The Irish Way: A Walk Through Ireland's Past and Present

by Robert Emmett Ginna

Since well before Marco Polo’s fabled journey, the literature of travel has always made for grand reading. In The Irish A Walk Through Ireland’s Past and Present , Robert Emmett Ginna has written a memorable contribution to the genre, for here is Ireland, viewed by a veteran traveler intent on depicting the country as it truly is and describing what has made Ireland and the Irish what they are today.

In his eighth decade, Ginna set out to walk the length of Ireland, some 350 miles from its most northerly point, Malin Head, in Donegal, to Kinsale, on the Atlantic coast of Cork. Familiar with the country for many years, Ginna had seen the influx of high-tech industries and membership in the European Union transform Ireland from a poor, largely agricultural country into the prosperous “Celtic tiger.” He wanted to judge for himself what the Irish had gained—and perhaps lost—and what they have preserved from a rich yet tumultuous heritage.

Ginna encountered a host of interesting Irish men and women from many walks of life on his trek through three counties of Northern Ireland and ten counties of the Republic. Among them were the soldiers of the British garrison in Omagh, the young woman who directs the annual film festival in strife-scarred Londonderry, the self-made man who founded the Famine Museum at Strokestown, captains of high-tech industries, and farmers whose families have worked their lands for generations. At Birr, he visited the Earl of Rosse in the castle his family has held for nearly four hundred years and where a forebear constructed what was for seventy-five years the world’s greatest telescope. In Tipperary, Ginna was regaled at a show by rollicking priests, talked horses with a successful racehorse trainer, and met a gentleman farmer who had unearthed an early medieval chalice valued at more than £6 million. In the thriving city of Cork, the Republic’s second largest, Ginna sought out the Lord Mayor, spoke with an innovative police superintendent, explored Cork’s vibrant cultural scene, and met the woman who is probably Ireland’s youngest feature-film director. And of course, all through his journey, Ginna enjoyed serendipitous encounters with engaging characters in the pubs that are at the center of so much of Irish social life.

Weaving song, poetry, and story into his narrative, Ginna brings to life the heroes and rogues, saints and patriots, who have shaped Ireland’s turbulent and colorful culture and history.

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

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Robert Emmett Ginna Jr. was an American magazine reporter, editor, film producer, screenwriter, and Harvard faculty member. He was a founding editor of People magazine, and later was Editor-in-Chief of Little Brown.

Reviews

[Garret Starke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book difficult to get through because of the dense amount of material. The author did a good job of weaving his travels with the history, but at some points I found myself lost in the details. This is the second book I've read on the history of Ireland so it might be me, but I really had to push myself to finish this book. If you're a serious Ireland history buff, this book might be for you, but for introductory readers you may want to find a few more to be able to appreciate the level of detail in this book.

[Joe McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Emmett Ginna has written a most enjoyable travel book of a Donegal-to-Kinsale walk. His writing style, particularly his use of well-chosen adjectives, made the narrative a delight to read. I appreciate his careful descriptions of lodging, churches, pubs, friends, and animals. For me, he made the trip alive.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a lovely, charming, and lively book. Ginna took me on a very fun tour of Ireland. He showed me the sights and taught me the past. Plus, I have tons of ideas as to where to stay, eat, and tour should I ever travel to Ireland.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing was pulling me to finish this book. I liked the idea of the book, but the thought of seeing it out until the end was exhausting.

[Echo · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was about Ireland, so I read it. It was a pretty decent read. There were several places where the author talked about some Irish history that really fascinated me and made me think, "I should remember that and look it up later." (Which, of course, I didn't.) Other parts of the book were less interesting to me, like some of the businessmen he interviewed and a trip to the horse races he talked about. History and social issues really hook me, but I'm afraid business in Ireland doesn't. I enjoyed it most in the beginning, when he was in Northern Ireland, and my interest waned near the end. It was enjoyable enough, but I would have much rather been reading "The Trouble with the Irish (or the English, depending upon your point of view" by Leonard Patrick O'Connor Wibberley. (That, by the way, I can't review because I can't find it, but it is a darn fine book. Then again, if, like me, you don't have an extra $250 to toss away on a rare out of print book, you're probably out of luck.)

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wonder if anyone was willing to edit the editor emeritus?

The story is compelling - a 74-year old man walking all of Ireland - but after a while you get tired of the diary effect: what B&B he stayed in, the pleasantness of the farmhouse decoration, which whiskey, what lamb dish, which battalion of British invited him to which cigar hall. I ended up patchworking some of the historical sections together, which were better although with the classic American-male-amateur-Irish-historian rub.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent walk, written in 2003 in the midst of the Celtic Tiger, which provides (in 2011) interesting insights into how Ireland reacted to the lessening of the troubles and the onset of an unprecedented prosperity. Some of the companies mentioned in the book (with principals interviewed by the author) are now just distant memories, yet others have survived Ireland's recession.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly researched, interesting account of one man's walk through Ireland today. The historical aspect was lovely, however the rest of the story was not interesting enough to keep me actively engaged. Probably my least favorite Irish travelogue so far.

[Andrea]

I hope to travel around Ireland one day, preferably by bike. Thought this book would give me a jump-start. He walks from the northern-most point to the south.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the most boring travelogue I have ever read.

[Jean Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read!