Arses & Elbows

The seventh of eight children, James G. Cullinane was born in 1941 in the small sea village of Abbeyside on the southeast coast of Ireland. Although opportunities for a better life were scarce, he and his family created a home full of love and laughter. Cullinane recalls this treasured time in his boyhood with his honest and affectionate memoir, Arses and Elbows.

With fields, rivers, and nearby mountains as his playground, Cullinane, his brothers and sisters, and his friends explored abandoned castles, watched the "thrashing" machine at work in the grain field, and picked blackberries. As they grew older, the adventures became more daring. Whether it was sneaking a cigarette or spying on amorous couples in the bushes, Cullinane reveled in his youth and learned some of life's most valuable lessons.


Filled with the vivid sights, smells, and sounds of rural Ireland, Arses and Elbows takes you to a simpler time and place, and intimately reveals one boy's journey to maturity.