Irish Life Stories

1. Poor

by Katriona O'Sullivan

€12.99 €15.95

EASON FAVOURITE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023  The No. 1 Bestseller Biography of the Year, Irish Book Awards 2023 The Last Word Listeners' Choice Award, Irish Book Awards 2023 'One of the best [books] I have read about the complexities of poverty . . . one of the most remarkable people you will ever meet' Guardian Like young girls everywhere Katriona O'Sullivan grew up bright, enthusiastic, curious. But she was also surrounded by abject poverty and chaos, and after she became pregnant and homeless at 15, what followed was five years of barely surviving. Yet today Katriona is an award-winning academic whose work explores barriers to education for girls like her. What set Katriona on this unexpected path were the mentors and supporters who truly saw her. The teachers who showed her how to wash in the school toilets or turned up at her door to convince her to sit at least one GCSE. The community worker who encouraged her to apply for training schemes. The friend who introduced Katriona to Trinity College's access program while she was a cleaner. Simple acts that would help her turn her life around. Told with warmth, clarity and compassion - compassion for her parents, for her younger self, for others - Poor is both an astonishing personal testimony and an impassioned plea for the future of our children. 'Powerful - Katriona is a legend' Barry Keoghan 'Raw, passionate and resolutely honest - I'll never forget it' Annie Mac 'Full of insight . . . so important' Fi Glover, Times Radio 'I read poor in one sitting I found it so compelling . . . moving, uplifting, brave, heroic' Nuala McGovern, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio Four 'Moving, funny, brave and original - just like the author . . . absolutely incredible' Roìsìn Ingle, Irish Times Women's Podcast 'One of the books of the year' Patrick Kielty, Late Late Show , RTÉ One 'One of the most important books I have ever read . a beautiful telling of determination despite the odds' Lynn Ruane, Irish Times 'Fearless, funny and searingly honest' Adil Ray OBE 'Raw and remarkable' Irish Independent 'A book of empowerment and hope' Patricia Scanlan 'Remarkable . . . a vivid retelling of Katriona flourishing, despite her beginnings' BBC News West Midlands

2. From Tip To Top P/B

by Peter Murtagh

€18.99

Aged 69, Peter Murtagh decided it was time to embark on ‘the great retirement project’ – riding a motorbike from Tierra del Fuego, at the very southern tip of South America, to the most northerly point in Alaska, alone and without the pressure of any deadline: just a tent, a bike and a sleeping bag.En route, Peter explored magical, wonderful and extraordinarily out-of-the-way parts of our bruised world, met incredible people from all walks of life and observed a great swathe of the planet. Travelling alone on the 45,000 km journey allowed him a rare opportunity to disconnect from hectic daily life and to embrace the solitude, challenge and peace-of-mind of the road less travelled.From Tip to Top is a story of optimism and hope, an adventure of a lifetime and a ground-level portrait of the Americas as we rarely see them.

3. Peace comes dropping slowly

by Denis Bradley

€18.99

Denis Bradley was born and raised in Buncrana, just 12 miles from the border with Northern Ireland. On joining the priesthood he found himself assigned to the cathedral parish in Derry city, arriving in the summer of 1970 as the streets were descending into chaos with the outbreak of the Troubles. An eyewitness to the wanton violence of Bloody Sunday, Bradley was spurred to become involved in the 'back-channel' as one of three men who would provide a secret link between the IRA and the British government for thirty years. Fervent in their belief that dialogue would bring peace, they brokered the crucial 1993 meeting between IRA men Martin McGuinness and Gerry Kelly and a British Intelligence agent codenamed 'Fred'. This was a vital step on the road to negotiations which would lead to the ceasefire and the Good Friday Agreement. Throughout it all, Bradley worked to combat addiction and homelessness in his adopted community, and made the difficult decision to leave the priesthood to marry. Once played out in the shadows, Bradley's pivotal role in Northern Ireland's peace process is finally illuminated in this engrossing memoir.

4. The grass ceiling

by Eimear Ryan

€12.76 €15.95

'A book which will very soon be acknowledged as a classic of Irish sportswriting' Ciarán Murphy What is it like to be female in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play with the boys, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. Playing with other girls or women means you have to accept smaller audiences, diminished status and - for professionals - lower pay. And what if, as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan, your sport has a completely different name when women play it? What if you don't feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls? In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence of gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression. At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, it is a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect everyone who loves sport. Praise for The Grass Ceiling ' A gorgeous memoir about a life lived in sport, specifically a female, Irish rural life. I read it in two sittings.' Malachy Clerkin, Irish Times 'A love letter to the GAA and a diatribe against the idea sport is not for women' Kathleen McNamee, Irish Times 'Brilliant ... Ryan's bold and deep search into so many of those internalised questions provides a fascinating collage of emotional detail' Christy O'Connor, Irish Examiner 'Lyrical, urgent, wise and bracing' Irish Times

5. Bend, don't break

by Frank O'Mara

€17.99

'Victory is a life well lived or a day enjoyed.' Limerick man Frank O'Mara had the athletics career most only dream of, competing for Ireland in three Olympic Games and breaking Irish and world records. After his retirement from running, he settled in the US with his family and made his way to the top of the telecoms industry.    Then at age forty-eight, his life changed forever when he was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. The progression was rapid, causing severe muscle cramps, tremors, and eventually the inability to walk and at times even speak. In this inspiring memoir, Frank recounts his battle with Parkinson's. At first in denial, he eventually found the strength that made him successful as an athlete and in business - using determination, and humour to weather the worst phases of the disease. He learned to face each hurdle as he came to it: to bend, but not break. One man's life-affirming story of facing adversity with grace and courage.

6. Perfectly Imperfect H/B

by Ellen Keane

€18.99 €19.99

Ellen Keane spent most of her teens uncomfortable with her limb difference. Hiding behind long-sleeved hoodies, she perfected poses in photographs and concealed her insecurities. How did she go from being a shy young girl to a strong, confident woman and gold-winning Paralympian? The day Ellen embraced her difference was the day she found her superpower. She started to believe in her unique abilities and gradually find the success that she had never dreamed possible. Perfectly Imperfect is for anyone struggling to embrace who they are. With anecdotes from her own life, practical advice, monthly check-ins and good-natured humour, Ellen dares you to let go of waiting until everything is perfect and, instead, embrace your imperfect, messy self just as you are. It might just change your life.  

7. I will be good

by Peig McManus

€12.99 €15.40

'One of the best Dublin memoirs I've ever read' Donal Fallon Peig McManus was born into the last of Dublin's tenements before moving to one of Ireland's first social housing estates in Cabra. Her father believed that children should earn their keep and learn to face reality as soon as possible. While that reality was poverty, class prejudice and strict Catholicism, at the heart of Peig's earliest memories are music, hoolies and the bonds of family and community. I Will Be Good is the story of a girl who rebelled against societal expectations and dreamed of further education. It tells of a young woman whose hopes of marriage to a Scottish sailor ended in the heartbreak of a daughter given up for adoption; of a mother who needed something more than her 'place at home'; and of a pioneering citizen who became one of Ireland's foremost campaigners for educational reform. Now, in her eighties, Peig shares her story of grit and courage: an inspiring journey through the trials and triumphs of a remarkable Irish woman who refused to do what she was told.

8. Time and tide

by Charlie Bird

€11.99 €14.00

A poignant and introspective memoir from Irish journalist and broadcaster Charlie Bird. In 2021, Charlie Bird was diagnosed with motor neurone disease - a man whose voice was so synonymous with his career faced losing it completely. Yet knowing he had just a short time left with family and friends, what emerged was a great sense of resilience and motivation to take advantage of every moment. Here, Charlie reflects on his life and phenomenal broadcast career through the lense of his diagnosis, as he ponders the big questions and takes stock of the small moments that we so often overlook. Written over the course of 2022 as his health deteriorated, with the help of long-time friend and fellow journalist Ray Burke, this is a candid and unforgettable story about the triumph of the human spirit and, ultimately, what it means to be alive.

9. Milk

by Alice Kinsella

€12.76 €15.95

'Sublime' - Donal Ryan, author of Strange Flowers 'Here is a writer who matters' - Irish Times I have become the common myth. Mother. The sleepy hum of early memories. The smell of shampoo, of Olay, of lavender. The feeling of safety. The absence of fear. When poet Alice Kinsella becomes a mother, she finds herself utterly lost. As she searches for answers to the question of her new identity, she considers the mothers and writers who came before her. In her inimitable poetic style, Kinsella takes pregnancy and the first nine months of motherhood and forms from them a broken prism through which to view both a woman's place in the world, and her child's in the future we're creating. 'A book about the raw, riotous, brutally beautiful act of being alive.' - Kerri nì Dochartaigh, author of Thin Places 'Milk is a raw, unvarnished journey down the mothering rabbit hole' - The Irish Independent

10. Finucane and me

by John Clarke

€21.99 €24.99

Marian Finucane was a trailblazing broadcaster, the first to champion women's issues on air, and respected for her fairness, empathy and doggedness. One of a small group of Irish people known simply by their first name, the nation mourned when she died suddenly, aged 69, in January 2020.   But John Clarke, Marian's widower, doesn't use her eponymous moniker - instead, he calls her 'Finucane'. It highlights the gap between the woman so many felt they knew and the woman he loved - the real Marian - who was by turns curious, fiery, emotional, stubborn, charming and endlessly excited by life.   When John and Marian first got together, they promised each other that they'd never be boring. What ensued was forty years of conversation and thousands of miles travelled. Finucane & Me is an unexpected love story: the story of two people who 'made a pact for madness'; the story of a never-ending search for meaning; the story of two people who lived life to its fullest.

11. John Hume The Persuader H/B

by Stephen Walker

€27.99

Peacemaker, politician, Nobel laureate: John Hume was a titan of Irish political history and a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland after decades of conflict. But who was the real John Hume? What motivated the former history teacher to reach beyond political lines? What sustained him during the bloody years of violence and how did he convince the IRA to end its long-running campaign? How did he persuade presidents and prime ministers to take risks and back his vision for Northern Ireland? How should John Hume be remembered? Stephen Walker combines over 100 interviews with many of Hume’s colleagues, critics and family members, with never-before-published interviews with Hume himself to present a comprehensive portrait of one of the most significant political figures in Northern Ireland and around the world.

12. Modern Family P/B

by Brian Dowling-Gourounlian

€18.99 €19.99

Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian are among Ireland’s most beloved television personalities and social media stars. The internet exploded when the couple announced they were expecting their first child, with Brian’s sister Aoife acting as their surrogate. Their daughter, Blake, was born in September 2022. In this book, Brian and Arthur detail their long journeys, separately and together, before finally realising the dream of creating their own very happy family. From births, to deaths, marriage and everything in between this heartfelt and hilarious memoir brings Arthur and Brian’s positive and inspiring attitude to the page as they journey towards parenthood. Brian and Arthur’s Modern Family reflects on the universal cycles of adversity, love and grief experienced by all of us as we strive to achieve our dreams, sharing what they have learned along the way about what really matters.

13. Born to Be a Footballer H/B

by Liam Brady

€21.99 €28.00

"Being a footballer was my destiny." After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland's best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best know n for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores. Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.

14. Madhouse TPB

by P. J. Gallagher

€17.99 €25.20

Nothing about PJ Gallagher's life has followed the usual script . . . Adopted at six months old by Dubliners Sean and Helen Gallagher, PJ spent much of his childhood knocking back Lucozade with the local alcoholics in his parents' northside pub. But the chaos that reigned for his first ten years was nothing compared to what happened when - having lost the pub - Helen took in psychiatric patients from the local hospital to give them 'care in the community'. Now it was a household of ten - PJ, his sister, his parents and six lost souls. Worst. Idea. Ever. Madhouse is PJ's riotous life story. The fantastic fantasies that come with being adopted (what if your birth parents are gangster space aliens on the run?). Being a kid while the adults around you are usually drunk, throwing house Masses or taking you to Camp Jesus instead of Trabolgan. Struggling at school, leaving early and discovering a talent for comedy. Making Naked Camera and creating iconic characters like Jake Stevens, the Dirty Aul One and Jumper Man. Acting in the ground-breaking The Young Offenders. Finally, finding a home in radio. PJ also writes powerfully about mental breakdown and what he learned from his spell in a psychiatric hospital. Most surprising - to PJ more than anyone - is the prospect of becoming a dad in his late forties, when he always thought of 'family' as a trap. Madhouse is the funny, insightful and moving story of someone just trying to keep his head above water - and how he is making sense of it all at last!

15. A Hundred To One P/B

by Pat Sheedy

€17.99 €18.99

Aged just 12, Patrick Sheedy placed his first bet for 10p and devised his first scam, marking the beginning of his life as a compulsive gambler and one of Ireland’s most notorious con artists. Nearly 40 years on, after accumulating almost 100 criminal convictions, gambling away over a million euro and serving time in some of Ireland’s toughest prisons, he is finally in control of his addiction and in the process of turning his life around.Sheedy’s is a tale of compulsive gambling and one man’s decades-long battle with addiction and the terrible lengths he went to feed it. Shocking, gripping and powerfully honest, A Hundred to One is the tell-all story of the author’s pursuit of ‘the big win’ at the cost of everyone and everything around him. It is also a hopeful reminder that recovery is possible, even from the depths of addiction.

16. I'm Grand Mamual H/B

by PJ Kirby

€14.99

PJ Kirby and Kevin Twomey are two mammy’s boys from Cork who are always up for a skit.The I’m Grand Mamual is Kevin and PJ’s hilarious and heart-warming ode to their mammies, Phil and Nuala. Taking a different well-worn saying – such as ‘We haven’t died a winter yet’ and ‘Sure, who’d be looking at you anyway?’ – Kevin and PJ recount wild experiences from their lives – from coming out, holidays and money management to dating, hustling and sustainability – where the phrase has rung true, proving that ‘Mam always knows best.With great humour and middling advice, The I’m Grand Mamual is a big-sisterly companion that proudly celebrates embracing yourself and the uniquely Irish mother–child relationship

17. Carl Frampton

by Carl Frampton

€24.99

Belfast’s Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton MBE is no ordinary boxer. One of only three fighters from the British Isles to be named the Ring magazine Fighter of the Year, he has headlined sellout world championship bouts on both sides of the Atlantic, winning multiple world titles in the process. His dedicated army of fans have traversed the globe to be ringside throughout it all. But Frampton’s popularity far exceeds the traditional adulation for a sporting icon; he is regarded as a symbol of hope and unity by both sides of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. In this captivating autobiography, Frampton reveals the most personal aspects of being a fighter: the fears and doubts, the exhilaration and devastation, the friendships and animosities. He also recounts for the first time his high-profile, acrimonious split with Barry McGuigan in devastating and revealing detail. Frampton speaks openly and passionately, not only about boxing, but about his country, how far it has come and the problems it faces. This is a uniquely intimate account of a true modern-day sporting great and a local hero like no other.

18. Sandy Kelly - in my own words

by Sandy Kelly

€24.99

Born in Sligo into a family of travelling entertainers, Sandy Kelly has become one of the top musical performers in Ireland. Sandy was co-opted into the family variety show from an early age. As a teenager she sang on the social club circuit in the UK, playing an ever more prominent role. When she returned to Ireland, she developed initially as a pop performer before following her instincts and concentrating on a music career. Her landmark 1989 recording of the Patsy Cline hit 'Crazy' led her to perform on stages all over the world, including the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the lead role in Patsy - The Musical in London's West End. But the music industry can be a tough place. Sandy has dealt with prejudice and financial pressures. Alongside the glamour of show business, she has experienced the heartaches of divorce, family illness and death, and faced the challenges of raising a daughter with special needs. Sandy has stood strong at the heart of Ireland's music scene for over four decades. Here, for the first time, she recounts the highs - and lows - of a lifetime in music, in her own words.

19. Rough beast

by Mairia Cahill

€16.99 €23.80

NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER IN THE IRISH NON-FICTION CHARTS "Rough Beast is shocking, important and unputdownable." Roddy Doyle Rough Beast is Máirìa Cahill's harrowing story of her life and of what she went through at the hands of what is now Ireland's largest and richest party. That story is told here for the first time in full detail and with unsparing honesty. It is a story of unimaginable trauma and political corruption. It brings to life a world of paramilitary secrecy and parallel laws, but above all it is the story of one young woman's defiance of the power wielded by ex-gunmen inspiring fear and silence, and their influence over elected politicians. Máirìa Cahill grew up steeped in the traditions of Irish republicanism and the shadowy world of the IRA: her great-uncle Joe was one of the main founders of the Provisional IRA and her grandfather was Gerry Adams's mentor in the republican movement. From an early age she seemed destined for a glittering career within the increasingly successful political machine of Sinn Féin, which was then enjoying the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement. She worked in a radio station alongside leading republicans; the Sinn Féin offices were her second home. She knew Gerry Adams and other senior republicans as family friends. But at the age of 16, she was sexually abused by a prominent Belfast IRA man. When she confided in some friends she trusted about the abuse, one of them told the IRA without Máirìa's knowledge. A year later the organisation came calling, and forced her to take part in an inept and grotesquely insensitive internal investigation. She was subjected to round after round of interrogations by senior IRA men and women, usually in a network of safe houses around Belfast. Doubt was cast on her account of what had been done to her. Her assailant was allowed to confront and denounce her. Eventually her rapist was permitted to vanish from Belfast while Sinn Féin and the IRA professed bafflement about his whereabouts.

20. Breaking the Heart Open

by Tony Bates

€19.99 €22.99

Bestselling author and psychologist Tony Bates has spent his career seeking to understand the lives of others. Here he turns his therapeutic eye on himself and describes the events and people in his own life that have made him the insightful thinker and teacher that he is today. He recalls traumatic events in his childhood that reverberated throughout his life and how, with therapy and time, he was eventually able to heal. He recounts the stories of the patients that affected him most deeply and informed both the direction of his work and his philosophy as a psychologist. This book invites us to reflect with compassion on the meaning of our own lives, as well as on the way we, as a society, support those with mental health difficulties.

21. A portrait of the piss artist as a young man

by Tadhg Hickey

€12.99 €19.60

It was love at first taste for fifteen-year-old Tadhg Hickey when he drank a can of Scrumpy Jack on the night of his exam results. Straight away it provided a cure for that constant feeling of 'something wrong, something not quite right', a way of numbing anxiety and childhood trauma. He realised he was extraordinarily good at drinking and energetically threw himself into a life of pubs, parties and staying pissed, while also managing to become a comedian. But alcohol had the last laugh ... A Portrait of the Piss Artist as a Young Man shows us the often-hilarious lengths of self-deception an alcoholic will go to, the horrific consequences of addiction and the redemptive process of recovering from this deadly but ultimately treatable illness, and remaining sober. A deeply touching memoir and with a side of self-help, Tadhg's easy-going writing style belies his serious message - that each of us has the power to change our lives.

22. Memoirs of a wonky-eyed man

by Jason Byrne

€18.99 €22.99

Jason Byrne is 17. With his leaving cert under his belt but no idea what to do next, who better to ask for advice than his dad, Paddy? There’s a (very) short stint studying accountancy (he was asked to leave); a FÁS course with juvenile offenders to become a waiter that leads to an apprenticeship in Jury’s (he was the only one not in prison), and a job in a lighting warehouse (it ended with a collapsed lung). But no matter what the problem, Paddy Byrne is always ready with a wise word: ‘Sure, that’s life, son. Just don't tell your mother.’ This is not just a memoir. It is a celebration of a generation, a celebration of life and of Jason’s wonderful relationship with his dad, Paddy Byrne – the man who never gave a b*llix.

23. This is the life

by Ciarán Murphy

€15.99 €21.00

The GAA is Ireland's largest civil society organisation, woven into the fabric of families and communities - and yet most books about Gaelic games focus on the greatest players and inter-county teams. This is the Life is a book about the 99 per cent: a witty and provocative look at grassroots GAA from the most intelligent and interesting Gaelic games pundit at work today. Ciarán Murphy - of Second Captains and the Irish Times - has an unmatched feel for the timeless elements of this world and a finger on the pulse of change. He looks at the plight of rural clubs that are losing their players to the cities - and he does so not only as a journalist but as a footballer who made the same move himself (and who once, flying home to play a club match, found himself alone on the plane with Jedward). He writes about working as an assistant in the clothing shop owned by the family of Jarlath Fallon - who was both Ciaran's all-time sporting hero and the local postman. And he looks at things we usually prefer not to talk about, like the role of social class in the GAA. This is the Life is a book about the places the GAA comes from, the places it can take a person, and the things that make a local club worth fighting for.

24. Keira & Me H/B

by Noel Fitzpatrick

€19.99 €26.60

'With you by my side, just doing my best was the best thing to do.' Keira is a very special dog. She held the key to Noel's heart from the moment he first met her. That's because Keira doesn't judge. She can see beyond the superficial things that often divide us. When Noel struggles, Keira is there to remind him he need only do his best, with integrity and kindness, and a will to do the right thing. When he sees only darkness, Keira is ready to lend a paw and lift him back into the light. Based on the real Keira and Noel and their life together, Keira & Me captures the true, powerful bond between human and animal. Inspiring, healing and a heartfelt celebration of love, this beautifully illustrated fable teaches us all how to embrace the ups with the downs, the joy and the sorrow, that make up a life. For animal lovers everywhere, or anyone who needs a little comfort this Christmas, Keira & Me promises to break your heart - and put it back together again.

25. Raised By The Zoo H/B

by Gerry Creighton

€20.99 €22.99

People have been enchanted by elephants for centuries. For Gerry Creighton, this fascination began at an early age; his father was a keeper at Dublin Zoo and instilled in him a love and respect for animals. Gerry followed his father and joined the zoo at 15, where he would spend the next 36 years observing, studying and caring for elephants. Raised by the Zoo tells the story of Gerry’s life in service to the many animals at Dublin Zoo – a place that holds fond memories for every family across Ireland. Filled with a lively cast of the zoo’s inhabitants – including Lucy the Chimp and Upali the Elephant – it captures a pivotal period in Dublin Zoo’s history and underscores the importance of environmental conservation efforts around the world.Author Bio

26. Rememberings

by Sinéad O'Connor

€11.99 €15.95

THE LANDMARK MEMOIR OF A GLOBAL MUSIC ICON SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 Sinéad O'Connor's voice and trademark shaved head made her famous by the age of twenty-one. Her recording of Prince's 'Nothing Compares 2 U' made her a global icon. She outraged millions when she tore up a photograph of Pope John Paul II on American television. O'Connor was unapologetic and impossible to ignore, calling out hypocrisy wherever she saw it. She remained that way for over three decades. In her acclaimed No 1 bestselling memoir Rememberings , O'Connor told her story - the heartache of growing up in a family falling apart; her early forays into the Dublin music scene; her adventures and misadventures in the world of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll; the fulfilment of being a mother; her ongoing spiritual quest - and through it all, her abiding passion for music. Rememberings is intimate, replete with candid anecdotes and full of hard-won insights. It is a unique and remarkable chronicle by a unique and remarkable artist. ***** 'Inspiring, liberating, hilarious and fascinating' Irish Times 'Beautifully observed ... lyrical, funny and anguished' Guardian 'Her voice on the page is as fearless, riveting and unforgettable as her voice in song. The cadence alone is hypnotic, her story essential. Rememberings is a must-read' Michael Stipe 'So good, you'll want to read it twice' Sunday Independent 'A soul-bearing, brutally honest account of an extraordinary life' BBC Online 'Tremendous . . . fierce and funny' Sunday Times Books of the Year

27. The Monk (Updated Ed) P/B

by Paul Williams

€10.99 €14.00

*THE EXPLOSIVE BESTSELLER, NOW UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE GANGLAND TRIAL OF THE CENTURY** On the streets of the tough Dublin inner-city neighbourhood where he grew up, Gerry Hutch was perceived as an ordinary decent criminal, a quintessential Robin Hood figure who fought the law - and won. To the rest of the world he was an elusive criminal godfather called the Monk: an enigmatic criminal mastermind and the leader of one side in the deadliest gangland feud in Irish criminal history. This fully revised and updated edition of Paul Williams' classic bestseller reveals the inside story of Hutch's war with former allies the Kinahan cartel, his years on the run and the drama of his trial and shock acquittal on murder charges relating to the Regency Hotel raid. The Monk is an enthralling account of the rise and fall of a modern-day gangster, charting the violent journey of an impoverished kid from the ghetto to the top tier of gangland and the deadly enemies he amassed along the way

28. Chased by pandas

by Dan Martin

€11.99 €15.40

'This is Dan Martin's long-awaited autobiography, full of 'the warmth, sharp insights and vivid colour of his 14-year career' Guardian Known, thanks to his racing style and attitude, for being one of road cycling's last romantics, Dan has always shied away from revealing too much about himself and his story. Now, having retired at the end of the 2021 season aged 35 and no longer bound by the constraints of the racing circuit, Dan feels the time is right to tell his story in the same forthright and honest manner that he rode his bike. This book reflects Dan's generous and outspoken spirit, his resilience to pain, crashes, bad luck and, finally, his acceptance of destiny. Each chapter's title has a sub-title based on a typical cyclist's fear: the fear of losing a race, the fear of retiring from the sport, the fear of mountains or downhills, the fear of doping and, ultimately, the fear of death. Dan also discusses every aspect of the professional cyclist's life - food, discipline, money, dreams, friendship and betrayal. Dan is unashamed when it comes to exposing these dark feelings, his weaknesses and how he tried to deal with them, his attitude exemplifying Mark Twain's quote: 'Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear'. Written with his long-time friend and best-selling author Pierre Carrey, this is the story of a rider who never sought to conform to modern cycling's norms and someone who, in many ways, embodies an age in cycling which has long since disappeared. This is the celebration of a true cyclist's career, which will appeal to anyone who's embraced the weekend ride whilst dreaming of the mountains. '[Chased by Pandas ] is not a conventional study of wins, losses and conquering mountains but overcoming the mental challenges of a sport into which he was seemingly born' The Times 'Records the brave and tough journey of 'one of road cycling's last romantics' Irish Independent 'Chronicles the former Irish road champion's journey through the ranks of professional cycling' Cycling Weekly

29. Never better

by Tommie Gorman

€11.99 €15.40

The warm, rich and fascinating memoir of beloved broadcaster Tommie Gorman. When Tommie Gorman was growing up in Sligo in the 1960s, struggle was never far away but his household had a surplus of love and warmth. From modest beginnings as a local reporter at the Western Journal, where his deadlines were dependent on the bus schedule, Tommie landed at RT�, taking up the post of North-West correspondent in 1980. Over the next four decades he became a familiar presence in Irish homes, known for his coverage of Europe and Northern Ireland, as well as his unforgettable interviews with controversial figures including Gerry Adams, Roy Keane, Ian Paisley and Arlene Foster. While revelling in his life as a journalist, he was also coping with the cancer diagnosis he received in 1994 and seeking ways to access life-saving treatments for patients who shared his rare form of the disease. In this insightful and generous book, Tommie takes readers behind the scenes and shares some of his memories from Sligo to Stormont, via Brussels and Sweden, as he recounts forty extraordinary years of Irish history from his front-row seat and looks at what may lie ahead for the island.

30. We don't know ourselves

by Fintan O'Toole

€13.92 €17.40

The #1 Irish Times bestseller WINNER of the An Post Irish Book Awards 'A clear-eyed, myth-dispelling masterpiece' Marian Keyes 'Sweeping, authoritative and profoundly intelligent' Colm Tóibìn, Guardian 'With the pace and twists of an enthralling novel' Irish Times 'Evocative, moving, funny and furious' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'An enthralling, panoramic book' Patrick Radden Keefe 'A book that will remain important for a very long time' An Post Irish Book Award We Don't Know Ourselves is a very personal vision of recent Irish history from the year of O'Toole's birth, 1958, down to the present. Ireland has changed almost out of recognition during those decades, and Fintan O'Toole's life coincides with that arc of transformation. The book is a brilliant interweaving of memories (though this is emphatically not a memoir) and engrossing social and historical narrative. This was the era of Eamon de Valera, Jack Lynch, Charles Haughey and John Charles McQuaid, of sectarian civil war in the North and the Pope's triumphant visit in 1979, but also of those who began to speak out against the ruling consensus - feminists, advocates for the rights of children, gay men and women coming out of the shadows. We Don't Know Ourselves is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand modern Ireland.

31. Beyond Supervet

by Noel Fitzpatrick

€9.49 €12.60

In this inspiring, uplifting and heart-warming memoir, world-renowned veterinary surgeon Professor Noel Fitzpatrick shares some of the most personal and powerful tales ever from his life as The Supervet. Picking up from where the Sunday Times bestselling How Animals Saved My Life left off, Noel shares the moving, heart-warming and often surprising stories of the animals that he has treated in his remarkable career. As he explores how our relationships with animals can bring out the best in each of us, we meet some of the wonderful animals he has tried to help, the families who love them and the deeply personal challenges Noel has faced along the way. It is animals like these who have taught Noel the valuable lessons of Love, Hope and Faith - lessons that have sustained him in his life beyond being the Supervet. This is the remarkable story of one man and the animals he has saved, animals who have - in turn - saved him.

32. The Grass Ceiling TPB

by Eimear Ryan

€15.99 €21.00

What is it like to be a girl, or a woman, in a male-dominated sporting world? If you play on the boys' team, more people pay attention - but you get treated like an alien. When you switch to playing with girls and women, you have to live with a smaller audience, diminished status, and - if you're a professional - lower pay. And what if - as is the case for camogie player Eimear Ryan - the sport that you play has a different name for women than it does for men, despite identical rules? And what if you don't even feel entirely comfortable in an all-female sporting environment because you're shy, bookish, not really one of the girls? In The Grass Ceiling, acclaimed novelist Eimear Ryan digs deep into the confluence between gender and sport, and all the questions it throws up about identity, status, competition and self-expression. At a time when women's sport is on the rise but still a long way from equality, it is a sharp, nuanced and heartfelt exploration of questions that affect every girl - and boy - who sets out to participate in sport.

33. A Thread Of Violence TPB

by Mark O'Connell

€13.99 €18.20

From the award-winning author comes a gripping account of one of the most scandalous murders in modern Irish history, at once a propulsive work of true crime and an act of literary subversion. Malcolm Macarthur was a well-known Dublin socialite and heir. Suave and urbane, he passed his days mingling with artists and aristocrats, reading philosophy, living a life of the mind. But by 1982, his inheritance had dwindled to almost nothing, a desperate threat to his lifestyle. Macarthur hastily conceived a plan: He would commit bank robbery, of the kind that had become frightfully common in Dublin at the time. But his plan spun swiftly out of control, and he needlessly killed two innocent people. The ensuing manhunt, arrest, and conviction amounted to one of the most infamous political scandals in modern Irish history, contributing to the eventual collapse of a government. Winner of the Wellcome and Rooney Prizes, Mark O’Connell spent countless hours in conversation with Macarthur—interviews that veered from confession to evasion. Through their tense exchanges and O’Connell’s independent reporting, a pair of narratives unspools: a riveting account of Macarthur’s crimes and a study of the hazy line between truth and invention. We come to see not only the enormity of the murders but the damage that’s inflicted when a life is rendered into story. At once propulsive and searching, A Thread of Violence is a hard look at a brutal act, its subterranean origins, and the long shadow it casts. It offers a haunting and insightful examination of the lies we tell ourselves—and the lengths we’ll go to preserve them.  

34. The rodfather

by Roddy Collins

€12.99 €15.40

The hilarious memoir from the funniest man in football! Roddy Collins is a football man - now in the sixth decade of a career as a player (at sixteen clubs), manager (twelve clubs) and commentator. And he is a funny man: an unequalled raconteur with a sharp eye for the absurdities of the professional game and spectacular recall. He has made friends wherever he has gone, along with some high-quality enemies. When John Delaney said he could get Roddy a job if he'd just stop criticising him, Roddy replied that he'd 'rather dig holes in the road'. Now, with the brilliant Paul Howard, Roddy puts it all down on paper for the first time - the adventures, the rows and the craic - in what is not only one of the funniest but also one of the most eye-opening books ever written about professional football.

35. A Woman In Defence TPB

by Karina Molloy

€14.99 €21.00

Karina Molloy is a remarkable woman and an outstanding soldier. During her 31-year career in the Irish Defence Forces, she gained many firsts. First female to get promoted to Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) rank in the Irish Defence Forces. First to attempt the Army Ranger Wing selection course – Ireland’s SAS equivalent – when it was considered impossible for female soldiers due to their status as non-combatants. And, to date, Karina has the most overseas service as a female Senior NCO, with a total of eleven tours of duty in five different mission areas under her belt. But despite her pioneering career, Karina faced many setbacks as a woman in an institution rife with misogyny – from sexual harassment and assault to routine bullying. And yet she persevered. A Woman in Defence is the often shocking story of a pioneering soldier who, through dogged determination, resilience and talent, forged her way in a man’s world, and who continues today on a mission to make the Irish Army a safe and equitable place for women.

36. Almost there

by Nuala O'Faolain

€13.46 €14.95

Nuala O'Faolain's first memoir Are You Somebody? became a literary sensation and an international bestseller when it was first published by New Island Books in 1996. It launched a new life for its author, at a time when she had long since let go of expectations that anything new could dislodge patterns of regret and solitude.  A pioneering work of literary memoir, Almost There opens at that moment when O'Faolain's life began to change. It tells the story of a life in subtle, radical, and unforeseen renewal. It is a tale of good fortune chasing out bad - of an accidental harvest of happiness. But it is also a provocative examination of one woman's experience of the 'crucible of middle age' - a time of life that faces in two directions, that forges the shape of the years to come, and also clarifies and solidifies one's relationships to friends and lovers, family and self.  Nuala O'Faolain's final memoir, Almost There chronicles the pursuit of artistic and personal integrity, and what it is to be a woman in contemporary society, with the signature style and raw candidness of her personal writing.

37. Yank P/B

by John Crawley

€15.26 €16.95

April 1975. A young Irish-American from New York is on a mission to enlist in an elite unit of the US Marine Corps. His goal: to receive the most intensive military training possible, and then move to Ireland to join the IRA and fight to end British occupation. In this powerful and brutally honest memoir, John Crawley details the gruelling challenges of his Marine Corp boot camp; after moving to Dublin to join the IRA Crawley, now known with the movement as ‘The Yank’, is sent to Boston to work with notorious American mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger to amass an illegal shipment of weapons. Ordered to return to Ireland with the arms, Crawley is then captured on the Marita Ann gun running trawler off the Kerry coast, imprisoned, and upon release became one of the masterminds behind an operation to knock out London's electrical system. Crawley is blisteringly candid about those he worked with, including fascinating portrayals of IRA leader Martin McGuinness, and of the psychopathic Whitey Bulger. Crawley is unflinching in his commentary on IRA leadership and their tactics, and through it all comes the steadfast voice of a man on a mission, providing an evocative and passionate account where that mission led him and why. To this day, he remains committed to the establishment of all-Ireland Republic

38. Joey Dunlop

by Stuart Barker

€11.59 €14.50

With a foreword by Carl Fogarty 'A worthy and fitting tribute to the King of the Roads' - Irish News Joey Dunlop's story is one of towering triumphs and desperate tragedies in almost equal measure. Born poor - dirt poor - with no running water, no electricity, he was the definition of the everyman hero, in what must be considered one of the world's most extreme sports - motorcycle road racing. He remains the most loved and most successful road racer of all time. Joey Dunlop won the hearts and minds of millions during his thirty-one-year career, culminating in the year 2000 at the Isle of Man TT when, grey-haired and bespectacled, he cemented his reputation as the greatest TT rider in history by regaining the F1 crown for the first time in twelve years. But in road racing, tragedy is never very far away. Joey lost his life in an accident in July of 2000. It was just weeks after his final TT victory. More than 60,000 people attended Joey's funeral. Over twenty years on, the sport has never truly recovered. Every motorcycling lover knows the legend of Joey Dunlop but now, for the first time, they can get to know the man himself. This definitive new biography is by turns hilarious, triumphant and tragic; it is Dunlop's story as it has never been told before - by those who were part of it.

39. Beyond the tape

by Marie Cassidy

€10.43 €13.05

The Number One bestselling memoir from Ireland's former state pathologist In 1997, Dr Marie Cassidy arrived in Dublin from Glasgow. There to discuss a possible deputy state pathologist post with Professor John Harbison, instead she was whisked by police escort to a Grangegorman murder scene. There was no turning back. She became Ireland's State Pathologist from 2004 until 2018, her image synonymous with breaking news of high-profile cases - a trusted figure in turbulent times. Here, with the scalpel-like precision and calm authority of her trade, Marie shares her remarkable personal journey from working-class Scotland into the world of forensic pathology, describing in candid detail the intricate processes central to solving modern crime. She recounts her work following the tragic deaths of Rachel O'Reilly, Siobhan Kearney, Robert Holohan, Tom O'Gorman and others - along with the Stardust exhumations and lesser known cases from her long career - outlining the subtle methods by which pathology and the justice system meet. Beyond the Tape is a unique behind-the-scenes journey into the mysteries of unexplained and sudden death - by turns poignant, stark and deeply compelling.

40. Overcoming

by Vicky Phelan

€10.43 €13.05

Sunday Times Memoir of the Year 2019 An Post Irish Book of the Year 2019 When Vicky Phelan delivered an emotionally charged statement from the steps of the Four Courts in April 2018 - having refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement in the settlement of her action against the HSE - she unearthed the medical and political scandal of our times. It would emerge that, like Vicky, 220 other women who were diagnosed with cervical cancer were not informed that a clinical audit -carried out by the national screen programme CervicalCheck - had revised their earlier, negative smear tests. Their cancers could possibly have been preventable. Since then, Vicky has become women's voice for justice on the issue, and her system-changing activism has made her a household name. In her memoir Overcoming , Vicky shares her remarkable personal story, from a life-threatening accident in early adulthood through to motherhood, a battle with depression, her devastating later discovery that her cancer had returned in shocking circumstances - and the ensuing detective-like scrutiny of events that led the charge for her history-making legal action. An inspiring story of rare resilience and power, Overcoming is an account of how one woman can move mountains - even when she is fighting for her own life - and of finding happiness and strength in the toughest of times. 'Calls to mind the work of Emilie Pine, or the memoir by Maggie O'Farrell, I Am, I Am, I Am ... Overcoming is more than the retelling of an extraordinary life. Its pacing and gentleness leaves plenty of room for tears and for reflection' Irish Independent

41. Ranger 22

by Ray Goggins

€11.69 €12.99

'The path I have travelled, the things I have done and the people I have met in crisis situations have given me a window into those qualities that make us perform. My military training created a mindset, an outlook and skills that can be channelled into any situation.' From the hills of south Lebanon to the monsoon jungles of Southern Asia, Ray Goggins has operated in a life-and-death world. In the suffocating humidity of Liberia, the mountains of  Afghanistan and the snow-covered Balkans, Ray has seen the best and worst qualities in himself and others. From conflict zones to terrorist attacks and hostage rescues, Ray has learned the greatest life lessons: how to control fear, how to react calmly and positively, and how to create a strong baseline from which to take action. After a life spent on the front line with the Irish Defence Forces, Ray now trains others to foster a mindset to handle whatever madness life has in store. In this remarkable book, he takes us on an exhilarating journey through his incredible career and draws on the valuable lessons to help all of us deal better with life, whatever the situation. 'One of the most talked about books of the year' TV Now   'Ray's experiences are broken down into core values we can all apply to our everyday lives' Peter Stringer   'A great read' Claire Byrne, RTÉ Radio 1

42. Angela's ashes

by Frank McCourt

€12.75 €15.95

Stunning reissue of the phenomenal worldwide bestseller: Frank McCourt's sad, funny, bittersweet memoir of growing up in New York in the 30s and in Ireland in the 40s. It is a story of extreme hardship and suffering, in Brooklyn tenements and Limerick slums - too many children, too little money, his mother Angela barely coping as his father Malachy's drinking bouts constantly brings the family to the brink of disaster. It is a story of courage and survival against apparently overwhelming odds. Written with the vitality and resonance of a work of fiction, and with a remarkable absence of sentimentality, 'Angela's Ashes' is imbued on every page with Frank McCourt's distinctive humour and compassion. Out of terrible circumstances, he has created a glorious book in the tradition of Ireland's literary masters, which bears all the marks of a great classic.

43. The pocket Michael Collins

by Richard Killeen

€5.39 €6.99

The year 2022 sees the 100th anniversary of the death of solider and politician Michael Collins, the legendary leader of Irish republicanism. Born in Clonakilty, County Cork, in 1890, Collins joined Sinn Féin at age 18 and later took part in the 1916 Rising. In the 1918 General Election he won a seat for Sinn Féin in South Cork and was later appointed Minister of Finance in the newly formed Dáil Eireann in 1919. Following the War of Independence, in which he played an effective if at times ruthless role, Collins led the Irish delegation in London to negotiate the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which resulted in the partitioning of Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. The Treaty would ignite civil war in Ireland, ultimately leading to Collins's assassination on 22 August 1922. Today, Collins is still seen as the man who has done more than any other to secure 'the freedom to achieve freedom' of Ireland. This is a compelling and accessible introduction to the legendary political hero.