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Best books written by Irish authors
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4.15 avg rating — 657,453 ratings
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4.23 avg rating — 51,866 ratings
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9

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3.59 avg rating — 298,248 ratings
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10

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3.84 avg rating — 221,705 ratings
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11

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3.85 avg rating — 14,293 ratings
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12

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3.97 avg rating — 22,871 ratings
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13

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4.08 avg rating — 833,227 ratings
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14

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3.84 avg rating — 23,005 ratings
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15

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4.08 avg rating — 68,336 ratings
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16

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4.47 avg rating — 15,372 ratings
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17

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4.18 avg rating — 3,058 ratings
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18

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4.30 avg rating — 3,324 ratings
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19

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3.75 avg rating — 24,365 ratings
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20

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3.78 avg rating — 438,319 ratings
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21

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3.93 avg rating — 12,070 ratings
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22

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3.55 avg rating — 35,014 ratings
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23

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3.74 avg rating — 66,127 ratings
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24

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4.14 avg rating — 8,727 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 14,627 ratings
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26

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3.76 avg rating — 1,713 ratings
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27

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3.68 avg rating — 13,607 ratings
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28

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3.50 avg rating — 345,525 ratings
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29

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4.02 avg rating — 49,165 ratings
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30

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3.81 avg rating — 1,850,599 ratings
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31

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4.28 avg rating — 705,950 ratings
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32

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3.94 avg rating — 82,532 ratings
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33

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3.94 avg rating — 8,790 ratings
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34

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4.06 avg rating — 12,135 ratings
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35

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3.85 avg rating — 10,271 ratings
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36

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37

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3.83 avg rating — 10,372 ratings
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38

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4.24 avg rating — 3,141,246 ratings
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39

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40

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40

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3.96 avg rating — 5,482 ratings
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42

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3.74 avg rating — 158,996 ratings
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43

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4.05 avg rating — 9,010 ratings
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44

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45

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46

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3.96 avg rating — 25,408 ratings
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47

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3.96 avg rating — 8,698 ratings
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48

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3.89 avg rating — 4,568 ratings
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49

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3.93 avg rating — 8,133 ratings
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50

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3.77 avg rating — 7,949 ratings
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51

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4.05 avg rating — 603,177 ratings
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52

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3.64 avg rating — 5,164 ratings
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53

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3.92 avg rating — 17,374 ratings
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54

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3.70 avg rating — 6,061 ratings
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55

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4.45 avg rating — 1,755 ratings
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56

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57

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4.19 avg rating — 63 ratings
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58

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59

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3.61 avg rating — 11,211 ratings
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59

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4.26 avg rating — 4,479 ratings
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61

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3.84 avg rating — 11,882 ratings
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62

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4.17 avg rating — 404,738 ratings
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63

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3.73 avg rating — 598,574 ratings
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64

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3.54 avg rating — 3,215 ratings
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65

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3.89 avg rating — 109,596 ratings
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66

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4.17 avg rating — 1,434 ratings
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67

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3.95 avg rating — 1,957 ratings
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68

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4.06 avg rating — 3,019 ratings
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69

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3.97 avg rating — 3,145 ratings
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70

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4.28 avg rating — 629 ratings
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71

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3.98 avg rating — 22,655 ratings
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72

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3.84 avg rating — 11,279 ratings
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73

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3.98 avg rating — 483,006 ratings
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74

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4.09 avg rating — 427,835 ratings
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75

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3.77 avg rating — 282 ratings
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76

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3.93 avg rating — 10,408 ratings
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77

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3.79 avg rating — 24,255 ratings
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78

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4.01 avg rating — 89,103 ratings
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79

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3.91 avg rating — 390,669 ratings
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80

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3.99 avg rating — 24,994 ratings
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81

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4.28 avg rating — 9,446 ratings
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82

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4.28 avg rating — 2,714 ratings
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83

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4.01 avg rating — 304,733 ratings
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84

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3.97 avg rating — 24,542 ratings
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85

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3.94 avg rating — 11,285 ratings
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85

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3.15 avg rating — 26,276 ratings
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87

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3.57 avg rating — 14,745 ratings
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88

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3.94 avg rating — 5,550 ratings
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88

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3.96 avg rating — 109,956 ratings
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90

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4.10 avg rating — 9,732 ratings
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91

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 41 ratings
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92

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3.91 avg rating — 21,370 ratings
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93

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4.17 avg rating — 4,751 ratings
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94

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4.13 avg rating — 261 ratings
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95

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4.02 avg rating — 30,313 ratings
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96

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4.09 avg rating — 506,294 ratings
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97

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3.80 avg rating — 6,446 ratings
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98

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4.10 avg rating — 834 ratings
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99

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3.57 avg rating — 2,684 ratings
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100

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4.13 avg rating — 84 ratings
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632 books · 719 voters · list created June 25th, 2008 by Robert (votes) .
224 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Robert 2010 books
27 friends
Ashley 1571 books
42 friends
M 1462 books
0 friends
Suzanne 1449 books
59 friends
for-much-deliberation 45634 books
1644 friends
Alex 356 books
153 friends
Jami 2601 books
58 friends
R. 905 books
72 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-35 of 35 (35 new)

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message 1: by [deleted user] (new)

Have to add Borstal Boy (Brendan Behan), At Swim Two Birds (Flann O'Brien), At Swim Two Boys (O'Neill), "Translations" (Brian Freel), Famine (O'Flaherty)..........There are so many!!! Rita Ann Higgins, Evan Boland, Edna O'Brien, Seamus Heaney....Come on, people!


message 2: by Daniel (new)

Daniel M Where is Dracula??


message 3: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Frankfort Does J.P. Donleavy not count for being Irish American? If he does count, I'd suggest "The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B."


message 4: by Marleen (new)

Marleen A book that should definitely be there is THE SECRET SCRIPTURE by Sebastian Barry. It's a recent book, published in 2008 and has been nominated for a few awards among which the LA Times one.


Shauna Ludlow Smith "Ireland" by Frank Delaney beautifully combines contemporary Irish characters with classic storytelling of Irish history. Great book!


message 6: by Dianne (new)

Dianne Ascroft I was interested to see The Speckled People on the list as my novel also deals with a German child in Ireland (an evacuee helped by the Red Cross). It is fascinating to see Ireland from an outsider's perspective.

Dianne Ascroft,
author of 'Hitler and Mars Bars'
www.geocities.com/dianne_ascroft


message 7: by Lynda (new)

Lynda What about the Irish author William Trevor, Felicia's Journey and The Story of Lucy Gault? Plus don't forget the Irish novelist Molly Keane, author of Good Behavior and Time After Time.


message 8: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Frankfort Thanks for the reminder Lynda - I can't believe one my favorite writer's hadn't been mentioned. I just cast my vote for Trevor's Collected Stories.


message 9: by Janna (new)

Janna I'm surprised Samuel Beckett isn't on here either.


message 10: by Janna (last edited Sep 20, 2009 09:02AM) (new)

Janna There is a page 2 at the bottom... it's hard to see, but they're there if people want to vote on them.


message 11: by Melanie (new)

Melanie I would just like to point out that unless there is a place in Ireland called Wales, Dylan Thomas is not Irish.


message 12: by Beeeeee (new)

Beeeeee I thought it was odd that Dylan Thomas was on this list!
Great list- I want to read most of these books.


message 13: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Melanie wrote: "I would just like to point out that unless there is a place in Ireland called Wales, Dylan Thomas is not Irish."

Well, he could drink most Irishmen under the table.


message 14: by Bettie (new)

Bettie Maybe a passing librarian can remove Dylan Thomas.


message 15: by Maria (new)

Maria McGrath Janna wrote: "I'm surprised Samuel Beckett isn't on here either."

Do I not see 'Waiting for Godot' on the list?


message 16: by Maria (new)

Maria McGrath I must be getting old because I actually know some of these writers personally. Scary!


message 17: by Bettie (last edited Mar 17, 2011 01:25PM) (new)

Bettie Rutherfurd is not Irish even though his Dublin tales are superb.

:O)

ETA - Heaney is Irish and executed the new sublime translation, however he is not the author of Beowulf.


message 18: by Bud (new)

Bud Norton Favorite authors of irish descent: R. A. Lafferty & Flannery O'Connor


message 19: by C.M. (new)

C.M. Barrett Thank you for this wonderful list.


BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) How about Maria Edgeworth? I have added her because she's Anglo-Irish and lived in County Longford.


message 21: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited May 11, 2014 12:14PM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) I just love Jonathan Swift's A modest proposal and have therefore added his Satires and personal writings.

Someone else I was missing on this list was Laurence Sterne, which is why I have added both The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman as well as A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy.


message 22: by Bettie (new)

Bettie Booklovinglady wrote: "I just love Jonathan Swift's A modest proposal and have therefore added his Satires and personal writings.

Someone else I was missing on this list was Laurence Sterne, which is why ..."


Good work - lovely choices


message 23: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 13, 2015 01:38AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) ☯Bettie☯ wrote: "Good work - lovely choices..."

Thanks :-)


message 24: by Leslie (last edited Jan 12, 2015 07:57AM) (new)

Leslie There seem to be some strange entries on this list -- Leon Uris for example (Polish-American). Is this list for books by authors from Ireland or books about Ireland regardless of the author's nationality?

In either case, Flannery O'Connor seems inappropriate, as does Gillian Flynn.


message 25: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 13, 2015 01:37AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Leslie wrote: "There seem to be some strange entries on this list-- Leon Uris for example (Polish-American). Is this list for books by authors from Ireland or books about Ireland regardless of the author's nationality?

In either case, Flannery O'Connor seems inappropriate, as does Gillian Flynn. "


As the description of this list clearly says 'Best books written by Irish authors', I fully agree with you and have therefore removed the books by Leon Uris, Gillian Flynn and Flannery O'Connor, as they were all born in the States and are all seen as American (none of them is either from the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland...).


message 26: by Dawn (new)

Dawn This is a great list , but I know there are so many more from this great Green Irish Island that have written very well and we are just not remembering a great read and author ! Everyone knows the Irish are known for telling tales ! God love them all !
Dawn


message 27: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 22, 2016 08:24PM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Sebastian Faulks (Birdsong, #442) isn't Irish.... He was born in England, studied in England, and lives in London.


message 28: by Evelyn (new)

Evelyn Please add The Country Girls and Girls in Their Married Bliss by Edna O'Brien, also Dinosaurs on Other Planets by Danielle McLaughlin.

Enjoyed this list so much but how can Edna O'Brien's breakthrough novels be missing?


message 29: by Evelyn (new)

Evelyn oh and Mary Lavin!


message 30: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 08, 2017 01:13AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Evelyn wrote: "Please add The Country Girls and Girls in Their Married Bliss by Edna O'Brien..."

The Country Girls Trilogy & Epilogue The Country Girls ~ The Lonely Girl ~ Girls in Their Married Bliss is already on this list... (voted for it ages ago...)


message 31: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jun 08, 2017 01:47AM) (new)

BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) Evelyn wrote: "oh and Mary Lavin!"

Mary O'Grady is on this list (again, voted for it ages ago...)


message 32: by Crowley (new)

Crowley Should Beowulf Really be on this list?
I know that its Heaney-wulf, but given that it's a translation is that fair?
I notice that Bettie mentioned this several years ago, but I agree that as he was not the original writer of the poem, it should not be listed here.
In saying that, I have read the translation as a part of college, and I read several others. Heaney is by far the best, even though he takes a few liberties with the original text. (Not enough to be an original book)


message 33: by Evelyn (last edited Dec 03, 2017 06:33PM) (new)

Evelyn Heaney is Irish and he infused his translation with his Irishness, so I vote yes. Consider Joan Aocella's essay on the Tolkien translation (which also includes an interesting take on the Heaney translation).


message 34: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth Tyrrell ‘The Strangling Angel’ and ‘Girl From the Gutter’ - both books have been given consistently positive reviews, yet far too little is written about the atrocities of the Irish Famine, so I appeal to writers of historical fiction to bring it to the attention of the ‘me’ society, those privileged among us, who will never know what it feels like to watch a child die of starvation.


message 35: by George P. (new)

George P. I read Birdsong - currently no. 253- and it was great but I'm not voting for it because Sebastian Faulks is English, not Irish.


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