I’ve been thinking about what books I’d recommend to anyone visiting Ireland for the first time. It’s not an easy task. Ireland’s long and sometimes troubled history, combined with a rich folklore, has provided plenty of inspiration and lots of classic writers. Here is my small selection from the vast choice available.
Books About Irish History And Culture
I always start with the trusty Lonely Planet guides: you can buy Lonely Planet Ireland as a book or ebook. And, for a comprehensive, easy to read, history of Ireland, I would recommend A Traveller’s History of Ireland (Peter Neville, 2006).
For a fictionalised account of Ireland’s history, try Edward Rutherfurd’s Dublin: Foundation (2004) and Ireland Awakening (2006). (These books are titled The Princes of Ireland and The Rebels of Ireland in North America.) They follow the lives of several generations of the same family to tell the story of Ireland from the earliest times to the 20th century. They are very easy to read, and provide a broad sweep of social and political history.
One of the classics of real life social history is Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt, 1996). Set in Limerick in the 1940s, it describes the precarious existence of a large family with too little money and too much drink. This book has sometimes been criticised for exaggerating the truth but, whether totally accurate or not, it certainly gives an insight into the hardships of the times.
I haven’t actually read McCarthy’s Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland (Pete McCarthy, 2001) yet, but so many people have recommended it that I have to mention it here. It is an account of the author’s travels through Ireland, visiting many pubs and encountering a wide range of engaging characters along the way.
Irish Novels
If you’re going to Dublin and you’re interested in literature then you really do need to have read some James Joyce. You may not have the time or inclination to read the whole of Ulysses, but both Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Dubliners (1914) paint a vivid picture of early 20th century Dublin.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for some light reading for the airport, you could try Maeve Binchy. A prolific novelist, her works span the second half of the 20th century. One of her last novels was Minding Frankie (2010), the tale of an American visitor to Dublin and the people whose lives become entwined with her own. Like all of Binchy’s work, it is full of nice, warm and friendly characters. A bit like the Irish themselves.
A highly recommended contemporary novel is The Gathering, by Anne Enright (2007). Set in Dublin, it is the story of a family funeral and what it reveals about the past. The Gathering won the Booker Prize in 2007.
My final choice is The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes (Anna McPartlin, 2014). Easy to read, it is full of warm and extraordinary people. (You might think a book about a dying woman can’t be uplifting, but read this and think again…)
Do you have any favourite books about Ireland? Let me know in the comments below.
All of the books on this list are available via my Amazon Storefront.
11 thoughts on “Books To Read Before You Visit Ireland”
I would love to visit Ireland! It does indeed seem to be a destination with a very vivid history and a very vibrant culture. No wonder it makes it into so many books!
Certainly a vibrant culture – and quite unique!
I love reading books about and set in a place before and after I visit it. Thanks for these suggestions for Ireland. II’d love to visit Ireland some day. I’ve read Angela’s Ashes, but none of the other books on this list.
What a nice selection of books for an Ireland trip. One thing I’d like to see you add is a few children’s books.
That’s a good idea! I’ll try to think of a few.
I really have to say that I haven’t read enough about Ireland, and that needs to change. Thank you for sharing this list of books, Karen. I think out of them all, Angela’s Ashes would be the first one I’d pick up. Thanks again for the recommendations!
Hi Duke, thanks for stopping by. I think Angela’s Ashes is a good choice to start with – it should get you hooked on Irish culture…
This is a wonderful list of books to read about Ireland. It’s been a while since we visited so I’m thinking it’s time to visit via a book. Thanks!
I am a great fan of reading about a place before I visit. It makes places so much more interesting. I am sending this post to a friend who is going to Ireland next month.
If you don’t mind a bit of colourful language (and if ur heading to Ireland best to get immersed 😉 try a bit of Roddy Doyle for an irreverent take on working class Dublin life.
A little John B Keane can give you an equally irreverent and sometimes surreal journey,mostly through rural Ireland.
There are countless more high brow Irish writers to be sure,but these two can give you a decent feel for the humour of the country,and with that – your half way home..
Hi Bob, thanks for the suggestions. I’ve come across Roddy Doyle, but John B Keane is new to me – I’ll have to give him a try.