Letters of an Irish Publican

by John Brendan Keane

Good copy, lightly tanned.

95 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Eoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great feckin book

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short epistolary novel, consisting mainly of letters written and received by a small-town Irish innkeeper/bartender named Martin MacMeer. (There are also a handful of letters written by some of MacMeer's acquaintances to each other.) It's a charming book, with many an interesting and witty turn of phrase; Martin presents an often hilarious running commentary on rural Irish life, its characters and scandals; he also unwittingly shows himself up as a bit of a fool in regards to his pursuit of a young woman half his age.

One of MacMeer's friends, Peadar Lyne, writes rambling run-on unpunctuated steam-of-consciousness letters which are half incomprehensible.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

view of irish village life, mainly through the lens of a local publican - one of six in the village
series of letters between the publican and a city newspaper editor
details life in the village and the peoples of the surrounding townslands
many revolve around series of drunks - overt and covert - and relationship of community to drink
also the publicans struggle to remain a bachelor and avoid being ensnared by a woman - until he meets a younger local beauty
great set of characters and turn of phrase - all in 100 pages