Books

  • Heaney - The Classic Heaney Issue

    Heaney – The Classic Heaney Issue

    30.00

    A hardback reprint of the classic Irish Pages issue on Seamus Heaney to commemorate the tenth anniversary of his death on 30 August 2013, including four last poems by Seamus Heaney.

    Sven Birkerts and Helen Vendler on the man and the poet. A Suite of Obituaries & Global Reminiscences by leading poets and writers in Ireland, Britain and the United States. Poems by Kerry Hardie, Michael Coady, Paddy Bushe, Kathleen Jamie, Katie Donovan, Sean Lysaght, Damian Smyth, Ignatius McGovern, John F. Deane, Francis Harvey, Michael Longley, Alan Gillis, Moya Cannon and Harry Clifton. President Michael D. Higgins on John Hewitt and Richard Murphy on poetry and terror.

    Writing in Irish from Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, Cathal O Searcaigh and others. PLUS: “Seamus Justin Heaney 1939-2013”, a unique photographic portfolio by Bobbie Hanvey.

  • A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

    A Day in the Life of Abed Salama

    30.00

    LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

    A deeply immersive portrait of daily life in Israel and the West Bank‘ The Best Books to Understand the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Financial Times

    Brims over with just the sort of compassion and understanding that is needed at a time like this … when facts have become weapons in this seemingly endless conflict, this is a book that speaks with deep and authentic truth of ordinary lives trapped in the jaws of history‘ Observer

    A gripping, intimate story of one heartbreaking day in Palestine that reveals lives, loves, enmities, and histories in violent collision.

    Milad is five years old and excited for his school trip to a theme park on the outskirts of Jerusalem, but tragedy awaits: his bus is involved in a horrific accident. His father, Abed, rushes to the chaotic site, only to find Milad has already been taken away.

    Abed sets off on a journey to learn Milad’s fate, navigating a maze of physical, emotional, and bureaucratic obstacles he must face as a Palestinian. Interwoven with Abed’s odyssey are the stories of Jewish and Palestinian characters whose lives and pasts unexpectedly converge: a kindergarten teacher and a mechanic who rescue children from the burning bus; an Israeli army commander and a Palestinian official who confront the aftermath at the scene of the crash; a settler paramedic; ultra-Orthodox emergency service workers; and two mothers who each hope to claim one severely injured boy.

    A Day in the Life of Abed Salama is a deeply immersive, stunningly detailed portrait of life in Israel and Palestine, and an illumination of the reality of one of the most contested places on earth.

  • Home Kitchen

    Home Kitchen

    12.00

    Become a more confident, creative and instinctive home cook, with inspiration, tips, and delicious recipes from much-loved Irish cook Donal Skehan. In his new book, Donal brings us into the heart of his kitchen, showing us how he cooks for his family and what inspires him – from his granny’s handwritten recipes and his Irish heritage to his time living in LA. Donal shares delicious recipes from his many experiences and travels, as well as his decades as a home cook, that you’ll want to make time and again.

    Donal has all aspects of the week covered with chapters such as make-ahead Sundays, everyday dinners, weekday rush, slow-cooking weekend wins, and scrumptious desserts. Recipes include:Cauliflower Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Chorizo Crumbs; Sheet-Pan Sticky Korean Popcorn; Chicken with Rice and Slaw; Slow Cooker Butter Chicken; Prawn and Dill Rolls with Wild Garlic Mayo; Basque Burnt Cheesecake with Cherries; Irish Coffee, Hazelnut and Chocolate Tiramisu.

    Packed with amazing recipes, tips and tricks, this book will help you get the most out of every week and learn to truly love your own home kitchen.

  • Old Ireland in Colour 3

    Old Ireland in Colour 3

    24.95

    John Breslin and Sarah-Anne Buckley are back with the third installment of their record-breaking Old Ireland in Colour series. The authors have uncovered yet more photographic gems and breathed new life into them in glorious colour.

  • Chasing Sam Maguire

    Chasing Sam Maguire

    34.95

    It is almost one hundred years since the Sam Maguire Cup was first awarded to the winner of the All-Ireland Football Championship, the pinnacle of sporting ambition for generations of Gaelic footballers. Here, we celebrate all the heartbreak and glory of the first fifty years of its history. Since it was first presented in 1928, to Kildare, who beat Cavan by a single point, the Sam Maguire has become one of the most treasured pieces of silverware in Irish sport.

    Dermot Reilly and Colm Keys have created an absorbing record of the first fifty years of Sam. Thrilling accounts of the run-up to each final and the finals themselves are included, along with the names and home clubs for every player to have graced the field in those All-Ireland finals. A ‘must’ for every GAA enthusiast, Chasing Sam Maguire is an enthralling account of the agony and the ecstasy of the pursuit of Ireland’s biggest sporting prize.

  • Dirty Linen

    Dirty Linen

    22.95

    Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times, offers a personal, intimate history of the Troubles seen through the microcosm of a single rural parish, his own, part of both the Linen Triangle – heartland of the North’s defining industry – and the Murder Triangle – the Badlands devastated by paramilitary violence. He lifts the veil of silence drawn over the horrors of the past, recording in heartrending detail the terrible toll the conflict took – more than twenty violent deaths in a few square miles – and the long trail of trauma it has left behind.

    Neighbours and classmates who lost loved ones in the conflict, survivors maimed in bomb attacks and victims of sectarianism, both Catholic and Protestant, entrust Doyle with their stories. Writing with a literary sensibility, he skillfully shows how the once dominant local linen industry serves as a metaphor for communal division but also for the solidarity that transcended the sectarian divide. To those who might ask why you would want to reopen old wounds, the answer might be that some wounds have never been allowed to heal.

  • The Food Pharmacy

    The Food Pharmacy

    24.95

    Jess Redden has always had a passion for food. Cooking together from scratch at home was the norm but as she grew up, stress, poor sleep and processed food on the go resulted in digestive issues, skin breakouts and low mood. Determined to address her symptoms without medication, Jess learned about the impact of food on well-being, turned her life around by taking a holistic approach that included diet, exercise and time to rest and recharge.

    Now a pharmacist, Jess brings her passion for nutrition and lifestyle to her work. Here she shares her knowledge of the most common ailments that present at the pharmacy counter and explains how food can be our first source for fuelling or fighting symptoms of disease. Here she shares over 100 easy, delicious recipes to optimise heart, gut, and bone health, balance hormone and blood sugars and much more!

  • Born to be a Footballer

    Born to be a Footballer

    19.95

    “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 known 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.

  • Great Moments in Gaelic Football

    Great Moments in Gaelic Football

    19.95

    New, updated edition. Gaelic football is Ireland’s native sport. Fast, physical, athletic and driven by local and national rivalries, it is a unique part of our heritage.

    Ray McManus and his team at Sportsfile are as passionate as all true sports fans, and have been taking photographs for over forty years. They have been at All Ireland finals, of course, but also at club matches throughout the land. With reminiscences from photographers and players alike, this book is a look back over the decades at the legendary players, matches and moments that have contributed to the narrative of one of the world’s most exciting sports.

    A must for Gaelic Football fans wherever they are. First published in 2016, this edition includes the return to crowds at matches after the pandemic, Mayo ending Dublin’s historic run, and Tyrone’s ascent to the top step of the podium.

  • Translations of Seamus Heaney

    Translations of Seamus Heaney

    22.50

    Heaney not only translated classic works of Latin and Old English but also poems from a great number of ancient and modern European languages, not least translations from the Old, Middle and Modern Irish of his homeland. The breadth and depth in evidence here is extraordinary – from monastic hymns and prayers, to the civic and familial tragedies of Sophocles and Kochanowski; from Virgil and Dante’s living underworld to the stark landscapes of Sweeney’s Ireland.

    As editor, Marco Songzogni frames the translations with the poet’s own writings on his works. Collectively these bring us closer to an understanding of the genius for interpretation and transformation that distinguished Heaney as one of the great poet-translators of all time.

  • Big Beacon

    Big Beacon

    19.95

    In Big Beacon, Norwich’s favourite son and best broadcaster, Alan Partridge, triumphs against the odds.

    TWICE.

    Using an innovative ‘dual narrative’ structure you sometimes see in films, Big Beacon tells the story of how Partridge heroically rebuilt his TV career, rising like a phoenix from the desolate wasteland of local radio to climb to the summit of Mount Primetime and regain the nationwide prominence his talent merits.

    But then something quite unexpected and moving, because Big Beacon also tells the story of a selfless man, driven to restore an old lighthouse to its former glory, motivated by nothing more than respect for a quietly heroic old building that many take for granted, which some people think is a metaphor for Alan himself even though it’s not really for them to say.*

    Leaving his old life behind and relocating to a small coastal village in Kent, Alan battles through adversity, wins the hearts and minds of a suspicious community, and ultimately shows himself to be a quite wonderful man.

    * The two strands will run in tandem, their narrative arcs mirroring each other to make the parallels between the two stories abundantly clear to the less able reader.

  • The I'm Grand Mamual

    The I’m Grand Mamual

    14.95

    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.

  • The Hike Life

    The Hike Life

    24.95

    Fall in love with Ireland’s dramatic mountains and rugged coastline in 50 unforgettable hikes. Roz Purcell has been hiking the length and breadth of Ireland for years with her enthusiastic community The Hike Life, exploring the best of what the island has to offer. This book brings to life the beauty and majesty of hiking in Ireland along with practical advice, easy-to-follow route descriptions and a wealth of tips.

    In it you’ll find: the ultimate fifty hikes to do on the island of Ireland, from rugged mountains to forest trails and cliff walks; the complete guide to everything you need for a safe and enjoyable hike; dozens of recommendations for pitstops and photo opportunities along the way to turn your hike into a full-day adventure; and breathtaking photography to inspire you to get out there and start hiking.

  • In My Own Words

    In My Own Words

    24.95

    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.

  • Limitless

    Limitless

    19.95

    The sea has always been a part of Nuala Moore’s life: her earliest memory is of jumping off her father’s fishing boat in Dingle Harbour and swimming back to shore. Since then, she’s swum in some of the coldest, most remote and dangerous waters in the world, from the Bering Strait to the Drake Passage. After years of marathon swimming, Nuala struggled to balance sacrifice and achievement.

    Her work-life balance, coupled with caring for her father, forced a change in her pathway. She turned to ice swimming. For Nuala, these extreme situations offered freedom and a chance to find her true north.

    Nuala believes that everyone is capable of greatness, whatever shape that might take. Limitless is her breathtaking memoir, detailing what goes through her mind when she’s in the water and how, when she returns home, she processes the fallout of pushing herself to the brink.

  • The Letters of Seamus Heaney

    The Letters of Seamus Heaney

    45.00

    Every now and again I need to get down here, to get into the Diogenes tub, as it were, or the Colmcille beehive hut, or the Mossbawn scullery. At any rate, a hedge surrounds me, the blackbird calls, the soul settles for an hour or two . . .

    For all his public eminence, Seamus Heaney seems never to have lost the compelling need to write personal letters. In this ample but discriminating selection from fifty years of his correspondence, we are given access as never before to the life and poetic development of a literary titan – from his early days in Belfast, through his controversial decision to settle in the Republic, to the gradual broadening of horizons that culminated in the award of a Nobel Prize and the years of international acclaim that kept him heroically busy until his death.

    Editor Christopher Reid draws from both public and private archives to reveal this story in the poet’s own words. Generous, funny, exuberant, confiding, irreverent, empathetic and deeply thoughtful, the letters encompass decades-long relationships with friends and colleagues, as well as showing an unstinted responsiveness to passing acquaintances. Moreover, Heaney’s joyous mastery of language is as evident here as it is in any of his writing for a literary readership.

    Listening to Heaney’s voice, we find ourselves in the same room as a man whose presence, when he lived, enriched the world immeasurably, and whose legacy continues to deepen our sense of what truly matters.