Unlock the Secrets of Ireland at McCarthy's Bar: An Exciting Exploration

Joe Molony: A summer reading book, I purchased only a few days before the deadline, and had low expectations. I was therefore pleasantly suprised to discover that it was likely the single funniest book I have ever read in my admittedly limited literary career.

United States on Oct 11, 2023

Lagored: Ever wonder why the Irish are such affable people. Read this book and you'll find out why ! Full of humour, it is, without doubt, the funniest book I've read. Guaranteed to lift even the darkest moments in your life. God bless Ireland and its inhabitants.

United Kingdom on Sep 27, 2023

Amazon Customer: timely delivery

United States on Jun 17, 2023

James Wheeler: Excellent!

United States on Jun 02, 2023

Jane Segleau Earle: This is a book you can't wait to get back to, but that you don't want to end either. Its funny, its thoughtful, can be profound or delightfully silly. I, a Mc Carthy, say so. Good luck to you now.

United States on Jan 07, 2023

michael: Enjoyed the read

United Kingdom on Dec 18, 2022

Mr T: did not make me laugh as described by other writers and reviewers on the cover, no way as good as Spike Milligan's 6 part war reminisceses plus all as his other books re. Ireland would not recommend

United Kingdom on Dec 07, 2022

Ms. Pocketbook: It's a little embarrassing to be reading a book in a public place & guffaw aloud. It attracts attention but no matter, this book is simply too funny to allow yourself to care what others think. My husband & I enjoyed this book tremendously & decided to go to McCarthy's Bar in Castletown-Berehaven on our recent trip to Ireland. It's actually Maccarthy's Bar & looks exactly the same outside. We met Adrienne Maccarthy 4th generation owner, who is mentioned in the Acknowledgements section of Pete's book. She noted that my son & I said we were home when we saw the Kerry Red Stag Family Crest on the wall. We talked to Adrienne for an hour or so & when it came time to move on she refused to allow us to pay because we're family & said let's go outside for photos. The pooch on the cover is her recently deceased dog, Bailey. She said Pete was a great guy & stayed in touch often. We were so glad that the way Pete described the town, the people & the other areas in the book are exactly the same now as it was when he originally wrote the book back some 10+ years ago. If you enjoy English & Irish humor, you will enjoy this book....just be prepared for...

United States on Jun 22, 2013

Laura: Pete McCarthy has a fantastic sense of humour; there were many points throughout this book that caused me to smile or laugh to myself. Some parts of the narrative I struggled to plough though, but there weren't many sections like this and the ones that were inevitably ended with either a fantastic anecdote or a witty summary of events that made my struggles worthwhile. Even though the book is quite old it tells a great story of Ireland, with the author visiting places I'd never heard of and really enjoyed hearing more about. This is a great guide to an 'off the beaten track' Ireland. McCarthy's 'Journey of discovery' wasn't what I liked about this book, it was the travels and adventures in themselves. While the insights offered in the final chapter into his family history are fascinating and touching I don't feel there was really much self discovery in the text, he felts connected to Ireland and had a great time there, to me it doesn't seem any deeper than that. However, that wasn't a problem for me as it wasn't really the self discovery I was interested in, like McCarthy i've always felt drawn to Ireland and so read this book for that reason, rather than any philosophical debate...

United Kingdom on Nov 26, 2012

K Magee: Every author needs inspiration and Pete McCarthy inspired me. McCarthy's Bar is a fantastically gentle and funny book; it grabs you from the first page. It documents his travels along the west coast of Ireland reminding those who have been what a wonderful journey that is, and making those that have not been reach for their travel brochures.

He was a successful travel writer and broadcaster and travelled the world with a programme called Travelog on Channel 4. Pete loved his time there and said "We travelled to Zanzibar and China, Fiji and Corsica, Costa Rica and Laos; stood on the edge of volcanoes, had lunch with heroes of the Crete resistance, and got caught up in a military coup in Vanuatu". This statement emphasises his passion to travel, get to know other cultures and people and undergo adventures - but things always drew him back to Ireland.

Pete has a number of travel rules e.g. Rule 8: Never pass a bar that has your name on it and Rule 13: Never ask a British Airways hostess for another glass of wine until she's good and ready. These rules appear at the start of the book - how could you not want to read on?

Pete was planning to do a follow on book...

United Kingdom on Aug 30, 2012