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OLD GOD’S TIME Penguin Random House Sebastian Barry, BA (1977) Recently retired policeman Tom Kettle is settling into the quiet of his new home, a lean- to attached to a Victorian castle overlooking the Irish Sea. For months he has barely seen a soul, catching only glimpses of his eccentric landlord and a nervous young mother who has moved in next door. Occasionally, fond memories return: of his family, his beloved wife June and their two children, Winnie and Joe. But when two Find Out More Read an excerpt former colleagues turn up at his door with questions about a decades-old case, one which Tom never quite came to terms with, he finds himself pulled into the darkest currents of his past. A novel in which nothing is quite as it seems, Old God’s Time is about what we live through, what we live with, and what may survive of us. TESTAMENT Baylor University Press Micheal O’Siadhail, LittD, MLitt, BA (2022) Find Out More Read an excerpt Testament is an imaginative improvisation on the Bible that engages with the intensities and the ups and downs of existence in our complex and fragmented world. ‘Psalter’, the first part, comprises 150 psalm- like poems that sound the depths and heights of life lived in the presence of God. Here, shaped into powerful, accessible poetry, is the exploration of love, grief, doubt, fear, disappointment, and overwhelming delight and joy. Micheal O’Siadhail opens heart, mind, and imagination to profound questions of God, suffering and aging, truth and trust, freedom and surprise, desire and love. There are exchanges with God and through them all runs a conversational relationship expressed in praise, thanks, lament, and distilled wisdom, embracing a variety of forms and rhythms. ‘Gospel’, the second part, retells in poetry stories from the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The emphasis is on the plain sense of the stories, newly imagined. We are invited to discover insights and nuances, angles and depths, and to encounter afresh the central character, Jesus. THE CORONER’S DAUGHTER Black Swan Ireland Andrew Hughes, BA (2000) Find Out More The heart of this novel revolves around Abigail Lawless, the spirited daughter of a city coroner, on her journey as she sets out to uncover the truth behind a perplexing murder. As Abigail embarks on her quest to find the culprit, you’ll be taken on a tour through the streets of Dublin and its surroundings, in the year 1816 (also known as The Year Without a Summer). Along the way, encounter recognisable landmarks like the Royal Irish Academy, Dunsink Observatory, Charlemont House, and Blessington Street Basin, all of which are joined by number of fictional characters and real-life historical figures, including James Caulfield, 1st Earl of Charlemont.
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PROTESTANTS, CATHOLICS, AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN IN THE AGE OF REVOLUTION Wipf and Stock Thomas P Power Find Out More Higher education was one of the more vital battlegrounds that emerged from the religious conflict of the sixteenth century. On the one hand, education was seen as central in spreading the ideas of the Reformers. On the other, the success of the Catholic Reformation emanated from the foundation of seminaries on the continent. This work explores the denominational division in education, with Trinity as a case study and with the French Revolution as a backdrop. Because the French Revolution inhibited Catholic educational facilities in Europe, the book explores the extent to which a Protestant institution accommodated Catholic needs domestically. The pattern that emerged in a revolutionary context was to have long-term consequences for higher education in Ireland. TOXIC PEOPLE Lume Books SD Monaghan, MPhil (2010) Jenny, a member of the rich and influential Donaldson family, is used to the finest of all things. So, when her exclusive Dublin home comes under threat, she will do almost anything to save it. First, her husband Shane is almost murdered during a robbery that also takes the life of a burglar. Then, a threatening stranger warns of doom before nightfall. But for which of them, and how, and why? As the hours rush by, Jenny and Shane find their pasts, their presents and their ideal futures colliding in a tornado Find Out More of hate and love, jealousies and frustration, rage and regret. Meanwhile, one woman – Jenny’s mother, Vera – grabs centre stage, as she always has. But however self-absorbed Vera may be, what mother could destroy everything her child holds precious, simply to further her own caustic interests? As the hour of reckoning approaches, and the hunt for the persecutor continues, Jenny is about to discover that vengeance can visit from the most unexpected quarters… FUTURE FISH Lightening Books Conor Sneyd, MSc, BA (2015) Sacked from his first job in Dublin, Mark McGuire arrives in the dismal town of Ashcross to take up a new role as customer service assistant for Ireland’s second-biggest pet food brand, WellCat. From his initial impressions, it’s a toss-up whether he’ll die of misery or boredom. He couldn’t be more wrong. For starters, the attractive receptionist, Kevin, seems willing to audition as the man of Mark’s dreams. There’s also the launch of a hush-hush new Find Out More Read an excerpt product, Future Fish, on the horizon. Not to mention the ragtag band of exorcists, alien-hunters and animal rights warriors who are all convinced WellCat is up to no good. Why are these crackpots so keen on getting close to Mark? And will their schemes ruin his career prospects? In a deliciously daft comic caper, Conor Sneyd perfectly captures the powerlessness of low-rung office life as well as the seductive zealotry of our times.
