Ready to start your journey early?
This reading list is offered as a way to ease into the spirit of Ireland before your tour begins.
These selections span fiction, history, myth, and folklore - each chosen to reflect the landscapes, heritage, and stories that shape this part of the world. The aim is not to provide background knowledge alone, but to inspire curiosity, raise questions, and offer new ways of seeing.
You don’t need to read everything, just follow your interests.
Fiction and Poetry:
A Star Called Henry
Roddy Doyle
A bold, fast-paced account of the Irish War of Independence told through the eyes of a streetwise young revolutionary. Irreverent and gripping.
That They May Face the Rising Sun
John McGahern
A quiet, beautifully observed novel of rural Irish life. Rooted in place and people, it captures the steady rhythms and depths of a lakeside community.
At Swim-Two-Birds
Flann O'Brien
A wild, witty metafiction that blends Irish myth, satire, and surrealism. A cult favourite for those who like their fiction to play with form.
Last Ones Left Alive
Sarah Davis-Goff
A dystopian novel set in a post-collapse Ireland. Two women raised on a western island must navigate a land stalked by zombie-like creatures. Unexpected, atmospheric, and raw.
The poetry of W.B. Yeats
Steeped in myth, memory, and spiritual vision, Yeats’ poetry evokes Ireland’s landscape and inner world, especially resonant given his strong Sligo connections.
The Secret Scripture
Sebastian Barry
Set here in the northwest, this lyrical novel tells the story of a woman reflecting on her life in an Irish mental institution. Personal, political, and poetic
History, Culture & Mythology
How the Irish Saved Civilization
Thomas Cahill
An accessible overview of how Irish monks helped preserve learning and literature during Europe’s Dark Ages. Popular history with flair.
Old Ways, Old Secrets
Jo Kerrigan
A rich, accessible journey through Ireland’s ancient customs, sacred sites, and seasonal traditions—Old Ways, Old Secrets uncovers the enduring wisdom woven into the Irish landscape and way of life.
Meeting the Other Crowd
Eddie Lenihan
The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland.
Collected from oral traditions across Ireland, these tales of fairies and the "Other Crowd" offer a living link to a belief system that still quietly shapes rural life.