Irish Interest

As befits any true scion of the Irish literary tradition, Brendan Lehane spins a good yarn. 'Places to stay are plentiful but distant,' he writes of the Sperrin Mountains -...

December 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the first broadcast by RTE television and Irish culture and society were irrevocably changed. Window and Mirror presents a critical overview of the...

Strange, zany and at times downright baffling, Foster's Historical Irish Oddities is a quirky compendium of true stories from all over Ireland. It is essential reading for anyone who loves...

'A rare and beautiful book' TLS'Original and stimulating' Irish TimesInto the world of 1950s Ireland - a lushly green, windswept landscape studded with holy wells and the decaying country houses...

The Irish have a reputation for being the wittiest people on earth and when you read this book, you'll soon see why. Pick up any book of quotations in the...

Leprechauns are supposed to know where there is buried treasure and they guard this secret very well. However they can usually be found at the end of a rainbow and...

The 'Neva' sailed from Cork on 8 January 1835, destined for the prisons of Botany Bay. There were 240 people on board, most of them either female convicts or the...

The Cavanman rides again. At last, more Cavan jokes! These jokes have proved very popular and sold well in Monaghan, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Longford and Meath and all over Ireland, but...

Lovingly collected and beautifully presented, this rich and diverse treasury of Irish wisdom offers excerpts from distant times to the present day, covering myth, spirituality, literature, politics, and love.From Ancient...

Ancient trees, some over a thousand years old, are dotted around the British Isles, the last survivors of a lost world. Now, new scientific studies of these trees and of...

'We may have bad weather in Ireland, but the sun shines in the hearts of the people and that keeps us all warm.' Anonymous Enjoy this leprechaun-sized guide to all...

This latest book by Tarquin Blake documents eighty abandoned Church of Ireland churches, preserving a record of fragile religious ruins. Their history, dating back to early Christianity in Ireland, paints...

Following the success of Abandoned Mansions of Ireland, Tarquin Blake documents the crumbling ruins of more forgotten stately homes, such as Elsinore House in County Sligo, where a childhood ghostly...

THE MACGILLYCUDDY'S REEKS stretch for 19 magnificent kilometres along the eastern boundary of the Iveragh Peninsula. Renowned photographer Valerie O'Sullivan captures the rich heritage and traditions of these hills, as...

This landmark collection of imagery showcases the Irish mountains at their very best. Gareth McCormack has spent over 20 years exploring Ireland's hills, going to extraordinary lengths to capture summits...

Life is an ocean and love is a boat, In troubled waters that keeps us afloat ...This lively collection uncovers for the first time how the best Irish love songs...

Sea swimming is the great leveller; we're all the same in a pair of togs. No one minds who you are or what you've done; the question is `are you...

From the mid-eighteenth century Irish country houses flourished. But factors such as the Great Famine, land reforms, the increasing expense of maintenance and the IRA targeting the houses during the...

The pub has been at the centre of Irish life for centuries. It has played many roles: funeral home, restaurant, grocery shop, music venue, job centre and meeting place for...

Renowned photographer Giles Norman presents over 150 of his enduring black-and-white images in this remarkable collection. In the almost thirty years since his gallery opened in Kinsale, County Cork, thousands...

With his first book Dennis Horgan showed he is an aerial photographer of exceptional talent. His aerial photographs are absorbing as they give a new bird's-eye-view of well-known buildings, streets,...

Birds have been important symbols in our art and culture for thousands of years. They have inspired poets and painters, and feature in many place names and legends. In this...

A picture may paint a thousand words yet many masterpieces which enriched Irish country houses remain silent. Now David Hicks explores the often insular world behind some evocative portraits, artists...

Nestling on the River Bandon, Kinsale emerged as a settlement in the sixth century and has seen many changes. Its deep, secure harbour provided a safe anchorage and prospered during...

To mark 25 years since the opening of his gallery, renowned Irish photographer Giles Norman presents over 150 of his most enduring black-and-white images in this remarkable collection. From rugged...

'Did sea define the land or land the sea?' asks Seamus Heaney in his poem Lovers on Aran. Ireland's glorious Atlantic shores stretch across seven counties. This intriguing convergence of...

Emigration has been a constant in Ireland since the Famine. It has been estimated that between 1949 and 1989 over 800,000 people were forced to leave Ireland. Those left behind...

Cork Airport celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011. This history charts the effort to establish an airport since the 1920s, especially after the establishment of Aer Lingus and of airports...

In 1989 a client asked Kevin to submit a sample aerial photograph. He had never taken any so he sent one taken from a mountaintop. The result was a commission...

From the mid-eighteenth century Irish country houses flourished. Landowners generated easy income leasing land to tenants. As their wealth increased, so did the size of their country mansions. But factors...