From Abbeyknockmoy to Zozimus.(Encyclopedia of Ireland)(Book Review)

It might seem like a step back to the Dark Ages to compile a traditional, lavishly illustrated encylopedia at a time when the Internet has become a highly efficient free reference tool. But Ireland's biggest publisher, Gill & Macmillan, is gambling that its new Encyclopaedia of Ireland will woo readers with its 1,256 pages of entries and 700 colorful plates depicting all things Irish.

Since 1998, nearly 1,000 writers have been working on the book, which covers not only Irish culture and history but also less well known fields of Irish achievement like science, engineering and sports. All the basics are here, from Enya to the Easter uprising of 1916. There are simple, intuitive subject headings, even for tourists; check out "bed and breakfast accommodations" or "castles." The Irish diaspora features, too, with sections on John F. Kennedy and, less plausibly, the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy. But there's also a distinct bias at work in places: ...