Customer Reviews

Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The subtitle of this book tells you what this Irish travel book is all about. And that is what drew me to it.

Contents:

The first round

Dublin on tap

Beer and politics

Blood is thicker than Guinness

Love at first pint

Pub town

Heading north

The holy mountain

A land of pubs and poets

Last drinks

Australian, Evan McHugh, travels to Ireland to meet some friends. On the ferry over to Dublin from Wales, he and his travelling companion "Twidkiwodm" (the-woman-I-didn't-know-I-would-one-day-marry), aka Michelle, have their first Guinness. It was not a very good experience (but it sure was funny to read). Debarking, they are told that the Guinness served on the ferry is about the worst in the world. Their friends take them to a couple of pubs in Dublin, including the Guinness Factory Tour. Whilst sitting in a Dublin pub, they are told that the best Guinness is found on west side of Ireland. Off they go, looking for the best Guinness and the result is Pint Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness.

Travelling cheaply, hitchhiking and sleeping in hostels, McHugh provides a wonderful travelogue of Ireland. That he is looking for the "perfect Guinness" makes this even sweeter. Travelling from town to town, asking about the best Guinness, experiencing some of Ireland's best (but maybe not so well known) sites, and picking up books from local writers (Yeats is one). Interspersed throughout the book, McHugh includes words from the writers to explain some of his experiences. It adds a lot to the book.

This book really makes me want to visit Ireland. No matter where he goes, be it Dublin, Westport, Sligo, or Belfast, the people are friendly, kind, and humorous. At each stop, either the barman or someone in the pub tells McHugh where he can find the best pint of Guinness (hint: it is always somewhere else). It is in a pub in Belfast, his last stop, where a patron begins to tell him where he can find the best pint. Stopping the man, McHugh tells him where you can find the best Guinness in Ireland. He drank for free the rest of the evening. Yes, the answer was that good, that true. And after reading this book, I agree (if you ask, I will tell you where).

An excellent travelogue, especially if you love "moother's milk."

Slainte!

This book was fun, interesting and very well written. To read a book about Ireland that does not have the troubles as its main subject matter is refreshing. The author does a great job of relating Irish culture to the reader. The author even goes as far as to write the peoples dialects into the book, so that when you are reading the book, you can get a sense of the softness of the language.

I would recommend this title to anyone that wants to learn a bit about Ireland. I would especially recommend this to all those of Irish decent.

A friend of mine tipped me to a book that immediately caught my interest... Pint-Sized Ireland: In Search of the Perfect Guinness by Evan McHugh. Having spent a little time in Ireland for a software conference, I find myself drawn to the country, people, and customs. Evan McHugh made me feel like I was right back there. And I haven't read something this funny in quite awhile...

Contents: The first round; Dublin on tap; Beer and politics; Blood is thicker than Guinness; Love at first pint; Pub town; Heading north; The holy mountain; A land of pubs and poets; Last drinks

So the framework of the story is that Evan and his traveling companion (who was to become his wife) decide to travel over to "Oirland" to meet up with a couple of friends. Knowing that there would be plenty of drinking (it *is* Ireland!) of Guinness, he felt that it was necessary to acquire a taste for the dark beverage. On the ferry over, they start their training. It does *not* go well. His description of "moother's milk" leads you to believe that mother is none too well. As expected, a stop at a pub is the first order of business once they meet their friends. This Guinness goes down better, which starts the discussion as to where you can find the "perfect Guinness". So as they travel the island via train, hitchhiking, and hostels, the question is always asked... where can I find the perfect Guinness? And it's always "somewhere else". Along the way, you meet traveling companions, colorful locals, and more pubs than you ever imagine existed. And at the end, McHugh does find the answer to where the perfect Guinness can be found. And it's a classic...

While it sounds like this book is all about beer, it's really something much better. It's a travel diary of sorts, written by someone who has a real knack for capturing the color and flavor of the culture. In many instances, he writes the Irish dialogue as it sounds. So when they are visiting their first pub, he tells his friends they had a Guinness coming over on the ferry. The reply is classic. "Oh, you shouldn'ta doon that. It's fookin' shite, that's why. Now get that into ya. We've a lotta poobs ahead of us." After spending time with my friends over there, I know that would have been the EXACT reply I would have received, using the EXACT same words. :)

If you're at all interested in Irish culture, this is a must read. Think of it as a way to understand the openness of the Irish people, and how in a "poob" you're never a stranger...

Pint-sized Ireland is a fun and engaging read. The author shares his vacation around Ireland that evolves into the search for the perfect pint of Guinness.

Evan and his traveling companion go from the worst Guinness they can imagine to finding the answer to where to find the perfect pint. Their journey takes them up one side of Ireland and back down the other.

Along the way they are carted, cajoled, and cared for by the locals and fellow travelers. They find that Ireland has more pubs than hotels, and more stories about Guinness that one might imagine.

A good read as the author relates much about the land its self, its people, and its history. We meet several of the locals, we are with him as he scales a mountain, and stand beside him in awe with each new discovery.

I recommend this book to those who love Ireland, and those that love Guinness, and finally to those that just love a good old fashioned pub crawl.

I was familiar with this book and wanted to share it with a friend as a gift. This is a fun read for an adult readership. It provides a great overview of "pub-life" in Ireland. If you cannot enjoy several laughs while reading, put the book down, enjoy a pint (or two), and resume reading.

i opened this book to skim the first few pages to see if i wanted to keep it... 60 pages later i realized i was still reading! Mr. McHugh has a fabulously engaging writing style that makes you feel like you're right next to him and his friends while the trip unfolds. i'll read this book again.

I recently read McHugh's book in preparation for another trip back to Ireland. Although the author is a bit younger than me and seems to aim this book at a slighter younger audience (the 20s and 30s age group), I still found it to be especially enjoyable. Although the book flags a little towards the end--or perhaps it was author's journey that was flagging--McHugh possesses a very engaging writing style and has a wonderful wit that had me laughing with him most of the way.

If you have already been to Ireland and would just like to reminisce, McHugh's book will take you back to a lot of scenarios where you will probably find yourself going, "I remember that." "Pint-Sized Ireland" is also a quick, fun read for anyone who enjoys travel essays.

Don't let the title fool you, this is more a book about a love of travel, exploration, Ireland and the woman he "didn't know would be his wife" than about Guiness. McHugh captured the places and the people of Ireland and revealed a good bit about himself in the process. I'm pretty sure he is the sort of person one would like to share a pint with.

This book would appeal to the young person who has the time and a little money to tour Ireland staying at hostels and trying out pubs. It's a fun book to read and you do learn a little about Ireland too.

Have yourself a Guinness while reading this book, it is a great pairing. The book is a smooth read and will inspire you to by the "mothers milk".

It's a craic in itself. luis