<p>Tochar ('Causeway') is a walking-pace travelogue through the country that was dubbed 'the Island of Saints and Scholars' long before the Celtic Tiger took up residence. Set against the backdrop of spectacular scenery in every corner of Ireland, the book recounts the trials and tribulations of a modern-day pilgrim, who follows in the footsteps of the ancients along prescribed paths, which range from hikes of a few hours' duration to day-long treks, and the three-day ordeal in St. Patrick's Purgatory. This is a guide to the magical soul of Celtic Christianity, written from the perspective of a struggling 'a la carte' Irish Catholic, who could best be described as 'a healthy skeptic in matters of belief.' The result is a narrative that is at times uplifting and at times uncomfortable, but which is always engaging and honest. While there are pilgrimage prayers along the Tochar, as well as historical background on the places once revered throughout Christendom, there are also pints in pleasant pubs, a rich diversity of literary references, anecdotes, and personal reflections on faith, morality, and religious practice, which are offered in a spontaneous and unselfconscious spirit.</p>

Tochar: Walking Ireland's ancient pilgrim paths

Religion & Spirituality

MacDonald, Darach

Christian Books & Bibles

New Island

<p>Hard Border goes to the very root s of the Irish boundary where, after decades of division and conflict, a fragile peace has prevailed since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Post-Brexit, it will re-emerge as the only land frontier between the United Kingdom and the European Union. In his travelogue of the abandoned 50-mile route along the Ulster Canal, Darach MacDonald presents a close-up narrative history of Ireland. On his journey through five of Ulster s nine counties, he looks at the confounding realities and identities brought to the boil by history, geography, politics and faith. He traces the region s pivotal role in the story of Ireland; the facts and anomalies of an arbitrary partition, the impact on local communities, especially among minorities marooned on the wrong side , as well as uplifting efforts to forge new links and aid the recovery from trauma.Through travelogues, journals, tales and poetry, he examines how the border and its communities have been portrayed through the decades. Above all, these are the stories of tightly knit communities straddling an historically contested line while struggling for survival and recognition in its liminal shadows.</p>

Hard Border

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Exercise & Fitness

New Island Books

In the early 1970s, Britain's then Northern Secretary Merlyn Rees disdainfully dubbed South Armagh "Bandit Country". The name stuck. Crossmaglen, a town with a peaceful past, was transformed into the most infamous "killing field" for British soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland. The British army presence in the town's fortress, known locally as "the Alamo", is regarded as crucial to security operations but was based on false premises and rash promises that the area would be brought into line. In this book, the author aims to set the record straight. The people of South Armagh are neither bandits nor gangsters and it is not a lawless peace. The book aims to evoke another south Armagh, far from the stereotype of "bandit country".

The Chosen Fews: Exploding Myths in South Armagh

History

Europe

Mercier Pr Ltd

Focusing on the prize-winning Castlederg Young Loyalists Flute Band, which boasts that it has been `marching along the border for 30 years', Blood & Thunder provides an outsider's perspective on a year in the life of the band, as well as a unique insight into what motivates young band members to keep up the tradition of marching. Woven into the narrative are interviews with current band members and `Old Boys', as well as a detailed look at the political, historical, geographical and social environment in which the bands operate.

Blood & Thunder: Inside an Ulster Protestant Band

Mercier Press

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Books by MacDonald, Darach