An Irish Country Village

By: Patrick Taylor M.D.

Narrated by: John Keating

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Welcome to the Village of Ballybucklebo. Come and say hello to Dr. O'Reilly's odd-as-two-left feet patients, his housekeeper, Mrs. "Kinky" Kinkaid, and O'Reilly's pets, Arthur Guinness, the beer-swilling black Lab and Lady MacBeth, the demonically possessed white cat. And of course, to young Dr. Barry Laverty. After Barry's first month as an assistant to crusty Dr. O'Reilly, he has been offered a permanent spot. But Laverty's excitement is dashed when one of his patients unexpectedly dies. The damage to his reputation is enormous, and he and O'Reilly must work to resolve the question of Barry's responsibility for the death. They also have to figure out how to save the four-hundred-year-old village pub. Plans are afoot to not renew the hundred-year lease and instead transform the old pub into a sparkling new tourist trap. To make matters even worse, Patricia Spence, the love of Barry's life, announces she is trying to win a scholarship to distant Cambridge University, all the way in England.... Beautifully evocative of a gentler, simpler time, Patrick Taylor's An Irish Country Village magically captures the charm, wit, and ribald humor of a vanished Irish countryside and its people.

©2008 Patrick Taylor (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“So, have a wee listen to Patrick Taylor's sequel to An Irish Country Doctor and if you're not charmed by the lives, loves and longings of the feisty folks of Ballybucklebo, County Ulster, Northern Ireland, I'll eat my hat, so I will. Read in a beguiling brogue by John Keating...Taylor peoples thatched-roofed Ballybucklebo with quirky characters...'Tis a grand place, one I hope we'll have many occasions to revisit.” —BookPage

loved it.

I am on to my fourth book in this series.
Can't wait to start it.
These books are so relaxing and yet you can't wait to find out what is going to happen next.
The narrator is excellent.
Without him the book wouldn't be as good. He does every character spot on.

Wonderful place to live

For just a few hours. Wish it were longer! Love the many characters. Thank you Patrick Taylor and John Keating!

Vicarious living

I’m thoroughly enjoying the books by Patrick Taylor. Getting to know the places and characters is like living in another time and place.

Irish humor

there is nothing like enjoyable Irish humor. it's a good raining day reading while curled up on he couch.

Brilliant! A Lovely Read

Since my husband's family lives in Northern Ireland and I have visited many times, I could relate to the sayings and the manner of speaking. I started to check out airline tickets as soon as I was done! The time period was a few years ago but the basic life style is still there; not entirely gone. All the characters were precious in their own right. I plan to do a listen again. This book could not do itself justice by reading the print, but with Keating reading it the book just came to life.

Excellent Audio

Oh I'm so glad my son and his girlfriend got me started in this series. I do enjoy the book and will continue in listening to all the series. You are drawn right in the stories and all the characters. It's good reading makes you smile at the saying of some word's that are said. I would definitely recommend this series to all.

Real Northern Irish character

I lived in Belfast and Antrim for years and so enjoyed this story. it is from earlier times when medicine was practiced with some freedom and individual passion.
Nostalgia and good humor.

Fun and delightful, yet serious too!

I have a lot of Irish ancestry, and I married into a family with a lot of Irish ancestry. Although we have never visited Ireland, we have heard a lot of the expressions used by the characters in the story. I had quite a few chuckles when I heard familiar ones that I've heard from older relatives over the years!
Great narration!
I will continue with the series from time to time.

Away from it all !

Where does An Irish Country Village rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Enjoying the laid back life in another era! As I do my daily commute in the crazy roads of DC the folks of Ballybucklebo make me smile. It is a wonderfully charming life !

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dr Fingle Flaherty O'Reilly - he sounds just like my Dad - also a Navy man

What about John Keating’s performance did you like?

Brilliant narration - and in line with the characters

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

It made me smile - and on occassions laugh out loud !

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to visit the village and all it's characters again ..... soon !

Truly Grand it Was!

This Book 2 done and so I'm on to hear the next book. The writing is so vividly clear, you can see the folks, feel the personal emotions and hunger for more. The narator make is so very real. This is a delightful find - an emerald treasure.