Irish Culture, Traditions & Folklore Books

Foreword by Dáithí Ó Sé Step back into a world where turf fires warmed the hearth, water was drawn from the well, and stories told by flickering candlelight lit up the night. In Old Ways to New Days, folklorist Shane Lehane brings…

Discover the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters from Celtic mythology with this beautiful book that captures the ancient stories and tales that captivated the Celts. Prepare to be entertained as you learn about the many myths a…

How do people transform a house or flat into a home that nourishes both body and soul? How do they engage in the alchemy of homemaking? This book focuses a scholarly lens on one homemaking practice, dresser- and delph-keeping in w…

The head of the Guinness family tells the true story of how his ancestors created the largest brewery in the world. In this narrative non-fiction book, Arthur Edward Guinness, the 4th Earl of Iveagh and head of the Guinness family…

A vivid description of the fierce and free Celtic spirit as it has been sustained through history, and a vision for living that spirit in the present.      

Keane's subject is the fruitful tension between tradition and the poet's indivual talent, his legacy as it is made new in particular poems. In examining the poetry of William Butler Yeats, Keane traces literary, philosophic, and s…

Beneath our feet, in our hedgerows, trees and under our seas lies a complex community of beings that goes unseen and unheard by us humans. Soil is the stuff of life itself, bustling with microbes, fungi, beetles and earthworms tha…

In The Gaeilge Guide, Mollie Guidera - Ireland's leading online Irish teacher and creator of the hit platform 'Irish with Mollie' - brings her joyful, down-to-earth approach to the page in a book guaranteed to spark your connectio…

This book features thirty-eight sites which contain collections of the finest and most interesting - and in several instances, little known - twentieth-century stained glass in Dublin city and county; the majority of the windows w…

Irish Names is a fascinating exploration of Ireland’s rich naming heritage, offering nearly nearly a thousand authentic names drawn from the annals, genealogies, mythology and historical literature of early medieval Ireland. Caref…

Great Irish Walks and Hikes is your ultimate guide to exploring the breathtaking landscapes of Ireland on foot. This book is a treasure trove for both seasoned hikers and casual walkers, offering a curated selection of fifty trail…

How far would you go for the missing?Blending private and public history, cultural analysis, family memoir, and autobiography, Clair Wills explores profound questions about memory, loss, motherhood, and emigration. She traces a hi…

Into the world of 1950s Ireland - a lushly green, windswept landscape studded with holy wells and the decaying country houses of a vanished ruling class - arrives Ithell Colquhoun. An occultist and a surrealist painter, Colquhoun'…

In The 50 Best Family Hikes in Ireland, Mairéad Furlong and Fergal McLoughlin share their experiences of climbing more than 200 of Ireland’s mountains with their child (who is currently eight years old), drawing on their expertise…

Explore the hidden gems of Ireland with Ireland’s Curious Places, a captivating guide to 100 of the island’s most curious, intriguing and quirky locations. This book takes you on an unforgettable journey off the beaten track, thro…

Around Ireland saunas have become new hubs of community as thousands of people are being drawn to the powerful forces of fire, water, steam and sweat. Sweathouse threads together the 3,000-year-old tradition of sauna in Ireland an…

Irish history and folklore is rich with proverbs and sayings of old, full of timeless wisdom that still has resonance and truth today. This beautifully designed hardback brings together a whole host of these sayings and proverbs o…

John G. O'Dwyer's Irish walks have become famous through his column in The Irish Times. Now his top Irish pilgrim journeys are gathered here in one pocket-sized volume. A must read for anyone interested in The Celtic Camino, The P…

Place matters in Cork. From its marshy foundations at the lowest crossing point of the River Lee, the city spread across its steep suburban hillsides. Journeying from the south of the city to its north prospects reveals a rich ran…

In our modern, distracted world it is easy to miss the kaleidoscope of life that exists on our doorsteps. Stretching nearly thirty kilometres from the Wicklow Mountains to the Grand Canal Dock, the River Dodder offers a serene esc…

‘Drawing the Line’ explores the phenomenal rise of the Irish animation industry, charting its journey from James Horgan’s bouncing Clock Tower in 1919 to the creative talent behind the magic of Irish animation today. A much needed…

Ever wondered about the healing powers of dock leaves, flat 7UP and Sudocrem? Love the sound of Miggeldy Higens but not sure who he is? Confused about the difference between ‘going out’ and ‘going out-out’?…

James Joyce's relationship with his homeland was a complicated and often vexed one. The publication of his masterwork Ulysses - referred to by The Quarterly Review as an "Odyssey of the sewer" - in 1922 was initially met with indi…

Ireland and India seem far apart, with apparently little in common in terms of culture, language, and tradition. Yet appearances can be deceiving: there are, in fact, remarkable similarities between the cultures that, once noticed…

What are Irish Court Cairns? And what are Portal Tombs? Are Irish megalithic sites really older than the Great Pyramid? What does Irish rock art mean? What were the ancients up to? In this unique illustrated pocket book, legendary…

Brighid 'Biddy' McLaughlin, the acclaimed Irish journalist and storyteller, has endured unthinkable tragedy—the murder of her beloved sister Siobhan and the devastating drowning of her husband. Yet, in the face of overwhelming gri…

In The Hike Life: 50 More to Explore, Rozanna Purcell showcases 50 more trails, showing off new areas around Ireland from popular hikes to lesser known trails. There are fantastic hikes like Strickeen in the Gap of Dunloe, Urris L…

  In Abandoned Ireland 2, photographer Rebecca Brownlie travels further off the beaten path to explore and showcase Ireland’s forgotten buildings before nature or the demolition man claims them forever.

Did you know that bees have been around for over 100 million years? Or that the Brehon Laws included judgments about the rightful ownership of swarms? And why Irish beekeepers plant bluebells around their hives? From the perfectio…

To mark his 70th birthday Michael Harding travelled to Spain and walked the Camino de Santiago.Yet, as he set off on his pilgrimage, he found he wasn't alone. Accompanying him on his 126-kilometre walk in the heat of the Spanish s…