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Ross O'Carroll-Kelly #20
Braywatch
South Dublin's favourite son thought he could face any challenge - until he was asked to cross the bridge over the River Dargle.
For Ross O'Carroll-Kelly - schools rugby hero, celebrated bon vivant and lover of beautiful women - life has suddenly become complicated.
His father has been accused of rigging a General Election, his seventy-year-old mother is about to bring six surrogate babies into the world, and his daughter is being hailed as 'Ireland's answer to Greta Thunberg', telling everyone who cares to listen that the end of the world is nigh.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the Greatest Rugby Player Never to Play for Ireland has a nagging sense that he has to more to contribute to the beautiful game.
Now he's been offered a job coaching an underachieving school who've been waiting almost a century for their moment of glory. The challenge is to persuade a collection of jokers, chokers and forty-a-day smokers that they have what it takes to win the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
The only drawback ... the school is in Bray!
Praise for the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
'Ross is a national institution ... wicked humour and sharp observation' Irish Times
'One of the funniest writers in the land' Irish Independent
'Extraordinarily accurate and outstandingly funny' Sunday Business Post
For Ross O'Carroll-Kelly - schools rugby hero, celebrated bon vivant and lover of beautiful women - life has suddenly become complicated.
His father has been accused of rigging a General Election, his seventy-year-old mother is about to bring six surrogate babies into the world, and his daughter is being hailed as 'Ireland's answer to Greta Thunberg', telling everyone who cares to listen that the end of the world is nigh.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the Greatest Rugby Player Never to Play for Ireland has a nagging sense that he has to more to contribute to the beautiful game.
Now he's been offered a job coaching an underachieving school who've been waiting almost a century for their moment of glory. The challenge is to persuade a collection of jokers, chokers and forty-a-day smokers that they have what it takes to win the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.
The only drawback ... the school is in Bray!
Praise for the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
'Ross is a national institution ... wicked humour and sharp observation' Irish Times
'One of the funniest writers in the land' Irish Independent
'Extraordinarily accurate and outstandingly funny' Sunday Business Post
377 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 12, 2020
20 years in and I still can't get enough of the Rossmeister General.
The story has only gotten bigger and bigger but it still delivers the goods every year without fail. Now for the long wait till next Autumn when we get to do it all over again!
The story has only gotten bigger and bigger but it still delivers the goods every year without fail. Now for the long wait till next Autumn when we get to do it all over again!
November 26, 2020
Interesting and definetely funny. I'm impressed with how well Paul Howard writes his characters and how compelled I felt to like a whole book full of awful and unlikable characters.
I never would have picked this up if it hadn't been required reading for a course. I'm glad to be forced outside my comfort zone and the author has some effective social critique and his satire is completely on point.
Hilarious for sure but not enough to concern myself with the rest of the series.
I never would have picked this up if it hadn't been required reading for a course. I'm glad to be forced outside my comfort zone and the author has some effective social critique and his satire is completely on point.
Hilarious for sure but not enough to concern myself with the rest of the series.
March 15, 2021
Still incredibly funny
September 30, 2020
A solid constant every September.
November 8, 2020
This was the first ROC'K book that I read - I listen to his weekly column in the Irish Times and love it, and, wanting something light and funny, and also wanting to support Irish writers during the pandemic, I gave his book a go. Really enjoyed it! It was properly funny, easy to read and just a perfect tonic.
I'm hooked now - will be reading them as they come out every year!
I'm hooked now - will be reading them as they come out every year!
February 10, 2021
What to say. Perfect antidote to a return to in person teaching in a pandemic. I hate myself for liking Ross - he”s just a cad. When Nailer scored his try and his bus driver dad was in tears I was fist pumping . And the description of the mothers in the stands - priceless. All I can say is thanks for a great read and a great laugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2020
Focking love it
December 27, 2020
No words
January 11, 2022
Wherein our hero is appointed rugby coach of Pres. Bray in their campaign to win the Leinster Cup. And there’s more besides, as the ever-expanding extended family of Ross becomes involved in various mad adventures. The Da is Taoiseach in waiting, the triplets sow mayhem while attracting medical misfortune, and teenage horror Honor courts fame as a leading light of Climate Change. Ross remains Ross. Weirdly lovable and filter free, his first person narrative is well larded with all those things one daren’t say or think. Howard neatly juggles the plotlines and even allows for love and emotion to intrude. Ross forms an unlikely attachment to Bray and the rugger descriptions are pure Roy of the Rovers stuff (he’d hate that analogy). It’s a laugh a minute with hilarious scenarios and one liners. There’s often a guilty edge to the laughter. While the foibles of the fabulously well to do are roundly slagged, Howard’s range runs wider. There are digs a-plenty for media, political and blue collar pretensions, while the statistic spewing bores of climate action get an overdue comeuppance. Of course, Howard, as Ross, can say just about anything.
July 19, 2021
Still as entertaining as ever. The writing may even be getting slicker -if that’s the word.
Ross is at his best when he has success on and off the field while his life continues to fall apart.
Once again a real in-site into contemporary Ireland and an interesting contrast between alt-right and wokeness in Ireland.
Ross is at his best when he has success on and off the field while his life continues to fall apart.
Once again a real in-site into contemporary Ireland and an interesting contrast between alt-right and wokeness in Ireland.
August 31, 2021
Absolutely brilliant. How Ross can find new ways to get up to no good and constantly get away with it is a mystery to me. The way he coaches Pres Bray and ends up falling in love with Bray is done brilliantly. I was rooting for the team throughout and look forward to Ross taking his management to another level.
December 16, 2021
Ross is up to his old tricks again, getting himself into some sticky situations with girls and his family. This time he has the opportunity to coach the Bray Rugby team and manages to turn them into a winning team. Meanwhile his own family are not so successful in that he doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut. A very funny book!
September 18, 2020
It's September again, so it's time for a new adventure from Ross O'Carroll Kelly. A bit of sillyness, yes, but Ross also adresses surrogacy, climate change, Russian interference in western politics, cancer and the urban-rural divide! Hill-air as usual.
August 31, 2021
I didn't realise this was a series when I picked this up. I won't be reading any more. The phonetic speech/accent was interesting for a while, but became irritating. Some funny moments, but not enough! A bit pedestrian.
October 10, 2023
Hilarious! This is my first Ross O'Carroll-Kelly book,and I absolutely loved it!
I don't give it 5 stars because since I'm not Irish,I had some trouble with the Irish dialect, and the Irish writing (using the letter o instead of a: cor, stort, ortist, pork,etc).
Other than that,I loved it!
I don't give it 5 stars because since I'm not Irish,I had some trouble with the Irish dialect, and the Irish writing (using the letter o instead of a: cor, stort, ortist, pork,etc).
Other than that,I loved it!
September 18, 2020
Never disappoints! Have had many 'laugh out loud' moments while reading this book. I'm just sorry that I've finished it and now I have to wait for the next one!
September 21, 2020
Listened to it on a long car journey, it’s all killer. Still hilarious after all these years. Long live the Rossmeister.
September 27, 2020
Great read
I loved every minute of this book. It's so light and such fun. I was actually sorry coming to the end of it.
I loved every minute of this book. It's so light and such fun. I was actually sorry coming to the end of it.
September 27, 2020
Good fun but not the best in the series.
September 29, 2020
Loved it
Brilliant as usual. Great story Bray all is forgiven after years of abuse from Ross. Although I think there was a rugby rules error perhaps!
Brilliant as usual. Great story Bray all is forgiven after years of abuse from Ross. Although I think there was a rugby rules error perhaps!
December 16, 2020
Truly laugh out loud. A formula that still works as good as ever.
January 7, 2021
A great laugh out loud take on current events every year
January 9, 2021
As good as ever.
February 9, 2021
Very funny and a good story to keep it ticking along. Might even give Bray a visit after reading it
July 11, 2021
I can never get over how brilliant these books are.
February 2, 2022
Like the rest of series, really well written comedy and social commentary.
May 6, 2022
The Most Babies Ever Born in a Ross O'Carroll-Kelly book!
That's saying something, man....
That's saying something, man....
February 1, 2023
This series is getting better and better. Usual crew, usual chaos, still entertaining and still fresh.
May 28, 2023
Another laugh a minute book
June 15, 2025
Hilarious and entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this book and there were several parts that left me laughing out loud.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews