It’s a good month for Irish book releases. Highlights include new novels from Claire-Louise Bennett and Chloe Michelle Howarth, Carl Kinsella’s examination of why we are the way we are, and a follow on from the beloved bestseller, Dear Gay.
Aftermath, by Bláthnaid Raleigh
2 October, Gill Books
In 2019, Bláthnaid Raleigh was raped by Jonathan Moran. She would go on to spend the next five years living with the effects; her attacker, unable to be identified for legal reasons, continued his life working, socialising and playing rugby. Meanwhile, Bláthnaid’s brother quietly left Mullingar Rugby Club because of Moran, suffering abuse from former clubmates for transferring and even having to face off against his sister’s rapist in a match.
Aftermath is the story of the impact rape had on Bláthnaid’s life and the wider effects on her family and community. It is also testimony to one woman’s determination not to allow the actions of one predator to define her life.
Enchanted Ireland, by Kieran Fanning
9 October, Gill Children’s
Master storyteller Kieran Fanning visits every county in Ireland through 32 magical stories. From mysterious enchantments like The Stolen Bride from Galway to strange sightings like The Rathcoffey Pooka of Kildare; from tales of the Ulster Cycle like The Curse of Macha to fantastical folklore like The Fairy Hare of Slievemaan from County Wicklow, there’s a story and site to discover wherever you are in Ireland! This beautifully presented gift book features a map, facts and details from locations mentioned, as well as gorgeous full-page colour art by Julia Iredale to illustrate each story.
Filly, by Rosamund Taylor
9 October, Banshee Press
From acclaimed poet Rosamund Taylor comes a compelling, genre-bending coming-of-age story. In the hostile world of Ireland’s secondary school system, Orla is discovering her burgeoning sexuality. When her friend Muireann rejects her advances, Orla turns to her online community for support, and to her charismatic English teacher Irene Wall for a love affair both passionate and annihilating.
A novel in verse about sexual awakening, masochistic love, and the transformative possibilities of community, Filly introduces two unforgettable characters in Orla and the complicated and magnetic Irene Wall. Written with Taylor’s trademark earthy lyricism, Filly is an exploration of intergenerational love and trauma, and an explosion of queer joy.
Remnants of Our Past, by Deirdre O’Neill
9 October, Gill Books
We walk past remnants of our past every day without noticing. Our ancestors left echoes of themselves all around us, if we only know where to look and how to interpret the signs. These remnants lie all over Ireland, telling us of the lives they once touched. Understanding their story roots our knowledge in the foundations of our society and the customs that have shaped the Irish people over centuries.
Remnants of Our Past tells the story of Irish people, their memories preserved in these forgotten places. What is now a cold hearth in a collapsing fireplace was once the warm centre where the family gathered and the fire was never allowed to go out. The tranquil parks in our villages were once bustling fair greens, echoing with the bellowing of livestock and the howls of faction fighters.
Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, by Claire-Louise Bennett
9 October, Riverhead Books
Uprooted by circumstance from city to deep countryside, a woman lives in temporary limbo, visited by memories of all she’s left behind. The most insistent are those of Xavier, who has always been certain he knows her better than anyone, better than she knows herself. Xavier, whom she still loves but no longer desires, a displacement he has been unable to accept.
An unexpected letter from an old acquaintance brings back a torrent of others she’s loved or wanted. Each has been a match and a mismatch, a liberation and a threat to her very sense of self. The ephemera left by their passage—a spilled coffee, an unwanted bouquet, a mind-blowing kiss—make up a cabinet of curiosity she inventories, trying to divine the essence of intimacy. What does it mean to connect with another person? What impels us to touch someone, to be touched by them, to stay in touch? How do we let them go? Claire-Louise Bennett explores the mystery of how people come into and go out of our lives, leaving us forever in their grasp.
The Dublin Pub: A Social and Cultural History, by Donal Fallon
10 October, New Island
The follow-up to 2022’s best-selling Three Castles Burning is here. Historian and podcaster Donal Fallon returns with this exciting social and cultural history of that most venerable institution, the Dublin pub.
The hidden histories of world-renowned public houses such as The Long Hall, Grogan’s and The Palace feature, as do the stories of Dublin’s early houses, gay bars and shebeens. Drawing from rich archival collections, The Dublin Pub includes previously unpublished photographs as well as oral recollections that bring the history of the Dublin pub to life. From the Irish revolution to social revolutions of more recent times, this is the story of the Dublin public house.
At Least It Looks Good From Space, by Carl Kinsella
16 October, Hachette Books Ireland
In At Least It Looks Good From Space, Carl Kinsella attempts to solve the great human mystery of why we are the way we are, or to at least examine, up close, why he is the way he is, reliving some of the pivotal moments in his life to figure out the whys, the hows and most importantly: whose fault it is.
Carl explores the complexities (and simplicities) of being friends with men, how the overwhelming presence of technology affects our lives, his experience with OCD and the reality of intrusive thoughts, how online activity might be making us addicted to attention (or maybe that’s just Carl), thoughts on theme parks, how millennials relate to their parents, and that one time he fell into a lagoon.
They Say it Might Rain, by Evelyn Cusack and Séamus Walsh
23 October, Gill Books
The Irish weather. Subject of endless conversations, the saviour of small talk and famously unreliable. We all know it well, as a constant, if capricious, backdrop to our lives. But how well do we really know it? While our relationship with the weather used to be nearly always personal and nearly always local, now it’s also increasingly global. This important relationship that each of us has with the weather, the desire to understand it and a deep concern for how it is changing, inspired Evelyn and Séamus to write this book.
They Say it Might Rain tells the fascinating tale of Ireland’s weather and our connection to it through the ages. It is both an authoritative guide and a personal reflection of Ireland’s weather, blending storytelling with science. From the earliest weather watchers in prehistory to the ferocious Night of the Big Wind in 1839 and the more recent chaos of Storm Éowyn, this beautifully illustrated book explains it all.
Heap Earth Upon It, by Chloe Michelle Howarth
30 October, Verve Books
From the acclaimed author of Sunburn comes a creeping story of sapphic obsession with Gothic undertones and a delicious mid-century feel. It’s January 1965 and the orphaned O’Leary siblings arrive in the village of Ballycrea, tight-lipped about their troubled past and desperate for a fresh start.
After being met with suspicion from most of the locals, the family are thrilled when they’re taken under the wing of their well-respected neighbours, who offer them work, companionship and an opportunity to fit in. But for one of the O’Learys, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all. It’s difficult to bury secrets, but almost impossible to bury feelings…
An Irish Word a Day, by Hector Ó hEochagáin
30 October, Gill Books
Many of us wish we had paid more attention in Irish class and could still speak the cúpla focal. When we lose our language, we lose a part of who we are. Here, Hector makes adding an Irish word a day to your vocabulary a habit that’s as easy as brushing your teeth.
Month-by-month, through stories, words and phrases, Hector takes us through the year with words from the practical to the magical, for every season and new moon. When you start the day, you’ll be able to name the gallúnach (soap) and ubh brúite (boiled egg). And when you look out your window and see the robin is building his nest again in spring, you’ll be able to greet the spiteog through Irish.
Miriam: Life, Work, Everything, by Miriam O’Callaghan
30 October, Penguin Books Ireland
Miriam O’Callaghan is one of Ireland’s best-known broadcasters, covering every election, referendum, major controversy and important public event for TV, and hosting an award-winning radio show. Combining career success, high-octane glamour and being a mother-of-eight makes her a truly unique figure in Irish public life.
Miriam: Life, Work, Everything includes fascinating insights into a career that has given her a ringside seat to a changing Ireland, like attending Bobby Sands’ wake even before she was a journalist, and life coming full circle when she championed John Hume to be declared the greatest figure in Irish history. She describes extraordinary debates, important and heartbreaking conversations with people in the eye of a media storm, and how she goes after and prepares for the big interviews – as well as what happens when things go wrong. Miriam also addresses the recent RTÉ controversies that cast a shadow over its high-profile presenters, not least herself.
PS Gay, by Suzy Byrne
30 October, Gill Books
Dear Gay was an instant bestseller when it was published in 2023. PS Gay brings readers more letters and memories from the listeners of Ireland’s most iconic radio show with Gay Byrne. The book reflects the very fabric of our society from the lighter watercooler moments that had us all talking to personal stories that stopped us in our tracks. Remember the uproar over Dick’s affair in Glenroe and the nationwide protest about the decision by Switzer’s department store to remove the Christmas gnomes from the window?
There are accounts of the devastating impact of the AIDS crisis, the divorce referendum and heartbreaking experiences of abortion. Most importantly, there are the stories of the lives of everyday superwomen who wrote into the show to share their experiences, Gay Byrne acting as ringmaster, skilfully capturing what mattered to them. PS Gay is nostalgic for times that seemed simpler than they are today, and a reminder of how far we have come.
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