Charles McGlinchey

Really enjoyed this. McGlinchey lived his life as on the Inishowen Peninsula from 1861-1954 and a local schoolmaster visited and recorded his memories. Brian Friel then edited the book. It's a very warm and personal book, it doesn't take long before you feel you're sitting beside Charles listening to him tell his tale. It's a short book, and its not that McGlinchey had an extraordinary life, its just a window into a world now closed. There's sections on parts of life such as 'Famine', 'poteen' 'poets' 'cures and spells'. Its full of interesting characters and McGlinchey seemed to have a remarkable memory. I believe he only left Donegal twice - once to do the hay one summer in England, another time to go to Dublin. The only remark he makes on his trip to Dublin was that he raked the fire one saturday morning before he went and there were embers still in the fire when he returned on Monday. His focus was on the familiar, and its here that the book succeeds so well.… (meer)