Read Ireland Book News - Issue 88 - Gift Books
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Irish Country Style: A Celebration of Ireland's Enduring Charms by Bill Laws (Hardback; 20.00 IRP / 30.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book provides a timely reminder of the traditional features of Irish style - whether it is the vernacular designs of the homes in the provinces, or the distinctive characteristics of country furniture. And it gives an insight into the inspirational way in which these features fit into a contemporary setting. The Irish are justly proud of their distinctive heritage, their language, music and culture, but different people have different ideas about what constitutes Irish style. It's seen in the domestic crafts, such as Carrickmacross lace and Belleek porcelain, Aran knitwear and Waterford glass. It's evident in the sharp, bright stone walls of Connemara or the distressed distemper of country cottages; it's aparent in the friendly street market and the village grocery story, with its proprietor's name picked out in gold paint above the shop and its goods still measured out on the old brass scales. The common thread running through these scenes and through the 150 evocative and inspiring photographs in this book is the elemental Irishness of it all. From the shape of a shamrock to the design of a wickerwork pear basket, there is no mistaking the Irish touch.
Literary Ireland photography by Tom Kelly and text by Peter Somerville-Large (Paperback; 18.00 IRP / 27.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
This book provides a highly entertaining visual journey through the scenery of Ireland's many great literary traditions. Throughout time, the lives and works of Irish writers have been greatly influenced by the ever-shifting light and shadow of the Irish landscape. With his atmospheric, magical photography, Tom Kelly captures this spectable of colour and mood in what simply is his best work to date. Peter Somerville-Large provides a lively accompanient of literary background and anecdote to the images. The book follows Ireland's famous writers - from the dawn of time to the present - to their homes, workplaces and settings of their writings, studying the influence of the landscape on their lives and visions. Arranged thematically to cover the different regions and historical traditions of Ireland's literature, photographs and text evoke the landscape of many famous writers - the Dublin of Joyce and Behan, the Sligo of Yeats, the island of O'Flaherty and Synge. The sense of place found in modern writers such as John B. Keane, Seamus Heaney, Edna O'Brien and Brian Friel is also explored. Alongside are brief interludes from the writers' own works to further amplify the beauty of the landscape.
Irish Moments by Bernd Weisbrod (Hardback; 14.99 IRP / 22.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
German photographer Bernd Weisbrod first traveled to Ireland - with backpack and tent - in 1970. Captivated by the island's landscape and its people, he was equally fascinated by the gradual changes taking place in the highly traditional Irish society. He has since returned frequently to capture images both typical and unique with his camera. This book offers an appreciative look at Ireland in quiet black-and-white photographs. The pictures do not represent a preconceived image but allow us to discover many new aspects of this fascinating country.
Irish Blessing: A Photographic Celebration collected with an introduction by Ashley Shannon (Hardback; 16.99 IRP / 22.50 USD) [Add To Basket]
The legendary warmth and hospitality of the irsih come alive in this collection of traditional blessings, classic verse and beautiful images from the Emerald Isle. This book captures the spirit and spirituality of the Land of Welcomes in the words of its saints, the verse of its poets and songwriters, and the good wishes of its people - for the health and bounty of the land, a happy home, and a pleasant journey - that have been handed down from generation to generation. With more than 50 stunning photographs from throughout Ireland, this book is a timeless tribute to the beauty of the lanc and the character of its people.
Irish Voices: 50 Years of Irish Life 1916-1966 by Peter Somerville-Large (Hardback; 30.00 IRP / 45.00 USD) [Add To Basket]
In 1916, Eamon de Valera arrvied on the Irish scene and as a result, or so we are told, the fairies left. Such combining of fact and folklore is the essence of the author's fascinating history of fifty years of life in Ireland. This book does not shrink from describing the tragedies and poverty of those years, while brimming with cultural, domestic and political detail, unsullied by either proselytism or sentimentality. Throughout, the reader can hear the voices of the Irish: comments on the frequent crises in the country by contemporary writers, both famous and obscure, are seamlessly woven into the text, as are direct personal memories of those who lived through the events described. Not least of these is the author himself, whose descriptions of clambering out of bed at school during the Emergency to watch 'Jerry' bombing Dublin, or cycling from Wicklow to the family's own island in Kerry with a cat in the basket behind the saddle, gave a personal depth to the history. The author has a talent for observation, and his interest in the people he writes about is palpable. This book is not just a history, but a history of life - and a joy to read. It is illustrated with colour photographs.
The Celts: Life, Myth and Art by Juliette Pearce (Hardback; 21.50 IRP / 31.00USD) [Add To Basket]
This book is a richly illustrated introduction to this extraordinary civilization. It presents an art of immense complexity, ranging from exquisite gold jewellery to decorated weapons of war, from manuscript illumination to the spectacular intricacy of knotwork and other patterning. The broad repertoire of Celtic motifs and symbols - solar spirals, the salmon of knowledge, the horned god and the endless knot, among others - is presented with full interpretive commentary. Themes such as nature's deities, the Tree of Life, magic and the Otherworld, the mysteries of the Druids, the veneration of heroes and warriors, and the mystic ceremonies and sacrifices of Beltaine, Samhain and other seasonal festivities are explored in fascinating detail.
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