Let’s be clear from the start: this is not a novel. If you’re looking for a single, driving plot, you’ll be disappointed. Some Irish Yesterdays is a series of sketches and essays, a patchwork of observations from two women who knew the Irish countryside inside and out. They write about fox hunting, not as a sport for the elite, but as a community event full of mishaps and local characters. They describe household dramas, like the formidable ‘Biddy the Hen’ who rules a kitchen with an iron fist. They take you to horse fairs and big houses, capturing the rhythms, the humor, and the unspoken social codes of a world that was already fading as they wrote about it.

Why You Should Read It

I loved this book because it feels authentic. Somerville and Ross aren’t romanticizing or criticizing from afar; they’re writing from right in the thick of it. Their affection for the people and the landscape is obvious, but so is their clear-eyed view of its flaws and quirks. The humor is dry and wonderful—the kind that makes you snort laugh at a perfectly timed description of a stubborn donkey or a social faux pas. More than anything, it’s a masterclass in observation. They have a genius for capturing a person’s essence in just a few lines, or the specific atmosphere of a rainy Irish morning. It’s a book that makes you slow down and appreciate the small stories that make up a culture.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for anyone who loves character-driven writing, social history that feels alive, or just a good, witty piece of observation. It’s for readers who enjoy the essays of Laurie Lee or the rural vignettes of Flora Thompson. If you’re fascinated by Ireland, this is an indispensable, human-scale look at its past. A word of warning: the language and pacing are of its time (it was published in 1906), so it requires a bit of settling into. But once you find its rhythm, it’s like discovering a warm, funny, and incredibly sharp friend from another era.