Parting Glass: A Toast to the Traditi

What better way to experience the richness of Ireland's cultural heritage than a meandering journey through its traditional pubs? The Parting Glass is a nostalgic ramble through 43 of the most inviting establishments in the cities and countryside of Ireland. Eric Roth's warm, glowing photographs and a sparkling text by Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe columnist Eileen McNamara capture the timeless feel and flavor of this intrinsic, but disappearing, part of Irish life.

Ireland's pubs are legendary-unique meeting places where revelers have habitually gathered to sing, dance, and share a little craic with their stout. Some of the pubs visited here are historic taverns; others are more contemporary. But all reflect the vibrancy and drama of the country's social history. Like many traditions entering a new century, Ireland's pub culture may now be endangered, even as the "Irish Pub" look and feel are being exported across Europe and America. This charming volume invites tourists, armchair travelers, and anyone interested in Irish history and culture to raise a "parting glass" to this cherished aspect of life in Ireland.

Eric Roth has traveled the world in more than 30 years of commercial photography. He regularly shoots assignments for interior design books and magazines such as Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Coastal Living, Inspired Home, Cape Cod Home, and Boston Magazine. He lives on Boston's north shore.

Eileen McNamara is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Boston Globe. She lives outside Boston with her husband, Boston Globe sportswriter Peter May, and their three children.