Secret Belfast, Kathy Curran ( paperback, reissue Jan 2024)
£14.99
Small enough to pop in a bag, but bursting with history and mystery. Discover how the city stood up against the evils of the slave trade, admire its stunning art deco facades, unearth beautiful stained-glass windows by an accomplished yet little-known female artist, take to the windy coastal paths just out of town and peak into caves where smugglers once hid their loot, visit the humble cottage of an American president, uncover the mysteries of Bronze Age burial grounds and Stone Age forts, squeeze down a secret underground tunnel or take a boat ride to see the city's seal colony, visit the place where Marconi sent his first wireless signal across the waves, go to a cinema shaped like a ship... Small, yet bursting with history and mystery, Belfast, far from the crowds and the usual cliches, is a reserve of well-concealed treasures that only reveal themselves to those who know how to wander off the beaten track, whether residents or visitors. An indispensable guide for those who thought they knew Belfast well, or who would like to discover the hidden face of the city.
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Shannon Country, Paul Clements ( large paperback, Sept 2020)
£13.99
In August 1939 the Irish travel writer Richard Hayward set out on a road trip to explore the Shannon region just two weeks before the Second World War broke out. His evocative account of that trip, Where the River Shannon Flows, became a bestseller. The book, still sought after by lovers of the river, captures an Ireland of small shops and barefoot street urchins that has long since disappeared.
Eighty years on, inspired by his work, Paul Clements retraces Hayward's journey along the river, following - if not strictly in his footsteps - then within the spirit of his trip. From the Shannon Pot in Cavan, 344 kilometres south to the Shannon estuary, his meandering odyssey takes him by car, on foot, and by bike and boat, discovering how the riverscape has changed but is still powerful in symbolism. While he recreates Hayward's trip, Clements also paints a compelling portrait of twenty-first century Ireland, mingling travel and anecdote with an eye for the natural world.
He sails to remote islands, spends times in rural backwaters and secluded riverside villages where the pub is the hub, and attempts a quest for the Shannon connection behind the title of Flann O'Brien's novel At Swim-Two-Birds. On a quixotic journey by foot, boat, bike and car, Paul Clements produces an intimate portrait of the hidden countryside, its people, topography and wildlife, creating a collective memory map, looking at what has been lost and what has changed. Beyond the motorways and cities, you can still catch the pulse of an older, quieter Ireland of hay meadows and bogs, uninhabited islands and remote towpaths. This is the country of the River Shannon that runs through literature, art, cultural history and mythology with a riptide pull on our imagination.
* signed copies available *
Ireland Ordnance Survey driving maps
£7.99
How often do you find yourself trying to navigate by phone these days, only to (a) run out of signal (especially in Ireland) (b) run out of data or (c) run out of patience when the map keeps turning around.....
Remember the good old printed map? Everyone can have a look and plan the journey, get an impression of how long it will take, and see things along the way, whilst chatting to your car companions. Well, maybe …..
Now for all 4 corners of Ireland.
Exploring Ireland : A Guide To The Irish Outdoors, David Flanagan ( Dec 2022)
£30.00
Exploring Ireland is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the outdoors, from families looking for gentle Sunday strolls to experienced adventurers seeking out challenging hikes, paddles and cycles. This inspiring guidebook contains over 1700 things to do and places to see across the length and breadth of the island of Ireland. It's perfect for planning days out, weekends away and longer holidays.This book's 384 pages are packed with over 600 spectacular photos and detailed information on Ireland's beaches, signposted walks, mountain hikes, long-distance trails, blueways, greenways, cycle routes, forests, islands, rivers, lakes, heritage sites, parks and gardens, as well as a selection of interesting places to stay and eat.
Home Birds: Days Out Getting to Know the Birds of Northern Ireland, Anne Marie McAleese
£12.99
When Anne Marie McAleese invited birding expert Dot Blakely on to her radio show, Your Place and Mine, she had no idea that it would mark the beginning of an enduring friendship and a life-changing birding odyssey. For the next two decades, the pair travelled all over Northern Ireland, exploring the wonderful world of birds and the glorious and varied landscapes they inhabit.
In Homebirds, Anne Marie and Dot tell the inspiring and often funny story of their adventures. In all weathers, they make their way around parks and loughs, up hills and along coastlines, through villages and towns, meeting a cast of oystercatchers, blackcaps, fulmars, pied wagtails, buzzards, blue tits, herons, brent geese and many more.
Illustrated with more than 100 images, Homebirds is packed with information on how to identify birds and attract them to your garden, and includes fascinating facts about the places visited. Above all, Homebirds is a celebration of the wonders of nature on our doorstep and a call for us all to get out and enjoy them.
