Ireland Reading List

Suggested Reading List for Ireland 
Please note: Students and parents should use discretion in determining the appropriateness of each book for the student’s age, reading level, and maturity.  Books are designated G (grade school), J (junior high), or H (high school).

 

TITLE &  LINK

 DESCRIPTION

GRADE
LEVEL

FICTION OR
NONFICTION

Ancient Legends of Ireland, by Marlene Ekman (Illustrator), Wilde, Lady Wilde Marlene Ekman is the illustrator of many fine books on Ireland and the Celtic culture.

ALL

N

Big Wind: A Novel of Ireland, by Beatrice Coogan Bringing a generation of Irish history to life, the story of the O'Carroll family of County Tipperary begins with the Big Wind of 1839 and continues through the Great Famine and the land war between peasants and Anglo-Irish landlords.

G/J

F

Bodhran Makers, by John B. Keane A saga of the struggle between hard-living farmers and the Church, "The Bodhran Makers" is set in rural Ireland in the 1950s. Every January the farmers celebrate their Celtic ancestry with a festival of singing, drinking and music made with the Bodhran (a drum made from goat skin). This year there's a confrontation from the parish priest charging "paganism."

J/H

F

Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure, by Robert San Souci Margaret, the brave red-haired heroine of this adaptation of an Irish tale, slays a sea monster, is ensnared by a witch, kills a giant, rescues her beloved Simon, and wins her freedom before marrying her man. Dramatic illustrations with tilty perspectives add flair to this feminist adventure tale.

ALL

F

Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish, by Morgan Llywelyn Just a boy when he witnesses the horrors of invasion on his small clan in the west of Ireland - an attack that leaves his mother and two of his brothers dead - Brian Boru swears to one day put an end to his country's sufferings by stopping the clan wars, uniting the people of Ireland, and halting forever the threat of the Norsemen

J/H

F

Castles of Britain and Ireland: The Ultimate Reference Book, by Plantagenet Somerset Fry, David Lyons (Photographer) What is it about castles that fires the imagination? Even the most derelict ruins inspire spine-tingling visions of archers atop crenellated walls and pots of boiling oil pitching down onto the heads of enemies below. For readers who have ever wished they lived in a castle, "Castles of Britain and Ireland" is a dream come true.

ALL

N

Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales, by Alwyn Rees A book that explains the ancient cultural traditions that gave birth to and passed on literature that continues to interest and inspire the average reader, as well as writers and artists. The Reeses are experts in their field, not popularizers; however, their book is not an arcane tome intended for Ph.D candidates.

J/H

N

Clans and Families of Ireland: The Heritage and Heraldry of Irish Clans and Families, by John Grenham A genealogical history of Ireland and its people, from prehistoric times to the present day, traces the origins of placenames and surnames and provides full-color illustrations of clan coats of arms and tartans, along with photographs of the Irish landscape.

J/H

N

Classic Irish Recipes, by Georgina Campbell, Marlene Ekman (Illustrator) Georgina Campbell is the author of "Meals for All Seasons" and a variety of Irish cookbooks.

ALL

N

Complete Book of Irish Country Cooking Traditional and wholesome recipes from Ireland.

ALL

N

Dubliners, by James Joyce My favorite thing about Joyce is that you can just pick up "Dubliners" and read it and be completely satisfied with the short stories. And then, if you want to be scholarly and give yourself a challenge, you can delve into them like a crunchy apple and ask yourself all those questions the characters seem to be asking themselves...

J/H

N

Essential Celtic Mythology: Stories That Change the World, by Lindsay Clarke Nine stories offer armchair adventures of love, war, and honor and highlight values central to ancient Celtic cultural values that continue to shape and inspire the Western mind. These tales bring to life a world of miraculous events and acts of passion, peopled with fair maidens, brave warriors, giants, and ogres in a world governed by the virtues of fairness, generosity, wisdom, and loyalty.

J/H

N

Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife: A Giant of a Tale, by Robert Byrd This visually attractive treatment of the early Celtic folktale, in which Finn and his crafty wife foil the menacing giant, Cucullin, is musical in its wording and graced with a fine sprinkling of old Irish artifacts

ALL

F

Frommer's Portable Dublin, by George McDonald, Arthur Frommer For the short-term traveler who insists on value and doesn't want to pack a full-size guidebook, here's a brand-new series that selects the very best in each destination and presents it all at a glance. The latest on hotels, restaurants, sightseeing, shopping, and nightlife - it's all yours in a nutshell in these inexpensive, lightweight guides.

ALL

N

Irish Isle: Cookbook with Irish CD, by Sharon O'Connor Irish food has been undergoing a transformation during the past decade. Here are creative menus and delicious recipes from Ireland's most romantic country house hotels, adapted especially for American kitchens. A 50 minute CD of Irish music is included to set the mood.

ALL

N

Lonely Planet Ireland, by Tom Smallman, Steve Fallon, Pat Yale In addition to the requisite lowdown on food and accommodations, a detailed activities section covers everything from walking and birdwatching to hang gliding and rock climbing. The book's intriguing "boxed asides" delve into topics ranging from the mystical to the environmental, including the witch of Kilkenny, the legend of Inishbofin Island, the Birr Observatory and Telescope, even Ireland's disappearing bogs.

ALL

N

Michael Collins: The Man Who Made Ireland, by Tim Pat Coogan It is one of the greatest story collections in the English language--an unflinching, brilliant, often tragic portrait of early twentieth-century Dublin. The book, which begins and ends with a death, moves from "stories of my childhood" through tales of public life. Its larger purpose, Joyce said, was as a moral history of Ireland.

J/H

F

SOS Titanic, by Eve Bunting Fifteen-year-old Barry O'Neill is traveling from Ireland to New York on the Titanic. He is heartsick about leaving the beloved grandparents who raised him for the last 10 years and apprehensive about rejoining his parents, who have been in China. He's also worried about the Flynn brothers, arch enemies traveling in steerage who have threatened to throw him overboard.

J/H

F

To School Through the Fields: An Irish Country Childhood, by Alice Taylor Taylor's memoir of her childhood in the Irish countryside was the biggest bestseller in Ireland's history, winning a devoted audience with its vivid, affectionate tales of life in a time that now seems long past. Her memories are colorful, gentle, and alive with character in the spirit of the emerald land.

J/H

N

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