Last of the Donkey Pilgrims: A Man's Journey Through Ireland

by Kevin O'Hara

Kevin O'Hara's journey of self-discovery begins as a mad who in their right mind would try to circle the entire coastline of Ireland on foot―and with a donkey and cart no less?

But Kevin had promised his homesick Irish mother that he would explore the whole of the Old Country and bring back the sights and the stories to their home in Massachusetts. Determined to reach his grandmother's village by Christmas Eve, Kevin and his stubborn but endearing donkey, Missie, set off on 1800-mile trek along the entire jagged coast of a divided Ireland.

Their rollicking adventure takes them over mountains and dales, through smoky cities and sleepy villages, and into the farmhouses and hearts of Ireland's greatest resource―its people.

Along the way, Kevin would meet incredible characters, experience Ireland in all of its glory, and explore not only his Irish past, but find his future self.

“One of the finest books about contemporary Ireland ever written...In a style evocative of Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, O'Hara writes memorably of his most unusual way of touring his ancestral home of Ireland.” ― Library Journal

Genres: Travel, Ireland, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Animals, Irish Literature

432 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2004

Reviews

[janet Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Kevin O'Hara, after serving in Vietnam, was a bit lost and confused in his life and decided to make a trek around Ireland, just at the time the country was bracing for great changes. He did it in the old style, with a donkey and cart - leaving his Irish grannie's home in the West and taking a full year, going clockwise around the entire country. His memoir is very funny, as well as, insightful and at times even spiritual. It took him 30 years to finally finish this book about his pilgrimage of 1979. I am very interested in Ireland so I hesitate to recommend Irish books to others who may not see the same things I do, however, I've recommended this book to others because I think it holds up as a "story" all by itself. Also, when recommending it, I add that the first couple of chapters are a bit slow, but Kevin hits his stride at just about the time he's wrapped up all the plans for his trip and then hit the road. Kevin O'Hara, an Irish American with family ties in Ireland, is an excellent storyteller.

[Shell · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a passage in the book that offers a good summary of this informative, enjoyable book:

The book "extolled the beauty and bounty of the island...
the spirit and cheek of the natives...
the commerce and customs,
the history and poetry of the land."

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book as a complete change of pace from scholarly/MFA readings…and as a salve to a breakup with an Irish girlfriend. Kevin O'Hara is a lovely man, aka British vet James Herriot, and his kindness comes across in his telling of his adventures riding 1,800 miles around Ireland in a donkey-drawn cart. If one is ever feeling cynical about humanity, this is a good book to restore your faith in people. O'Hare and his donkey Missie bring out the best in people, even in places like war-torn Belfast. But O'Hara's prose does draggggggg. It's a slow read, so only attempt if you are in that frame of mind for an extended period of time.

[Bernard Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin O'Hara walked around Ireland with his donkey in the late 1970s because he longed to learn about the country where his mother grew up. His tale describes choosing the right donkey and setting off despite the disbelief of people in his starting point. His aim was to return there by Christmas, giving him about 8 months to complete the trip.

Along the way he paints achingly beautiful pictures of the people and places (and pubs) he encounters. He becomes a kind of seanachai (Irish storyteller), picking up tales of Irish history from various folk along the way. He also talks with radio stations and newspapers along his route and gains a following, essentially guaranteeing his food and shelter...although this doesn't always happen. He also learns about donkeys and how to 'persuade' them to cross and bridge when they've decided not to go there.

If you like travelogues and Ireland you won't be able to put this down.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, but very slow. Man walks around Ireland with a donkey. They walk during the day, at night they find a house to spend the night at, he tells stories and amuses the children. Occasionally stops at a pub. Over and over...so after 300 pages I was bored. But I learned a lot about Ireland's history and culture. The donkey is pretty amusing.

[Rick B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book and find it quite surprising that it's overall rating isn't higher. One would have a hard time finding a better description of Ireland (particularly the coastal areas) and it's people.

Mr. O'Hara has done a fine job of encapsulating the many goods and the few bads about this special, yet divided island. Despite the few bads, the genuine goodness of the people comes shining through in both Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Having visited parts if Ireland in 2013, this excellent book has rekindled my desire to return and enjoy the beauty of the land and it's people once more.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book and well worth reading. The true story of an American guy who whilst visiting family in Ireland decides to spend 8 months walking round the coast of Ireland with a donkey. The story tells of all the characters he met along the way, all the places he visited and their history. Set in 1979 it is the Ireland of old, before modern ways had really set in, little traffic on the roads and plenty of trusting people only too willing to put Kevin and Missy up for the night. Highly enjoyable.

[Jonny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is my coworker in the hospital where I work, and so it certainly helps to know his voice and to picture him in these settings. A gentle, slight and incredibly genial man, a VietNam vet, he took a donkey and travelled around the coastal perimeter of his parents' native land, Ireland, in 1979, including right through the Troubles in Northern Ireland. A great tale (get it?)

[Stephanie Drake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I joked about reading this book for many months as it was gifted to me to fuel my donkey obsession. I read a few pages here and there but I didn’t actually start reading it until about three months ago. Once I got started, I did enjoy walking around Ireland with Kevin O’Hara and his donkey, Missie.

Although this is a story more about Ireland and the Irish people than donkeys. While O’Hara includes beautiful prose, the overall book is quite verbose. I will admit that I grew a fondness for Missie, the donkey, over the 400+ pages. And I enjoyed O’Hara’s wistful mentions of our shared home in the Berkshires. And after reading so much about Ireland, I’m inspired to plan a visit.

[Katy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2019-a book about a hobby (travel, though not necessarily with a donkey).

Ok, to be fair I don't think I've given any book that has to do with Ireland or Australia a low rating. So, I maybe be rating this higher than it merits. But, I loved the description and adventure of it all. It was probably Kevin's least favorite part of the journey, but I really liked reading about his travels in Northern Ireland and how he really portrayed the tension up there.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Kudos to the author for undertaking this pilgrimage around Ireland. It’s a slow go redeemed with many delightful moments.

[Jannekb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully charming memoir of an Irish-American man’s journey around the “ring” of Ireland’s coastline with a donkey (dear Missie McDermott) and cart. His affection for Ireland’s people, his passion for their history and struggles, and his uncanny ability to reproduce the rhythm and timbre of their colorful speech, made this book exceedingly enjoyable. Not too heavy, not too light – just right. I lingered over it for many long weeks – almost two months. I could have finished it more quickly, but I was lingering on mental vacation in Ireland. A wonderful book indeed, especially for an Irish fetishist like myself, and it tied in neatly with the infinitely more somber “Tinkers,” which I finished just before this book.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second read of this wonderful book. The author and I are in the same position with lives in the US and close family in Ireland. He made his journey one year before I arrived to live and go to school for a couple of years there. The scenes he writes about are very familiar to me and resonate with my memories of the place that it was at the time. A wonderful, nostalgic journey for me!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book recounts a man's journey around the perimeter of Ireland, accompanied by a donkey and cart, surviving on the goodwill and open hearts of Ireland's people. It's slow-going as he recounts every meal of mutton stew and pint at the local village pub, but hearing about the generous people he meets on the way makes it worth the read.

[John Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read. It is about a society that we can only imagine in the present day. A society where people took in other people in an effort to help them and to be just plain kind. Very interesting look at many personalities,places, and ways of life.

[Susan W. Waflart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish the author had shared more of their "self" in this....one pub crawl after another!

[Laura Lee Pirtle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book because I was driving the same path that Keven walked his donkey and I hoped it would give me insight to Ireland. It was a bit difficult to get through because there were so many stops in his book and SO many people listed that he met along the way so it became a little redundant. However, as I was working through it, I completed my Irish roundabout and it was more fun to read since I had recently JUST VISITED the places he listed. I appreciated the history he threw in, although sometimes he got a little corny with his monologue....but maybe I would have to if I was alone on that trek, in the dark with a donkey. All in all. I’m very glad I read this book because it gave me a better insight to the Irish people and their kindness and genuine spirit. He truly completed a fabulous journey.

[Rhea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is kind of hilarious. First of all, it's an old man's travel journal. It could have used a hearty edit - it's 430 pages of every single stop he made on his journey, and rather repetitive. Secondly, it is rife with cliches and gimmicks - I'd be embarrassed to know Irish people read it and saw all the stereotypes about them unabashedly in print. It was hard to swallow that the narrator thought he was on the receiving end of "Irish(American) luck" and religious calling, never imagining how differently his trip would have gone if he were a woman or a person of color. However, for me, this book was a whimsical way to learn more about Irish geography, history, and folklore. It gave me some must-see stops for my next trip there. I also learned more than I ever cared to about donkeys.

[Janelle Fallan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it felt plodding and repetitious, it was entertaining. I felt Kevin was a little too cavalier about Missy. For example, he had been told to rub her hooves with used motor oil, but then admits that he sort of quit doing it.
It did give me a better feeling for the Irish "troubles" even though it was set in 1979 and published almost 20 years ago.
This book really needed to be edited by someone who knows the difference between lay/lie and I/me. Also, the "conversations" he has -- the descriptions of battles and sites that people tell him -- sound a lot like Wikipedia entries. Which is not how people talk.

[Maggie Eisenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a combination of a description of Ireland's landscape and people and a giant thank-you card that mentions every person who ever gave the author a meal, a place to sleep, or just a funny story to tell. If you are a fan of Ireland or hoping to be able to travel there this is full of ideas for things to see versus things not worth the bother. If you are actually Irish to any degree it will also re-inflame your resentment against the many injustices committed against this island by the English over the centuries.

[Nickolai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Хотел прочитать эту книгу после того, как закончил великолепный роман Тони Хоукса «С холодильником по Ирландии». К сожалению, несмотря на множество хороших отзывов, данное произведение мне не очень понравилось. В нем нет целостного восприятия истории и культуры Ирландии. Очень мало юмора. А вместо этого - многократно повторяющиеся описания природы и людей, живущих в этой стране, а также их гостеприимства. Поэтому четверть книги было читать довольно легко и интересно. Но потом постоянно возникало ощущение дежа вю.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin has captured a glimpse of Ireland during the time of the Troubles, some fifty years back now.

His journey with his donkey, as he walks beside her around the island, is sort of a compulsive read. Each day is similar, a mandatory destination, food and shelter always a question, the weather often promising misery, but he goes on - and I keep reading.

The people he meets are with rare exceptions, welcoming and friendly, and exchange shelter, a meal and their stories in exchange for his tales of the journey.

I recommend this if you have a taste for travel, or have an interest in Ireland as it was fifty years ago.

[Laura J Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a joy to read of all the small and large towns they visited and the great and difficult experiences. I love Ireland but have not been to all the towns but do know, where I've visited, the people in Ireland are the most caring I've ever met.
Thank you to Kevin for documenting his travels to share with us.

[Terrie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It is so engaging. I've read it at least seven times, possibly more. Kevin brings to life his characters, his donkey and himself. His descriptions of Ireland are lovely. Who couldn't like this book?

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* for the premise and story. However, it does drag, I don't want to hear of each day's events, a summary of less interesting locales would do. I gave up after he had travelled about 30% of the way around.

[Kim Armstrong Silcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific travelogue of a young man's walk around the coast of Ireland with his trusty donkey, Missy Mickdermot. Great descriptions of Irish history, lore, landscape, and most of all, the charming people he meets along the way, who take in a stranger without any hesitation.

[BunsenH · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable journey around Ireland with the Donkeyman! It gave some historical insight on life there in the late '70's.

[Bobby Ontario]

Great read.

[Mickey Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing journey made more amazing by the people he encounters along the way.

[Ashley : bostieslovebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was impossible for me to read LAST OF THE DONKEY PILGRIMS and not be consumed by wanderlust.