Michael B. Barry
Catalpa: The epic story of the greatest prison rescue in Irish history
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This item is available for PRE-ORDER only and will not be dispatched until official release date.
Please note: Regular and Pre-order items cannot be purchased at the same time. These will need to be ordered separately.
Free, fast & tracked delivery over €10
Ireland's best value books. Why pay more?
Same great price online and in-store
Proudly Irish and family-run since 1989
This item is available for PRE-ORDER only and will not be dispatched until official release date.
Please note: Regular and Pre-order items cannot be purchased at the same time. These will need to be ordered separately.
Free, fast & tracked delivery over €10
Ireland's best value books. Why pay more?
Same great price online and in-store
Proudly Irish and family-run since 1989
SIX PRISONERS. ONE WHALESHIP. A PLOT BOLD ENOUGH TO SHAKE THE BRITSH EMPIRE.
Catalpa tells the extraordinary true story of one of the most audacious operations in Irish history – the rescue of six Fenian prisoners who were transported to Fremantle Prison, Australia, the farthest edge of the world.
It is a tale driven by courage, obsession and improbable alliances. From meticulous planning by the steely minded John Devoy (the greatest of all the Fenians), to the selections of the ship and Yankee captain; the long voyage, first whaling then travelling to western Australia; with the thrilling escape in an open rowboat for 28 hours through surf and storm; the pursuit and the long sail across the oceans – culminating in the triumphant arrival of the prisoners in New York and ultimately freedom in America. Richly researched and vividly told, Michael Barry restores this forgotten epic to the centre of Irish history. It is a story of endurance and ingenuity, of diaspora and rebellion, and of how a handful of determined men fought against despair to achieve the unthinkable and defy an empire.
Author: Michael B. Barry
Publication Date: 03-09-2026
Format: Hardback
Pages: 320
Publisher: Gill
Height (mm): 234
Width (mm): 153
Length (mm): 0
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