travel

This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid!
And the verses are lovely...I am just thrilled to have bought a copy. Our Public Library even ordered a copy after having looked through mine. Outstanding!! Truly.

I lived in London for two years a decade ago and so had the opportunity to travel extensively through the stunning countryside of England and Scotland. I never made it to Ireland however and so purchased Irish Blessings in order to have a good look at what I missed. TOO MUCH!

This collection of photographs was taken from a number of different sources. It is a lovely, well-assembled collection indeed and many of the plates are of a very high quality. All are of interest.

The book is broken up into three distinct parts with the first concentrating on the land itself. The second part, "...Home And Hearth," includes numerous shots of both the interior of Irish dwellings and photographs of a diverse sampling of buildings, often in sumptuous settings. The final segment of Irish Blessings is devoted to means of travel about the country which includes photographs of boats by the sea, rivers, roads through the countryside, and the odd bicycle or two propped up against a wooden covered bridge or a village pub waiting to provide simple transport to their owners.

There are not many people represented in the collection but photographs of animals that are integral to Irish country life are ubiquitous . One photo of a dog lazily resting upon the back of a horse is devine. And a picture of a cow atop a wondrous stone wall abutting the sea offers a unique, special image.

The photographs in this portfolio are matched with Irish verse and song. That is a nice idea but I only wish that a bit of text which conveyed something about the locations depicted had been included as well. As it stands, there is no way to know where in Ireland each photograph was taken unless one was very familiar with the country beforehand. A small problem perhaps, in an offering of great beauty and spirit.

I guess I'm partial to Irish things, but I think this is a beautiful book. Pages are split between pictures...landscapes, buildings, homes, and text... Irish blessings (May the road rise to meet you...etc.) and Irish poets. Not a book to read staight through, but a great display book for you and guests to thumb through during idle moments.