Sun Dancing: A Vision of Medieval Ireland

Book Description

Combining narrative re-creations with scholarly reflections, Moorhouse brings to life the monks of the Skellig Islands and the spirituality of medieval Ireland in a “highly original, gracefully written” book (Boston Globe) that is “sure to fascinate lovers of Celtic history” (Boston Herald). A Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist.

Customer Reviews:

The Way They Really Were.......2005-05-31

This book will capture your interest and will leave you hanging with more questions. If your interest is in the field of archaeology, etc, you will probably want to "pass by, Horseman." However, if you're like me and you just want to know what was happening to the average peasant and believer on the banks of the River of history, then this book is for you. G. Moorehouse, does a smash up job of bringing to life the spirit of the Celtic monks who changed the world. The book is divided into two parts: the first being a "faction", that is a historically accurate fictional account of day to day life in the monastery of Sceilig Michail. In this section, he attempts to penetrate the Celtic mind and I have to give him credit for this. If in any way, he failed, it is only because the truly Celtic Christian mind was lost to us after the Great Schism of 1054 and after their valiant and heroic resistance, Eire finally fell to the Roman church. (We should all mourn what might have been contributed to Byzantium because it is the less for all that!)

The second section deals in the facts, insofar as they are known, and as cold as the stones that pious Celtic hands pressed into service, to build the monasteries of Iona, Lindisfarne, Sceilig Michail. The bibliography alone is worth every penny, the price of the book and I highly recommend it as much for Mr. Moorehouse's attempt to plumb the depths of the celtic Christian heart, as for it's more scholarly attributes.

If you're looking for new age nonsense about "Celtic" spirituality, move on. If you are looking for the Orthodoxy (big O intended) of the Celts, you've come to the right place. Moorehouse skirts the issue, and never directly says it outright, but the message of this book is loud and clear: The origin of Celtic Christianity lies in the East, with Eastern Orthodoxy and not with Roman pontiffs. Nobody, with any knowledge will fail to recognize the obvious: St. John Cassian's prayer and method of use (pre-cursor of the Jesus prayer), the monastic cell rules, the ascetism of St. Anthony and other Desert Fathers.

In the end, what one is left with is this: Iona, Lindisfarne, and Sceilig Michail are not so far away as they may appear in the mist. They may, and must, be re-built each day in our own hearts with a Christianity that is Orthodox and that is lived each day, without fail.

Is it history or historical fiction?.......2003-05-16

As the reviewer from the Atlantic Monthly points out, this book is half history, half historical fiction. This gave me a fundamental problem in getting into the book. The first half is decently written and attempts to get in the heads of various Irish monks in the Middle Ages, the second half provides the facts to back up the conjecture of the first. I preferred the second half, though that may be because I tend to enjoy my history a bit harder than most. I just didn't like the structure of the book. To me, what this book really is is a novella about an Irish Monastery on a rocky island with a novella-sized end note section. To me, the end notes were more relevant. I don't question the scholarliness of the work, just the presentation. Overall, not bad, but if you can get past the strange way it's put together, unlike me, you'll probably enjoy it.

entertaining and illuminating.......2001-12-03

Fun for anyone with even slight interest in history, Christian religion, etc. Part story, part historical text, very clever and interesting. I got bored about halfway through, which is why I didn't give this book a better rating, but I did finish it later and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rocks of passion.......2000-03-24

If you've ever stood on the rocks of Skellig Michael, or peered at them from safe ground across the tossing waves, you've thought to yourself, "only crazy people and seagulls would live there". You would be wrong - passionate maybe, maybe not crazy. This story of the monks on Skellig Michael, part history, part fiction, speaks of the loneliness and of being alone - which are not the same things - and the astonishing strength that can come from the most unexpected places when one person or a group of people who share a focus come together. Even the early pages that detail the types of ink used in the glorious illuminated manuscripts of Clanmacnoise draw you into this passion and this focus. It's an incredible story of life on a rock in the middle of nowhere that provided a continuous line of education and religion (like it or not) in a time beyond our imagination.

Very good and informative read.......1999-10-26

This book's best quality is that it lacks the pretension of Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization." We see the Irish monks' lives at close range, in much detail and with sympathy. The monks are not portrayed as kooks but as devotees of Christ who expected His return at any minute.

220 Aran Stitches and Patterns (The Harmony Guides , Vol 5)

Average customer rating:

Everything you need for aran knits.
220 Aran Stitches and Patterns volume 5
Great Book!
One of my first Stitches books, still a favorite
220 Aran Stitches and Patterns - Volume 5 (Harmony Guides)

220 Aran Stitches and Patterns (The Harmony Guides , Vol 5)
Harmony Guide Staff
Manufacturer: Collins & Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1855856336

Book Description

An easy-to-follow, practical guide to this universally popular stitch, including diamonds, cables, twists, honeycombs, textures, panels, and backgrounds.

Customer Reviews:

Everything you need for aran knits........2007-05-25

I looked at a lot of Aran sweater patterns, but I just couldn't find the perfect one. I bought this book after I checked it out from my local libary, because it's an essential for any knitting bookshelf. It has every stitch you could want, plus many combinations of stitches. It helps you put together your own unique combinations by organizing the stitch pattterns by the number of rows for each repeat. For each stitch you get a clear color photo, row-by-row directions, and chart directions. It also has comparison photos of common cables and bobbles by size, and how to read the charts and abbreviations.

220 Aran Stitches and Patterns volume 5.......2007-04-10

It is nicely laid out with a lot of helpful information. I especially like the stitch keys at the bottom of each page. I found it very helpful as a knitter that is new to cabling.

Great Book!.......2007-03-09

Great Patterns, beautiful stitches, easy to follow steps. Brief history of Aran knitting and some nice pictures.

One of my first Stitches books, still a favorite.......2006-10-19

I must have gotten one of the first of these, and I read it like a novel for the first week I had it. I love the history and maps and photos at the front. I prefer the charting style to what is in a lot of patterns, because I almost always end up using circular needles. I prefer to do top-down in the round knitting whenever I can. I love the photos and the combinations. I think I've used at least something out of this book on at least 10 projects (that actually got finished!)

Only complaint: Yes, the binding on my copy came apart fairly early on. So, I punched holes in the sheets and put it all in a 3 ring binder with pages that I print off the internet and little clips of yarns and stuff. The binder has one of those clear plastic covers that I slipped the covers of the book into.
rubyintherough.blogspot.com

220 Aran Stitches and Patterns - Volume 5 (Harmony Guides).......2006-09-21

I usually like Harmony Guides knitting stitch Patterns books however, this one really didn't do anything for me. It had a lot of nice, but safe Aran cable patterns and only a handful of interesting cables that you normally don't see on an Aran sweater. The best section in the book is titled COMBINATIONS. This gives a person a good idea about how to combine the various patterns for an Aran project (be it a sweater, pillow, purse, scarf, etc.).

I would recommend Barbara G. Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns 1, 2, 3 and 4 over this book if you are an experienced knitter. If you are just starting out, this book would be a nice basic addition to your knitting book collection.

Average customer rating:

I am a better person for having read it
love this
Life changing
Couldn't Put it Down
Interesting story

The Mermaids Singing
Lisa Carey
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380815591
Release Date: 2001-11-06

Book Description

There is an island off the west coast of Ireland called Inis Murúch -- the Island of the Mermaids -- a world where myth is more powerful than truth, and love can overcome even death. It is here that Lisa Carey sets her lyrical and sensual first novel, weaving together the voices and lives of three generations of Irish and Irish-American women.

Years ago, the fierce and beautiful Grace stole away from the island with her small daughter, Gráinne, unable to bear its isolation. Now Gráinne is motherless at fifteen, and a grandmother she has never met has come to take her back. Her heart is pulled between a life in which she no longer belongs and a family she cannot remember. But only on Inis Murúch can she begin to understand the forces that have torn her family apart.

Customer Reviews:

I am a better person for having read it.......2007-03-23

Three generations of Irish women. Three generations of women who do not understand their mothers. Three generations of women who do not know how to communicate with their daughters. But all of the women filled with complete love for the woman in their life that they do not comprehend. Cliona, the grandmother of the novel, did not see her mother for what she was. However, despite her best efforts, she did not give her daughter what she thinks her daughter wanted and needed. Grace, Cliona's daughter, resented her mother and vowed to tell her daughter, Grainne, everything; to be close to her and to avoid the pitfalls she had with her own mother. But no one is ever the mother they think they will be.

The Mermaids Singing does a beautiful job of placing three very flawed relationships in the beautiful setting of an island in Ireland. The island calls to Cliona while Grace rejects it. Grainne is left to sort through her confused feelings in an effort to find a place to call home. Lisa Carey adeptly changes the narrator from character to character in order to convey the feelings of each. Despite the conflicting emotions, the reader is able to understand each woman's perspective in an effort to reconcile the feelings between mother and daughter.

It takes about 100 pages to get a feel for the characters and get invested in the story. But once it sinks in, the novel takes off and is emotional and moving. The incorporation of traditional Irish fokelore and poetry makes for an even richer story. This is a novel to which any mother or daughter can relate.

love this.......2007-02-05

I loved this book. Honestly, I picked it up in some discount area and I can't imagine my life without it. Silly, maybe but true. I thought it was amazing as a teenager and saw it in a whole new light after losing my aunt to cancer. I've read it many times and I just think it's the best book. It's all about what's not said & the dangers in not speaking up, about how valuable time is and life in general.

I just love the whole thing. I loaned it out so many times, I had to buy another copy just for myself again.

Life changing.......2006-11-11

This book is such a powerful and emotional book that it gives you a new outlook on life. Wonderfully crafted, the story transports you into a different reality. The realism is so moving because the book combines magic into reality which causes you to believe there is more to life than what is on the surface. This is my favorite novel of all time and it was the book I looked to when I was depressed. A MUST read

Couldn't Put it Down.......2006-07-27

I've had this book for several years and have read it about 4 times. Once I began to read it the first time I was hooked! Since then I've shared it with some of my best friends, who also couldn't put it down. The tale of three generations and their interaction, or lack thereof at times, paints a picture that is rarely seen outside the confines of such a family. Some reviewers discuss how Grace's character seems unrealistically selfish, but if you take the time to look, Grace portrays a new generation of mothers - though not the best style of raising a child, one that does truly exist.

Interesting story.......2006-03-25

I have mixed feelings about this family saga which is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The inner healing, reaching out and reconciliation between Cliona and her granddaughter Grainne, and the rest of their family, following the death of Grace, was tragically beautiful. And the harsh island setting and Irish folklore was very interesting. However, this family was far too dysfunctional and the characters were way too sexually preoccupied for my tastes, and that took away from my feelings towards them and towards this story.

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Love, love, love this book!!
wearable crocheted sweaters
Easy and fun!
Behind the Scenes
Wonderful!!

Crocheted Aran Sweaters
Jane Snedden Peever
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1564774848

Book Description

Yes, it's true--you CAN create the classic style of Aran sweaters with crochet! These luxurious designs look and feel just like knitted garments.

· Ten sweaters and vests feature texture-filled stitch patterns

· Patterns introduce cables, bobbles, seed stitches, and more

· Includes step-by-step crochet stitches, plus simple projects for first-time crocheters

Customer Reviews:

Love, love, love this book!!.......2007-01-05

This book is the best in many ways. Spectacular designs, wonderfully written patterns, easy to follow schematics, special directions for special stitches. I love being able to make Aran style sweaters in crochet. The way the book is written it is also easy to use certain stitches and design my own sweater. Yes, you can do cables with crochet and they are beautiful!

wearable crocheted sweaters.......2006-08-29

This book and Lily Chin's upcoming book are the only crochet books I've ever found that have sweaters I would actually wear. Instructions are clear. I'm mostly a knitter who dabbles in crochet and I had no problem with these directions.

Easy and fun!.......2006-05-30

I absolutely love this book! I wanted to take a brake from knitting and knew this book would be just the right thing to use of some yarn that didn't work out for a different project. The patterns are timeless and the possibilities are endless with the wide variety of yarns available. I've made the cover sweater and the crewneck cardigan and I couldn't be happier with the results. Crochet looks so neat and tidy and the stitches give such wonderful texture. The instructions are very clear and the stitch patterns are easy to remember so you don't have to do much flipping around. This is a definite must for anyone looking to crochet sweaters.

Behind the Scenes.......2005-08-05

I have a confession: I developed and edited this book for ME! Usually, in the book business, products are developed with a target reader in mind. Well, I broke the rules when I asked the designer, Jane Snedden Peever, to create the garments for Crocheted Aran Sweaters. I *love* every sweater in this book! In fact, I've already made half of them, and have yarn picked out to stitch the rest.

Plus, I've used the stitch patterns, which are explained in the Pattern Work Encyclopedia, to make other sweaters for me and my husband, and an afghan for his office.

Every time I wear one of the sweaters from this book, at least a handful of people admire the work and marvel that they're crocheted rather than knit. The work looks very intense, but most of the garments are actually easy to stitch. Scottish Reel, for example, has blocks worked in a variety of stitches. It looks really hard. But it isn't, because you make rectangles, working one stitch pattern after another, and then sew the pieces together. I made my Scottish Reel sweater in three days (of course, this is part of my job, so I stitched for seven hours a day).

Another thing I like about the sweaters in this book is that practically any Aran-weight yarn can be used for any of the sweaters. You can walk into any yarn or craft shop and probably find a yarn that'll work. How cool is that?

I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I do.

Wonderful!!.......2004-01-01

What a wonderful book! The patterns are so amazing looking and so detailed. I can't wait to get started! After reading this book, I'd definitely recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Continues his assault on/perpetuation of Irish stereotypes
My favorite McDonagh!!!!
We're not really under 13.
"Cripple of Inishmaan" tells the truth.
An outstanding play!

The Cripple of Inishmaan
Martin Mcdonagh
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375705236
Release Date: 1998-09-08

Book Description

In 1934, the people of Inishmaan learn that the Hollywood director Robert Flaherty is coming to the neighboring island to film a documentary. No one is more excited than Cripple Billy, an unloved boy whose chief occupation has been grazing at cows and yearning for a girl who wants no part of him. For Billy is determined to cross the sea and audition for the Yank. And as news of his audacity ripples through his rumor-starved community, The Cripple of Inishmaan becomes a merciless portrayal of a world so comically cramped and mean-spirited that hope is an affront to its order.

Customer Reviews:

Continues his assault on/perpetuation of Irish stereotypes.......2006-01-22

Debates rage among scholars and teachers of Irish literature about McDonagh's mordant take on the hackneyed rural dramatic stereotypes foisted on so many 20c audiences. This play adds to the earlier "trilogy" only more of the same fuel for the fire.

When I saw it performed, however, it seemed far too pat. I decided to read it to see what I missed out in witnessing it. The elderly ladies' banter that begins and closes the play sets the scene efficiently, but did still not move me much. The play's essential veracity--if that's an applicable word--depends on how Cripple Billy can convince. Helen's acerbic tongue's a welcome dollop of levity to offset the revelations Pateenjimmymike provides. The set-speech delivered by Billy from his Hollywood hotel room works well on two levels and slyly dismantles the Synge-speak so beloved by so many stage Irish and those who put the brogues in their mouths on so many screens and in thousands of theatres.

Not as vicious as the Leenane "trilogy" of Beauty Queen/Skull in Conamara/Lonesome West (the last of which I think his best "Irish" effort). Not as satirical as his other "Aran" play, "Lieutenant of Inishman". I wonder why his final effort in his second trilogy, "The Banshee of Inisheer," has never been published?

With his recent "Pillowman," it looks as if McDonagh's at last extending his sights into more Kafka/Beckett-esque and Continental influences, to his credit. I think in time these early plays will be seen as a warm-up for more intricate efforts. There's only so far you can send-up the Abbey Theatre-school of dramatic emoting, after all.

My favorite McDonagh!!!!.......2002-12-13

Wonderfully dark, mean and hysterical, but under it all is the message that we all need family, community and each other. McDonagh has an incredible way with very natural stage dialogue and his characters are unique and vivid. I laughed on every page and winced with every vicious attack. Although some may argue that the play is hateful and sad, I have read few plays as ultimately life affirming. To use every characters' sentiments, Ireland mustn't be such a bad place if Martin McDonagh writes so well about it!

We're not really under 13........2001-01-10

This play is by Martin McDonagh, an award-winning playwright whose previous Irish play, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, won a Tony award for Best Play. The Cripple of Inishmaan focuses on the lives of the residents of Inishmaan in 1934. We follow Billy the cripple, the main character of this play. The supporting characters include: Helen, a feisty young lass who has a tongue that would offend even the most colorful drunk. Billy's two aunts, Kate, who talks to rocks, and Eileen, who runs a sweets store. Johnnypateenmike, the town gossip, as well as BabbyBobby who is constantly getting his old lady drunk, and finally Bartley, Helen's younger brother. This is a riveting story that will bring you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. You will experience love, hate, compassion, joy, sadness, but most of all, you will laugh. This play is hysterical! We would recommend reading it or seeing it to anyone who enjoys theater, or just likes Irish culture, or even if you like Hollywood in the 1930's. The story centers on Billy and his wanting to be in a film that is being made on the neighboring island of Inishmoore, The Man of Aran. To get to the island, he has to tell everyone that he has tuberculosis so that they will feel sorry for him and let him go. Billy later decides to leave his aunts and the island and go to Hollywood with the rest in an attempt to fulfill his dream of becoming a film actor. Does Billy really have tuberculosis? Does he have what it takes to make it in the harsh world that is Hollywood? There's only one way to find out.

"Cripple of Inishmaan" tells the truth........2000-02-29

I have not yet had the chance to read "The Cripple of Inishmaan," however I have had the rare opportunity to see it performed at the Pioneer Memorial Theater in Salt Lake City. This play is absolutely amazing. I enjoyed it from start to finish, despite some of the harsh language. It only served as tool to further explore the characters. This play gave me the opportunity to explore a huge range of emotions in a short amount of time. I was laughing when it started and crying when it ended. The story is beautiful and gives a true and realistic view of humanity as we know it today.

An outstanding play!.......1999-11-03

"The Cripple of Inishmaan" by Martin Macdonagh is an excellent play about the lives and happenings of the people from Inishmaan. Fearful of water after his parents alledgly died in it he will/has never crossed water. Now that a Hollywood film director comes to make a film in a neibhouring island "The man from Aran", Billy decides that it's time to leave Eileen and Kate who have minded him since childhood. The women are totally destressed about his departure and turn to gluttony and senility for consolation. The news comes fronm the local newsteller Johnnypateenmike that Billy has Gone to Hollywood. However having failed in Hollywood Billy returns to Inishmaan to face all the people that he has left behind. He considers suicide but then Helen(a loudspoken local girl) agrees to go on a date with him- even though he is deformed in every possible way. This is a beautifully told story and would draw a tear from a stone. Read it now!

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Even better!
Jane Snedden Peever is my favorite crochet designer
A wealth of more Aran-style designs with new stitch patterns
Aran Sweaters part 2

More Crocheted Aran Sweaters
Jane Snedden Peever
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1564775909

Book Description

It was proven in Crocheted Aran Sweaters—you can create the traditional look of knitted Aran sweaters in crochet! This popular author returns with more Aran-style designs featuring all-new stitch patterns.

· Give a fresh twist to this fashion classic with 13 beautiful sweater and vest patterns

· Create the look of knitted cables, bobbles, moss stitches, and more in crochet

· Use the helpful step-by-step stitches guide for easy reference

Customer Reviews:

Even better!.......2007-01-05

Well, I didn't think it could get any better, but this book does just that. More beautiful sweaters and again, the best instructions and schematics. If you love the first book, you will love this one also. Just not enough time for me to make all the beautiful sweaters.

Jane Snedden Peever is my favorite crochet designer.......2006-08-29

When I picked up this book I was surprised at the designs. They look great and straddle that fine line between conservative and boring. The yarns used are easy to find and make substitutions, and the directions are clear and easy to follow. Most of all I would wear any of the sweaters in the book. Can't wait to start crocheting more aran sweaters.

A wealth of more Aran-style designs with new stitch patterns.......2005-11-06

Jane Snedden Peever's More Crocheted Aran Sweaters provides a sequel to her popular Crocheted Aran Sweaters, providing a wealth of more Aran-style designs with new stitch patterns. Thirteen sweaters and vests are created with the look of knitting cables and moss stitches, plus some crochet patterns. The stitches guide helps make professional, polished results from even the most basic beginner efforts, while the styles are contemporary and appealing.

Aran Sweaters part 2.......2005-09-12

This is the second volume of crocheted Aran sweaters. The first offered a variety of patterns and styles that tempt crocheters of most skill levels to try an Aran sweater. This volume has more of a "traditional Aran" feel to it and seems to be for the more skilled crocheter, with the emphasis on cables and twists. The instructions are clear. Experienced crocheters looking for a traditional Aran look will find much to make in this book. Less experienced crocheters will be happier with the first volume.

Peig: The Autobiography of Peig Sayers of the Great Blasket Island (Irish Studies)

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Sayers and Ferriter
a Californians view
A classic of "poor mouth" literature !
A classic of "poor mouth" literature !
Is maith is cuimhim liom( It is well I remember)

Peig: The Autobiography of Peig Sayers of the Great Blasket Island (Irish Studies)
Peig Sayers
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0815602588

Customer Reviews:

Sayers and Ferriter.......2007-09-22

My mother was a "Mitchell" who traced her lineage to Peig Sayers and Pierce Ferriter. Next month I will visit Ireland for the first time. In preparation for the trip I have finally read "Peig". I should have done it many years ago. It has helped me to understand the thinking of my mom's relatives in Springfield, Mass so many years ago. Devout Catholics all, they had memories of poverty and famine. America offered them hope for a better life, but they never forgot Ireland.

a Californians view.......2003-01-10

In 45 years, I'd never seen this book in my dad's library, but on the night my mother died - I went in there and pulled it from the shelf and started to read through the tears.
I've not too long myself on this bench - figuratively speaking, of course, I hope.

A classic of "poor mouth" literature !.......2000-09-22

This is the story...of a lovely lady! This book was the bane of every school child in Ireland for decades. It used to be on the curriculum so that, despite the fact that you would have to grit your teeth to read it, it was a bestseller in Ireland. It tells the story of Peig Sayers, a woman who lived in the poor and rural south-west of Ireland in the early 20th century. In this book, everyone was poor, no-one had anything, people were evicted from their hovels, life was hard, people died young, children were barefoot, the livestock slept in the house, it was always raining....well, you get the idea.

Peig was born on the mainland of Ireland, but married a fisherman who lived on the Blasket islands, a small collection of islands a few miles off the coast of Kerry. Tough as things were on the mainland, things were tougher still here! You were lashed by the Atlantic, the wind could blow you off the cliffs, and you could be drowned while you were fishing, and that was on a good day! The book tells of her struggle to be accepted by the islanders, how she brought up her large family, how she coped with the death of some of her sons fishing, and the folklore, stories, and culture all around her.

This book, and others like it from other authors on other islands ("The Islander" being another good example) formed a literary style which became known as "the poor mouth". They all share similar characteristics as they described the oppresive hardships suffered stoically by the people. Even now in Ireland, anyone whinging about their bad situation would be dismissed as "putting on the poor mouth" and everyone would know what was meant. There is even a spoof "poor mouth" book by Flann O'Brien, which is well worth reading as an antidote to all the hardship and depression!

Now that Peig is no longer force fed down poor school children's throats, it has been re-appraised as a valuable historical record of western Irish culture, and no longer as an instrument of torture. Now that you don't HAVE to read it, more people now seem to WANT to read it! The book was originally written in the Irish language since that was the only language Peig spoke, but a translation in English is available.

If you want a glimpse of an Ireland now long gone (and it really is long gone, despite what anyone might tell you), you can't go wrong with Peig. Just make sure you have a good supply of prozac close to hand.

A classic of "poor mouth" literature !.......2000-09-22

Is maith is cuimhim liom( It is well I remember).......2000-03-07

I did this book at school in Irish, being really square I liked it.Peig told her story of hardship and poverty with humour,and dignity. It gave real insight into the life of the Irish tennant farmer in the early 19th century, I even used it for my thesis at uni. Good book

The Emergence of Civilization (Study in Prehistory)

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The Emergence of Civilization (Study in Prehistory)
Colin Renfrew
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Traditional Aran Knitting
Shelagh Hollingworth
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048644807X

Book Description

Known and prized around the world in the form of the "Irish fisherman's sweater," Aran knitting features distinctive, highly textured patterns of cables and ropes. Suitable for novices to the Aran style as well as for experienced knitters, this guide offers start-to-finish advice. More than 20 patterns, illustrated by 117 close-up photographs, include:
• Traditional fisherman's sweater
• Family sweater, with round, polo, or V-neck
• Cardigans
• Jackets and coats
• Hat, mittens, and scarf set
• Cushion covers
Traditional Aran Knitting also explains the history of the craft and the meaning behind the coded "messages" woven into the unique Aran patterns.

Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers

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Island of the Setting Sun: In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers
Anthony Murphy , and Richard Moore
Manufacturer: Liffey Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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