The Irish Home: Eclectic and Unique Interiors (Rizzoli Edition)

Irish homes fill these pages in elegant color photographs that evoke the romance and strength, the eccentricity and grace, of Ireland's built heritage.

From the unique Georgian style of the 18th century to the delicate Gothic that followed, from the delightful "cult of dilapidation" perfected by the Irish to the current triumphs of historic preservation-here are castles, houses grand and modest, country cottages, and fabled ruins. Visit Lexilip castle, built by the Normans around 1200; the two-room cottage built in Ulster by the ancestors of American financial tycoon Thomas Mellon; and the ghostly crumbling ruins of Woodstock House in County Kilkeny and Mount Shannon in County Limerick.

Each chapter presents a mood or perspective on Ireland's past, with photographs of architectural details, comfortable interiors, antiques, and landscapes. The text reveals the fascinating history of Irish homes, and stories of the characters who fill our daydreams of gentle country life.