Never Pass a Bar That Has Your Name On It, says the eight rule of travel; a very rewarding rule if your name is McCarthy and you're wandering through the west of Ireland. As he meanders from Cork to Donegal, Pete encounters many McCarthy's bars in which he explores his confused Irish-Anglo identity with colourful, friendly, and funny people, before pleading to be let out at four o'clock in the morning. Written by someone who is both insider and outsider, MCCARTHY'S BAR is a vivid and affectionate portrait of a rapidly changing country.

It seems that I can't resist travel books... So I picked up this one the at the meetup this evening.

I truly enjoyed this travel book. I liked McCarthy's style which reminded a bit Bill Bryson, but McCarthy didn't love to complain and overexaggerate like Bryson does. He loves the country and its people but he isn't blinded by his love. The Irish economy was booming when McCarthy was travelling in the country so everything looked good and promising. It would be interesting if McCarthy made the same journey now that the Irish economy has crashed.

Em64 surprised me with this book in our local BC meeting today. Thank you so much, I am pretty sure I will enjoy this a lot.

Oh, how have I struggled with this book. I am sorry that this has stayed in my shelf for ages. I have been reading it in very tiny pieces every now and then quite often getting frustrated on not finding it so funny and charming as expected. Somehow the pace of travel and narration was a bit slow for my liking. Sure there were many funny observations on the way, but as a whole I did not find the same Ireland in this book that charmed me on our 10-day road trip on the Emerald Isle. The location I did agree on with McCarthy was the Aran Islands, through his text I got many vivid flashbacks on laying on the edge on the Dun Aengus cliffs with the roaring sea below us.

This book has been reserved to Thalasse for some time, finally passing this on to her in Voipaala. Thanks myntti & em64!

I will be giving this book to Thalasse at the Finnish BC summer meeting in Voipaala. Sorry for the delay!

2015 Keep Them Moving # 23

Got the surprise book via Pippis, thank you! I don't have any recollection for wishing this book or why it was reserved for me, but I have enjoyed other travel books time to time, so I guess I'll look forward reading it. ;)

This wasn't as quick to read as Bill Bryson, but it was entertaining nevertheless. Towards the end I started to lose my interest, to be honest, so it took me a while to finish the book. But I did enjoy McCarthy's wry humour; especially descriptions of all kinds of tourists were hilarious.

I took this with me. I'll probably just pass this one - I have on person in my mind.

To be released in a meet-up.

Looking for a good read and a pint? Well first pick up the book from Omituiset opukset and then head over to the English pub across the street!

I'd say this has been lying around in OO long enough, so I picked it up and will take it to Oslo convention with me.

Released at the Oslo BC-convention

Collected at the Oslo convention