Cover courtesy of Anchor Books/Doubleday

“As a lifelong student of military history, and also a person of Irish heritage, I have had a longstanding interest in the Fenian Raids of 1866-1871. The Fenians, many of whom were Civil War veterans from both sides of that conflict, were united by a desire to free Ireland from centuries of control by the British Empire. They hoped that conquest of Canada would provide leverage for gaining freedom for their beloved homeland.

“All the raids were ultimately unsuccessful, and at times farcical, but they did lead to Canada gaining self-government in 1867, and form a connection to Ireland’s struggle for independence, which finally came in 1922. There was a strong Maine connection also, as the first raid was an attempt launched from Eastport to take Campobello Island.

“‘When the Irish Invaded Canada’ provided an interesting and fascinating escape during these challenging times, and my having visited the places where the the raids were launched – Eastport; St. Albans, Vermont; and Buffalo, New York – brought the images to life.”

— Topsham resident Peter M. Hanrahan, is the erosion control and geoproduct manager at E.J. Prescott, Inc.