Jaywalking With The Irish
Jaywalking With The Irish
Jaywalking with the Irish
by David Monagan, published by Lonely Planet (2004)
This beautiful story about life in a strange land blossomed from American journalist David Monagan‘s fascination with the Irish.
He and his wife Jamie pack up their Connecticut home (and their three children) and return to his ancestral home in Cork.
Monagan had studied in Dublin and revisited the country occasionally, and his passion remains at the surface of his memoir, even though the Ireland of the present often bears little resemblance to that of his memories.
With a light touch, Monagan tells of enrolling his children in school, watching his wife struggle to find work, trying to blend in at the local pub and navigating the complicated bureaucracy.
The story grows dark when his family finds itself at the mercy of teenage hoodlums. It floats from incident to incident until midway through, whenMonagan decides he wants to launch a regional magazine.
His book is an honest, heartfelt, penetrating portrait of a contemporary Ireland.
Reviews
“You won’t find a better or truer depiction of Ireland than this one.” – Frank McCourt (author of Angela’s Ashes)
It’s often laugh out-loud funny. The strength of the book is that it represents the totality of Ireland. – (New Zealand Herald, December 8, 2004)
Monagan, who obviously has more than a little of the fabled Irish gift for storytelling, alternately entertains, delights and saddens. – (Daily Yomiuri – Japan, March 18, 2005)
The book never failed to entertain. A great read — thoroughly recommended. – (Belfast Telegraph,December 17, 2004)
This is the ultimate travel-to-Ireland book. – (Irish American News, February 1, 2005)
Were they heartless? Selfish? Brave? These are the questions that haunt (the Monagans) in this charming, poignant and humorous tale. – (New York Daily News, January 2, 2005)
“…these smart and exhaustively researched guides have become the gold standard for serious, independent travelers.” –San Francisco Chronicle
I Just finished this grand and cool book. It kindly and colorfully disillusioned me about Ireland in all the right ways, leaving only the truest bright stars to continue sparkling in my smiling eyes, as they look to the day when I get to go back and do it right.(A 1983 autumnal two-week long hitchhike from Rosslare Harbour to Killarney was all too brief and survivalist in its scope.) In the meantime, it’s on to “Ireland Unhinged” for THIS continuing saga.
Delighted that you enjoyed, and nice grabbing of the essence. The books are indeed bookends. The country may be in a shambles, but its delights remain as well. Slan..