Binding: Hardback
Date Published: 05 Nov 2026
The first modern biography of Austin Stack, exploring his role in 1916, Sinn Féin, and the War of Independence, and restoring attention to a figure often overshadowed in mainstream history.
‘Austin Stack, truly one of Ireland’s bravest and best.’
So said an unnamed mourner of one of the central Irish republican figures from the Irish revolutionary period, one whose contribution to the fight for freedom is often overlooked. From his role in the lead-up to the 1916 Rising to his senior positions in Sinn Féin and Dáil Éireann and his participation in the Irish delegation to London to discuss a treaty with Britain, Austin Stack stood at the heart of the political struggle for independence.
Behind this public role was a markedly private and self-effacing man who struggled with public speaking and often expressed doubt about his own abilities. Despite this, his reputation among his comrades was that of a figure of endurance and sacrifice. His devotion to the republican cause saw him endure multiple imprisonments and hunger strikes, which took a lasting toll on his health and led to a premature death. In this new biography, Owen O’Shea reveals a man whose presence was often understated but whose legacy is deeply felt today, a man who deserves to be remembered for his unswerving devotion to Ireland.
Contents
1. ‘Nurtured in the traditions of Fenianism’
2. ‘A tower of strength to his team’
3. ‘Be armed, and armed without delay’
4. ‘Necessary to offer ourselves as martyrs’
5. ‘Oh God, lads, the game is up’
6. ‘I am not afraid to sacrifice myself for my country’
7. ‘He got the tube down eventually, causing me great pain’
8. ‘Enthrone the great O’Stack as King of West Kerry’
9. ‘We would follow Austin Stack to death’
10. ‘To provide a Court in every corner of Ireland’
11. ‘Your department, Austin, is nothing but a bloody joke’
12. ‘The Republic, the whole Republic, and nothing but the Republic’
13. ‘If you don’t believe it in your hearts vote against it’
14. ‘The Irish Republic will never be allowed to die’
15. ‘Worse than the Black and Tans have ever done’
16. ‘They require hostages to protect them from ghosts’
17. ‘There should be no such thing as compromise’
18. ‘One of Ireland’s bravest and best’