Impoverished Apprentices of the Republican Traits,

I should have read a book by Roddy Doyle long before now. Regular readers of The Bellyaches will know why I chose to start with A Star Called Henry. The book follows the life of Henry Smart from before he was born in 1901 until he reaches his twenties. Henry is the eldest of many children had by Melody and Henry Smart Senior in their homes in the Dublin slums. His one-legged father is the bouncer of the brothel and a hatchet man for one of Dublin’s main players, Alfie Gandon, and is never at home. His mother becomes overrun by children, so as soon as Henry can walk, he takes to the streets, armed only with his brother, Victor, and his father’s spare wooden leg.

Although the book is set in Dublin 1901, many of the trends within are present in today’s society. Youths leave their homes daily not sure of their destination and they fall into trouble, of course, our peoples don’t fall into the IRA (or an equivalent) like Henry Smart did aged 14. After surviving the failed Easter Rising in 1919, Henry becomes a legend as one of Michael Collins’ most trusted assassins.

Henry travels the country encouraging support for the Republic and training fighters and as the IRA is taken more serious, Henry and his wife live on the run from the Black and Tans and Auxiliaries. Once it appears that the republicans are winning, Henry finds that he is wanted dead by his own men, for supposedly being a spy. This is very much like life, nobody should be trusted; as I exited the library after returning this book, I found that I had stepped out amongst a group of renegade youths who were arguing amongst themselves over who had stolen whose bike, this spat between friends followed me down the street until I slipped down an alley.

The book appears well researched, it proves a decent lesson about the Irish uprising to those who don’t know much but much like Animal Farm, it dispels the romantic notion of revolution. Despite the fact, he killed and carried out his orders with aplomb, Henry Smart along with his fellow Dubliners are seen as expendable by Collins and the leaders of the rebellion from the country. A class difference still remained and the life for the poor was still the same in the Republic as it had been under the King. It’s a really grand book; full of suspense, hope, despair, history and excellent writing. The book is the first of a trilogy; the second volume is available in Leven Library.