Words from West Wicklow (1)

© The Publisher

Full title: Co. Wicklow’s Way With Words: writings from students of Co. Wicklow V.E.C. Adult Education Service

Creator / Author: Co. Wicklow V.E.C. Adult Education Service

Item Type / Page count: Book / 101pp

When Published: 2004

Publisher / Place of Publication: Co. Wicklow V.E.C. Adult Education Service / Co. Wicklow

About: This first collection of writings by adult students from all over County Wicklow highlights the talents of people taking their first steps in creative writing and self-expression. The many short and ultra-short pieces included here feature a diversity of subject matter and opinions. Overall, the pieces provide a good snapshot of West Wicklow and its people.

ID number(s): None

Contents: [NOTE: Only West Wicklow authors are listed here] — Introduction

[Section One – All Kinds of Everything] Spring / Kathleen Jordan, Blessington — Summer Scenes / Michael O’Hara, Baltinglass — Autumn / Adeline Driver, Rathdangan — Wildlife Ponds / Bernard Byrne, Blessington — Embracing Change / Baltinglass Hospital Patients — My Home / Seamus Lennon, Baltinglass — Our Group Observations / The A Team, Baltinglass — My Walk in the Country / Mary O’Brien, Baltinglass

[Section Two – Reaching the Heights] Learning to Drive / Margaret Hewson, Blessington — The Mouse / Cynthia Steacy, Carnew — My Daughter, Katie and I / Sheila Doyle, Blessington — The Course / Elizabeth Moore, Blessington — How the Computer Revolutionised my Life / Betty Rawson, Carnew — A Little Change / Mary Manley, Blessington — The Expert Shows How it is Done!!! / James Haberlin, Baltinglass

[Section Three – Family Tales] Deep Thoughts / Alan Thomas, Donard — Summer 2003 / Margaret Hewson, Blessington — One Camera, Two Cameras, Three Cameras / Josephine Murphy, Rathdangan — The Wedding / Pamela Hanrahan, Blessington — Love at First Sight / Pamela Hanrahan, Blessington — A Christmas Past / Róisín, Blessington

[Section Four – Memories of Rural Ireland] The Threshing / Rosie Dunne, Blessington — Killing of the Pig / Betty Eager, Baltinglass — The Butter Making / Mary, Baltinglass — The Shop / Geraldine Rooney, Baltinglass — Summer Work / Anthony Mullen, Baltinglass — Childhood Memories of the Annual Sheep Shearing / Betty Byrne, Blessington

[Section Five – Animals Antics] The Feisty Sheep (poem) / Mary Osborne, Baltinglass — The Constipated Goldfish / Maureen Wilson, Rahtdangan — Jan / Bridget Birchall, Blessington

[Section Six – People] Trapped in my Mind! (poem) / Jason Wilson, Baltinglass — Remembering Danny / Catherine Noctor, Baltinglass — My Mother (poem) / Patricia Hosey, Grangecon — The Movie Director David Lean / Thomas Kehoe, Baltinglass — Nancy’s Dresser / Kathleen Osbourne, Blessington — Helen Parker / Ann Cullen, Grangecon — The Poncho / Brigid Brophy, Rathdangan — My Life / Teresa McCarrick, Carnew — Sonia O’Sullivan / Damien, Baltinglass — My Niece Ayla / Fiona Healy, Carnew — A Mother’s Love / Sheila Doyle, Blessington — My Grandmother / Phyllis Hamilton, Blessington

[Section 7 – Days to Remember] My Trip to Paris / Libby Hendrick, Carnew — Lighting the Flame / Eileen Moran, Carnew — Westlife / Michael Connolly, Carnew — Family Outing / James Byrne, Carnew — Going North / Paul Dollard, Carnew — Westlife 2004 / Robert Farrelly, Carnew — My Trip to Fatima / Paul Galvin, Baltinglass — My Favourite Holiday / Kathleen Moran, Carnew — My Trip to Cork / Bernie Redmond, Carnew — A Day at School / P. Coogan, Carnew — Winning is Good Too! / Claire Hayes & Shauna Bradley, Baltinglass — A Weekend Away / Enda Lawler, Baltinglass — A Family Holiday / Sean Kelly, Carnew — Opening my School / Joey Gilbert, Carnew

[Section 8 – Life as We Know It] My Life / Robert Ely, Baltinglasss — The In-between Years / Rosaleen McGrath, Baltinglass — My Retirement / Seamus Hunt, Baltinglass — Why I Returned to Learning / Patrick, Baltinglass — The Answering Machine (poem) / Maureen, Baltinglass — My Luck / Sheila Cullen, Baltinglass — Life (poem) / Rose O’Toole, Baltinglass — Vote Early! Vote Often / Esther Curry et al, Baltinglass Hospital

Extra #1: Search Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Taking Inspiration from Tomnafinnoge

© The Respective Contributors
Cover photo by Terence White

Full title: The Book of Tomnafinnoge: new writing inspired by Tomnafinnoge Oak Wood

Creator / Author: Sylvia Cullen (editor) and contributors, photographs by Terence White

Item Type / Page count: Book / 169pp

When Published: 2021

Publisher / Place of Publication: Courthouse Arts Centre / Tinahely, Co. Wicklow

About: This is a lovely hardbacked publication whose back cover blurb sums it up nicely: “an evocative collection of new writing, fiction and creative non-fiction, inspired by the last remaining fragment of ancient oak forest in South County Wicklow…….Intimate, celebratory, poignant as well as uplifting, this combination of prose and photographs brings the reader on a journey into the woods, revealing some of the wonders of the sylvan world of Tomnafinnoge”.

ID number(s): 9781739826307

Contents: A Word from the Editor

[Creative Non-Fiction] The Woodpecker in Tomnafinnoge Wood / Jerry Cassidy — Richard Behan: Head Forester for Coollattin Estate / Laurence Behan — A Walk in the Woods / Patrick O’Neill — Coill Thom Na Feannóige: a National Treasure / Eamonn Doran — Art in the Woods / Roisín Flood — Famine Emigration: from Tomnafinnoge to Wisconsin / Kevin Lee — Gifts of Tomnafinnoge / Susan Byrne

[Fiction] Mags / Liz McCollum-Ryan — Childhunt / Sylvia Cullen — Fairy Dancing Field God’s Truth / Bruce Copeland — The New Beginning / Annette Keating — Battle / Sylvia Cullen — The Cracking Twig / Gertrude Anne Doyle — Not Out of the Woods / Lucy Gahan — The Wood Stealer / Sylvia Cullen — Cernunnos / Alison McGuire — The Kid Ship / Sylvia Cullen — The Grass is Greener / Niall McKay

[Stories by Young People] The Hidden Tree / Libby Collins — Lost in the Woods / Aoibhe O’Leary — Mission Misneach / Maria Lancaster — Two Grumpy Old Sods / Rhys Davis — The Mystery of Tomnafinnoge / Shannon Perry — Into the Woods / Myron Davidson-Gahan

Contributors’ Biographies — About the Editor — Acknowledgements.

Extra #1: Illustrated throughout with colour photographs

Extra #2: Search Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #4: Link to the Publisher’s website: Courthouse Arts Centre

Thirty-Six Women Writing From Tinahely

© Wicklow Co.Co.

Full title: Red for Energy: new writing from County Wicklow

Creator / Author: Various authors, edited by Sylvia Cullen

Item Type / Page count: Book & CD / 178p

When Published: 2005

Publisher / Place of Publication: Wicklow County Council / Wicklow, Co. Wicklow

About: This is an anthology of work by women writers based in Tinahely and adjacent areas. It started out when the Tinahely Women’s Network suggested that its members should contribute a short piece to celebrate International Women’s Day 2004. It subsequently led to creative writing workshops and courses. This collection, by 36 different authors, represents the female perspective on some real life situations and on the realm of the imagination.

ID number(s): 0953390446

Contents: Foreword / Susan Byrne — Introduction / Sylvia Cullen — Memories / Margaret Synge – [Part one] Priestess for a Day / Eileen Moran — Flight 3853H / Deirdre Whelan, Sandra McCrea & Elaine McGlynn — The Homemaker / Marley Kavanagh — Red for Energy / Sylvia Cullen — Baps, Biscuits, Blisters and Boats / Maria Gillings — A Mother’s Love / Noreen Gorman — Fairy Cakes / Mary Dunne

[Part two] Goose Pimples / Barbara Rocks — Moving On / Marley Kavanagh — In the Beginning / Susan Byrne — Catherine’s Confession / Bree Greene — Low Finance / Theresa Leahy — November Wind / Tara Murphy — Fairies With Hooves / Rose Sharpe —  All About Einstein / Maggie Stewart — More than Cockles and Mussels / Dolores Cullen — Sonny / Irene Lundgaard

[Part three] Freedom / Mary Sheridan — Molly’s Christmas Tree / Breda Murphy — Motorcycle Musings / Brenda Barry — Reluctant Love / Ellen Fox-Lanigan — Spitting Image / Imelda Doody — Nora Magee / Anne O’Sullivan — A Day in the Life, A Life in the Day / Anne-Louise O’Donovan — Silent Life / Tina Christiansen — Titania’s Palace / Jane Twamley — A Second Chance / Jane Clarke

[Part four] My Trip to Allendale / Deirdre Kevin — A Busy Job / Fiona Healy — Helene Bachmann Isn’t Eating / Daria Santi — My Little Life / Jackie Woods

[Part five] Alone Again / Margaret Connors — Zodiacal Light / Sharon Corcoran — Crazy Love / Geraldine Freer — The Music from the Fields / Sylvia Cullen

[Part six Stories on CD] Maternal Strength / Irene Lundgaard — Guest of Honour / Dolores Cullen — Domestic Morning Epiphany / Maggie Stewart — The Auction / Bree Greene — A Journey / Susan Byrne — The Bockety One / Mary Dunne — Make Me An Offer! / Theresa Leahy — Afternoon Tea / Jane Clarke — Five Steps (Inside the Creche) I, II / Daria Santi — Red for Energy / Sylvia Cullen

Extra #1: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Five Take Up Creative Writing

© The Authors from
The Snug at 7.30

Full title: Short Stories & Long Lies

Creator / Author: The Snug At 7.30 Writing Group

Item Type / Page count: Book / 101p

When Published: 2012

Publisher / Place of Publication: The Snug At 7.30 / [Not stated], Co. Wicklow

About: A collection of stories, poems, and history-based pieces by a group of five writers, collectively known as ‘The Snug at 7.30 Writing Group’. Deriving their name from the snug at Larry Egan’s pub in Parkbridge, the group came together following a creative writing course in Tinahely in 2010. This is their first collection which was launched at the Business Centre, Tinahely on 12^th May, 2012.

ID number(s): 9781471635748

Contents: Introduction and Foreword / Alison McGuire – Apples / Tara Quirke – The Lane Back Home / Thomas Clare – A Cold Woman / Alison McGuire – Eagle Hill / Robert Duffy – Raheengraney House / Jillian Godsil – Letting Go and Binding Fast [poem] / Jillian Godsil – I’d Almost Forgotten… / Thomas Clare – I’d Almost Forgotten… / Jillian Godsil – Not The Right Lipstick / Tara Quirke — The Interview / Robert Duffy — Simple Things / Alison McGuire – Some Very Alarming Things / Tara Quirke – The Winter of Life [poem]  / Thomas Clare – Journey (in loving memory of John Duffy 1930-2009) [poem] / Robert Duffy – Footsteps / Thomas Clare – The Wrong Girl / Alison McGuire – The Front Line / Robert Duffy – As I Lie Here in my Coffin / Jillian Godsil – Inheritance of Fear [poem]  / Alison McGuire – The Authors from The Snug.

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #3: The cover photo features a wall hanging from Coolattin House.

Extra #4: Preview this book via Google Books

The Young Man and the Sea

© The Publisher
(cover photo: Steven Rothfeld)

Full title: Close to The Water’s Edge [a short story]

Creator / Author: Claire Keegan

Item Type / Page count: Book Chapter / Short Story / 7p

When Published: 2010

Publisher / Place of Publication: Phoenix / Orion House, 5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane, London WC2H 9EA United Kingdom.

Parent Publication [book]: Phoenix Irish Short Stories 2003 / edited by David Marcus / 213pp

About: The book which includes this short story, is an anthology of Irish short stories published annually. It features both new and established writers. Prior to its appearance in this book, this work by Claire Keegan had only previously appeared in the US edition of the author’s short story collection ‘Antartica’.

ID number(s):  0753817179

WW Connection #1: The author was born and raised in the border area of Wicklow, Carlow and Wexford.

Extra #1: Opening line:”Tonight he is out on the balcony, his dark tan stunning against the white of his dress shirt.”

Extra #1: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #2: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

West Wicklow’s Wizard Writer

© Cover image
Cliff Nielsen

Full title: So You Want to be a Wizard [a novel]

Creator / Author: Diane Duane

Item Type / Page count: Book / 386p

When Published: 1983 and later

Publisher / Place of Publication: Magic Carpet Books Harcourt Inc. / San Diego, USA

About: This is a fantasy novel for young adults and the first in the Young Wizards Series.  The main character, Nita, is having some problems with bullies. However, when she comes across a certain book in the library it leads to all kinds of adventures. When your family have read all the Harry Potters, this book and the others in the series might just cast an enchanting spell.

ID number(s): 9780152162504

Chapters: Prologue — Preliminary Exercises — Research and Development — Temporospatial Claudications: use and abuse – Exocontinual Protocols — Entropics: detection and avoidance — Contractual Magic: an introduction – Major Wizardries: termination and recovery — Timeheart.

WW Connection #1: Diane Duane is a prolific science fiction and fantasy writer and the recipient of several awards. She is American by birth but has been living in the West Wicklow area for many years. She has written dozens of books, short stories, television and film screenplays (including Star Trek), comics, graphic novels and computer games content.

Extra #1: Opening lines: “Part of the problem, Nita thought as she tore desperately down Rose Avenue, is that I can’t keep my mouth shut…”

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #4: Some editions include a preview of ‘Deep Wizardry’, the second book in the series.

Extra #5: Link to Diane Duane’s website

Extra #6: Read all about Diane Duane on Wikipedia

Hat-Tip: To author Diane Duane for listing her works here, thus saving this blogger from possible carpal tunnel complications.

Berlin Beckons for Baltinglass Detective

© The Publisher

Full title: The City of Lies: a Stefan Gillespie novel

Creator / Author: Michael Russell

Item Type / Page count: Book / 355p

When Published: 2017

Publisher / Place of Publication: Constable / Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.

About: This is the fourth book in a series of historical crime fiction featuring the West Wicklow based Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie. A number of deadly incidents in 1940 entangles our hero in the intelligence services of Ireland, Britain and Germany and the action gets serious when he is dispatched to Berlin on a sensitive mission.

ID number(s): 9781472121974

WW Connection #1: The hometown of the main character is given as Baltinglass.

WW Connection #2: The author is a resident of the Baltinglass / Kiltegan area.

Extra #1: Opening lines: “The town of Dunlavin sits on the edge of the great, flat pan of fields and fens that make up a large part of the middle of Ireland…”

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

A Detective Locklear Mystery (1)

© The Publisher

Full title: The Pact [a novel]

Creator / Author: Carol Coffey

Item Type / Page count: Book / 312p

When Published: 2018

Publisher / Place of Publication: Poolbeg Crimson / Poolbeg Press 123 Grange Hill, Baldoyle, Dublin 13.

About: This novel marks a new departure for the author as it is her first detective novel. It introduces Sergeant Locklear, a Native American who is a homicide detective with the Richmond Police Department. Locklear and his colleagues set about investigating the attempted murder of a young Mennonite, but without the co-operation of locals, things become increasingly difficult. The book is the first of a series featuring Sergeant Locklear.

ID number(s): 9781781998199

WW Connection #1: The author lives in the Baltinglass area of West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Opening line: ‘The 5 a.m. call from Lieutenant Alex Kowalski had woken Locklear from a fitful night’s rest…..’

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for editions of this publication in libraries worldwide.

A Sisterly Saga

© The Publisher

Full title: Winter Flowers [a novel]

Creator / Author: Carol Coffey

Item Type / Page count: Book / 322p

When Published: 2011

Publisher / Place of Publication: Poolbeg Press / 123 Grange Hill, Baldoyle, Dublin 13.

About: Two sisters, but many secrets. Iris and Hazel must come to terms with their past before a settled future can ever be contemplated. A novel of family relationships that mixes despair with hope. Can there be a ‘happy ever after’ for one or both of the sisters?

ID number(s): 9781842235027 / 9781842234587

WW Connection #1: The author lives in the Baltinglass area of West Wicklow.

Extra #1: Opening line: “Iris Fay, are you in there?” The man’s voice boomed from outside the rundown shop as he knocked heavily on the door.’

Extra #2: Some editions include a preview of the first chapter of the book ‘The Penance Room’, written by the same author.

Extra #3: The novel has been translated into German.

Extra #4: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #5: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for editions of this publication in libraries worldwide.

Baltinglass Detective Reigns in Spain

© The Publisher

Full title: The City in Darkness: a Stefan Gillespie novel

Creator / Author: Michael Russell

Item Type / Page count: Book / 338p

When Published: 2016

Publisher / Place of Publication: Constable / Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DZ.

About: This is the third book in a series of historical crime fiction featuring the West Wicklow based Detective Inspector Stefan Gillespie. The action ranges from the Wicklow Mountains through Dublin and on to Spain and Portugal. The book is set in the early 1940’s which allows the author scope to use Second World War Europe and the ‘Emergency’ period in Ireland as backdrop to the story.

ID number(s): 9781472121929 / 9781472121912 / 9781472121943

WW Connection #1: The hometown of the main character is given as Baltinglass.

WW Connection #2: The author is a resident of the Baltinglass / Kiltegan area.

Extra #1: Opening lines: “There was barely a whisper of mist on the Upper Lake, a softness in the air where the water rippled among reeds and lapped on the pebble beach at the eastern end…”

Extra #2: Check Libraries Ireland for this publication.

Extra #3: Check OCLC WorldCat.org for this publication in libraries worldwide.

Extra #4: Read a review of this book courtesy of Irish Examiner newspaper