The author and his family moved from England to Co Tipperary in the early 1980s and received a warm welcome from all those around them. This compilation of nine short stories, each focusing on a particular person, brings to life many of the fascinating rural characters they encountered in a region that had changed little since the 1920s.
They range from the Lord, whose two passions are hunting and sailing, the Chatelaine, who runs a thriving bloodstock breeding operation, and the Chicken Man, who possesses the ability to revive apparently dead pullets.
Those familiar with country life in Ireland will recognise the hunts and horse sales mentioned; and may even know their own eccentric lords, ladies and pirates. For those who’ve never been to Ireland, the stories offer an insight into a country lifestyle that has now virtually disappeared.
The style is rambling at times — meandering off the main storyline to expand on a particular character or circumstance — but it is always entertaining. Although most of the Tipperary Tales will make you laugh, there are also surprising stings in the tail of some stories.
Published by Quadric Consultants Ltd (ISBN 0955255805)
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