A Secret Map of Ireland

by Rosita Boland

When the award-winning Irish Times’ journalist Rosita Boland was a schoolgirl she had? in common with all Irish children?a map of Ireland. Iconic in its pinks, greens and yellows, the Educational Company map was a staple of the Irish schoolhouse. As the author matured and changed, so did the unique country she grew to know first-hand. With deep affection and curiosity, she followed her very own map from those by-gone schooldays to take the reader on a tour of Ireland, a tour like no other. In 32 colorful essays, Rosita visits each of the counties on the island and brings back tales so unusual that they could only be ‘of Ireland.’ This is not your ordinary travel guide! From the monkey who crash-landed an American B-17 en route from Marrakesh to the French mausoleum in Monivea; from Europe’s most westerly , and windiest weather station to the Tayto factory in Armagh, this delightful book promises a most unusual, and engaging, exploration of a mad and marvelous land.

Genres: Ireland, Travel, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, History

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An investigation into a quirky fact or fable associated with each of the counties of Ireland, by a writer for the Irish Times. While some of her adventures are interesting, it's not really appropriate for Irish visitors interested in a specific part of Irish culture, such as its monasteries and churches, or its literary or historical heritage. The author admits she favors kitsch, and there's too much of it in these pages for my taste.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but unfortunately only intermittently interesting content. The author sets out to paint a picture of Ireland in 32 stories, one for each of its 32 counties. Her writing is fine -- not better than "fine," but not worse -- and SOME of the stories are very interesting. Others just aren't.

I enjoyed reading about her experience visiting Skellig Michael in County Kerry, for example, because Skellig Michael is an inherently interesting place to read about, in competent hands. I didn't particularly enjoy reading about her visit to a fake "Faerie Park & Model Village" in Sligo, because that's NOT an interesting thing to read about, at all. I suppose a spectacular writer or thinker could have crafted something compelling with that subject matter, but Ms. Boland couldn't ... and as I read what she did create I couldn't help but feel that I was wasting my time, and asking myself why she didn't choose to write about one of the million and one more interesting Sligo subjects (Benbulben, Carrowkeel, Yeats, etc.)! Too many of her story choices were just not sufficiently interesting, and her writing isn't good enough to overcome those mediocre choices.

Bottom line: an easy read an mostly not an unpleasant one, but there are so many great books to read (in general, and about Ireland in particular) that I'd recommend not picking this one.

[Tiia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took me a lot of motivation to read. Some of the subjects she picked for counties really puzzled me and I couldn't get the point or could not get motivated and interested. Then some places were really interesting and I had to get Google out to search more. And some were interesting only because they were somehow familiar, which would be the case if you're Irish or lived in the country long enough to know some less famous part of their history. Worth reading, but definitely not a masterpiece or good starting point for the ultimate Irish tour. The book included a lot of her own interests and family history, which is probably the reason behind writing such a book in the first place.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some definite ups and downs in this book. Loved some county stories, laughing out loud at the experiences, and really didn’t like some others. A mix of entertaining and downright boring.

[Darragh Kelly]

Terrific book, quirky, informative and entertaining. Rosita Boland is a wonderful writer...

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept but some stories were less interesting than others. It could have been a must read for tourists if it was re-marketed and better content was included

[Liam Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting. So many places and stories I had never heard of. Liked how unique some of the choices were for some counties

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read. My favorite chapter was the one where the author and her two brothers wrangle an invitation to stay at the lighthouse on Skellig Rock. Then due to weather, their visit is postponed for days. Once there, they have difficulty getting off the island. I was very fortunate to finally visit Skellig in 1998 when finally good weather and being in Kerry at the same time. It is amazing that monks lived there hundreds of years ago.

[Terzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another mostly enjoyable book about Ireland, this time from the point of view of an award-winning Dublin-based journalist who decided to write something quirky about every county on the island. The results were mixed, but I particularly enjoyed her account of a stay on the Skelligs.

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing travel book! Written by a journalist for the Irish Times, she dedicates each chapter to a different county and finds some great little gem in each. So much fun to read and it makes me want to go there all the more.