A fascinating look at Ireland--its history, traditions, and people. "Reading the book and looking at Rein's drawings are like visiting a part of the world which is still unspoiled and lovely."--Publishers Weekly

From the quintessential Irish Mammy to love for all things GAA, the Irish have a particularities – and peculiarities – that make us different from our neighbours. Social anthropologist David Slattery takes us through the rules of being Irish with deadpan humour, from how to approach an Irish wedding or funeral to the Irish attitude to health, business, politics, death, Christmas and being cool. For his research, David canvassed undercover for a major political party during the recent election campaign, attended opportune weddings and funerals, and interviewed doctors, psychiatrists, and a bunch of builders: "I have begged, spied, knocked down my house, got a job, dressed in drag and drank in many pubs – all in the interest of science." A unique popular anthropology book about being Irish, not only will this book prove instructive to the tourist or foreigner who wants to blend in without a fuss, but the Irish will find it interesting as a mirror to how we are.

Olive Sharkey is the daughter of farmers in the midlands of Ireland. 'I belong to a family which was the last in our district to relinquish the old ways on the land and in the home,' she says. Her research brought her to folk museums throughout Ireland and 'into the homes of fascinating elderly folk with surprisingly clear memories.' The daily and seasonal rhythms of life and work 'in the ould days' is recaptured, from building the house and turning the sod for a new crop, to saving the hay and burying the dead.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A book in the best tradition of popular history—the untold story of Ireland's role in maintaining Western culture while the Dark Ages settled on Europe. • The perfect St. Patrick's Day gift! Every year millions of Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but they may not be aware of how great an influence St. Patrick was on the subsequent history of civilization. Not only did he bring Christianity to Ireland, he instilled a sense of literacy and learning that would create the conditions that allowed Ireland to become "the isle of saints and scholars"—and thus preserve Western culture while Europe was being overrun by barbarians. In this entertaining and compelling narrative, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Europe evolved from the classical age of Rome to the medieval era. Without Ireland, the transition could not have taken place. Not only did Irish monks and scribes maintain the very record of Western civilization -- copying manuscripts of Greek and Latin writers, both pagan and Christian, while libraries and learning on the continent were forever lost—they brought their uniquely Irish world-view to the task. As Cahill delightfully illustrates, so much of the liveliness we associate with medieval culture has its roots in Ireland. When the seeds of culture were replanted on the European continent, it was from Ireland that they were germinated. In the tradition of Barbara Tuchman's A Distant Mirror, How The Irish Saved Civilization reconstructs an era that few know about but which is central to understanding our past and our cultural heritage. But it conveys its knowledge with a winking wit that aptly captures the sensibility of the unsung Irish who relaunched civilization.