Award-winning novelist and journalist Joseph O'Connor's passion for America began during his childhood holidays in the beautiful west of Ireland wilderness of Connemara, populated by Gaelic speakers, sheep, and American tourists. His growing love affair with all things American inspired the adventure that "Sweet Liberty" chronicles: a tour across the United States to visit nine towns called Dublin, with stops at the great cities and landmarks in between, including New York, Las Vegas, Graceland, and the Grand Canyon. Along the way, he wittily deconstructs the legends of a whole pantheon of Irish-American heroes, from John F. Kennedy to Billy the Kid. Joe offers illuminating insight into the musicological culture of America, revealing its many immigrant influences, not least when he ponders Elvis' Irish roots and uncovers the secret relationship between William Butler Yeats and The Everly Brothers. Hilarious, poignant and unforgettable, "Sweet Liberty" transcends the usual boundaries of travel writing as it explores today's social concerns, and celebrates the breathtaking diversity of the Irish influence on America.