Thank you Garrett Carr, Faber and Faber and Net Galley for the ARC of The Rule of the Land
Walking Ireland's Border. This is an excellent account of the history of this border and its contemporary implications. The illustrated maps and great photography enhance the unique writing style. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in Ireland, especially if you are planning on travelling to this region.

A timely book that was written after the Brexit referendum and read by me during the shambolic Brexit process.  Garrett Carr walks the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, a very squiggly, often irrational and impractical, line that resulted from the partitioning of the six counties in 1921.  He doesn’t shy away from discussing the ‘Troubles’ but is never politically biased.  I love the map he creates along each section of the border, recording historical and prehistoric sites as well as old checkpoints and unofficial border crossings.  The people he meets are an indigenous breed he refers to as borderlanders, with their own take on their political and geographical situation and their own brand of humour.  When he can’t walk, he canoes the line of the border with his friend, Paddy.  Some of his best writing is during these stretches.  On seeing a kingfisher, he writes 

<i>The kingfisher glides ahead of us, going only a little faster than we are, before our bow for half a minute or so.  Its blue is amazing.  It is like a tear in the material of this world, a hole into a different, brighter place.  One heavy downbeat of its wings and it cruises right, into the trees, and disappears.  I hope for another sighting but it never comes.  From the stern Paddy says, ‘I’ve seen more rubber ducks in the wild than I’ve seen kingfishers.’</i>

Towards the end of his journey, Carr recalls the words of a comedian wondering what will happen if Northern Ireland leaves the European Union.  <i>‘We’re going to need the border again....if anyone can remember where we left it.’</i>

If you’re interested in Ireland, its topography and its history, this is a very readable and enjoyable book which I strongly recommend.....no matter what happens in the next months and years ahead.

<http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=63000>

This is the kind of meditative non fiction that I like to luxuriate in. Carr talks about all sorts of topics-ancient history, modern history, the creation and delineation of landscapes, identity politics, etc with the common binding thread of it all being Ireland's reality-a complex tapestry of ideas and people. Carr stays relatively neutral in the North/South divide which enhances the dreamy sense of travel. I do recommend that readers have a strong interest in Ireland and/or an interest in history/landscape.

<img src="http://i68.tinypic.com/2rpr7nl.jpg" alt="NetGalley Review" width="200">

I have a love of everything Ireland, so this recent release, documenting a walk along Ireland's border, written just after the Brexit vote, was almost certainly going to be something up my alley. Part travelling journal, part historical account, part mythology, this book has something for everyone. 

However, I don't believe that most people will love every single part of it with equal amounts. 

For me, for example, my interest was in the changing parts of Ireland's language, and also the mythology and fairy related nonsense, noted as it was to particular places that the writer walked along. 

I noted lingo such as 'a notion': He has a notion of her. She has a notion of him. To have a notion of someone is to see potential in them, to see potential in the idea of you together. I'm talking about love.

Domees: A piece of borderland vernacular, a name for these prehistoric tombs.

And drumlins: thick bands stretching across Ireland, much of it corresponding with the borderland. "Although the hill form is found in many parts of the world, the name was shaped here, in the Irish language, from droimnín, by way of drym and druim. It means little ridge."

I'm definitely glad that I read it, specifically because I love Ireland, though I don't think it'll be the kind of thing I read again.

I like Garrett Carr's style, but the story wasn't really interesting to me.

A really interesting and nicely written book, which kept me interested from beginning to end.

‘Haulbowline Lighthouse stands off shore. Waves crash at it from all sides. I think of it as the beginning because the lighthouse – smooth stone, seamless from a distance – is a fine spool from which to unwind the border. I imagine the line as three hundred miles of oily black cable, wrapped around the lighthouse, waiting to be drawn out.’

Books like these are fast becoming one of my favourite genres. They seem to strongly resonate with me and my natural sense of curiosity. The sense of freedom, the interest in new people and places and the disconnect from ‘normal’ life makes for very interesting reading. Reading books like these are pure escapism and the next best thing to doing the actual travelling yourself.

That is not to say that all travel books are the same. What sets The Rule Of The Land apart is the beautiful poetic language used throughout. Garrett Carr has written something very special here in a time when, more and more, we are beginning to define ourselves by our borders. Written in the aftermath of Brexit, the author walks the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland. Sometimes, he even calls upon the use of a canoe to navigate the many waterways that make up part of this border. Over the course of this journey, Carr has much to teach us.

‘I want to see how the land and its people have reacted to the border, and the ways in which the line is made manifest. First it just demarcated counties, then countries and may next be where the United Kingdom and the European Union touch – this line has a lot of responsibilities.’

The beauty of this book is that the author could be writing about any type of border. He spends much time musing about the imaginary divides that have always seemed to be there, even before maps and written records. These divides are not there just because of geographical circumstance. Religion, politics, tribal and familial factors have all played a role in shaping the territories that make up our world today. Carr expertly navigates through all this information to paint a lyrical picture of what makes the Irish border in particular a special place.

To the author’s credit, The Rule Of The Land offers a wide and varying opinion on how this unusual boundary came to be. Importantly, this opinion transcends the usual lazy political and religious stereotypes. When you scratch beneath the surface as Garrett Carr did, it quickly becomes clear that the border seems to have always been in existence in some form or other.

‘South are the Cooleys. North, the Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea. The Cooleys are ruffled and pitted, the Mournes taller and polished smooth by glaciers. Mountain ranges of differing personalities and this wide band of water between; I sense the edge of kingdoms.’

The making of the border easily outdates its political creation in the 1920s. It seems as if the universe itself conspired to create an unbreakable territorial line. Ice age glaciers carved out immense troughs in the land and deposited countless drumlins ‘like a necklace of beads.’ Relics from the past such as Emain Macha, the Greenan fort and countless Stone Age burial sites point to the presence of human life thousands of years ago. Irish folklore and legends record the deeds of the great Irish hero Cú Chulainn and the indomitable O’Neill clan who defended this same border. Much later came The Big Houses that announced the arrival of a landlord class and territory of a different kind. There is also Lough Derg, which remains to be an important site of pilgrimage today.

Then there are the people who make up the border. These are as vital to its story and understanding too. Famous cases studies include Shane Leslie, Lord Brackenbridge, Barry McGuigan, Seán Quinn and Artur Kozlowski. Authors William Trevor and Brian McGilloway and their works offer the reader a chance to read and understand the land further. But it is the nameless farmers and chance encounters that really steal the show throughout this book. These ‘borderlanders‘ give Carr’s account a real flavour of what it is like to live in a area that holds so much historical and cultural baggage.

‘Drawing a line is one way to make a state where we can belong, but a sense of belonging is often lost to borders too. Even a place as small as Free Derry would be big enough for some people to feel like they were in the wrong place. Within Free Derry I’m sure you could have found at least one family that did not want to be caught up in the enclave. They might have like a further subdivision, a line painted around their house. And within that house a teenage son or daughter would have stormed upstairs and locked their door.’

The Rule Of The Land really is a magnificent book and must be a tourist board’s dream. If more people looked at the things that divide us in the light of Garrett Carr, we would have a much better understanding of who we are and where we might go today.

Would I recommend this book to a friend?

Yes. There is something in here for everyone. Whether or not you come from Ireland, you will appreciate the essence of the journey. The constant stream of stories, facts, places and events makes this book a very interesting and lively read. Obviously, for those old enough or local enough to relate to the border, this will be an extra special read. At the very least, this book will make you want to get outside and explore your own surrounding with your own two feet and a reliable tent.

Afterthoughts
As an Irishman myself, I have never particularly spent much time thinking about the border. I am from the south of the island and so any thoughts or opinions that I may have have been heavily influenced by school history books and casual politics. The best thing about this book is that it make the border a much more acceptable place. It is what it is.
I received a copy of this book to review on Kindle and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I did feel that I missed out on the maps and photographs so I would strongly recommend buying a hard copy if available. Garrett Carr drew his own map of the border as he walked the border. Clearly, he is a man of many talents!
Reading this book should help us to understand that borders, boundaries and territories are a very natural and ingrained part of life on our planet. It is our attitudes towards them that define them for what they are and can be.
According to my Kindle, this book uses the word ‘border’ 438 times!
The language that Carr uses throughout this book is simply poetic. For example, a simple thing such as a dog and walker are described as ‘a six-legged walk waiting to happen.‘
It is very interesting how the author mentions drawing a line as ‘one way to make a state where we can belong.’ This is exactly what the main character does in Paul Beatty’s The Sellout to revive some pride in his ailing neighbourhood.

This book appealed as my family are from Tyrone, with my father being born close to the border with Monaghan. As children growing up, we were well used to border checkpoints and it was part and parcel whenever we wanted to travel south (or North or West to Donegal!) We also remember the border roads that were made impassable so that people had to use the main roads and checkpoints. Obviously in later years the border has been pretty much obsolete but with Brexit occurring, it's a concern that the border will reappear.
This book documents the authors journey along the border and the characters that he meets along the way.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, probably because a lot of it felt familiar to me. In fact I enjoyed it so much, I purchased a copy for my father.

This book appealed to me as the daughter of Irish parents who were born and grew up in the border counties, one in Northern Ireland, one in the Republic of Ireland. Until my middle teenage years, when warmer and more exciting places beckoned more strongly than holidays on the usually wet island of Ireland, visiting an endless stream of relatives, I spent nearly all my school holidays near the border. This period coincided with the worst part of the Troubles during the 1970s and I still recall the faint tinge of tension as we crossed the Bogside bridge in Londonderry on the way from my father's Northern Irish homeland in County Fermanagh to my mother's native land further north in Donegal. We never had problems on the crossing point - perhaps the mainland number plates, five children and cheeriest dog on the planet made us look unthreatening although I always thought we would have been good cover for smuggling contraband over the border!
Walking the border during the Troubles was an impossibility and even now it isn't a regular activity. The author either walks or takes to the water where the border is formed of a river or lake. I remember the cratered roads or blocked river crossings from my childhood, restricting access across the border. many have now re-opened but the author comes across more unofficial crossings that don't appear on his maps. The border lands also  encompass many monuments to a much older history - ancient barrows, gates, ramparts. Every now and again the potential impact of Brexit on these borderlands is mentioned but in no depth - it felt to me that Brexit was a convenient peg to hang from since at least some of the journey described in the book preceded the referendum, the result of which was a surprise to most people in June. 

I particularly enjoyed reading about those areas I knew best along the Fermanagh/Cavan border and the more rugged lands of Donegal. You get the occasional sharp observation for example the all too true comment that the great "estates seem to be the only forces in Ireland powerful enough to keep bungalows at bay". In other places, the author described things that revived old memories - he writes about a dance hall that was popular in the 1950s which triggered memories of my mother reminiscing about the dances of her youth in what seemed a very similar establishment a few miles further along the border.

I am not sure, though, that I would have read all the way through the book had it not been for my personal interest and connection. Whilst the book is informative, I found some stretches rather dull and occasionally the author seemed to wander off at a tangent. It isn't a conventional travelogue but I am not sure how or where to categorise it.  It doesn't  offer any analysis of Irish politics, and the history is treated lightly. Much is based on conversations with people the author encounters along the way but, again, this offers no great insight. I enjoyed parts of the book because I had a personal connection with the area, but I am not sure how much the book would speak to a general reader.

The Rule of the Land is a nonfiction book about a man who travels the border between the UK and Ireland in anticipation of this becoming a EU border as well.

Sadly, I DNF'ed this book after about 30 pages. While the premise sounded very interesting to me, the writing didn't pull me into the story at all. I think this is an interesting story and might be even more interesting if you live in or close to Ireland, but for me it just went into detail way too much. It talks about the history of a place, who build this building and why and even though that is very interesting, the 'clue' of that doesn't really pull through.

I do, however, urge you to pick this up for yourself, as I only read a very small part of it.

This book by Garrett Carr written post the EU referendum last year is the story of his 300 mile journey from east to west along the Irish border undertaken mostly by foot but also at times by canoe. This border not only separates two sovereign countries and Irish counties but will soon separate the European Union from a country outside it.. 
The book covers history, geography, archaeology, mythology and politics and also musings about what a border is and the impact it has on both the geography and the people living there. Colm Tobin's book Bad Blood - A walk along the Irish border- first published in 1987 and referenced by Garrett was written at a time when the border was militarised with watchtowers and army checkpoints in place, now thankfully this time has gone. Although the political aspect of the border is a recurrent theme throughout, Garrett has an objective and neutral stance which adds to the poignancy of the book. 
In the book you will learn about the history of the area both ancient and modern , come across standing stones, disused railway lines, abandoned mill factories and grand houses some gone and others now 5 star hotels. You will meet local people and their tales and also about Garrett's past stories growing up in the area and his experience crossing the border when custom posts were in existence. 
The book contains photos and maps which enhance the story. The theme running through the book is that the border area for its people has become almost a third country with its own mind set and beliefs. 
On a personal level having walked the country lanes of Fermanagh I can vouch for the need to take care against speeding traffic due to the poor roadside walking verges, But don't let this put you off, read this book and consider planning your own journey in this unspoilt and largely undiscovered by tourist region.

Review published on Goodreads on January 16th 2017

'The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland's Border' by Garrett Carr

4.5 stars/ 9 out of 10

I am always interested in reading books about Ireland, both fiction and nonfiction, so was interested in reading 'The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland's Border'. In this book, following the EU referendum, Garrett Carr sets out to travel the border between Northern Ireland and Eire. 

Carr has a very attractive writing style, and I was at no stage bored whilst reading his book. The book includes excellent nature writing, as well as interesting historical, political and cultural background. It has none of the rather annoying flippancy that some other 'personal travel' books have. The book is enhanced by maps and photos.

There was much of interest to me here, ranging from information about Cúchulainn and about the Vikings, to the possible implications of Brexit for the Border area. I was especially interested in the section relating to place names and their importance, which reminded me of the play 'Translations' by Brian Friel.

I think that there is much here to appeal to a wide audience. I strongly recommend this book.

Thank you to Faber and Faber Ltd and to NetGalley for an ARC.

Synopsis — what’s it about?

Author Garrett Carr traveled the broder between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on foot and by canoe, mapping the landscape as well. In light of the Brexit referendum that took place on the 23rd of June of 2016 the author tries to answer what the implications of a split between the European Union and the United Kingdom, of which Northern Ireland is a part of, would be to the people living near the border and their everyday lives. In order to contextualize this, he tells the story of both countries, with a focus on the borderland, from their formation, to the history between the Catholic/Protestant divide and to the 1990s and The Troubles.

Because the author also mapped the landscape surrounding the border — namely the places he references and tells the story of — those maps are included in the book, as well as some photos of said places, to give the reader a mental image of the background of the topic being discussed.


Opinion — what did I think of it?


At first I thought that I would have trouble understanding the topic at hand, aftertall not being either Irish or British means that the history of both countries was touched very lightly in History class. I could not have been more wrong. The author has done a great job on explaining each country’s history, both the old and the modern. I understood everything Carr mentioned in his book and only had to do one quick Google search to pick up on something I’d never heard about before. It was highly informative and now I feel like I know much more of the region’s history.

As a member of the EU with dreams of one day living in the UK I was gutted to see the outcome of the vote, as well as mad at the populist propaganda going around both online and in real life. However, I never thought of the implications the divide would have on a fragile, and thin, border that has seen many acts of violence until not too long ago. Now, after having read this book, I am much more aware of the impact this could have in the region.

I loved how the author gave the people living in the areas he travelled through a voice and an opportunity to express their opinions regarding Brexit, particualarly because Northern Ireland, as a majority, voted Remain (read: stay in the EU) while the UK, as a majority, voted Leave (read: leave the EU).

The photos the author included in the book were a very good call. At times I had trouble picturing the exact look of a particular place that was being described and too lazy to look it up so seeing those pictures was a great asset and added depth to the narrative.

Lastly, I’m giving it a strong 3.5 stars because at times I was not interested in the history. You can’t imagine how guilty I’m feeling for writing this, but it’s my honest opinion. Sometimes the writer went into too great detail about a particular event that didn’t feel very relevant to the whole narrative.

Final verdict — do I recommend it?


If you are interested in Irish and British history, culture and politics, definitely pick this one up. Like I’ve said, it brings up very interesting questions and contextualizes them both historically and culturally.

If you are curious to dip your toes in the topic but are affraid you won’t understand it because you aren’t well familiarized with this area’s history, don’t be. Chances are you will learn about it and won’t have much trouble understanding it, as the author explains this very well.

"Irish map-maker Garrett Carr spends a year traveling the border between the United Kingdom and Ireland. Carr explores via foot, canoe, and other means, to explore the modern-day climate and past history of this divided area." https://www.smartertravel.com/2017/01/11/new-books-2017/

Carr embarks on a journey to travel the border of Northern Ireland and the U.K. Always a contentious area, things are made more strange by the recent departure of Great Britain from the European Union . As a child I never understood my British fathers ambivalence towards his Irish half, his mother was born in Dublin. It wasn’t until I was a teenager in the 1980s and witnessed the atrocities committed in the name of “right” by both sides on the nightly news that I began to understand. Now Carr travels the border both on foot and by boat visiting the places and people that make this place both unique and beautiful. Poetic, engrossing, and humorous, this is a book I dearly wish my father had lived long enough to read. An extraordinary accomplishment and a book that will leave no reader unchanged