The Killing of Major Dennis Mahon

[ElphinBill]

Has anyone read the new book by Peter Duffy,
"The Killing of Major Dennis Mahon" of Strokestown? It was published by Harper Collins in the fall 2007. Along with other sources, the book makes good use of the Mahon's private documents located in the NLI. It is a good read about the events leading up to and through the famine years in North Roscommon. And is written for a general audience.

[pflanagan132]

The Killing of Major Denis Mahon
This book has not yet been released in Ireland, but any good bookshop can order a copy from the States. Mine took just 7 days to arrive.

[Dorothy Joyce Hunt]

My brother gave me a copy for Christmas and I'm reading it now. I think it's not only well researched history but reads like a good mystery. My paternal grandparents were from Four Mile House and apparently there were a number of Hunts involved - as witnesses at least. Dorothy Joyce Hunt

[ElphinBill]

Below is the link to the New York Times review of the book in the December 9, 2007 edition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/books ... ada-t.html

[JKennedy1957]

I was motivated to read this book because some of my Kenny ancestors were from the Strokestown area. It was a fascinating read and I would recommend it to anyone who has roots in Ireland. I found it also very interesting that the book pointed out that Mahon came to the Strokestown area after first quelling unrest in the Ahascragh area on the Galway/Roscommon border. This story should be told as well! For me it holds particular interest because many of my families that the Kenny's married into when they emigrated to Baltimore (Kennedy, Naughton, Carney, Rafferty) appear to be concentrated in this area. And many of these families preceded the Kenny's to Baltimore. I wonder if their experience with Mahon and immigration can be linked to the Strokestown story?