''Round Ireland with a Fridge'' is a book by

Tony Hawks Antony Gordon Hawksworth Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 27 February 1960), known professionally as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author. Early life Born in Brighton, Sussex, Hawks was educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Gr ...

, first published in the UK in 1998. It sold over half a million copies. The book is loosely based on a journey made by Hawks in 1997, when he

hitchhiked Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Signaling ...

around

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

while re-evaluating his life and career. He made the trip as a result of a £100 bet with a friend, after he had seen a man in Ireland hitchhiking with a

refrigerator A refrigerator, commonly shortened to fridge, is a commercial and home appliance consisting of a thermal insulation, thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump (mechanical, electronic or chemical) that transfers heat from its inside to ...

. ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' called the book "a bad parody of

Dave Barry David McAlister Barry (born July 3, 1947) is an American author and columnist who wrote a nationally Print syndication, syndicated humor column for the ''Miami Herald'' from 1983 to 2005. He has written numerous books of humor and parody, as we ...

's travel books" but added that "In the end, Hawks's book becomes a lively celebration of contemporary Irish society and the goodwill of its people that neither revels in irony nor descends into mawkishness.

Film version

A film based on the book was directed by

Ed Bye Edward Richard Morrison Bye is a British film and TV producer and director. He directed the episodes of the science-fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' from Series I-IV and VII-VIII. Early life Ed Bye is the son of Royal Marine Colonel Francis Cliffo ...

and starred Tony Hawks as himself, Valerie O'Connor as Roisin Mulvaney, Ed Byrne as Dylan Daley, Sean Hughes as Brendan,

Josie Lawrence Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in ...

as Sandra, Andy Taylor as Kevin and

Sara Crowe Sara Crowe (born 22 March 1966) is a Scottish film and stage actress who mainly plays comedy roles. Biography Career After beginning her career on stage and in television, Crowe began to take film roles, including a part in '' Carry On Columbus ...

as Nicole. The film premiered at the Cambridge Film Festival on 22 September 2010, to mixed reviews, and then released on DVD.

References

{{reflist 1998 non-fiction books