Listen free for 30 days
-
Hitching for Hope
- A Journey into the Heart and Soul of Ireland
- Narrated by: Gary Furlong
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: History, Europe
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for £18.29
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Strange Flowers
- By: Donal Ryan
- Narrated by: Donna Anita Nikolaisen
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1973, Moll Gladney goes missing from the Tipperary hillside where she was born. Slowly, her parents - Paddy and Kit - begin to accept that she’s gone forever. But she returns, changed, and with a few surprises for her family and neighbours. Nothing is ever the same again for the Gladneys, who learn that fate cares little for duty, that life rarely conforms to expectation, that God can’t be relied upon to heed any prayer. A story of exile and return, of loss and discovery, of retreat from grief and the saving power of love.
-
-
Wonderful
- By ncp on 27-09-20
-
Far from Home
- A True Story of Murder, Loss and a Mother’s Courage
- By: Rosie Ayliffe
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
British mother Rosie Ayliffe thought her 21-year-old daughter, Mia, would be safe travelling around Australia on a gap year. But Mia wanted to extend her visa and in order to do that needed to find 88 days of work on a farm - a requirement that would lead to catastrophic events. Four short days after Mia moved to a hostel in Queensland to take a job on a sugarcane farm, she was brutally murdered.
-
Braiding Sweetgrass
- Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
- By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
-
-
Spellbinding
- By Milkmoon Mama on 24-02-20
-
After the Roof Caved In
- An Immigrant's Journey from Ireland to America
- By: Michael J. Dowling, Charles Kenney
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The moving story of an Irish immigrant's life from a poverty-stricken childhood in Ireland to becoming a captain of industry, After the Roof Caved In is a powerful, poignant look at how hard work and education enabled one young man to change his life and circumstances completely.
-
Exodus, Revisited
- My Unorthodox Journey to Berlin
- By: Deborah Feldman
- Narrated by: Gilli Messer
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2009, at the age of 23, Deborah Feldman packed up her young son and their few possessions and walked away from her insular Hasidic roots. She was determined to find a better life for herself, away from the oppression and isolation of her Satmar upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And in Exodus, Revisited she delves into what happened next - taking the listener on a journey that starts with her beginning life anew as a single mother, a religious refugee, and an independent woman in search of a place and a community where she can belong.
-
Of This Our Country
- By: various
- Narrated by: Weruche Opia, Oseloka Obi
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whilst it’s impossible to capture the essence of Nigeria in one story, its writers have given listeners the opportunity to experience the many different parts that make up Africa’s most populous nation. In Of This Our Country, acclaimed and award-winning Nigerian writers go a step further and describe their Nigeria, sharing personal essays about a country that holds so much more than any one perspective could. Through the words of these writers, a living portrait of Nigeria is woven, one that is as beautiful as it is complex.
-
Strange Flowers
- By: Donal Ryan
- Narrated by: Donna Anita Nikolaisen
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1973, Moll Gladney goes missing from the Tipperary hillside where she was born. Slowly, her parents - Paddy and Kit - begin to accept that she’s gone forever. But she returns, changed, and with a few surprises for her family and neighbours. Nothing is ever the same again for the Gladneys, who learn that fate cares little for duty, that life rarely conforms to expectation, that God can’t be relied upon to heed any prayer. A story of exile and return, of loss and discovery, of retreat from grief and the saving power of love.
-
-
Wonderful
- By ncp on 27-09-20
-
Far from Home
- A True Story of Murder, Loss and a Mother’s Courage
- By: Rosie Ayliffe
- Narrated by: Anna Skellern
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
British mother Rosie Ayliffe thought her 21-year-old daughter, Mia, would be safe travelling around Australia on a gap year. But Mia wanted to extend her visa and in order to do that needed to find 88 days of work on a farm - a requirement that would lead to catastrophic events. Four short days after Mia moved to a hostel in Queensland to take a job on a sugarcane farm, she was brutally murdered.
-
Braiding Sweetgrass
- Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
- By: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
-
-
Spellbinding
- By Milkmoon Mama on 24-02-20
-
After the Roof Caved In
- An Immigrant's Journey from Ireland to America
- By: Michael J. Dowling, Charles Kenney
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The moving story of an Irish immigrant's life from a poverty-stricken childhood in Ireland to becoming a captain of industry, After the Roof Caved In is a powerful, poignant look at how hard work and education enabled one young man to change his life and circumstances completely.
-
Exodus, Revisited
- My Unorthodox Journey to Berlin
- By: Deborah Feldman
- Narrated by: Gilli Messer
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2009, at the age of 23, Deborah Feldman packed up her young son and their few possessions and walked away from her insular Hasidic roots. She was determined to find a better life for herself, away from the oppression and isolation of her Satmar upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. And in Exodus, Revisited she delves into what happened next - taking the listener on a journey that starts with her beginning life anew as a single mother, a religious refugee, and an independent woman in search of a place and a community where she can belong.
-
Of This Our Country
- By: various
- Narrated by: Weruche Opia, Oseloka Obi
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whilst it’s impossible to capture the essence of Nigeria in one story, its writers have given listeners the opportunity to experience the many different parts that make up Africa’s most populous nation. In Of This Our Country, acclaimed and award-winning Nigerian writers go a step further and describe their Nigeria, sharing personal essays about a country that holds so much more than any one perspective could. Through the words of these writers, a living portrait of Nigeria is woven, one that is as beautiful as it is complex.
-
A Home from Home
- From Immigrant Boy to English Man
- By: George Alagiah
- Narrated by: George Alagiah, Prasanna Puwanarajah
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When George Alagiah was dropped off at a Hampshire boarding school as a child back in 1967, he was confronted with an extreme version of the private struggle faced by all immigrants: the battle to leave the past behind and fit into a new culture. His arrival in Britain coincided with the unhappy intrusion of race into politics. A key part of the ensuing fight against racism was the concept of multiculturalism. But in a closely argued and forthright chapter, Alagiah suggests that far from improving the prospects for some immigrants, multiculturalism may be an impediment to integration.
-
-
Exploring the immigrant experience
- By Rachel Redford on 04-10-20
-
The Shed That Fed 2 Million Children: The Extraordinary Story of Mary’s Meals
- By: Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
- Narrated by: Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1992, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow was enjoying a pint with his brother when he got an idea that would change his life - and radically change the lives of others. After watching a news bulletin about war-torn Bosnia, the two brothers agreed to take a week’s hiatus from work to help....
-
-
This is a must read book!
- By Mark on 15-09-20
-
From a Wonky Path to an Open Road
- A Short Book About a Long Journey
- By: Janey de Nordwall
- Narrated by: Janey de Nordwall
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2019, BAFTA-winning film producer Janey de Nordwall packed her bags (and her cat), fired up her 1970s VW campervan, and headed off from her London home to Scotland for a journey that would change her life. In this heartwarming, fresh, and joyful book, Janey captures the lucid beauty of her surroundings, remembers the pivotal moments of her eventful life, and reveals her most intimate thoughts.
-
-
She’s been busy!
- By Emma on 18-04-22
-
The Promise
- Love and Loss in Modern China
- By: Xinran Xue
- Narrated by: Jennifer Lim
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the start of the 20th century in China, the Hans were married in an elaborate ceremony before they were even born. While their future was arranged by their families, this couple had much to be grateful for. Not only did they come from similar backgrounds - and as such were recognized as a good match - they also had a shared passion in their deep love of ancient Chinese poetry. They went on to have nine children and chose colours portrayed in some of their favourite poems as nicknames for them - Red, Cyan, Orange, Yellow, Green, Ginger, Violet, Blue and Rainbow.
-
-
The truth unfolded.
- By Kindle Customer on 18-02-21
-
Devotion
- A Memoir
- By: Mickey Harte, Brendan Coffey - contributor
- Narrated by: Patrick Fitzsymons
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a frenetic seven-year spell at the outset of his senior managerial career, Mickey Harte led Tyrone to four Ulster Championships and three All-Irelands. It was a run that shifted football’s balance of power, changed the way the game would be played for more than a generation and cemented his reputation as one of the most transformative figures in GAA history. Then, in January 2011, the visitation of a shocking tragedy changed everything: Mickey’s daughter, Michaela, was murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius.
-
-
amazing
- By Catherine on 23-03-22
-
Around the World in 60 Seconds
- The Nas Daily Journey - 1,000 Days. 64 Countries. 1 Beautiful Planet.
- By: Nuseir Yassin
- Narrated by: Nuseir Yassin
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2016, Nuseir Yassin quit his job to travel for 1,000 consecutive days. But instead of the usual tourist traps, Nas set out to meet real people, see the places they call home, and discover what unites all of us living on this beautiful planet - from villages in Africa and slums in India, to the high-rises of Singapore and the deserts of Australia. While he journeyed from country to country, Nas uploaded a single 60-second video per day for his Nas Daily Facebook following to highlight the amazing, terrifying, inspiring and downright surprising sh*t happening all over the world.
-
-
You’re great!
- By Anonymous User on 05-03-20
-
We Still Have Words
- By: Georges Salines, Azdyne Amimour
- Narrated by: Michael Fenner, Homer Todiwala
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Georges Salines lost his daughter, Lola, in the attack on the Bataclan Theatre in Paris on 13th November 2015. Azdyne Amimour lost his son. Both were aged 28. Lola was one of the 90 victims, Amimour's son one of the attackers. From his meeting with Azdyne Amimour, an unprecedented dialogue emerged. Georges Salines carries the memory of his daughter and many other victims, while Azdyne Amimour seeks to understand how his son was able to commit acts which he condemns without appeal. Driven by mutual curiosity, the two tell their stories and unfold the story of 'their' 13th November.
-
Better to Have Gone
- Love, Death and the Quest for Utopia in Auroville
- By: Akash Kapur
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the late 1960s, and two lovers converge on an arid patch of earth in South India. John Walker is the handsome scion of a powerful East-Coast American family. Diane Maes is a beautiful hippie from Belgium. They have come to build a new world - Auroville, an international utopian community for thousands of people. Their faith is strong, the future bright.
-
-
poor narrator
- By Jane on 05-01-22
-
Fracture
- By: Andrés Neuman
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger, Paul Woodson
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mr Watanabe is a victim of one of the largest collective traumas of the last century and a fugitive from his own memory. A survivor of the atomic bombs dropped in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, he has evaded the trauma of those experiences for most of his adult life. When the earthquake which precedes the Fukushima nuclear disaster strikes, the past becomes present and Mr Watanabe begins a journey that will change everything.
-
-
This book offers much food for thought
- By Vaclav Ceska on 25-11-20
-
Busking Beyond Borders
- A Book About Busking and Travelling
- By: David Fisher
- Narrated by: David Fisher
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Fisher spent three years busking his way around Europe and beyond, including nearly every country in the EU. From run-ins with the Azerbaijani police force to being given free tickets to Bruce Springsteen concerts; from wild camping on beaches in the Arctic Circle to joining a Celtic folk ban in Armenia, this is his story.
-
-
Loved it
- By Sabra on 24-07-20
-
The New Nomads
- How the Migration Revolution Is Making the World a Better Place
- By: Felix Marquardt
- Narrated by: Felix Marquardt
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We have lost the plot when it comes to migration. In our collective consciousness, the term 'migration' conjures up images of hordes of refugees fleeing 'their' country, escaping on rafts and coming to invade 'ours'. When we think of migration, we think of (largely unwanted) immigration and its ills. We've got it all wrong. Far from being abnormal, the act of going in search of a better life is at the core of the human experience. And now a new kind of nomad is emerging.
-
Monte Carlo for Vagabonds
- Fantastically Frugal Travel Stories - the Unsung Pleasures of Beating the System from Albania to Osaka
- By: R. A. Dalkey
- Narrated by: R. A. Dalkey
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When R.A. Dalkey travels cheap, he thinks bigger than hostel dorms, overnight trains and pasta with tomato sauce for every meal. He’ll roll out his sleeping bag in Madrid’s red light district, nap on the streets of Monaco and furtively string up his hammock on Swiss farms. He’ll spontaneously teach English in Laos in exchange for rice. He’ll thumb rides anywhere from Timor to the Orange Free State. He’ll try smiling a lot, and see where it takes him. Most of the time it's somewhere good. As this collection of stories will reveal, it doesn’t always go smoothly.
Summary
A journey through Ireland by thumb - ears open to the stories, dreams, and struggles of the people encountered along the way
In the wake of one of Ireland’s worst economic recessions and a period of personal burnout from years of relentless social campaigning and organizing, Ruairí McKiernan set out to answer these questions after he was invited to speak about citizens’ views of Ireland. How, he wondered, might he use this platform to capture people’s stories in an honest and authentic way - to give voice to the multitudes that so often go unheard?
By turns exciting, provocative, and sincere, Hitching for Hope: A Journey into the Heart and Soul of Ireland is the tale of a pilgrimage both deeply personal and explicitly political. McKiernan embarks without an itinerary, not knowing with whom he may speak, what he may hear, or where he may sleep each night. As he reflects on his past, faces his fears, and listens to the struggles, hopes, and dreams of Ireland’s people, he excavates a human resilience often obscured by the media.
Our modern world is rife with twists and turns as numerous and daunting as the roads that wind across the Irish countryside. However, when we will ourselves to take a leap, to stick out our thumbs when the going gets tough, and to lend a hand (or a lift) to others in need, we harness a collective power that cannot be shaken.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
More from the same
What listeners say about Hitching for Hope
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-08-21
I hoped this would be so much better
I thought this was an interesting concept for a book on modern Ireland but it quickly became repetitive and idealistic without any touches of reality. The book eventually ended off topic as it drifted into the self-importance of the author.