For the Love of Ireland

February 12, 2001
In For the Love of Ireland: A Literary Companion for Readers and Travelers, Susan Cahill (editor of the anthology Desiring Italy) pairs more than 60 writings (by over 40 authors) with geographic, sociological, literary, cultural and practical information. Pieces by Joyce, Roddy Doyle, Yeats, Edna O'Brien, Seamus Heaney and others are followed by Cahill's explications of the works' diverse settings, references, characters and events. Cahill includes travel guide details, such as the current schedule for the ferry that Sean O'Faolain described 50 years ago in An Irish Journey. Driven by literary enthusiasm rather than travel needs, the book suggests jaunts in 16 counties.

March 1, 2001
This combination anthology and travel guide uses excerpts from the works of many notable Irish writers, both classic and contemporary to set the scene for the traveler to Ireland. While reading this book, one may wander the streets of Dublin with Jonathan Swift, see Limerick through the eyes of Frank McCourt or experience Sligo alongside William Butler Yeats. Each literary selection is followed by practical tips for discovering the writer's subject. While this book will please lovers of Ireland and Irish writers, it should not be used as a primary travel planner. It is more suitable as a companion volume for the traveler to read while exploring the Emerald Isle or as a book for the armchair traveler. Cahill's other works include a similar guide to Italy (Desiring Italy, LJ 7/15/97) and several anthologies of women's literature. This book is appropriate for both academic and public libraries, but if your budget for travel books is limited, this may not be a necessary purchase. Sandy Knowles, Henderson Cty. P.L., NC

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2001
Although she is the editor of this collection, Cahill is in fact far more than that. She has not only made a splendid selection of writings that describe Ireland's various regions; she has also put it into the context of a careful yet colorful literary gazetteer. The literary array is comprehensive, including younger contemporary writers like Roddy Doyle and Rita Anne Higgins as well as such classic authors as Joyce, Beckett, and Swift. What's more, some ancient Irish (Gaelic) selections, represented in translation, are complemented by pieces by contemporary writers in Irish. It all provides great armchair traveling, with such companions as Michael Longley at Mweelra in Mayo and William Butler Yeats at Dooney Rock in Sligo. Readers may be tempted to go beyond the armchair with this book, however, so beef up the Irish travel shelves in general for its arrival.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)