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The Cats of Ireland: An Irish Gift for Cat Lovers, with Legends, Tales, and Trivia Galore

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DO YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE CATS??Did you know they played a huge role in Irish history? Like to know more...?This funny, informative book has tons of the kinds of fun stories and fascinating trivia that cat lovers can't get enough of...It tells you EVERYTHING you might possibly like to know about how cats shaped Irish history and culture...DID YOU KNOW?--There’s a luxury Irish hotel that gives plain old kitties the 5-Star treatment?--That Irish pop star Enya hides from the world in a castle by the sea--that’s packed full of felines?--That in medieval times any Irish cat was worth a whopping three times as much as a cow?This one-of-a-kind book has TONS of fun cat stories, unusual trivia and quirky feline facts that are sure to entertain and educate you.

NOW YOU CAN DISCOVER...--How you can say goodbye to the rat race and move to Ireland with your cat--How catnip farming could be the future for Irish agriculture.--The very best Irish cat names for your brand-new kitten.

AND.. much, much more!

This unique book features Irish cat stories, historical Irish trivia and fun feline facts from Ireland that are sure to entertain and intrigue you.WHY DON'T YOU CLICK "ADD TO CART" OR "BUY NOW"? -- for you or as the perfect gift for a cat lover?

Stock up on The Cats of Ireland

BirthdaysChristmasThank-you giftsAnd of course--for St. Patrick’s Day...My name is Seamus Mullarkey. For years upon years, I've been looking up old newspapers, leafing through out-of-print books, and scouring the Internet to get to the heart of just how those darn kitties have won the world's hearts. I've collected all of that fascinating information within the covers of this entertaining and intriguing little book.

--I know EVERYTHING there is to know about Ireland's incredible cats. Now, you can too!

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 9, 2021

143 people are currently reading
74 people want to read

About the author

Seamus Mullarkey

28 books10 followers

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5 stars
35 (35%)
4 stars
37 (37%)
3 stars
18 (18%)
2 stars
6 (6%)
1 star
2 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for SaraBeth.
2 reviews20 followers
August 24, 2022
I received a free audiobook version in return for my honest opinion.

I loved all the different tidbits of Irish feline knowledge. I wish the history section was longer, but it was about as long as the other sections. The narrators voice was very nice and soothing.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
1,144 reviews40 followers
March 26, 2025
Irish Cats

I really enjoyed this book about the Irish love of cats. It also gave me a lot of new insight into the country itself. The Emerald Isle has had a long history, and many different stories are told about it. This book gives some of those the spotlight.
11.5k reviews48 followers
February 17, 2022
A lovely read with a lot of information about the place and role of cats in Ireland through history

All I can say is if you want to learn all about cats in Ireland, from historical, legend and current then The Cats of Ireland is a book for you. I had not idea what to expect when I picked this book up but I could not resist and I just loved the cover. Yeah I know never judge a book by it's cover but sometimes you just need to buy a book because of it's cover. I will say that the sections of cats in song, story and verse and quirky cats were my favorites. This book may not have been anything like I was expecting but it sure was a lovely and entertaining read. I learned a lot about cats in Ireland and just what a role they have played over the history of that Green Gaelic Isle.
Profile Image for NurseyByNature.
113 reviews2 followers
July 31, 2023
This was an all right book. I think I was expecting more of the humor that's featured in some of the author's other works and this one was more just straightforward and factual.

With that said, the author obviously did his research and compiled an extensive collection of Irish cat facts, split up into categories like art, history, entertainment, folklore etc. Each chapter is prefaced with a kitty picture.

I found some parts to be more interesting than others and being that I have some Irish heritage, I found myself reading the book more for the Irish history than the actual cat stories.

It's a decent little book which can be read in about an hour, but it was a bit dry at times for my taste.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Eileen.
852 reviews11 followers
January 22, 2024
Seamus Mullarkey has researched and created a fun read. Sure, 'tis a bit o' trivia about Irish cats in the here and now; entertainment for you and your moggie. Mullarkey includes legend, myth, and history in his book. Read this book to appreciate the value of a cat's purr-and the value of a cat. Years ago, a cat was worth three cows. Cats are common in Ireland and are frequently found by the fireplace, but they are also welcome in pubs and restaurants. The typical Irish cat is a moggie, black with white spots. If you are Irish, add this book to your library. If not, it makes great St. Patrick's Day gift.
Profile Image for Jennifer Peer.
Author 4 books27 followers
April 7, 2022
The Cats of Ireland was such an entertaining read. I especially loved the story of Pangur Ban and his companion, the Irish monk because I didn’t realize that cats were allowed in the monasteries.
Some of the historical tales are dark, Raining Cats and Dogs for example. Others were just plain entertaining; Enya’s castle of cats anyone? The Folklore was fascinating, and I learned about the origin of a lot of superstitions surrounding cats.
This is a must read for any cat lovers out there, especially those of you who are of Irish descent.
Profile Image for MaryJo Hansen.
259 reviews3 followers
January 20, 2023
Buyer beware--this book has a lovely color photo of a cat in top hat and green bow tie. I bought from amazon because of the photo thinking there would be color photos of cute Irish cats inside but there were only a few poor, grey, muddled pictures before each chapter. The text was about many different types of cats and stories to go with them. (cats in history, in art, in folklore, in song, adventure, etc.)I should know better and go to a bookstore to see the actual contents of a book before buying!
Profile Image for Rene Averett.
Author 17 books9 followers
December 31, 2021
An entertaining little book with some interesting and amusing stories about cats in the Irish culture. I enjoyed the tales but I would have liked a little more insight into them. A few of the tales felt a bit incomplete... Or perhaps the author didn't know any more about it. Nonetheless, the telling reflects the spirit of an Irishman.
1,250 reviews12 followers
October 29, 2022
I enjoyed this story of Ireland cats. It was a collection of stories and other information about Ireland cats. It was interesting and enjoyable to listen to or read.

This book was fun to listen to or read. The author had me giggling a lot throughout it. The narrative of the audio also did a good job.

I received a complimentary copy via Booksprout. This is my honest unbiased opinions.
Profile Image for Gail Park.
Author 6 books13 followers
December 7, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read of Cats in Ireland. From the history of cats (Vikings, witches) to cats in Medieval law (one good mouser = 3 milk cows), I learned much more than I thought possible. Did you know that a cat's purr can heal humans? The stronger the purr, the stronger the medicine, the more valuable the cat. I enjoy all things Irish and this didn't disappoint.
Profile Image for Jeanne Grunert.
Author 14 books22 followers
March 14, 2021
What a fun book! I received an advanced reader copy to review and enjoyed this book immensely. It was filled with fun facts, trivia, history, and stories of Ireland's cats. It's a great little gift book for the cat lover in your life or someone proud of their Irish heritage.
Profile Image for Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb.
528 reviews4 followers
April 28, 2022
I found this book interesting and amusing with the history of Cats and how the Irish love them. There are a lot of interesting facts and background on sayings in this book. The Narrator does a good job with the Stories and tales related in this book.
Profile Image for Jessica.
288 reviews11 followers
July 25, 2022
Such a random quirky book to read! I'm trying to expand my horizons and I thought this was a fun read. It was short too which helped it feel manageable with a busy schedule. My only thing is I wish it was longer!
Profile Image for Debbie Benson.
9,563 reviews34 followers
May 3, 2023
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked the different stories and tales of cats through the Irish history to modern times. I especially liked learning about the catslechta.
117 reviews2 followers
March 17, 2021
What a delightful book. If you love cats or just enjoy some Irish tales and trivia, this is the book for you. Makes a great gift, too.
550 reviews5 followers
March 18, 2021
Review

This was a cute little book,perfect for St Patrick's Day. I loved all the antidotes. It had a lot of interesting facts.
1 review
March 23, 2021
Enjoyable book of and about cats

A very entertaining book. I will endeavor to encourage my cat loving friends and family to read. Wish some of the tails were longer
Profile Image for SKP.
1,198 reviews
March 30, 2023
If you like cats and like Ireland, you’ll love this book. Very entertaining, with folklore and trivia and lots more about Irish cats.
Profile Image for Linda.
191 reviews4 followers
April 18, 2023
A great gift for all who love Ireland or cats or especially both!
Profile Image for R.
852 reviews5 followers
June 22, 2025
This book was mildly interesting, but mostly read like a collection of hits on a Google search. It was free, so the quality matched the price.
Profile Image for Malinda Klein.
411 reviews
November 6, 2025
I was going to Ireland and thought this would be a cute book to read. It did not create any interest and I was glad it finished.
944 reviews3 followers
June 18, 2025
A Relaxing Bit of Fluff

Pun intended. I found this book more entertaining than I expected -- and I'm not a cat lover. I am American-Irish, though, and I picked up this book out of curiosity about the role of cats in Irish folklore. Alas, that was only a wee part of the book. It spent more time talking about real felines and their devoted servants and even includes a chapter on immigrating to Ireland with your feline family. For sheer enjoyment, I would have given this book a solid four. Unfortunately, for lack of editing, which made me stumble in a lot of places, it gets a three. I planned to round up to a four until I read that the author is also an editor. An editor should know the value of having at least one fresh set of professional eyes find what the author missed, possibly through familiarity with what it's supposed to say.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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