› › I Never Knew That About The Irish

I Never Knew That About the Irish

Author : Christopher Winn

Publisher : Macmillan

Page : 306 pages

File Size : 44,49 MB

Release : 2011-02-15

Category : Travel

ISBN : 1429991003

Get eBook

Book Description

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey around Ireland, discovering the traditions, triumphs and disasters, foibles, quirks and customs that make up the Irish people. From their peccadilloes to their passions he uncovers entertaining stories and astonishing facts that will amuse and inform in equal measure. Travel from coast to coast across Ireland and learn how every county contributes to the distinct Irish personality in its own unique and different ways. From County Leitrim, the most sparsely populated county in the Republic of Ireland to County Louth, Ireland's smallest geographic county, discover the site of the first play performed in the Irish language, sail the longest navigable inland waterway in Europe and watch the horse racing at Ireland's first all-weather racecourse. Listen to the memories and tales of ordinary folk from every walk of life and find out from them what it means to be Irish. I Never Knew That About the Irish is an irresistible book, beguilingly illustrated with pen and ink drawings. It gives a captivating insight into the heritage, memories and monuments that have shaped each county in Ireland.



I Never Knew That About Ireland

Author : Christopher Winn

Publisher : Random House

Page : 324 pages

File Size : 14,80 MB

Release : 2012-03-31

Category : Travel

ISBN : 1448146070

Get eBook

Book Description

Take the ultimate trip around Ireland Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes us on a fascinating journey around Ireland, to discover the tales buried deep in Irish history. Packed full of myths and legends, firsts, birthplaces, inventions and adventures, this fact book visits each of the four provinces - Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connaught - and unearths the hidden gems that each county in these provinces holds. Discover where people and ideas were born, where dreams were inspired and where the unforgettable figures of Ireland's past now slumber. You'll be able to visit the holy mountain, Croagh Patrick in Country Mayo, where St Patrick is said to have driven all the snakes in Ireland into the sea. At Lismore Castle in County Waterford you will uncover the bathroom dedicated to Fred Astaire, whose sister Adele was the hugely popular Chatelaine of Lismore in the 1930s and 40s. On the winter solstice you can bathe in the sunlight that fills the burial chamber at Newgrange, County Meath - the oldest solar observatory in the world. This irresistible compendium of facts and stories will give you a captivating insight into the Irish, and the ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of every place you visit, and will have you exclaiming again and again: 'Well, I never knew that!'



I Never Knew That About Scotland

Author : Christopher Winn

Publisher : Random House

Page : 292 pages

File Size : 11,45 MB

Release : 2012-03-31

Category : Travel

ISBN : 1448146089

Get eBook

Book Description

The inspiration for the primetime ITV series on Great Britain, this is the ultimate journey around Scotland from bestselling author Christopher Winn. Travelling county by county, this irresistible miscellany unearths the enthralling stories, firsts, birthplaces, legends and inventions that shape the country's rich and majestic history. To uncover the spellbinding tales that lie hidden within Scotland's wild and romantic shores, to experience what inspired the country's powerful literature and towering castles, and to tread in the footsteps of her villains and victors, is to capture the spirit of this fascinating country and bring every place you visit to life. You will discover the story of the original 'sweetheart', John Balliol, whose embalmed heart is buried beside his devoted wife Devorgilla at Sweetheart Abbey in Kirkcudbrightshire. In Aberdeen you will find the only granite cathedral in the world. And you will hear the haunting echo of the Bear Gates of Traquair House in Peeblesshire were slammed shut when Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland in 1746 - legend has it that they will never be re-opened until a Stuart King once more sits on the throne. This beautifully illustrated treasure trove of interesting facts about the history of Scotland is the perfect gift, and will act as an eye-opening guide to this thrilling, alluring and ever-bewitching country.



1001 Things Everyone Should Know about Irish American History

Author : Edward T. O'Donnell

Publisher : Gramercy

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 12,49 MB

Release : 2006

Category : Ireland

ISBN : 9780517227541

Get eBook

Book Description

Complete yet concise, and beautifully documented with more than 100 historic photos, there is no better tribute to Irish-American history, a cultural cornerstone of our nation. High school & older.



Who's Irish?

Author : Gish Jen

Publisher : Vintage

Page : 226 pages

File Size : 18,95 MB

Release : 2012-08-29

Category : Fiction

ISBN : 0307826546

Get eBook

Book Description

In this dazzling collection of short stories, the award-winning author of the acclaimed novels Thank You, Mr. Nixon and Mona in the Promised Land—presents a "sparkling ... gently satiric look at the American Dream and its fallout on those who pursue it" (The New York Times). The stories in Who's Irish? show us the children of immigrants looking wonderingly at their parents' efforts to assimilate, while the older generation asks how so much selfless hard work on their part can have yielded them offspring who'd sooner drop out of life than succeed at it. With dazzling wit and compassion, Gish Jen looks at ambition and compromise at century's end and finds that much of the action is as familiar—and as strange—as the things we know to be most deeply true about ourselves.



I Never Knew That About Wales

Author : Christopher Winn

Publisher : Random House

Page : 210 pages

File Size : 22,53 MB

Release : 2009-05-27

Category : Travel

ISBN : 1407028235

Get eBook

Book Description

The inspiration for the primetime ITV series on Great Britain, this is a spellbinding journey around Wales by bestselling author Christopher Winn. Packed full of legends, firsts, birthplaces, inventions and adventures, I Never Knew That About Wales visits the thirteen traditional Welsh counties and unearths the hidden gems that they each hold. Discover where history and legends happened; where people, ideas and inventions began; where dreams took flight; where famous figures were born and now rest. A glittering pantheon of writers and artists, thinkers and inventors, heroes and villains have lived and toiled in this small country. Remarkable events, noble (and dastardly) deeds and exciting adventures have all taken place with Wales as their backdrop. This book seeks out their heritage, their monuments, their memories and their secrets. You'll be able to visit Britain's smallest city, St David's with its glorious 12th-century cathedral slumbering in a sleepy hollow near the sea. Explore Britain's greatest collection of castles from the first stone fortress at Chepstow to Britain's finest concentric castle at Beaumaris and the magnificent Caernarvon, birthplace of the first Prince of Wales. Browse through the second hand book capital of the world, Hay-on-Wye, wander the glorious Gower peninsula, Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Take a trip to Fishguard, where the last invasion of Britain took place in 1797. Marvel at Thomas Telford's Menai Bridge, the world's first iron suspension bridge or Pontcysyllte, the longest bridged aqueduct in Britain. This irresistible compendium of interesting facts and good stories will give you a captivating insight into the people, ideas and events that have shaped the individual identity of every place you visit, and will have you exclaiming again and again: 'Well, I never knew that!'



Round Ireland with a Fridge

Author : Tony Hawks

Publisher : Macmillan

Page : 270 pages

File Size : 27,3 MB

Release : 2001-03-07

Category : Humor

ISBN : 9780312274924

Get eBook

Book Description

Recounts the author's experiences hitchhiking on a bet all the way around Ireland with a small refrigerator, and shares his impressions of the people and places along the way.



The Little Book of Irishisms

Author : Aimee Alexander

Publisher :

Page : 170 pages

File Size : 30,58 MB

Release : 2021-03-02

Category :

ISBN : 9781914437007

Get eBook

Book Description

If an Irish person said to you, "Gimmie that yoke," would you think they were talking about an egg? If so, 99% of the time, you'd be wrong. How about banjaxed, bockety or craic? Any idea what they mean? The Little Book of Irishisms is for anyone who wants to understand the Irish, not just our words but how we are as people, relaxed about some things, picky about others. It's also for those who'd like to sound Irish, even just for Paddy's Day. You'll learn tricks to Irishify your chat - and how to avoid those clangers that people think we say but never do, like the classic, "Top of the morning to you." If you're coming to Ireland and want to fit right in, this book's for you. If you can't make it, here's a way of visiting in spirit. "Go on, go on, go on. You will, you will, you will," to quote the infamous Irish comedy, Father Ted. The Little Book of Irishisms is the perfect novelty gift for St. Patrick's Day, as a Christmas stocking filler, or at any time to someone who appreciates what it means to be Irish.



Thirty-Two Words for Field

Author : Manchán Magan

Publisher : Bonnier Books UK

Page : 214 pages

File Size : 36,8 MB

Release : 2024-02-29

Category : History

ISBN : 1804184047

Get eBook

Book Description

Rediscover the lost words of an ancient land in this new and updated edition of an international bestseller. Most people associate Britain and Ireland with the English language, a vast, sprawling linguistic tree with roots in Latin, French, and German, and branches spanning the world, from Australia and India to North America. But the inhabitants of these islands originally spoke another tongue. Look closely enough and English contains traces of the Celtic soil from which it sprung, found in words like bog, loch, cairn and crag. Today, this heritage can be found nowhere more powerfully than in modern-day Gaelic. In Thirty-Two Words for Field Manchán Magan explores the enchantment, sublime beauty and sheer oddness of a 3000-year-old lexicon. Imbuing the natural world with meaning and magic, it evokes a time-honoured way of life, from its 32 separate words for a field, to terms like loisideach (a place with a lot of kneading troughs), bróis (whiskey for a horseman at a wedding), and iarmhaireacht (the loneliness you feel when you are the only person awake at cockcrow). Told through stories collected from Magan's own life and travels, Thirty-Two Words for Field is an enthralling celebration of Irish words, and a testament to the indelible relationship between landscape, culture and language.



How the Irish Saved Civilization

Author : Thomas Cahill

Publisher : Anchor

Page : 274 pages

File Size : 11,29 MB

Release : 2010-04-28

Category : History

ISBN : 0307755134

Get eBook

Book Description

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.