Heirs to the Kingdom

Reviews / Votes

'He (Pat Carey) complimented the Kerry's Eye journalist (Owen O'Shea) for "getting into the kitchens" of those political families on which the book is centred. Having now read the book, he was surprised to find that there were things included that even he -- Kerry's Eye 'Heirs to the Kingdom has been hailed nationally as an in-depth, comprehensive, humorous and passionate insight into the family dynasties that carved out and held niches among Kerry's political elite over generations.' -- Kerry's Eye 'full of little gems of information' -- Newstalk: Tom Dunne Show ...by all accounts, it's a pocket guide to the dynastic politics in both constituencies - McEllistrim, Spring, Ferris, O'Connor-Scarteen, Healy-Rae and other dynasties that would be little-known outside the county bounds. The one bit I flicked through in -- Politics.ie 'this original and well-researched book throws a light on how Irish public representatives get and keep hold of their power' -- Killarney Advertiser 'Heirs to the Kingdom is full of insights into the vice-like grip that a few families have over politics in the county (or the entire country, depending on how you look at it). -- Irish Times 'a timely political read' -- Kerry's Eye 'O'Shea illustrates the accuracy of the Tip O'Neill dictum that all politics is local.' -- The Irish Times 'The author outlines how dynastic politics, and the inevitable play for the sympathy vote, was a particularly prominent feature of by-elections in the past.' -- The Irish Times 'O'Shea's book provides a fascinating insight into dynastic politics in that most political of counties.' -- The Irish Times 'Author Owen O'Shea succeeds in showing why political culture and the electoral system contribute to the creation of political dynasties in Kerry.' -- Evening Echo 'This is an interesting study of how Irish politics in general is run and more so of how the dynastic dynamic operates in Kerry.' -- Books Ireand 'The book illuminates the extraordinary grip a few families have maintained on politics in Kerry.' -- Killarney Adviser 'one of the most tightly-written and informative books on Irish politics to appear in some time. This is high-quality political analysis and, in an era when it is being rapidly overhauled, a book invaluable for those who want to know what makes the Irish -- Politico.ie ''O'Shea's text is diverse in content...providing arguably the first comprehensive account of the divisive split in Labour in Kerry South in the early 1990s ... An eye-opening report of the inside story of the long-standing battles between a clutch of fam -- Irish Men's Tatler