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You may not have heard of Martin Mansergh, but he has probably affected your life — as a born and bred Northerner he has certainly affected mine.

Quite simply, he was one of the main instigators of the peace process in the North, and one of the principal peace brokers in the paramilitary cease-fires. 

It is in no small part down to this Tipperary man that Ireland today is largely at peace.

From his position as special advisor on Northern Ireland to three Fianna Fáil Taoisigh, Mansergh has been able to gain a greater insight into the affairs of our island than most other people, and because of his academic training, has been able to put it in historical context.

In his book, The Legacy of History, Mansergh considers the struggle for nationhood of earlier centuries and puts them into historical perspective, with pen portraits of Éamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Liam Lynch, Liam Mellows and Erskine Childers.

The book is a series of essays ranging from titles such as The Value Of Historical Commemoration to The Significance of Wolfe Tone And His Legacy. 

As you might expect from an Oxford-educated historian turned politician, the going can be quite difficult, but if you stick with it, many gems are contained therein. 

It’s a difficult book though with few personal revelations of the many protagonists included — their ideologies and aspirations are what interests Mansergh. 

But for that, and Mansergh’s thoughts on the Orange Order, Unionism and the significance of the Battle of Kinsale, the book is worthwhile. Rewarding, but definitely not an easy bedside read.

Malcolm Rogers