In Romantic Irish Homes, bestselling author Robert O'Byrne celebrates Irish houses with an abundance of character and personality. Quixotic, often whimsical and definitely quirky, they provide a sanctuary from the Irish climate, which can be cold and damp. No wonder, therefore, that over the centuries Ireland's domestic architecture and interior design have developed a distinctive personality in which colour and vivacity are highly prized. Romantic Irish Homes presents 15 of the finest examples of the Irish home, each one of them distinctive yet sharing the same unique spirit. From ancient castles to sturdy Georgian manors and modest farmhouses, the homes featured here offer a unique insight into the Irish temperament and an exploration of a style of decoration that, while adapted to meet 21st-century demands, still retains an historic integrity. Romantic Irish Homes is every bit as charming and memorable as the Irish people themselves.   First published in 2013, this is a new edition.

Go on a journey with Robert O’Byrne as he brings fascinating Irish ruins to life. Fantastical, often whimsical, and frequently quirky, these atmospheric ruins are beautifully photographed and paired with fascinating text by Robert O’Byrne. Born out of Robert’s hugely popular blog, The Irish Aesthete, there are Medieval castles, Georgian mansions, Victorian lodges, and a myriad of other buildings, many never previously published. Robert focuses on a mixture of exteriors and interiors in varying stages of decay, on architectural details, and entire scenarios. Accompanying texts tell of the Regency siblings who squandered their entire fortune on gambling and carousing, of an Anglo-Norman heiress who pitched her husband out the window on their wedding night, and of the landlord who liked to walk around naked and whose wife made him carry a cowbell to warn housemaids of his approach. Arranged by the country’s four provinces, the diverse ruins featured offer a unique insight into Ireland and an exploration of her many styles of historic architecture.

It's the thought that counts. So, while society has changed, the need for thoughtfulness, courtesy and good manners has not. What is the etiquette for internet use, emails, and mobile phone calls? How does one handle the delicate politics of apartment-sharing? What are the rules for meeting through a dating agency? Mind Your Manners provides effective answers to these and many more dilemmas of 21st century decorum.

Available for the first time in paperback, Robert O’Byrne’s landmark biography of Hugh Lane remains the essential work on this enigmatic art dealer and patron. From his birth in Cork in 1875, to London, South Africa and Dublin, Hugh Lane is primarily remembered for establishing Dublin’s Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, the first known public gallery of modern art in the world. He never married and, though rumoured to have been homosexual, never had a documented relationship with a man. He was also a person of great social energy who befriended and sometimes crossed swords with the leading cultural figures of his day: Yeats, Gregory, Orpen, Augustus John, Rodin, Beerbohm, and many others. Robert O’Byrne writes with clarity and insight about a man who, since his untimely death on R.M.S. Lusitania in 1915, has been something of a mystery.

Ireland’s finest photographer in the 20th century, Fr Frank Browne repeatedly visited County Wicklow across almost half a century. Over that time, he had the opportunity to capture images of this part of the country as it underwent change and yet, somehow, retained its essential character. The earliest photograph, for example, is of the Dargle Valley, a spot that looks much the same today as it did when Fr Browne first went there in 1910. This is made obvious by the colour replica photograph of the Dargle Valley, one of twenty colour replica photographs juxtaposed with Fr Browne's originals in this book. An introduction by the editor, Robert O'Byrne, allows the reader gain insight into this renowned photographer's life, and also into the history of the various Wicklow locations included in the book.  Other pictures show landmark beauty spots such as the Powerscourt Waterfall and the Sugarloaf Mountain, as well as the rugged landscape of the Sally Gap. The monastic remains of Glendalough are exquisitely caught, along with the still waters of Lough Tay. The book is divided into six areas of Wicklow county, each a manageable day trip, which along with a handy guide map, offers readers the chance to follow in Fr Browne’s footsteps – and maybe take their own replica photographs! While his eye was able to spot the timeless beauty of this rural idyll, Fr Browne also noted the modern and innovative, capturing key moments in the development of a newly-independent Ireland, such as the construction of the Poulaphouca Reservoir in the late 1930s and workers in the newly-opened Solus Teoranta Lightbulb Factory in Bray. Cars are few, but bicycles plentiful in his photographs. The advent of modern technology contrasts with traditional pastimes: a horse fair in Blessington, sheep dipping on a farm, a thatcher repairing the roof of an old cottage. He shows bustling preparations for the International Eucharistic Congress of June 1932, along with commercial activity in towns such as Arklow and Wicklow. New schools are shown being built in the first, older pursuits like fishing continue in the second. Fr Browne’s ability to gain access everywhere means he was able to photograph many of Wicklow’s most famous historic houses, like Powerscourt before its interiors were tragically destroyed by fire, and Shelton Abbey which he visited just a year before the building and its contents were sold. Whether you wish to take to the road, or remain an armchair traveller, this book is a companion to anyone interested in Ireland's pictorial history, and especially the history of the county of Wicklow.

Left without a Handkerchief contains ten stories of destruction and loss during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War. Between 250 and 300 Irish country houses were burnt in the early 1920s during the course of the War of Independence and subsequent Civil War. The reasons behind their destruction were various, but because of their scale and prominence on the Irish landscape, setting fire to them was judged by perpetrators to be good propaganda. Hitherto historians have concentrated on the actions and motivation of those responsible for carrying out the burnings. Left without a Handkerchief will tell the other side of the story, of history seen from the perspective of the losers.