Exploring Ireland: 10 books from the emerald Isle

A list of books to read from Ireland

Let us start with one of the books you will find of every list of must-read classics. Which I have actually never read. Maybe now will be the time?

Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. A dark tale of vanity, decadence, and moral corruption. When Dorian Gray wishes for his portrait to age while he remains young, it sets off a chilling and unforgettable story. A cornerstone of Irish and gothic literature.

Another Irish classic not to be missed, is this collection of fifteen stories, that paints a vivid picture of early 20th-century Dublin. James Joyce spent ten years battling with publishers, resisting their demands to remove swear words, real place names and much else, including two entire stories. Joyce’s aim was to tell the truth — to create a work of art that would reflect life in Ireland at the turn of the last century. Said to be a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Irish life and culture.

Ireland has a rich mythological heritage, and this book is the gateway to understanding it. The myths and legends of pre-Christian Ireland overflow with giants and heroes, maidens, battles and brave deeds. The haunting love of Diarmuid and Grania, the epic war fought over the White Bull of Cuailgne, the enchanted world of Tir Nan Og and the boyhood deeds of Cuchulain and Finn Mac Cumhal – these are just a few of the unforgettable tales in this superb collection.

Translated from Irish by renowned folklorist and writer Lady Gregory, Complete Irish Mythology conjures up a vanished world of magic, chivalry and song.

“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.” 

So begins the Pulitzer Prize winning memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. This book have been on my personal list of must-reads since forever, but I have never gotten around to it. Should I do it now?

Roddy Doyle’s debut novel follows a group of working-class Dubliners who form a soul band. Filled with sharp humor and vibrant dialogue, it’s a love letter to Dublin’s culture.

The 1991 film adaptation is a nostalgic favorite for me — I watched it multiple times back then, and I know all of the songs by heart. Before starting my research for this I actually wasn’t aware of it being based on a book, so this is a definite must-read.

At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other

For a contemporary look at Ireland, this could be the choice. Especially since I have a physical copy of this book, which I bought in an airport a year ago, but I never got around to reading it.

Lib Wright, a young English nurse, arrives in an impoverished Irish village on a strange mission. Eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell is said to have eaten nothing for months but appears to be thriving miraculously. Lib’s job is simple: to watch the girl and uncover the truth. An educated sceptic, Lib expects to expose the fast as a hoax right away. But as she gets to know the girl she becomes more and more unsure. Is Anna a fraud, or a ‘living wonder’? Or is something more sinister unfolding right before Lib’s eyes? 

Sounds very intriguing, but maybe too scary for me?

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. 

The author has received a long list of awards, and Small things like these is an international bestseller. It has also been on my TBR ever since it came out. Why do I note down so many Irish books without actually reading them?

In thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared. When a young Alice Kyteler sees her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities, she vows that she will not suffer the same fate. When she discovers she has a flair for making money, she soon builds a flourishing trade. But as her wealth and stature grow, so too do the rumours about her private life. By the time she has moved on to her fourth husband, a blaze of local gossip and resentment culminates in an accusation that could prove fatal.

The book is inspired by the first recorded person in Ireland to have been condemned as a witch. I actually had another book on this place on the list until the last minute, but when I saw this one on a BBC list of “the best books of 2024”, I had to include it.

For a dark and scary take on what the Fairies of Ireland are really like, this could be the choice.

Imagine a world where you might disappear any minute, only to find yourself alone in a grey sickly land, with more horrors in it than you would ever wish to know about. And then you hear a horn and you know that whoever lives in this hell has got your scent and the hunt has already begun. Could you survive the Call? Could I?