A Ghost Upon Your PathBy John McCarthy. A book by John McCarthy (he who was a hostage in the Lebanon) John who had always considered himself English sets off to find his Irish roots. He rents a house in Kerry where his family hails from. Its a gentle humorous look at the Kingdom and the people who live and work there. Its about memories and hospitality. One jewel was when he listened to some old men talking in Irish only to be told by the pub landlady that they did not actually speak Irish. He also describes the scenery and geography of the area. Its worth a read. Recommended by oldmanofthesea2 , 1/7/2003.
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A Star Called HenryBy Roddy Doyle. Different from his earlier works, but still brilliant. The best account of the War of Independence and Civil War I've read (saving your presence, Mr. O'Casey). Makes some interesting points on how far the country has come since then. Recommended by John D. , 11/15/2001.
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American GodsBy Neil Gaiman. OK, it's not strictly Irish interest, but it's a really good novel by one of my favourite authors. And one of the characters is a seven-foot leprechaun. Recommended by John D. , 9/13/2002.
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Angela's AshesBy Frank McCourt. I can't believe no one has posted this yet! I just finished reading it and I think it is definatley worth picking up. In my opinon the book is almostalways better than the movie and this is no exception. Recommended by Missy , 6/10/2000.
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DublinersBy James Joyce. Great book of short stories and good place to start with James Joyce. Recommended by Sunshine , 1/9/2002.
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Goodbye to Catholic IrelandBy Mary Kenny. For all the Americans who are interested in Ireland this is the book to read and should be on all book shelves. I just finished this book and once I started to read it cost me a few nights of sleep until finished. Recommended by Slieve League , 12/31/2001.
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How Many Miles To Babylon?By Jennifer Johnson. A brilliant novel about two Irish boys from very different backgrounds going to fight in the Great War, each for different reasons. Recommended by John D. , 11/26/2001.
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Irish Girls about TownBy Maeve Binchy, Marian Keyes, and other Irish woman authors. I just finished "Irish Girls About Town". It is 16 short stories by Irish women authors. Some of the stories left me laughing aloud, others had me sobbing, but all left me wanting more, unable to put the book down until I finished it. "Irish Girls About Town" is a internationally bestselling refreshing collection of stories about love, friendship, adventure, and life. Recommended by jeni_irish88 , 4/12/2004.
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Irish LoveBy Andrew M. Greeley. Andrew Greeley is a wonder writer and not only has a great combo of mystery and love but teaches the reader about Irish history. Irish Love is the last of the Naula Anne Mc-Grail series I suggust you start with the first and work your way up the list with Irish Gold. Recommended by Jenn , 9/5/2001.
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Irish Thougha bredBy Nora Roberts. I like this book a lot because it had horses and it took place on horse farm in Maryland and the guy MArried an Irish lassie and it tells about her home in Ireland You may injoy this book . Recommended by Maddy , 6/2/2003.
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It's a long way from penny applesBy Bill Cullen. The Number One Bestseller A story about Dubliner "The story of a Dubliner reflecting with stunning honesty on his city and his past. With charakters that leap off the page, it combines blunt realism with the everyday humor of Northside Dublin life. An incredible book." Bertie Ahern TD, An Taoiseach ISBN 0-340-82651-7 Recommended by   Manager-Irland-Forum, 3/31/2007.
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John Rebus SeriesBy by Ian Rankin. Some titles are: Srtip Jack, Mortal Causes, The Flood, Resurrection Men, The Falls to name a few off hand - not in chronological order.
John Rebus is a Detective Inspector based in Edinburgh, Scotland but can move the story into a whore hoose in London or many times has involved Ireland's seedier sidekicks. A diamond in the rough character is rebus who breaks every rule to find the culprit. Ian Rankin is a colourful writer with a crack sense of humour and will keep you on the edge of suspense until the final chapter.
~Paddi G Recommended by Paddigirl_27, 11/21/2005.
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Judas in KilkennyBy Theresa Lennon Blunt. "Limerick has its Frank McCourt, Dublin has its Peter Sheridan and now Kilkenny has Theresa Lennon Blunt."(The Kilkenny People)
Judas in Kilkenny is Theresa Lennon-Blunt's first book and memoir set in Kilkenny, Ireland during the 1940s and 1950s. Judas in Kilkenny is published in Canada by Flanker Press and in Ireland, the UK, and Europe by Brandon Books under the title -- I Sailed the Sky in a Silver Ship.
Visit:http://judasinkilkenny.bravepages.com/ for complete details. Recommended by murphymacdo , 1/9/2003.
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Living With WarBy Sally Belfrage. This is a brilliant book about Belfast that gives the reader an insight into the comedy and tragedy of the Irish situation from the viewpoint ofboth Catholic and Protestant alike. A truthful and realistic account of Belfast today. ISBN #0-670-81811-9 Recommended by PaddywhackP, 6/1/2002.
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McCarthys BarBy Pete mcCarthy. A humorous journey around Ireland by the author looking for his roots. Funny, descriptive & a great read for anyone who wants to get an ideaof the country & its great treasure the Irish people. Recommended by oldmanofthesea2 , 9/24/2002.
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Only the River Runs Free A NovelBy Brodie & Brock Thoene. This book takes place in 1841 in Ballynockanor, Galway. I found it to be a very interesting book with information about this time. It will give you the idea of how they lived and how they tried to live at this time with the English usurper. Recommended by Dancing-Dame, 11/26/2001.
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Paddy's LamentBy Thomas Gallagher. A most disturbing account of the great famine and ensuing mass immigration of the Irish people. At times I had to put this book down in order to digest some of the horrors I had just read about. Recommended by PaddywhackP, 5/26/2002.
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Shambles CornerBy Edward Toman. A classic Irish comic novel in the tradition of Flann O'Brien with overtones of Father Ted. Recommended by John D. , 3/4/2002.
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Sweet Liberty: Travels in Irish AmericaBy Joe O'Connor. Irish comedy writer Joe O'Connor travels to nine towns called Dublin in the USA, as well as various other places of interest along the way. This book is a must for all regular contributors to Real Ireland, describing beautifully, as it does, just what we Irish think of the Yanks. Recommended by John D. , 4/15/2002.
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Talk of the TownBy Ardal O'Hanlon. Ardal O'Hanlon is best known as a comedian, and in his role as the less-than-intellectual Father Dougal in "Father Ted". In this context, this novel is a little of a surprise - it is quite bleak, and any humour is dark. It's also a little patchy, but draws a wonderful picture of a (particular) small Irish town, and one I know to be quite true as I know the place. The description of "The Mirage", the local nightclub, is scathing and immaculately accurate. Recommended by dreamer_one, 7/1/2002.
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The Pope's Children: Ireland's New EliteBy David McWilliams. Ireland at the beginning of the 21st century laid bare. Very much in the spirit of Real Ireland. Recommended by John D. , 10/28/2006.
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The Third PolicemanBy Flann O'Brien. Highly surreal, but very funny. A great ending too. Recommended by John D. , 11/29/2001.
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The Twilight LordsBy Richard Berleth. Very readable history of late 16th century Ireland & England. Berleth starts with the Desmond Wars, through the Munster Plantation and then Hugh O'Neill's rebellion ending with the Flight of the Earls. You may not agree with all of his conclusions, but the writing is wonderful and it feels more like reading a novel than a history book. I would reccomend it to anyone with an interest in Irish history. Recommended by lindsey , 5/12/2002.
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This Great Little Nation : The A-Z of Irish Scandals & ControversiesBy Gene Kerrigan and Pat Brennan. An absolutely essential guide for anyone wishing to understand contemporary Irish culture and politics. Recommended by John D. , 11/29/2001.
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TrinityBy Leon Uris. I can guarantee you will laugh and cry and find difficulty in putting the book down. A Catholic rebel and his Protestant girlfriend make their way through the struggles for independence. Maybe I'm partial to Donegal lads, which was Conor Larkin, but this one will pull you through the dark and sad times of the Irish struggles. 4/10/2002 Pooka Recommended by Pooka , 4/10/2002.
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UlyssesBy James Joyce. Treatise on the nature of heroism and life in general. Very funny in places. Recommended by John D. , 9/20/2001.
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Well-Remembered DaysBy Arthur Matthews. A memoir of twentieth-century Irish Catholic life as told to the co-creator of Father Ted. This novel has quite a few Ted-like qualities, including the slightly hit-and-miss humour. There are some hilarious parts, though. Definitely worthwhile for anyone suffering from Ted withdrawal. Recommended by John D. , 3/20/2002.
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Yeats is Dead!By Roddy Doyle, Frank McCourt, Joe O'Connor et al. A murder mystery set in Dublin. The story moves at a blistering pace because each of the fifteen chapters is written by a different Irish author. If nothing else, it's an interesting and fun experiment. Written as a fund-raiser for Amnesty International. Recommended by John D. , 8/13/2002.
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