The word ‘home’ can bring up several images in a person’s mind, all at the same time. It might be the local pub, where the barman knows your drink before you can even say a word. It may be your mammy’s cooking, the smell of the kitchen, or the sound of your father walking down the stairs. It may be the “how’s it going“, “story bud“, the occasional “tóg go bog é“, or “what’s the craic” that you just don’t hear anywhere else. It may be the hug from your close relative, or your best friend. It may be seeing “Fáilte Abhaile” on the way out of Dublin Airport at Christmas, or the first glimpse of the coastline from the plane or ferry.
The Irish Outlander considers what the concept of home means to the Irish, and how important it can be to a people who are renowned for their diaspora, and for travelling around the world. The book follows Scott’s own journey, as he prepares to leave his adopted home of Nottingham, and how the idea of home often relies on who is there, waiting for you to return. It also reveals how other Irish people living abroad think about home, from a rainy day in Dublin to the way we might say ‘goodnight’.
The Irish Outlander is published by MKB Publishing, available now in paperback format, and also for Apple Books, Kindle, and other ebook formats.
Scott De Buitléir 