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McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland | 
| Author: Pete Mccarthy
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $2.96
You Save: $12.99 (81%)
New (24) Used (50) from $2.96
Avg. Customer Rating:  84 reviews
Sales Rank: 63969
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1
ISBN: 0312311338
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9780312311339
ASIN: 0312311338
Publication Date: March 3, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Despite the many exotic places Pete McCarthy has visited, he finds that nowhere else can match the particular magic of Ireland, his mother’s homeland. In McCarthy's Bar, his journey begins in Cork and continues along the west coast to Donegal in the north. Traveling through spectacular landscapes, but at all times obeying the rule, “never pass a bar that has your name on it,” he encounters McCarthy’s bars up and down the land, meeting fascinating people before pleading to be let out at four o’clock in the morning. Written by someone who is at once an insider and an outside, McCarthy's Bar is a wonderfully funny and affectionate portrait of a rapidly changing country.
Amazon.com
Although Pete McCarthy was raised in England, his mother hails from West Cork, and, despite never having lived there, he can't shake the strange feeling that Ireland is more home than home. A return pilgrimage reveals immediately why he (or anyone, for that matter) feels "involved and engaged" in Ireland. On arriving at the airport in Cork he's greeted by a guy in a giant rubber Celtic cross getup who's telling jokes with a latter-day St. Patrick (the guy who cast all snakes and pagans out of Ireland). Later, when McCarthy happens to mention that his surname matches that of the pub he's in (ever faithful to his Eighth Rule of Travel: "Never Pass a Bar That Has Your Name on It"), the owner buys him a Guinness, invites him to her raucous all-night birthday party, then insists he move to Ireland because, well, obviously he belongs. McCarthy's Second Rule of Travel states: "The More Bright Primary Colours and Ancient Celtic Symbols Outside the Pub, the More Phoney the Interior." While the island is turning into a haven for upmarket tourists--and McCarthy offers outstanding examples of bumbleheaded tourists in action--he still finds plenty of pubs where you can buy a bicycle and which still exist primarily as venues for conversation and Irish music sessions. While most travel writers seek out opportunities to meet the famous--or the infamous--McCarthy has the charming knack of just bumping into them on his rambles, which is how he met Noel Redding, formerly of Jimi Hendrix's band, and the author Frank McCourt. Far more interesting, though, are the eccentric and talkative bachelors and landladies who turn up in pubs, B&Bs, and the middle of the road. McCarthy has mastered the art of getting creatively lost, wandering the back lanes of Ireland where the hype of tourism has yet to arrive, pursuing stone circles, impossibly romantic ruined abbeys, and, of course, pubs. What he discovers is that "In Ireland, the unexpected happens more than you expect," which makes for a hilarious tour through one of the most beautiful, friendly, and quirky places on earth with a comedian who has honed the art of telling a good story and of having fun. --Lesley Reed
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| Customer Reviews: Read 79 more reviews...
 McCarthy's Bar July 17, 2008
Fantastic account of an Englishman's desire to be Irish. Hilarious.
The account link's historical fact with whimsy and is soul searching at the same time. It captures the essence of the Irish Pub.
 McCarthy's Scrambled pages April 29, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
The delivery and price were fine, but the pages in the middle of the book are all scrambled up and I had no patience to deal with it.
Funny and informative March 16, 2008
It took me a while to finish this book, not because I didn't enjoy, to the contrary, I wanted to make it last as long as possible, so I rationed out 10 or so pages a day and would get my fill of laughs and insight into traveling in modern Ireland.
So well written, and hilarious, as well. September 26, 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - Mr. McCarthy's humor and insight into the factors and foibles of humans had me laughing through each chapter. Bravo!
Brilliant Book - Funny, Poignant, & Informative July 23, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
After reading the negative reviews of this book (and there aren't many), I wonder two things: did those reviewers read the same thing that I did and, if so, do they have any appreciation for good writing?! McCarthy's book is excellent, and his sharp wit and superb sense of humor come across brilliantly throughout the pages. On my first visit to Ireland in December 2006, I stopped by several of the places that he describes, including Abeystrowry, Dursey Head, and MacCarthy's bar. They were made all the more special by knowing that I was trodding in Pete's footsteps. His book is well worth the time and money you'll spend, and you may find yourself reading it again and again (as I have). Ignore the negative reviews (there will always be boorish morons in the world), and treat yourself to a fantastic read!
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