An Irish Country Village

This is the second book in the Irish Country series (1 - "Irish Country Doctor", 2 - "Irish Country Village", 3 - "Irish Country Christmas" and 4 - "Irish Country Girl" being published in 2010). I actually read the Christmas story first and got hooked and went back to the beginning and read the first one and now the second one. I absolutely love the series and have pre-ordered the next one which is pretty unusual for me. The books are set in rural Ireland during the 1960s. The main characters are the established older doctor (Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly) who is bringing a younger doctor (Barry Laverty) into his practice to help ease the growing workload. The two physicians don't limit themselves to helping the residents of Balleybucklebo with their physical complaints. It seems that they end up with their fingers in many pies and the villagers look to them for their wisdom in helping with all life's problems. Mrs. Kinky Kincaid is the housekeeper and friend that looks over them and takes care of the home fires while these two run all over the countryside ministering to those who need them. If nothing else, the character of Mrs. Kincaid is such a joy that she is worth reading the book for her alone. While gruff, Dr. O'Reilly has a heart of gold (other than running over cyclists who get in his way) and the newly minted Dr. Laverty is quickly finding out how to be a good GP from a master. The book actually takes a while to read - it's light and humorous but fairly dense with lots of Irish flavor. If this is the first time you have read one of these books, make sure to look in the back for a glossary of Irish terms. Not all of the dialogue makes sense to the American ear without it. If you like the Mitford Series, the Elm Creek Quilt series or anything by Maeve Binchy I would recommend you give this series a try. I have loved all three novels and am anxiously awaiting the next one!

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 th

This is a sequel although I can't remember the title of the first book. My husband and I really enjoyed this one as much as the first one. It reminded us of the James Heriot books.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't read A Country Doctor first, but that did not deter me at all from laughing and giggling more than I can remember ever doing when reading a book. Dr. Taylor has a wonderful sense of humor which comes across clearly in this novel. I enjoyed the characters and the wisdom imparted. I cannot imagine anyone not liking this book! I highly recommend it.

In the 1960s having decided to practice medicine in Balleybucklebo, Northern Ireland, (see AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR) Barry Laverty begins his "apprenticeship working for Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, a local legend. He finds the wide range of patients with their diverse problems fascinating and keeps him attentive. Barry also quickly learns why his mentor is a superstar amongst the working class and he admires the grumpy Fingal. This is not so much due to his medical healing but more because he gets involved in the social affairs of the villagers. Currently Fingal battles the council who want to change the Black Swan pub from a popular local establishment into a touristy thing to bring in more money. Barry also finds his attraction for engineering student Patricia Spence growing even as he fears yet hopes she will soon go to Cambridge. Finally he faces a malpractice lawsuit from a widow whose husband he misdiagnosed. This warm sequel to AN IRISH COUNTRY DOCTOR is an entertaining tale that brings to life a small village in the 1960s. The storyline is character driven as the eccentric locals bring time and place to the foreground. Dr. Fingal is somewhat the stereotype of the grumpy caring aging doctor, but no one will care as he brings extra heart to the mix. Fans will enjoy the continuing saga of Dr. Barry Laverty as he holds the insightful tale together while growing into the heir apparent to the village doctor. Harriet Klausner