Nice book, quite detailed with three to five pages on each featured name. It's limitation is the small number of names listed, so unless your names is one of the most common Irish surnames, it won't help a lot. So my advice is, check to see if your name is featured before you buy.

This book addresses only a small number of the many irish names. The author in the introduction states that he is only listing 80 out of a possible 3,500 names??? I couldn't find any I was looking for. There must be better books on this subject.

Joseph Craig

This book contains two main sections. The first gives us a list of first names currently in use in Ireland and their history and meaning. It is moderately thorough, and contains a number of names which are not Celtic in their roots. The second section covers some of the more common family names in use in Ireland, with black and white pictures of the crests. A pronunciation guide would have been helpful, but is lacking. All in all, a nice book to add to one's library of Irish reference books.

Good source of frequently used first names in both Irish and English and their meanings. Lists of the most prominent Irish family names with crest (no color) and short history. Final section lists some Irish placenames and meaning of words.

Picked this up in a bookshop with a view to buying it. Like most folks, I went straight to my own name and found the information relating thereto inaccurate, poorly researched and misleading. That was enough for me to give it a hearty thumbs down. My recommendation - buy one of MacLysaght's book instead.

I ordered the book thinking that my mother's name Brannagan would be in there for sure. I was very disappointed.

I was not at all displeased with this book (as the two previous reviewers were.) I find it full of interesting information about a number of names I know (including Haggarty.) It gives several pronunciations, talks about the meaning of a name, and tells us about some of the more famous people who've held the name. I'd buy it again.