Cinnlínte

Breandán Delap, Comhar , Deireadh Fómhair 2016.

Is é an bua is mó atá ag an údar ná go dtugann sé comhthéacs sóisialta do na himeachtaí seo. Admhaíonn sé, mar shampla, go mbíonn sé dian go leor ar dhaoine óga sna saolta deireanacha seo a chreidiúint go raibh cosc ar choiscíní agus ar phiollairí frithghiniúna anseo le fada. Maidir leis an reifreann ar an cholscaradh, ní thig a chúinge is a bhí an bua ag lucht a thoirmisc (50.3%) a thuiscint i gceart gan cumhacht na hEaglaise agus coimeadachas an phobail ag an am sin a chur san áireamh. Tá cúlra na gconspóidí tugtha ag an údar ar bhealach éadrom, spreagúil agus soléite. Mar sin de, is lámhleabhar riachtanach é Cinnlínte d’ábhar iriseoirí agus d’éinne atá ag iarraidh a bheatha a thabhairt i dtír i réimse na cumarsáide.

Cathal Póirtéir, The Irish Times , 7 Eanáir 2017.

Deaglán de Bréadún worked for many years as a reporter and correspondent with The Irish Times and is well-known and respected among those of us who read his articles over the years. This memoir outlines the shape of his journalistic career and events at home and abroad on which he reported. For those of his own vintage, Cinnlínte is a reminder of major news events and personalities. For readers of a younger generation, the book will be an easily digested account of news stories that have become history and a glimpse at the life of a accomplished journalist. He acknowledges how quickly the past becomes a foreign country and how today’s younger generation find it almost impossible to imagine the conservatism that permeated Irish society shortly before they were born. Cinnlínte should go some of the way to help explain to them how some of those changes happened, and to remind older readers of personalities, events and quotations that made the news. ‘Turkeys voting for Christmas’ was always a favourite of mine and I was glad to be reminded of the ‘wife-swapping sodomites’.