One evening in 1951, an itinerant storyteller arrives unannounced and mysterious
at a house in the Irish countryside. By the November fireside he begins to tell
the story of this extraordinary land. One of his listeners, a nine-year-old boy
, grows so entranced by the storytelling that, when the old man leaves, he devot
es his life to finding him again.
It is a search that uncovers both passions
and mysteries, in his own life as well as the old man's, and their solving becom
es the thrilling climax to this tale. But the life of this boy is more than just
his story: it is also the telling of a people, the narrative of a nation, the h
istory of Ireland in all its drama, intrigue and heroism. IRELAND travels throug
h the centuries by way of story after story, from the savage grip of the Ice Age
to the green and troubled land of tourist brochures and news headlines.
Alon
g the way, we meet foolish kings and innocent monks, god-heroes and great works
of art, shrewd Norman raiders and envoys from Rome, leaders, poets and lovers. E
ach illuminates the magic of Ireland, the power of England and the eternal conne
ction to the land.
