Wacky Eire

Comiskey, a reporter for the Irish tabloid Sunday World, drew on her strangest assignments while compiling this look at modern Ireland. The stories are hit or miss%E2%80%94some are truly "wacky" and fascinating, while others are nothing new%E2%80%94but she covers a whole range of subjects, from an island invaded by giant rhubarb, to the annual redhead convention, to a supernatural "poltergoat". Occasionally, Comiskey fails to provide enough context for her stories, as in "Cockerels and Chainmail," leaving the reader more lost than entertained. Her writing is extremely pun-heavy and colloquial, and each chapter stands on its own, rather than as a piece in a unified work. The tone works for the most part, but the heavy use of Irish slang and unexplained Irish pop culture references will likely confound an American audience; such a language barrier may discourage some readers, while some stories, like the one about the Father Ted festival, may go completely over non-Irish heads. However, for those intimately familiar with the emerald isle, Comiskey is an enjoyable narrator and her fun stories should ease some nostalgia. (Dec.)