Mercier Press is Ireland's oldest independent publishing house, based in Cork. It was founded in 1944 by Captain Seán Feehan and Mary Feehan. The publishing house was named for Cardinal Mercier of Belgium, a man who in his day, proved himself not only a man of thought, whose mind ranged over every subject of vital interest to humanity, but a man of action in the varying circumstances of a life that shone before the eyes of a watching world. The voice of Cardinal Mercier could not be stilled and Mercier Press is proud to borrow from him the inspiration for its publishing programme, which is a belief in the importance of Ireland’s ability to provide accessible histories and cultural books for Irish readers and all who are interested in Irish cultural life. The wide and varied history of Mercier Press since its establishment encompasses literature, non-fiction, history, and children's adventures - among other things. Over the years Mercier has brought to the Irish public authors such as John B. Keane and Gabriel Fitzmaurice, and published such titles as the phenomenally successful It's a Long Way From Penny Apples by entrepreneur Bill Cullen - one of the bestselling Irish books of all time. Mercier's wide range of historical and political texts is essential for anyone who is interested in the story of Ireland. The titles available cover everything from the 1916 Rising and War of Independence to the history of the GAA, to bilingual and Irish language books.