The Truth About the Irish

by Terry Eagleton

If you're looking for a field guide to leprechauns, The Truth About the Irish is not the book for you. But if you can handle a frank and funny look into the minds and hearts of Irish people, you've been touched by that fabled Irish luck. Covering all things Irish from Blarney to Yeats, renowned literary and cultural critic Terry Eagleton separates the myths from the reality with his priceless blend of sidesplitting humor, caustic commentary, and the honest lowdown on the beloved and bewildering country of Ireland.

Genres: Nonfiction, Ireland, Humor, Cultural, Comedy, Irish Literature, Travel

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Widely regarded as England's most influential living literary critic & theorist, Dr. Terry Eagleton currently serves as Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Lancaster and as Visiting Professor at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He was Thomas Warton Prof. of English Literature at the University of Oxford ('92-01) & John Edward Taylor Professor of English Literature at the University of Manchester 'til '08. He returned to the University of Notre Dame in the Autumn '09 semester as Distinguished Visitor in the English Department.

He's written over 40 books, including Literary Theory: An Introduction ('83); The Ideology of the Aesthetic ('90) & The Illusions of Postmodernism ('96).
He delivered Yale's '08 Terry Lectures and gave a Gifford Lecture in 3/10, titled The God Debate.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the truth about the Irish? They don't come from "a dear old land of fairies and wondrous wishing wells", for starters. All that "begorrah" crap is inspired by sentimental Irish-Americans and sustained by those Irish who profit from the tourist trade. As Eagleton--a well known literary critic with a brisk, delightful style--emphasizes (italics his): Ireland is just as modern as wherever you come from.

Eagleton wrote this in 1999, before the "Celtic Tiger" peaks and the valleys to follow, and the need for his realistic, corrective view is less now than it was then. Still, what he has to say is still worth listening to--particularly if--like me--you are a recently retired Irish-American raised on John Ford's The Quiet Man and Irish Spring soap commercials who is contemplating a trip to Ireland. Besides, this book is so full of wit, good humor and interesting facts that it is worth your while anyway.

It is in the form of a dictionary of Irish culture filled with eccentrically titled entries--Beauty, Biffo, Begorrah (just to cover the "B's")--and other more conventional entries as well. (Eagleton begins his Absey-book with "Alcohol", which he calls "the Aaardvark of the Irish people.")

Some interesting facts:

*William Butler Yeats once failed to win a university teaching position because he misspelled "professor" on his employment application.

*During the 1916 Easter Rising, a couple of rebels left their post office stronghold to put up bills proclaiming The Republic, but they quickly returned when they realized they had forgotten the paste.

*Irish Stew was invented by Irish immigrants in England. The Irish couldn't afford the meat and vegetables to make it.

*The development of Irish is better documented than any European language except Latin.

*It was the 19th century Irish--thanks to Daniel O'Connell and his "monster rallys"--who invented the modern mass political movement, later associated with Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

There's a lot more good stuff in here, for I've only scratched the surface. Above all, though, I liked this book for the sense it gives of the Irish people: shrewd, cynical, lovers of a good joke or good conversation, always ready to use their wit to deflate the pompous, expose the fool, and debunk the fraud.

But you won't find any warm hearted, innocent peasants there. That's just a big steaming pile of "begorrah" for the tourists.

[Candace Hough · Rating 1 out of 5]

This did not age well. Will be recycled so no other reader (who struggles to bail on a book, no matter how bad) has the misfortune to start this rubbish.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious. Insightful.

[Jason King · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book, on the strength of the blurb, for an Irish-American friend, who betrayed a few alarming misconceptions about the “home country” in conversation, which I attribute to a surfeit of John Ford movies. I hope he likes it more than I, a member of the London Irish diaspora, with two full Irish parents and little sense of romanticism about the place. The book is thin and a little dated, having been written at the height of the Celtic Tiger property boom, and also suffers from Eagleton’s woke perspective on the world. However, it is amusing in parts and stands as a corrective to some enduring myths and misconceptions so I hope it will fulfil my purpose.

[Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew Eagleton from other literary criticism, so I figured this would be a well-reasoned approach to the common misconceptions of the Irish, and it was...a bit cheeky in parts, so I couldn't really go 4 stars, because I got a bit exasperated behind it a few times.

But it did answer a nagging question about why my friends Gaelic Footie team is called the "wild geese"; apparently it describes Irish revolutionaries who fled home to France to fight alongside the French against the Brits. So that was worth reading the whole book to find out!

Definitely worth reading if you are planning a first trip to Ireland.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eagleton's book is a little out of date (from 1999), though it is funny, in a grim way, to read him anticipating trouble even during Ireland's economic ascent. This is a book written with alphabetical entries and it offers debunking and history written by the literary critic. It is didactic at times, but generally good humored (by which I mean the cranky kind of humor I most enjoy). Good for the little bits of Irish blood in me.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll admit I sometimes wasn't too sure how seriously to take Eagleton, but I certainly enjoyed the ride. The humor was sometimes sarcastic, sometimes deadpan, sometimes understated, and soemtimes completely unexcpected. The book is structured rather like an encyclopedia with entries on famous Irish people, events, terms, etc. This is a fun and easy book to read in snatches.

[Rashers Tierney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A likeable and balanced account of what the modern Irish are really like. Varied and entertaining, with entries on everything from Irish politics to farming--as well as our complicated historical interactions with the English.

[Ju Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful reading. The author talks about interesting things in a good conversation mood. For those who love Ireland and the Irish, and also for those who don't - IF these people exist.

[Matty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some interesting information, but too dull.

[Maura Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny book, written by a brilliant man, who surprisingly can also be pretty silly when he wants to be.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*, rounded down.

Very funny, especially the first half. I like the organization of the book with words, and the FIF (Fact to Impress your Friends) footnotes are all quite good.

The second third is a bit of a slog at parts with the Nationalists and the Unionists, but it's interesting all the same. 

There were so many interesting stories and fun facts in this, but while I enjoyed reading it, I did feel like most of the information didn't stick in my head at all, which was disappointing.

Some favorite quotes:

"Most of these facts are quite unknown, largely because they are boring."

"The image of the Irish as heavy drinkers was often based on Irish immigrants abroad rather than those at home. And immigrants have sorrows they need to drown."

Regarding Britain -- "The main contact they used to have with other nations was colonizing them, which isn't the most effective way of getting to know them."

"The country managed for a long time to avoid some of the typical disruptions of modern life by the mind-bendingly simple technique of stubbornly refusing to modernise."

Construction joke -- "'You thick Paddy. You wouldn't even know the difference between a joist and a girder.' 'Sure I do,' said the Irishman. 'Joyce wrote Ulysses and Goethe wrote Faust.'"

"Whereas most nations are landmasses with people living on them, with Ireland the landmass is in one place and most of the people in another... One result of this is that the landmass itself becomes rapidly unreal."

[Janette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have had a dream to visit Ireland someday for my entire life, but this book pretty much shattered that dream. I was expecting a fun and funny little jaunt into the life of the Irish, but ended up with a rather dismal view of the people and the country. This was written several years ago, so perhaps things have changed. But if Mr. Eagleton is Irish himself (I'm honestly not sure, but assume he is/was), then I'm not sure what his purpose was in writing this book. It was so offputting and seemed to really insult everything and everyone Irish over and over again. I did pick up a few history tidbits and the like, but it left me with the conclusion that the beautiful and interesting land I've always dreamed of seeing is anything but, and that no right-minded person would ever want to go there. It actually made me quite sad and, again, I have no idea why anyone would write a book like this. As my Mom used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." That really seems to apply here. If Mr. Eagleton's goal was to completely insult Ireland and ensure that tourists never want to visit there, then mission accomplished.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

"If you're looking for a field guide to leprechauns, The Truth About the Irish is not the book for you. But if you can handle a frank and funny look into the minds and hearts of the Irish people, you've been touched by that fabled Irish luck. Covering all things Irish from Blarney to Yeats, renowned literary and cultural critic Terry Eagleton separates the myths from the reality with his priceless blend of sidesplitting humor, caustic commentary, and the honest lowdown on the beloved and bewildering country of Ireland."
~~back cover

It wasn't as funny as all that, imho. And parts of it were downright boring. So I struggled through to page 101 (of 181) and gave it up as not worth the reading.

[Karen Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given by holiday maker whilst on my first Visit to Lanzarote .
A/Z tongue in cheek reference book to all things Irish .
Learnt a few things I think and certainly laughed a lot at a lot of the punchlines and Irish humour throughout .

[Kodiaksm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun! The book is outdated in many respects but enjoyable in preparing for a 2017 visit to Ireland.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was amusing, but dated.

I read about 60 % of it.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully satirical and sarcastic book, written in an encyclopedia format. Minus one star for publication date being 20 years ago.

[Katie Drop]

Recieved from John Tammi at end of Irish May Term.

[Mariele · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the book came out in 1999, the Irish economy was thriving, and the Irish people were looking forward to a bright future in which they would not have to emigrate to find work and prosperity. Unfortunately, times have changed. Thus, parts of this book sound cynically dated. Nonetheless, it has lots of useful information on Irish history, society, language, culture and mentality, written with insight and a wonderful undercurrent tone of irony.

[D. Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking to find out about the real Ireland then this may be the book for you. It goes through an alphabetical listing of relevant Irish topics and debunks some of the myths while offering some keen insights into what has become an almost fantastical view of the "magical" country of Ireland.

[KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this while anticipating a trip to Ireland. Liked the politics, history, culture, and insight into Irish feelings, attitudes. Although discovery is part of the joy of travel, I also like to have some background so that I can appreciate things that I see and hear at a deeper level, rather than superficially. Entertaining.

[Ktmholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up from a St. Patrick's Day display at the library and have been reading it a little bit at a time ever since--easy to do, as it consists of short essays on various aspects of Irish life, history, and mythology. Though sections on 'modern' Ireland are now slightly outdated (written in 1999), I found it both entertaining and enlightening.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ABC book for grown-ups interested in Irish culture. The first entry is "Alcohol" and the last entry is " Zoological Gardens, Dublin." Some interesting stops along the way include "bogs," "debunkery," "Dublin 4," "emigration," "God," "GUBU," "Happiness," "Wake," and "west."

[Wkwv · Rating 4 out of 5]

1999 view of modern Ireland by an English writer who has written previously more serious books about Irish subjects. His perspective is lovingly sarcastic, trying to debunk foreign misimagination. Light reading in a short encyclopedia format.

[Daniel Wojtak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it before studying abroad in Dublin. The accuracy is uncanny and will prepare you more than 95% of the people who come to visit the country. Gives you a nice insight into what to expect in a humorous manner.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like The Sarcastic Half-truth about the Irish. If I had noticed that this was written in 1999 I would have skipped it. The history was interesting, but the cultural info was of course out of date.

[Joeji · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious encyclopedia of wry Irish entries. If you need to cut through the BS, The Truth is a great way to do it. A great A-Z read.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Eagleton writes like the love child of Terry Pratchett and Richard Armour.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was suprised at such an easy, breezy read from the Lit Crit titan. Thanks for the loan, Erica!