Wacky Eire

January 28, 2013
Comiskey, a reporter for the Irish tabloid Sunday World, drew on her strangest assignments while compiling this look at modern Ireland. The stories are hit or missâsome are truly "wacky" and fascinating, while others are nothing newâbut she covers a whole range of subjects, from an island invaded by giant rhubarb, to the annual redhead convention, to a supernatural "poltergoat". Occasionally, Comiskey fails to provide enough context for her stories, as in "Cockerels and Chainmail," leaving the reader more lost than entertained. Her writing is extremely pun-heavy and colloquial, and each chapter stands on its own, rather than as a piece in a unified work. The tone works for the most part, but the heavy use of Irish slang and unexplained Irish pop culture references will likely confound an American audience; such a language barrier may discourage some readers, while some stories, like the one about the Father Ted festival, may go completely over non-Irish heads. However, for those intimately familiar with the emerald isle, Comiskey is an enjoyable narrator and her fun stories should ease some nostalgia.