Escape to Ireland with One of These Books

Escape into a great story or plan your next trip with these recommended reads!

Choose one of the Ireland travel guides that I use and recommend.

• Dingle and its Hinterland – Felicity Hayes-McCoy
• Ireland's Ancient East – Neil Jackman
• The Wild Atlantic Way – Neil Jackman
• Secret Dublin – Pol O Conghaile
• The Burren and Aran Islands Walking Guide – Tony Kirby (listen to my podcast with Tony!)
• Backroads Ireland – Eyewitness Guides

Kids Books about Ireland

Get your kids excited about Ireland with tales, stories, and facts about the Emerald Isle. A few of our favorites for younger children:

• Padraig Bear Adventures by Maria Mannion
• The O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales & Legends
• Favourite Irish Legends: Best Loved Tales from Ireland
• Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales
• A Pot o' Gold: Treasury of Irish Stories, Poetry, Folklore and (of Course) Blarney by Kathleen Krull (terrific if you can find it!)

These books about Ireland a terrific for older kids and adults:

• Pirate Queen of Ireland by Anne Chambers
• Ancient Legends of Ireland by Lady Wilde
• Wild Irish Roses: Tales of Brigits, Kathleens, and Warrior Queens by Trina Robbins
• A Field Guide to Irish Fairies by Bob Curran (terrific if you can get it, but Bob Curran has other books on Celtic legends available, too)

Escape to Ireland with a Novel

Be sure to grab a pot of tea and a few biscuits when you sit down with these books!

Historic Novels of Ireland

• The Ivy Rose Series by Gemma Jackson
• Galway Bay, Of Irish Blood and Irish Above All by Mary Pat Kelly (For more Mary Pat listen to my podcast interview with her here.)
• Ireland, Tipperary & Shannon (or any novels) by Frank Delaney
• Princes of Ireland and Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherford

Romance Novels Set in Ireland

• The Finfarren novels: Library at the Edge of the World, Summer in the Garden Cafe, and The Mistletoe Matchmaker by Felicity Hayes-McCoy
• Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy by Nora Roberts
• Born In trilogy by Nora Roberts

Irish Life, History & Culture

• For ‘real life' tales of Ireland pick up Felicity's books House on an Irish Hillside and Enough is Plenty. (You can also hear my podcast interviews with Felicity right here.)
• Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland
• The Claddagh Ring, also by Malachy McCourt
• Ireland's Pirate Trail by Des Ekin
• Irish Round Towers by Hector McDonnell
• Folktales from the Irish Countryside by Kevin Danaher
• Classic Irish Stories edited by Michael P. Quinlan
• A Big Feckin' Irish Book by Murphy O'Dea
• Little Big Book of Ireland by Christopher Measom

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