Customer Reviews

In Search of the Craic: One Man's Pub Crawl Through Irish Music

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

 

 

Like most pub "sessions" in Ireland, this book doesn't offer a flawless performance, but it is still good craic. And, like a good session, it leaves you wanting more.

People unfamiliar with the Irish traditional music scene, however, might find the book's references too obscure to be of interest, since reading about music you haven't heard must be like listening to someone describe what a slow pour pint of Guinness tastes like, when you've never had the pleasure of drinking one yourself.

But anyone who has traveled Ireland and checked out a pub or two in search of traditional Irish music will enjoy the vicarious pleasure of following along with Colin Irwin on his quest. His interviews along the way with some of the leading figures in Irish music are one of the best parts of the book. Hearing Liam Clancy talk about his conversation with Shane MacGowan, bad boy of The Pogues, was priceless. Also funny was Irwin's own discomfort at being face to face with Clancy -- after a jouralistic career in which he had often mocked the trailblazing Clancy Brothers for their Aran-sweater-Oirish act that today seems over-the-top. Just as rewarding was seeing how unbothered Clancy was by the criticism.

My only regret about this book is that I didn't find it before I went to Ireland in 2005 in search of "the music". While my daughter and I did find lots of great traditional music in Cork, Galway, Dublin and other places, Mr. Irwin's book provides as close as you can get to a guide to something as fluid and out of the spotlight as Irish session music and musicians. In the guise of a funny (and it truly is funny) series of musings, Mr. Irwin manages to put together a non-academic, but relatively exhaustive overview of the development and then current state of Irish traditional music. His biases are laid out clearly, many times to be auto-debunked as his travels open his eyes to the precursors of his heroes of the '70's and '80's, like Planxty, Bothy Band, etc. Mr. Irwin's research would be of great benefit to anyone traveling to Ireland for the music, or just interested in Irish traditional music.

I enjoyed reading of this man's travels through Ireland, of the varieties of music, pubs, places and people. He is descriptive and captures the essence of it all. Having just been in Ireland and experiencing some of it myself may have enhanced the stories in the book. My favorite part is of Jim O' the Mill Pub in County Tipperary. Saving the best for last, indeed. Jim invited us to his pub. We were able to visit twice. A place of magic and respect for traditional music, where people of all ages sip their pint, play and sing the music in front of a peat fire in a huge fireplace, sitting on wooden chairs a century old. It really does not get any better than that.

If you enjoy Irish Music and Pubs, as well as travel thru Ireland, then this is a must to read.Covers all the above, enjoyable ,easy to read and takes you on the trip with the writer.

This book was tough to find but well worth the search. Colin and Mrs. Colin, a pair of Brits, spend their holidays in Ireland hunting down traditional music. Irish music has become commoditized over the past decade or so, and the real stuff is elusive. In the very first pub Colin visits, the innkeeper tries to tell him that there is no such thing as the craic.

This is a great, funny travel memoir and a darned good place to start your education on traditional Irish music. I can hear the music in my head but I only wish it could have been accompanied by a CD. He does provide an extensive discography, but I suspect most of them are out of print.

After reading "McCarthy's Bar," I was looking for other books on Ireland before visiting the country. I picked up Irwin's "In Search of the Craic," but put it down after a few chapters. To me, the book had a harsh and complaining tone about it that made Irwin's account unpleasant to follow. If you enjoy Irish pubs and Irish music, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

If you enjoy Pete McCarthy or Bill Bryson, try Evan McHugh's "Pint-Sized Ireland." McHugh writes to a younger audience--20s and 30s--but still manages to provide an entertaining tale.