Irish Journal is the English title of a travelogue by Heinrich Böll. It was first published in 1957 under the German title "Irisches Tagebuch" (Irish Diary) and appeared ten years later in English translation. It has shaped the German perception of Ireland for decades and continues to be influential.
Structure and making of the book
Origin in a series of newspaper articles
Irish Journal consists of 18 short chapters, that are at best loosely connected and describe the author's experiences on Achill Island and other parts of Ireland. Most chapters of the book are based on individual articles ("Irish Impressions") that had been published from 1954 onwards in a German newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. From an early date onwards, there were intentions to eventually transform these articles into a book. For the book a considerable number of articles were shortened and rewritten into a first-person narrative. Moreover, some chapters were newly created, of which the first one (Arrival I) is the most noteworthy.
Importance of the newly created first chapter
The first chapter (Arrival I) carefully sets the tone for the entire book. It prepares the reader for the immersion into a different world and already touches on important recurring themes like religion, poverty and emigration, and a culture of drinking and caring. However, it also illustrates that not everything is always is as genuine as it seems to be on first sight. An emigrant woman who openly confesses that she no longer believes in God also makes clear that she would never dare not to go to church when she visits her family back in Ireland. This situation is referred to in later chapters as a warning that there might be more than meets the eye. Such reflections are not included in the original newspaper articles and might reflect the author's more sophisticated encounter of the country over the years.
Components
Irish Journal consists of the following 18 chapters:
The Arrival I (new chapter written for the book) The Arrival II Pray for the Soul of Michael O’Neill Mayo – God Help US Skeleton of a Human Habitation Itinerant Political Dentist Portrait of an Irish Town (Limerick in the Morning / Limerick in the Evening) When God Made Time Thoughts on Irish Rain The Most Beautiful Feet in the World (new chapter written for the book) The Dead Redskin of Duke Street Gazing into the Fire When Seamus Wants a Drink Mrs. D.’s Ninth Child A Small Contribution to Occidental Mythology Not a Swan to Be Seen (mostly new chapter written for the book) In a Manner of Speaking Farewell
Moreover, the book has an iconic disclaimer, through which the author denies the absoluteness of his point of view: "This Ireland exists: but whoever goes there and fails to find it has no claim on the author." "Es gibt dieses Irland: Wer aber hinfährt und es nicht findet, hat keine Ersatzansprüche an den Autor."
The English translation of 1967 (translated by Leila Vennewitz) is amended by a foreword and an epilogue. In the short foreword Böll explains the need of an epilogue, where he can address intermediate social and economic changes: "The Ireland described in this book is that of the mid-1950s. My comments on the great changes that have taken place in that country since are contained in the epilogue."
Atypical travelogue structure and controversial title
Unlike the original series of articles or indeed typical travelogues, Irish Journal lacks any chronological and geographical order, as Böll restructured the order of the original articles heavily for the book. This results, for example, in a chapter of the single author travelling through Dublin, that is followed by a chapter where the same man is accompanied by his family on the way to the Achill Islands. Because of this lack of obvious structure, the chosen title is perceived as counterintuitive and is heavily discussed. Furthermore, it is suggested that the use of the word "diary" instead of "journal" might be closer to Böll's intended interpretation of the German "Tagebuch" as personal account. Although other titles have been discussed during the formation phase of the book, the motif of a journal/diary reoccurs in the articles throughout the years.