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The Books Podcast with Martin Doyle. Sponsored by Green & Blacks.

The Irish Times Books Podcast The Irish Times Books Podcast

• 4.7 • 3 Ratings

The Little Red Balloon

A reading of 'The Little Red Balloon', the winning entry in the 15-18 category of the Children's Short Story competition, by 17-year-old Emma Broderick, of Muckross Park College, Dublin.

Darran Anderson, author of Inventory

Books Editor Martin Doyle talks to Darran Anderson about his memoir of growing up in Troubles-torn Derry, Inventory: A River, A City, A Family. They discuss the book's themes of family, history and memory, its inspiration found in the ideas of Georges Perec, and how it relates to his previous work, Imaginary Cities, an exploration of urban landscapes that never were, or that existed only on the page or on the screen.

• 15 NOV 2019

The best crime fiction of 2019

Welcome to The Irish Times Books Podcast. In this latest episode, Martin Doyle talk to The Irish Times’s two regular crime fiction reviewers, Declan Burke and Declan Hughes, both acclaimed crime writers themselves, about their favourite crime fiction of 2019. So get your pen and paper ready to take note of some excellent suggestions for your crime reading pleasure.

Remembering Maeve Binchy - with Henrietta McKervey and Gordon Snell

On the eve of this weekend’s Echoes festival in Dalkey, celebrating Maeve Binchy and Irish writing, its programmer, author Henrietta McKervey, and Maeve’s widower, Gordon Snell, join me to talk about the thinking behind the festival and the many ways in which Maeve’s memory is being kept alive. The festival always has Maeve at its heart but each year it has a different theme. This year’s theme is Celebrating Community in Contemporary Writing in Ireland. Last year’s theme was “Maeve the quiet feminist”, a description she loved, says Gordon, as it was the first time anyone ever called her quiet. McKervey discusses the highlights of this weekend’s festival as well as her experience of being the first winner of the Maeve Binchy UCD travel scholarship, including a hair-raising vist to Fastnet lighthouse. Snell reveals how he loves to re-read his late wife’s work, which only confirms his admiration for her briliance as a storyteller: “her dialogue is so good it could be put straight on the stage”. He reminisces about their cameo roles in film adaptations of Maeve’s work, usually in a restaurant or at a bar drinking cocktails served by Stephen Rea, but also in an episode of Fair City. He also discusses how he manages to write without his former partner – Maeve once described them working together in their upstairs studio at their typewriters as like two pianists performing a duet. As our interview takes place inThe Irish Times office, talk inevitably turns to Maeve’s distinguished career as a journalist here. Snell reveals that his favourite article by her is I Was A Winter Sport, about a calamitous ski trip, while McKervey expresses admiration for Bincy’s versatility as a writer, shifting in shade from reporting sensitively on the Zeebrugge ferry disaster to writing wittily about the British royal family. Echoes runs from October 4th till 6th in Dalkey. For ddetails, visit the website

• 13 SEPT 2019

Danielle McLaughlin - A Partial List of the Saved

It has been some year for Danielle McLaughlin. On Thursday, she won the 2019 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award, whose £30,000 (€33,500) prize money makes it the world’s richest for a short story. Last March, she was awarded the $165,000 (€150,000) Windham-Campbell Prize for fiction. The former solicitor from Co Cork, who only took up writing seriously 10 years ago at the age of 40 when illness forced her to stop practicing law, spoke to me for The Irish Times Books podcast from London the morning after her latest success. We talked about her winning story, A Partial List of the Saved, her debut collection, Dinosaurs on Other Planets, and the remarkable strength of the Irish short story tradition. Two of the other five writers on the shortlist were also Irish – Kevin Barry, a previous winner and like her a protégé of Declan Meade, publisher of the Stinging Fly, and Louise Kennedy – while Caoilinn Hughes, Wendy Erskine and Gerard McKeague made it six out of 18 on the longlist. She also discusses her forthcoming debut novel, Retrospective, which will be published by John Murray in 2021. “It began back in 2012 in a writing workshop given by Nuala O’Connor at Waterford Writers Weekend. I can still remember the chalky feel of the prompt – a piece of broken crockery – in my hand. It’s set between Cork city and west Cork and the main character is a fortysomething woman whose past intrudes on her personal and professional life at the worst possible time in the guise of her dead friend’s son and his father.”

• 15 AUG 2019

Anthony Farrell, founder of The Lilliput Press

Antony Farrell, of Lilliput Press, which this year celebrates its 35th anniversary, discusses his career in publishing, the history of the press and the “genius” authors with whom he has worked over the years, including Hubert Butler – “he was a secular saint to me” – Tim Robinson, John Moriarty and Desmond Hogan. He talks about his background – his father was “a Castle Catholic”, his mother an Ulster Protestant and he was educated at Harrow public school, where he boxed (“I was more athlete than aesthete”) and was called “a bog rat”, inspiring him to embrace his roots, studying Irish history at Trinity College Dublin. We also touch on Brexit and Boris Johnson, including James Shapiro’s witty advice to the British prime minister on how to approach his book on Shakespeare. Farrell also discusses the pros and cons of being published by an Irish publisher rather than a British one, the importance of alliances and building long-term relationships with authors, the different challenges of publishing fiction and nonfiction, and the people he has worked with over the years, many of whom have gone on to establish high-profile careers in publishing, the arts and as authors. Describing it as “a kind of finishing school”, he speaks of the 300 or so interns he has employed over the years, including Aideen Howard, Brendan Barrington, Sarah Davis-Goff and Lisa Coen, Tom Morris, Elske Rahill and Nicole Flattery. He offers a sneak preview of major titles coming up: including – a podcast exclusive! – Stephen Rea’s memoir, A Life in Parts; A Letter marked Personal, a posthumous novel by JP Donleavy; and The Last Footman by Gillies Macbain, an Anglo-Irish memoir for which he has high hopes.

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25 Books by Irish Authors You Should Read

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Ireland is a country with a rich storytelling tradition. In the modern context, that means there are endless excellent literary options from the place James Joyce called home. Read about Dublin in the '80s with Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy , or rural life in the '60s with Edna O'Brien's Country Girls trilogy . If it's funny books you're looking for, you're in luck: Maeve Higgins 's hilarious essays and Lisa McInerney's debut crime novel are the perfect starts. Or, enjoy the work of 21st century Irish authors, including Sally Rooney and Eimear McBride. And while you're here, you might as well order all of Tana French's engrossing mysteries or Maeve Binchy's warm novels.

From contemporary classics like Colm Tóibín’s Brooklyn to Booker Prize-winners like Anna Burns's The Milkman , here are 25 books that are just as lush and captivating as the Emerald Isle, written by some of Ireland's foremost authors.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Don't let the bright cover and friendly title mislead you into thinking this a positive book about a group of girls engaging in meaningful conversation. It's not. Set in Dublin, Ireland, Sally Rooney's debut novel is an introspective glance into the lives of two couples of different ages whose lives intertwine after a poetry slam event. If you're willing to abandon preconceived notions about relationships, it's a fast-paced, page-turner worth devouring in one sitting. And then, pick up her next book, Normal People .

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

A Week in Winter was Maeve Binchy's last novel before she died in 2012. Binchy takes her readers to Stoneybridge village in Ireland, the hometown of the female protagonist, Chicky Starr. Chicky opens up a holiday hotel as a safe haven for guests and natives. The heartwarming story introduces all the beloved characters and townsfolk who help to make Chicky's dreams turn into a reality. Binchy wrote 16 novels in total, all known for their warmth.

Maeve in America: Essays by a Girl from Somewhere Else by Maeve Higgins

Maeve Higgins is an Irish comedian who moved to New York at the age of 31. Higgins mines humor from her caught-between-worlds perspective. Higgins's conversational writing style makes the book a breeze to read—but its insights about ambition, America, haplessness, and homesickness (among other topics) will stay with you. So will the laughter.

Faithful Place by Tana French

In her third novel, popular Irish writer Tana French presents a generational family drama that's equal parts suspense and psychological. Faithful Place is a poor neighborhood in Dublin, Ireland, and readers get to witness how growing up in an impoverished home shaped detective Frank Mackey's life and actions. French's Dublin Murder Squad , a series of enrapturing mysteries, is the natural followup.

Dubliners by James Joyce

James Joyce's short story collection brings Dublin to life. Start with "The Dead," the longest story in the book and arguably James's most famous. It's about a husband and wife going to a party on a snowy evening, and so much more. An essential book set in Ireland, Dubliners is also far more accessible than Joyce's experimental novels Ulysses and Finnegan 's Wake .

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

Colm Tóibín's sixth novel takes place after World War II. It traces the story of Eilis Lacey, a young working-class woman who moves by herself from Ireland to Brooklyn in search of a better life and career opportunity. The coming-of-age story was adapted into a 2015 film , starring Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen.

A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride

Eimear McBride was compared to Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, and William Faulkner with her debut novel, A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing . Keep that in mind as you begin the book and encounter its particularities: None of the characters have names and the setting isn't clearly defined (besides the fact that it takes place in Ireland), but the narrator's language is blazing and inventive.

Milkman by Anna Burns

Winner of the 2018 Booker Prize, Milkman is set amid the Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland—although the narrator never directly names the tension erupting in violence all around her. None of the characters are named, either. The effect of all this is a book steeped in fear. The action begins when the 18-year-old middle sister attracts the unwanted attention of a senior paramilitary figure known only as the milkman, and is forced into a position of danger.

The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle

This is actually three books, not one. But after reading one book in Roddy Doyle's vivid and lively trilogy, focusing on the Rabbitte family, you'll wan to read them all. The '80s-set trilogy was adapted into a series of equally lovable movies ( The Commitments, in particular, will have you humming).

The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney

The Glorious Heresies is a crime novel unlike one you've read before. For proof, look at the inciting incident: A grandmother accidentally kills an intruder with a holy stone (a religious artifact). The rest of the black comedy follows Maureen Phelan and the other residents of her Cork housing estate who have to deal with the repercussions. Lisa McInerney rose to fame as a blogger , but her debut novel shows that she has an equal knack for creating big characters and a compelling story.

From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan

A Syrian refugee trapped on a Mediterranean island. A nursing home bus driver. An older Irish man who regrets his past. Donal Ryan gets into these characters' heads as they reach tragic impasses, and then he intertwines their stories in this globe-spanning, empathetic book.

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

There's no spoiler alert necessary for this tragicomedy of epic scope. The title gives the ending away. Instead, what this Paul Murray novel does is show the lead-up and aftermath of a devastating loss for the boys at Seabrook College, an Irish boarding school.

The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien

Edna O'Brien's 1950s-set trilogy follows two friends (and polar opposites) after they graduate from their stifling convent education. The Country Girls was both lauded and critiqued for its unflinching portrayal of women breaking from tradition.

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

In an Irish village in 1859, an event happens that some call a miracle, and others call a hoax: A young girl survives weeks without food. An English nurse named Lib Wright is sent to the village to investigate and ends up in over her head. The Wonder is Irish author Emma Donoghue's ninth novel, and the first one set in her native country.

Amongst Women by John McGahern

John McGahern's award-winning book is a portrait of a family held under the sway of its moody patriarch: Michael Moran, an aging Irish Republican Army (IRA) vet, who took a tyrannical approach to raising his five children. Michael's wife feels “inordinately grateful when he behaves normally," because normally, he's angry. As Michael reaches the end of his life, his wife and daughters—still by his side—reflect on their dynamic.

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

The Last September is a classic novel about a girl coming-of-age during a formative moment in Irish history: The Irish War of Independence. The daughter of wealthy Anglo-Irish aristocrats, Lois watches as the sun sets on her way of life.

Actress by Anne Enright

Anne Enright is one of Ireland's most prominent writers. Her most recent novel, Actress , will appeal to anyone who is a fan of celebrity gossip or of complicated mother-daughter relationships. Norah is the daughter of famous Irish actress Katherine O’Dell. After spending her career running from her mother's legacy, she finally seeks to unspool the entire story of her mom: From her itinerant upbringing, to her stardom, to the unraveling that cemented her place in the tabloids.

Ecco Press Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan

Naoise Dolan, an up-and-coming Irish author, has often been compared to Sally Rooney, another prominent millennial Irish writer. However, as this excerpt from Exciting Times shows, Dolan's voice is entirely unique. Each sentence is a journey—you never quite know what place her imagination will land. Exciting Times is about a 22-year-old Irish woman in Singapore who finds herself navigating the power dynamics of a love triangle. On one prong, a wealthy English banker; on another, an alluring local woman.

PS, I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

You may have seen the 2007 drama, P.S. I Love You , featuring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. But the sad love story gets its origins from Cecelia Ahern's 2005 novel of the same name. Holly, a young Irish widow, is forced to pick up the pieces after her husband, Gerry, dies from a brain tumor. Prepare for some waterworks.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

In this touching memoir , Frank McCourt recounts his early childhood growing up in both Brooklyn and Limerick, Ireland. Almost written like a lyrical essay, McCourt discusses everything from poverty to living with a neglectful and alcoholic father. The book won a Pulitzer Prize in 1997 in the autobiography category.

Michelle is the Culture & News Writer for OprahMag.com, where she writes about celebrities (she considers herself an expert on Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon), plus the latest in pop-culture news, binge-worthy TV shows, and movies. The transplanted Southerner turned ambitious New Yorker lives her best life by listening to hip-hop and Pod Save America, watching The Office on repeat, quoting Oprah-isms, eating dessert before dinner, and avoiding avocado. Seriously, she doesn’t get the hype.

It should say, “Michelle is the former Culture & News Writer for Oprahmag.com...”

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IrishCentral Book Club's ultimate Irish reading list

Each month, the irishcentral book club selects an irish book or an irish author to celebrate the amazing ability of the irish to tell a good story..

The best Irish reading list around … 

Welcome to the IrishCentral Book Club! 

Each month we will pick a new Irish book or a great book by an Irish author and celebrate the amazing ability of the Irish to tell a good story. 

With all these fantastic recommendations we’ve created the best Irish Reading List, an updated to-read list of our most loved Irish authors and books. 

You can find the full list below which will be updated each month but remember to check out our dedicated Facebook group also to receive further recommendations from our readers. 

If you have any further comments, questions for the author, or recommendations for a future IrishCentral Book of the Month, you can email us at [email protected] .  

Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish!

IrishCentral Book Club Selections: 

May 2018: "My Name is Bridget" by Alison O'Reilly .

June 2018: "Conversations with Friends" by Sally Rooney .

July 2018: "Solar Bones" by Mike McCormack .

August 2018: "All Over Ireland" edited by Deirdre Madden .

September 2018: "Maeve in America" by Maeve Higgins .

October 2018: "The Ninth Hour" by Alice McDermott .

November 2018: "The Witch Elm" by Tana French .

December 2018: “This Land: America, Lost and Found” by Dan Barry .

Looking for Irish book recommendations or to meet with others who share your love for Irish literature? Join IrishCentral’s Book Club on Facebook and enjoy our book-loving community.

January 2019: “The Secrets We Share” by Emma Hannigan .

February 2019: “HELP ME! One Woman's Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Her Life” by Marianne Power .

March 2019: "Strumpet City" by James Plunkett .

April 2019: "When All Is Said" by Anne Griffin .

May 2019: "My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search for Home" by Michael Brendan Dougherty .

June 2019: "Breaking the Dance" by Clare O’Donohue .

July 2019: "The Great Unexpected" by Dan Mooney .

August 2019: “Yours Faithfully, Florence Burke: An Irish Immigrant Story” by Ellen Alden .

September 2019: "Night Boat to Tangier" by Kevin Barry .

October 2019: "Girl" by Edna O'Brien .

November 2019: "The Ruin" by Dervla McTiernan . 

December 2019: "Maureen O’Carroll: A Musical Memoir Of An Irish Immigrant Childhood" by Maureen O'Carroll and Leora O'Carroll .

January 2020: “The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir" by Samantha Power .

March 2020: "The Naked Irish" by Clare O'Dea .

April 2020: A selection of reads from IrishCentral's Book Club .

May 2020: "Grown Ups" by Marian Keyes .

June 2020: "The Weight of Love" by Hilary Fannin .

July 2020: "Jump” by Daniella Moyles.

August 2020: "The Pull of the Stars” by Emma Donoghue.

September 2020: “Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish Landscape” by Manchán Magan.

October 2020: "The Hungry Road" by Marita Conlon-McKenna.

November 2020: “After the Silence” by Louise O’Neill.

December 2020:   “Old Ireland in Colour” by John Breslin and Dr. Sarah-Anne Buckley.

January 2021: "Strange Flowers" by Donal Ryan.

February 2021: "Nora" by Nuala O'Connor .

March 2021: "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt.

April 2021: "A Star Called Henry" by Roddy Doyle.

May 2021: “Exciting Times” by Naoise Dolan.

June 2021: “Rememberings” by Sinéad O'Connor.

July 2021: "Home Stretch" by Graham Norton.

August 2021: "The Wild Laughter" by Caoilinn Hughes .

September 2021: “Did Ye Hear Mammy Died?” by Séamas O’Reilly .

October 2021: “Belonging: A Memoir” by Catherine Corless .

November 2021:   “Being Irish: 101 Views on Irish Identity Today,” edited by Marie-Claire Logue .

December 2021: “Irish Lives in America” by Liz Evers and Niav Gallagher .

January 2022: “Small Things Like These” by Claire Keegan .

February 2022: “We Don't Know Ourselves” by Fintan O'Toole .

March 2022: “Academy Street” by Mary Costello .

April 2022: “ The Troubles with Us: One Belfast Girl on Boys, Bombs and Finding Her Way” by Alix O’Neill .

May 2022:  “Hitching for Hope: A Journey into the Heart and Soul of Ireland” by Ruairí McKiernan .

June 2022: “A River in the Trees” by Jacqueline O’Mahony .

July 2021: “The Presidents' Letters: An Unexpected History of Ireland” from Flor MacCarthy .

August 2022: "Skippy Dies" by Paul Murray .

September 2022: "The Last September" by Elizabeth Bowen .

October 2022: “Sweet Liberty - Travels in Irish America” by Joseph O’Connor .

November 2022: "Seven Steeples" by Sara Baume .

December 2022: "We Were Rich and We Didn't Know It: A Memoir of My Irish Boyhood” by Tom Phelan .

January 2023: "Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story" by Bono .

February 2023: “Bad Bridget - Crime, Mayhem and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women” by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick .

March 2023: “Looking for Jimmy - A Search for Irish America” by Peter Quinn.

April 2023: "The Amusements" by Aingeala Flannery.

May 2023: "The Passenger: Ireland" by various Irish writers.

June 2023: "We Are the Brennans" by Tracey Lange.

July 2023: "The Mammy" by Brendan O'Carroll.

August 2023: “How to Build a Boat” by Elaine Feeney.

September 2023: “My Father's Wake - How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love, and Die” by Kevin Toolis.

October 2023: "The Home Scar" by Kathleen MacMahon.

November 2023: "Kala" by Colin Walsh.

December 2023: "Poor" by Katriona O'Sullivan.

January 2024: “Topographia Hibernica” by Blindboy Boatclub.

February 2024: "The Grass Ceiling" by Eimear Ryan.

March 2024: “Becoming Irish American -The Making and Remaking of a People from Roanoke to JFK” by Timothy J. Meagher.

April 2024: "Wild Atlantic Women - Walking Ireland’s West Coast” by Gráinne Lyons.

May 2024: "This Is Happiness" by Niall Williams.

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30 Books Set in Ireland: Fantastic Fiction

Crack open one of these best books on Ireland and get inspired to go there. These 30 great Irish reads really deliver on a strong sense of place, moody drama and classic Irish humor.

As you work through the list you will find the sharp stick of Ireland’s history poking its way into contemporary society. These books are full of themes like love and loss, drifting families, Catholic guilt, the Irish diaspora, old enmity and chafing social structures. Although I recommend reading all of them, any one of these books will give you a strong sense of place, setting you right down onto Ireland’s rocky shores.

While we are only listing 30 books here (we didn’t want to overwhelm you), it really translates into far more books than that. Many of these authors have substantial back-lists featuring Irish settings or characters.

And because there are so many fantastic Irish authors, we’ve focused this list just on fiction set in the Republic of Ireland. But we’ve also got a list of books set in Northern Ireland . And because, apparently Ireland is very murdery, we also have a list of mysteries and thrillers set in Ireland .

Books on Ireland: Contemporary Lit and Historical Fiction

I recently heard a trio of Irish authors claim that the combination of dreary weather and Ireland’s troubled history produces a very particular kind of fiction that is dark and moody but also funny. The following books on Ireland certainly deliver “on brand” by offering up complicated characters histories, dark themes and tragicomic circumstances.

You’ll also note that quite a few of these books either won or were nominated for the Booker Prize. If you like reading award-winners, check out our book club guides and book lists that feature Booker Prize novels .

The Bee Sting , Paul Murray

The book got all of the accolades: long listed for the Booker, Kirkus prize, NYT bestseller and on and on.

Murray excels at the tragicomic and he really brings it in The Bee Sting . The once prosperous Barnes family is now flying off the rails. Dickie’s car business in in decline and he’s too busy building an armageddon bunker to rescue it. Imelda actually wanted to marry Dickie’s brother, but that didn’t happen and she settled for Dickie. Cass is awash in teen angst and burning down her prospects for college. And poor 12-year old PJ is dealing with bullies and contemplating running away.

They’re all on the brink of breakdown and the book explores their secrets, watches them cope as best they can. Or not.

The Spinning Heart , Donal Ryan

This slim volume explores Ireland’s devastating financial collapse of 2008 and how a small Irish town comes violently unglued in the aftermath. The Spinning Heart was a Booker finalist.

Ryan is heavily featured on all of the Irish bookstore staff pics tables and he is also highly regarded by his fellow authors for producing some of the best books on Ireland. Check out his backlist here .

Academy Street , Mary Costello

This is the story of a full life. It follows the main character Tess from her childhood in rural Ireland through her adulthood in New York City. The book is full of emotional force and loss, helping you… “get into the mind and heart of a remarkable woman living an ordinary life, handling disappointment, heartbreak and loneliness with extraordinary character, always being true to her inner core”

Normal People , Sally Rooney

Normal People follows two characters, Marianne and Connell, through their adolescence and into early adulthood where they attend Trinity college together. The two of them lean on each other time and again as they move through a world filled with social expectations. Theirs is a relationship fraught with poor communication, external pressure and self-consciousness. But there is also truth and kindness, as the book covers themes of love, identity and the complexities of growing up.

The book was long-listed for a Booker and Rooney has managed to brilliantly tap into a particular type of millennial zeitgeist. She also has a growing backlist of books , many set in Dublin.

If you’ve already read and like this book, we’ve also got a whole article featuring books similar to Normal People , and also a book club guide for Normal People .

The Rachel Incident , Caroline O’Donoghue

This bildungsroman also carries strong Sally Rooney vibes.

Rachel Murray is on the cusp of adulting as she attends university and works in a bookstore. At the store, she becomes besties with James Devlin and they move in together. She also develops a crush one of her professors, and she and James conspire to get the prof into the store for a book signing event.

And to complicate things further, Rachel develops yet another crush on a different James.

The whole story is told from the point of view of the future 32-year old Rachel and she delivers it with a head-shaking kind of insight.

Himse l f , Jess Kidd

There are a lot of lies, secrets and murder in Mulderrig, most notably the mysterious murder of Mahoney’s mom Orly. She was a young, promiscuous unmarried mom with an affinity for talking to ghosts and outing the villager’s secrets. Mahoney returns to the village as a young man, determined to find out what happened to his Orly. Along the way, he deploys his charm, assembling a crew of Irish ladies who are willing to help him. And because he too can talk to ghosts, he stirs up some dark business in Mulderrig.

It’s a magical, vengeful fairy tale infused with the right amount of devilish humor.

Midwinter Break , Bernard MacLaverty

Follow retired couple, Gerry and Stella as they fly to Amsterdam for a long weekend break. On the surface, all seems well. However, the reader will discover that the couple is deeply divided and memories of troubled events (including The Troubles) from their early days in Ireland are brought to the surface.

And while they have had a loving, long and intimate relationship, there are also secrets, deceptions and everyday deceptions.

“It’s bitter realism may excoriate us, but it’s a wonderfully written novel, written with great elegance and acumen.”

The Heart’s Invisible Furies , John Boyne

We begin in 1945, with the pregnancy of sixteen-year-old Catherine Goggin, and her public shunning by the unbelievably hypocritical parish priest. Her son, Cryil is adopted out to a couple from Dublin who provide…shall we say…an emotionally dry upbringing.

The book regularly skips forward in seven year intervals, exposing Cyril’s life from birth to old age. During that time, he grew up during Ireland’s political upheavals and The Troubles, and also had to navigate a very conservative Ireland as a gay man.

We see Cyril struggle to find love and understanding, but the book delivers it all with a healthy dose of Irish humor.

“Maybe there were no villains in my mother’s story at all. Just men and women, trying to do their best by each other. And failing.”

Boyne is another Irish author with a worthwhile backlist .

Small Things Like These , Claire Keegan

Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker.

It’s 1985 and Bill Furlong is living a happy, but uneventful life with his family. But times are hard and when he makes a delivery to a local convent, he discovers something that simply doesn’t sit well. The convent runs one of what are now known as the infamous Magdalen laundries. What should he do about it? Can he ignore his conscience and continue as if nothing has happened? He has to choose between doing what’s right…and what’s easy.

The book is a slim volume that somehow manages to say everything about Bill’s life.

Read it for book club and use our Small Things Like These discussion guide .

Grown Ups , Marian Keyes

This lighthearted Irish family drama will immerse you in the Casey family, which includes three brothers, their assorted marriages, children and extended families. Johnny’s wife Jessie is the family’s big earner and she’s always funding big get togethers.

Ed’s wife Cara is suffering from a recent head injury and concussion. At a family gathering, the result of her injury triggers an unfiltered outpouring of family truths and secrets. The family is left aghast and broken.

It’s a fun book if you like delight in rich people problems and a lot of messy family dynamics.

And if you like Keyes’ vibe, she has a deep backlist .

PS, I Love You , Cecelia Ahern

Holly and Gerry were the perfect couple. But when Gerry dies of a terminal illness, 30-year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces.

Then her mom calls, informing her of a package addressed to her. Within it are a series of letters from Gerry, all ending with “P.S. I Love You”. Between the letters and help from her friends and family, Holly slowly begins to re-discover herself.

Bright Burning Things , Lisa Harding

This is an honest, often brutal look at alcoholism and its effects on children of alcoholics.

Sonya used to perform. She used to date handsome men. She used to have a life. But the bottle is getting the best of her. She loves her son Tommy, but her blackouts and their aftermath affect him gravely. The story follows the for a few fragile months as Sonya is forced to confront her drinking problem by going to rehab.

Solar Bones , Mike McCormack

And here’s yet another great Irish read longlisted for the Booker.

It has a most unusual format as all 225 pages are told in one very long run on sentence and so we’ll do the same for this synopsis in which Marcus takes an opportunity on All-Souls day to have at seat at the kitchen table and reflect upon his life, his marriage and children, his work, politics, and other stream of consciousness reminiscences.

The Sea , John Banville

Booker Prize winner for 2005.

The Sea is a profound reflection on love, loss, regret, and the role memory plays in the grieving process. Max is mourning his wife’s death as he returns to the seaside town where he spent his boyhood summers. He reflects upon that past and how it has affected this future.

“Yes, this is what I thought adulthood would be, a kind of long Indian summer, a state of tranquility, of calm incuriousness, with nothing left of the barely bearable raw immediacy of childhood, all the things solved that had puzzled me when I was small, all mysteries settled, all questions answered, and the moments dripping away, unnoticed almost, drip by golden drip, toward the final, almost unnoticed, quietus.”

The Snapper , Roddy Doyle

Doyle writes the best Irish novels depicting everyday blue collar life. The Snapper is the second in his Barrytown Trilogy which also includes The Commitments and The Van . When Sharon Rabbitte’s friends and family discover her unplanned pregnancy, everyone is bugging her to name the father. Sharon’s unwillingness to spill the beans frustrates everyone, especially her father.

The book explores their sassy family dynamics with wit and candor, but as with so many other great books about Ireland, there is also a dark and painful side to the story.

The Ladies’ Midnight Swimming Club , Faith Hogan

Elizabeth’s husband has died, leaving her near bankruptcy. She calls on her friend Jo for help, who in turn brings in her divorced daughter Lucy. Each woman has their own troubles to work out and they all take to frigid swims in the Irish Sea as a way to gather their thoughts, talk, laugh, and listen.

The Ladies Midnight Swimming Club is a beautifully paced and plotted story about the indomitable spirit of friendship told from the points of view the five major characters.

Boys Don’t Cry , Fiona Scarlett

Joe is an artistically-gifted seventeen year old who has a promising scholarship to a private school. He also looks out for his little brother Finn. They live in a gritty neighborhood and their dad is involved in the local criminal gangs.

Boy’s aren’t supposed to cry, but Finn has seen his Da do it when he thinks no one’s looking. Things go sideways when Finn becomes ill and Da ends up in prison. Joe has tried hard to break out the the mold and avoid a criminal life. But this unexpected turn of family events presents him with some difficult choices.

“The dialogue is light, comic and colloquial, but emotion runs deep and I found myself fully invested in the characters and the story.”

Strumpet City, James Plunkett

This book is set in Dublin during the infamous labor lock-out of 1913. The dispute was brought on by harsh working conditions forced upon a powerless workforce. The story explores the traumatic events from the point of view of fed-up workers who are mired in stifling poverty.

The Silent People , Walter Macken

The Silent People is set in the mid 19th century, during the Irish famine. It was a time of particularly high unrest due to the degradation of the people by tyrannical landlords and British indifference.

The protagonist Dualta, is a young man when he flees for his life after standing up to the son of a corrupt landowner. He initially joins a group of rebels intent on destroying the property of the landed gentry. He then eventually gets his own plot of land, but he struggles during the famine.

The book show the breathtaking beauty of western Ireland but also the hardship and brutalities to be found in the Ireland during this difficult period.

The Lady of Galway Manor , Jennifer Deibel

Lady Annabeth De Lacy is the daughter of daughter of Galway Parish’s newest landlord. Bored and looking for a creative outlet, she asks to be apprenticed out to the local jeweler, Seamus Jennings. However, her apprenticeship becomes much more than she expected as she becomes engaged in the local community and involved with Seamus’ son Stephen.

On the surface, the book seems like a sweet romance in a lovely setting. It is indeed that. But it also explores religious tension between the British and the Irish and the rot of colonialism.

Star of the Sea , Joseph O’Conner

This story of the Irish diaspora follows hundreds of refugees fleeing famine and injustice on board the New York bound Star of the Sea. They may be fleeing Ireland, but they have brought their troubles with them and the story surges with passions, thuggery and resentments.

“That each man is the sum of his choices is nothing less than the truth. And each, perhaps, is also something else.”

Queen of Dirt Island , Donal Ryan

This is the story of the Aylward women, four generations living together through the years in a small house in rural Tipperary. They spend their days dealing with the stuff of life– the births, deaths– their joys and triumph, and their heartbreak and losses in equal measure. They love each other, but they also want to throttle one another.

The novel is constructed as a series of short vignettes illustrating the drama of their lives.

The Green Road , Ann Enright

None of the Madigans really want to come home for Christmas. They gladly left their small seaside town for Dublin, Africa and North America, but they have returned for one last visit before their mother Rosaleen sells the family home. The Madigan’s fractured family dynamic and struggles with intimacy are laid bare as they try to engage with one another once again.

The Country Girls Trilogy , Edna Obrian

This trilogy follows two ambitious country girls as they set out to conquer the world. They ditch their repressive rural atmosphere and find love, loss, liaisons and misadventure in Dublin.

O’Brien boldly bucked the prevailing censorship and when Country Girls was originally published in 1960 The book raised the ire of the Irish censors and condemnation from her local priest. So you know that it’s going to be a rollicking read.

Spec Fic and Fantasy Books Set in Ireland

City of Bohane , Kevin Barry

This book is supposed to be set in the near future, but it also reads like Ireland’s recent past. The once great city of Bohane (which is kind of a stand-in for Galway) is now a tense, not-quite-war-zone teetering on a sharp line that divides those who have from those who don’t. The city has been ruled by gangster Logan Hartnett but his girlfriend and henchmen are getting antsy just as his old nemesis rolls back into town.

If this appeals to you, then be sure to work your way down Barry’s backlist, as most of it is set in Ireland. Try Beatlebone , which creates an alternative reality in which John Lennon retreats from New York to a private Irish island.

Prophet Song , Paul Lynch

This version of Dublin is dark, dystopic and totally totalitarian. And it won the 2023 Booker Prize, so there’s that.

In the meta premise, Ireland has elected a neo-Fascist nationalist government, and union leaders and other “enemies” of the regime start disappearing. The country starts a rapid slide into civil war.

But it’s presented with a more personal touch, featuring Eilish Stack as our main protagonist. She’s a respected microbiologist, a mother, a daughter and the wife of a union leader. When she answers a knock at the door, she finds the secret police have arrived and they arrest her husband. She struggles to keep her family (including the kids and a father with dementia) together even as civil society falls apart.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men , Shauna Lawless

(#1 of the Gael Song series)

This series mixes the fantasy magic with some serious Irish Viking history. Its set in the 900s when the various clans were battling for the kingdom of Ireland. The story centers around two women who belong to two different long-lived (and opposing) magical groups. The Descendants wield healing magic, and the Formorians yield fire magic.

There’s no clear good vs. bad in this story as both women navigate tricky political machinations.

The Magician’s Daughter , H.G. Parry

Magic of an entirely different sort is afoot on this remote Irish island. The magic is largely gone in the wider world. But it’s all that Biddy has known growing up on her hidden island. She’s raised by Rowan, and as she reaches 17 years old, she’s itching to spread her wings and explore more of the world. But Rowan forbids it.

When he suddenly disappears, Biddy learns that he’s in danger and she sets out to save him.

The book has lots of cozy vibes, smart dialogue, and (bonus!) a magical rabbit familiar.

Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1), Juliet Marillier

Sorcha is the first daughter who should have been the seventh son. After her mother dies in childbirth, her father remarries…and to the worst sort of evil stepmother. Evil stepmom puts a spell on the brothers, and it’s up to to Sorcha to take on a difficult task in order to lift the spell.

The story is chock full of monsters, betrayals, danger and heartbreak, and Sorcha’s quest permanently changes her.

Lion of Ireland (Celtic World #5), Morgan Llywelyn

This is a tale of history and legend, focused on the origins of Brian Boru. He’s considered the Charlemagne of Ireland who defied the odds by defeating the Norse and unifying most of the Ireland under a single rule.

Expect a lot of treachery, intrigue, struggles, doubts and conflicts.

More Armchair Travel

If you like armchair travel and books in translation, boy have we got you covered. You can start with our compendium of books set in  global destinations . Or get location-specific with our books set in  Colombia ,  Cuba ,  Spain ,  Sri Lanka ,  Jordan ,  Australia , Iceland  and  Paris .

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The Irish times book of favourite Irish poems Paperback – January 1, 2000

• Print length 166 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Irish Times Books
• Publication date January 1, 2000
• ISBN-10 0907011314
• ISBN-13 978-0907011316
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Irish Times Books (January 1, 2000)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 166 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0907011314
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0907011316
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.1 ounces

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Russia missile attack on Kyiv region injures two and damages houses, Ukraine says

Moscow may change the timing for use of its nuclear weapons if threats against russia increase, lawmaker says.

Russian president Vladimir Putin takes part at a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexandrovsky Garden near the Kremlin wall in Moscow on Saturday. Photograph: Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Two people were injured and scores of residential and other buildings were damaged in a Russian missile attack on the Kyiv region overnight, the head of the region’s state administration said on Sunday.

Of the three missiles launched by Russia , Ukraine’s air defence systems destroyed two over the Kyiv region, Ukraine’s Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on Sunday.

In his statement on the Telegram messaging app, Oleshchuk did not say what happened to the third missile.

Falling debris injured two people who did not require hospitalisation, Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv region's administration, said on Telegram.

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Debris also damaged six multistorey residential buildings and more than 20 private houses, Kravchenko added. In addition, a gas station, a pharmacy, an administrative building and three cars in the region were also damaged.

Kyiv, its surrounding region and several others across Ukraine were under air raid alerts for about an hour on Sunday morning, starting at 4:50am local time (01:50 GMT).

Reuters witnesses reported hearing several blasts in and around Kyiv at the time that sounded like air defence systems hitting air weapons.

In Russia, one person was killed and three wounded after Ukrainian drones attacked the town of Graivoron in the Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday on the Telegram messaging app.

Meanwhile, Moscow may change the timing for use of its nuclear weapons if threats against Russia increase, the RIA state news agency cited Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the Russian lower house’s defence committee, as saying on Sunday.

The former general’s comments follow recent warnings by President Vladimir Putin that Moscow may change its nuclear doctrine, which lays out the conditions in which such weapons could be used.

“If we see that the challenges and threats increase, it means that we can correct something in [the doctrine] regarding the timing of the use of nuclear weapons and the decision to make this use,” the agency quoted Kartapolov as saying.

“But of course, it’s too early to talk about specifics now.”

Russia’s 2020 nuclear doctrine sets out when its president would consider using a nuclear weapon: broadly as a response to an attack using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or conventional weapons “when the very existence of the state is put under threat”.

Putin has also said Russia could test a nuclear weapon, if necessary, though he saw no need to do so at the present time.

The heightened rhetoric on nuclear weapons comes as both Russian and US diplomats say that Russia’s war in Ukraine, launched against its smaller neighbour in 2022, is in the most dangerous phase yet.

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024

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