For St. Patrick’s Day—Happy Wearing O’ the green day! We have listed a variety of books for all ages. Some are set in Ireland, and some feature Irish authors, characters, history, and more. Sláinte!
Jamie O'Rourke and the Pooka, DB050340, by Tomie dePaola
Jamie O'Rourke is the laziest man in all of Ireland. When his wife visits her sister for a week, she leaves Jamie plenty of food and a clean house. Then his friends come visiting and leave a mess behind. Jamie gets some help from an unexpected source. For grades K-3. 2016.
Ballywhinney Girl, DB074365, by Eve Bunting
Maeve and her grandfather uncover a girl's ancient, mummified body in a bog in Ballywhinney, Ireland. After the police and archeologists start piecing together the mystery, Maeve realizes the long-dead lass was much like her. For grades K-3. 2012.
Finn Maccoul And His Fearless Wife: A Giant of a Tale from Ireland, BR012034, by Robert Byrd
Irish giant Finn MacCoul, who is a bit cowardly, finds himself in trouble after building a stone bridge between Ireland and Scotland. Now the mean Scottish giant Cucullin can come across to Ireland and attack Finn. Fortunately, Finn's wife, Oonagh, has a plan to save him. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2000.
Abby, DB045050, by Wolfram Hänel and Rosemary Lanning
Moira lives on a tiny Irish island and her best friend is the family dog, Abby. They run on the beach, watch the gulls and the clouds from the meadow, and climb up the cliffs. Then one day Moira comes home from school to learn that Abby has eaten poisoned meat and may die. For grades 2-4. 2016.
Fiona's lace, DBC05972, by Patricia Polacco
Fiona and her family moved from Ireland to Chicago to begin a new life. Yet, when the family faces misfortune, will Fiona's lace help save them? For grades 2-4. 2014.
The Pirate Queen, DB045535, by Emily Arnold McCully
Portrays the life of the legendary sixteenth-century Irish swashbuckler Grania O'Malley, who was known as the cunning and intrepid "sea queen." Her adventures included saving her father's life in battle, bearing a child at sea, and boldly opposing Ireland's English invaders. For grades 2-4. 2016.
Leprechaun in Late Winter: Magic Tree House, Merlin Mission #15, BR019171 and DB071845, by Mary Pope Osborne
Jack and Annie travel back in time to Ireland in 1862. Merlin's new mission for them is to encourage young Augusta Gregory to share her love of Irish legends and folktales with the world. For grades 2-4. 2011.
Paddy's Pot of Gold, BR011073, by Dick King-Smith
It is early on the morning of her eighth birthday that Brigid meets P.V.W.R.H. O'Reilly, a leprechaun. Paddy, as he is called, has always been around; in fact, he is 174 years old. But this is the first time conditions have been right for Brigid to see him. And now Brigid is in for some interesting times. For grades 3-6. 1990.
Maura's Angel, BR011944, by Lynne Reid Banks
On her way home from her Belfast school, Maura is knocked flat by a bomb's blast. When she looks around, she is amazed to see a naked girl who looks just like her. Maura must teach this new acquaintance to walk, eat, and even sleep. In return, Maura and her family experience wonderful changes while in her presence. For grades 4-7. 1999.
A Pot o' Gold: A Treasury of Irish Stories, Poetry, Folklore, and (of Course) Blarney, DB072592, by Kathleen Krull
Limericks, ballads, poetry by Joyce and Yeats, and retellings of legends about mermaids, fairies, and leprechauns. Selections from the cultural heritage of Ireland balance child-friendly material with original sources. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2004.
My father left me Ireland: An American son's search for home, DB97887, By Michael Brendan Dougherty
The son of Irish and Irish American parents, the author relates his struggles with his cultural identity and his connections with Ireland thanks to a difficult relationship with his absent father. Reflects on the meaning of identity and the difficulty many Americans face trying to connect with their origins. 2019.
St. Patrick Of Ireland: A Biography, BR015450 and DB058484, By Philip Freeman
Life of St. Patrick based on his two surviving letters: one a defense of his work in Ireland, the other condemning a slave-raiding king and his pirates. Recounts Patrick's kidnapping by Irish pirates, years of slavery, escape, and eventual return to minister to the Irish people. Debunks many myths. 2006.
Grania: She-king of the Irish Seas, DB024360, By Morgan Llywelyn
Lusty, melodramatic saga based on the life and legends of the sixteenth-century pirate-chieftain Grace O'Malley, often called Grania of Ireland. A formidable warrior, this seafaring leader of Irish clans fought to preserve her people's lands from the forces of the English Queen Elizabeth. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2016.
Belfast Diary: War as a Way of Life, DB027431, By John Conroy
A Chicago journalist recounts his experience living in a Catholic ghetto in war-torn West Belfast in 1980. After witnessing the activities of daily life amid suspicion, joblessness, poor housing, inadequate schools, and everyday street violence, he developed an intense sympathy toward his Catholic neighbors. 2017.
Irish Hearts, DB050504, by Nora Roberts
Contains Irish Thoroughbred and Irish Rose, relating the stories of cousins Adelia Cunnane and Erin McKinnon. Each independent young woman comes to America and finds success, love, and happiness with a neighboring Maryland horse-farm owner. Prequel to Irish Rebel (DB50505). Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. Bestseller. 2000.
Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor, DB077938, by Patrick Taylor
1965. Dr. Fingal O'Reilly and his wife Kitty return from their honeymoon to Ballybucklebo, Northern Ireland. As he tends to his patients, Fingal reminisces about his years as a new physician in the 1930s, when he worked in Dublin's slums. Sequel to Irish Country Wedding (DB76135). 2013.
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir, DB042805 and BR012543, by Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt recollects his "miserable Irish Catholic childhood" in the squalor of Limerick. Absent any support from his glib, but shiftless, alcoholic father, the family suffered hunger, cruelty, disease, and the death of children. McCourt recounts his story without rancor. Strong language. Pulitzer Prize. Bestseller. 1996.
The Irish in Ireland, DB019954, by Constantine Fitzgibbon
An American writer who lives in Ireland offers a guided tour through his adopted country's stormy history. He begins with the Stone Age and continues with speculations about the Celtic forebears of the Irish and about the succeeding ages of invasions. 2016.
The searcher, DB100859, by Tana French
After a bruising divorce, veteran Chicago police officer Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat. Bestseller. 2020.
Galway Bay, DB091054, by Mary Pat Kelly
1839 - Soon after Honora Keeley is accepted to the convent, she meets Michael Kelly, and they fall in love. As the Great Starvation sweeps across Ireland, they struggle to feed their growing family. Then, an opportunity to immigrate to America is offered to them. Conflict follows the family. Some violence. 2009.
Northern Spy, DB102898, by Flynn Berry
BBC producer and new mother Tessa is at work in Belfast when news of another raid hits. The IRA may have gone underground, but their work is still felt. Security footage shows Tessa's sister Marian pulling a ski mask over her face. Tessa struggles with finding the truth. 2021.
Walking with Ghosts: A Memoir, DB102499, by Gabriel Byrne
Memoir of an award-winning Irish actor. He tells of growing up in Dublin, the oldest of six children born to working-class parents. After early plans to become a priest fizzled, he joined a Dublin theatre group, beginning his forty-year career as an actor on stage and screen. 2021.
Walking The Dog and Other Stories, BR010533, by Bernard MacLaverty
Nine short stories that explore unsettling aspects of Irish life. In the title story, a man is kidnapped by the IRA while walking his dog and is disgustedly released. In both "Compensations" and "Just Visiting," the main characters must deal with the impending death of a loved one. Strong language. 1997.
The Famished Land: A Novel of The Irish Potato Famine, BR002477, by Elizabeth Byrd
A love story set in Ireland during the years of the potato famine. Moira McFlaherty and her big family live happily in a small village where she dreams of the day she will marry her childhood sweetheart. When the famine comes, her courage sustains the family.1975.
McGarr And the Politician's Wife, BR003573, by Bartholomew Gill
Chief Inspector McGarr of the Irish Police investigates the assault of a drunken American left for dead on an old yacht in Dublin. McGarr searches the coast of Ireland to uncover the identity of the assailant. Some strong language. 1977.