An Irish Country Doctor

A Novel

By: Patrick Taylor

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

An Irish Country Doctor from bestselling author Patick Taylor is a charming and engrossing tale that will captivate listeners from the very first word—and leave them yearning to visit the Irish countryside of days gone by.

Barry Laverty, M.B., can barely find the village of Ballybucklebo on a map when he first sets out to seek gainful employment there, but already he knows that there is nowhere he would rather live than in the emerald hills and dales of Northern Ireland. The proud owner of a spanking-new medical degree and little else in the way of worldly possessions, Barry jumps at the chance to secure a position as an assistant in a small rural practice.

At least until he meets Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly.

The older physician, whose motto is to never let the patients get the upper hand, has his own way of doing things. At first, Barry can't decide if the pugnacious O'Reilly is the biggest charlatan he has ever met, or the best teacher he could ever hope for. Through O'Reilly Barry soon gets to know all of the village's colorful and endearing residents, including:

A malingering Major and his equally hypochondriacal wife;

An unwed servant girl, who refuses to divulge the father of her upcoming baby;

A slightly daft old couple unable to marry for lack of a roof;

And a host of other eccentric characters who make every day an education for the inexperienced young doctor.

Ballybucklebo is long way from Belfast, and Barry is quick to discover that he still has a lot to learn about the quirks and traditions of country life. But with pluck and compassion and only the slightest touch of blarney, he will find out more about life—and love—than he ever imagined back in medical school.

©2004, 2007 Patrick Taylor (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Narrator John Keating has a field day with the humor, long-winded stories, and colorful accents...[Keating] skillfully presents the unique and sometimes-hilarious Irish take on joy, sorrow, illness, and death.” —AudioFile

“Welcome to the colorful Northern Ireland community of Ballybucklebo where there's always something brewing beneath the Village's deceptively sleepy surface. Fans of Karon's Mitford series will enjoy this.” —Smoky Mountain Sentinel

All Creatures Great and Small with an MD

Very enjoyable story of a new doctor's introduction to rural Ireland and being a physician in a small village. Reminiscent of "All Creatures Great and Small" in an endearing way.

Feels like you're part of an Irish small community

If you could sum up An Irish Country Doctor in three words, what would they be?

realistic, funny, sincere

Which character – as performed by John Keating – was your favorite?

The older doctor. He is a colorful character who seems rough but really has
a soft side and is quite funny and wise.

Who was the most memorable character of An Irish Country Doctor and why?

The young doctor, Barry is the main character who is struggling to find out where he
fits with his career and his love interest.

So so so enjoyable

I took a chance with this style book. Generally not my style. Well written and narrated. Was sad to finish this one!

Loved it!

The characters are so real! Had me laughing out loud and such tenderness among the people.
Can't wait to hear the next book!

Charming

Such quirky characters and story progression .Will listen the subsequent books !

Wonderful

What made the experience of listening to An Irish Country Doctor the most enjoyable?

I loved this book. Being taken away to a far away place with such a simple lifestyle was refreshing.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed all of it. I had no favorite.

Any additional comments?

A must read.

Slow to catch on but the book was a true delight

What made the experience of listening to An Irish Country Doctor the most enjoyable?

I loved the narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Loved O'Reilly and Brooks. Loved how they take care of their patients.

Any additional comments?

Charming characters and delightful story.

Heart warming and Funny

such a great story. Be prepared to laugh out loud and cry. mostly you will fall in love with this little village and hee people

Your there! Totally involved!

I was raised in the country, and I laughed at the day to day routine of these Doctors, and was relating to their house calls and how this used to be common place in regular Canadian life until the very recent past. This author totally nailed it, and it was as real as rain to me. I laughed at how the Doc's got patients to co-operate and understood their mistakes. They certainly moved the community and had the utmost respect from everyone. Very good read with all the quirks of folk in Ireland.

Irish Country Doc

What made the experience of listening to An Irish Country Doctor the most enjoyable?

It is a very nice story set in early 1900s Northern Ireland.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dr. Lafferty because even with his youth he was learning quickly.

What about John Keating’s performance did you like?

His variations in dialog for characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.