So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 10th (and final) list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on your summer holidays.   (See Blog 16 , Blog 22, Blog 32, Blog 38, Blog 48, Blog 65, Blog 76, Blog 86 and Blog 96 for my previous book-related blogs).  Enjoy! ❤️

One of my mam Peggy’s favourite songs was “Danny Boy”.  I remember it was one of her party pieces and can still hear her soft voice singing it.   I think that it reminded her of her time as an emigrant in Leeds and Cardiff in the late 1940s.  It also reminded her of her younger brother, Danny, who worked laying gas-pipes in the UK.   I too love “Danny Boy”.  Nowadays.  But there was a time in the 1980s when I dreaded it. 

You see, I got a Stylophone as a gift one Christmas.  For those too young to remember, the iconic gadget Stylophone was a pocket-sized battery-operated synthesiser used by everyone from David Bowie to The White Stripes.  You played it by tapping and sliding the connected stylus along the touch-sensitive metal surface. Each segment on the surface played a different note, the same as different keys on a piano. But unlike the piano, it was so simple to play that anyone could have a go - perfect for beginners!  Like me! 

Now, I’m no David Bowie, but to please Peggy, one of the first tunes I learned on it was “Danny Boy”.  To my teenage mortification, she insisted I play it for any visitors to the house. With lots of requests for “one more time”!!   I even remember the late Paddy Farrell being obliged to listen as he was delivering our weekly box of messages (groceries) one Saturday morning.
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Anyway, in this week’s blog, I delve into the origins of “Danny Boy”.  I also have a link to the late Eva Cassidy’s beautiful rendition of it. I think Peggy would be delighted.  If there are harps in heaven, I’ve no doubt she has some poor angel pestered to play “Danny Boy” … one more time!  Enjoy!

So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 9th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a winter’s day.   (See Blog 16, Blog 22, Blog 32, Blog 38, Blog 48, Blog 65, Blog 76 and Blog 86 for my previous book-related blogs).

So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 8th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on an autumn day.   (See Blog 16, Blog 22, Blog 32, Blog 38, Blog 48, Blog 65 and Blog 76 for my previous book-related blogs).

So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 7th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a rainy day.   (See Blog 16, Blog 22, Blog 32, Blog 38, Blog 48 and Blog 65 for my previous book-related blogs).

​So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 6th list of 8 books (actually 10 this time as the first is a trilogy!) that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a rainy day.   (See Blog 16, Blog 22, Blog 32, Blog 38 and Blog 48 for the other book-related blogs).

​Now, if I had a Euro for every time I heard that nursery rhyme recited to me, I could have retired 10 years ago 😂.  But as it happens, one of my Covid-19 lockdown projects has been exactly that…getting my garden to grow.  Actually… my livingroom Balcony and bedroom Terrace to be more precise…seeing as I live in a 6th floor city centre apartment in the middle of Dublin.  While in lockdown, private outside space is more valuable than ever; we’ve all learnt and I've found that gardening is really good for the soul.

So, in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 5th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a rainy day.   (See Blog 16 , Blog 22, Blog 32 and Blog 38 for my other book-related blogs).

​OK, before I murder another pun and tell you that Badminton is a “downright smashing game”, I’ll tell you how I came to play the game….and win my only (adult) sports trophy😊.

So in my Bucket List quest to read at least 80 books, this is my 4th list of 8 books that I've held onto.  As explained in my blogs previously, my lists are an eclectic mix of book types.  Hopefully you'll see something that you might read on a rainy day.   (See Blog 16 , Blog 22 and Blog 32 for the other book-related blogs).

So for my Bucket List, my aim is to read at least 80 books.  As explained in my blogs previously, my bookshelves groan under the weight of an eclectic mix of book types.  These are some of the books I still hold onto including fiction (romance, thriller, crime) and non-fiction (biographies, history, poetry).  Because we have such great writers, I have a bias towards Irish story-tellers and in my opinion they are world-class.  So I’ve listed them in alphabetical order and the aim is to produce 10 lists of 8 books I’ve read…..this being the 3rd.   (See Blog 16 and Blog 22 for the other book-related blogs).

​Books to Read No. 9-16
So for my Bucket List, my aim is to read at least 80 books.  My bookshelves groan under the weight of an eclectic mix of book types.  These are some of the books I still hold onto including fiction (romance, thriller, crime) and non-fiction (biographies, history, poetry).  So I’ve listed them randomly in alphabetical order and the aim is to produce 10 lists of 8 books I’ve read…..this being the 2nd list.   Click here for the first related blog.

The first 8/80 books that I have on my shelves
So for my Bucket List, my aim is to read at least 80 books.  My bookshelves groan under the weight of an eclectic mix of book types.  These are some of the books I still hold onto including fiction (romance, thriller, crime) and non-fiction (biographies, history, poetry).  Because we have such great writers, I have a bias towards Irish story-tellers and in my opinion they are world-class.  So ​

​Say “Thank You” in 8 languages

In Ireland, some of the very first words you learn to say are “ta ta”.  As a toddler, my parents would ask me “what’s the magic word?” whenever I was handed or given something.  (Usually Marietta