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

Something's Missing ... But It's Not the "F Bomb"!

If you loved the James Herriot series that began with "All Creatures Great and Small," it will be next-to-impossible not to recognize the similarities in this first of the "An Irish Country Doctor" series. Young doctor with a newly minted degree travels to the wilds of Ireland to work for the irascible local country doctor that the community loves...and meets, perhaps, the love of his life. You may also feel ripples of "Ballykissangel" if you are/were a fan of that BBC series. While this is an enjoyable book, and John Keating does a great job with the narration, this novel fell short of "All Creatures..." and "Ballykissangel" for me. It has charm, but lacks the warmth.

This book should come with a warning. If you are traveling with children, you may want to choose another story. The "F bomb" is dropped regularly throughout the story, and in some places very liberally.

All of that being said, I'll buy the next in the series to see if Mr. Taylor warms up to his characters.

Fun Book

A light, positive, upbeat and fun listen. Low stress reading. Stories of country doctors and their community of quirky patients in a different world of Ireland from the past. Charming.

Delightful Entertainment

I had to listen twice - sensational story, fabulous characters and a top quality reader!

Thoroughly Enjoyed - An Irish Country Doctor

I would highly recommend this audio novel for the story line itself. The bonus is the narrator! The characters are so well written, that you wish they were you friends. Instead of a fictional novel you are so engrossed in the characters that the story just sort of happens. Well worth the read --- don't miss the great audio book.

Be Reminded Gently of Important Life Lessons

For those who enjoy quirky 1990s European films like "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain" and "Waking Ned Divine," this may be the book for you. Like those films, this book focuses on life's minutia and finds humor in the everyday. Although the lessons set forth are not new, there is no doubt that these are lessons worth being reminded of and there is no better way to be reminded then in a gentle novel such as this.

An extremely Irish, very shaggy dog story.

Listening to John Keating is pleasant. He does Irish accents well. However, listening to this book will make you fall into a long doze. There is almost zero plot. You can imagine from the title what this might be. As Dr. Barry Laverty puts it, "Am I really cut out for a rural medical practice?" That, fellow readers, is the plot. Dr. Laverty tries to learn the ropes from the crusty old Dr. O'Reilly. We meet most of the occupants of the tiny town of Ballybucklebo. The name itself promises way more fun that it delivers. After a few hours the quaint Irish people, with their cats and dogs and aches and pains, bore the living daylights out of you. Only people who really love this kind of thing will enjoy this.

An Irish Country Doctor

I was very happy to learn that there are three Audiobooks by the author; expecially that John Keating would the narrator. I quickly became interested in the wonderful characters Mr. Taylor, the Author, created, and I believe whomever listens to these wonderfully happy stories will find themselve reliving their memories.

Delightful

This is a delightful slice of Irish life. The narrator was wonderful. His rich brogue made the text come alive. An innocent, charming respite.

delightful "read"

Another one of those books that should just not end. John Keating's voice is perfect for this story. Loved every minute!

I've just fallen in love...

....with "An Irish Country Doctor"! What a delight. Great humor, wonderful characters, and a very entertaining narration. I just finished this audiobook and I've already ordered the next in the series.

Thank you, Patrick Taylor!

Diane, CA

Go back in time

A really lovely story with real issues, light and dark humour running through it This is a throughly enjoyable book. Im now starting on book two of the series of seven. What a lot to look forward too.

I miss my newfound friends

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the 'goings on' in Ballybucklebo and getting to know the inhabitants.
At first I thought the narration was a bit slow and wouldn't hold my attention but soon it became perfect as the tone of the narrator's voice and the speed of reading added colour to the written word and I found myself planning activities so that I could carry on doing my various chores while listening to more of the story. An enjoyable story full of wit, charm and the deviousness of the Irish. I am looking forward to meeting my friends again in the next audiobook by Patrick Taylor.

Loved it from the beginning to the end

A charming book from start to finish. I didn't want it to end. Full of humour and observation of human life. Well worth a read.

Another good story from Patrick Taylor

Love the characters, Patrick Taylor’s attention to detail brings them to life. Excellent narration.
My cup of tea.

Not my cup of tea

Unfortunately I got bored with the content i guess it was not my number sadly

Brilliant

One of my favourite books brought to life by a top notch narrator. I really enjoyed it. Brilliant.

A very authentic story of the beginnIngs of an Ulster GP’s career

Beautifully read audible book of the life of a small country practice. The senior partner is delightful and a perfect portrayal of many Drs of that time. His young assistant ably adding to the understanding and way of life at that time. Well worth the time spent listening to it. In fact I loved every word. Thank you.

Wonderful and gentle, full of humour.

very easy to listen to, highly recommended.
looking forward to the nd at one in the series.

County down humour

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

I read this book many years ago and was well chuffed to find it on audio! Co down locals will reconise areas and humour. Its funny touching and a real good read! Give it a go i bet you'll reach for the rest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of An Irish Country Doctor?

All of it!

Have you listened to any of John Keating’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No but i certainly will again