21 April 2013
Call no: 800
Genre: contemporary fiction
Setting: Ireland
3 Stars
4 Comments
Chicky left her home on the west coast of Ireland and headed off to America after a whirl-wind romance. Full of ideas of everlasting love and romance she abandoned all for the dashing American. Unfortunately, things did not work out … Continue reading
19 February 2012
Call no: 398.4
Genre: Juv/YA
Setting: Ireland
9 Stars
2 Comments
I do enjoy fairy stories, of all shapes and sorts. When I was younger I read plenty of the children’s versions of the Irish myths and legends. But I don’t ever recall coming across these stories before. They aren’t the … Continue reading
5 January 2012
Call no: 800
Genre: fiction
Setting: contemporary, Ireland
1 Star
3 Comments
With the demise of the Celtic Tiger and the onset of the “economic doom and gloom” so popular in the media at the moment the young people of Ireland looked at their country with hopelessness. Some decided to emigrate, but … Continue reading
1 December 2011
Genre: biography, non-fiction
Setting: 1800s, 1900s, Blasket Islands, Ireland
9 Stars
Comments Off
Translated from the Irish (An tOileánach) by Robin Flower Tomás Ó Criomhthain, or, if you’d prefer an anglicised version, Thomas O’Crohan, was born on the Great Blasket Island in 1856. He lived all his life there as a farmer and … Continue reading
9 September 2011
Call no: 800
Genre: general fiction
Setting: contemporary, Ireland
8 Stars
12 Comments
Astrid is a bitch. She doesn’t see herself that way, but as I started this novel I really didn’t like her. She is mean, sarcastic, and insulting. Especially to those people she sees as “limpets”, grasping on to people, needing … Continue reading
19 January 2011
Genre: general fiction
Setting: 1910s, Flanders, Ireland
8 Stars
8 Comments
ISBN: 9780141046969 ; Quotes Because I am an officer and a gentleman they have given me my notebooks, pen, ink and paper. Growing up Alec has always been isolated. His parents despise one another, he is one of their battlegrounds, … Continue reading
Author: Siobhan Down ISBN: 9780099488163 DDC: 823.92 LibraryThing | Wikipedia | Siobhan Dowd Trust The place brought to mind a sinking ship. Wood creaked on the floor, across the pews, up in the gallery. Around the walls, a fierce March … Continue reading
15 April 2008
Genre: detective & mystery, historical fiction
Setting: 1950s, Ireland
5 Comments
ISBN: 9780330445320 Book 1 in the Quirke series See also: MetaCritic ; Grumpy Old Bookman ; PopMatters ; She was glad it was the evening mailboat she was taking, for she did not think she could have faced a morning … Continue reading
8 October 2007
Call no: 800
Genre: historical fiction
Setting: Ireland, Ireland - 1900s
6 Stars
1 Comment
Ned awoke with a start.
The atmosphere in the darkened cabin was warm and close, smelling of lavender wax and fresh linen.
Ned Halloran has just survived the sinking of the Titanic. Traumatised by the loss of life, including that of his parents, he returns home to Ireland. His older brother takes over the running of the farm and Ned is lucky enough to be sent to school. The school chosen for him is St. Edna’s, or Scoil Eanna, a secondary school set up by Padraig Pearse. There he becomes caught up by the nationalist feelings and teaching and becomes involved in the Easter Rising of 1916. Continue reading
23 May 2007
Call no: 800
Genre: historical fiction
Setting: Ancient world, Ireland
9 Stars
2 Comments
The atmosphere surrounding the little boy vibrated with tension. He could not see the stifled anger and baffled desire, but he sensed their residue accumulating like dustballs in the corners of the fort. Unspoken recriminations crowded the silences; bitter glances were hurled like spears over small Setanta’s head.
When I first read this book I wrote the month and year inside the cover, so I know that I first read it in February 1994, but I’ve reread it plenty of times in the past 13 years. It has been one of my favourite books ever since. That might possibly be because it is based on the Irish legend of the Táin Bó Cúalnge, or Cattle-Raid of Cooley. The Táin is made up of a collection of stories, based around the heroes of the Red Branch, the warriors of Ulster, and especially Cúchulainn.