Noel Cunningham's Guide To Modern Irish Manners

Review: Noel Cunningham's Guide To Modern Irish Manners.

Noel Cunningham, the well known County Donegal based hotelier and radio and TV personality is a case in point.

In his new book" Noel Cunningham's Guide To Modern Irish Manners" he demonstrates just how serious he is about a subject that may seem a little stuffy and even outmoded – and he would be the first to admit it himself.

But knowing how to behave well in public is a subject that Twitter daily reminds us even our most vaunted political leaders could use a refresher course in.

Good manners help you navigate life and all they can be a powerful healing force in times of duress and conflict, Cunningham reminds us. In fact, they are at the heart of a truly civilized and caring society, he argues.

Lose the practice of good manners and you end up losing far more than knowing how to respond to a given circumstance, in a way you lose a valuable tool of human connection.

This is modern Ireland, so Cunningham has chapters on how to navigate our increasingly diverse world, how to greet foreign guests, how to tame our phone and social media habits, how to show respect at opposite and same-sex weddings, all of human life is here and this book knows how to handle it, gracefully.

Irish manners are rather unique in that they not only show social awareness, they also seek out connection. Take a rule from his thoughtful book and you'll never go wrong.

Noel Cunningham's Guide To Modern Irish Manners, O'Brien Press, $29.99.

Book Review: "Douglas Hyde, My American Journey"