Play Book Tag discussion

What Irish authors do you enjoy?
What are some books set in Ireland which you enjoyed?

Hah! Just had this same question yesterday in another group so will post the same answer. Plus a couple more that I did not mention there because someone already had.

I'll go from literary to popular -

Samuel Beckett - start with his plays since though they are highly experimental and unusual, they are more accessible than his novels. The novel that's probably easiest is The Unnamable of Molloy, Malone Dies, The Unnamable. Anyone else here own a complete hardcover special edition set of his complete works? I have actually read just about all too -- I did take a seminar on Beckett in college - a long time ago. Oh, and since some of his plays were written in French first then in English, I've read a couple in French.

James Joyce - Ignore Ulysses if intimdated, though a buddy read and discussion will start May 1.. Go straight for his letters, first published by Norton back in the 1970s. There are such juicy naughty ones to his wife! I also recommend the short stories and novellas, especially The Dead.

Eugene O'Neill - yes, he's American - but as the son of Irish immigrants, his soul and writing is Irish. Read some of his earlier plays.

The Playboy of the Western World & Riders to the Sea or any play by Synge.

Tana French - I'm only familiar wtih Dublin Murder Squad series, but oh so good!

Felicity Hayes-McCoy - light contemporary fiction set in an isolated village on the west coast of Ireland.

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - the child's voice is so perfectly captured.

I hated the one Sally Rooney I read, Normal People, and am not disposed to read any more.

Guy Gavriel Kay's The Finovar Tapestry trilogoy is steeped deeply in celtic mythology.

I loved A Conquest Impossible to Resist historical romance set in Irish horse breeding world in early days of Victoria's reign.

There are several excellent contemporary Irish playwrights at work today - I will try to post some of them later.

Though I am half Irish, I have never sought out or read much set in Ireland, about Irish history, or Irish authors.

I remember we discussed this on a PBT Zoom call last year around the same time of year :-)

I haven't read many books set in Ireland or by Irish authors. I did read Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland last year, and know that several other PBT members have read it. It was long and detailed but excellent.

I've also read Haunted Ground by Erin Hart. Erin is a local (Minneapolis) author who is married to a man from Ireland. She spends part of her time here and partin Ireland. It's a darn good mystery.

On my TBR are What the Wind Knows and The Mammy and the rest of the books in Erin Hart's series (the second is Lake of Sorrows).

Amy Harmon’s What the Wind Knows, was an excellent Irish read! A bit of time travel - deep love story!

I loved:

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
Edward Rutherford's The Princes of Ireland and The Rebels of Ireland
The Butchers' Blessing

Is Guy Kay Irish? I always see him listed as a Canadian author. Of course that doesn't mean he isn't also Irish.

I've been impressed with Sebastian Barry's work, especially The Secret Scripture and Days Without End

Kate Horsley is an American author, but I liked the medieval Irish setting of her Confessions of a Pagan Nun

I'm surprised no one has mentioned author John Boyne yet.

A few of my favorite Irish authors are:

Sebastian Barry
Colm Tóibín
Anne Enright
William Trevor

One of my favorite books set in Ireland:
The Secret Scripture

Jgrace wrote: "Is Guy Kay Irish? I always see him listed as a Canadian author. Of course that doesn't mean he isn't also Irish.

I've been impressed with Sebastian Barry's work, especially [book:The Secret Scrip..."

I have no idea if Guy G-K is Irish, but The Finovar Tapestry is celtic and gaelic inspired, so felt in keeping with topic.

Book Concierge wrote: "I'm surprised no one has mentioned author John Boyne yet."

Because I have not read him. Or read Edna O'Brien who also should be mentioned.

A great contemporary playwright:

Conor McPherson - I still remember the awe I felt seeing The Weir on Broadway.

I think Maggie O'Farrell is a talented writer.

Jgrace wrote: "Is Guy Kay Irish? I always see him listed as a Canadian author. Of course that doesn't mean he isn't also Irish. ..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gav...

I don't see anything about him being Irish, but I learned from this wikipedia page that he was born in eastern Saskatchewan and was raised and educated in Manitoba. :-)

My two favorites are Joseph O'Neill for Netherland and Colum McCann for Let the Great World Spin.

I've also read a couple recently, set in Ireland, that were very good:
Small Things Like These
and
What Willow Says

I agree on Maggie O'Farrell and Colum McCann - they are wonderful authors.

I've added Netherland to my TBR. Thanks, Charlie.

I was about to suggest Colum McCann, so glad to see it on the list here, Charlie.

Another I haven't noticed is Bram Stoker. I read a book about him last year, Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connor who is also an Irish author. Oscar Wilde was once a friend of Stoker's.

I used to read every book I could find by Maeve Binchy and loved every one of them.


A couple of years ago I read Jess Kidd's Himself and loved it. She has written several other well received books since then.

Also worth mentioning is Emma Donoghue who has written any number of books.

Several years ago I read The Misremembered Man by Irish author Christina McKenna and found it to be understated and charming.

I used to love Peter Tremayne's historical fiction mysteries of Sister Fidelma, the first of which is Absolution by Murder.

There are so many books set in Ireland which I have enjoyed as well as Irish authors.

Maeve Binchy
John Boyne

The Year of the French
The Molly Murphy mystery series is Irish-American but there is at least one book set in Ireland.

Oh, and these charming stories by Patrick Taylor.
Series begins with An Irish Country Doctor.


And I second (or third) Maeve Binchy