Irish Reading List
Our Irish library is constantly growing, and we like to
recommend books to our clients and fellow “Irishophiles” that
we’ve especially enjoyed. We’ll feature new—as well as some
classic—books of interest to
Irish and Irish-American family
historians. The books aren’t limited to those on genealogy,
however. We’ve included Irish memoirs, family histories, social
histories, novels, folklore, cookbooks, travel guides, and just
about any type of book that would be helpful in learning about
your
Irish heritage. New listings will be posted monthly.
Note: Some titles may be out of print or are not available for
purchase in the United States, but you might be able to find
them through interlibrary loan, or via purchase at Amazon.co.uk.
The Essential Library for Irish Americans,
by Morgan Llywelyn (New York: Tom Doherty Assoc., 1999), is a
good starting place for anyone interested in reading about
things Irish. Ms. Llywelyn has written many novels about Irish
history and is well read in Irish fact and fiction. The
Essential Library for Irish Americans covers biography,
autobiography, and memoirs, history, humor, Ireland and America,
mythology and folklore, novels, poetry, reference books, and
travel and picture books. Llywelyn not only describes each book,
but also gives her reasons for recommending a particular book.
This book is essential for your own library, and you will refer
back to it again and again as you become more immersed in
learning about Ireland and the Irish people.
Irish Folk Ways,
by E. Estyn Evans (Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, reprint of
1957 edition). This book is considered a classic in the field of
Irish folkways and is a valuable book to family historians who
want to know what rural Irish life was like for their ancestors.
In 21 chapters, you’ll learn how people thatched roofs, churned
butter, cooked over an open hearth, cultivated and harvested
crops, traveled to neighboring townlands, and much more. Evans
also goes into detail on traditional customs associated with
weddings, wakes and funerals, and country festivals. There are
also more than 400 illustrations to help you visualize the tools
and implements your ancestors used.
Ways of Old: Traditional Life in Ireland,
by Olive Sharkey (Dublin: The O’Brien Press, 2000). Heavily
illustrated, this book brings to life the implements used in the
home, on the farm, in the garden, and for homecrafts. The book’s
12 chapters cover thatched houses, life around the open hearth,
furniture, homecrafts, dairy and laundry, the land, the
farmyard, animals, and much more. It’s an easy, entertaining
read, and gives researchers a real sense of what life on an
Irish farm would have been like. My favorite section is the one
on personal hygiene, a topic not covered in most books. Sharkey
discusses household items women used for their complexions and
hair, as well as popular hairstyles for men and women. This book
will give you a greater appreciation for your ancestors’ daily
lives.
Irish County Households, by Kevin Danaher (Dubin: Mercier Press,
1985). Like Irish Folk Ways and Ways of Old, this is another
useful book about lifestyles of the rural Irish, including the
houses they lived in, their kitchens, bedrooms, and utensils.
But unlike the previous two books, this one is illustrated with
photographs, as well as drawings. Mr. Danaher is a full-time
ethnologist with the Irish Folklore Commission, and his research
provided the basis for Bunratty Folk Park in County Clare, which
makes up much of the material in this book. Danaher reminds us
that in our ancestors’ days, they were essentially
self-sufficient, providing for almost all of their needs by
building their own houses, growing their own food, supplying
their own fuel, and building their own furniture. Combined with
the other two books mentioned above, Irish Country Households
will give you the full picture of your ancestors’ lives.
For a price quote, send a brief description of your research
needs to
Jim.
