Drive Ireland

Description

A Personal Guide to driving Ireland’s best Roads and most interesting places.

THE BEST GUIDE FOR ENTHUSIASTIC MOTORISTS EXPLORING IRELAND

On the 20th of April motoring historian Bob Montgomery launched his latest book at Hodges & Figgis in Dublin City Centre, one which should be of interest to any classic car club or classic car owner alike. ‘Drive Ireland’ is an ambitious book in that it sets out to list Ireland’s best roads and most interesting places to visit along the way, but having leafed through it several times I can say that this is a very comprehensive tome indeed. Its 350-odd pages are absolutely packed with full-colour guides to not only this island’s best-know tourist spots, but also many more discreet locations that you might not have heard of; what’s most interesting for our readers is that the book maintains a motoring viewpoint at several stages of the book, listing attractions of specific interest to car fans as well as entertaining and scenic driving routes.

Although not a small book, ‘Drive Ireland’ is very usefully published in a compact format that would fi t easily in a car glovebox. It opens with overviews of Irish history and notes on driving in Ireland before delving straight in with a list of fifty of the top venues to visit in the country. Via a list of locations of motoring interest, such as museums and motor races, the reader then enters the real ‘meat’ of the book: a region-by-region guide to the best tourist attractions in each, followed in each case by interesting motoring routes in that region. There’s real detail to be found, but all in a very accessible format that’s easy to navigate, particularly if you’re on the move – coloured strips on the outer edge of the pages make it quick and easy to find what you’re looking for.

If there were any doubt as to the beauty and resources we have on our own doorstep, this book dispels them all in one swoop, and I’m already itching to get out there over the coming summer months to take in just a fraction of what Bob’s showcased in this book. I particularly like the way in that Bob’s own observations come through in the text, as well as his own interests in motoring and aviation, which adds personality to the book and ensure that it’s not just another Irish tourist guide. A valuable resource for any keen motorist, and particularly for any classic club that regularly organises road trips or social weekends away, it comes highly recommended. Review by Andrew Pollock