Irish Store: Fiction Books Ballykissangel: The New Arrival Written by Hugh Miller Published by Bay Books Paperback 222 pages 1998   Ballykissangel is a small parish in rural Ireland where life is anything but humdrum. Peter Clifford, an English curate, has been posted in Ballykissangel and his arrival comes as something of a shock both to him and the local residents. Not at all fitting his expectations, the misty little town is by no means the sleepy backwater he had envisioned. He is faced with the local scam-artist, Brian Quigley, who has just installed an automated confessional--complete with fax machine--in the church, and his daughter Niamh who asks Father Peter for advice about premarital sex. There is also Father Mac, the parish priest, who is known to be fond of the bottle and far less fond of the English. And, perhaps his most difficult challenge is presented in the form of Assumpta Fitzgerald, the beautiful, fiery, and fiercely anti-clerical owner of the local pub, who proves to be a very attractive sparring partner on issues of all sorts. Ballykissangel: A Sense Of Place Written by Hugh Miller Published by Bay Books Paperback 224 pages 1999   Father Peter Clifford's arrival in the rural Irish town of Ballykissangel was something of a shock to both himself and the residents. The quirky hamlet is hardly the sleepy backwater he'd envisioned, and the cast of colorful characters who parade in and out of the church provide pithy repartee. 1916 Written by Morgan Llywelyn Published by Forge Hardcover 384 pages 1998   Ned Halloran has lost both his parents--and almost his own life--to the sinking of the Titanic. Determined to keep what little he has, he returns to his homeland in Ireland and enrolls at Saint Enda's school in Dublin. Saint Enda's headmaster is the renowned scholar and poet, Patrick Pearse--who is soon to gain greater fame as a rebel and patriot. Ned becomes totally involved with the growing revolution...and the sacrifices it will demand. Through Ned's eyes, 1916 examines the Irish fight for freedom--inspired by poets and schoolteachers, fueled by a desperate desire for independence, and played out in the historic streets of Dublin against the backdrop of World War I. It is the story of the brave men and heroic women who, for a few unforgettable days, managed to hold out against the might of the British Empire to realize an impossible dream. back to the Ireland Store Books Page Last Updated: 22 Sep 2017 at 03:33 UTC You are visitor since 29 Apr 2002 page design & content copyright © 2002 Andrew S Harris return to britannia.org