| Review |
Paul Sheehan is a very
clear and lucid writer. He also has something worthwhile to say, and
in this book he offers valuable fishing guidance on many of the best
Irish rivers and loughs. Productive they can be, but the fisheries
of western Ireland in particular are not easy to fish, and a guide
such as this, written by one of Ireland's top flyfishers, is a very
sound pre-holiday investment.
Paul Sheehan tells it as it is - supermarket trolleys and all.
That, in a guide, is refreshing (the sight of such litter is not).
Switching, as he does, from past tense to present tense between
se3ctions within chapters, is a risky writing technique, but on
balance it works well here, mainly, I feel, due to the skill of the
writer rather than any real necessity. But it all adds variety.
Phrases such as "The spirits of anglers past are at your
shoulder on the banks of the Slaney" are great openings for
tales of places frequented by the likes of Kingsmill-Moore. Many
years from now the same aura might well surround the legends of this
very fine Irish writer. Well done, Paul Sheehan: an excellent book.
If you are going to Ireland read this before you set off, I urge
you.
Pat O'Reilly |
