Sraidainmnea cha na hEireann, edited by Breandan S. Mac Aodha (An Gum, £6.95)

I have often walked down this street before, but the pavement never seemed to echo to so many historical resonances before

I have often walked down this street before, but the pavement never seemed to echo to so many historical resonances before. This collection of essays details the old, the not so old, and some of the more modern, street names of Cork, Galway, Wexford, Dublin, Limerick (City and County), and the towns of County Down. There are also general articles on the naming of streets and a survey of the names of the lanes, alleys, bows, rows, courts, and yards of the towns of Ireland. An antiquarian's paradise, a thesaurus for the local historian, a handbook for the town administrator, this is unassuming scholarship at its best. Along the way, we get small insights into the charm of Old Norse in Wexford, the racism of the Normans in Galway, the politics of Unionism and Nationalism in Dublin. To single out any one contributor would be invidious, but the breadth of knowledge and scholarly precision of Bearnard O Dubhthaigh must be remarked. Only the tip of the iceberg, this book is a testament to the care that has taken with one of the most intimate aspects of town and city life.