Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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!

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.

Before I knew it, I was done with this book and on-line ordering all three of Niall Williams' next books. Rather than just another quaint book about "the Irish", this book weaves a funny and entertaining story of two Americans trying to fit-in in rural west Ireland. From learning the customs to waiting to get a party-line phone, there was a smile on every page.

I read this book 20 years ago when I lived in the New York City area. I've remembered it all these years, and although I haven't re-read it, I recently ordered a copy for a friend, whom I knew would love it (and she did). I'm not going to say that this book is the epitome of great literature or that it will change anyones thoughts or opinions...but what I loved about it, was that it is just a wonderful telling of the true story of a married couple who give up their corporate New York City life for a simple rural life in Ireland, when they unexpectedly inherit a cottage there.
At the time that I read this book, I was very desirous of getting out of the city myself, and this book really conveyed the wonders of a simple rural life and all it's simple pleasures, as well as the realities of hard work and dealing with the uncertainties of nature. After you read this book, you will yearn to do exactly what the authors did; to enjoy their "real" life, dealing directly with the natural world and down-to-earth people, rather than the artificial city existence and corporate life and phoney people.
I can vouch for the reality of this book and the experiences that it conveys- as, 10 years after reading it, I moved to a very rural area of Kentucky (My county has exactly one traffic light), where I pursue a very similar lifestyle to what the authors describe. (It had long been my dream- which ois why I read this book initially). There were just so many instances in my life here, where I'd think of this book, and how it accurately describes both the joys and struggles of real life in the country.
Even if you never desire to live in the country, this book is heartwarming and entertaining, and conveys a sense of peace and tranquility. And if you desire to live in the country....this book paints a realistic picture of such a life.(And not from the perspective of rich people..but from the perspective of the average person who has to live modestly and make do with what they have).
The thing I remember most about this book, is it's accuracy to real life. The authors do not gloss over the hard parts- but they accurately recount the joys as well as the tribulations- and they describe a life which, rather than being some fantasy that the average person could never attain to, is instead acheivable by just about anyone, if they really want it. (In my case, since I didn't inherit a cottage in Ireland, I bought a used mobile home which I put on 28 acres in KY.) This book will give you an appreciation for a life that is becoming all too unfamiliar to most Americans these days; a good life where one's sustenance is derived from the earth and one reaps the consequences or rewards of their own actions, as opposed to a life of dependencey on corporations and government. (Sadly, Ireland has become so socialist since this book was written, that I would no longer choose to go there to pursue such a life- as I would have liked to- as I'd love the weather! -although with America becoming the same way lately, there might not be much difference now).
This would be an excellent book for kids or teens, also- in that it would give them a perspective on a way of life that is probably totally foreign to them (This is a real "alternative lifestyle"!).

This is a beautifully written book, full of charming stories and vivid descriptions (as one might expect from a writer/artist team), and the story of their bumpy and circuitous settling-in process on a farm in rural Co. Clare is well told. However, I found the book irritating and didn't even finish it. I had expected to like it, as I've traveled in that part of Ireland (I have roots in Co. Mayo) and enjoyed it immensely, so I was surprised by my negative reaction. After some thought, I realized why I felt that way: the authors came to Co. Clare with clearly defined expectations about why they were going there and what their life there would be like. So, from Day One, they were continually measuring the reality against those (understandably optimistic) expectations and finding it wanting. As a veteran of many moves, including a trans-Atlantic one, I feel that this is the completely wrong approach to starting life in a new place. If you come with an open mind, take the place and the people on their own terms, and learn how to find what you want within those parameters, you'll enjoy your new life much more. (And, often, you'll find that the place has pleasant surprises you didn't even know to look for until you'd been there a while.) The book is still worth reading for the descriptions, but an expatriates' guide it's definitely not.

For anyone who loves Ireland, whether having been there or not, this is an excellent book. The style of writing is friendly and easy to read with a rhythm that brings one in. Details paint the picture of their life so clearly that one feels to be there with them experiencing their ups and downs alongside. This book truly gave me an idea different from that of what I had about the difficulty and harshness is the life of those who farm on the west of Ireland. But I doubt the joy, camaraderie and closeness of those who make it is often matched anywhere else.
Reading the first book made me long for more of the same so I purchased their next book. And then, having given my copies to a fellow traveler, had to buy another of each so I could reread and keep them, but only for loaning out now!

Easy read, entertaining and educated me about what County Clare was like a few decades ago. Took place in the area my grandmother came from so was especially interesting to me. On a recent trip to Ireland, I met one of the authors, Christine Breen. She gave us a tour of Kiltumper Cottage which was center stage of the story. Fascinating lady. And such a treat to see the cottage I read about! Highly recommend this book!!

I am planning a trip to Ireland and always enjoy reading some books set in the place I am visiting. This story of a couple who moves to Ireland definitely gave a feel for the place. Both the material poverty but social richness.

Lovely portrayal of life in Ireland at the time it was written. Characters were delightful and Irish humor and wit quite evident.