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 Entertainment

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

This ones for you Mom (and shes 88)

This is a story set in gentler times.
If you need some good old fashioned sweet romance - give it a go.
Just bring out the insulin.

One of my favorite audiobooks of all time!

I listened to this on CD from the public library years ago but decided to get it again when Audible put it on sale. This is one of the few audiobooks I ever wanted to listen to more than once. It's hard to imagine reading this book in print as the narrator contributes so greatly to the experience.

I usually listen to murder mysteries, preferably British, but sometimes you just need a break from that sort of thing.

Someone else commented that the plot consists of the question of whether a young doctor just out of medical school is suited for a practice in a small Irish village. This is mostly true, although there is a sub plot of whether the young doc will get the girl he falls in love with as well as numerous minor sub plots involving the local folks.

The thing is, the characters are so well drawn and likable you really care how these questions turn out.

I second all the good things the other reviewers said about this book.

awesome start to a great series!

I found this book by accident quite a few years ago, brought it home, and fell in love with Ballybucklebo and everyone in it. This audio book does the story and the characters justice. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Wonderful narration

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

In the good 50%

Who was your favorite character and why?

I think I really liked Sunny who was even more eccentric than the rest of them.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked when they went to the snooty people's house and made the husband (who was not really ill) do urine tests all night.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I liked that it was in single stories.

Any additional comments?

Really great narration. Wonderful job John.

Brilliant!

Heartwarming and funny. We could use more of this kind of literature. It helped me understand the Irish culture and speech patterns better. Perfect reader! I could use a few more of these!

Easy listening

Lots of interesting characters, along with a heartwarming story. Makes me want to travel to Ireland. Well narrated...especially liked the Irish accents.

Delightful

You can't help but smile as you listen to John Keating narrate this lovely Irish tale. Wonderful characters and moments are captured in this book. Will listen to more of them

Great book for folks who value country life.

Funny and from someone who was raised in a place much like the village all to true of all small towns...

Made me feel like I was in this wee village.

What did you like best about An Irish Country Doctor? What did you like least?

I liked the way the author painted the verbal picture of this quaint village. The characters were well developed and the story was charming. Predictable without much drama. Reminded me of the Mitford series.

Would you be willing to try another book from Patrick Taylor? Why or why not?

yes... I will probably continue reading the series but need something with some action for the next few. It was a charming story but not engrossing.