Ireland from the Sea, Andrew Phelan

Sailing clockwise around the Irish coast in his 32-foot sloop, Sarakiniko, retired judge and accomplished sailor Andrew Phelan calls in at various harbors, inlets and bays, and gives readers a fascinating guided tour of the Irish coastline. A delight to dip or to plunge into, this beautifully illustrated book provides sailing instructions on anchorages, winds and tides for the intrepid and amateur sailor alike. But the armchair sailor is in for a real treat too, because Andrew Phelan's book is just bursting with fascinating facts and information on local history and lore.

Adam and Eve Islands; Bloody Foreland; currachs; Castle Freke, home to the Barons of Carbery; Derrynane Abbey, home of Daniel O'Connell; Dunluce Castle; Erskine Childers' gun-running; Galway Hookers; Golam Tower; Grace O'Malley; Inish Vickillaune, property of former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey; Killala's Day of the French; Lough Foyle in wartime; Lough Swilly's Batteries; an ancient burial ground on Skeam West Island in Kerry; a more recent churchyard at Goleen where a six-year-old child lies buried, having 'drowned on the morning of 10th August, 1826 at Rock Island; Marconi House; Martello Towers; Mussenden Temple; Sir Roger Casement; Skellig Michael where couples used to go on pilgrimage to get married during Lent, because the island calendar was different from that on the mainland; smugglers; St Brendan; the Aran Islands; the Blasket Islands, birthplace of so many celebrated writers; the Céide Fields; the father of the US Navy; the Flight of the Earls; the Glens of Antrim; the origins of the Ordnance Survey; the postponement of D-Day in the West; the Sack of Baltimore in 1631; the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915; the Spanish Armada; Tory Island; Valentia Museum; whales, dolphins and seals; terrible sea tragedies and daring rescues-and that's just a fraction of what's covered by Andrew Phelan in this very special sailing guide and tourist/local history guide rolled into one.

Chapters include: Rocks, Reefs and Rollers; Landscapes of Youth; To the Kingdom of Kerry; North and East for Shannon; To the Isles of Aran; By Erris and Eagle; North-east for Tory; Inlets of the North; Hard Haul to Howth; The Coast of 1,000 Wrecks.