “air”.
It just smacks of the “look at them there, with their made up country and their made up words, sure no one needs to know how to pronounce them” disrespect that is outlined as one of the major themes of the book.
It’s just so bloody disappointing.

[Britta Stumpp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. The pacing was a little intense and the end chapters read more like journalism than a novel but the events were so riveting, I had a hard time putting it down. It would've received 4 stars from me but I was really disappointed the author conveniently got rid of the only male character I gave a damn about with hardly more than a mention. It felt like Llywelyn just kind of crapped out at the end. It started strong but fizzled midway. Regardless, I love the subject and will give her next book in the series a try.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good historical piece

Scattered writing but the history was the primary focus anyway. I did not like how the subject changed with each paragraph. The author seems to have trouble with focusing one one thing at a time. The scattering of thoughts made it hard to read for me. I enjoyed the fiction as well as the facts but didn’t enjoy the jittery nature of the writing. I would recommend the book with the understanding that it may not be a smooth reading experience.

[Shaun Deane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this series. What a fun reading experience. Ursula Halloran - what a great character, fully realized and I love the overlap across the volumes: Ned, Henry, Ella. I seem to have ended up with a small format copy of 1972 so the hunt is on for the larger version. Planning to move on to Ulysses (again) after this. Fingers crossed :-)

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I seem to be a minority on this one. I found it very clunky, with paragraphs alternating between the novel's characters and explanations of what was going on politically at the time. Lots of telling rather than showing. The main character, Ursula, was like a museum guide pointing out what was happening around the world.

[Tom Garland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved 1916, sequel 1923 and the next book 1949. You'll bet I will read the last 2 books 1972 and 1999.

Make sure you read them in order. Nice mix of historical fiction and Irish history.

Superbly written.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

How the politics of Ireland struggled from late 20s to 1949 when The Republic of Ireland was established. Also a bit about the buildup and events of WWII. The Ursula story held the book together. I was sometimes confused by the differing Irish organizations.

[Markod0101 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good insightful book.

For my own tastes it wasn’t at the level of the first 2 in the series, and it strayed too much into social commentary at the expense of the more character development of previous novels.

Still an essential read for Irish and indeed European history.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story & history of Ireland during WWII. Strong characters during difficult times

[Mairo Dilworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing in the series, this is another great read. Gives a real insight into the history of Ireland throughout the 20th century.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the historical component of the book but didn't feel Ursula had much of a character arc and parts of the story felt contrived.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Bob Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, just like the others.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed learning the history but the story was very thin.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another troubling and captivating book in the series.

[Jon Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read whether your Irish or not !

I didn’t see how 1949 good be better than book 2 but wow! It was the best so far. I’ll be starting on the next one today!

[Tim.Larocco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic; this is a series that just gets better and better with each installment.