Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Our Favorite Books Set in Ireland

by Leave a comment

According to family lore, one of us has roots in Ireland. So on this Saint Patrick’s Day we’re highlighting some of our favorite books set in and around the fabled Emerald Isle. Of course, we had to dig some up. And keep digging. And dig some more.

It took some effort. But one of us – the sweet four-legged one with a heart of gold – happens to be very good at digging. (Let’s just keep that our little secret, okay? – Kimber.)

So here are some of our favorite books set in Ireland. That we’ve actually read. Any of these ring any rainbows? In no particular order:

1.Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt

This Pulitzer Prize winner is set in Limerick, Ireland. It’s a “tragicomic memoir” of the misery and squalor of McCourt’s childhood.

2. The Galway Chronicles by Brock and Bodie Thoene

Ireland, 1830s. It was a time when English landlords held power over Irish tenant farmers and seeds of bitterness were sown that would last for generations. Includes Only the River Runs Free, Of Men and of Angels, Ashes of Remembrance, and All Rivers to the Sea.

3. Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift

Okay. So this one’s a bit of a stretch. But hang with is for a min, okay? Cuz it was written by and Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift. It’s both a satire on human nature and a parody of the “travelers’ tales” literary sub-genre.

4. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Well, Lewis was Irish, ya know?

5. Spuds and The Spider by Seamus O Conaill and Daniele Archimede

This is a heartwarming tale for children featuring an unlikely friendship between a spider and a leprechaun. The delightful story follows Spuds the leprechaun and his distain for spiders. Great for families and small children!

6. St. Patrick the Forgiver – Ned Bustard

This children’s book tells the story of Saint Patrick through a beautifully illustrated retelling in rollicking rhyming verse. Drawing from the saint’s own words from his Confessions, this engaging book presents Saint Patrick’s life and mission with joy and depth. You won’t find four-leaf clovers or rainbows in these pages. But you will uncover a whimsical tale about forgiveness, love, and a touch of Irish folklore.

***

Okay, okay. So we obviously need to bone up on our set-in-Ireland tomes. Any suggestions? (Please spare us Ulysses. Not. Gonna. Happen. And that’s no blarney!)

Leave a comment