Olive Sharkey

Sharkey looks back at Irish countryside life--mostly during her grandparents' time. Her thoughts divided into eight chapters or sections: Farmhouse Fare, Homecrafts, The Thatched House, Furniture and Fittings, Home-made Things, The Land, Springtime on the Land, and the Harvest. The last three chapters relate to one another. Drawings accompany the text to illustrate some of the items discussed. The book, first published as Old Days, Old Ways in 1985 and then as Ways of Old in 2000 was revised and published under the title Irish Country Life in 2020. A short bibliography and list of museums appear at the end of the book. The author discusses objects mostly from her personal knowledge rather than citing materials. While the depiction of everyday rural Irish life interests me, a more scholarly approach would benefit genealogical researchers, such as myself, more.… (mehr)