Irish Country Doctor, An (Irish Country Books, 1) Paperback – July 5, 2022

It's 1964, and Dr. Barry Laverty, the ink barely dry on his degree, takes a job out in the country with Dr. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly. The old doctor's reputation precedes him as, when Barry asks for directions to the doctor's residence in Ballybucklebo the young man he's asking flees away on his bicycle. Dr. O'Reilly is a big man with a florid face, who's nose turns alabaster when his temper is up. His surgery (Office) is attached to his house on Main Street, and ran by the irascible Mrs. Kinky Kincaid. Kinky is a battleship of a woman, "large and in charge" one might say. She runs the household and schedules the patients with iron determination, and cooks up irresistible meals. The household also consists of a daft, beer-drinking black Labrador named Arthur Guiness, and most recently a saucy white cat named Lady Macbeth.Barry accepts the job as O'Reilly's assistant, and takes up residence in the attic room of the household. It was a time when country doctors still made house calls; a time when the degreed residents of the township (such as doctor, teacher, minister, priest, or town council) were looked up to as leaders of the community. Barry discovers his work with O'Reilly includes a lot more than simply treating physical complaints and ailments. There's the personal problems of the residents to look after, like old Maggie MacCorkle and her old beau Sonny who lives in his car since nasty Councilor Bertie Bishop hasn't finished his roof for twenty years. There's a young, unwed pregnant girl to whom O'Reilly promises things will turn out (much to Barry's chagrin); and the old doctor does his research on her to discover the best way to help. O'Reilly manages to show Barry that there's more to small town treatment than what comes out of a medical text.On a trip to Belfast, Barry makes the acquaintance of a young college girl named Patricia Spence, who limps from the residue of her childhood polio, and Barry falls madly in love with her. Balancing his time at the clinic, only two pairs of trousers that Arthur Guiness is intent on ruining, and his desire to see more of Patricia becomes a full time worry for young Barry. Does he have what it takes to survive the boisterous and quick-tempered O'Reilly, managing small town medicine, and unrequited love? You'll have to read the novel to find out."Quaint" and "Cozy" are the best words to describe 'An Irish Country Doctor'. There are three books in the series right now. I found myself reading the third book first, 'An Irish Country Christmas', and simply had to purchase the first two books. This beginning of the life and times of the village of Ballybucklebo and it's temperamental doctor is highly entertaining, and like me you'll find yourself wanting more. Despite it's laid-back country appeal, you'll find yourself unable to put down the book. While reading, I felt like I was a part of the community, deep in Ireland back in the 60's. Taylor's writing really involves the reader; you'll be entirely "sucked into" the atmosphere. His characters are fully fleshed out, real people you feel like you know, each with unique personalities and quirks. Following the story is a quick note with some recipes by Kinky Kincaid, and a glossary of terms for those who wish to know more of the language spoken in the book. I'm on to the second novel now, 'An Irish Country Village'. I highly recommend this book and the series. Enjoy!

I read An Irish Country Wedding some time ago for a Book Club and wanted to fill in the background by reading the first book in the series. An Irish Country Doctor is a story about a young doctor rounding out his education by working as an intern for a much older rural general practitioner. His first experience was finding the way to the rural village without the benefit of reliable road signs. His second experience was arriving at his destination in time to see his future employer throw a patient out of his office by the seat of his pants. Quite an introduction. I enjoyed all the characters in the book. Every sort of personality and predicament you could imagine, and some that you couldn't, came up. Of course, there was a love interest, an assortment of animals with personalities of their own, and house visits in a variety of settings. It was an enjoyable read -- no criticism.

I can only say it was a delightful series and I didn't want it to end! I love historical fiction and this is how I came upon Patrick Taylor! I became absorbed in the endearing characters, and found myself laughing out loud at the wit of this author. The books are cleverly told, and have wonderful humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking stories that carry you into the workings of a beloved community, it's doctor's and the villagers within. But, it doesn't stop there! Add the historical fiction; medical knowledge, facts, information and skill; Navel strategy; author's notes, glossary, (a must read!); and recipes! I am sure I didn't cover it all. I am truly fascinated by the creativity inside these delightful pages. Happy reading!

Enjoyed reading this book. Always enjoy reading tales from a country. Ireland and its people are fun to read about.

This and the second book in the Irish Country Books series are light-hearted stories recounting the experiences of freshly qualified Doctor Barry Laverty as he starts working for the larger-than-life, old-school Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly.All the main characters – both doctors, their housekeeper Mrs Kinky Kincaid, Barry’s sweetheart Patricia Spence, the young bandsman Donal Donelly, the arrogant Councillor Bertie Bishop, and others – are all vividly portrayed. Landscapes, weather and social events are described with colour and feeling, and the many overlapping plots are also well developed. All in all, we enjoy an entertaining tale and come to know the village of Ballybucklebo and it’s community as if we’d been there.My reservations about the books, which lead me to rating them with only three stars, are the following:- The author flaunts his detailed knowledge of classical literature, medicine and the Ulster geography in an irritating manner. Do we really need to know the sources of innumerable obscure quotes, the Latin terms for all their patients’ ailments and the names of the streets Barry drives through on his way to the Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital?- Coincidental connections linking one patient to another, which prove highly instrumental in resolving otherwise intractable difficulties, come across as rather contrived.- Gratuitously foul and blasphemous language used by many of the characters offends me, especially when reading aloud to my wife (!)

I enjoyed An Irish Country Doctor. The characters are likable, well rounded and interesting. The story begins with a fresh-from-medical- school young doctor taking up his first post as assistant to a small town country doctor in Ireland. The young doctor quickly learns that he has a lot more to learn about doctoring than he could ever get from medical school. The older doctor quickly learns that he also can learn a thing or two from the younger doctor. The patients are intriguing. Some are quirky, some are hypochondriacs, some are not. It kept my interest throughout. The ending was satisfying and made me want to pick right up with the next book in the series.