Hey guys -
Was reading in the archives and came across a reference to a book called “Ireland, a Bicycle and a Tin Whistle”. Did some looking and the thing costs $45! What is in there that makes it so expensive?
Edit - I now know I was seeing the hardcover price. So, I’d like to ask those who have read this book what they think of it. Does it have useful information for someone going to Ireland?
[ This Message was edited by: avanutria on 2002-10-06 13:24 ]
I can’t imagine it costing $45 US or even Canadian. I have a copy here but it doesn’t have a price tag on it. It looks to me like it should cost about $20 tops. It’s a fun book but not worth $45. Did you check Amazon?
Steve
PS. I just check Amazon. It says the list price for a hard cover is $65!!! I can’t believe it. I have a hard cover of Last Night’s Fun. The price inside the cover is $21 US. The books are about the same length.
Steve
[ This Message was edited by: SteveK on 2002-10-06 12:58 ]
Yes…near $50 at amazon. But I found the problem - it was the hardcover edition I was looking at. I found a softcover version for $16.
That mystery aside, what’s the book like?
I’ll bet you are getting a hardback price. Do a search at:
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/books/
and you’ll find some new paperbacks around $17 and some used ones for less.
On 2002-10-06 12:58, avanutria wrote:
Yes…near $50 at amazon. But I found the problem - it was the hardcover edition I was looking at. I found a softcover version for $16.That mystery aside, what’s the book like?
It’s about the travels of a guy from Toronto around Ireland. He starts in Norther Ireland and bikes around the outside of the island pretty much back to where he started. It just tells of his adventures. He plays whistle, naturally, so part of it is about music. It’s been a while since I read it but it’s entertaining and worth $17 or so.
Steve
I enjoyed it tremendously the first time I read it, and I’ve come back to it a couple times since. It’s as much about the Troubles as it is about the author’s trip through Ireland, and it’s really not a travelogue – but none of that detracts.
Peter Laban complained once that the book misses some locations, timing, and so on – I complained back that Peter missed the point of fiction 
Cheers,
–Rich
Even more O.T. -Similar theme with little music:
“Round Ireland In Low Gear” by Eric and Wanda Newby, about a winter bicycle tour of Ireland. -Reputed to display the author’s acerbic personality so well that the reader sympathizes with traffic nearly running him down.-Same author wrote “The Last Grain Race”, about his own experience
aboard one of the last square-rigged ships in commercial service in 1938/39 on its final trip from Ireland to Australia and back. A man with a droll, ironic sense
of the world around him.
Its a great read, and funny in horrific ways.
-B.
On 2002-10-06 13:57, rich wrote:
Peter Laban complained once that the book misses some locations, timing, and so on – I complained back that Peter missed the point of fiction >
Not exactly what I complained about, he described being at the Willie Clancy week and going to a session out in the country, which happens to be the session I play every week and allthough I wasn’t playing there when he visited I was there and the situation he described did not exist at that time, but did exist some years before that, I concluded it was hear-say and he hadn’t actually been there, but merely repeated a story someone told him. Which put me off the book, as a travelbook.
[fixed typo]
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2002-10-07 04:30 ]
On 2002-10-06 14:16, brianormond wrote:
“Round Ireland In Low Gear” by Eric and Wanda Newby
Yeah, I am reading this one currently, actually, though I don’t know if I like it yet. I’ve also ordered a book called “Last Night’s Fun” from amazon’s used booksellers.
I loved this book. I was in Jamaica when I read it, and it made me long to be in Ireland. I particularly ejoyed the session stories. I remember one that made fun of a woman with a bodhran. Totally enjoyable book with some political and religious history thrown in.
Jessie
Hey Jessie I will be picking your brain about advice on visiting ireland later, so feel free to email whatever!
Simple Ireland trip. Fly into Shannon airport. Rent car and drive to town of Doolin. Find place to stay and sleep. Head into O’Conners Pub. Order a Guinness, sit and listen to the music. If you want a change of scenery, go over to McGann’s or McDermotts Pub. Traditional music heaven.
After about a week, you can consider seeing the rest of the island. heh
Dan
Thanks for the suggestion Dan! hehe. My itinerary currently looks a bit more, ah, intensive, than that.
I have ordered the book, though, so I will soon be answering my own questions!
Rent car and drive to town of Doolin. Find place to stay and sleep. Head into O’Conners Pub. Order a Guinness, sit and listen to the music. If you want a change of scenery, go over to McGann’s or McDermotts Pub. Traditional music heaven.
Of course, if you go during summer, you will find that pubs, streets, shops, etc. will be crawling with people, 99% of whom will be talking a language other than English (eg. German, American ), and every single private residence in town will function as a B&B in an attempt to accomodate the crowds headed for the so-called trad music heaven.
Just my 2 ører.
Jens
Beth,
I have the Tin Bicycle Whistle roundabout Ireland book, and Last Night was quite Fun, and Eric Newby’s Round a Gear of Low Ireland, and several others, some still unread. Save your cash & borrow them off me!
Martin
On 2002-10-08 04:11, Jens_Hoppe wrote:
Of course, if you go during summer, you will find that pubs, streets, shops, etc. will be crawling with people, 99% of whom will be talking a language other than English (eg. German, American >Just my 2 ører. >
Jens
And you’ll be treated like jsut another tourist so instantly prices will go up by 20 percent for you. Music is prepackaged by the locals who are only there to make a bit of money doing their gigs, it’s full, it’s been spoiled.
Fly to Shannon and then.. anywhere but Doolin.
I plan a 1st ever trip to Eire this upcoming winter. Now, I understand it’s a bit like heading to Calcutta instead of Hollywoood to be a movie star, but
I got only one week, landing in Cork with my motorsykl from the Roscoff ferry-boat.
On 2002-10-08 08:00, Zubivka wrote:
I don’t mind haze, mist or the like.
Just wait until it sits around the edge of your garden like a wall for five weeks. You’ll start minding it then.
Weather is unpredictable, you may get a brilliant winter or it may rain for three months, we had it all over the past few years.
Clare for music.
While I don’t live in Ireland, my family is from there and we keep in touch. As far as I can tell there is no definitive dry season there. You are as likely to get rain in November and December as in June. On the flip side, even if it does rain most days, you often will get a few good hours or more.
–
Bill