Book recommendation THE STOLEN VILLAGE Baltimore and the Barbary Pirates By Des Ekin : A good read for those interested in Irish History and Irish Slavery In 1631 Barbary pirates kidnapped the inhabitants of Baltimore, West Cork in a daring night time raid. Only two of them ever returned. Here is the story of their kidnap, sale in the slave markets of Algiers and the political fallout from the attack. In June 1631 pirates from Algiers and armed troops of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, led by the notorious pirate captain Morat Rais, stormed ashore at the little harbour village of Baltimore in West Cork. They captured almost all the villagers and bore them away to a life of slavery in North Africa. The prisoners were destined for a variety of fates -- some would live out their days chained to the oars as galley slaves, while others would spend long years in the scented seclusion of the harem or within the walls of the Sultans palace. The old city of Algiers, with its narrow streets, intense heat and lively trade, was a melting pot where the villagers would join slaves and freemen of many nationalities. Only two of them ever saw Ireland again. The Sack of Baltimore was the most devastating invasion ever mounted by Islamist forces on Ireland or England. Des Ekins exhaustive research illuminates the political intrigues that ensured the captives were left to their fate, and provides a vivid insight into the kind of life that would have awaited the slaves amid the souks and seraglios of old Algiers. One was ransomed almost at once and two others in 1646. Since several others are known to have been still alive in 1646 why they were not ransomed is unclear. There a number of theories, one suggests that The Sack of Baltimore was the work of the underhanded and rapacious Sir Walter Coppinger who had been seeking to prise the village away from the ODriscolls, oust the settlers and secure it for himself. Whether by accident or design, the pirates carried out part of this plan for him. In the aftermath of the raid the surviving villagers moved inland to Skibbereen and elsewhere in search of greater security and Coppingers designs on the village were realised. The Sack marked the end of the 400-year reign of the ODriscolls as overlords of Baltimore. The Stolen Village is a fascinating tale of international piracy and culture clash nearly 400 years ago and is the first book to cover this relatively unknown and under-researched incident in Irish history. .
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:24:34 +0000
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