Irish Writing
Heap Earth Upon It, Chloe Michelle Howarth ( hardback Oct 2025)
£16.99
January 1965. The orphaned O'Leary siblings - Tom, Jack, Anna and Peggy - arrive in the village of Ballycrea, tight-lipped about their troubled past and desperate for a fresh start. After being met with suspicion from most of the locals, the family are thrilled when they're taken under the wing of their well-respected neighbours, Bill and Betty Nevan, who offer them work, companionship and an opportunity to fit in.
But for one of the O'Learys, this new friendship sparks an intense attachment that makes the dynamic dangerous for all. It's difficult to bury secrets, but almost impossible to bury feelings...
Alternative Irish Christmas - An Anthology (hardback 2025)
£20.00
Celebrate the darker season with new stories and essays from the best and most exciting Irish writersWhen shadows grow longer, when expectation weighs heavy, how do people in Ireland mark Christmas?
A woman shops for a very particular Christmas dinner: a man tries to buy a puppy for his daughter: a girl watches as her mother roasts a fowl over an open fire.
From old traditions to the creation of new ones, from moments of quiet reflection to chaos, comedy and even horror, this alternative seasonal collection reflects the stunning breadth of experiences an Irish Christmas offers.
An Irish Word a Day : 365 ways to speak Irish everyday, by Hector O hEochagain
£21.99
Many of us wish we had paid more attention in Irish class and could still speak the cúpla focal. When we lose our language, we lose a part of who we are. Here, Hector makes adding an Irish word a day to your vocabulary a habit that’s as easy as brushing your teeth.
Month-by-month, through stories, words and phrases, Hector takes us through the year with words from the practical to the magical, for every season and new moon. When you start the day, you’ll be able to name the gallúnach (soap) and ubh brúite (boiled egg). And when you look out your window and see the robin is building his nest again in spring, you’ll be able to greet the spiteog through Irish.
Reclaim your heritage (oidhreacht) or just discover by learning an Irish word a day and with Hector.
Duffy and Son, Damien Owens ( paperback 2023)
£10.99
A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love, and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy & Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers. Eugene Duffy is turning 70; his son Jim is turning 40. For decades now, they’ve been running the family hardware shop and living in good-natured bachelor harmony.
But time is marching on, and with thoughts of old age weighing heavily on his mind, Eugene is growing increasingly concerned about his son’s future. He resolves to help in the best way possible: by finding Jim a wife. And he’s not going to let anyone – let alone Jim himself – stand in his way.
Reminiscent of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel A Man Called Ove, Duffy and Son contains a likeable but curmudgeonly main character, wry humour, tremendous heart, as well as a strong sense of community.
