Passing the Time in Ballymenone

Glassie loves the people he is describing, very much. Too much, I think. it might as well be 1870, the way he tells the story. It's all muddy fields and thorny hedges and peat smoke and yes, Ireland was a poor country and Ballymenone was a backwater but aside from mentions of "the troubles" there's barely a clue that the industrial revolution ever happened. It defines "irish" as rural and vanishing and then sets out to demonstrate the ireland it defines. Peter Flanagan is described as a wonderful musician and a true artist, and I believe this, but he is also framed and described as pursuing a dying tradition. Meanwhile, in the 70s, when Glassie was over there, there was an international revival of Irish traditional music going on, with bands like Clannad, and DeDannan and the Chieftains. Nobody drives a car. There seemingly are no cars. It's not clear there's electric light. There is a mention of a radio. Predictably, its rejected.I'm not saying Glassie is making this up, but it seems like this is the Ireland he came over determined to find.

This book is brilliant, took me back to my childhood where I was born and breed, I was very surprised to see a picture of my late father (Tommy Love)and also the beautiful home where we lived.

For years anthropologists and folklorists have often "looked down" on the subjects of their studies, attempting to fit their subjects into preconceived boxes and categories. Unfortunately some anthropologists and sociologists continue to regard their "subjects" with condescension or even amusement. Henry Glassie's work is a much needed antidote to such practices. _Passing the Time in Ballymenone_ is a jewel. Henry Glassie regards the people of Ballymenone with respect and affection, allowing them to describe their ideas, life-ways, and values on their own terms, not his. Recognizing that theirs is a mindset and lifestyle that must be seen as an integrated whole, Glassie studies everything about Ballymenone from traditional songs to entertainment to religious beliefs to architecture, liberally quoting from the people who welcomed him into their homes over his extended stays. Some of his insights are pure brilliance, such as recognizing the way the poets and storytellers of a rural Irish district have adapted ancient Gaelic metrics to the English they use today. You will learn more about Ireland and its people in this one book than in a host of others. You may also find yourself re-evaluating your own lifestyle after encountering the wisdom of these tradition bearers. The book also serves as an excellent model for those who plan to work and study in folklore or anthropology.

As a study of the folklife and history of a community in Ulster, this book is full, rich, fascinating, and moving. I've used it as a first reading for graduate classes in fieldwork because it merges useful ethnographic research techniques with insightful analysis and eloquent prose. Students find the book both practical and inspiring, and it is a tour de force of the best of folklore research. Glassie's insights are more than relevant today for thinking through contemporary concerns about a range of important social and political concerns including what it means to foster healthy community life and provide honor and respect to old masters and stars. It is also a wonderful read for anyone interested in storytelling and Irish history and culture.

I read this excellent book over a year ago and am amazed at how often my thoughts return to visit. I find that many of the folkways described by this extraordianary observer are part of my own everyday life as American Scotch Irish over two centuries removed from roots in Ulster, Ireland. The descriptions of the kitchen hospitality, even the arrangement of the kitchen furniture are very familiar to me. The gifts of storytelling and musicmaking so vividly described are as frequently celebrated in my current mileau. Thanks for an excellent piece of research and writing.

The contents of the book were excellent and very informative this helped greatly with my project. However the condition of the book was very poor the pages started falling apart shortly after use