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Begotten Not Made
Begotten Not Made is a fairy tale for the 21st century - where the mystery of blind faith is explored and the magic of belief is restored.Brother Scully met Sister Claire only once. It was back in 1970 - the night Dana won the Eurovision Song Contest. Every single morning since their first and only encounter, with a flicker of a light bulb, Sister Claire has sent a coded message of love to Brother Scully.This Christmas Eve morn, for the first time in almost fifty years, no light shines out from Sister Claire's bedroom window. And so begins this tale of a very real, yet unrealised love ...
340 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2018
7 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Conal Creedon
12 books13 followersCónal Creedon is a novelist, playwright and documentary film maker
www.conalcreedon.com
Ever since his bizarre, surreal, pseudo-‐radio soap -‐ Under The Goldie Fish hit the airwaves [1994-‐98] [Irish Times Best Of The Year Radio for 1996 & 1998] Cónal has established a loyal audience for his work. There followed commissions from RTE1, BBC4 and BBC World Service – Cónal has written over sixty hours of original fiction for radio.
BEGOTTEN NOT MADE is Cónal’s second novel.
Cónal’s previous novel – Passion Play [1999] – was cited as BOOK OF THE YEAR [BBC Radio 4 – Saturday Review] and received high critical acclaim.
"The novel’s interior is much indebted to Joyce. The way Creedon combines the child-‐centred perspective of Paddy Clarke Ha! Ha! Ha! with the tough teenage world of The Commitments and the domestic cruelty of The Woman Who Walked Into Doors is ambitious and effective. His exposition of his characters’ thought processes owes much to Flann O’Brien’s skewed sophistication and Patrick McCabe’s scabrous vision as to an earlier prototype of Seán O’Casey’s Joxer. Creedon has found a form all of his own." – C.L. Dallat – Times Literary Review [TLS, London].
Other books by Cónal: Pancho & Lefty Ride Out [collection of short stories -‐ 1996], The Second City Trilogy [trilogy of plays 2007], The Immortal Deed of Michael O’Leary [WW1 historical biography 2015] and Cornerstone [collection of UCC student short fiction 2016].
Cónal’s theatre work includes - The Trial Of Jesus [2000], a large-scale promenade pageant, commissioned and produced as part of the Irish National Millennium Celebrations. The production was awarded two Business2Arts Awards by President Mary McAleese and was nominated for Special Judges Award at The Irish Times Theatre Awards.
In 2001, his stage play Glory Be To The Father was commissioned and produced by Red Kettle Theatre Company. The production embarked on a whistle‐stop Irish national tour.
The Second City Trilogy [a trilogy of stage plays – When I Was God, After Luke, The Cure] was commissioned by The European Capital of Culture 2005. The Irish premiere production ran for four months at the Half-Moon Theatre before transferring to the Cork Opera House main stage. In 2009, the plays premiered in New York -‐ where they picked up a number of awards at the Irish New York Theatre Awards - 2009 & 2013 [Best Actor, Best Director & Nominated Best Playwright]. The Second City Trilogy has had a number of productions in New York and has received high critical acclaim from theatre critics in the New York Times and a number of other New York Arts periodicals. The Second City Trilogy premiered in China as part of the Culture Ireland Program at World Expo Shanghai 2010 and returned to Shanghai in 2011 to feature in the Shanghai International JUE Festival 2011.
Cónal has produced and directed a number of film documentaries - The Burning of Cork [2005], Why The Guns Remained Silent [2006], If it’s Spiced Beef [2007], The Boys of Fair Hill [2008] and Flynnie, The Man who Walked Like Shakespeare [2009] – shortlisted for The Focal International Documentary Awards, London UK.
The documentaries were broadcast by RTE and screened at various festivals – including at the Irish Pavilion in Shanghai, during World Expo [2010].
In recognition of Cónal’s contribution to the Arts. – In 2017 Cónal was appointed Adjunct Professor to the School of English at University College Cork [UCC] and Heritage Ambassador by Cork City Council. In July 2018, Cónal was nominated for Person of the Year 2018.
www.conalcreedon.com
Ever since his bizarre, surreal, pseudo-‐radio soap -‐ Under The Goldie Fish hit the airwaves [1994-‐98] [Irish Times Best Of The Year Radio for 1996 & 1998] Cónal has established a loyal audience for his work. There followed commissions from RTE1, BBC4 and BBC World Service – Cónal has written over sixty hours of original fiction for radio.
BEGOTTEN NOT MADE is Cónal’s second novel.
Cónal’s previous novel – Passion Play [1999] – was cited as BOOK OF THE YEAR [BBC Radio 4 – Saturday Review] and received high critical acclaim.
"The novel’s interior is much indebted to Joyce. The way Creedon combines the child-‐centred perspective of Paddy Clarke Ha! Ha! Ha! with the tough teenage world of The Commitments and the domestic cruelty of The Woman Who Walked Into Doors is ambitious and effective. His exposition of his characters’ thought processes owes much to Flann O’Brien’s skewed sophistication and Patrick McCabe’s scabrous vision as to an earlier prototype of Seán O’Casey’s Joxer. Creedon has found a form all of his own." – C.L. Dallat – Times Literary Review [TLS, London].
Other books by Cónal: Pancho & Lefty Ride Out [collection of short stories -‐ 1996], The Second City Trilogy [trilogy of plays 2007], The Immortal Deed of Michael O’Leary [WW1 historical biography 2015] and Cornerstone [collection of UCC student short fiction 2016].
Cónal’s theatre work includes - The Trial Of Jesus [2000], a large-scale promenade pageant, commissioned and produced as part of the Irish National Millennium Celebrations. The production was awarded two Business2Arts Awards by President Mary McAleese and was nominated for Special Judges Award at The Irish Times Theatre Awards.
In 2001, his stage play Glory Be To The Father was commissioned and produced by Red Kettle Theatre Company. The production embarked on a whistle‐stop Irish national tour.
The Second City Trilogy [a trilogy of stage plays – When I Was God, After Luke, The Cure] was commissioned by The European Capital of Culture 2005. The Irish premiere production ran for four months at the Half-Moon Theatre before transferring to the Cork Opera House main stage. In 2009, the plays premiered in New York -‐ where they picked up a number of awards at the Irish New York Theatre Awards - 2009 & 2013 [Best Actor, Best Director & Nominated Best Playwright]. The Second City Trilogy has had a number of productions in New York and has received high critical acclaim from theatre critics in the New York Times and a number of other New York Arts periodicals. The Second City Trilogy premiered in China as part of the Culture Ireland Program at World Expo Shanghai 2010 and returned to Shanghai in 2011 to feature in the Shanghai International JUE Festival 2011.
Cónal has produced and directed a number of film documentaries - The Burning of Cork [2005], Why The Guns Remained Silent [2006], If it’s Spiced Beef [2007], The Boys of Fair Hill [2008] and Flynnie, The Man who Walked Like Shakespeare [2009] – shortlisted for The Focal International Documentary Awards, London UK.
The documentaries were broadcast by RTE and screened at various festivals – including at the Irish Pavilion in Shanghai, during World Expo [2010].
In recognition of Cónal’s contribution to the Arts. – In 2017 Cónal was appointed Adjunct Professor to the School of English at University College Cork [UCC] and Heritage Ambassador by Cork City Council. In July 2018, Cónal was nominated for Person of the Year 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 28, 2020
This wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but I thought it was a joy. Sad but punctuated with great humour. A meditation on belief. Brother Scully's blasphemous theory seems astonishingly well-supported by the biblical texts, more credible even than the conventional trite Christian interpretation that we have been fed for two millennia.
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April 3, 2022Dante met Beatrice Portinari when they were both nine years of age.Their paths would cross only once again, yet most Dante aficionados would agree that this woman became the inspiration for Dante’s La Vita Nuova and the prototype for an ethereal Beatrice in Dante’s Divine Comedy.
Cónal Creedon’s Begotten Not Made is a masterful retelling of that classical tale, with both parties clad in monastic garb and the story set in Ireland during the second half of the twentieth century.
This beautifully crafted novel revolves around a brilliant, quirky, and unbalanced Irish monk named Brother Scully who systematically and mercilessly deconstructs the basic elements of Christian theology, but remains cloistered except for intermittent sabbaticals spent in an insane asylum.
The bright spot in his life, one which supplants even Brother Scully’s passionate excursions into biblical illogic and contradiction, comes when he encounters Sister Claire. A few hours of spirited conversation and her soft touch leave this cerebral man of the cloth permanently smitten by her.
The theological excursions in the book are erudite and astute, but the lesson on love is telling and universal.
Potentially durable, indelible and illuminating, the light
of unconditional love breaks through where no sun shines and logic fails; which it always does.
There’s an ending here which would loosen a tear from the most insensate human being sharing this planet with us. If you are looking for a marvelous novel with a poignant yet elevating ending, look no further. Begotten Not Made is that book.
Cónal Creedon’s Begotten Not Made is a masterful retelling of that classical tale, with both parties clad in monastic garb and the story set in Ireland during the second half of the twentieth century.
This beautifully crafted novel revolves around a brilliant, quirky, and unbalanced Irish monk named Brother Scully who systematically and mercilessly deconstructs the basic elements of Christian theology, but remains cloistered except for intermittent sabbaticals spent in an insane asylum.
The bright spot in his life, one which supplants even Brother Scully’s passionate excursions into biblical illogic and contradiction, comes when he encounters Sister Claire. A few hours of spirited conversation and her soft touch leave this cerebral man of the cloth permanently smitten by her.
The theological excursions in the book are erudite and astute, but the lesson on love is telling and universal.
Potentially durable, indelible and illuminating, the light
of unconditional love breaks through where no sun shines and logic fails; which it always does.
There’s an ending here which would loosen a tear from the most insensate human being sharing this planet with us. If you are looking for a marvelous novel with a poignant yet elevating ending, look no further. Begotten Not Made is that book.
March 7, 2021
This is a wonderful wonderful book, poignant, funny, and tragic with superbly drawn characters. I don’t think I will forget Brother Scully and Deputy Head Brother Lynch! Provides so much to think about too...impact of Catholic Church on education, the illogicality of the bible, human need for love and connections. Brother Scully and Sister Claire’s conversation in the refectory during the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest is a masterpiece... inspired, ludicrous, hilarious and quite gripping. Will be reading more by this author.... l am not sure if a religious person would rate this , so maybe needs to come with a warning!
January 11, 2023
Begotten Not Made by Cónal Creedon was published in 2018 with Irishtown Press and has received much acclaim for its uniqueness in style and premise. Donal O’ Donoghue (Books, RTE Guide) described it as ‘a picturesque epic that at times dips into the surreal’ and Ronald Clifford (Irish American Examiner, New York) stated that ‘it maintains a Joycean flavour throughout the story’. Wrapped around a love story, Cónal Creedon challenges the Bible, poking holes in the many theories and beliefs of the Catholic faith through his interpretation of how it all began.
Begotten Not Made is set in Cork and tells the story of an unrequited love between Brother Scully and Sister Claire. In 1970, on the evening that Ireland won the Eurovision with All Kinds of Everything by Dana, Brother Scully and Sister Claire were on tea duty. It was a rare evening when nuns from the local convent came to the monastery to watch the event on the new television that the monastery had recently acquired. What started as a pleasant conversation between two vocational individuals soon morphed into something much deeper.
Brother Scully was a person who questioned theology, much to the despair of many of his colleagues. He delved deep into the life of Christ and asked questions that those of a more strong and blind faith were tested by. Sister Claire was a novice and had always believed, without question, her calling to the faith and all that it implied. On this fateful night doubt infiltrated her mind and she was left questioning all that she held dear in her understanding of God and the Bible.
But don’t think that Begotten Not Made is a novel just about religion. It is a poignant and beautiful tale of two individuals who could have lived quite a different life. The book begins in the present day with Brother Scully in his room where he spends most of his days now. Every morning, following the Eurovision win of March 21st, 1970, Brother Scully and Sister Claire have flickered their respective bedroom lightbulbs first thing to each other as a daily form of communication. On this particular Christmas Eve morning Brother Scully sees no light from Sister Claire and he becomes concerned. In the pages that follows he thinks back over his early years and remembers a Cork City that has long since gone by. He recalls his youth, his early years studying theology and his insistence on always questioning and rationalising his thoughts. He drove many another brother to despair with his constant probing but he did garner occasional respect for his rather unorthodox views.
Cork City features as a character in its own right as Cónal Creedon brings the sights and sounds of the city to life. As a local Corkonian myself I thoroughly enjoyed all the references to streets, places and people but, to any of you not familiar with Cork, it will be very easy to visualise it through the beautiful descriptions depicted by Cónal. An unexpected treat were the number of illustrations throughout the book, all sketched by Cónal himself, adding a wonderful extra layer to the story.
Cónal Creedon raises some extremely challenging yet fascinating views about the birth of Christ and his relationship with God and although this might sound heavy reading, it’s not. Written with humour and poignancy, Begotten Not Made is an intelligent and perceptive reading experience. With a very distinctive hand, Cónal Creedon has written a quirky and unconventional love story, with a philosophical touch, one that most certainly starts a few thought-provoking conversations.
Begotten Not Made is set in Cork and tells the story of an unrequited love between Brother Scully and Sister Claire. In 1970, on the evening that Ireland won the Eurovision with All Kinds of Everything by Dana, Brother Scully and Sister Claire were on tea duty. It was a rare evening when nuns from the local convent came to the monastery to watch the event on the new television that the monastery had recently acquired. What started as a pleasant conversation between two vocational individuals soon morphed into something much deeper.
Brother Scully was a person who questioned theology, much to the despair of many of his colleagues. He delved deep into the life of Christ and asked questions that those of a more strong and blind faith were tested by. Sister Claire was a novice and had always believed, without question, her calling to the faith and all that it implied. On this fateful night doubt infiltrated her mind and she was left questioning all that she held dear in her understanding of God and the Bible.
But don’t think that Begotten Not Made is a novel just about religion. It is a poignant and beautiful tale of two individuals who could have lived quite a different life. The book begins in the present day with Brother Scully in his room where he spends most of his days now. Every morning, following the Eurovision win of March 21st, 1970, Brother Scully and Sister Claire have flickered their respective bedroom lightbulbs first thing to each other as a daily form of communication. On this particular Christmas Eve morning Brother Scully sees no light from Sister Claire and he becomes concerned. In the pages that follows he thinks back over his early years and remembers a Cork City that has long since gone by. He recalls his youth, his early years studying theology and his insistence on always questioning and rationalising his thoughts. He drove many another brother to despair with his constant probing but he did garner occasional respect for his rather unorthodox views.
Cork City features as a character in its own right as Cónal Creedon brings the sights and sounds of the city to life. As a local Corkonian myself I thoroughly enjoyed all the references to streets, places and people but, to any of you not familiar with Cork, it will be very easy to visualise it through the beautiful descriptions depicted by Cónal. An unexpected treat were the number of illustrations throughout the book, all sketched by Cónal himself, adding a wonderful extra layer to the story.
Cónal Creedon raises some extremely challenging yet fascinating views about the birth of Christ and his relationship with God and although this might sound heavy reading, it’s not. Written with humour and poignancy, Begotten Not Made is an intelligent and perceptive reading experience. With a very distinctive hand, Cónal Creedon has written a quirky and unconventional love story, with a philosophical touch, one that most certainly starts a few thought-provoking conversations.
September 11, 2019
Caught between indulgence and renunciation, young Brother Scully exchanged thoughts with Sister Claire for only an awkward hour in December 1970, but their love inspired a daily ritual of flashing lamps at dawn between monastery and convent. When her lamp fails to flash from her window on Christmas Day near the fiftieth anniversary of their serendipitous meeting, “his mind is haunted by memories, twisting and turning and churning around his tormented brain . . . He laughs at the painful loss of his innocence, and the brutal consequences of a single embrace that set his life trundling off the edge into the big black with no way back.”
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May 11, 2020
Beautifully written .
The descriptive language in this book is beautiful.
I have only recently started reading Cónal Creedon’s books but I am thoroughly enjoying them.
Highly recommend .
The descriptive language in this book is beautiful.
I have only recently started reading Cónal Creedon’s books but I am thoroughly enjoying them.
Highly recommend .
January 17, 2021
Twist your head about religion, great love storey. From the start to the end loved every page.
April 13, 2023
Begotten Not Made is a fairy tale for the 21st century – where the mystery of blind faith is explored and the magic of belief is restored.Brother Scully met Sister Claire only once. It was back in 1970 – the night Dana won the Eurovision Song Contest. Every single morning since their first and only encounter, with a flicker of a light bulb, Sister Claire has sent a coded message of love to Brother Scully.This Christmas Eve morn, for the first time in almost fifty years, no light shines out from Sister Claire’s bedroom window. And so begins this tale of a very real, yet unrealised love … BEGOTTEN NOT MADE:
Begotten Not Made also achieved:
Winner Eric Hoffer Popular Fiction Award USA 2020.
Winner Bronze Award New Generation Book Award USA.
Finalist: IAN Book of Year Awards 2022.
Nominated The Dublin International Book Award.
Montaigne Award USA [Most Thought Provoking Book]
All books available - Kindle and print: IrishtownPress.com
Begotten Not Made also achieved:
Winner Eric Hoffer Popular Fiction Award USA 2020.
Winner Bronze Award New Generation Book Award USA.
Finalist: IAN Book of Year Awards 2022.
Nominated The Dublin International Book Award.
Montaigne Award USA [Most Thought Provoking Book]
All books available - Kindle and print: IrishtownPress.com
July 28, 2020
There should be an option to tick 'Abandoned' or 'Half-read' instead of just 'Read', 'Reading', etc. I struggled through the first 20 pages or so, enjoyed the next 20, struggled again at the next 30, then decided to just skip forward to the last 10. Book done. The problem? The meandering style which some will love, but I was in the mood for a good, well-told story set in the complex context of a believing and devout Catholic brother who loved, but was bound.
September 3, 2023
Enjoyable story with a little magic to it!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews