A Dublin Student Doctor

An Irish Country Novel

By: Patrick Taylor

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Patrick Taylor's devoted listeners oknow Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly as a pugnacious general practitioner in the quaint Irish village of Ballybucklebo. Now Taylor turns back the clock to give us a portrait of the young Fingal—and show us the pivotal events that shaped the man he would become.

In the 1930s, fresh from a stint in the Royal Navy Reserve, and against the wishes of his disapproving father, Fingal O'Reilly goes to Dublin to study medicine. Fingal and his fellow aspiring doctors face the arduous demands of Trinity College and Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital. The hours are long and the cases challenging, but Fingal manages to find time to box and play rugby—and to romance a fetching, gray-eyed nurse named Kitty O'Hallorhan.

Dublin is a city of slums and tenements, where brutal poverty breeds diseases that the limited medical knowledge of the time is often ill-equipped to handle. His teachers warn Fingal not to become too attached to his patients, but can he truly harden himself to the suffering he sees all around him—or can he find a way to care for his patients without breaking his heart?

A Dublin Student Doctor is a moving, deeply human story that will touch longtime fans of the Irish Country Books series as well as readers who are meeting Doctor Fingal O'Reilly for the very first time.

Listen to another Irish Country novel.

©2011 Patrick Taylor (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

The best in the series so far.

A gentle heartwarming story, Patrick Taylor paints a beautiful word picture with soft strokes.
A beautiful story in the midst of this current world filled with murder and violence.
Fantastic.

Always great to hear a Patrick Taylor story

What did you love best about A Dublin Student Doctor?

The story is so rich with detail.

Would you listen to another book narrated by John Keating?

Not sure... I felt like he was just reading the text...very sing-song, without meaning.

How It All Began

From reading all previous books, I had already figured out a good bit of Dr. O'Reilly's former life. Still, it was interesting to learn the details. I enjoyed the book and can hardly wait for the next one. I was hoping this one would be about Barry's new life, but I have a feeling we will have to wait awhile for that one. I suspect that the next book will be about Dr. O'Reilly's life with Diedre (I'm not certain how to spell her name). What ever topic Mr. Taylor chooses will be read by me ASAP. I enjoy his stories and find Mr. Keating's voice to be perfect for the part. I just wish women could read the women's parts. Men trying to replicate women's voices just sounds silly.

Great story

I really enjoyed how this book couched dr ore illy'a story as a young man within a current event within the series. I also appreciate the historical novel aspect of this book. I very much like the narrator and his efforts complemented by information within these books to learn about the various dialects and use of words and phrases according to different regions and classes.
This story is more sober than many of the others. While there is humor, I wasn't laughing or having the chuckles often such as the last one. I enjoyed just as much as any.

Please Please Please Listen

This is among the best books I have listened to. It speaks to the heart and soul, everyone could relate, it encompasses all the emotions of life, love, fear, desire, need for accomplishmment and most importantly ones responsiblity to family. You feel the story, it is narrated with perfection.

A satisfying medical story

These stories reflecting this era in medicine are dear to my heart. I love the characters and the realistic account of medical practice in this period of time..
The narrator is terrific and gives the stories personality.

I'm Hooked on this series!

I have really enjoyed this series. Part of it is the narrator, John Keating. His knowledge of the accents in both Northern Ireland and in the south are a true delight. Having spent a fair amount of time in the North, and knowing the places where the book is set is part of the fun.

But, one doesn't need to have visited there to have many a chuckle over these books. The characters are great; Taylor has a love for both the area and the people. This was my least favorite of the series, but it was still a very good read. I learned a lot about how medicine was practiced in the 1930's. Also, Dr. O'Reilly's personality really takes shape in this book.

If you are looking for deeply meaningful books, this series is not for you. But if you want a rolicking good time, with characters who will remain with you, then give this a try.

Enjoyable as the Others

A grand addition to the continuing stories that always satisfy. Wonderful stories and excellent narration.

The early days of Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, MD

First, I must say that this is one of the most charming and engaging series I have ever read or listened to. And also one of the few that I listen to again and again. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly is a (deceptively) gruff old country doctor, who normally lives in Ballybucklebo, a small town in Ireland, in the 1960's with his new partner, the young Dr. Barry Lavety. They have a wonderful housekeeper, Kinky Kincaid, and other characters are also regulars.

Together they serve the medical needs of this tiny rural community in a dedicated, old-fashioned house-calls sort of way, but knowledge of the patients' quirky personalities, their secrets, or their fears, or their pride,etc, is truly what makes them so special to them all.

These books are filled with the touching stories of the people they interact with, while also presenting a realistic view of what it must have been like to be doctors in such a small place and having so much responsibility for the lives of everyone in their care. And of course, they have their own stories interwoven throughout.

In this wonderful book (which is written after quite a few others are already out) Patrick Taylor has decided to take Dr. O'Reilly back to his student days in the 1930's Dublin, his romance with nurse Kitty, and we see the beginnings of the man who will become the caring and dedicated doctor who is so vital to Ballybucklebo in later volumes. It begins as he comes to the rescue of a motorcycle victim, and then moves through more flashbacks as we learn about his home life, his father's resistance to his going to medical school, his training, etc.

This book is everything we have come to expect from this series--which is so wonderful that I feel sure they might become classics, in the way of other stories that tell the stories of people so touchingly that one wants to read them again and again. John Keating as narrator is excellent for these books. His ability to capture the sense of the emotions and attitudes of people, as well as differentiate their voices is unmatched! Highly recommend the whole series!

Easy listen

Both the author and the narrator make this another great listen! Love a good character building story and getting the inside scoop on our favorite Irish doctor. Looking forward to the next book!