O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare [Paperback]

Niall Williams (Author), Christine Breen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Niall and Christine left their careers in New York City for a simpler, more authentic life in a cottage outside the tiny village of Kilmihil in County Clare.

"Their tale is a delightful romance."—The New York Times Book Review

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A New York City couple, who gave up their urban existence to settle in the tiny village of Kilmihil on Ireland's west coast, here recount their adaption. "Entertaining and instructive," said PW , the work "captures a way of life foreign to most readers." Illustrated.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1985, Williams and Breen left their New York City publishing jobs and moved to remote County Clare in western Ireland. Breen had planned to paint and Williams to write, but when their food, shelter, and even energy source depended on their own effortsand the weather, which in the west of Ireland means rainthe two found it necessary to alter their plans in order to survive. The reader will find out about the impact of rain on the region, the interdependence of neighbors, and, most of all, what it is like to live in what society considers "poverty." While the authors continued to have doubts about their decision, their charming account often reads like a novel and is recommended for most collections. Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ. Lib., Ala.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 233 pages
• Publisher: Soho Press (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939149222
• ISBN-13: 978-0939149223
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #873,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An armchair traveler's guide to life in the west of Ireland., August 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare (Paperback)

This first book in the series is a favorite of mine and chronicles the story of an Irish-American woman and Irish man who meet in NYC, marry, and decide to return to their roots in the west of Ireland. They are both writers by trade and she is an artist, so it becomes a beautifully written story about their new lives, their new neighbors and the humorous things that happen as they readjust their thinking and attitudes. Each of us has probably at some time or other entertained the idea of "getting away from it all"--Christine and Niall have and share the trials and joys that come with living your dream. As an aside, I met Niall Williams at a book signing in Chicago, and he is as personable and approachable as he seems in print. Be prepared to read all the books in the series!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It took me back to County Clare, December 20, 2001

By 

Beachreader "BeachReader" (Port Townsend, WA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare (Paperback)

When I traveled to Ireland two years ago and felt like I'd "come home" from the beautiful scenery (I never knew there could be *that* many shades of green) to the friendly people, to the rather mystical appearance of a Dolmen-shaped cloud in the sky just after we had viewed Dolmen in north County Clare, the experience was one I will not only never forget but hope to repeat sometime soon. During this time it was County Clare which spoke to me most of all.

Niall Williams, born in Dublin and Christine Breen, from New York, have left their Manhattan home to move to County Clare and into the cottage where Chris's grandfather was born. The struggles and triumphs of their first year are engagingly told in this wonderful little book. I was able to be transported back to the rural west of Ireland I learned to love in just a few short days.

In leaving their jobs and friends in Manhattan, Niall and Chris took a very big risk. To go to a place with no central heating, a telephone out of the early 20th C., and to one of the wettest summers on record took real courage. They quickly fit right in with their neighbors and by the time they host a New Years Eve party they are definitely one of "them."

If you're an armchair traveler, someone who's visited the Emerald Isle, or just hope to someday, this is a story to cherish. I have also now read their book of travel essays and am awaiting arrival of their other two books which I have recently ordered.

Although I am too old to do what Niall and Chris have done, it's great to live vicariously through them! Well done!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars for those thinking of immigrating to Ireland, September 24, 2001

By 

Peter Green (Herndon, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare (Paperback)

This is a great and heartfelt book, and one that should be read by anyone who is considering a move back to simpler times, slower pace of life and the riches they can bring - or not. I will return to Ireland one day for good, I've been there many times in the last few years and now own a small farm in Leitrim to which I will go for the quiet roar of silence.