Irish Home

Beautiful photos, a lovely coffee table book. Really gives a sense of the romantic ireland

Sometimes astonishing, freqeuently amusing, this book is a peek behind the often closed doors of a variety of Irish homes. From the "Militant Grandeur" of great houses such as Castletown to the quirky cottage of two bachelor brothers with a passion for birds ("The Birdmen of Belmullet") the pictures tell of an approach to decorating that is different from that prevailing in neighboring England. There is a whimsy and romanticism in Irish decorating style, both high and low, that is distinctive. As a frequent visitor to the Emerald Isle, I've been in some of the featured locations (Castletown, Bantry House) and can testify that the other featured locations are not unique. I found the interiors of some of the recently restored buildings to be very inspiring as well.

As the resident scenic designer for a professional theatre company, I am constantly searching for detailed, unique visual reference material to incorporate into my stage settings. Since we had the rare opportunity to produce the American premiere of "Kevin's Bed" from the Abbey Theatre last season (and will also be doing the American premiere of "Stella By Starlight" from the Abbey this season), I needed accurate information on contemporary Irish home interiors; not easy to find on this side of the Atlantic! This book has an interesting architectural mix from restored 18th century mansions to rural cottages with richly detailed large color photographs packed with just the kind of information that I was looking for. I would recommend this as a reference book for interior designers, Irish enthusiasts or anyone needing this kind of unique visual material.

"The Irish Home" is a vivid and immensely-colorful volume. Ianthe Ruthven takes us from grand and ostentatious eighteenth century estates to contemporary Ireland's restoration homes (an exquisite example of the latter is Fedany, a former 1870s schoolhouse in Cork, that has been turned into a bright and resplendent abode). There are 200 large and beautifully-lit color pictures. (Ruthven, in addition to being a fine writer, is an accomplished photographer). Some of her best compositions here include the Leixlip Castle series; Phillipa Bayliss's bedroom and bookcase in the Old School; and the two-page spread of Gola Island, a secluded and now largely-deserted isle off the coast of Donegal. Ruthven, both in her prose and her photographs, readily captures what Irish novelist Molly Keane once noted about Irish country houses: That they "are ethereal in their uselessness, and extraordinary in the spaces their designers yielded to one object only--beauty."