The Back of Beyond: A Search for the Soul of Ireland

by James Charles Roy

Book Overview

James Charles Roy, a noted authority on Irish history and travel, escorts a disparate group of Americans through the lonely backwaters of ancient Ireland. Visions of a glorious enterprise evaporate as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813391520
• ISBN13: 9780813391526
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A likable cuss escorts his charges about

Roy's previous works hadn't prepared me for the frustrations and burnout evident here, and it makes for a much more refreshing and honest look at Celtic Tiger-era Ireland and the growing amnesia of its citizens towards the patrimony they interpret for millions of visitors. It's a tragicomic narrative, wittily told with the right amount of self-deprecation as well as begrudgery, comeuppance (the scene at Clonmacnoise especially grand), and bracing realism. In an account that dismisses romanticization of Eire even as it laments the passing of traditional caretakers of its heritage (the churches, the antiquarians, the gaeilgoiri), Roy balances his own regrets for the loss of the past with a realisation that such a flight away from historical and cultural foundations may be exactly what today's Irish men and women desire for themselves.

Enjoyable and Entertaining

James Charles Roy describes himself as a freelance historian. Not much money to be made there, but after reading his entertaining account of leading a tour of American septugenarians into the wilds of ancient Ireland, I think the world needs more historians like him. Roy takes us into the byways and back roads of Ireland introducing us to a part of this beautiful island that most of us never see. His tales and experiences are told with a wry and self-deprecating humor which makes this a thoroughly enjoyable and quick read.

Back of Beypnd

A most hauntingly, beautiful history of old, old Ireland. My people came from area of Moyode Castle. Made me one with them. Perfectly researched. Truly knows Ireland and its people. Am on my second read of it. Would love to have him as a tour guide.

The Last of Old Ireland

Just when you thought the Irish travel memoir had all but run its course, along comes James Charles Roy's The Back of Beyond, a thoughtful and thoroughly informative investigation of the Ireland of yesterday and today. Subtitled "A Search for the Soul of Ireland," Roy provides an astute and unvarnished take on the Celtic Tiger that is today's Ireland, warts and all. What distinguishes this book from others in this chock-a-block genre, is Roy's commitment to getting off the Board Failte tourist trail, to seek-out and offer insights to some of Ireland's relatively obscure yet fascinating historic sites. The list includes Scattery Island, Athassel Priory, Knockgraffon Motte, and perhaps most noteworthy, Bully's Acre which, in the author's words, is one of "Dublin's oldest (and seediest) graveyards." Within the site, Roy locates the final resting place of British soldiers who fell victim to the Easter Rising of 1916. Were he a relative of one of these fallen soldiers, Roy writes, "I would be quite unhappy with this unkempt, miserable, overgrown lot of weeds that cover these bones of men who died so violently, it would appear, for nothing." Unlike other noted travelers, like Rick Steves or Michael Palin, Roy doesn't exhibit the enthusiasm or generosity of spirit toward his fellow travelers. This is evidenced in the bulk of The Back of Beyond as Roy leads a small tour group from Cashel to the Aran Islands, Yeats Country to Dublin City. Roy often carps about his charges ("...my group is incapable of making any independent choices..."), those around him (labeling as "pompous" a tour guide at Dublin's Saint Patrick's Cathedral for working herself up into "a fever pitch" about Jonathan Swift), or simply the state of affairs at such popular tourist sites as Bunratty Castle. And yet, Roy's cantankerous style can at times seem refreshingly candid and not at all in sync with Board Failte. "Up with People goes to Ireland" this is not. In the end, the author, now separated from his tour group and the throngs of tea towel purchasers that frequent Ireland's tourist trail, visits Ardoilean, a little known island off the Connemara coast. It is here that he finds an Ireland that is all but gone. Considering the island's isolation and the "blind faith" of the monks who once inhabited the place, Roy writes, "I may certainly claim an interest in the place, may congratulate myself on having the resolution to come, as many fainthearted people would not...but that doesn't mean I belong." It is here that an often crotchety Roy looks inward, turns self-critical, and makes The Back of Beyond all the more memorable.

One of the best preparatory guides to Ireland

Prior to taking my second trip to Ireland this summer I crammed a lot of reading in on Irish History, short stories, mythology and current events. The Back of Beyond is one of the best. It is one of two books that I have read over the years (out of maybe 300) where I have actually laughed out loud because of the author's curmudgeonly yet clever wit. He takes readers and his tour customers on a backstage tour of this wonderful land. This not only grants the reader a colorful view of Ireland and it's people; it also adds plenty of drama, humor and sadness when recalling a tumultuous and tragic history. Another couple of great preparatory books for this country include Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization" and the Travellers Guide, edited by James O'Reilly.