Christopher Fitz-Simon

Author of The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland

About the Author

Christopher Fitz-Simon is a former Artistic Director of the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, the Irish Theatre Company and the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Among his books are THE BOYS, a biography of the Dublin Gate Theatre's Hilton Edwards and Michel MacLammir - 'A really wonderful book' (Bruce Arnold, Irish show more Independent); 'Beautifully written, diligently researched, sometimes sad, often hilarious' (Keith Baxter, Daily Telegraph); 'By far the most wide-ranging and atmospheric description of Dublin's wartime theatre' (Clair Wills in That Neutral Island); and ELEVEN HOUSES, a memoir of the 1940s -'Christopher Fitz-Simon's wry and dispassionate approach keeps the narrative bracing' (Patricia Craig, Times Literary Supplement); 'The sense of total recall is astonishingit is painfully funny' (Roy Foster, Irish Times). show less

Includes the names: Christopher Fitz-Simon, CHRISTOPHER FITZSIMONS

Works by Christopher Fitz-Simon

Popular Recent

The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland (2000) 100 copies, 2 reviews

The Boys (1994) 28 copies

Irish Theatre (1979) 22 copies

The Abbey Theatre: Ireland's National Theatre, The First 100 Years (2003) 17 copies

Eleven house: a memoir of childhood (2007) 4 copies

Rise Above!: Letters From Tyrone Guthrie (2017) 4 copies

The arts in Ireland : a chronology (1982) 4 copies

Players and Painted Stage: Aspects of the 20th Century Theatre in Ireland (2004) 2 copies

Landsbyer i Irland (2000) 2 copies

J. Kennedy Miller's very capable company of Irish players (2011) 1 copy

"Buffoonery and Easy Sentiment": Popular Irish Plays in the Decade Prior to the Opening of The Abbey Theatre (2011) 1 copy

Literary Ireland 1 copy

The Boys: A Biography of Micheal Mac Liammoir and Hilton Edwards (1702) 1 copy

Ballylenon: The Complete Series 1-8: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama (2020) 1 copy

The Irish Theater 1 copy

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Associated Works

Unfinished Ireland : Essays on Hubert Butler (2002) — Contributor — 5 copies

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name: Fitz-Simon, Christopher
Birthdate: 1934-06
Gender: male
Relationships: O'Connell, Daniel (ancestor)
Short biography: Christopher Fitz-Simon is an Irish theatre historian and former artistic director of the Abbey Theatre. His writing style is meticulously researched and ironic, often focusing on Irish cultural identity. He explores the intersection of professional artistic achievement and unconventional private lives within twentieth-century theatrical circles.
Nationality: Ireland
Birthplace: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Associated Place (for map): Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK

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2 reviews

thornton37814 2,939 reviews

The most beautiful villages of Ireland by Christopher Fitz-Simon

Lately I've been seeing a lot of wonderful photographs of Ireland online via Pinterest and posts on Facebook by persons residing in Ireland. I was looking forward to seeing more of the beauty that I'd seen in those photographs. I was quite disappointed with the choices made in this volume. The narratives did not offer the criteria the photographer/author made in selecting villages nor did the individual sketches. I was disappointed that some of the villages that I've seen depicted in other show more media were not included here. This is a book for the coffee table more than a travel guide. show less

Feb 1, 20131 other review

JennyArch 8,027 reviews

The Most Beautiful Villages of Ireland by Christopher Fitz-Simon

Organized by province (Ulster, Leinster, Connacht, Munster), with breaks between each section (Ancient Ireland, Bar and Shop Fronts, The Painted Villages), there are abundant photographs and absolutely tiny text (font size 8? 10?). I enjoyed the photographs and captions. Somehow not what I was expecting.

Enniskerry, Wicklow: Powerscourt and Powerscourt waterfall (66-71)

Inishmaan, Galway: Aran Islands, drystone walls (108-111)

Kenmare, Kerry: Henry Street, Church of the Holy Cross, Lansdowne, show more "cursing stones," "Cromwell's Bridge" show less

Sep 16, 20241 other review