My Dark Rosaleen

by Frank Delaney

First edition hardcover novella with unclipped dust jacket, in very good condition. Light shelf wear to the jacket, otherwise as unread. LW

80 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1989

About the author

Frank Delaney was an author, a broadcaster on both television and radio, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, lecturer, and a judge of many literary prizes. Delaney interviewed more than 3,500 of the world's most important writers. NPR called him 'The Most Eloquent Man in the World'. Delaney was born and raised in County Tipperary, Ireland, spent more than twenty-five years in England before moving to the United States in 2002. He lived in Litchfield County, Connecticut, with his wife, writer and marketer, Diane Meier.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, not so much for the story - although that was good and racy - but more for the thoughts and analysis of the Irish state in 1959, which appear mainly at the beginning and end of the story. The story serves to set the scene for the opinions.

The title refers to the nationalistic song, and of course Rosaleen is the name given to Ireland, so that the Irish could sing freely of their nationalism under British rule. At the time Ireland was emerging in it's recent independance, with the War of Independance and the Civil War still fresh in its memory; the political backdrop is that of the elections in Ireland and the rise of JFK in the US.

The story - a young bank clerk sets out on a drive and gives two people a lift. Although he does not know them Patrick ends up spending the day with them and that evening they go out drinking together with others. An argument ensues.

The observations on the Irish state at the time are harsh and yet I believe have validity. The remarks on how the troubles in the North would arise are insightful, but gladly this element is no longer current. As for the element of greed - these comments are possibly more valid leading into the Celtic Tiger era - although this was written in 1986.
The remarks on idealism (or naivity) balancing against reality are appropriate in a more global context.

I will read another of his later books to see further observations and also for a good story.

[John Mccullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some periods during the centuries-long English occupation of Ireland, use of the very word, in English or Irish for the country was proscribed. To use a name for their own country the Irish were forced to use the subterfuge of pseudonyms, including names like Kathleen Ni’Houlihan, the Old Woman of Beare, or Dark Rose – Roisín Dubh in Irish. In this book Delaney uses the name – Dark Rosaleen - in a double sense, but more of that later.

Patrick Newman, also a name with a double meaning, is a bank clerk in a small Irish town near the sea. He has been invited to listen to some records owned by a music lover in another town and on his way there he picks up first a young woman of independent spirit, Rose O’Mara, and down the road a bit more, one of her friends, a very, very wealthy and influential man known as Henry Mac. Henry demands that they take lunch at his home, then retire for a nap, during which Rose offers herself repeatedly to Patrick who repeatedly refuses her offers, for he is a man imbued with the lofty, if very naïvely pure, principles of the recently-won revolution against British rule. Ireland having shed the shackles of this debased power will now realize its true destiny as a nation of high morals, or so it was hoped. In everyone, most especially Patrick Newman, a man of the new Ireland.

After a nap, Henry has his chauffer drive them to the town in which lives the music lover as well as many of Henry’s friends. All go to a closed-down pub owned by a pair of bizarre sisters and a card game ensues with others from the town. Everyone gets pissed and the mailman accuses another card-player – a young senator of immense wealth and influence – of playing with other’s wives and worse. In a fit of rage the senator pushes the mailman who hits his head on a potbelly stove behind him and is gravely injured. Newman walks out and meets two off-duty Garda, then leaves, retrieves his car at Henry’s house and spends the remainder of the day at a natural area, sobering up.

Of course, that is not the end of it and we find why author Delaney calls his book “My Dark Rosaleen,” for the glorious revolution ending in independence in 1922 has degenerated to a very dark and corrupt place by 1959 when the action takes place. Political corruption, police corruption, liberal rumpy-pumpy and the acceptance of cover-ups for important people abound. In other words, Ireland has become a regular country, a fact that idealistic, unrealistically principled and inflexible Patrick Newman cannot accept. I can say no more without making this a spoiler.

In essence, Newman was born a generation too late as the time of heroes and heroic purity and lofty thoughts died with the previous generation. I am sure that there are so many other subtleties in the book that, not being a native of Ireland, I clearly missed.

This is a good novella that gives one view of Ireland not often seen from outside. I will search for more Delaney writings.