McCarthy, Pete "McCarthy's Bar"

McCarthy, Pete "McCarthy's Bar" - 2000

Before I say anything about the book myself, just this: I love Ireland! It's a dream.

If you love Ireland, you have to love this book. Pete McCarthy also loves Ireland and manages to portray it in such a funny but nice way, it surely makes you feel you would like to go there right away - if you don't already feel this way.

If you haven't read a book about Ireland (or haven't done so for a long time), start with this one. It's great!

From the back cover:

"Pete McCarthy has long held a deep love for his mother's homeland and admits that, despite the many exotic places he has visited, nowhere can match the particular magic of Ireland. To find out whether this is due to overwhelming nostalgia for childhood holidays or to a deeper tie with the country of his ancestors, Pete sets off on a trip around Ireland. Travelling through spectacular landscapes, but at all times obeying the rule 'Never Pass a Bar That Has Your Name On It,' he encounters McCarthy's Bars up and down the isle, meeting fascinating, friendly, funny people before pleading to be let out at four o'clock in the morning.

Written by someone who is at once both insider and outsider, McCarthy's Bar is a wonderfully funny and affectionate look at modern Ireland."