Sunday Miscellany: A Selection, 2018–2023

by Sarah Binchy (editor)

RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Miscellany is an Irish institution, a programme that has provided comfort, joy and entertainment to hundreds of thousands of listeners for over half a century. Arranged in calendar months and spanning the seasons of the year, some of the best broadcasts from the last five years are collected here in one volume. This sparkling selection of writing by the best of new, established and household names is sure to amuse, move and delight readers of all ages.



Colm Tóibín

Niamh Campbell

Joseph O'Connor

Louise Kennedy

John F. Deane

Susan McKay

Nicole Flattery

Donal Ryan

Manchán Magan

Rosaleen McDonagh

Lisa McInerney

and many more...

472 pages, Paperback

Published December 30, 2023

Reviews

[Shane Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunday Miscellany and the sound of trumpets. What better way to deal with a Sunday morning coming down. The essays within this collection feature a five year period and include the pandemic and the Ukraine war amongst other things, mostly the writers’s slants on bygone days and the current state of play. The book is arranged in monthly chapters, matching the chronological nature of the broadcast, so there’s typically notes on annual days such as Christmas, Mothers Day etc., as well as a few unique anniversaries. I didn’t find it quite as rewarding as the previous collection I’d read from the early noughties, but it’s good nonetheless. There is clearly a determination to be inclusive, though this can sometimes feel a bit self conscious. The best stories are historical, but personal more than political, and crafted in a way that connects with our present. Eileen Battersby brilliantly evokes the creation of Silent Night in a way that’s both moving and informative. John McDonald weaves some fascinating and unlikely connections in Easter 1916, Hedy Lamar and Mobile Technology. Leo Cullen hits the mark with Haybarn where more overt political slants tend to miss. There’s some oddballs from old hands, Emer O’Kelly (literally) with an odd encounter with Luke Kelly, and Paul Howard’s anecdote of a practical joke in Tins (you’ll never trust schoolkids again!)

[Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of diverse and captivating stories capturing Ireland across time and multiple perspectives - ages, urban, rural and provincial, the mundane and the extraordinary.

[Aisling Doonan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written collection of personal essays, perfect for dipping into. each one was a surprise and the variety of subjects was immense. Thoroughly enjoyed.