“Shhhhhh…Don’t tell, but this is really a book about globalization, not about ‘yer only man’ (i.e., the well-pulled pint of porter). With ‘Oirish’ pubs cropping up in every burg and burb, what has happened to the originals?…An excellent, however sneaky, addition to the literature of globalization.”—Booklist

A Pint of Plain is Bill Barich’s witty, deeply observant portrait of an Ireland vanishing before our eyes. Drawing on the wit and wisdom of O’Brien, Joyce, Behan, and Synge, Barich explores how Irish culture has become a commodity for export. While Irish pubs in the countryside are closing at the alarming rate of one per day, replicas are being born in foreign countries at the same rate. From the famed watering holes of Dublin to tiny village pubs, Barich introduces a colorful array of characters, and engages in an unvarnished yet affectionate discussion about what it means to be Irish today.