Pete McCarthy McCarthy's Bar

I bought this book on a charity stall. Forget the Antiques Roadshow - this is the best find of my life. I have read McCarthy's Bar no less than five times and I still laugh out loud. My favourite chapter is on the stone circle & his description of his visit to the Spanish bull run. I laughed so hard I nearly wet myself. My only regret is that I didn't get the opportunity to have a drink with him on his visit to Northern Ireland & maybe have made an appearance in this fantastic book. His observations on the 'oirish' people is so accurate. A simple yet complicated race.

A fantastic read. I found myself in fits of uncontrollable belly laughter on a flight. I didnt want to put this book down, and ended up rationing myself to a chapter at a time. I felt really sad when it finished. Buy it, read it, love it!

Very funny. Great sense of humour. Laugh out loud book.

It was a sad day on 6th October 2004 when Pete McCarthy left this world; it would have been a delight to see him complete a hat-trick of books, laden with keen observations about people, places and life in general.

Both published books were effectively centred around him finding folk or things that took his family name, and trying to trace the history. A simple contrivance for a story... too simple? Well maybe, but somehow it works.

He meets along the way people who have taken the McCarthy history to heart all their lives, and add a rather worryingly obsessive, but equally enchanting color to the whole journey.

Most enjoyable though, are the more random aspects of his travels, where he merely bumps into folk just going about their normal, left-of-centre business in a typically untypical weird, off-the-wall, stupid, drunk (quite a lot of this) or just simply fascinating fashion. No character fails to come to life and veritably jump off the page, and no page can be turned without incurring another fit of chuckles somewhere on the next page. Some embellishment perhaps, but you couldn't make half of it up, and the daily reference to the quality of the local Chinese cuisine is just priceless!

I think it was McCathy's Bar (but it could be the other one) where Pete meets and describes a group of, as he termed it "stratospherically drunk" Celtic fans. It's simply one of the funniest throwaway adjectives I've heard anyone offer for some time, for reasons I cannot fathom (some people are just funny, that's all there is too it). And the whole passage left me very close to requiring treatment, I was laughing so hard. If you judge a read by how badly your sides hurt at the end, this guy is in the running for a big prize.

A couple of very funny books, written by a very funny man. What a shame he is no longer with us. A terrible, terrible shame in fact.

Need a laugh? Do yourself a favour and read this stuff.

Pete McCarthy McCarthy's Bar - McCarthy's Bar & The Road to McCarthy are both well worth a read. If you like travelling, meeting interesting characters and a nice pint of Guinness then Pete McCarthy will soon become your friend.

The book isn't so much a travel guide as a humourous look at different sides of Ireland as seen through the witty eyes and ears of the late Pete. I especially enjoyed the part when he visits Lough Derg, having been there twice myself! I thoroughly recommend Pete's books to anyone with a sense of humour. The world is a sadder place without him.

This is well worth a read. It really does make you want to visit Ireland. Very entertaining and highly addictive, you will want more when you have finished it.

In the book McCarthys Bar by Pete McCarthy, Pete said on one particular stretch of road he found newsagents, antique shops, loads of churches and more bars than all of them put together. Never was a truer word said about Ireland as I should know as a resident myself.

McCarthys bar includes lots of personal touches that make this book more than just a travelogue. Better than Bryson.

McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy is one of the best books I have ever read. After reading it I got an impression that I was there with the author. Some say the language is too strong, but what of it??? How else can one describe the rural Ireland? Pete McCarthy knows better, doesn't he?

This book is a good present to anyone who enjoys travelling, appreciates good humour and loves this wonderful country - Ireland.

Much more than just a pub-crawl diary, 'McCarthys Bar' is very funny, informative and evocative. If you have never visited the west of Ireland, this will make you want to go tomorrow. If you have already visited the area, you will want to go back and see what you missed the first time. Don't lend this book out, as it is so enjoyable no-one wants to part with it...tell your friends to buy their own copy! Brilliant! When's his next visit?