{"product_id":"a-pint-of-plain-bill-barich-9781510732193","title":"A Pint of Plain: Tradition, Change, and the Fate of the Irish Pub","description":"After meeting an Irishwoman in London and moving to Dublin, Bill Barich, a \"blow-in,\" or stranger, in Irish parlance found himself looking for a traditional Irish pub to be his local. There are nearly 12,000 pubs in Ireland, so he appeared to have plenty of choices. He wanted a pub like the one in John Ford's classic movie, \u003ci\u003eThe Quiet Man\u003c\/i\u003e, offering talk and drink with no distractions, but such pubs are now scarce as publicans increasingly rely on flat-screen televisions, rock music, even Texas Hold 'Em to attract a dwindling clientele. For Barich, this signaled that something deeper was at play an erosion of the essence of Ireland, perhaps without the Irish even being aware. \u003ci\u003eA Pint of Plain\u003c\/i\u003e is Barich's witty, deeply observant portrait of an Ireland vanishing before our eyes. While 85 percent of the Irish still stop by a pub at least once a month, strict drunk-driving laws have helped to kill business in rural areas. Even traditional Irish music, whose rich roots connect the past to the present and close a circle, is much less prominent in pub life. Ironically, while Irish pubs in the countryside are closing at the alarming rate of one per day, plastic IPC-type pubs are being born in foreign countries at the exact same rate. \u003cbr\u003e From the famed watering holes of Dublin to tiny village pubs, Barich introduces a colorful array of characters, and, ever pursuing craic, the ineffable Irish word for a good time, engages in an unvarnished yet affectionate discussion about what it means to be Irish today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Bill Barich\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1510732195\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781510732193\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Skyhorse Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/19\/2018\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 252\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.50w x 0.80d","brand":"Bill Barich","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43985352589567,"sku":"9781510732193","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a30b48d1-2146-48b9-8f7a-944fa17ef33c.jpg?v=1683277062","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/a-pint-of-plain-bill-barich-9781510732193","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}