Customer Reviews

The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland

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This is a fantastic coffee table book. The photographer has captured so much color in each photograph, you almost expect some sort of visual explosion -- how can such a dynamically variegated palette be contained in a single picture?! The whitewashed cottages, the blue-green sea, the dun colored old castle walls... even the street signs are beautiful. I myself am half of Irish descent, and half of Italian descent. Although I must confess that in culinary terms, my Italian forebears had considerably more "on the ball" than my Irish ancestors, this book makes me appreciate some of the beauties that Ireland itself has to offer. It makes me determined to visit it at some point.

The book is divided into four parts. Each traditional ancient Irish kingdom has its own section -- Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, and Munster. Each section is also followed by a brief photographic essay, dealing with such topics as "Ancient Ireland," "Bar and Shop Fronts," and "Painted Villages." At the end, there is a useful map, a travellers guide complete with phone numbers and addresses of Inns and hostels, and a very handy little bibliography.

I would just like to also recommend, for anyone with an interest in Irish history, "The Atlas of Irish History" by Sean Duffy. It is out of print, but you should ask your local librarian if he or she can find it, using OCLC or inter-library loan. If, like me, you have Irish blood in you, you will be familiar with the feeling of being quite alienated from the broader sweep of European history prior to the settlement of America. I once looked in the index of an encyclopedia, and actually found more entries on Native Americans, who of course are considered to be a marginalized people, than I could find on the Irish. This book, and the atlas I recommended, can help remedy that situation, and "The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland" can beautify any home. Two thunbs up -- check this one out.

I recently purchased this book as a gift for someone who took two trips to Ireland several years ago and loved her trips there. She is no longer able to travel due to health reasons so I thought this book would bring back some wonderful memories for her. She loves the book and even though I have never been to Ireland, I would welcome the opportunity to go there after viewing the absolutely beautiful pictures in this book. Also included is information on traveling to Ireland; ie. places to stay, while there. I would definitely recommend this book.

Prior to a long awaited vacation to Ireland, I purchased this book hoping to catch a glimpse of the beauty of Ireland. The book was all and more of what I had hoped. The pictures and written articles only whet my appetite to be in Ireland. The photography is outstanding, the articles informative. I'm purchasing 3 more of these books to give as gifts to friends.

Perfect! Just what I had in mind and the person I gave it to liked it a lot! Great pictures!