Weird Ireland: where cars roll up hills; the Mad Chair of Dunany, hauntings and more
Well, the turkey’s truly buried (hopefully) and we’re already into a brave new year. And the books are still in the bookshops – lots of them – waiting to be read. Here’s a mixed bag of stuff; self-help, memoir, charm, and some crazy Irish history.
Weird Ireland, Brinsley McNamara, Hachette, €15.99
Recognise the author’s name? It’s the writer of Valley of the Squinting Windows, published in 1918. He’s risen from the dead to haunt the good burghers of Delvin, and so he might, given the way they treated him! But no, it’s not him, and anyway Brinsley McNamara was a nom-de-plume first time around, just as it is here. I won’t spoil the googling for you, but this particular 21st century Brinsley is just as coy, although he’s got an Insta account with over 312K followers, which impresses even me. (And he’s also from Westmeath.)
Weird Ireland is like The Book of The Series and it’s an entertaining collection of odd stories and strange phenomena connected to different places all over the country. There are hills where cars roll up them, rather than down, there’s the Lough Ree monster, seen by no fewer than three priests so it must be true, there are black magic wells, there’s the Mad Chair of Dunany, there’s hauntings galore and plenty more. A delightful mix of Irish history, geography, myths, superstitions, apparitions and sheer lunacy, I loved it.
The Book of Gifts, Lucy Claire Dunbar, Michael Joseph €20.99
A beautiful book, illustrated cover to cover, celebrating the rituals of gift-giving across the world, it’s been described as The Snowman meets Love, Actually. But that would mean it’s strictly seasonal and it’s not, this is a perennial book for every day of the year. The author, who has a massive Insta following, lost her sight in her early 20s to Type 1 Diabetes. When she regained it, she promised herself to draw something every day. And this she has done. In this, her first book, she’s accompanied each drawing with a few words about things like love, gratitude, fortitude, friendship, the stuff that matters. It’s a charming book to have on your bedside table and open at random first thing every morning, it could set you up for the day. And her illustrations are lovely.
It’s All Too Much, Allison Keating, Gill, €18.99
Tired of the new year already? Not feeling the love? Easily overwhelmed by duty, partner, kids, job, deadlines, lack of time? Then this might be the book for you. Over her 20 years of practice as a psychologist, Keating says she has never seen anything like the levels of anxiety, panic, overwhelm and burnout that women are experiencing today. She takes the reader through the steps they need to take to damp down the stressors, to review what’s actually important, and to live a life that takes them ‘from survival to revival’, maybe even joy.
I encountered this line of thinking in a book gifted to me last summer, titled Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. Four thousand weeks is the average life span. Not long, is it? The wheels of the world will keep turning, whether we burn ourselves out or not, whether we’re this side of the grass or the other. Everyone should read Keating’s book, or Burkeman’s. Maybe we should read both books. Don’t have the time? Hmmm…
The Book of Truths, James Mooney, Black and White, €12.99
James Mooney, aka The Wandering Paddy, is yet another Insta star with 329K followers. He’s also a podcaster who shares his unique take on life and death, relationships, love, identity, spirituality, hope and resilience in a world gone mad. This book, a collection of some of his best work, uncovers new ways to appreciate the beauty and fragility of life. In his introduction, he refers to these written snippets as ‘poems’ and I don’t find this description helpful. They’re certainly not poetry in its true essence. This is observational writing rather than poetry, describing Mooney’s view of the world through the lens of his own experiences. Inspirational writing, you could call it, I suppose. And god knows we could all do with some of that. A charming book, it would make a lovely gift.
Leaning on Gates, Seamus O’Rourke, Gill, €18.99
Described in the Irish Independent as a book that’s a cross between To School Through the Fields and Catcher in the Rye, this reader found it less poetic, but more similar to, Patrick Kavanagh’s Tarry Flynn. It’s a sequel to O’Rourke’s childhood memoir, Standing in Gaps. He’s a young man now, ready to take on the world from his base in rural Leitrim. And while he’s living away from home, in places like New York and Dublin, he discovers he has a knack for entertaining people in pubs with his ramblings on life, love, the universe and everything. This is the beginning of a career that will see O’Rourke become an actor, writer and producer with a string of one-man shows to his name by now. He’s a kind of modern-day seanchaí.
Some parts of this book surprised me; the mean-minded parochialism, the home place evoking the 1950s far more than the 1980s. Were we really that backward, that insular? Or did ‘townies’ just have a different experience? Either way, it’s well worth the read, although it’s a tad begorrah and bejapers in spots. Even for Leitrim!
Footnotes
If the idea of joining a gym makes you weep but you still want to get more active in 2025, you could do worse than Birdwatch Ireland. They cover every county, hold regular events, and if you’re not keen on going alone, it’s a great way to get out with a group. You don’t even need binoculars, they provide powerful ones, you won’t miss anything. It’s an enjoyable day out in the fresh air. See birdwatchireland.ie for details of what’s happening near you.
Alternatively, there are walkers and ramblers groups all over the country, using different online presences like Irish Walking Clubs, Get Ireland Walking, the Irish Ramblers Club… A bit of googling should see you right.