The book tells the story of the MacNamara family from the dawn of history up to the start of the twentieth century, and the author N. C. Macnamara, uses the standard reference works of Irish history to build his story. These include The Annals of the Four Masters, The Annals of Innisfallen, works by T. J. Westropp, Eugene OCurry, Keating and other scholars of Irish history. The references used in this book will direct anybody interested in further study of the MacNamara Clan to the best and most scholarly works on the subject.

This very important book deals with the history and fortunes of an Irish family who are now spread throughout the world. The book is so rare that many libraries in the world are unaware of its existence. Only a few copies are known today, most of these being in private collections. At a time when many people are interested in finding out more about their ancestry, very few families can boast a book of this calibre detailing their family history. The book would be more widely known today had the family name of MacNamara been included in the original title.

The MacNamaras are credited with building at least 80 castles in the County of Clare. (A book detailing the history of the castles in Co. Clare, 220 in total, is at present in hand.)

The new publication contains old family photographs and pedigrees. It also has a dust cover depicting Bunratty Castle and some of the most important buildings associated with the MacNamaras in their home county of Clare. The book has a hard cover with gold lettering on the spine and runs to approx 365 pages. It will become a valued family heirloom in years to come.

"Rightly to comprehend the history of the Sept (* a group or tribe springing from a common ancestor) whose fortunes we have to follow, it is necessary to know something of the locality in which its members dwelt, and of the stock from which they proceeded, for their surroundings doubtless influenced their mental as well as their physical character, and it is equally certain that their congenital qualities had an important share in shaping their history. We shall find that the members of our Sept, from the early part of the fifth to the middle of the seventeenth century, dwelt in a well defined district of Clare, a county which until comparatively recent times was isolated from the rest of Ireland; its southern and eastern boundary being formed by the river Shannon, which throughout this part of its course was only fordable at one place situated below the town of Killaloe... The geographical position of the county was such as to preserve its inhabitants from successful invasion, or from being occupied by foreigners until late in the sixteenth century; thus not only did the people of Clare retain their independence but also their old Brehon laws and customs for two if not three centuries after much of the rest of Ireland had passed into the hands of Englishmen..."

Now also available in a special
 Leather-Bound Edition