John G. O'Dwyer's comprehensive guide to the best walks in Tipperary and Waterford has now been updated and expanded to include Laois and Offaly. From the rugged Comeragh coums to the stately peaks of the Galtees, and from myth-laden Slievenamon to the sequestered glens of the popular Slieve Bloom Mountains, there are walks to suit all tastes in these uplands. The most captivating outings the region has to offer are shared here, along with all the necessary practical information such as maps, directions, the degree of difficulty and estimated duration. But this is more than just a walking guide. Each route gets beneath the skin of this ancient landscape littered with historic artifacts. A booley on a hillside tells how the uplands contributed to human survival; a working farmstead demonstrates the continuation of this tradition; a ruined cottage confirms a battle lost. This guidebook will appeal to committed hillwalkers and casual ramblers alike, as well as containing much of interest to anyone who wishes to better understand the age-old interaction between humans and hills.

In recent times the popularity of the Camino de Santiago has prompted renewed interest in pilgrim walks in Ireland. Increasing numbers now follow ancient Irish pilgrim paths to such holy places as Glencolumbkille, Croagh Patrick, Lough Derg and Glendalough. John G. O'Dwyer has walked - or, in the case of Clonmacnoise, cycled - the pilgrim trails of Ireland, from Slieve Mish in the northeast, where Christianity may have had its first dawning in Ireland, to Skellig Michael in the southwest, where the known world once ended. Each walk description has directions, the degree of difficulty, estimated time and a map. The paths are varied and suited to a range of abilities, from casual ramblers to committed walkers. In each route the author recounts his feelings and experiences, and describes the entertaining and insightful characters he meets along the way.

London Poor, is a novel about love in a time of poverty and inspiration. The protagonist an Igbo born in Merseyside and brought up in Belfast by professional parents who seeks a career as a young man in London, but falls into despair and becomes an artist fighting demons and dreams alike. He meets Sibby a Jamaican English woman younger than he with the merest blush of almond skin. She is a curator at the Courtauld where he falls in love. The two of them through ordinary days explore their sexuality, inhibitions, and prejudices, and aspire to joy, pure joy. as the novel unfolds through the arts and work, and home and street life, London becomes a place where a man might save his soul and a woman be taken to paradise. There is nothing artificial about this novel, it is a work of fiction, but realistic in nature. Strengths: Vivid description, juxtapositions - “I was burning with lust and fear, as a mentally insane, unemployed upper middle class” (9) - “My heart felt so big, it filled the whole room, I thought I was in love; with this Nwoke or a moment!” (27). - “The charcoal snapped several times and the portrait looked like a jigsaw of, eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, chin and forehead, and lips” (34-35).

The Encyclopaedia of Ireland contains a full A-Z listing of over 5500 articles on all things Irish, past and present, written by experts in the various fields. All the text has been specially commissioned and written for the Encyclopaedia. From the Mesolithic Age to the 21st century, this reference covers subjects as diverse as: biography, education, art and architecture, topography, sport, literature, history and politics, military, commerce and law, folklore, natural history, science, religion, transport, engineering, diet, food and drink, music and many more.

Surveys the history, geology and natural history of the mountains and uplands of the British isles.

Irish Civilization provides the perfect background and introduction to both the history of Ireland until 1921 and the development of Ireland and Northern Ireland since 1921. This book illustrates how these societies have developed in common but also those elements where there have been, and continue to be, substantial differences. It includes a focus on certain central structural aspects, such as: the physical geography, the people, political and governmental structures, cultural contexts, economic and social institutions, and education and the media. Irish Civilization is a vital introduction to the complex history of Ireland and concludes with a discussion of the present state of the relationship between them. It is an essential resource for students of Irish Studies and general readers alike.

After a brief account of the stratigraphy in each case, the author summarises the structure of the main tectonic units of Western Europe, the units being defined within the framework of Precambrian, Caledonian, Hercynian and Alpine structures. The work provides accounts of these structural units both for geological study in general and for field visits for advanced school level and research students. A useful complementary volume to 'The Structure of the British Isles' (Anderson and Owen).

A pictorial history of the mountains of Ireland