By Morgan Llywelyn (William Morrow, 1992)

Every century or so there seems to be an event of gargantuan proportions that simply boggles the mind. The odd thing is that many of these events are unknown to all but a few historians.
The Last Prince of Ireland is a fictionalized version of a 15-day forced march of

1000 soldiers and civilians fleeing the victorious English after the battle of Kinsale. You already know about it, right? I didn’t either. But we should. It was as great a feat as Washington’s winter at Valley Forge or the Danner Party disaster.
Donal Cam O’Sullivan’s forces were defeated in the southern county of Munster, and their only recourse was to get away to northern Ireland. With the enemy hard on their heels they set off on January 1, 1603. At first they were accompanied by a baggage train, but after a few days the train was stolen from them. It was bitter cold, one of the coldest winters in Irish history, and no one was properly prepared for such an ordeal.
Time after time they were beset by more trouble, but the core of the group kept on. By January 14, when the remainder of the group got to safety in Leitrim, there were only 36 people left, only one of them a woman, and no children.
Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare (you’ll have to read the book to find out what all the names mean), went on to continue in the fight for Irish independence, and he never gave in to the English. He was forever an outlaw, and eventually went to live in Spain as a guest of the Spanish king.
Those who want to understand the “Irish question” should definitely read this book.