Description

---

The population of Ireland is five million, but 70 million call themselves Irish. Here is their story in all its richness and complexity. Tim Pat Coogan traveled around the world where green is indeed worn to talk to the people who weaved the tale of "a dream born in a herdsman's shed and the secret scriptures of the poor." Along with American presidents, best-selling authors and Riverdancers, Ireland gave the world a caring tradition borne by missionaries and teachers who spread a message of hope and the panorama of their life abroad comes alive in this magisterial work.

About the Author

---

Tim Pat Coogan is Ireland's best-known historical writer. His 1990 biography of Michael Collins rekindled widespread interest in the revolutionary era. He is also the author of The IRA, Long Fellow, Long Shadow, Wherever Green is Worn, and The Famine Plot.

Praise For…

---

“A journey into our own psyche...Tim Pat Coogan has dug, Heaney-like, into the past while opening doors to faraway places.” —Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes

“Rich in characterization and detail--not to mention the Coogan wit--this is an invaluable reference volume that belongs on the bookshelf of every Celtophile.” —Publishers Weekly