On Another Man's Wound

'On Another Man's Wound', its title taken from an old Ulster proverb, 'It's easy to sleep on another man's wound', was first published in 1936 and has become the classic account of the years 1916-21 in Ireland. It captures the essence of Ireland at the time, the way people lived, their attitudes, their beliefs, the songs they sang, the legends they knew. O'Malley pictures the Irish landscape magnificently, and his cameo sketches of the great personalities of the Rising and the war that followed bring them into instant focus. The sequel 'The Singing Flame', which details O'Malley's experiences of the Irish Civil War, and 'Raids and Rallies', covering his comrade's experiences during the War of Independence, are also available from Mercier Press.

Ernie O'Malley was a medical student in Dublin when the 1916 Rising broke out. Although initially indifferent, he soon came to sympathise with the Republican viewpoint and joined the Irish Volunteers, later to become the IRA. He quickly rose through the ranks and was soon organising the IRA around the country, reporting directly to Michael Collins and Richard Mulcahy. Cormac O'Malley is Ernie O'Malley's son. He works as an international lawyer and has been extensively involved in ensuring his father's writings are made accessible to all those interested in Irish history.