An Irish Country Village: A Novel (Irish Country Books, 2) Mass Market Paperback – January 3, 2012

Straight off on the heels of 'An Irish Country Doctor' comes 'An Irish Country Village', taking up right where the first book left off. We're in Ballybuckbo, Ireland again, joining Doctors Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly and Barry Laverty in their daily lives both personal and at the "surgery" (Office). Dr. O'Reilly is a bear of a man; short-tempered and roaring, with cauliflower ears and a bent, florid nose that turns alabaster when he's angered. "Never, never, never let the patients get the upper hand" is O'Reilly's motto and advice for young Dr. Laverty. He's unapologetic for his irascible behavior, and his language is hilarious when he gets to name-calling. Dr. Barry Laverty has just finished college, and his position with country doctor O'Reilly is his first.Along with the doctors come the regulars from the first book. There's O'Reilly's capricious housekeeper, Mrs. Kinky Kincaid, originally from Cork, who always adds the word "so" on the end of her sentences. There's old Maggie MacCorkle and her beau Sonny, who've waited over fifteen years to get married (and their wedding is the big event in this Irish installment). There's Councilor Bertie Bishop, who this time has evil plans to close down The Black Swan - Ballybucklebo's main-street pub. Young Patricia Spence has caught Barry's heart, despite how independent and stubborn she is. Patricia is heavily into women's rights, particularly the right to a higher education. And we're introduced to a certain Caitlan "Kitty" O'Hallorhan, an old college acquaintance of Fingal's.In 'Village', Barry misses a diagnosis of old Major Fotheringham's cerebral hemorrhage, and after a stay and release in the hospital, the Major dies at home. Mrs. Fotheringham is devastated, and blames the young doctor for the death. Can Barry survive until the post-mortem comes back from the hospital? Patricia is eagerly awaiting the results of her exam that will get her a scholarship into Cambridge, but also take her further away from Barry. And weaselly Bertie Bishop plots to not renew the lease on The Black Swan, with plans to demolish the old pub and put up a tourist trap instead.Ballybucklebo is described as "A village that seemed divorced from the internecine hatred that flowed under the surface of much of the rest of Ulster" by author Patrick Taylor. This is a good explanation of the village he's created. The novel is about the daily lives of O'Reilly, Barry, Kinky, and the rest, told through the POV of Dr. Barry Laverty. The prose is wonderful, beautiful and smooth, and the characterizations are brilliantly painted. Patrick Taylor's complete "Irish Country" series is a work of art in progress. (The next book is An Irish Country Christmas - don't miss it!) As with the first book, 'An Irish Country Village' has a final note written by Mrs. Kinky Kincaid, in which she shares some of her recipes cooked in the book. There's also a Glossary for the Irish dialect used in the book, and an afterward by the author. Taylor is an artist of the written word, and I can't recommend his books highly enough. 10 Stars to the whole 'Irish Country' series. Enjoy!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11405700-an-irish-country-village" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="An Irish Country Village" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327010104m/11405700.jpg" ></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11405700-an-irish-country-village">An Irish Country Village</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/101046.Patrick_Taylor">Patrick Taylor</a><br/>My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1374866126">4 of 5 stars</a>This is an example of winning a Goodreads review copy and deciding to read the series of books from which it comes. I won the 9th book in this wonderful group of books about Fingal O' Reilly: Irish Doctor is the title of that volume. So taken was I by the story of an older widowed GP in the Northern Irish fictional village of Ballybucklebo and the recently graduated new doctor, Barry Laverty that I went to the first volume to start the series. This, An Irish Country Village, is #2 and continues into the 6th month of Barry's tenure as a conditional member of Fingal's practice. If all goes well after a year, Fingal is going to offer Barry a permanent position.Through #1, Barry, not really used to a small country practice and the intimate relationships with the community, has gotten his sea legs and is feeling fairly adequate though inexperienced. Nevertheless by this installment he has overcome his nervousness working with the bluff former sailor and has even adapted some of his elder's methods of interacting with the rural patients that make up most of their clientele. During this tale, however, an elder has died after Barry's diagnosis and treatment and it is possible that the widow is going to file a malpractice suit against him. Even without that threat the loss of the patient has rocked some of the inhabitants' confidence in the young newcomer's abilities. So, in Barry's eyes, he has to go back to square one to gain back their belief and has to depend upon a pathologist's findings to avert the suit.In addition, Barry's sweetheart, Patricia is trying to receive a full boat scholarship to study at Cambridge University for the next three years. If she passes the exam he worries that such a long separation will destroy the young relationship that he has with a woman he's pretty sure is the love of his life. Should he stay in Ballybucklebo if she succeeds or seek a place in England?All the while, we encounter the people of the village, the trials and tribulations both in health and in daily life and we move with Barry and Fingal among them. It is a warm and welcoming village with gossip and antagonisms, love and death, gambling and drinking, marriages and new life. It is a pleasant place to be and like Barry it would be hard for the reader to choose to leave.Looking forward to #3--what is going to happen to Barry and Patricia's relationship and their careers? And who is this Kitty woman who has re-entered Fingal's life? Oh, and what new recipes will Kiki provide at the end of the next story. How are Arthur Guinness, the wellie napping dog, and Lady MacBeth, the diva cat, doing?These books can be read alone with no problem but let me tell you, if you like Irish folk and country tales, once you've read one, you'll want to read them all.<br/><br/><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3211847-katherine">View all my reviews</a>

I recommend reading…enjoy enjoyable story line with setting in Northern Ireland countryside

This is second in the series, first being An Irish Country Doctor. I'm really into thrillers, such as Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. The Irish Country books are a total change of pace for me, and a very welcome one. I found the Irish sayings strangely familiar; then realized with ancestors from Ireland, I had grown up with this language, not knowing its origin. I've read four in the series now, and look forward to the rest. The characters really grow on the reader. In addition to the rich Irish settings customs, and history, the medical information is extremely interesting. We tend to forget the amazing advancements that have been made in medical research and treatment in a relatively short period of time. Young Dr. Laverty and his mentor, Dr. O'Reilly, do amazing work with limited equipment and a tremendous dose of common sense. It's oddly comforting to see doctors who rely on their personal knowledge of patients to cure and console, while dealing with their own shortcomings and heartbreaks. Don't start this series unless you want to get hooked!

Like 'An Irish Country Doctor', Gentle and enjoyable. There are so many brash and violent books around these days, it's a pleasure to read something like this. Somewhat similar to the Herriot books.

Another jolly good, interesting read. Highly recommend this book!

A very pleasent story in the vain of Dr Finlay, for those who remember the TV series.Harmless good natured tale to relax with and enjoy.

all good

The book arrived on time and is exactly as described. Thank you.