This title is book fifteen in the popular series that began with An Irish Country Doctor. The stories take place in a small, close knit community. The time here is the late sixties. Barry and Sue are expecting their first child, a new (aristocratic) doctor is on the scene, there are problems in Ireland and more.

I think that this title will be enjoyed (of course) by those who have already discovered the series. I think that it may also be enjoyed by fans of All Creatures Great and Small.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

I love Ireland. Anytime I see a book that takes place in Ireland, I can’t wait to read it. This story did not disappoint.

An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Murphy is the slice-of-life-novel featuring five doctors in rural Ireland. There is no plot, just genuine storytelling. Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly is the lead doctor who is on the cusp of retiring, or at least slowing down. his wife Kitty is a surgical nurse at a nearby hospital. The office is run out of their home, ably assisted by Kinky Auchinleck, who is not only the nurse/receptionist, but also the cook for the doctors. It is a rural community. She has been there forever. She knows all the stories. These doctors make house calls. They deliver babies. They send more serious cases and surgeries on to hospital. Everyone respects and admires Fingal. He is mentoring a new doctor every year. He is truly a paragon. There are four other doctors with stories, plus a whole community.

This is a down home Ireland narration. There are recipes and plenty of Irish slang and colloquialisms. It was fun to read and informative. It took the reader to rural Ireland and kept them there for a while. People are people and they do people things. This book made many of those things enjoyable reading while introducing a life very different from our own. As it took place in about 1969, it also took a back a bit. It was interesting and drew the reader directly in to these lives and loves in an intriguing way. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of An Irish Country Welcome by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #anirishcountrywelcome

An Irish Country Welcome by Patrick Taylor (Book #15)

It is always a joy to visit the small Irish village of Ballybucklebo, this “episode” being set in 1969. I love the many references to the historic things that were happening at the time. And Doctor Fingal O’Reilly is always willing to give history lessons to one and all from the past. It really is very educational!
In this installment, Dr. Barry Laverty and his wife are having a baby, and as a few concerning things happen, the reader follows along with their feelings and anxieties of possible heartbreak. As that story unfolds, Dr. O’Reilly and his wife, Kitty, are making some “life decisions” of their own regarding their work life and possibilities of retirement. The question of who will take over some of the hours in their medical practice is answered by the new trainee, Sebastian Carson. But is he a good doctor? Will his upper-class upbringing keep him from fitting in with the Ballybucklebo community? And why does he always try to leave work early and hurry away? Many questions to answer on this one!
Of course, Kinky is always around to fix delicious food for the crew (with several wonderful recipes in the back of the book!). And Donal Donelly plays a good part in this one, as his business partner Bertie Bishop and his wife go on a world cruise and leave Donal in charge!
It’s heartwarming; it’s funny, with some sadness and lots of joy included. If you’re reading this series, or if you just enjoy a nice read, I think you’ll be very pleased with this one!
I'd like to thank NetGalley, Patrick Taylor, and Forge Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Patrick Taylor continues his wonderful Irish Country Doctor series. Dr. Taylor never fails to delight readers with the lives of his Ballybucklebo residents. Picking up one of his books always feels like coming home.

This is an ongoing fictional account of Dr Barry Laverty's time as a GP in the small rural Irish village of Ballybucklebo in Ulster, not far from Belfast. Barry and his wife are finally expecting their first child after some fertility problems and are now looking forward to the birth. The practice has taken on a new trainee, Sebastian Carson, an uppercrust Cambridge graduate, who Barry and his senior partner Dr Fingal O'Reilly are not sure will fit in with the locals. The year is 1969 and although Catholics and Protestants live happily side by side in Ballybucklebo sectarian tension are rising in Belfast and breaking out into violence.

On the whole, this is a cosy village drama filled with the everyday life of the doctors and the villagers, including a cast of very engaging Irish characters. Patrick Taylor grew up in Ireland and writes fondly of the culture and the people in his entertaining tales. Many of the medical specialists in his book are real doctors he has worked with or are based on real people as are many of the experience he describes. There are some quite explicit medical scenes in the book, including brain surgery, the emergency delivery of a breech baby and Barry and Sue's own delivery. I love medical dramas on TV and in books so found this all fascinating but I know it won't appeal to everyone. However, you could just skip over those bits if they bother you and enjoy the doctors interactions with their patients, fly fishing, attending harvest festivals, as well as the descriptions of the beautiful countryside, in particular a trip to the Devil's Causeway.

I've read & enjoyed all the books in this series, but this is one of the best. Along with the lives of the people of Ballybucklebo, this volume, with rich descriptions, and wonderful characters, deals with many deep and difficult issues in a way that is so empathetic and so in keeping with the novel's plot that it's only on refection that I'm seeing how many were considered.

I won't share with you what these are because they would spoil the novel.

This goes well beyond Northern Ireland's "Troubles," which are coming to the forefront in the last half of 1969. To Taylor's credit, he does not shy away from them but shows how they affect and concern his characters.

i just loved this book.

It's 1969 in the Northern Irish village of Ballybucklebo, and although sectarian violence threatens nearby urban areas, this village is a place where everyone, Catholics and Protestants alike, seem to be able to get along. Barry's wife Sue is finally expecting, much to their delight, and a new doctor (from a very different background) is starting with the practice. The villagers celebrate together with a talent show and a best dandelion wine contest, and we follow Barry and his colleagues as they treat many of the villagers' health problems. (The author is a doctor, and it's very interesting to read about some of these issues from a medical perspective.) It's rare to find a feel-good read which is neither saccharine nor annoying, but Taylor has nailed it once again in this latest installment of the Irish Country Doctor series. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to review this advance copy.

This series has always been a joy to read, and this book is no exception. Yes to familiar and new characters and lyrical depictions of the Irish landscape. Yes to integration of real events and effects of the sectarian violence on rural areas of Northern Ireland, and doing it in a gentle way, in keeping with the style of these books. Some may wish to avoid the descriptions of several medical case plot points.

These books just keep getting better every time. Love all Patricks books. Not just this series but all of them. This reminds me of Father Ted in so many ways

Oh, how I love Ballybucklebo and all of its inhabitants! This book was a great re-entry to the Irish country life. The 15th book recaptures and recalls the magic of the beginning. We catch up with Fingal, Kitty, Barry, Sue, and our dear Kinky. We also are introduced to Sebastian, an interesting new character. I recommend! Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC. I was not required to give a positive review; that was earned on its own.