IRISH COUNTRY HOUSE

It chronicles a remarkable group of houses and castles that have survivedthe vicissitudes of Ireland's history and are still in the hands of theiroriginal families, taking the reader on an intimate tour of these homes,many of which have never been seen in print before. The evocative,specially commissioned photographs by James Fennell show inviting livingrooms and tousled bedrooms, print-lined hallways and well-trampledmudrooms. Details capture the distinctive personalities of the owners: ared silk bell-pull against green floral wallpaper, a drawer full oftwo-hundred-year-old love letters, the curve of a wonderfully carvedantique chair. In their delightful text, the Knight of Glin and JamesPeill tell the tales of some of the more colourful inhabitants of thesehomes, past and present. The houses are not the instant creation of trendydecorators - they have evolved over generations, furnished with heirloomsand cherished hand-me-downs, and exuding the unmistakeable scent of peatfires.