The Geraldine's Bride: A Metrical Tale, With An Introduction And Historical Notes - Softcover

Thomas Gallwey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0371376467 ISBN 13: 9780371376461

Publisher: HardPress, 2020

Synopsis

The Geraldin's Bride: A Metrical Tale, With An Introduction And Historical Notes by Thomas Gallwey is a nineteenth-century verse romance that reconstructs a legendary Desmond-era episode in ottava rima style. The poem centers on the marriage of Catherine McCormack, a woman of Irish noble blood, to the Desmond Earl, against the backdrop of Kilkenny's Statute and the religious-political divides that would later shape English-Irish relations. Interwoven with the narrative, Gallwey provides an extensive Introduction tracing the Geraldines' rise, their Norman-Irish identity, and the historical tensions between Gaelic law (Brehon law) and English governance, illustrated by the Kilkenny Ordinances and the broader contest for loyalty between crown and chieftains. The material is a hybrid of lyrical epic, historical commentary, and cultural memory, including numerous cantos, songs, and didactic notes. Through lush landscapes such as Adare and Lismore, the poem meditates on love, power, fidelity, and the costs of national hatreds. The work blends poetry and scholarship to illuminate Ireland’s medieval past and its enduring myths.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0371376467
• ISBN 13: 9780371376461
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 132