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

Delightful and Refreshing

The narrator did a fantastic job. Great story and characters. Looking forward to next in series. Love the town's name.

Delightful!

I thoroughly enjoyed this listen for what it was - light and fluffy! And the narrator was a treat!!

Highly recommend

My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this book. The reader was outstanding. A good book for a mixed audience.

Wanderlust

Love the narrator, the accents were a wonderful addition. I was sad that O'Reilly is so much older then the first book, but what a great character. ARF!

Enchanting

The story has a nice pace: not so slow as so make one yawn, nor so fast as to take your breath.
Beautiful narration. Quaint, lovable, believable characters. Like spending time at home in the country. A nice glimpse into the not too distant past.

Took me away

I just loved this easy to listen to book. The story was light and humorous- just what I needed. The narrator was top notch! I don’t think I would have enjoyed reading the book as much as listening to it because of the wonderful characters the narrator brought to life for me! I was sorry to hear it come to an end!

Relaxing, Satisfying listen. Great voice work

This was my 1st Patrick Taylor novel. It reminded me of James Herriot’s Yorkshire series. I enjoyed An Irish Country Doctor and purchased 3 more in the series. Very well done voice work.

Enjoyed it!

Enjoyed the story & characters. Appreciated references to The Classics, songs, etc. Will listen to additional books by this author.

Just delightful!

It took me a couple chapters to really get into this audiobook, but after I did I was hooked. It’s not a complicated plot with complicated characters - just a delightful story about two doctors bumbling their way through Irish country life. John Keaton’s does a wonderful job narrating!

Enjoyed this story

I love the narrator. I’m reminded of the Mitford series. Different country, but full of colorful characters.I will carry on with this series.