Irish Books – TOP 10 As Chosen By Readers

This is a list of popular Irish books that are mentioned many times in our Green Room Book Club. The books listed cover the topics of Irish history, The famine, colourful country life, letters, Irish cooking, fictional genealogy, murder mysteries and Celtic spirituality. Something for everyone!

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Irish Books – TOP 10 As Chosen By Readers

If you would like to add your own favourite or you agree with some Irish books on the list, do let us know in reply to the weekly letter or in the comments below.

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  1. “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams.
  2. “The Killing Snows” by Charles Egan.
  3. “Stories From Ireland and America” by William Oliver O’Neill
  4. “Irish Traditional cooking” by Darina Allen
  5. “The Agnes Browne Trilogy” by Brendan O’Carroll
  6. The Irish Country Doctor Series” and The Irish Country Village  by Patrick Taylor.
  7. “The County Cork Mysteries ” by Sheila Connolly.
  8. “Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke, An Irish Immigrant Story” by Ellen B. Alden.
  9. “The Tour” by Jean Grainger.
  10. “Anam Cara” by John O’Donoghue.

1. “This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams.

Description: A profound and enchanting new novel from a Booker long-listed author about the electrification of a small fictional Irish town, Faha in County Clare. It has several intertwining threads including itinerant workers employed by the electrification authority in Dublin who chase after a famous musician playing in pubs and a young man coming of age falling in love with a doctor’s daughter. 

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“Beautifully written, so good and complex, I read it three times in a row and bought a hard back to send to a friend.” Jerry.

“This is Happiness is my all time favourite book.” Lois.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

2. “The Killing Snows” by Charles Egan.

Description: The Great Irish Famine of 1846, one of the nastiest times for Ireland.  Poverty, hunger, disease, violence and death. During this time a young couple met, fell in love and married. Inspired by a box of documents that were found on a small farm in the West of Ireland, The Killing Snows tells their story. The story of courage, suffering and love. (Irish Famine Series Book 1 of 3).

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“It tells a gut wrenching story of a family from County Mayo during the Famine. We are so far removed from that era that once in a while we need to be reminded of what are ancestors went through. It’s definitely an eye opener of what the Irish endured.” Val.

“Loved this book..All 3 of Egan’s book on this period are excellent…a trilogy covering the fictional Ryan family from Mayo during the famine in Mayo, in Liverpool and in the US. Brings history alive in all its fascination and horror….like a train wreck, you can’t look away or stop reading.” Phyllis.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

3. “Stories From Ireland and America” by William Oliver O’Neill

Description: Monsignor O’Neill is quite a storyteller. Through the years he collected his tall tales into a book. This collection of stories spans 70 years from his childhood in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s Ireland to his more-than-50-year ministry in the United States. Some of the stories in this collection may seem to be outlandish or hard to believe. They are actually all true! O’Neill says, “Life is a journey. Scenes from that journey may make a deep impression and remain in the memory. We must never forget our roots. No matter who or what we are, we are dependent upon the goodness and the friendship of each other. We are ultimately dependent upon God and His goodness toward us. Each generation is unique and is a product of its own time and culture. We have received noble values and virtues from past generations. They have given us the warm and happy memories we treasure so much. May future generations have happy childhood memories to share with their children.”

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“This book is written in a simple and easy reading style with short chapters and interesting topics.  Just reading about his experience being a student at the National School and a new red Bike his aunt bought for him, gave me lots of good questions to ask my Irish cousins.” Pat.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

4. “Irish Traditional cooking” by Darina Allen

Description: Ireland’s rich culinary heritage is brought to life in this comprehensive and entertaining appreciation of more than 300 traditional dishes. Each recipe is complemented by tips, tales, historical insights and common Irish customs, many of which have been passed down from one generation to the next through the greatest of oral traditions. Darina Allen’s fascination with Ireland’s culinary heritage gives great detail and breadth to Irish Traditional Cooking. Sections on Broths & Soups, Fish, Game, Vegetables, and Food from the Wild, illustrate how comprehensive this book is. Darina uses the finest of Ireland’s natural produce to give us recipes such as Sea Spinach Soup, Ballymaloe Irish Stew and traditional Irish Sherry Trifle. The result is a book which will entice you to discover the pleasures of the Emerald Isle’s cuisine.

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“The recipes look extremely mouth watering!” Cheryl.

“Darina Allen’s Irish Traditional Cooking is ..excellent.” Eunice.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

5. “The Agnes Browne Trilogy” by Brendan O’Carroll

Description: Brendan O’Carroll’s Mrs Browne Trilogy is a Collection of 3 Books (The Family that inspired the hit TV Series), (The Granny, The Chisellers and The Mammy).The hilarious saga of the ups and downs, minor scrapes and major run-ins of the seven children of Agnes Browne, The Mammy of the bestselling novel of the same name. Full of joy, humour, pathos and the raw vernacular of the Dublin streets.

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“Brendan O’Carroll is a fantastic writer. “The Mammy” was Book 1 of the Agnes Browne Trilogy. “The Chisellers” was book 2. “The Granny” was book 3. I love them all.” Sandy.

“It’s a quick, easy read and very funny”. Karen.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

6. “The Irish Country Doctor Series” and The Irish Country Village  by Patrick Taylor.

Description: Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there. Ballybucklebo is long way from Belfast and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about the quirks and traditions of country life. But with pluck and compassion and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life—and love—than he ever imagined back in medical school.

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“I’m thoroughly enjoying this series by Patrick Taylor. With my Medical Assistant background and my Irish ancestry it’s no wonder I find these books so interesting and entertaining.” Bairbre.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

7. “The County Cork Mysteries ” by Sheila Connolly. 

Description: A snowstorm leaves Irish pub owner Maura Donovan trapped inside with her patrons and a suspected killer in this 5th Agatha Christie-style cozy mystery in the County Cork series. Snow is a rarity in Maura Donovan’s small village in County Cork, Ireland, so she wasn’t sure what to expect when a major snowstorm rolled in around Sullivan’s pub. But now she’s stranded in a bar full of patrons and a suspected killer in a long-ago murder…

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“I’ve read some of the Connolly books you mentioned and have enjoyed them. They are easy reads and I always feel as though I’ve had a great visit to Ireland after reading them!” Lynne.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

8. “Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke, An Irish Immigrant Story” by Ellen B. Alden.

Description: Irish immigrant Florence Burke has lived in Massachusetts for more than a decade but he’s still a tenant farmer and his family lives in near-poverty. He came to America for a better life, but finds his adoptive country less than hospitable. Florence recognizes that owning land is the path to prosperity, but the bank won’t grant him a loan and he’s running out of options. An opportunity arises that could make his dreams come true, but it involves great personal risk to both himself and his family. He recalls the gamble he took when he fled the Potato Famine in Ireland and wonders if he could make a gamble on his life one more time? Will his wife and children understand his decision to join the war? “Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke” is based on nineteen original letters from my great, great grandfather to his wife and children. It is a story of one Irish immigrant in a million struggling to make it in America at a time when the nation is divided.

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“An amazing look of how life was for the Irish in America written using original letters from the author’s gg grandfather..  I loved the book.”  Cate.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

9. “The Tour” by Jean Grainger.

Description: Every week, Conor O’Shea collects a new group of American visitors from Shannon Airport, from where they embark on a high end tour of the Real Ireland .

But this particular tour, with its cast of unintentionally hilarious characters, presents seasoned tour guide Conor with situations that test even his vast experience.

Among this eclectic group are Corlene, a gold digging multiple divorcee on the prowl; Patrick, a love starved Boston cop; Dylan, a goth uilleann piper; Dorothy a poisonous college professor who wouldn’t spend Christmas and Elliot, a wall street shark who finally shows his true colours. Then there’s Ellen, back on Irish soil for the first time in eighty years, to discover a truth no-one could ever have guessed at, least of all herself.

And that’s just a few of the colorful cast. The locals they meet on their journey, West Brits, passionate musicians, Ukrainian waitresses and Garda high flyers all help to make this a tour no-one will ever forget. And of course, there’s Conor O’Shea in the thick of it all, solving problems and mending hearts, but what about his own?

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“If you’re looking for some fun stories with local color, I highly recommend them.” Elaine.

“I too read Jean Grainger series, and they are all placed in Ireland. You can familiarize yourself with places in Ireland, and they are also very entertaining!” Colleen.

“I’m up to the 3rd book and really enjoying them.” Pat.

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

10. “Anam Cara” by John O’Donoghue.

Description: “In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, you will find John a “soul friend” on your own journey through life, offering support and solace, clarity, and consciousness—expanding narratives that invite you to experience relationships with people, nature, and even your inner world in new ways that nurture well-being and resilience in these challenging times.” —Daniel J. Siegel, MD, Neuropsychiatrist and New York Times Bestselling Author

In this revered classic, John O’Donohue excavates themes of friendship, belonging, solitude, creativity and the imagination, among many others. Widely recognized for bringing Celtic spirituality into modern dialogue, his unique insights from the ancient world speak with urgency for our need to rediscover the thresholds of the soul. 

What Green Room members thought of this Irish book:

“His most famous book – Anam Cara is about soul friends and connectivity, but I would recommend all of his books to nourish your Irish souls! His words resonate with a love of nature and mankind.” Eunice

If you would like to see further details or purchase the book in Amazon, just click here.

So what do you think of that list? Are there any Irish books you think are missing or shouldn’t have been included in our top 10? If you are a Plus member you can reply in the comments below and let us know or send us and email to [email protected].

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