Brian P. Murphy (1935–2022)

This is an extremely interesting and readable biography of a very interesting historical character. As the author remarks while John Chartes appears in pictures taken of the full Treaty delegation, several do not name him, and bar Pakenham’s “Peace by Ordeal” little books have analysed his character and his role in the Treaty negotiations and subsequently. This has rightly led to a great deal of speculation regarding how someone with such close British establishment before 1916 converted to the Irish cause after the Rising. The author explains all of these developments and explains Chartes’ role in the Treaty negotiations. In addition his subsequent career in the Foreign Service is also developed until his ultimate resignation following his tensions with Charles Bewley and Joseph Walshe. I would highly recommend it to anyone with any interest in the Anglo-Irish Treaty and its development.… (més)

This is a very interesting book with some intriguing ideas. The author had access to the papers of J.J. O’Kelly and the records of the “Old Second Dáil” with which to conduct much of his research. In my view he also credibly gives a new perspective to the accepted view of the Keating branch of the Gaelic League and augments the role of Pearse considerably. Murphy also provides interesting new ideas regarding the possible extent of the role of Andrew Cope in political developments in Ireland both before and post Truce and Treaty and his relationship with Michael Collins. The final two chapters deal with De Valera and Fianna Fáil and their relationship with the rump Sinn Féin of 1926. The main purpose is to portray those who remained in the then Sinn Féin in a more favourable light than more recent authors. This is a first step in such an endeavour but it would be worthy to conduct such an analysis and give them more depth even though I believe the break was necessary in 1926 and would have supported de Valera. I don’t agree with all the analysis throughout but it is thought provoking and worth reading for those interested in these areas.… (més)