Belfast Gate

by Tony Macaulay

It's Belfast in 2019 and despite more than twenty years of peace, scores of so-called peace walls continue to separate Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. Jean Beattie's grief turns to anger when police refuse to open the peace gate at the end of her street to allow her best friend's funeral procession through to her church on the other side of the peace wall. The gate remains closed because local youths, led by Sam on one side and Seamie on the other, are recreational rioting. Comforted by her friends Roberta, Bridget and Patricia from the cross-community pensioners' club, Jean vows the gate will be opened. On the fiftieth anniversary of the erection of the peace walls, in the era of Brexit and Trump's border wall, the themes in Tony Macaulay's laugh-out-loud novel resonate far beyond Northern Ireland.'Belfast Gate is a terrific read, well plotted and insightful...A film or TV deal surely beckons.' Irish News Book of the Week

Genres: Literature

173 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2020

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book an easy and enjoyable read but also thought provoking. It is a story about a group of pensioners trying to bring down the peace walls in Belfast. It definitely makes you reflect on those walls and the segregation within the communities of West Belfast. The book had some funny parts as well as some deeper poignant parts and I liked the combination of these.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, poignant, and a bit of a tearjerker. I'll be thinking about this book long after I closed the cover. You'd think the author was himself a little old lady the way he writes as though he's lived that life. The characters seem so real it's as if you could just pop around to have a cuppa with them. While you can tell that bringing down the peace walls is a cause near and dear to him, the book is never preachy. It doesn't read like a political piece. It's human, and deeply heartfelt.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, sweet and sad story about a serious subject-sectarian violence in Belfast, featuring four old women (two Protestant, two Catholic) attending to break the “peace “ walls that divide communities. The novel was written in 2019 and incidentally, in 2026 the walls are still there.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly perfect balance of tragedy, history, and heart-felt comedic characters. I was looking for fiction that would expose me to the culture and history of Northern Ireland but not be too overwhelmingly sad or dry and this was it.

[Bernard Mcmahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Full of humour and poignancy the climax of the story took me by surprise. The hopefulness it left behind is significant.

[Sean O'Boyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very moving and poignant novel wrapped in a layer of humorous characters and Belfast charm.

Strong debut!

[Meykong Delta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming characters you will fall in love with, making the effort to love each other across the Peace Wall. Narration by the author, with his lovely Irish accent, makes the listen a pleasure. Most of the time I don't enjoy male narrators effecting female voices, however, Tony McCaulay's narration as the formidable, lovable, very funny older women fighting to get the Peace Wall separating Catholic and Protestant communities opened makes the story even more pleasant. I heartily recommend this audio book! I've now listened to it twice! I've also listened to his excellent "Paperboy" and "Breadboy" audio books. I wish he would write and narrate more stories!

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book/author has a very clear agenda with writing the story, I found the voice to be a delightful balance of humor and reality. The old ladies who were the protagonists were fabulous main characters.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[David Rhys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tonys first venture into fiction and beautifully captures a moment in time that many of my friends would have lived through

[Sandy Murrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, too. Funny, loving, strong, quirky characters. This was Tony Macaulay’s fifth and last book, and I loved every single one. I sure hope he writes another book.

[Tanya Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, but I would say it is more bittersweet than funny.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I loved the way the people talked. Every episode rang true to life and I recognised all the people in it from my own life experiences growing up in the troubles.

[Verna Woodworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book....a true reflection of life in Belfast...great observations...and the hypocrites who are either politicians or have set them up to represent their respective areas so they can claim big salaries and all the time they are thieves and robbers

Brilliant book...a true reflection of life in Belfast...great observations..and the hypocrites who are either politicians or have set themselves up to represent their respective areas so they can claim big salaries and perks and all the time they are thieves and robbers posing in sheeps clothing..well done Tony for an other amazing book...best yet

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny read tinged in sadness. Excellent insight into a world that is only too real but forgotten.