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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub Hardback - 2009

by Bill Barich

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Reader reviews for A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

From the publisher

Seamlessly blending history and reportage, Bill Barich offers a heartfelt homage to the traditional Irish pub, and to the central piece of Irish culture disappearing along with it.

After meeting an I rishwoman in London and moving to Dublin, Bill Barich--a "blow-in," or stranger, in Irish parlance--found himself looking for a traditional I rish pub to be his local. There are nearly twelve thousand pubs in Ireland, so he appeared to have plenty of choices. He wanted a pub like the one in John Ford's classic movie, The Quiet Man, offering talk and drink with no distractions, but such pubs are now scare as publicans increasingly rely on flat-screen televisions, rock music, even Texas Hold 'Em to attract a dwindling clientele. For Barich, this signaled that something deeper was at play--an erosion of the essence of Ireland, perhaps without the Irish even being aware.

A Pint of Plain is Barich's witty, deeply observant portrait of an Ireland vanishing before our eyes. Drawing on the wit and wisdom of Flann O'Brien (the title comes from one of his poems), James Joyce, Brendan Behan, and J. M. Synge, Barich explores how I rish culture has become a commodity for exports for such firms as the I rish Pub Company, which has built some five hundred "authentic" Irish pubs in forty-five countries, where "authenticity is in the eye of the beholder." The tale of Arthur Guinness and the famous brewery he founded in the mid-eighteenth century reveals the astonishing fact that more stout is sold in Nigeria than in Ireland itself. While 85 percent of the I rish still stop by a pub at least once a month, strict drunk-driving laws have helped to kill business in rural areas. Even traditional I rish music, whose rich roots "connect the past to the present and close a circle," is much less prominent in pub life. I ronically, while I rish pubs in the countryside are closing at the alarming rate of one per day, plastic I PC-type pubs are being born in foreign countries at the exact same rate.

From the famed watering holes of Dublin to tiny village pubs, Barich introduces a colorful array of characters, and, ever pursuing craic, the ineffable Irish word for a good time, engages in an unvarnished yet affectionate discussion about what it means to be Irish today.

Details

  • Title A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
  • Author Bill Barich
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 242
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Walker & Company, NY
  • Publication date 2009-02
  • ISBN 9780802717016 / 0802717012
  • Weight 0.83 lbs (0.38 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.6 x 6.48 x 0.97 in (21.84 x 16.46 x 2.46 cm)
  • Category Business / Economics / Finance
  • Library of Congress subjects Bars (Drinking establishments) - Ireland -, Bars (Drinking establishments) - Social
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2008026372
  • Dewey Decimal Code 647.950

About the author

Bill Barich has written for the New Yorker and other publications for many years. He is the author of the classic Laughing in the Hills, as well as Crazy for Rivers, Carson Valley, and most recently A Fine Place to Daydream: Racehorses, Romance, and the Irish. He lives in Dublin, Ireland.

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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Bill Barich

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Walker & Company, 2009. Hardcover. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. An ex-library book and may have standard library stamps and/or stickers. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain : Tradition, Change and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780802717016 / 0802717012
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Walker & Company. Used - Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub
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A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub

by Barich, Bill

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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WALKER BOOKS, 2009-02-03. First Edition. hardcover. Used: Good. 5.75x0.96x8.54. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
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