Dermot Bolger
Psychiatrist in the Chair: Peeling back the many layers of a singular man
A new biography of the brilliant Anthony Clare does justice to his extraordinary life and work
Exiles: A master of his craft conjures up the emigrant experience
Dónall Mac Amhlaigh’s reissued 1986 ‘novel’ is instead three spellbinding stories for the price of one
A Thousand Moons: Barry skilfully reclaims a family’s hidden history
The Irish author’s latest novel is set in an America still rebuilding itself after the Civil War
Quiet Tide: Haunting story of a forgotten botanist
Marianne Lee’s debut novel is an exemplary act of reclamation and literary ventriloquism
Travel: On course for greatness
Portrush may have hosted the British Open Championship last year, but Fermanagh’s Lough Erne is to the fore when it comes to golf in a spectacular setting
Raise a glass to a heartfelt and impressive debut novel
Anne Griffin's When All Is Said is an emotive novel about loves that are no less true for having never been expressed, and 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan is a complicated and realistic character, shaped by his past
Haverty explores her poetic side to beguiling effect
Haverty’s debut collection of poems, The Beauty of the Moon, appeared in 1999. Now comes this superbly understated second collection, 19 years in the making
An uncomfortable look at how Celtic culture was co-opted
When Harvard University sent an archaeological mission to Ireland in the 1930s to determine Ireland’s racial and cultural heritage, it was socially and politically important to rich Irish Americans
Turning a drab journey into a tour de force
David Park, the quiet man of Irish writing has deftly got on with building up a remarkable oeuvre of superbly crafted fiction, each novel constructed without pyrotechnics or any dilution of his sparse, lyrical and clear-headed prose
Life in the raw on an inhospitable borderline
Cantú’s book – half memoir, half meditation – implants itself in your mind
Books: Two towering rivals and friends, appraised together
This is the fifth volume in the Royal Irish Academy’s superbly produced and illustrated Judging series, which seeks to reassess major Irish historical figures
Swing north for a superior golf break
As well as producing some of the world’s top professionals, including Rory McIlroy, the North is home to an impressive selection of golf courses where players of any standard can practise their skills
Crossing the line from dutiful doctor to stricken patient
Non-Fiction/Health: In Shock, By Rana Awdish, Bantam House, €17.95
A timely look at the politically provocative George Bernard Shaw
Shaw brought his own forensic practicality to Irish politics
Looking back at the everyday rhythms of a long-vanished past
Politics: Lovers and Strangers: An Immigrant History of Post-War Britain, By Clair Wills , Penguin, €30
Dermot Bolger: Wrestling with Ulysses
Dermot Bolger, the creator of a new adaptation of Joyce's masterpiece at the Abbey, on a colourful journey from page to stage
Startling short stories that take plenty of turns
FICTION: Room Little Darker, By June Caldwell , New Island Books, €11.95
Two volumes that showcase the rich depth of Irish poetry
Gerard Smyth's 11th collection is a superb addition to a singular oeuvre
