Loughrea, that den of infamy

The Land War in County Galway, 1879–82

Pat Finnegan

‘Finnegan’s book is informative and enlightening. His research is meticulous and detailed, his approach to the subject painstaking and clinical. From the beginning we are made aware of just how much the area was a hot spot of agrarian outrage … The book is imbued with a sense of darkness and fear, not to mention uncertainty. These were indeed dark and evil days but perhaps the book’s greatest achievement is Finnegan’s depiction of the strong resilience of the people themselves … Loughrea, that den of infamy is an important book in that it brings to light one of the most extraordinary chapters in Galway’s, indeed in Ireland’s, struggle against oppressive landlordism', Des Kenny, Galway Advertiser (September 2014).

‘In this book Pat Finnegan goes into the story in one small corner of the country, albeit a corner which saw more drama than most … Once of the prime sources and inspirations for this book is the prison notebook of his great-grandfather, John Sweeny of Loughrea … This book puts the magnifying glass over one part of the struggle for the land of Ireland, and will be of interest to those who specialise in the period, and to local readers', David Burke, Tuam Herald (August 2014).