The Road from Castlebarnagh

The Road from Castlebarnagh recounts the many adventures of Paddy O'Brien, Irish traditional musician, composer and collector, as a boy growing up more than half a century ago in the midlands of Ireland. Paddy grew up in a small thatched house without running water or electricity, near the village of Daingean in County Offaly. It was a time when the social life in the Irish countryside often took place around the hearth fire, where stories were told and music was played. Paddy relates stories of thatching the house with his father, the ringing of the big pig, the boys' National School, turf cutting, a ghostly confrontation and the Banshee. His colourful autobiography introduces readers to the many interesting characters who shaped Paddy's own perception of Irish life and culture. Written in an easy-going, storytelling style, the book is for anyone interested in Irish traditional music and life in rural Ireland in the mid-20th century. There's a particular emphasis on Paddy's own development as a traditional musician and the experience of growing up within the music.